| Title | : | Uncertain Destiny |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0373111002 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780373111008 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 192 |
| Publication | : | Published June 24, 1988 |
Pregnant with her convenient husband's child...
Caroline Maxwell knew when she married Justin de Wolfe that their marriage was one of convenience. But drawn to Justin by a fierce mutual passion, the usually sensible Caroline married him knowing that he couldn't love her--just as she couldn't help loving him.
She accepts the hazards of a marriage to the arrogant, magnetic lawyer--his aversion to love, sudden changes in mood and his restless nightmares. But how will Justin react when Caroline announces she's pregnant with his baby...?
Originally published in 1987
Uncertain Destiny Reviews
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Re Uncertain Destiny - I tend to think that the H of Uncertain Destiny is probably the most Alpha Manly Studly H in all of HPlandia - sure Charlotte Lamb and a few others have written OTT aggressive, possessive and leaning towards the heavily psycho with a side order of most likely to need a restraining order Alpha dudes, but as far as I can recall (and I can recall a lot,) not one of them has ever beaten the outright Alpha Studly H's Alpha behavior in UC.
He is so Alpha his nickname is The Wolf - (and so scary that people only say that behind his back, except for the h). But even more than that Wolfie has soooo much Alpha Manliness that even his little purveyor's of HP lurve club mojo quintessence have the power of the Hammer of Thor when it comes to pushing through barriers and filling his chosen chaste h with the gift of his Wolfie offspring. Yes fellow HP voyagers, this H is so Alpha, even surgical disconnection can't stop the power of his manly mobile essence.
It is a very good thing that our h, while being virginal, sweet and nice and all things HP h goodness, is also as stubborn as a mule. Cause of course our Wolfie Master of the HP universe doesn't believe that the power of his shooting mojo is more powerful that the force of his manly will and goes to the ridiculous lengths of accusing her of getting her little love cup filled from another, lesser minion of HPlandia.
CM brings us the very first ever HP twist on the Icily Sardonic HP H accusations of h infidelity trope, she has the H admit to having had himself sterilized in his bid to ward off the procreative power of his love flood. No wonder she had to make Wolfie so Alpha, firing blanks is the equivalent of an HP limpy noodle doodle, and where does that fit in with the usual HP Alpha H? It doesn't. But believe it or not, CM gives us a sterile H and makes it work. This one is definitely on the required HP reading list.
The story starts with the 23 yr old nurse h announcing her forthcoming little bundle of joy to our Wolfie and the H shooting her down by saying it isn't his. Cause his mojo firing capability is only powder and flash that makes a big bang but doesn't deliver the shot. Then he takes off for a few days and we find out that our little love kitten and her Wolfie have only been married for seven weeks.
It seems they met when she was at her former boyfriends's family anniversary do. Wolfie took one look at our angelic but small and curvy h and that was all CM wrote. Wolfie dumped the exes sister that night and his instinctive pursuit ran her boyfriend off (to allow the h's sister to snatch him up and hogtie him in marital bliss,) and the h eventually succumbed to his stalking, er his dinner invitation. They did not make it to dessert or to the H's bed, the h wound up riding the tower of power on the H's dining room carpet - altho Wolfie consoles the lurved shocked h by telling her at least it wasn't ON the dinning room table. Wolfie and the h married four days later, he figures he won't ever find anyone else as great as climbing his tower of power and he isn't about to let a good climber go, so public branding, er, marriage it is.
But now the h is preggers, and Wolfie says he is not the father and then he left and some guy shows up and says that he and Wolfie are old friends. The h thinks that is kinda weird cause with Wolfie's cold, analytical legal mind and his icy veneer that makes defendants and associates tremble when staring in the face of his eye patch and one steely eye, she did not think Wolfie even had any friends. He never seems to need them, but then everyone has friends don't they? Probably even Lone Wolves.
Besides the h has to worry about a father who doesn't want to BE a father and at the moment is denying the possibility that he could ever be one. The h has never met ANYONE who doesn't like children before, it seems quite unnatural. Not only that, but her adopted sister who is biologically the h's parent's child (along with her twin brother, the h is adopted,) and also now married to her former flame is demanding the H and h show up at her house for dinner.
The parents are worried about the awkward situation that might develop since the lil' sis ( who is a fashion model) scuppered off with the h's ex-beau and married him so quickly. Dinner will probably be inedible as lil sis can't cook, but at least they can bury the hatchet and start being a family again. The h is having pregger hormones too, but she has character and a backbone, so she doesn't take Mr. Bear and crawl under her blanky in the closet to hide.
Plus Wolfie returns, a bit abashed but at least he is willing to admit he could be the father. Then the h learns the awful truth, the H wasn't randomly sterile from a bad case of mumps - he deliberately went out of his way to get that way. It seems Wolfie was really SERIOUS about never wanting kids. The h is pretty appalled, kids were a big part of her future plans and she can't believe a man would just marry her like that and not tell her.
