Kay Thorpe
Encyclopedia
Kay Thorpe is a British
author of over seventy-five romance novel
s. She published her novels in Mills & Boon
since 1968. All her novels have also been published under Harlequin Enterprises Limited. Over a period of four decades, she has produced a body of sensuous work that investigates heritage, family, class and love. Her forte is to encode the opposing reading within the classic Harlequin plot. A synopsis of the author that accompanies her publications notes that she researched the market for romance fiction before electing to write in this category. Her first book published in North America established her reputation as a gifted storyteller. She has a strong vital writing style.
As her career graph began in the late 1960s, Kay Thorpe, along with Charlotte Lamb
and others, was one of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflecting the forefront of the "sexual revolution
" of the 1970s. As such she was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. However, under Kay Thorpe's expert analysis, the modern romantic heroine had to re-evaluate her age old perceptions of what constituted love and marriage: she had to accept love unconditionally without looking for security in marriage.
. After leaving school, she tried a variety of jobs, including dental nursing and a spell in the Women's Royal Airforce.
In 1960, Kay was married to Tony, and five years later they had a son John. Now, she and her husband live on the outskirts of Chesterfield
in Derbyshire
.
Her very first completed manuscript accepted — The Last of the Mallorys, was published in 1968. Since then she has written over 70 books.
Luckily Kay has daily professional help with her housework, and that leaves her time to indulge in her hobbies. Like many other Harlequin authors, she admits to being a voracious consumer of books, a quality she shares with her readers. She likes music and horseback riding, which she does in the countryside near her home. But her favorite hobby is travel - especially to places that will make good settings for her books.
Unlike Flora Kidd
and Robyn Donald
, who showcase Scotland
and New Zealand
in their stories, Kay Thorpe gives her readers a taste for a myriad of locations. By and large, her stories are based on three locations, namely England
, Canada
and Africa
. There are also stories based in Spain
, Italy
, South America
, Greek Islands, Caribbean Islands, South Pacific Islands
and Australia
.
Her main characters always stand by their British
heritage. As a result, stories set outside of England have an underlying subplot
that explore how a newcomer from Britain
can come to accept making a home for herself with one of the long time British descendents settled in Canada
or South Africa
. For example, Safari South (1976), Timber Boss (1978) and Copper Lake (1981).
In Storm Passage (1977) and Time out of Mind (1987), there is mention of how islands in the South Pacific and in the Caribbean came to be under private ownership by a British descendant.
In Timber Boss (1978), there are references as to how Scottish settlers made the Canadian region of Nova Scotia
their new home.
Keith in Safari South (1976) appreciates the expansiveness of South Africa
and the promising future the country offers him. While Keir in Temporary Marriage (1981) founds his fortunes as an engineering whiz in Sydney
, Australia
half way around the world from his native English village
.
British engineers working in remote locations of hot and steamy Sierra Leone
, the desert
s of Libya
, or the outback of Tanzania
make up the scenery for The Iron Man (1974), The Man from Tripoli (1979), and No Passing Fancy (1980).
In The Man at Kambala (1973) readers experience Masai Mara
Reserve in Kenya
. In Safari South (1976), they are taken to the Kruger National Park
.
The class division in British society provides the conflict for the love affair in Temporary Marriage (1981). Mention of public vs private schools, manner born, Irish vs English blood, cockney vs upper-class accents that indicate subtleties in class background make their way into her stories from the very first The Last of the Mallorys (1968) to other stories down the years such as No Passing Fancy (1980), A Man of Means (1983), and Win or Lose (1986).
After man-woman relation, father-daughter and brother-sister relations take second place in many of her stories. While The Man at Kambala (1973) and No Passing Fancy (1980) have affectionate fathers indulging their daughters, the fathers in A Man of Means (1983) and The Land of the Incas (1983) prove self-serving.
In Safari South (1976), Keith and Karen rekindle their sibling affections after years of being apart. While in Opportune Marriage (1969), the young woman realizes with a pang that her even younger brother is coming into his own and doesn't need her as before.
As Lisa looks ahead to her stay in the family home as Kyle's wife in Time Out of Mind (1987), she considers the difficult personality of Kyle's mother as well as his brother. Kyle reassures Lisa that both mother and son can find alternative residences to stay. But Kyle's sentiment shifts in favor of his sister, which prompts him to mock Lisa, "Will Madalyn be a problem?".
Kay Thorpe also takes a stab at the role of the mother, especially when mothers are relatively young compared to their daughters. In Never Trust a Stranger (1983) a forty-something lead actress Emily worries that casting her daughter Gemma in the same broadway production with herself may bring out the advances in her age. The mother-daughter relationship becomes more poignant when Gemma accuses Logan of being a past lover of her mother. Although Logan denies the charge, there is no denying that the mother in Floodtide (1981) solicits sex from her son-in-law, which he declines albeit politely giving her the benefit of the doubt as needing for herself a full blooded affair. Somewhere in her books Kay Thorpe throws in that British men think nothing much of their middle aged wives, who still yearn for the love and romance of their not so far away youth.
