You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!
Sarah (not me, though my whole reading history is one big HaBO in my brain what with my inability to remember titles) asks for your help with a Harlequin Presents:
I’m trying to find a Harlequin Presents, which was used when I bought it at
least fifteen years ago—-since this is like trying to find a specific
needle in a needle factory, I need help!The heroine ia a young girl with long, bright red hair (this is important).
Impoverished of course (the girl, not the hair). She somehow bumps into a
rich man who thinks she’s a wild, irresponsible tease who’s far too
young for him so he takes her into his home to support her. As rich men do.
She’s a complete innocent and doesn’t understand why he’s so angry
with her all the time—-but she falls in love with him anyway.The scene I remember—-and the one I want to re-read because it’s
heartbreaking—-is the one after one of their fights during which he
verbally cuts her into ribbons for her wild, harlot-colored hair (or
something) and her so-called provocative behavior with other men. She gets
so upset that she goes and hacks off her hair to her ears with scissors,
takes the ragged armful to his den, and dumps it on the floor.He says (in a hoarse voice because he’s appalled) “What have you done?”
and she says, something like, “If it’s my hair that makes me a slut, then
less hair should mean less of a tramp.” And she walks out—-not sure where
she goes, possibly to a hairdresser. And that’s when her beloved realizes
he has been suffering from severe rectal-cranial disorder and starts
groveling.Can anyone help me out? Or at least tell me I’m not making it up?
Does he then sell his watch to buy her hair clips while she sells her hair to buy him a watch chain? Or does he just grovel until she strangles him with her impoverished hair? Anyone remember this one? (Sounds hairy. *snrk*)
hehe… whore-hair. Well it made me laugh.
Redcrow, I didn’t even notice that!
Right. I’ve ordered it, sucker that I am. Hope it’s not total dross.
When I read this habo, I remember thinking, nah I’ve read some whack historicals with crazy big misunderstandings involving dresses, letters and fake assignations, but slutty hair???
And then I realised it was a modern. Or 1996 anyway. And then I felt faintly ill.
@ redcrow
I have no idea, but good catch and lord how horrifying. I’m not sure which is worse!
Vixenbib:
It may well be dross, but as I recall, it’s fine, harlot hair-colored dross . . . I hope.
Oh, slutty hair. And groveling. Love it.
Off to hunt this book. I miss melodrama in my romance novels!
As I read this I kept thinking it sounded familiar, so I went to my Goodreads read list and what do you know I was thinking of a book with such a similar title and theme called “Living with Adam” by Anne Mather back in the 70’s but re-released in 1997, right along with “Living with Marc” by Jane Donnelly. Maybe they were part of a series.
I figured those of you who liked the sound of search might want to look up this book also.
Thank you so much shellbell for posting about the Harlequin Wikipedia! I have been tempted a few times to write into SB about a book I read back in the 80’s. All I could remember was a statue on the cover and a tropical location. However, I was pretty sure it was a Harlequin Silhouette Desire (the red cover) and it might have something about gold in the title. I checked it out from the library umpteen times because I liked the story and I remember it being “hot” (as a teenager LOL). I found it! It’s Golden Goddess by Stephanie James (who is apparently Jayne Ann Krenz as well).
My copy was despatched from Amazon yesterday. Hoping it will arrive early next week.
I’m pretty sure it’s going to have me alternating between
i) squirming in my seat (well-written, passionate, hoarse-voiced heroes can do that to me – but I’m also afraid that the squirming might well be in response to the ickiness of the age gap) and
ii) laughing out loud at its sheer, old-fashioned nonsense!
I’ll let you know what I think, Sarah W!
Mine did, too, Vixenbib!
As I recall the story was awash in pathos and probably emotional abuse, so I hope you’re a fan . . . 🙂
Ok Sarah W! This is my take on “Living With Marc”.
I read this in one sitting – maybe should have given it more time. It started off well for me – Jane Donnelly has a light touch and doesn’t over-write her characters’ motivation which, initially, I appreciated (e.g. she doesn’t use the device of repeating everything from each character’s POV, which, in the wrong hands, can become very tedious, IMO). It was pretty old-fashioned in tone, which I expected from your HaBO – but I was surprised to see that it was published as late as 1996. Anyway. I liked the feistiness of heroine, Robin, and the growing acknowledgement of her attraction to hero, Marc – the relationship didn’t feel as disturbingly unequal as I’d feared it might. I felt it was all going fine, albeit quite tamely and blandly and humourlessly – there was absolutely no “squirming” on my part, for any reason whatever, I’m sorry to say. About 3/4 of the way through, I felt the writer began rushing towards a conclusion, as if she were running out of time in an exam. I was disappointed with the last few chapters. I felt, ultimately, that the hero was underdeveloped; I had hardly any idea of how he really felt about anything until virtually the last page. Yes, he’d been pretty cross throughout – but really, only as cross as a cardboard cut-out can get. I like my old-school heroes to emote a bit more than this one did. I found the haircutting scene much more exciting and melodramatic when you wrote about it, Sarah W, in your HaBO!
I’d give it a C- for effort and a D- for impact. Having said that, this thread has been great fun!
P.S. My two teenage daughters groaned when I opened the parcel from Amazon and they saw it was a Mills and Boon! In order to re-gain my credibility with them, I had to explain that someone on SmartBitches had started a conversation about it. Go Bitches!
And now I’m feeling guilty that I may have ‘dissed’ something you’ve been treasuring, Sarah W! I’m really sorry if I’ve trampled your garden.
Heavens, no, Vixenbib! I think you’ve got some valid points. And you liked my version better, too, so what’s to argue? 😀
This book is different than I’d remembered, but I’d only retained the basics—-I’d completely forgotten about the Evil Aunt, the Weak Brother (meh), and the (flimsy) reason the hero thought the Heroine (capitalized just for redcrow!) was a dirty hoor (TM).
At least the hero is a judgemental butthead and the Heroine is finally fed up with being labeled a tramp because of the way she looks. And she does chop off her hair!
I wasn’t expecting the depth of a longer story, so I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a nice little story, as far as it goes. And now I won’t be laying awake at night trying to remember the title and author!
So thanks again to everyone who helped me! If you read it, let Vixenbib and I know what you think!
Sorry, Vixenbib and me. Sheesh . . . there goes the grammar . . .
Sarah W, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with your comment about expectations. I’ve read a zillion M&B novels in the past (really, they should call most of them ‘novellas’) and enjoyed many of them. I no longer choose to read them – too flimsy for my current tastes. Living with Marc is actually an OK example of what M&B has to offer; the writing was fine, it just didn’t excite me in any way at all. I’m not really au fait with the myriad sub-groupings of the Romance publishing world, but if I really have to read M&B, I’d rather read something torrid and OTT: “The Embitttered Spanish Viscount and His Ex-Sister-in-Law’s Nanny”, for example 😉
Hi,
I have had pillar box red hair for 4 months now i want a change and want white blonde hair, my hairdresser friend bleached my hair and my roots went white but the rest of my hair turned candy floss pink, i have dyed it light brown but it is still pink underneath, anyone have any ideas how i can get it out?