Not that it matters now, the h is getting a visit from the stork anyways and Wolfie will just have to man up and deal with her being up the duff. Except Wolfie is throwing wobblies about that, he tells the h she can just keep the baby and he will buy a big house outside of London and he can have a Wolfie side for Wolfie things and the baby can have a baby side and the h can just migrate between the two of them. ( I always think it is such a shame that h never her voices her opinion that Wolfie has just lost his Alpha mind at this point, then again discretion is the better part of valour.)
Anyhows, the h doesn't push and the H admits that he doesn't want to lose her love and hopes she doesn't hate him cause he doesn't want rugrats. The h is moved by how vulnerable he seems as he explains that curtain climbers are really vulnerable and she figures it is sorta impossible for HP Alpha Manly H's to REALLY not like plot moppets in the end. Things are just loverly between them, with plenty of boudoir bouncing and joyous grandparents to be and a sisterly invitation to dinner. The H is being extra nice to the h and they may have to find reinforcement slats for their mattress.
When they finally make it to dinner with the lil sis and the ex, the h remembers the H's friend stopped by and mentions it over dinner. Wolfie goes on point and seems to be rather angry that the h hadn't mentioned his guest earlier. The h soothes the situation by announcing her impending new arrival. The dinner goes fairly well after that and the H assures the h he isn't angry with her, but that night they don't have the usual boudoir bouncing and the h is feeling a bit rejected and fretful. Her fear increases when she wakes to hear the H talking in his sleep and calling out another woman's name.
This goes on for a few days and the h is having some really mopey moments. Then the H decides that they need to go away on a honeymoon and the h firmly refuses. She thinks her Wolfie is actually pining for another and she just can't bear to go pretending with a mate that so clearly loves another woman and doesn't even want his own little cub and probably only married her for the power rides.
The h goes to work and winds up having a weepy moment all over her ex, who tells her she has lost her mind cause any guy who works so hard to steal his girlfriend, dumps his admittedly hot but witchy sister on a dime and then rushes her into marriage is obviously into her. The h should just ask about the woman he keeps dreaming about and calling out her name in his sleep, it probably has a trivial explanation. Then Wolfie shows up and kinda apologizes in his Alpha Manly Non-Apology way and tells the h they are going away for a week. The h shows some feisty snark when she considers telling him to lump it, but she wants to go and get this situation sorted.
They go to a lovely little inn, but once again the four poster bed goes to waste as the h attacks the H with her own version of HP h carpet shagging mojo . They are both cast adrift on the passionate shoals of transcendent bliss afterglow, but then the h gets a bit of morning sickness and is frightened that it is going to irritate the H.
He is very nice about it and says all the right concerned things, and gives the h a lot of extra coddling with tea and toast, so the honeymoon is a big success - but the h doesn't mention the woman's name he had been calling in his sleep. The h feels that she and the H are going to be fine and is floating around in a bubble of sparkly love. Wolfie and the h are socializing and spending time together and even going over to the h's sister's for dinner on occasion - they just bring extra antacids.
One night the h and H and the ex and the h's sister also have to put up with the ex's mad wanna be OW sister - she is a solicitor in the H's law chambers and she thought she had first dibs on the H but he dumped her to stalk the h. The wanna be she cow OW makes a lot of nasty innuendos and then questions the paternity of the little wolf cub and taunts the h with being adopted. The H shows that it isn't really a joke that people think he is a cold deadly predator. As he promises dire retribution and the weeping of bovine wanna be OW if she bothers either him or the h again and then shows her to the door.
Then the h's sister mentions that the H is a widower. The h is shocked, she never even knew he was married before her. The h now begins to wonder if they even have a marriage at all or just a license to lurve club - surely married people talk to each other and share things and actually trust each other. The h is having another mopey moment and when the H's friend shows up again, the h has to dig deep to be even marginally hostessy but the man doesn't stay long and tells the h that he is actually popping in on his way to the airport. He wanders off and the h is startled when the H comes rushing in.
The h explains that his friend stopped by again and then the H sees the marriage certificate that shows he was a widower sitting on the table, and the h explains that her sister let the cat out of the bag about his former marriage and that she learned the woman's name from the H's dreams. The H seems to be at a bit of a loss and tells the h that it was twelve years ago so he still isn't in love with the dead wife, he has sworn off love forever.
The h then tells him that he did not ever have a problem taking her love, but since he isn't going to feel that way about her, she needs to go - babies don't stick to their own sides of houses and she is not into migration. The H refuses to let her leave. He says he can't let her go cause the friend who keeps stopping in is not a friend. The guy is the man who the H prosecuted and put in prison and then the guy attacked the H and he lost his eye and now he is stalking the H, the h and the h's family. The h has to stay until the bad man is caught, but the H won't pester her with his attentions, she is preggers and needs to be under his protection and she can leave when things are more settled. The H is very anxious that the pregnancy is proceeding normally.
