Notorious Groom (Desire) [Paperback]

Caroline Cross (Author)

Book Description

Series: Desire | Publication Date: April 1, 1998

HER HARD-BODIED TEMPORARY HUSBAND

Almost thirty-four, still a virgin and with no marriage prospects in sight, town librarian Norah Brown was headed for the Old Maid Hall of Fame. Then Elijah Wilder, the baddest boy ever to roam the streets of Kisscount, shockingly agreed to marry her so she could keep her family estate. But he didn't know that Norah had secretly loved him for years….

Eli was the only man who sensed the temptress lurking beneath the bookworm. It was there in the way he looked at her—as if he could taste her, feel her, see right through her, into her soul. Just as Norah knew that within her hard-bodied, hard-hearted temporary husband lurked a man who lived for her loving….

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Lovely but shy Norah Jane Brown has definitely accepted her fate as an old maid. She doesn't date, she twists her long hair into a bun on top of her head, she wears baggy lace-collared granny dresses, and she works as a librarian. Worst of all, she's still a virgin at almost thirty-four. But Norah Jane has harbored a secret yen for bad boy Elijah Wilder ever since they were in grade school. Now she must find a husband, fast. The terms of her grandfather's will specifically state that if Norah Jane isn't married by her thirty-fourth birthday, she will lose Willow Run, her beloved, classically beautiful home. The small town she lives in doesn't have a lot of eligible bachelors, but fortunately, it does have Elijah - and Elijah's home and business have just suffered a devastating fire. When the town's wild man agrees to a marriage of convenience with the local maiden lady, none of the local gossips think it will last. Neither do Norah Jane and Elijah, but Elijah discovers a seductive temptress lurking beneath Norah's baggy dresses and innocent face, and Norah learns that her hard-hearted temporary husband has more to offer than steamy kisses in this charming, endearing tale of mismatched lovers who are kindred spirits at heart. A wonderful story to make readers smile and sigh. --Lois Faye Dyer

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Silhouette; First Thus edition (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373761430
• ISBN-13: 978-0373761432
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,394,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read, funny, sweet, one of the best I've read!, October 25, 1999

By 

Deborah Frankel (Jerusalem, Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Notorious Groom (Desire) (Paperback)

I think that this book is one of the best I've read. It's funny and the romance couldn't be sweeter! A fantastic read! It's made me a fan of this author, eager to find the story of Melanie and Joe Rawlings, is there such a book? The characters were mentioned in this book, and were integral to its plot.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Spinster Meets the Bad-Boy, March 9, 2006

By 

Lettetia "As Long As I Am Able To Read, I Sha... (The beautiful Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Notorious Groom (Desire) (Paperback)

Shy Norah Jane Brown is the town's spinster librarian. Everyone knows and loves her. She's almost 34, drab, and still a virgin.

Due to a quirky term in her grandfather's will she has to marry before her next birthday or lose her home. With few prospects in town, she is fortunate to have Elijah Wilder.

Her high school crush, Elijah is the town mechanic and a single father. When his business suffers a devastating fire, he and his daughter are living in a small motel room. When he finds out Norah is about to propose to a local criminal, he suggests a marriage of convenience until his business is up and running again. Save her home, give his daughter a home until the insurance check comes in. Simple, right?

Who would have ever thought the town spinster and the town bad boy would ever make a marriage last? Not the local busy-bodies, that's for sure!

A fabulous, funny, sexy, charming read! Steamy love scenes, great dialogue, and characters that are very well developed.

Beautiful! I loved it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My Fair Lady, July 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Notorious Groom (Desire) (Paperback)

Who would imagine that a marriage of convenience would have such inconvenient results ? Eli thought he was doing his old school friend Norah Brown a favor when he married her to save her house. She really needed someone to look after her, she had been sheltered too long by her grandfather. The silly girl had been ready to propose to a criminal! He didn't think he would suddenly start thinking about how soft and kissabe she was. And then (with his daughter's assistance) Norah started changing on him. She ditched her granny dresses for shorts, and learnt how to drive, and have fun running thru the sprinklers. But she was also seriously rich and had multiple college degrees. Why would she want to be with a garage mechanic ? A funny romance, about the late blooming of a beautiful woman, and the man who makes it possible.