In The Iron Man (1974), Dave says that all wives are kept women. Dave's statement notwithstanding, Kay brings to life predatory women who elect to live off men. In This Side of Paradise (1979), Marie travels to a Caribbean resort with the purpose of securing for herself a moneyed man. In Bitter Alliance (1978) and in Never Trust a Stranger (1983), there are women who marry for money. Nonetheless, these women, promiscuous as their case is, are strong individuals who play by their own rules. A charismatic Ailsa in Full Circle (1978), knowing that her looks will not support her in the long run, has a Swiss bank account to fall back on for her olden days.
Neil Davids, in This Side of Paradise (1979), says that there are women and there are women, some you use and some you cherish. If Kay showcases two types of women, one who is trading in security for love, and the other who is trading in love for money, she also brings about two competing urges in men, one that is looking for a life partner, and the other that is ready to walk away from a woman without a backward glance. As Liam in Bitter Alliance (1978), and Cal in Wilderness Trail (1978) grapple with movements in their own lives that test them with these two faces of women, Logan in Never Trust a Stranger (1983) must decide if marriage is meant for him. Although the romance series is designed to win the hearts of women, it is up to Kay's heroines to convince and to win over the hearts of these men so to propel them to make a choice in their favor.
Theater is a backdrop Kay Thorpe takes up in several of her novels over ensuing decades. For example, Devon Interlude (1968), Curtain Call (1971), Never Trust a Stranger (1983) and The Land of Illusion (1988). In Never Trust a Stranger (1983), it is Logan's use of the word role that clues in would-be actress Gemma to who he is, a theater producer.
In Full Circle (1978), Sara, in an unsteady galley kitchen, dishes out a savory coq au vin albeit with too much wine, which still draws Steve's complement. This story along with others such as Not Wanted on Voyage (1972), and Storm Passage (1977) opens a window to life aboard ocean going watercrafts be it in a ketch powered by sails or in an ice-breaking whaling ship.
She also uses the sport of horse show jumping in Rising Star (1969), the circus
world in Sawdust Season (1972), Corporate takeover in Dividing Line (1979), the international game of snooker
in Win or Lose (1986), professional writing in This Side of Paradise (1979) and Skin Deep (1989), professional sculpting in Floodtide (1981), restoration of historical homes in Opportune Marriage (1969).
Interwoven in the love stories, there are these varied interests shared by the main protagonists that lend a richness to the quality of the plots and educate the readers no less.
-female
intimate relationship
, love
and finally marriage
and her writer's voice
comes across strongly in each of her novels.
Her narrative
s give the hero
many advantages over the heroine, a trait
found in stories of other renowned series novelists such as Violet Winspear
, Charlotte Lamb
, Robyn Donald
just to name a few. However, the harlequin readers anticipate resistance
from their heroine until the man confesses his undying love for her. An emotionally secured heroine can, in turn, confess her love for the man.
Kay Thorpe's women, on the other hand, confess their love to men without first securing for themselves any safety net, emotional or otherwise. In such one-sided confessions, the women commit to stay with these men, willing to pay any price
and to go with them just anywhere. For example, The Iron Man (1974), Bitter Alliance (1978), and Temporary Marriage (1981).
In Olive Island (1972) Nikos Alexandros explains to Nickey that she will never be happy if the man does not dominate her. Nickey comes back smartly saying that British women are not as accommodating as Greek
women. Jaime in Bitter Alliance (1978), on the other hand, admits to the dominant streak in Liam. But in the wake of her first admission comes a second one that Liam would love her like no other man can. This admission does not readily surface in Kay's other heroines. Therefore, the primary struggle is to fight against it. Ramon observes in Apple in Eden (1973) that a woman constantly baits the man, riling him on purpose; this is all but an attempt to meet up with her match in a man, who then wins her submission.
In Safari
South (1976), Brad is let down by Karen's answer to the question of compatibility
between a man and a woman. Karen believes that she has to like what he likes and he has to like what she does. Brad counters that by saying what about personal likings and individual freedom? In This Side of Paradise
(1979), Ryan responds to the same query by saying if two people are of the same mind, then one becomes superfluous, Gina's tentative answer to which is that one can agree to disagree.
Men, as sexual drivers, are the quickest to recognize the significance of sexual
compatibility so to use it like a mantra
over and over in Kay Thorpe's stories that as long as the couple is sexually compatible it is a foundation from which they can build on. For example, in The Man From Tripoli
(1979), Bryn expresses this sentiment to bolster up a simple marriage of convenience
.
