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Challenge
He saw in her the ultimate challenge!
But the only challenge that interested Jessica Shelburne was her career. Cool-headed and ambitious, embittered with men, she had become a successful architect with international clients. Her current project took her to the Italian Riviera and onto the exclusive yacht of wealthy playboy Leandro Volpi. Leandro treated Jessica like a battle to be won, and Jessica became quite adept at deflecting his expert maneuvers. So why, after each encounter, did she feel they'd come a little closer to her ultimate defeat?
But the only challenge that interested Jessica Shelburne was her career. Cool-headed and ambitious, embittered with men, she had become a successful architect with international clients. Her current project took her to the Italian Riviera and onto the exclusive yacht of wealthy playboy Leandro Volpi. Leandro treated Jessica like a battle to be won, and Jessica became quite adept at deflecting his expert maneuvers. So why, after each encounter, did she feel they'd come a little closer to her ultimate defeat?
186 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1987
2 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Weston
179Ìýbooks42ÌýfollowersJenny Haddon was born in London, England, where she always returns after the travels that she loves. When she was small, her mother couldn't bear reading aloud, so her mother taught her to read at an appallingly precocious age. She wrote her first book with her own illustrations at the age of four but was in her 20s before she produced her first romance as Sophie Weston.
She studied English Language and Literature at university. Choosing a career was a major problem. It was not so much that she didn't know what she wanted to do, as that she wanted to do everything. So she filed and photocopied and experimented. She worked as consultant at the Bank of England and all the time she drew on her experiences to create her Mills & Boon books. She edited press releases for a Latin American embassy in London (The Latin Afffair); lectured in the Arabian Gulf (The Sheikh's Bride); waitressed in Paris (Midnight Wedding); and made herself hated by getting under people's feet asking stupid questions under the grand title of consultant all over the world (The Millionaire's Daughter). She also is an active member of the UK's Romantic Novelists' Association's Committee, and was its twenty-three Chairman (2005-2007).
Jenny has one house, three cats, and about a million books. She writes compulsively, Scottish dances poorly, grows more plants than she has room for, and makes a mean meringue.
She studied English Language and Literature at university. Choosing a career was a major problem. It was not so much that she didn't know what she wanted to do, as that she wanted to do everything. So she filed and photocopied and experimented. She worked as consultant at the Bank of England and all the time she drew on her experiences to create her Mills & Boon books. She edited press releases for a Latin American embassy in London (The Latin Afffair); lectured in the Arabian Gulf (The Sheikh's Bride); waitressed in Paris (Midnight Wedding); and made herself hated by getting under people's feet asking stupid questions under the grand title of consultant all over the world (The Millionaire's Daughter). She also is an active member of the UK's Romantic Novelists' Association's Committee, and was its twenty-three Chairman (2005-2007).
Jenny has one house, three cats, and about a million books. She writes compulsively, Scottish dances poorly, grows more plants than she has room for, and makes a mean meringue.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 20, 2016
Re Challenge - SW brings us her usual workaholic h vs the playboy (or in this instance Body Beautiful) H. She then mixes it up with a bit of intrigue and what emerges is a VERY well done story of misleading first impressions and a really good romance.
One of the best things in this story is the pacing - each revelation of the h and H's misconceptions about each other is peeled away like the slow dance of Salome removing her veils. This slow reveal really adds to the romance of the book, as well as keeping the reader enthralled to the end.
This does create a bit of a problem on the spoilerization tho. Cause how the h and H misinterpret things and how they react to the new knowledge of each other is really what drives this story, but it is really hard to lay out in a concise little synopsis.
Thus I am just going to give the backstory of each character and the plot and then encourage every HP reader to go find a copy of this and clear a few hours out of your schedule.
The h is in her twenties and is a workaholic property developer/engineer - she and her partner build various projects all over the world with the h being the main international expert/architect. This h is highly qualified and very, very good at her job. She has had to be, as her father died when she was eight in a terrible car accident with the h and her mum in the car.
The dad owned a business with his partner and the partner defrauded the h's mum out of what her father had left his wife and daughter to support them - the mum was also supposed to marry the man. When the mum confronted him about his theft and deception, the man threw a big temper tantrum and stormed off with all the assets of the business and most of the family's possessions (including the family home) and the h and her mum never saw him again.
The h's mum became a housekeeper and also became very distrusting and bitter about people. The h did not take her mum's attitude too seriously, until she was almost qualified in her field and became the live-in lover of a new associate at her training firm.
