Taken Over (Harlequin Presents) [Mass Market Paperback]

Penny Jordan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1985 | Series: Harlequin Presents

"Marriage for a merger. Joel Howard. arrogant, self- assured and all too aware of his sexual magnetism - reminded Cassie of the unlikelihood of anyone ever loving her. She would rather have sold her soul to the devil than ally herself with him. So she entertained a proposal from his closet competitor, dangerously underestimating Joel's desire to take over her London-based computer games company. There's only one way I can be sure of your loyalty, Joel told her, and that's by buying it the same way Peter Williams intended to buy it- by marrying you." This is from the back cover of this book.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 187 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (August 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373108184
• ISBN-13: 978-0373108183
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,493,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars geeky heroine marries playboy Hero temporarily -- 3.5, November 18, 2010

By 

RomReader (TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taken over (Penny Jordan Largeprint) (Hardcover)

Computer-game creator thinks she doesn't stand a chance with an attractive man b/c of her plain looks. She gets engaged to the son of computer-company owner who rivals the disturbingly-attractive Hero's company. Few days before the wedding, Hero aggressively makes her the same marriage-of-convenience deal that must last for 6 months so that he can get the financial support he needs for a medical project his company is working on. Even though heroine agrees to let him take over her company without marriage, Hero doesn't trust her so they get married shortly. Heroine has a hard time being married to him b/c she realized that she's in love with him but thinks he can't return it b/c of how she looks. His estranged mother helps her get polished & poised & her new look & confidence gains her male attention, making hero think that she's becoming more like his unfaithful mother.

From the 1st page, this Jordan book impacted my emotions. There was humour, pain, unrequited love, & hope. It drew me in to care & root for the characters to have a really good ending. The characters were likeable, especially the heroine who was a math genius & computer-game creator who accepted that she wasn't much in the looks department but had the brains to make her life worthwhile. Even though heroine was insecure, she wasn't annoyingly so. Hero was an alpha male & wasn't abusive or too arrogant. He showed a vulnerability that was endearing & gave light to his mistrust of heroine.

UPDATED REVIEW(November 11, 2011):
I still enjoyed reading it b/c of its emotional impact & drama. I still liked the heroine for her intelligence & independence but not her constant insecurity about her looks & ability to attract a man. I wouldn't call her a doormat. She was more socially inept. She was a computer geek who didn't socialize much & whose life concern was keeping her little game company safe from big company sharks. My take on Hero this time around was different. He was a bully & a brute. His mother issues were the root of his mysogynism but it still doesn't excuse his verbally- & emotionally -abusive behaviors towards heroine. His change to a softer & less mocking person towards heroine at the end was sudden but I still bought it. I don't believe that he cheated on heroine with his girlfriend or any other woman. There were no clear statements that he did. He talked threateningly & bullyishly about women being interchangeable in his bed but it was more bluffing b/c he was already feeling some affection for heroine & was trying to fight it.

Recommended.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars From the back cover, February 2, 2007

By 

onlyone (the deep south, usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taken Over (Harlequin Presents) (Mass Market Paperback)

Marriage for a merger...

Joel Howard - arrogant, self-assured and all too aware of his sexual magnetism - reminded Cassie of the unliklihood of anyone ever loving her.

She would rather have sold her soul to the devil than ally herself with him. So she entertained a proposal from his closest competitor, dangerously underestimating Joel's desire to take over her London-based computer-games company.

"There's only one way I can be sure of your loyalty," Joel told her, "and that's by buying it, the same way Peter Williams intended to buy it - by marrying you."