The h agrees to stay until the H says it is safe, but they develop a rather armed truce and keep their distance from one another and never spend any time together. The h is having more weepy mopey moments. Especially when she really wants to leave the H and he tells her nothing has changed except they don't share a bed and the h sadly acknowledges that is true, they never really shared anything and runs from the room as the H is saying he did not mean it like that.
The h is slowly going stir crazy and then her sister, messenger of all really pertinent information, storms over to yell about the evil guy and reveals the fact that now the evil guy is caught. The h is in for another shock, because the H knew a few days earlier and never told her. The h confronts the H and tells him that she is ready to move out. She is walking out of the room when the H tells her "Please don't leave me". The h turns around in shock cause our Alpha Wolfie is CRYING! He grabs her and holds her close and tells her his loves her madly and he will do anything she wants if only she will stay. The h is crying, Wolfie is crying and I admit a I had a little tear in my eye too as the whole sad story comes tumbling out.
When the H was young and kinda dumb, he fell in love with a really nice girl who wanted the H and huge family. But she kept losing the babies at the midway point and she refused to accept that she just couldn't carry a baby. The H was devastated, but he couldn't cry when his first wife demanded that he grieve with her. Finally the first wife got really depressed and committed suicide and our Wolfie decided to wall himself off emotionally ever since.
But the h crept under his Wolf vigilance and stuck herself right in his heart. When he met the h she knocked him for six, but he still felt guilty that he couldn't help his first wife. Then when the h got preggers, the H really panicked cause he was afraid she would lose the baby. He really, really wanted the h and the baby but he had the Alpha Manly Control thing going on and couldn't share his anxiety. The H has a really happy moment when he feels the baby move. The h totally understands everything now and is all about lurving it up and make up clubbing, vowing to never, never leave the H - they are in it together forever.
We get a nice little epilogue where the H and h have their fourth anniversary and three kids-- a little girl and two little boys. The Wolf is now the bestest Cub Daddy ever and the h's sister and the ex are expecting their own visit from the cabbage leaf delivery service. The evil bad guy got killed in prison and the H and h are mating it up for the big HPlandia HEA.
This one is a winner, I put it on the required HP reading list cause CM takes the most Alpha of the Alpha's and makes him into a really great guy by the end. The h has a backbone but doesn't give up on her love until it seems she just has no choice and when put to the real test, the H totally comes through for a highly believable and excellent HEA.
Give this one a go if you want a Romance, there is drama and angst, but it is so well done and so well plotted that you just can't help but think this is one of those HP trips you will take again and again just to re-experience the happy glow of truly destined lovers all over again. -
QUESTION: How can you get better than a Harlequin hero with an eye-patch?
ANSWER: You can't!
This one's dedicated to all the Steve Johnson /Kayla Brady fans out there (and I know you're out there, even as you hang your head in shame and hope to avoid eye contact with me hahaha).
The only way to get better would have been to change the title to The Wolfe's Possession. I think it would have been appropriate in this instance rather than the generic title of Uncertain Destiny which makes it sound like a cancelled 80s prime time soap.
And no, I didn't make a typo, the character name in this one is Justin de Wolfe. Not only does he have a badass eyepatch but like the Wolfe of his name, he stalks, captures and drags heroine back to his lair to devour at his leisure. Unlike pack wolves though, this one is a loner. Maybe he should have been named Justin de Tigre instead?
Anywhoo, this is a Harlequin that is worthy of getting your hankies out for the poignant scenes, your ostrich feather fan for the many, many hot as hell scenes, and some popcorn and soft drinks for the hilarious psycho ex scene in which she gets her bum kicked to the stratosphere. Yeaaaah!!! A Harlequin where the OW does not get to have the last word!
Don't be dissuaded by the very harsh beginning. Carole Mortimer does not waste time and plunges the reader right into a fight of epic proportions that most Harlequin heroes would not have been able to come back from. That is her cleverness, because if you stick with the story, you will find out that the Big Bad Wolfe is actually a sweetheart and one of the most darling, besotted, tragic heroes of HPlandia. Loved, loved, loved him. And his eye-patch.
Happy reading! -
I started out hating this H and ended up not only feeling bad for him but also liking him-immensely. He comes across as a cold and egoistical man, and a ruthless womanizer to boot. When he sees the h at a party, he decides he wants her and chases her relentlessly till she gives in and ends up in his bed on the first date. He offers her a loveless marriage and she accepts.
The problem starts when she gets pregnant and he coldly tells her it couldn’t be his and is probably her old boyfriend’s. And that is how the book opens up. We get to know that he has had a vasectomy and so the reaction. But he goes in for some medical tests that show that the vas has reversed. So he tells her he now believes the kid is his but he still is not interested in being a father so she better keep the pregnancy and eventually the kid out of his way. And so everything he does till here makes him fit into ‘the complete jerk’ mold.
