It was on the invitation of the elderly Marquesa de Mendao that Malcolm Trevellyan and his young wife Rachel were staying at the imposing quinta in Portugal. But Rachel was far from happy there. Malcolm was being embarrassingly rude and demanding to his hostess, who made it clear to Rachel that she at least was very far from welcome. And the Marquesa's son Luis, the Marques de Mendao, made no secret of his contempt for Rachel and her husband. Just what was behind it all? And how could Rachel manage to control her growing, unwilling attraction to Luis? How would it all end?
Love, Language, Place, and Identity in Popular Culture: Romancing the Other explores the varied representations of Otherness in romance novels and other fiction with strong romantic plots. Contributors’ approaches range from sociolinguistics to cultural studies, and the texts analyzed are set on four continents, with particular emphasis on Caribbean and Atlantic islands. What all the essays have in common is the exploration of representations of the Other, be it in an inter-racial or inter-cultural relationship. Chapters are divided into two parts; the first examines place, travel, history, and language in 20th-century texts; while the second explores tensions and transformations in the depiction of Otherness, mainly in texts published in the early 21st century. This book reveals that even at the end of the 20th century, these texts display neocolonialist attitudes towards the Other. While more recent texts show noticeable changes in attitudes, these changes can often fall short, as stereotypes and prejudices are often still present, just below the surface, in popular novels. The understudied field of popular romance, in which the Other is frequently present as a love interest, proves to be a fruitful area in which to explore the potential and the realities of the treatment of Otherness in popular culture. Scholars of literature, communication, romance, and rhetoric will find this book particularly useful.
FAMILY MAN The more she sees Michelle Davis has come to Sotol Junction, Texas, for one reason. To check out what kind of father her ex-brother-in-law is. Michelle's sure her niece would be better off living in Boston. But this small border town and its friendly people are becoming hard to resist. The more she likes Jake Evans has made a new life for himself and his daughter. He's given up three-piece suits and corporate haircuts for denim cutoffs and a ponytail. And being a river runner—guiding rafts up and down the magnificent Rio Grande—obviously agrees with him. Her sister's ex-husband has improved in every way. He's become a real family man. He's even less hostile toward her. Until he discovers the betrayal… FAMILY MAN. He's sexy, he's single… And he's a father. Can any woman resist?
