Customer Reviews

Double Standards

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Double Standards is a very enjoyable contemporary novel. It has all the ingredients for a firey romance. A fabulous hero with rakish motives and a sharp heroine who refuses to be used come together in a fast moving, competitive corporate environment.

After a powerful family member asks Lauren Danner to work undercover at Sinco, a rival company, Lauren applies for an executive secretarial position with Sinco. Once she arrives for her interview, Lauren has already concluded that she is incapable of spying on Sinco. Lauren then proceeds to fail all entry tests and deliberately makes a bad impression during her interview with the head of human resources. How is she to know, after leaving the disastrous interview, that she would meet Nick Sinclair, the owner of Global Industries (the company that owns Sinco), and fall flat on her face in front of him? Before she knows what is happening, Lauren has a job at Sinco the next day despite her deliberate attempt to botch her job interview.

Nick attempts to ignore Lauren and his attraction to her. But Lauren doesn't realize who Nick is and spontaneously invites him to lunch. From there, Nick begins his assault, attempting to seduce Lauren and she believes she is falling in love.

McNaught draws a vivid portrait of a bold, successful business man who owns a considerable number of large, thriving companies. He is the typical type A confident male who thinks he has all the answers. In his arrogance, he seeks our Lauren for an affair - nothing more. He is a real stinker at times. Lauren, in turn, is fascinated with Nick until she learns his true identification. Lauren is quick and on target as she continually refuses Nick's further advances. Others have referred to Nick's treatment of Lauren as sexual harassment. Although I concede that Nick's words to Lauren could be considered sexual harassment, Lauren doesn't allow such treatment. She is firm and consistent in her refusals to Nick. She will not allow him to treat her flippantly. You actually love hearing Lauren reject Nick - you feel he deserves it. I am not fond of smart mouthed heroines that treat the man they secretly love with hate and meanness. This is not how Lauren treats Nick. Her treatment of Nick lets him know she will not allow disrespect, mistreatment, or use as a short term sexual playmate. Her lines are delivered with dry wit and satisfaction. McNaught does not allow her characters to wallow in silly misunderstandings or lies. Eventually Lauren and Nick communicate honestly and lovingly. There are a few sensual scenes that would rate about a three (see "about me" for sensual rating definition). This story does not need many sensual scenes. It drips with sexual chemistry.

The lead characters spend a lot of quality time together and we can watch their relationship grow. There is only one thing I would have changed about this book and that is the heroine's age. She is only 23. In contemporary novels, I prefer the heroine at least a few years older.

This is a book that will delight you and you won't want to put it down. Thanks Judith McNaught for another great story.

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

This book was my first time read of work by McNaught and was first printed in 1986 which leaves me to believe it may have been one of her first publications. I read the book in two days, starting late one evening and finishing it early the next morning. I gave the book a high score because I love a book that makes me want to keep turning the pages to see what happens. I thought the plot was good. I understood how Nick could acquire his attitude toward women because of his mother, but I kept wondering how long it would take Lauren to get to him. McNaught took time to develop her characters and made you see them as I think she did and wanted you to. I enjoy a good romance and McNaught delivered one in Double Standards. I'll be ready to read another one of her books the next time I get a chance.

Judith Mc Naught has this amazing ability to write about strong characters and very gripping tales. Unfortunately, she goes haywire in this book (In any case, contemprory romance requires more beleivability ). The tale of a millionnaire Nick (who carries a hard to believe trauma) stumbles into Lauren (who is spying without actually meaning too for someone else). This someone else, of course, is related to Nick's mother who has caused all that trauma. During their work together, he illtreats her, abuses her in front of everybody, goes to bed with her but still treats her like..@#$ and she puts up with it. Hey..isn't this an American author writing about contemprory American women ? Imean, here is this woman who gets pushed around, shows no self respect all the time Nick Sinclair treats her like dirt and then falls in love with him...with what precisely ?? I got to a point where I detested Nick Sinclair and the lady for putting up with all that nonsense and myself for paying good money for THIS! Judith....its allright in the 19th century for women to be treated boorishly by the men but in the late 20th century, its unbelievable..especially if you try and convince the audience that the jerk is not actually one !