Hence, the consensus that Kay establishes across her stories is that without sexual compatibility, there is no man-woman association to begin with. However, Steve in Full Circle (1978) tells Sara that a man can have sex with a woman with no strings attached. Therefore, for such an association to mature into any kind of relationship, women have to realize their own sexual potential to the fullest. Cynicism
notwithstanding, Nick in Storm Passage (1977) tells Tara that it is not enough that she makes herself available but that she needs to be all woman in order to let their sexual chemistry work for the benefit of their marriage.
As in the matching libido
found between Jaime and Liam in Bitter Alliance (1978), when men find their own libido matching with that of the women, only then the relationship promises to be a lasting one. An older Annette in Sawdust Season (1972) tells young Toni that men are not the marrying type; that they only choose to do so when they find a woman whom they can’t get out of their skin.
Towards this end, Ross in Dividing Line (1979) tells Kerry that what she perceives as love is mostly made up of sexual attraction
. Ross would not be appealing to Kerry if he couldn't arouse her sexually. While Dave in Win or Lose (1986) tells Sara that she is there with him to get laid, Dave in Iron Man (1974) accuses Kim of not confusing that kind of feeling with love. This reciprocal
exchange of sexual needs places both men and women on an equal plane.
However, Steve in Full Circle (1978) also tells Sara that a vast majority of women cannot have sex with men without being emotionally attached. This perception is not always forthcoming in all of Kay's male protagonists. And so, Kim in Iron Man (1974) rebutts Dave's accusation with her reply that wanting is part of loving for her kind of women.
A drawback to women as emotional drivers is when they focus on security
so that love
becomes just another mean to this basic end. That men take an exception to this is clear from Ross in Dividing Line (1979), who confirms to Kerry that the latter wants to hold off sex until she has a ring on her finger and their signature on a paper.
Since men can compartmentalize sexual love and respond to women who most match their libido
and women hedge their sexual response to men over emotional attachment and security
, the two sexes arrive at cross purposes with each other. In Storm Passage (1977), Nick voices just such a frustration to Tara who he says, doesn't even recognize this difference.
A lack of understanding of the divergent currents driving men and women easily transpire into mistrust so much so that in The Man from Tripoli
(1979), despite the security blanket provided by her marriage, Lisa elects to leave Bryn because without marital fidelity
, she finds sexual love unconvincing. Sexual jelousy, albeit of her own sister, sows mistrust in Lyn's relationship with Andreas in Dangerous Moonlight (1985).
In Curtain Call (1971), Ryan tells Kerry that for men a career would suffice whereas women want a home and a family. Therefore, Kay's men don't see the point in marriage unless it lasts. While proposing marriage to Gemma in Never Trust a Stranger (1983), Logan wants to convince himself that he can stay in it indefinitely and as such can't help but talk only about himself: Gemma doesn't bore him, she doesn't fill the place with clutter, to which Gemma secretly smiles thinking to herself that just give her time.
The married men in Kay's stories show steadfastness in their commitment and no amount of ambivalence from their wives can shake them out of the will to make the marriage work. For example, in Remember This Stranger (1973), the wife, suffering from amnesia, refuses to accept the man as her husband despite all evidence pointing to this fact. The man, suffering from rejection, refuses to give up on her.
However, keeping with the assertion made in Full Circle (1978) that a man's spontaneous attraction to a woman does not come with strings attached, Bryn, in The Man from Tripoli
(1979), doesn't apologise to Lisa for flirting with other women. And Dave, in The Iron Man (1974), answers Kim's question of marital infidelity
with a question of his own that if another woman takes undue interest in him, then what is she doing about it? Kay weaves this complexity into the couple's relationship to counter the paranoia she finds in women of jumping to suspect their partners of infidelity
.
In an opposite situation when Brad in Opportune Marriage (1969) suspects Lisa of infidelity, he confronts her directly but his emotions go flat when he asks whether she is in love. This is in keeping with another assertion made in Full Circle (1978) that vast majority of women can't commit to sexual relationship without some emotional attachment. In Full Circle (1978), the couple's marriage falls apart when Steve is unable to tolerate Sara's infidelity on the basis that sex aside, she must have been emotionally attached to the other man.
Lisa in Opportune Marriage (1969) acknowledges that she was emotionally unfaithful to her husband if not sexually. She went to this other man for friendship that meant gentleness, tenderness and kindness, which for her construed an emotional cocoon. As Brad in Opportune Marriage (1969) says for everything that he was not. While Brad realizes what was lacking in him, Sara convinces Steve in Full Circle (1978) that her past indiscretion was an attempt at stark revenge for which she had no emotional attachment and that she reserved her deep love for him only.
Having established marital relationship on the basis of sexual compatibility and fidelity, the couple's personal knowledge of each other's virtue
s and vice
s come only with time. Soon after their marriage In Dangerous Moonlight (1985), Andreas asks Lyn that she doesn't really know him, does she? Although she is mortified by this discovery, he is unperturbed. Lyn finally realizes that she has all the years ahead of her to find out the answer to his query.
