I quite enjoyed this angsty HP. The hero had loved the heroine for years since before she had married his cousin. Turns out the cousin was abusive and after he died the heroine, Stephanie, had closed herself off out of fear of men while the hero, Gray, thought it was because she was mourning the dead husband. That's all in the very beginning so no big spoiler. There was POV from both the heroine and hero so you knew what was going on with both of them. Well done and well written with pretty well founded angst as each was afraid to tell the other how they felt for fear they would lose the relationship they already had. The hero wasn't an ass and the heroine wasn't particulary wimpy.

Very good. ( )

Stephanie (who’s 28) and Gray (34) have been friends for many years. But, unknown to Stephanie, Gray has been madly in love with her all this time. (Stephanie married Gray’s cousin, Paul, ten years ago. Paul ended up dying in a boat accident when he was swept overboard after he went out in dangerous weather.) Gray persuades Stephanie to come back to the village (she now lives in London) to temporarily help him out with the boatyard business. He has designed a new boat that he wants to run in a race and he needs someone to watch over the business while he is doing this. Stephanie reluctantly agrees. While Stephanie is there she is finding herself very attracted to Gray, which surprises her since she is off men after Paul.

Stephanie was in an abusive marriage with Paul. He hit her, he was hot-headed and temperamental. He only showed this side of himself after they married. No one else knew because Stephanie never told anybody. Paul said she was sexless and frigid and he eventually went out to find other women to satisfy him. Paul also disliked his cousin Gray. Gray’s parents died when he was 14 so he was brought up by Paul’s family. Paul noticed Gray’s interest in Stephanie all those years ago so he decided he had to have her for himself. Now Stephanie is off men, she thinks she’s sexless, and that she drove Paul to his death (they argued before his boating accident.)

I really loved this book. This is my favorite kind of storyline. I love stories when the hero is crazy about the heroine (this only works, though, with a good heroine). Gray was sweet, sexy, and thoughtful. He always stood by Stephanie, was always there for her. He had no idea what really went on in Stephanie’s marriage to selfish Paul. I enjoyed getting Gray's point-of-view at times. I also liked Stephanie. (I find Penny Jordan's heroines very likable.) She was sweet and naïve. Everyone seemed to know how Gray felt about her but Stephanie was clueless.

This book had some great sexual tension. It took awhile for them to finally make love so the tension kept building up. I also liked the boatyard setting.

Another lovely and romantic read by Penny Jordan. ( )