This book was first published in 1984 and shows its age, but if you can read it as a period piece, it's a lot of fun. Nick, the hero, is a working-class kid from a grim background, grown up to be a driven, overachieving,and emotionally frozen CEO. He hires and desires Lauren, a nice girl with a secret. The emotional and physical jousting between the two of them sometimes grates on 90s sensibilities -- nowadays Nick's conduct in places is grounds for a lawsuit -- but in its own context it plays well. Nick is very attractive and Lauren is far from stupid. Yes, the ending is weak -- Nick needs to change and there's no sign he has. But this is a fantasy, not real life, and a nice one. They all lived happily ever after.

Ok, I dont know why anyone would give this book a bad review. We all have our own opinions I guess, me I LOVED it. It was shorter, but I did not feel it was missing anything. It was a very intense story that kept you on the edge wondering what was going to happen next. Kinda suspencefull, without the murder.
Lauren, oh I loved Lauren. At first I thought she was a twit, until she about faced and gave Nick what he deserved. She managed to hold her own without being a b**ch. She was still very likable as she was telling Nick off. It was wonderful.
Nick, oh Nick. Very sure of himself, has a well earned ego, without being too full of himself.
The spying was a great plot line, that is what gives us our minor suspence. It was great. I agree 100% with one of the upper reviews, readers and dreamers or something. There were not alot of actual sex scenes, but the whole book is a primer. It didnt need alot of sex. With all the chemistry, wondering what is coming next and their battle of wills it is a never ending entertaining wonderful book. Not as long or filling as Paradise or Perfect, but still a great book just the same.

I love this book. i thought Nick was a geat guy with a hard childhood and Lauren was a great leading woman. This was one of the first romance books i read and i think it is wonderful! This book made me laugh, cry, and then laugh again. when I was done the book I felt so happy and good. Double Standards is truly an awsome book. After I read this I went on to reading a Kingdom of Dreams and Something Wonderful which are great, too. Judith McNaught is a great author and i give two thumbs up to her.

This was a very interesting romance novel. I couldn't wait to read what would happen next. Throughout the day I would be thinking what would happen next and waited for the moment when I would be in my bed reading the book. I don't understand why so many reviewer gave this story so bad rating because for me it is a perfect 5. And of course I do wish it was longer but can't be sure if it was longer would it have been equally interesting?
Nick wasn't a very likable character in the beginning but still I do understand people like him. I know someone like him who talks about women liberation in term of sexual independence like it is a virtue! Like every woman should not put so much importance to the act of sex and become emotional about it, like they shouldn't wait for someone special to loose their virginity to, like men don't care if they got a promiscuous wife! I was so thrilled when Lauren threw his own words back at him when he finally fell in love with her and asked her how many men has she slept with after him! Well Of course being a modern man he shouldn't be bothered by so petty details, isn't it? I wish the guy I know who talks like this would also fall in love one day and eat his own words! Because however modern women become they would still never be able to separate sex from her emotions and men would never be able to stop themselves from wishing that woman they love has been untouched. It's ok whatever they have done with other women but when it comes to their wives all their modern ideas go down the drain.
As Nick put it in his own words that it's convenient for men to think like that. It makes them feel less guilty about the way they use women.
Lauren was a treat! It's been a long time since I have liked a heroine so much. Nick thought she was naïve and sweet girl. In the beginning he did succeed in being able to seduce her easily but it was only because Lauren thought he was special. But when they met again and Lauren knew the truth about him she was not so naïve and sweet anymore. She was an arrogant and stubborn woman with a smart mouth that could cut deeply than a knife! I loved it when she called nick a hypocrite because he sure was one.
All in all a great contemporary romance. I would read it again after some time.

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

***SPOILER ALERT***

She grovelled and begged him to listen to her side of the story, to which our hero did not give her the chance, believed the worst of her & threw her out. He was horrible to her! He comes back a month or so later with a fancy piece of jewelry & she takes him back within 5 minutes, just like that. Ugh! What a lame heroine!

And her father just lets him in to see her! What kind of father is that?! He didn't even give the 'hero' a "man-talk" after the way his daughter was treated. If anyone treated my child that way, no matter how much I know she loves him, I would give him a piece of my mind & would not let him be alone with her & I would want to see him grovel real hard & make up even a bit for the pain & humiliation he dealt her.

What a crappy ending! Hero did not redeem himself at all. It looks like the author was forced to end the book right there & then, maybe she was over the quota of pages or got tired of writing the book, something! But I just can't get over the ending, it's ruined the entire book for me. I suppose that's why the book is called Double Standards, because it is. Awful!