To Sara's assertion in Full Circle (1978) that men are at their most vulnerable
in the aftermath of sexual intercourse
, a more experienced Ailsa tells her that men even then know what make them tick. It is In No Passing Fancy (1980) that a father advises his daughter, who demands more alone-time with her husband, saying that a man's career
is his pride, and so not to get him away from it. A failure in career constitutes actual vulnerability in men.
In Full Circle (1978), we learn that when a man is sick, depressed, or faces a setback in his career, is also when the woman can penetrate into his ego. And more than anyone else, a woman in the role of his wife, who knows the man from the inside, has the upper hand to witness him at his most vulnerable and then use the knowledge to her advantage.
Kay charts the progress of desire, from curiosity to intimacy, and then writes about how sexual chemistry
can blossom into tenderness
, which she reveals in Floodtide (1981) is love
.
Although Kay makes her heroines accept love for its own sake as an unconditional emotion, the result is not humiliation but empowerment as the men reciprocate with sensitivity and depth. Here, Kay appreciates the fact that emotive
words don't come easily to most men. Therefore, in Timber Boss (1978), and in Bitter Alliance (1978) after women have made their confessions of love, men contribute to it with crypt
ic but pregnant remarks such as there is no going back and don’t say anymore to seal their relationship
.
As strong willed women submit to even stronger willed men, happiness
follows.
Regan and Keir's story does not finish with the first curtain close. They come together in a second act. But the ghost of the first one lies between them. To exorcise this ghost, they both act on impulses reaching impromptu decisions that voice deeply held sentiments, which they push out at the time from any detail analysis.
The pretext of marriage gives them the form needed to communicate at a level other than the one using clinical words. This is sexual love where unalloyed emotions bring out the affirmatives which are intellectually negated. And so this form of love opens up a window to their Will
.
And what comes by way of a rescue: a sudden crystallization of emotions. The pent up emotions wandering in the recesses and henceforth stamped out by reasonable means find a sudden release. In an outburst of emotions, the accompanied words flow in a torrent. However, the delivery is still negative in charge. But the negativity is so shrill and brittle in texture, that this time a true listener could hear the affirmation even when the words deny it.
And so, it is for the listener to validate the affirmative sentiment behind the negative words. A true listener, then, is one who shares in the deep sentiment. This is a test for the listener as well, since if he/she didn't share, then the words would ring out empty and full of negative dischord, and not resonate with affirming emotions.
For both the speaker and the listener, there is selfishness in this emotion.
The Man at Kambala (1973), The Iron Man (1974) and Sugar Cane Harvest (1975) also use this motif
as the story's climax
point.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author of over seventy-five romance novel
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
s. She published her novels in Mills & Boon
Mills & Boon
Mills & Boon is a British publisher of romance novels. It was founded in 1908, and was independent until its purchase in 1971 by Harlequin Enterprises with whom the company had had a long informal partnership...
since 1968. All her novels have also been published under Harlequin Enterprises Limited. Over a period of four decades, she has produced a body of sensuous work that investigates heritage, family, class and love. Her forte is to encode the opposing reading within the classic Harlequin plot. A synopsis of the author that accompanies her publications notes that she researched the market for romance fiction before electing to write in this category. Her first book published in North America established her reputation as a gifted storyteller. She has a strong vital writing style.
As her career graph began in the late 1960s, Kay Thorpe, along with Charlotte Lamb
Charlotte Lamb
Sheila Holland, née Sheila Ann Mary Coates was best known as the pseudonym Charlotte Lamb, a prolific and bestselling romantic novelist...
and others, was one of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflecting the forefront of the "sexual revolution
Sexual revolution
The sexual revolution was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the Western world from the 1960s into the 1980s...
" of the 1970s. As such she was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. However, under Kay Thorpe's expert analysis, the modern romantic heroine had to re-evaluate her age old perceptions of what constituted love and marriage: she had to accept love unconditionally without looking for security in marriage.
Biography
Kay Thorpe was born on 1935 in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. After leaving school, she tried a variety of jobs, including dental nursing and a spell in the Women's Royal Airforce.
In 1960, Kay was married to Tony, and five years later they had a son John. Now, she and her husband live on the outskirts of Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
.
Her very first completed manuscript accepted — The Last of the Mallorys, was published in 1968. Since then she has written over 70 books.
A Word About the Author
Sometimes Kay Thorpe finds she has become two different people: the writer at her happiest when involved in the world of books and authors; and the housewife, turning her hands to the everyday needs of husband and son. Once in a while, she finds it difficult to step from one role to the other. She likes cooking, for instance, but she finds that it can be an irritating interruption when she's preoccupied with work on a novel, so the quality of her efforts in the kitchen tend to be a little erratic. She says, "As my husband once remarked, my writing gives life a fascinating element of uncertainly: one day a perfect coq au vin, the next day a couple of burned chops!"Luckily Kay has daily professional help with her housework, and that leaves her time to indulge in her hobbies. Like many other Harlequin authors, she admits to being a voracious consumer of books, a quality she shares with her readers. She likes music and horseback riding, which she does in the countryside near her home. But her favorite hobby is travel - especially to places that will make good settings for her books.