But of course, there was a reason why he was so and the slow revelations make up the story. But really he shows his tenderness and caring in small little ways that were so sweet. In fact I kept wondering how could the author change a character’s personality so completely. But not complaining as he transforms into a real worthy H. -
THE BOOK WAS AMAZING!
This is one book that stays with you.
He was so hurt and damaged and what he did to her!!!
Omg for once I could understand everything including what he did in order to never feel that pain again.
Speaking as a woman who's husband has had a similar situation, this one touched me deeply.
It's hard when there is no faith in miracles and no trust. When he cries at the end!!! Omg I was crying too. Loved it. So glad my husband never lost faith in me or miracles.
Just made me grateful for all my blessing.
I wanted more... But all good things must end.
Great read and a keeper. -
"You may be pregnant, Caroline, but we certainly aren't..The child you are carrying is not mine!"
ok, so that's the opening line of the book. Needless to say, I was reeled in..hook, line and sinker and I stayed there all the way to the end becoming very invested in these two characters.
Caroline is a wonderful heroine who decides to stay and fight Justin's demons even though he has told her he can never love her, because love hurts. But he is willing to marry her and have a passionate physical relationship sans amour. She accepts it, hoping that over time she can win him over because the alternative of living without him is worse.
The author does a great job in giving us glimpses into Justin's character and we can sense that he does have the capacity to love and that he cares very deeply for Caroline. So what holds him back? What tragedies in his life have forced him to remove himself from those he loves? There are points in the story where he is truly brutal to Caroline and I would have liked to see her stand up for herself. However, unlike other stories, I found I wasn't offended by her actions. This was a story about love....unconditional, selfless love that has the ability to pull people back from the brink of destruction and heal their wounds.
It's an absorbing read...with some interesting dimensions that are atypical of an HP read. I very much recommend. -
OHH WELL , THIS IS AMAZING .
" What a jerk. " My first impression of the H .Not for long anyway, He is one of the best Harlequin Heroes. He is such a wonderful soul, you will start loving him despite all his Very-Insensitive behavior .
A painful past, which he didn't want to share with his wife not because he didn't care but because he cared beyond measure . And the h was lovely too , always optimistic about their future together , I am glad to read something different from all the revenge stories I have been reading lately .
Also, The side characters were too good , especially h's ex-boyfriend who eventually marries h's sister . I loved h's sister too . This is a wonderful read with everything in correct proportions . This is my first Carole Mortimer , looking forward to read more . :)) -
Aww this hero tore my heart open. The heartache he had to overcome is enough to made you cry. He lost his wife and two children while very young. He can't handle all this pain, he is broken and he holds onto this secret that is also eating away at him. The only person that can heal him is his wife Caroline but he never lets her in and her heart is breaking.
I sympathized with both of them and I also hurt for them. After the death of his wife and kids the hero had a vasectomy. When Caroline gets pregnant he believes the child is the product of his wife's affair with her ex boyfriend Tony. When he realizes he is the father of the baby he remains cold and afraid to show even the slightest sign of affection because of fear the history will repeat itself.
My heart ached for them to have a happy ending even as everything seemed like it was against them. The ending left me with a big fat smile! -
Dear h,
You're probably wondering why your sophisticated, supervirile husband has suddenly turned moody, illogical, secretive, pout-y, stubborn, and seems inclined to have tantrums. It's because you are married to a Superbaby. He looks like a grown-up captain of industry, but in reality, he has the emotional maturity of someone who views Elmo as a trusted adviser. Don't worry, though, he's actually one of the good Superbabies. He's crazy about you and just needs to be coaxed past whatever idiocy he gets in his cute little noggin. Make sure he gets warm milk and cuddles when he starts sulking.
You're welcome.
Margo -
Such a good story. So many great reviews. I can’t add much but to say that I admire the heroine for sticking to her guns during this time of great emotional upset – and the hero for trying again and again to ignore his own ambivalence and fear to be there for the heroine.
I also admire how CM kept the central conflict - Hero not wanting children while the heroine is now pregnant - front and center, but also wove in other story threads such as the heroine’s feelings about being adopted and what happened to the rejected exes. The ex boyfriend marries the h’s sister which created all kinds of awkwardness. The hero’s ex delivers an OW rant that conveys information for the reader as well as bringing the drama this reader craves.
Even the hero’s eye patch takes on significance beyond the purely symbolic (he’s partially blind to his own past trauma) to a reminder that there is a real person out there wishing to harm the H and his family.
In this reading I really appreciated the cleansing tears at the end. I’m reading a great book
The Grief Recovery Handbook, 20th Anniversary Expanded Editionabout grief recovery and I’m struck at how CM has created a hero who has never grieved and must face those feelings before he can enter the next phase of his life with hope and trust. And yes, it (grief recovery) is that simple and that difficult and that important to the happiness of everyone around him. There is a lot of wisdom in this little HP. -
Bored 🥱
-
Really nice cover from "RO" and the eyepatch is great. I've seen nothing to dissuade me that after a few years of signing Ray Olivere to his work, with the sig often hugging the hairline so it couldn't be cropped out—bless him!—Mr. Olivere simply began or was encouraged (?) to shorten it to his initials.