The h thought she had found true love, but it turned out that the guy was only there for a brief period of time and never mentioned the fact to the h. He used her as a travel fling and then wandered off on his merry way when the h thought he was thinking of forever.
Since everyone around the h knew about it (including at her job,) the h was forced move on to another firm - to avoid the complications caused by the seducer's actions. These events have naturally made the h extremely wary and highly independent.
Through her partnership in her new firm she has managed to buy her mum a nice country home and support her in a really nice lifestyle. The h doesn't socialize much, but she really loves her job. Then she meets the H AKA Body Beautiful (which is what she calls him for most of the book).
His uncle is an Italian prince and he seems to be always just hanging around. When the h first met the Prince to talk about the Italian beach resort he wants to build, BB was pretty flirtatious, but the h was impervious to his playboy charm.
Then BB showed up at her flat and dragged her off to dinner - not entirely against her will either- she acknowledges that he is very attractive. However she had been there and done that and got the t-shirt so she just wasn't trying it on again.
The h accepts the commission and then finds herself drawing her plans in the stateroom of a very luxurious yacht, were there are masses of servants to wait on her every whim and the h seems content to lol around all day in as little clothing as possible but with designer sunglasses.
The staff seems to be thinking that the H's seduction of the h is inevitable. There is plenty of back and forth between the two, it is fairly funny repartee too - the h is really hesitant about engaging with the H tho, and it isn't just because she is a Puritan and he is a Sybarite - there are some very strange undercurrents going on around her on the hothouse atmosphere of the yacht and there is obvious tension between the H and his uncle the Prince.
The h isn't quite sure that Body Beautiful's flirtations are just cause he is bored and looking for a little trouble of the lurve clubbing kind. Her intuition is telling her he wants something, but for the life of her she can't figure out what.
This sense of intrigue is also evidenced by the very strange secretary of the Prince, who is also on the boat. The woman appears to be a split personality and the h is thinking that maybe the secretary and the BB are having it off on the side. The h doesn't let that stop her from her commission tho, and the H is continually trying to drag her off for speed boating, swimming or evening dining in Portofino. He manages to kidnap her a time or two and it is during these excursions that the layers come off and the true personalities of both the H and h are revealed - as well as the reasons behind them.
We find out the H has a very avaricious mother who married a rather poor man who is now dead, but was a very good father to the H. The H's mother is entirely dependent upon her brother's largess, and has done all she could to get the wealthy Prince to name the H his heir. She did her best to discourage any relationship between the H and his dad, it did not work and the H is not very fond of his mother.
The H is also very good friends with the mayor of the town near the site where the h is doing the plans for the new resort. There is some kind of drama going on and it appears that the H and the mayor are on one side while the uncle Prince are is on the other - this alerts the h's professional instincts, something is wrong- but she isn't being paid to speculate and just gets on with her plans.
Then someone tries to knock her unconscious by hitting her on the head. When she comes to, the H is helping her into bed and the h doesn't understand why he is there. His staterooms are on another deck and it is the middle of the night - could it have been the H who knocked her out?
The h isn't sure and doesn't have a clue who hit her. Then her secretary starts noticing that the Prince's secretary is acting even more erratically. The secretary also finds out that there may be some big permission problems with the job site and the tension increases.
The h and H have a few more little excursions where the H asks the h if she is a virgin. She answers but SW cleverly cuts to another scene before the h answers, so we don't find out that about the h's past lover until the H's mother shows up to throw a big party and the H manages to maneuver the h into dinner. The h and H get to know each other better and more layers are removed, the H may not be the gad-about he seems, and the h is starting to really like him. He definitely is into her and the H almost panics when he thinks the h is going to fall off a hotel balcony while watching the sunset.
The h does finish the project a few days later and has her secretary mail a set of the plans back to her home office and turns the rest over to the Prince's secretary. The H's mother also shows up in the h's room to insultingly warn the h off the H. This h has a backbone tho and she delivers a very pointed set down - this h is not a pushover at all and she doesn't run from the confrontation with the H's mother - she smacks her down pretty hard - so it was a big win for the h.
Then the H drags the h off onto the speedboat for a little cruise, the only problem is that the h is terrified of anything that speeds is scared out of her mind. The H belatedly realizes that he has just thoroughly tortured the h. She is shaking after the boat ride, so imagine his surprise when the h seduces him on the beach. The beach bopping is fantastic tho, and the H is swearing all kinds of romantic promises. They have an afternoon of beachy lurve and then go back to the yacht.
