The Legend of Lexandros by Anne Mather ... QC #265

4 Stars! ~~~ This book, though 35 years old, was a delight for me!

The Legend of Lexandros by Anne Mather

Harlequin Presents #23 ~ October 1973

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From the time she was 10, and their mother had deserted them, Dallas Collins had taken care of her then five year old sister, Jane. When their father passed away, Dallas barely out of school took guardianship. Jane’s now 17, working for the Stavros Shipping Co. and claiming to be in love with Paris Stavros, the 18 year old son of the owner. Dallas loves her teaching position, is planning to marry in a few months, even though her fiancé barely tolerates Jane, she will be living with them. The relationship with the Stavros boy upsets Dallas so she goes to his father, Alexander to put a stop to it. Alex is amazed at the young woman who insists that he keep his son away from her sister, and simply shrugs and informs her that the boy is only 18 and hardly a threat to Jane. Only he comes to regret those words when Paris is killed in an auto crash and it’s discovered that Jane is pregnant. When Dallas’ fiancé refuses to allow Jane to live with them once she has the baby, Dallas realizes she’s had a near miss. Only now they have no choice but to accept Alex Stavros’ invitation to live on his Greek island, Lexandros, until the baby is born and at that time he will be more than happy to take over complete responsibility for the child. Dallas resents Alex’s power, and though she agrees that they will go to Greece, she insists that Jane will be given every opportunity to decide for herself what she wants to do about the baby.

Ms. Mather seems fond of hero’s that father children when they themselves are teenagers. As in A Distant Sound of Thunder, Alex married a young girl when she became pregnant, and it turned out the woman had set Alex up, and after two years of marriage left her child and the island to live in Athens and she died ten years before this book begins. Alex is a powerful man who isn’t used to people questioning his decisions. And we learn from the people closest to Alex that Dallas definitely is getting under his skin, and they wonder why she continues to infuriate him. Of course, Dallas is just being Dallas. She may be only 22 to his 37, but she’s not about to let him push her around! This book, though 35 years old, was a delight for me. Many readers today would shake their heads at some of the outdated notions, but as I was a very early 60’s baby and grew up during the time this book is set, I took little notice.

Excellence: Very Good ~ Steaminess: Romantic

My Totals = 87 ~ Harlequin Imprint = 75 ~ Other Publisher = 12

~~ KatherineT ~~ I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog