Double Standards

I absolutely loved this book. I was emotionally overwhelmed by the end. Will definitely read again.

It is only recently that I have found Judith McNaught and so far I have not been disappointed by her work. This is a nice gentle read of tall, dashing, handsome man with troubled background and young attractive women, with maybe a few secrets of her own. If you don't always like a semi-predictable ending this book isn't for you but if you like the boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl live happy ever after? Then I would recommend this as a good read. I find Judith McNaught able to draw you into the novel and rush along the story path with intensity of her characters and descriptions to the conclusion, without feeling as though you have missed a beat. I found this a satisfying read and ready to delve into another of her works.

This book was one of my favorite's by Judith. She can make the reader fall in love with the hero (usually a very attractive, strong male) and envy the damsel in distress (some innocent sexy female). I always enjoy leaving my life for a trip to Judith's world.

Double Standards is a very enjoyable contemporary novel. It has all the ingredients for a firey romance. A fabulous hero with rakish motives and a sharp heroine who refuses to be used come together in a fast moving, competitive corporate environment. After a powerful family member asks Lauren Danner to work undercover at Sinco, a rival company, Lauren applies for an executive secretarial position with Sinco. Once she arrives for her interview, Lauren has already concluded that she is incapable of spying on Sinco. Lauren then proceeds to fail all entry tests and deliberately makes a bad impression during her interview with the head of human resources. How is she to know, after leaving the disastrous interview, that she would meet Nick Sinclair, the owner of Global Industries (the company that owns Sinco), and fall flat on her face in front of him? Before she knows what is happening, Lauren has a job at Sinco the next day despite her deliberate attempt to botch her job interview.Nick attempts to ignore Lauren and his attraction to her. But Lauren doesn't realize who Nick is and spontaneously invites him to lunch. From there, Nick begins his assault, attempting to seduce Lauren and she believes she is falling in love.McNaught draws a vivid portrait of a bold, successful business man who owns a considerable number of large, thriving companies. He is the typical type A confident male who thinks he has all the answers. In his arrogance, he seeks our Lauren for an affair - nothing more. He is a real stinker at times. Lauren, in turn, is fascinated with Nick until she learns his true identification. Lauren is quick and on target as she continually refuses Nick's further advances. Others have referred to Nick's treatment of Lauren as sexual harassment. Although I concede that Nick's words to Lauren could be considered sexual harassment, Lauren doesn't allow such treatment. She is firm and consistent in her refusals to Nick. She will not allow him to treat her flippantly. You actually love hearing Lauren reject Nick - you feel he deserves it. I am not fond of smart mouthed heroines that treat the man they secretly love with hate and meanness. This is not how Lauren treats Nick. Her treatment of Nick lets him know she will not allow disrespect, mistreatment, or use as a short term sexual playmate. Her lines are delivered with dry wit and satisfaction. McNaught does not allow her characters to wallow in silly misunderstandings or lies. Eventually Lauren and Nick communicate honestly and lovingly. There are a few sensual scenes that would rate about a three (see "about me" for sensual rating definition). This story does not need many sensual scenes. It drips with sexual chemistry.The lead characters spend a lot of quality time together and we can watch their relationship grow. There is only one thing I would have changed about this book and that is the heroine's age. She is only 23. In contemporary novels, I prefer the heroine a

I really enjoyed this book. The chemistry between Nick and Lauren... I could understand Nick not trusting anyone with heart as his very own mother hurt him. Lauren who never wanted to hurt anyone was treated poorly by Nick at times as her employer but I thought it fun knowing he was doing that because he didn't know how to deal with his feelings for her. It was a great read and I really recommend it to anyone. If you haven't read Paradise and Perfect, you're missing out. If you like historical romances, try all of Ms. McNaughts. I've yet to find an author that can set my emotions on a rollercoaster like she does. One minute you're laughing and then come the tears. Luckily all of JM's books end in smiles.

i bought this book by chance. i saw it in the book store and bought it along with a few other books. Double Standards was that last one i read out of the books i bought that day. once i started it i couldnt put it down. i remember reading it until six o'clock the next morning. the story was so beautiful. i love the way Nick is so powerful and strong, yet love breaks him down and eats away at him. its so touching the way he cant leave her alone, he wants to be near her even when he wants to hate her. the story was so beautiful, their love so strong. Everything about the book was perfect. i have read it about 14 times from front to back and i'll probably read it over and over again. i definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an up to date modern love story.