When they return, the h finds out from her secretary that all of the seven copies of the plans for the new resort have disappeared. The Prince is not happy and the H has wandered off and there is a general air of drama and trauma all around. The h finds out that the plans are due in two days to get the planing permission and the h thinks that she can just pull the extra copy she kept out of the safe in her room. Except the safe is empty and the only person who could have gotten to them is the H. The h believes that the H seduced her to steal the plans to thwart his uncle and she is livid.
She goes to the Prince and he is very embarrassed, she tells him she can fix it by going back to London and copying the plans she mailed home and sending them in time for the meeting. The H tries to drive her to the airport, but the h is REALLY firm when she gives him the boot and tells him she never wants to see him again. The h goes home, sends the plans back with her partner and then goes to her mum's for the week.
She is digging up the garden to work out her heartache over the betrayal when the H shows up and the rest is explained. The H isn't mad, he is just crazy in love - the h's secretary explained that they thought he had stolen the plans. So the H chased after the h to plead his case and avow his love.
The H did not steal the plans, it was the Prince's secretary. She and the Prince had been having an affair for years, until he dumped her cause he was bored. She tried to throw herself off a cliff and the H saved her, except he hit his head and had some vision and concussion problems.
The H is actually an engineer and builds oil rigs, but with the head injury and the vision issues, he was told to rest for three months and not to exert himself. Which created a bit of problem when it came to chasing the h. He initially thought the h was a repressed workaholic who need to lighten up, and the h agrees that there was a bit of that going on.
The H soon realized that he really liked her tho, and then he had to kick himself for picking the one method that was guaranteed to mess her up in light of her past experiences once he found out about them. The H decides not to take any chances this time around, he and the h are getting married and they can travel with each other on their business trips. Since he likes the h's mum way more than his own, he is going to keep her too.
The h apologizes for doubting him, but the H is really understanding of why she felt that way - he realizes that his actions looked kind of suspicious but he was fighting with his uncle the Prince about the mental stability of the Prince's secretary, she has now had an official mental breakdown and the Prince was refusing to help her but now he feels ashamed of himself and is trying to fix things.
The mayor and the H really weren't in cahoots, the H was just giving the mayor some advice on how to deal with the Prince - the mayor was worried that the new resort would block his village's access to water, but the h had built around that problem so everything should be okay there.
The h realizes that she misjudged badly and so she has to apologize and work on more enticing the H into boudoir bouncing or beach bopping. The H will only agree to swing the lurve club if she agrees to marry him - so they both give in to each other's demands and another HPlandia HEA is won.
This one is a keeper, the balance between the h's mistrust and the H's pursuit and the unusual shenanigans of the Prince's secretary combined with the sybarite lifestyle of the ultra wealthy is very well done and quite entertaining to read.
The love story is excellent and the H isn't the usual caveman HP Alpha - he is determined in his wooing, but he is so charming and the repartee is swift and convincing. These two really work well together, the rosy glow satisfaction is huge here and this could easily be SW's best work that shouldn't be missed.
One of the best things in this story is the pacing - each revelation of the h and H's misconceptions about each other is peeled away like the slow dance of Salome removing her veils. This slow reveal really adds to the romance of the book, as well as keeping the reader enthralled to the end.
This does create a bit of a problem on the spoilerization tho. Cause how the h and H misinterpret things and how they react to the new knowledge of each other is really what drives this story, but it is really hard to lay out in a concise little synopsis.
Thus I am just going to give the backstory of each character and the plot and then encourage every HP reader to go find a copy of this and clear a few hours out of your schedule.
The h is in her twenties and is a workaholic property developer/engineer - she and her partner build various projects all over the world with the h being the main international expert/architect. This h is highly qualified and very, very good at her job. She has had to be, as her father died when she was eight in a terrible car accident with the h and her mum in the car.
The dad owned a business with his partner and the partner defrauded the h's mum out of what her father had left his wife and daughter to support them - the mum was also supposed to marry the man. When the mum confronted him about his theft and deception, the man threw a big temper tantrum and stormed off with all the assets of the business and most of the family's possessions (including the family home) and the h and her mum never saw him again.
The h's mum became a housekeeper and also became very distrusting and bitter about people. The h did not take her mum's attitude too seriously, until she was almost qualified in her field and became the live-in lover of a new associate at her training firm.
