I love Nora Roberts, but she has definitely improved over time. This book is a product of its era in that it uses the "hero is a rich jerk" formula. It goes like this:

Man is rich playboy, in his 30s.
Woman is much younger, usually in very early 20s.
Woman is poor and a virgin.
Because of a misunderstanding or just because the guy is a jerk, he treats her like crap through the whole book.
Somehow, both still manage to fall in love -- without the other being aware of it.
Another misunderstanding, usually caused by a rich, beautiful female rival.
Sudden reconciliation, with virtually no apologies or accountability for the crappy way the man treated the woman through the whole story.

Fortunately, Roberts outgrew this formula. Others, such as Diana Palmer, have yet to do so. ( )

Because this book is so very typical of the time period, I can't be too hard on it. But I can mock it ruthlessly, so there's that.

This is the takeaway: There is actually a good story back there, but the love story is not the good story.

The woman has come to Hawaii to meet the father she hasn’t seen since she was taken away by her mother when she was a child. She is unaware that her father had been sending her money, presents and letters her whole life. She grew up in a convent boarding school in France and only rarely saw her mother. Her mother told her that her father did not care about her. After her mother died, she had to auction off everything her mother owned (quite a lot) and spend most of her savings to pay off her mother’s debts. Now she wants to meet the father she barely remembers.

The man is the son her father never had. He is fiercely loyal to the father and very suspicious of the woman. He is convinced that the woman left her father and took her mother with her (because children do that, you know), and that the woman has been taking her father’s money to live high on the hog while refusing him any contact.

The father loved the mother, but the mother needed glamour while he needed stability. She left, took their child, and he’s been pining ever since. He befriended the poor little rich boy next door and treated him like a son. When the boy grew up, they became partners in a airline business.

There’s a housekeeper who keeps everyone as sensible as possible.

So, the backstory is pretty interesting, but the love story is basically:

Him: Oh, you’re hot, and you need an airplane. I am hot, and I have an airplane. Let me help you out. This other woman I was just flirting with will vouch for my character.
Her: I am confused and grateful but trying to pass for sophisticated. Here’s my baggage claim ticket
Him: YOU ARE MY SURROGATE FATHER’S DAUGHTER! HOW DARE YOU! I HATE YOU AND SHALL USE BAD MANNERS TO SHOW YOU HOW MUCH I DETEST YOU.
Her: cower while admiring how handsome he is and wondering why he is so angry
Him: I HATE YOU. YOU SHALL KISS ME NOW.
Her: I don't want to kiss you.
Him: TOO BAD! [forces kiss on her]
Her: No! No! Ooh, I like this so much!
Him: ARGH! I HAD AN EMOTION THAT WASN'T ANGER! HOW DARE YOU!
Her: Cower in confusion; try not to cry.
Him: YOU DID SOMETHING INTERESTING! YOU SHALL KISS ME NOW.
Her: I don't want.... mmm kisses
Him: HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME FEEL THINGS?!
Her: Cower in confusion

Then he nearly rapes her twice, declaring that he will take what he wants and she can't stop him; he barely stops himself, then he is angry with her again.

Him: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE A VIRGIN? HOW DARE YOU AROUSE ME WHEN I FORCE YOU TO KISS ME! HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME STOP FORCING YOU TO HAVE SEX WHEN YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN YOU WERE A VIRGIN!
(seriously, this is the level of logic we are dealing with and it is a common theme in this genre)

Then he leads her to believe that he is in love with someone else and still forces kisses on her every time they are alone for a minute.

There’s a whole story about how her father is distant and confusing, too. They work it out, and suddenly she has a father who is not distant with her. She is so happy!

But somehow she has upset the man by responding to his forced kisses. Now he won’t even look at her. She worries about how she is totally in love with this arrogant man whom she does not even like. Oh! Whatever shall she do? Now he isn't even paying attention to her! Despair! Confusion!

She decides she is going to have to go home, so she arranges to sell the one piece of jewelry that she held onto: the locket that her father gave to her mother in happier times. The man unfortunately catches her accepting money from another man while she is wearing a robe.

Him: I THOUGHT YOU WERE AN INNOCENT BUT YOU SELL YOUR FAVORS TO THIS MAN! NOW I SHALL TAKE FROM YOU WHAT YOU SOLD TO HIM!
Her: No! No! Oh, I cannot help but respond!
Him: I WILL NOT TAKE YOU! HOW DO YOU KEEP MAKING ME TRY TO RAPE YOU?

So, she goes back to France without another word. He realizes his mistake and comes to visit her to apologize.

And they live happily ever after.

Ah 1982. These books really show how much more rape culture permeated our culture back then compared to now. ( )

Island of Flowers
Laney Simmons travels to Hawaii to meet her father. She finds out that in her 15 year absence much has changed even that her father owns the plane company that is flying her in.
The pilot, Dylan O'Brien, half owner, sees her as an upscale princess and treats her as such. She studies him while he's conducting business and sees how surprised he is to see her.
She learns the truth about her education and how her father had paid for it all and then some...
Loved hearing of the scenery as she realizes what is really going on...
. ( )

HELL HATH FROZEN OVER. I never thought I'd see the day that I would hate a [a:Nora Roberts|625|Nora Roberts|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1265820113p2/625.jpg] book. I hated this so much, I felt like Madeline Kahn from Clue when she describes why she killed Yvette.

I hated [it] SO much...flames...flames...on the side of my face...

It all started out innocently enough--a twenty-something woman goes to Hawaii to find the father she hasn't seen in 15 years. At the airport, an attractive man offers her a charter flight to the island of Kauai, where her father is. As it turns out, the guy is her father's business partner. On, no joke, page 5 or 6, while they are still on the effing plane, he kisses her. (unwanted) He proceeds to treat her like dogshit for most of the entire book and accuse her of ulterior motives for reappearing in her father's life. (money, obviously)

THIS WHOLE BOOK COULD BE AVOIDED IF SHE JUST EFFING TOLD HER FATHER WHAT A JERK HER MOTHER WAS.

There was a whole lot of, "here's why I am like this but DON'T TELL ANYONE!!!!!?:ESDKJFEOKLNM" going on. Barf. And a whole lot of rape-kissing. There was absolutely no chemistry between the two characters. I felt like giving up on this book more times than I can count and it is only 165 pages long.

This was one of her first books and it totally shows. I've probably given Nora Roberts more than $1,000 of my money over the years. (no joke) Today, when I was cleaning out my garage, I found 4 sets of double books. (hello bookswap) I must own over 150 of her books. So I feel no remorse in saying that this is BY FAR the worst of hers I've ever encountered. The only redeeming point was that there was a double rainbow across the sky in the book.

Nothing But Nora Week 2011, Book 3.

( )