Otherwise my initial opinion stands, I'm just not a fan of this hero.
2020
I'm an outlier here but the more I think about Justin, from Uncertain Destiny the more annoying he gets. The opening scene starts strong, in medias res where H insists that the h's pregnancy has nothing to do with him. It's quite effective and to his credit he takes steps to resolve the paternity question quickly. But then there's a flashback to a party scene where they first meet and he comes on to her in such a crass way it's just yuck. Even worse he's a mulish secret keeper kind of guy, not a trait I admire, and one that's common to the point of tediousness in HPs.
Oddly his secrets don't feel especially self-protective, he's not desperate to keep them as much as it doesn't occur to him to build a relationship or share anything of himself with the h other than bodily fluids
When finally the h decides she has to leave him because he's evinced no actual interest in her or her fetal plot moppet and anyway she's getting really tired of eating from dinner trays brought to her room, Justin makes the grand gesture of sharing his personal information, which should have been mentioned long before things hit the fan, but he does it in a way that feels performative and emotionally manipulative. There are acres of middle ground between can't be arsed enough to have an actual conversation and turning on the waterworks. Fans of manly tears might want to consider Carol Marinelli's
A Legacy of Secrets or Daphne Clair's
A Wilder Shore. In my opinion both convey male vulnerability in a more convincing fashion. -
Everyone else covered pretty much everything!
So I'll rant away happily!!!
3.5 solid stars. Rounded up!
No, heroine is not second best. If anything hero was rather tortured that she has completely taken over his past memories. However he did come to terms with that and there is nothing wrong with a second marriage. He was a different person to he was to his first wife.
He was a different husband altogether as well.
I understood why he called after his ex wife that particular night, once again what made the book so enjoyable was the fact that it was because of the trauma NOT because the heroine was second best.
Of course book loses half a star here because he actually rejected HER sexual advances THAT same night very cruelly and when she was a hormonal insecure bundle! He was of course a mess, however I didn't find it in me to forgive for that.
However he did redeem himself the next day when he DID find her with her BIL who was her ex-BF and he forced himself from jumping to the wrong conclusion and actually looked into it rationally for once paying deserved respect to both his wife and his/her BIL.
However where this book has completely came together was the ending! I just love a hero who can face his mistakes and apologise for it and who can openly cry and beg. Not pitifully, but humbly, because they care. So that grovelling was really something. It didn't need pages and pages of grovelling. It needed honesty, and it doesn't get any honest than him crying and begging her to stay because he loves her AND the baby and couldn't live without them. -
There was a lot to like about this story, not the least of which I agree with everyone that the Alpha Hero here is really an Alpha-and-Omega, he's so manly he comes to a party with one woman and tells her straight-up that he's ditching her for her brother's girlfriend whom he's just set eye on for the first time (that's right, one eye, this master of the universe even wears an eye patch! He lost it in a terrible pinkeye infection which turned fungal... just kidding! Of course he lost it in a knife fight with a vengeful lunatic!). Can one get any more alpha?
So Justin marries Caroline and they have great times in bed, but then she gets pregnant and suddenly their marriage is in trouble. Even after he gets confirmation from his doctor that his vasectomy reversed itself and the baby's (likely) his, Justin's unhappy and Caroline's worried.
My issues came in after most of the reveals were done. I thought the reasoning behind Caroline's determination to leave Justin was too contrived. I mean, why would she leave, really? She's pregnant and Justin wants to take care of her. She loves him and he's obsessed with her, has no other women hanging in the background. What, exactly, is impelling her to leave? I mean, I'm glad she insisted on leaving, because that way we got to see the Alpha of all Alphas , but I wished there had been a more solid impetus for her decision.
Secondly, and this one I'm just petty about, I know, but I didn't enjoy hearing Justin talk about
So overall I liked it but the angst sort of bypassed me. She seemed to just be struggling with a ghost. Although Justin did have very real hang-ups, I felt like they could have gone through the pregnancy and birth just as they were and Justin would have come around fine once the baby was born. -
I really liked this book. It seemed quite different from other HPs. I liked Justin and Caro a lot, although many a time I felt like smacking Justin for being so closed up. But, after knowing about his tragic past --which happens only at the end-- I could understand why he found it difficult to open up. Yet, no matter how cruel he comes across, he was actually a nice guy. Besides, there was never any doubt in the book that he was totally in love with his Caro.
I found the start so bizzare. She tells him she's pregnant; he tells her if she is, it cannot be his child because he had reason to believe he couldn't father any child and thinks she's carrying Tony's child --the man she had been engaged to-- yet, instead of ranting and raving about it, he calmly tells her they should sleep over it and everything would seem different in the morning, however also tells her he never wanted children. In the time-off he checks with his doctor the probability of Caro's news being true and when he gets confirmation of very high probability he accepts the child is his which was a problem for him because he didn't want children and she obviously wanted the child. So, both were at a loss for a solution.