The h thought she had found true love, but it turned out that the guy was only there for a brief period of time and never mentioned the fact to the h. He used her as a travel fling and then wandered off on his merry way when the h thought he was thinking of forever.
Since everyone around the h knew about it (including at her job,) the h was forced move on to another firm - to avoid the complications caused by the seducer's actions. These events have naturally made the h extremely wary and highly independent.
Through her partnership in her new firm she has managed to buy her mum a nice country home and support her in a really nice lifestyle. The h doesn't socialize much, but she really loves her job. Then she meets the H AKA Body Beautiful (which is what she calls him for most of the book).
His uncle is an Italian prince and he seems to be always just hanging around. When the h first met the Prince to talk about the Italian beach resort he wants to build, BB was pretty flirtatious, but the h was impervious to his playboy charm.
Then BB showed up at her flat and dragged her off to dinner - not entirely against her will either- she acknowledges that he is very attractive. However she had been there and done that and got the t-shirt so she just wasn't trying it on again.
The h accepts the commission and then finds herself drawing her plans in the stateroom of a very luxurious yacht, were there are masses of servants to wait on her every whim and the h seems content to lol around all day in as little clothing as possible but with designer sunglasses.
The staff seems to be thinking that the H's seduction of the h is inevitable. There is plenty of back and forth between the two, it is fairly funny repartee too - the h is really hesitant about engaging with the H tho, and it isn't just because she is a Puritan and he is a Sybarite - there are some very strange undercurrents going on around her on the hothouse atmosphere of the yacht and there is obvious tension between the H and his uncle the Prince.
The h isn't quite sure that Body Beautiful's flirtations are just cause he is bored and looking for a little trouble of the lurve clubbing kind. Her intuition is telling her he wants something, but for the life of her she can't figure out what.
This sense of intrigue is also evidenced by the very strange secretary of the Prince, who is also on the boat. The woman appears to be a split personality and the h is thinking that maybe the secretary and the BB are having it off on the side. The h doesn't let that stop her from her commission tho, and the H is continually trying to drag her off for speed boating, swimming or evening dining in Portofino. He manages to kidnap her a time or two and it is during these excursions that the layers come off and the true personalities of both the H and h are revealed - as well as the reasons behind them.
We find out the H has a very avaricious mother who married a rather poor man who is now dead, but was a very good father to the H. The H's mother is entirely dependent upon her brother's largess, and has done all she could to get the wealthy Prince to name the H his heir. She did her best to discourage any relationship between the H and his dad, it did not work and the H is not very fond of his mother.
The H is also very good friends with the mayor of the town near the site where the h is doing the plans for the new resort. There is some kind of drama going on and it appears that the H and the mayor are on one side while the uncle Prince are is on the other - this alerts the h's professional instincts, something is wrong- but she isn't being paid to speculate and just gets on with her plans.
Then someone tries to knock her unconscious by hitting her on the head. When she comes to, the H is helping her into bed and the h doesn't understand why he is there. His staterooms are on another deck and it is the middle of the night - could it have been the H who knocked her out?
The h isn't sure and doesn't have a clue who hit her. Then her secretary starts noticing that the Prince's secretary is acting even more erratically. The secretary also finds out that there may be some big permission problems with the job site and the tension increases.
The h and H have a few more little excursions where the H asks the h if she is a virgin. She answers but SW cleverly cuts to another scene before the h answers, so we don't find out that about the h's past lover until the H's mother shows up to throw a big party and the H manages to maneuver the h into dinner. The h and H get to know each other better and more layers are removed, the H may not be the gad-about he seems, and the h is starting to really like him. He definitely is into her and the H almost panics when he thinks the h is going to fall off a hotel balcony while watching the sunset.
The h does finish the project a few days later and has her secretary mail a set of the plans back to her home office and turns the rest over to the Prince's secretary. The H's mother also shows up in the h's room to insultingly warn the h off the H. This h has a backbone tho and she delivers a very pointed set down - this h is not a pushover at all and she doesn't run from the confrontation with the H's mother - she smacks her down pretty hard - so it was a big win for the h.
Then the H drags the h off onto the speedboat for a little cruise, the only problem is that the h is terrified of anything that speeds is scared out of her mind. The H belatedly realizes that he has just thoroughly tortured the h. She is shaking after the boat ride, so imagine his surprise when the h seduces him on the beach. The beach bopping is fantastic tho, and the H is swearing all kinds of romantic promises. They have an afternoon of beachy lurve and then go back to the yacht.