Places and People
Kay Thorpe's stories are rich in details covering a diverse background.Unlike Flora Kidd
Flora Kidd
Flora Kidd was a British-Canadian popular writer of over 70 romance novels in Mills & Boon from 1966 to 2000.-Biography:Flora born on 1926 in Liverpool, England...
and Robyn Donald
Robyn Donald
Robyn Donald is a prolific writer of romance novels from New Zealand.She writes for the English Mills and Boon romance series, and all her books have also been reedited under Harlequin Enterprises Limited series....
, who showcase Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in their stories, Kay Thorpe gives her readers a taste for a myriad of locations. By and large, her stories are based on three locations, namely England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. There are also stories based in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Greek Islands, Caribbean Islands, South Pacific Islands
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Her main characters always stand by their British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
heritage. As a result, stories set outside of England have an underlying subplot
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
that explore how a newcomer from Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
can come to accept making a home for herself with one of the long time British descendents settled in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
or South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. For example, Safari South (1976), Timber Boss (1978) and Copper Lake (1981).
In Storm Passage (1977) and Time out of Mind (1987), there is mention of how islands in the South Pacific and in the Caribbean came to be under private ownership by a British descendant.
In Timber Boss (1978), there are references as to how Scottish settlers made the Canadian region of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
their new home.
Keith in Safari South (1976) appreciates the expansiveness of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and the promising future the country offers him. While Keir in Temporary Marriage (1981) founds his fortunes as an engineering whiz in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
half way around the world from his native English village
English village
English villages are language education institutions which aim to create a language immersion environment for students of English in their own country....
.
British engineers working in remote locations of hot and steamy Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, the desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
s of Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, or the outback of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
make up the scenery for The Iron Man (1974), The Man from Tripoli (1979), and No Passing Fancy (1980).
In The Man at Kambala (1973) readers experience Masai Mara
Masai Mara
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is a large game reserve in south-western Kenya, which is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania...
Reserve in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. In Safari South (1976), they are taken to the Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers and extends from north to south and from east to west.To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is...
.
The class division in British society provides the conflict for the love affair in Temporary Marriage (1981). Mention of public vs private schools, manner born, Irish vs English blood, cockney vs upper-class accents that indicate subtleties in class background make their way into her stories from the very first The Last of the Mallorys (1968) to other stories down the years such as No Passing Fancy (1980), A Man of Means (1983), and Win or Lose (1986).
After man-woman relation, father-daughter and brother-sister relations take second place in many of her stories. While The Man at Kambala (1973) and No Passing Fancy (1980) have affectionate fathers indulging their daughters, the fathers in A Man of Means (1983) and The Land of the Incas (1983) prove self-serving.
In Safari South (1976), Keith and Karen rekindle their sibling affections after years of being apart. While in Opportune Marriage (1969), the young woman realizes with a pang that her even younger brother is coming into his own and doesn't need her as before.
As Lisa looks ahead to her stay in the family home as Kyle's wife in Time Out of Mind (1987), she considers the difficult personality of Kyle's mother as well as his brother. Kyle reassures Lisa that both mother and son can find alternative residences to stay. But Kyle's sentiment shifts in favor of his sister, which prompts him to mock Lisa, "Will Madalyn be a problem?".
Kay Thorpe also takes a stab at the role of the mother, especially when mothers are relatively young compared to their daughters. In Never Trust a Stranger (1983) a forty-something lead actress Emily worries that casting her daughter Gemma in the same broadway production with herself may bring out the advances in her age. The mother-daughter relationship becomes more poignant when Gemma accuses Logan of being a past lover of her mother. Although Logan denies the charge, there is no denying that the mother in Floodtide (1981) solicits sex from her son-in-law, which he declines albeit politely giving her the benefit of the doubt as needing for herself a full blooded affair. Somewhere in her books Kay Thorpe throws in that British men think nothing much of their middle aged wives, who still yearn for the love and romance of their not so far away youth.
In The Iron Man (1974), Dave says that all wives are kept women. Dave's statement notwithstanding, Kay brings to life predatory women who elect to live off men. In This Side of Paradise (1979), Marie travels to a Caribbean resort with the purpose of securing for herself a moneyed man. In Bitter Alliance (1978) and in Never Trust a Stranger (1983), there are women who marry for money. Nonetheless, these women, promiscuous as their case is, are strong individuals who play by their own rules. A charismatic Ailsa in Full Circle (1978), knowing that her looks will not support her in the long run, has a Swiss bank account to fall back on for her olden days.