'Justin, I don't want a divorce,' she cried, crossing the room to look up at him pleadingly. 'We don't talk about our feelings for each other, just seem to accept what we have—' her voice broke emotionally '—but I love you, Justin,' she told him raggedly. 'And I love your child that I carry inside me. Don't ask me to choose between the two of you!' She clasped his hands in entreaty, her eyes awash with tears.
He made no effort to return the clasp of her hands, but he didn't pull away from her either, his gaze dark as he looked down at her. 'I wouldn't do that,' he finally answered her gruffly. 'I don't think any woman's love should ever be tested to the extreme where she has to choose between her husband or her child. Besides,' he added self-derisively, 'I know I would lose.'
I thought Caroline was not only sweet and compassionate, I thought she was pretty brave and strong to tell Justin upfront she was in love with him and not give up on the marriage even though he didn't want to do anything with the child. She could only hope that he would come around once the child was born. I liked the part where after a bout of morning sickness she ends up crying thinking Justin would be upset with the morning sickness ruining the perfect honeymoon he'd planned, but when he finds her in the bathroom in tears , he tells her "It's nothing to cry about," then proceeds to pamper her tucking her in bed and ordering for tea and toast. His behaviour and reactions were often very contradictory to expectations and poor Caro, like the reader, didn't know what to make of the man. Like the time he walks into the hospital lounge where Caro is sitting on Tony's lap blubbering into his chest --of course because of Justin-- and where one would expect any hero to be jealous, livid and harsh, Justin quickly assures both of them that he knows that it's not what it seems.
Caro was engaged to Tony when she was attending his parent's anniversary party and Justin had walked in with Tony's sister, Paula, who worked for him. Both, are instantly attracted and by the end of the evening Justin told Paula he no longer wanted to see her because he wanted Caro. When he and Caro were dancing he tells her he doesn't believe in love, but he believes in destiny and knows for sure that she's his destiny. After that night, he pursues her, but because she's engaged to Tony she ignores him, but Tony is suspicious something is going on between the two and fights with her leading to their break-up. Soon after that she succumbs to Justin's wooing and marries him. In the meanwhile, Sonia, who was attracted to Tony but couldn't poach on her sister's BF, seeing that he's free relentlessly pursues him and the two get married two weeks after Caro and Justin's wedding day. Feeling awkward, the two couples had been avoiding each other, but then Sonia invites Caro and Justin over for dinner to end the awkwardness. I liked how they all started off wary of one another, sure it was going to be a terrible evening but as the two men run out on an errand the two sisters clear the air between them and once the men return they gang up together to tease the sisters, putting an end to awkwardness between the two couples. In fact, they end up becoming so close that at another similar dinner when Paula barges in makes snide remarks at Caro, Justin, Tony and Sonia gang up and send her packing. I loved that scene especially with Justin holding the door for Paula to leave.
'If you'll excuse me?' He spoke softly to their host, receiving a nod from the still-stunned Tony. Justin reached the door in two strides and wrenched it open, his silver gaze ripping into a now pale Paula as she realised, by the fact that she had succeeded in infuriating a man who could usually remain calm through any situation, that she had finally gone too far. 'Don't come near either Caroline or myself—but especially Caroline —again, or I'm not going to be answerable for the consequences. Do I make myself clear?'
Justin was a very complex man and even though I wanted to hate him for his secrets and moodiness I just couldn't do it -- deleting one star though because I though it was wrong of him to keep those secrets from her, but then if things are smooth between the characters there wouldn't be any angst or story (wink wink). Nevertheless, I could understand very well why Caro found it difficult to give up on him. When she almost did give up, he goes and does the unthinkable -- rips apart all masks to offer raw emotions in the form of tears. Sigh. How could a woman get past that? That too, a woman totally in love with him!
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Besides, Caroline and Justin, I liked Sonia and Tony too. And, that little mystery about that the man visiting Caroline claiming to be Justin's friend. Loved the epilogue, them with three kids.
A must read for those who likes angst in their romance -
DNF @ I don't remember...About 20% maybe.
Another case of too many unnecessary exclamation points**!** And I'm already getting the feeling that the hero's secrets are going to drag. That wouldn't be so bad except the heroine is also a pushover (from the get-go). He doesn't want to have anything to do with the baby they're expecting but he doesn't want to let the heroine (his wife) go either. The deal is the baby can live in another house and the heroine can go back and forth between the two. WTF. Like a weakling, she agrees hoping she can eventually convince him to love/accept their child. No, just no. Not cool. I really wanted her to tell him to go to hell!