When they return, the h finds out from her secretary that all of the seven copies of the plans for the new resort have disappeared. The Prince is not happy and the H has wandered off and there is a general air of drama and trauma all around. The h finds out that the plans are due in two days to get the planing permission and the h thinks that she can just pull the extra copy she kept out of the safe in her room. Except the safe is empty and the only person who could have gotten to them is the H. The h believes that the H seduced her to steal the plans to thwart his uncle and she is livid.
She goes to the Prince and he is very embarrassed, she tells him she can fix it by going back to London and copying the plans she mailed home and sending them in time for the meeting. The H tries to drive her to the airport, but the h is REALLY firm when she gives him the boot and tells him she never wants to see him again. The h goes home, sends the plans back with her partner and then goes to her mum's for the week.
She is digging up the garden to work out her heartache over the betrayal when the H shows up and the rest is explained. The H isn't mad, he is just crazy in love - the h's secretary explained that they thought he had stolen the plans. So the H chased after the h to plead his case and avow his love.
The H did not steal the plans, it was the Prince's secretary. She and the Prince had been having an affair for years, until he dumped her cause he was bored. She tried to throw herself off a cliff and the H saved her, except he hit his head and had some vision and concussion problems.
The H is actually an engineer and builds oil rigs, but with the head injury and the vision issues, he was told to rest for three months and not to exert himself. Which created a bit of problem when it came to chasing the h. He initially thought the h was a repressed workaholic who need to lighten up, and the h agrees that there was a bit of that going on.
The H soon realized that he really liked her tho, and then he had to kick himself for picking the one method that was guaranteed to mess her up in light of her past experiences once he found out about them. The H decides not to take any chances this time around, he and the h are getting married and they can travel with each other on their business trips. Since he likes the h's mum way more than his own, he is going to keep her too.
The h apologizes for doubting him, but the H is really understanding of why she felt that way - he realizes that his actions looked kind of suspicious but he was fighting with his uncle the Prince about the mental stability of the Prince's secretary, she has now had an official mental breakdown and the Prince was refusing to help her but now he feels ashamed of himself and is trying to fix things.
The mayor and the H really weren't in cahoots, the H was just giving the mayor some advice on how to deal with the Prince - the mayor was worried that the new resort would block his village's access to water, but the h had built around that problem so everything should be okay there.
The h realizes that she misjudged badly and so she has to apologize and work on more enticing the H into boudoir bouncing or beach bopping. The H will only agree to swing the lurve club if she agrees to marry him - so they both give in to each other's demands and another HPlandia HEA is won.
This one is a keeper, the balance between the h's mistrust and the H's pursuit and the unusual shenanigans of the Prince's secretary combined with the sybarite lifestyle of the ultra wealthy is very well done and quite entertaining to read.
The love story is excellent and the H isn't the usual caveman HP Alpha - he is determined in his wooing, but he is so charming and the repartee is swift and convincing. These two really work well together, the rosy glow satisfaction is huge here and this could easily be SW's best work that shouldn't be missed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2016
I read Boogenhagen's review of this story yesterday and managed to track it down and by page two I realized I had read it before. It's certainly worth a re-read. The workaholic heroine, the "Body Beautiful" hero, and the lovely coast of Italy make for some memorable scenes. Add in a little mystery and some great pacing and you have a story that's hard to put down.
I wish we had some of the hero's point of view, rather than the heroine's secretary. I felt I really knew the heroine (and boy did this author skillfully work in her backstory), but I never felt I knew the hero all that well. His secrets aren't revealed until the end, so it was hard to reconcile his true nature with the one he had been presenting to the heroine at the beginning of the story. I also didn't like how he dismissed
I also had a hard time with everyone ganging up on the heroine to give the Body Beautiful a chance. It's very realistic when people do that, but it's still annoying.
Quibbles aside, this was a very good HP. Highly recommended. Boogenhagen does a great recap of the plot in her review if you want more info.
I wish we had some of the hero's point of view, rather than the heroine's secretary. I felt I really knew the heroine (and boy did this author skillfully work in her backstory), but I never felt I knew the hero all that well. His secrets aren't revealed until the end, so it was hard to reconcile his true nature with the one he had been presenting to the heroine at the beginning of the story. I also didn't like how he dismissed
I also had a hard time with everyone ganging up on the heroine to give the Body Beautiful a chance. It's very realistic when people do that, but it's still annoying.
