Double Standards by Judith McNaught

In the exclusive, glittering world of business superstars, Nick Sinclair was a legend...

The ruggedly handsome president of Global Industries handled his business the way he handled his women-with charm, daring, and ruthless self-control. A man used to the very best, Nick hired Laura Danner, and assumed that the proud beauty would soon be another easy conquest. But Laura's flashing wit and rare spirit dazzle him-and slowly, against his will, he was intrigued, challenged-and in love.

Yet Laura was living a lie, a charade that became more dangerous with every passing moment. Trapped in a web of deceit, she fought her growing love for Nick. Her secret could destroy his fragile trust-and the promise of life with the most compelling man she had ever met!


I was finally able to find someone who has a copy of the book and borrowed it from her. This was the first reread I've had of the book since more or less ten years ago. Back then I really thought this was a very good book. I dunno about now though. I guess it was still a good read and it had the trademark JM sob factor BUT it just didn't appeal to me that much anymore.

Lauren was too naive for my taste. I've read hundreds of naive heroines but Lauren just irritated me. I wanted to shout at her to wake up...I think, I did. And I wanted to clobber Nick when he refused to let Lauren explain even after she begged him on her knees. These flaws in the characters just annoyed the heck out of me.

As a hopeless romantic, the love story was okay. It's always interesting when a worldly playboy falls in love with a small-town girl. That plot always makes for interesting dynamics in the characters. But it just failed here.

But I did like one part--when Nick told Lauren that he wanted daughters with "wobbly blue eye" like hers. I somehow think that when someone says something like that, you come clean with whatever you are hiding that could potentially hurt that person. Unfortunately, Lauren didn't do anything of the sort. I dunno what she was waiting for not to tell him that she was hired by his stepfather to spy on Nick's company. Because all crap aside, she really would have been spying for Whitworth no matter how the old coot put it.

Nonetheless, it was a mediocre reading experience this time around. That's why I've decided never to review a book after just one reading. Nuh-uh.

Final verdict: 6.5/10. A try-to-read.