Books › Fantasy
Fantasy
First published 1985 · 189 pages
A sun-drenched, emotionally intense escape to a secluded Australian beach where a shattered woman finds healing in the arms of a mysterious stranger.
What it feels like
This vintage 1980s romance offers a pure, sun-drenched dose of escapism, sweeping the reader away to a secluded Australian beach where reality fades into a dreamlike sanctuary. The narrative moves at a brisk, emotionally charged pace, plunging straight from the sharp sting of betrayal into an intense, healing connection. The prose is lush and earnest, characteristic of classic category romance, focusing heavily on internal turmoil and the sensory details of a sudden, all-consuming passion. It feels like a fever dream of rescue and authentic love, contrasting the cold objectification of the protagonist's past with the warm, grounding presence of her new lover. This is perfect for readers who crave the melodramatic, deeply felt emotional arcs of classic Harlequin Presents, where love is both a sanctuary and a profound awakening.
- Mood
- sun-drenched
- escapist
- dreamy
- emotionally charged
- Tone
- earnest
- melodramatic
- romantic
- intense
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- healing from betrayal · illusion versus reality · finding authentic love · escaping objectification · sanctuary of nature
- The writing
- Lush, emotionally direct, and characteristic of 1980s category romance with a focus on sensory and internal romantic turmoil.
- The arc
- From shattered trust and frantic escape to a dreamlike, healing romance that must eventually reconcile with the waking world.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love vintage Mills & Boon or Harlequin Presents, craving intense, escapist romance with a strong sense of place and emotional rescue.
Content notes
- infidelity (past)
- emotional manipulation
- mild sexual content
About the book
Had she dreamed him up -- this man, this fantasy?
Her fiance's betrayal and her frenzied flight to a secluded beach near Sydney had been for Eve a nightmare - until the moment a stranger held her in his arms and revealed a lotus land where love was possible...
For a while Eve gave herself up to the joy of loving and being loved for herself and not as the money-making image her fiance had devised with his camera.
She wanted the fantasy to go on forever. Surely to stay would be like trying to prolong a dream...
Description from Open Library.
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