Damn it, that's too bad because I was seriously digging this one-eyed hero. At first I wasn't sure I could but he sure rocked that eye-patch. He had that savage-y, rugged sex appeal, even while wearing expensive tailored suits. I do feel he was extremely pushy at the beginning but I managed to look past that. -
I liked this one. The book basically opens with the hero/husband denying he can be the father of the baby the heroine/wife has just announced she is expecting. Yikes, my first thought... he’s going to throw her out... blah, blah, blah... but, alas no, he shocks me/the reader with a follow up with his doctor... how is that for adulting?? He’s a bit of a train wreck, no spoilers, but it’s somewhat justified.
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It's always so disconcerting when I can actually understand why a Harlequin hero acts the way he does. I totally got Justin's motivations here. How weird.
When Justin and Caroline get married, he's open about the fact that he'll never be able to love her. Scarred both literally and figuratively by his past, Justin is the ultimate alpha male - he even has an eye patch, for god's sweet sake. But oh no, then Caroline goes and gets pregnant, and Justin is pretty irritated - he had a vasectomy, so this seems a bit strange, does it not? His doctor tells him his penis reversed the procedure - he's THAT STRONG - and so Justin goes from believing Caroline is having an affair, to just believing he's not into the idea of being a father.
Caroline is a likable heroine. Her spine is pretty much made of steel, and she's not above putting Justin in his place. Too many HP heroines are like flowers in a windstorm, completely unable to make a decision, or like Bella Swan, unable to take a step without falling over. Thankfully, Caroline is open about who she is, what she wants, and what she's able to accept.
The happy ending feels earned, and again, Justin's actions and motivations are completely understandable. I really enjoyed this one - recommended to anyone who likes old-school Harlequins. -
Not for me. Too old fashioned and yet strangely modern. I cannot fathom the understated tangled relationships between the mc’s. The h has been with someone for around a year. She meets the H and has a whirlwind of a wedding. The ex marries the h’s sister. The OW is the sister of the h’s ex.
And they all meet up each other right after the h and H’s wedding like nothing could ever go wrong. I would take serious offence if my ex jokingly sparred with my husband on intimate bedroom stuff. Or for my sister to be privy to my ex’s kissing/love making. Also I’d find it soul breaking if my husband thought it okay to continue meeting with my ex who is now married to my sister.
F’d up soap opera book. Belittling sensitive feelings like jealousy, possessiveness and exclusivity. What was CM thinking! -
This reminds me of Dark Dominion by Charlotte Lamb, the tortured hero, unable to love, conflict over a pregnancy, jealousy, another man.
And I loved every angsty moment of it. -
4.5 stars
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This one’s a keeper.
An amazing story, unforgettable characters, and enough angst to last a lifetime.
H meets h at her boyfriend parents anniversary party. He propositions the h even though he’s the boyfriend’s sister’s date. He boldly tells h that they will have sex. Really hot sex from the way he says it.
After weeks and weeks of being chased, h finally gives in and goes on a date with H. They sex is better than promised. They marry. They get pregnant and that’s where the trouble starts.
The h is sweet, innocent and loves her man. She wants happiness. However, the H has explained that he doesn’t do love. He wants her, and can care for her but will never love her.
Then she gets pregnant and it changes the whole dynamic of their relationship. He accuses her of screwing her ex because he could not have gotten her preggers. He never wanted kids and took drastic measures to prevent it from happening.
The H is a cold, nasty bastard. He makes the h feel like poop through a good portion of the book. She’s afraid to talk about her pregnancy! She walks on eggshells around him.
Then there’s the criminal that has a vendetta against the H. He keeps showing up to their home posing as a friend. What are the laws like in London that a criminal can continue to stalk a prosecutor’s home and nothing is done to stop him?!
Every aspect of this book kept me riveted. CM did a stellar job. It’s a book I know I will read again and again. This one is a keeper. -
Rating: 5
Honestly I went in expecting a lot of angst but this turned to be such a charming and heartwarming story. My initial impression of the FL being in love and marrying the ML knowing he didn't reciprocate her feelings was Oh another dumb female and a doormat but I soon ate my words she was loving and vulnerable to him but never a doormat. She took charge of things and confronted the ML whenever she felt it was wrong or in doubt.
Another aspect I loved about her besides her level-headedness was her mostly initiating their intimacies and being open and carefree with her desires towards her husband. Considering most FLs of M&B are simpering and prudish she was a welcoming change.
Except for an occasional incident or two of the ML lashing out he was a paragon of virtue. He was so caring and sweet towards his wife except for confessing he loved her until the end he did everything that showed how besotted he was. His fears and uncertainty due to his past experience were heartbreaking and it was evident how much it had ended up affecting him in the long-term.