Neil Davids, in This Side of Paradise (1979), says that there are women and there are women, some you use and some you cherish. If Kay showcases two types of women, one who is trading in security for love, and the other who is trading in love for money, she also brings about two competing urges in men, one that is looking for a life partner, and the other that is ready to walk away from a woman without a backward glance. As Liam in Bitter Alliance (1978), and Cal in Wilderness Trail (1978) grapple with movements in their own lives that test them with these two faces of women, Logan in Never Trust a Stranger (1983) must decide if marriage is meant for him. Although the romance series is designed to win the hearts of women, it is up to Kay's heroines to convince and to win over the hearts of these men so to propel them to make a choice in their favor.
Theater is a backdrop Kay Thorpe takes up in several of her novels over ensuing decades. For example, Devon Interlude (1968), Curtain Call (1971), Never Trust a Stranger (1983) and The Land of Illusion (1988). In Never Trust a Stranger (1983), it is Logan's use of the word role that clues in would-be actress Gemma to who he is, a theater producer.
In Full Circle (1978), Sara, in an unsteady galley kitchen, dishes out a savory coq au vin albeit with too much wine, which still draws Steve's complement. This story along with others such as Not Wanted on Voyage (1972), and Storm Passage (1977) opens a window to life aboard ocean going watercrafts be it in a ketch powered by sails or in an ice-breaking whaling ship.
She also uses the sport of horse show jumping in Rising Star (1969), the circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
world in Sawdust Season (1972), Corporate takeover in Dividing Line (1979), the international game of snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
in Win or Lose (1986), professional writing in This Side of Paradise (1979) and Skin Deep (1989), professional sculpting in Floodtide (1981), restoration of historical homes in Opportune Marriage (1969).
Interwoven in the love stories, there are these varied interests shared by the main protagonists that lend a richness to the quality of the plots and educate the readers no less.
Love and Marriage
Kay Thorpe explores many factors contributing to successful maleMale
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
-female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
intimate relationship
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
, love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
and finally marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
and her writer's voice
Writer's voice
Writer's voice is the literary term used to describe the individual writing style of an author. Voice was generally considered to be a combination of a writer's use of syntax, diction, punctuation, character development, dialogue, etc., within a given body of text . Voice can be thought of in terms...
comes across strongly in each of her novels.
Her narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
s give the hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
many advantages over the heroine, a trait
Trait
Trait may refer to:* Trait, a characteristic or property of some object* Trait , which involve genes and characteristics of organisms* Trait theory, an approach to the psychological study of personality...
found in stories of other renowned series novelists such as Violet Winspear
Violet Winspear
Violet Winspear was a British writer of 70 romance novels in Mills & Boon from 1961 to 1987....
, Charlotte Lamb
Charlotte Lamb
Sheila Holland, née Sheila Ann Mary Coates was best known as the pseudonym Charlotte Lamb, a prolific and bestselling romantic novelist...
, Robyn Donald
Robyn Donald
Robyn Donald is a prolific writer of romance novels from New Zealand.She writes for the English Mills and Boon romance series, and all her books have also been reedited under Harlequin Enterprises Limited series....
just to name a few. However, the harlequin readers anticipate resistance
Psychological resistance
Psychological resistance is the phenomenon often encountered in clinical practice in which patients either directly or indirectly oppose changing their behavior or refuse to discuss, remember, or think about presumably clinically relevant experiences....
from their heroine until the man confesses his undying love for her. An emotionally secured heroine can, in turn, confess her love for the man.
Kay Thorpe's women, on the other hand, confess their love to men without first securing for themselves any safety net, emotional or otherwise. In such one-sided confessions, the women commit to stay with these men, willing to pay any price
Price
-Definition:In ordinary usage, price is the quantity of payment or compensation given by one party to another in return for goods or services.In modern economies, prices are generally expressed in units of some form of currency...
and to go with them just anywhere. For example, The Iron Man (1974), Bitter Alliance (1978), and Temporary Marriage (1981).
In Olive Island (1972) Nikos Alexandros explains to Nickey that she will never be happy if the man does not dominate her. Nickey comes back smartly saying that British women are not as accommodating as Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
women. Jaime in Bitter Alliance (1978), on the other hand, admits to the dominant streak in Liam. But in the wake of her first admission comes a second one that Liam would love her like no other man can. This admission does not readily surface in Kay's other heroines. Therefore, the primary struggle is to fight against it. Ramon observes in Apple in Eden (1973) that a woman constantly baits the man, riling him on purpose; this is all but an attempt to meet up with her match in a man, who then wins her submission.
