Bitter Honey (Stolen Moments)

Okay, so anyone who reads my reviews knows by now I am very fond of the old, old Harlequin Romances, but let me point out that I have read many other publishers, like Fawcett Crest, Signet, Pocket book and Walker just to name a few, I have over 6000 books and I have read more than 7000 books, from my own library and the Marion County Public Library, not to mention books other people press me to read, because I like old Harlequin Romances they think I need to widen my scope of reading. My telling them I have read other writers outside Harlequin Romance is met with doubt. Therefore they loan me books to read to help me on my way. Needless to say I go right back to my old standby Harlequin Romance. Now the reason I like the old, old books is because of the lack of sexual content. Unfortunately I find many of the writers go for mean, selfish, hard, cold, even abusive alpha males, and sweet innocent vulnerable females. This book if not one of them. Declan Stone finds out his father Gerald is about to marry Brenda a woman who is not only widow, but she has a 16 yr-old daughter Paige. Paige has a crush on Declan, she finds him kind, sympathetic, and strong at the age of 24. At a pool party, and barbecue Gerald is giving Paige finds she has a headache, and goes in to lie down, only to over hear Declan telling Gerald he is a fool for marrying, he should have a fling and get it out of his system, then get on with his life Declan calls Brenda a gold-digger. And Declan points out that he won't claim Paige as his stepsister, because she is awful in his opinion. So set the stage for Paige, as she grows up into a beautiful woman, she still remembers the horrible things Declan said about her mom and her. When 6 yrs later she is invited to spend the weekend at Gerald home for his birthday, she is shocked to find Declan is there. She doesn't know that Brenda went to London to talk to Declan and they reached an understanding, but then Brenda didn't hear the things Paige did. So Paige is at war with Declan, and he has no idea what he has done to cause her to hate him. Declan is very attracted to Paige, and he does all that he can to impress her, but she snaps at him all through the weekend. Later they end up in the same house at Xmas, and Declan wants to call a truce, but Paige is ill, and her behavior seems to Declan as the same as when they met for his father's birthday. Only Declan has tickets to a London show, and the whole family is invited, as well as expensive hotel rooms for the weekend. When Paige gives into the Flu and because she hasn't been taking care of herself, the flu hits her hard.(I've had the flu, boy do I know what she went through.) Declan decides to make up for the mean way he treated Paige by taking care of her while she is sick, and sending their parents off to the show. But Paige isn't a good patient, and they knock heads again. After Paige is well, Declan decides to tell her the truth, he is in love with her, she then hits him with the thin