Quibbles aside, this was a very good HP. Highly recommended. Boogenhagen does a great recap of the plot in her review if you want more info.
May 3, 2021
edited for cover info: Another good one from Len Goldberg, and it's interesting because I think of him as being great with Men in Suits covers, yet while researching early versions of shirtless men on harley covers à la Bern Smith's , I noticed that although rare throughout the 1980's, Len Goldberg was the illustrator most likely to push the male pulchritude.
I love super smart heroines who just don't have time for your nonsense dude! and Sophie Weston created a great one in Jessica, queen of the repressive set down. Challenge is notable for an unusual take on the opposites attract trope and the curious effect created by interrupting conversations or cutting away from scenes just a bit too early, preventing either our stick-in-the-mud workaholic heroine or indolent sun-bathing hero from clarifying remarks or asking follow-up questions. This works brilliantly to keep the banter sparkling but it also helps establish an air of uncertainty allowing the rather slight mystery plot to work.
The charming Leandro is almost certainly more than he seems though in Jessica's judgmental eyes he'd be hard-pressed to seem more frivolous. And Jessica, busy with her plans for his uncle's large re-development project, and generally wary of men, is suspicious of why such an attractive playboy would waste time flirting with her and actively avoids him, difficult to do when they are living on a yacht together.
I was annoyed with the high level of love induced stupidity, when an otherwise smart h or H refuses to consider other perpetrators or possibilities simply because there's an available love interest to suspect. So many times I found myself exclaiming "oh come on!" after some uncharacteristically sloppy thinking on Jessica's part. Though as a refreshing twist, h has a rational assistant who quite gratifyingly expressed my doubts for me, even encouraging h to entertain scenarios and culprits other than the H, not that it really swayed Jessica much. Jessica was determined to think the worst of Leandro, Leandro was determined to keep his identity secret for umm why? Oh yeah, absolutely no reason at all other then conquest and bored caprice! Author was determined to keep the mistrust going by the profligate use of indirect questions and ambiguous pronouns. But I'm willing to accept this level of silliness as necessary and good within HPLandia when chemistry between the leads is this strong and the wit and champagne are flowing.
I love super smart heroines who just don't have time for your nonsense dude! and Sophie Weston created a great one in Jessica, queen of the repressive set down. Challenge is notable for an unusual take on the opposites attract trope and the curious effect created by interrupting conversations or cutting away from scenes just a bit too early, preventing either our stick-in-the-mud workaholic heroine or indolent sun-bathing hero from clarifying remarks or asking follow-up questions. This works brilliantly to keep the banter sparkling but it also helps establish an air of uncertainty allowing the rather slight mystery plot to work.
The charming Leandro is almost certainly more than he seems though in Jessica's judgmental eyes he'd be hard-pressed to seem more frivolous. And Jessica, busy with her plans for his uncle's large re-development project, and generally wary of men, is suspicious of why such an attractive playboy would waste time flirting with her and actively avoids him, difficult to do when they are living on a yacht together.
I was annoyed with the high level of love induced stupidity, when an otherwise smart h or H refuses to consider other perpetrators or possibilities simply because there's an available love interest to suspect. So many times I found myself exclaiming "oh come on!" after some uncharacteristically sloppy thinking on Jessica's part. Though as a refreshing twist, h has a rational assistant who quite gratifyingly expressed my doubts for me, even encouraging h to entertain scenarios and culprits other than the H, not that it really swayed Jessica much. Jessica was determined to think the worst of Leandro, Leandro was determined to keep his identity secret for umm why? Oh yeah, absolutely no reason at all other then conquest and bored caprice! Author was determined to keep the mistrust going by the profligate use of indirect questions and ambiguous pronouns. But I'm willing to accept this level of silliness as necessary and good within HPLandia when chemistry between the leads is this strong and the wit and champagne are flowing.
August 28, 2012
I can't say it was the best novel but it was a decent read. I myself don't believe I will ever read it again but it did occupy my time nicely. The heroine had been seriously hurt before, I would of loved to see her ex lover come back into the picture and stir up the drama but it never happened. There was very little drama to be honest. The hero was pretty nice to read about and his nickname was hilarious.