In Safari
Safari
A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
South (1976), Brad is let down by Karen's answer to the question of compatibility
Compatibility
Compatibility may refer to:* Astrological compatibility* Compatibilism – a philosophical position* Compatibility * Compatibility * Compatibility * Electromagnetic compatibility* Interpersonal compatibility-Computing:...
between a man and a woman. Karen believes that she has to like what he likes and he has to like what she does. Brad counters that by saying what about personal likings and individual freedom? In This Side of Paradise
Paradise
Paradise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...
(1979), Ryan responds to the same query by saying if two people are of the same mind, then one becomes superfluous, Gina's tentative answer to which is that one can agree to disagree.
Men, as sexual drivers, are the quickest to recognize the significance of sexual
Human male sexuality
Human male sexuality covers physiological, psychological, social, cultural, and political aspects of the human male sexual response and related phenomenon...
compatibility so to use it like a mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
over and over in Kay Thorpe's stories that as long as the couple is sexually compatible it is a foundation from which they can build on. For example, in The Man From Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
(1979), Bryn expresses this sentiment to bolster up a simple marriage of convenience
Marriage of convenience
A marriage of convenience is a marriage contracted for reasons other than the reasons of relationship, family, or love. Instead, such a marriage is orchestrated for personal gain or some other sort of strategic purpose, such as political marriage. The phrase is a calque of - a marriage of...
.
Hence, the consensus that Kay establishes across her stories is that without sexual compatibility, there is no man-woman association to begin with. However, Steve in Full Circle (1978) tells Sara that a man can have sex with a woman with no strings attached. Therefore, for such an association to mature into any kind of relationship, women have to realize their own sexual potential to the fullest. Cynicism
Cynicism
Cynicism , in its original form, refers to the beliefs of an ancient school of Greek philosophers known as the Cynics . Their philosophy was that the purpose of life was to live a life of Virtue in agreement with Nature. This meant rejecting all conventional desires for wealth, power, health, and...
notwithstanding, Nick in Storm Passage (1977) tells Tara that it is not enough that she makes herself available but that she needs to be all woman in order to let their sexual chemistry work for the benefit of their marriage.
As in the matching libido
Libido
Libido refers to a person's sex drive or desire for sexual activity. The desire for sex is an aspect of a person's sexuality, but varies enormously from one person to another, and it also varies depending on circumstances at a particular time. A person who has extremely frequent or a suddenly...
found between Jaime and Liam in Bitter Alliance (1978), when men find their own libido matching with that of the women, only then the relationship promises to be a lasting one. An older Annette in Sawdust Season (1972) tells young Toni that men are not the marrying type; that they only choose to do so when they find a woman whom they can’t get out of their skin.
Towards this end, Ross in Dividing Line (1979) tells Kerry that what she perceives as love is mostly made up of sexual attraction
Attraction
In general, an attraction draws one object towards another one. The term may have the following specific meanings.* In physics, attraction may refer to gravity or to the electromagnetic force* Attractiveness...
. Ross would not be appealing to Kerry if he couldn't arouse her sexually. While Dave in Win or Lose (1986) tells Sara that she is there with him to get laid, Dave in Iron Man (1974) accuses Kim of not confusing that kind of feeling with love. This reciprocal
Reciprocal
-In mathematics:*Multiplicative inverse, in mathematics, the number 1/x, which multiplied by x gives the product 1, also known as a reciprocal*Reciprocal rule, a technique in calculus for calculating derivatives of reciprocal functions...
exchange of sexual needs places both men and women on an equal plane.
However, Steve in Full Circle (1978) also tells Sara that a vast majority of women cannot have sex with men without being emotionally attached. This perception is not always forthcoming in all of Kay's male protagonists. And so, Kim in Iron Man (1974) rebutts Dave's accusation with her reply that wanting is part of loving for her kind of women.
A drawback to women as emotional drivers is when they focus on security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
so that love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
becomes just another mean to this basic end. That men take an exception to this is clear from Ross in Dividing Line (1979), who confirms to Kerry that the latter wants to hold off sex until she has a ring on her finger and their signature on a paper.
Since men can compartmentalize sexual love and respond to women who most match their libido
Libido
Libido refers to a person's sex drive or desire for sexual activity. The desire for sex is an aspect of a person's sexuality, but varies enormously from one person to another, and it also varies depending on circumstances at a particular time. A person who has extremely frequent or a suddenly...
and women hedge their sexual response to men over emotional attachment and security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
, the two sexes arrive at cross purposes with each other. In Storm Passage (1977), Nick voices just such a frustration to Tara who he says, doesn't even recognize this difference.
A lack of understanding of the divergent currents driving men and women easily transpire into mistrust so much so that in The Man from Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
(1979), despite the security blanket provided by her marriage, Lisa elects to leave Bryn because without marital fidelity
Fidelity
"Fidelity" is the quality of being faithful or loyal. Its original meaning regarded duty to a lord or a king, in a broader sense than the related concept of fealty. Both derive from the Latin word fidēlis, meaning "faithful or loyal"....
