The Vintage Romance Reader

Nobody's Fool

With huge green eyes, dimpled cheeks, and a smile that could melt granite, Joey Curtis was every guy's best pal - the kind of girl men thought of as a kid sister.

But the buddy system broke down the day that Chase Ellison came along. Chase didn't treat her like the girl next door. His every kiss stoked the fiery yearnings inside her, his every caress evoked the passions of a woman in love.

Gorgeous, successful, powerful...Chase Ellison was a dream come true. But Joey was never one to fool herself: she knew Chase had no place in her future. He was a restless bachelor, a front-runner in the fast lane, always eager to make the next move. How could she make each precious, magic moment last a lifetime?

Original Publisher: Pageant
Original Year of Publication: 1988
Page Count: 212

A decent read with some unfortunate old school elements, namely the hero being a total jerk and the heroine's ultimate motivation of being married over having a career. Not my cup of tea in the least, although until the hero proposed marriage, the heroine did stand up for herself and refuse to give up her entire life just to be his mistress. There was definitely some cathartic elements in her refusing the capitulate to his caveman demands that she quit her job as a police officer because it was too dangerous and he didn't like worrying for her safety. Yes, he had a sob story childhood that informed some elements of his personality, but she called him on his shit at a fairly gratifying rate, considering this was originally published in 1988.

This whole story was shaping up fairly nicely (considering its vintage) until the very end: when the hero finally proposed to her, the heroine quit her job on the spot. Seriously?? Sigh. That is a good thing about present-day contemporaries, at least: women realize and fight for the ability to have spouses and careers and kids, all at the same time, instead of feeling like they have to give up one dream if they have any chance of fulfilling another.

(Also? The characters have ten inches in height difference, and that really bothered me, as it added to the power dynamic between the two of them in an unhealthy way.)

⭐⭐ 1/2