I was going to give 4.5 but a little extra for that fulfilling and sweet epilogue -
2008 Review: 4.5 - 4.75 stars - a deep love story that dealt with heart wrenching issues. When I read the back cover I was curious about the mystery: who was the woman he called out??? I think that was the reason I bought the book though I didn't like the cover picture of the hero with an eye patch. But I'm glad I bought the book. This is a keeper. This book is about a tormented and scarred hero who is unable and scared to love because of his past. The heroine accepts him the way he is because she loves him very much. But the sudden news of an unexpected pregnancy changes everything and unleashes the hero's past torment and demons. SPOILERS. The book deals with really a very sad event, death of not just one but two babies and suicide of the woman he loved. Yeah.. the hero was married before. As usual, I usually prefer my hero being super duper in love with ONLY the heroine, but in this case I didn't mind. It was totally understandable and done in a tasteful way. I commend the heroine for being such a strong woman! I was totally invested in all the characters of the story. I loved the heroine. She really loved the hero and did her best to deal with it despite everything that was thrown at her. I would have been EXTREMELY depressed and pissed! First of, you admit that you love the hero but he doesn't return the favor?! Then you find out that he had a vasectomy and he never told you when you got married? Third you never got told that he was married before?? Then you find out he got enemies who sliced your eye off and he's skulking around you?? So many bads, so little time!! But anyway, I loved this book because the story was done in such a great way that I wasn't too pissed with all the bad things hero had done. You could see that the hero really loves the heroine (even though he never said it/denies it) and that the hero is bothered by something. And the climax of when the heroine was ready to leave the hero was SO great! You really saw it all gush out of the hero and he just let it all out. And once again the heroine was great. She didn't play any games or was vindictive. A truly admirable heroine! The ending was GREAT. I'm glad Carole Mortimer put that epilogue in there. This book is a KEEPER for me.
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The cover stated that Caroline, and Justin’s marriage was one of convenience. Justin feel in love with Caroline the first time they meet. He just thought it was lust. Caroline knew they shared a passion that was off the charts. She just thought he could never love her. The end of the book was emotional. We learned why Justin was afraid to give his heart away again. He loved, and loved deeply but was simply afraid. He always treated Caroline like she was made from fine china. This really was a good book!
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I will post a review later ;)
Update
February 23rd/2022I have to reread it because I forgot many details :(
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Piacevole è stata una lettura scorrevole, purtroppo non mi ha entusiasmato molto l’inizio del libro un continuo andirivieni tra passato e presente.
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Okay. Liked the storyline but the book lacked an immediacy that kept it from being as angsty as it could have been.
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It’s no secret I have a morbid fascination with jerky H’s throwing their preggers h’s out on their bums, because there’s no way they could be the father. Welp, Uncertain Destiny flipped that shit with a H actually visiting the DR… gasp… before making a decision…and I loved it. It didn’t hurt that Wolf is wicked sexy with an eyepatch. Yum.
Justin (36) the Wolf and Caroline (23) met when they were on dates with OP and were instantly, sparks shooting attracted to each other. He finally wears her down, and the two are hitched within the week of their first date.
There are tons of reviews out there, so I’ll just say that I really liked this story. Caroline is not a wuss; she’s strong, and a nurse… so she has an education and skills. Justin starts out jerky, and cold-ish, but by the end, I felt sympathy and liked him. I could always tell he cared for her, and loved that he pushed his pride to the side, and became vulnerable when he needed to.
Bottom Line- I liked it. I felt their chemistry, and IMO, both had genuine love for each other. The drama is developed, and generated between the two of them without the extra drama-llama stuff we typically see. Her family is supportive; he is cold not cruel; the wannabe is hardly around, and he shuts her down quick. Basically, this is not the OTT soap opera like HP; this was well written and packed with feels. No epilogue, but the the last few pages FFW several years. -
"Uncertain Destiny" is the story of Caroline and Justin.
When newly married and insanely in love Caroline finds out she is pregnant, she plans an elaborate reveal for her husband. What she doesnt expect is his denial and anger about the paternity of the child, or the determination to not have one!
Soon as both are unable to let go of one another, truths are revealed and we are exposed to the hero's hidden past..
Honestly, I liked that the drama was kept to the minimal in this one, the facts and misconceptions were exposed pretty quickly and the couple were much in love that they didnt push each other away. Also the OM/OW drama which usually drags is resolved pretty soon in this one.
That being said, from the reviews I was expecting an angst filled emotional ride with this one but it barely touched the surface. The reveals were pretty slow, and the story was predictable.
Good epilogue & eye-patch though.
Safe
2/5 -
So, I read this. It was enjoyable. However, my emotional involvement only reached a lukewarm pitch. It never got angsty enough for me, and I am not sure why. I mean it had all the components:
Older Hero who was scarred inside and out✅
Virgin Heroine who’s love will save us all✅
A baby on the way✅
Spurned evil OW who was never used as pawn by H✅
Loving family✅
Motherly housekeeper ✅
Mysterious friend✅
Likable not OM for very long ✅
Heart Wrenching ending ✅
Epilogue ✅✅
Bonus: Hero has an eyepatch. I believe this is only an enhancement on otherwise devastatingly handsome pirate type like men. I doubt it would be near as attractive on say a Rush Limbaugh type.