January 15, 2011
The hero's physique on the cover looks a little odd, but inside the book where it matters he is not in any way deformed physically. He appears to the heroine to be gorgeous, lazy, and frivolous; she appears to him to be merely a little too serious, so he amps up the laziness and frivolity to try to loosen her up, which only makes things worse. It's because of the sad state of 1980's Harlequin Presents that I think it worth mentioning that he never threatens her, assaults her, or kidnaps her before informing her that he behaves like a brute only because he loves her, and she is in fact a competent professional (as opposed to a dazed young woman with either no career plans or an oddly specific home decoration specialty). The conflict that delays the happy ending is a combination of her prickliness and some intrigue and insanity on the part of the people around them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2020
Mystery held too long, which, along with too much of mocking eyes and cynical attitude from hero got annoying. Eventually mountain gave birth to a little mouse.
February 3, 2020
Jessica Shelburne is utterly and completely devoted to her work. Nothing in her life is as much important and worthy as work other than her mother. She doesn't take kindly to idleness and flirtation. Therefore, when she met Leandro Volpi at the yacht of his uncle, one of her most important current clients, she clashed with him. In her opinion, he had too much of everything! He was too gorgeous, too idle, too flirtatious, too confident, too tanned, too intelligent and too cool for her serious piece of mind! To her he was just a "Body beautiful", but when he relentlessly attacked her with his charm and devious smiles and challenged her to the extreme, she was powerless to resist his plans for her!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2019
Cute book. Hero in pursuit, heroine resists splendidly.
August 14, 2011
One of my old-time favorite HP's.
Jessica is a competent serious working woman, with some bad experiences with men. The hero is the rich nephew of the man who hires her company, and they misunderstand each other on sight. Prejudices reign for big parts of the books, but unlike most HP's, they actually make sense, and are in line with the characters character and history.
And it's so lovely to see them slowly understand each other more. And it's so great to see a caring, tender nice hero, even if his seduction tactic's aren't the smartest...
It makes me HappySigh just writing this short review.
Loved it as a kid, and definitely want to keep it :)
Jessica is a competent serious working woman, with some bad experiences with men. The hero is the rich nephew of the man who hires her company, and they misunderstand each other on sight. Prejudices reign for big parts of the books, but unlike most HP's, they actually make sense, and are in line with the characters character and history.
And it's so lovely to see them slowly understand each other more. And it's so great to see a caring, tender nice hero, even if his seduction tactic's aren't the smartest...
It makes me HappySigh just writing this short review.
Loved it as a kid, and definitely want to keep it :)
June 10, 2024
"Challenge" is the story of Jessica and Leandro.
Uptight, judgmental heroine meets happy, fun playboy, judgments and banter arise until drama ensues, and we reach HEA.
I enjoyed it!
Safe
3/5
Uptight, judgmental heroine meets happy, fun playboy, judgments and banter arise until drama ensues, and we reach HEA.
I enjoyed it!
Safe
3/5
not-for-me
November 23, 2021He saw in her the ultimate challenge!
But the only challenge that interested Jessica Shelburne was her career. Cool-headed and ambitious, embittered with men, she had become a successful architect with international clients. Her current project took her to the Italian Riviera and onto the exclusive yacht of wealthy playboy Leandro Volpi. Leandro treated Jessica like a battle to be won, and Jessica became quite adept at deflecting his expert maneuvers. So why, after each encounter, did she feel they'd come a little closer to her ultimate defeat?
But the only challenge that interested Jessica Shelburne was her career. Cool-headed and ambitious, embittered with men, she had become a successful architect with international clients. Her current project took her to the Italian Riviera and onto the exclusive yacht of wealthy playboy Leandro Volpi. Leandro treated Jessica like a battle to be won, and Jessica became quite adept at deflecting his expert maneuvers. So why, after each encounter, did she feel they'd come a little closer to her ultimate defeat?
May 1, 2025
I will almost certainly up my rating on reread as happens with most SW novels. This is good but I thought h was a little too fast to assume H was idle and villainous. Her assistant is an excellent character.
Reread and raised from 3 to 4. She believed H was idle because that’s how he presented himself, but she added the villain tag because she couldn’t quite trust him or herself.
Reread and raised from 3 to 4. She believed H was idle because that’s how he presented himself, but she added the villain tag because she couldn’t quite trust him or herself.
October 11, 2011
Non-jerk alpha Hero being beta. An (extremely) independent heroine. Deals with how far do first impressions go when you meet someone.
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