, she finds sexual love unconvincing. Sexual jelousy, albeit of her own sister, sows mistrust in Lyn's relationship with Andreas in Dangerous Moonlight (1985).
In Curtain Call (1971), Ryan tells Kerry that for men a career would suffice whereas women want a home and a family. Therefore, Kay's men don't see the point in marriage unless it lasts. While proposing marriage to Gemma in Never Trust a Stranger (1983), Logan wants to convince himself that he can stay in it indefinitely and as such can't help but talk only about himself: Gemma doesn't bore him, she doesn't fill the place with clutter, to which Gemma secretly smiles thinking to herself that just give her time.
The married men in Kay's stories show steadfastness in their commitment and no amount of ambivalence from their wives can shake them out of the will to make the marriage work. For example, in Remember This Stranger (1973), the wife, suffering from amnesia, refuses to accept the man as her husband despite all evidence pointing to this fact. The man, suffering from rejection, refuses to give up on her.
However, keeping with the assertion made in Full Circle (1978) that a man's spontaneous attraction to a woman does not come with strings attached, Bryn, in The Man from Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
(1979), doesn't apologise to Lisa for flirting with other women. And Dave, in The Iron Man (1974), answers Kim's question of marital infidelity
Infidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
with a question of his own that if another woman takes undue interest in him, then what is she doing about it? Kay weaves this complexity into the couple's relationship to counter the paranoia she finds in women of jumping to suspect their partners of infidelity
Infidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
.
In an opposite situation when Brad in Opportune Marriage (1969) suspects Lisa of infidelity, he confronts her directly but his emotions go flat when he asks whether she is in love. This is in keeping with another assertion made in Full Circle (1978) that vast majority of women can't commit to sexual relationship without some emotional attachment. In Full Circle (1978), the couple's marriage falls apart when Steve is unable to tolerate Sara's infidelity on the basis that sex aside, she must have been emotionally attached to the other man.
Lisa in Opportune Marriage (1969) acknowledges that she was emotionally unfaithful to her husband if not sexually. She went to this other man for friendship that meant gentleness, tenderness and kindness, which for her construed an emotional cocoon. As Brad in Opportune Marriage (1969) says for everything that he was not. While Brad realizes what was lacking in him, Sara convinces Steve in Full Circle (1978) that her past indiscretion was an attempt at stark revenge for which she had no emotional attachment and that she reserved her deep love for him only.
Having established marital relationship on the basis of sexual compatibility and fidelity, the couple's personal knowledge of each other's virtue
Virtue
Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality subjectively deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being....
s and vice
Vice
Vice is a practice or a behavior or habit considered immoral, depraved, or degrading in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a defect, an infirmity, or merely a bad habit. Synonyms for vice include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness, and corruption...
s come only with time. Soon after their marriage In Dangerous Moonlight (1985), Andreas asks Lyn that she doesn't really know him, does she? Although she is mortified by this discovery, he is unperturbed. Lyn finally realizes that she has all the years ahead of her to find out the answer to his query.
To Sara's assertion in Full Circle (1978) that men are at their most vulnerable
Vulnerability
Vulnerability refer to the susceptibility of a person, group, society, sex or system to physical or emotional injury or attack. The term can also refer to a person who lets their guard down, leaving themselves open to censure or criticism...
in the aftermath of sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
, a more experienced Ailsa tells her that men even then know what make them tick. It is In No Passing Fancy (1980) that a father advises his daughter, who demands more alone-time with her husband, saying that a man's career
Career
Career is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a person's "course or progress through life ". It is usually considered to pertain to remunerative work ....
is his pride, and so not to get him away from it. A failure in career constitutes actual vulnerability in men.
In Full Circle (1978), we learn that when a man is sick, depressed, or faces a setback in his career, is also when the woman can penetrate into his ego. And more than anyone else, a woman in the role of his wife, who knows the man from the inside, has the upper hand to witness him at his most vulnerable and then use the knowledge to her advantage.
Kay charts the progress of desire, from curiosity to intimacy, and then writes about how sexual chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
can blossom into tenderness
Tenderness
Tenderness can mean:* a tendency to express warm, compassionate, or affectionate feelings* delicate or intimate physical contact* tenderness – pain or discomfort when an affected area is touched-Other:...
, which she reveals in Floodtide (1981) is love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
.
Although Kay makes her heroines accept love for its own sake as an unconditional emotion, the result is not humiliation but empowerment as the men reciprocate with sensitivity and depth. Here, Kay appreciates the fact that emotive
Emotive
Emotive may refer to:* Emotive , a sociological term* Emotive , a 2004 rock album by A Perfect Circle* Emotiv, a company which develops mind-computer interfaces...
words don't come easily to most men. Therefore, in Timber Boss (1978), and in Bitter Alliance (1978) after women have made their confessions of love, men contribute to it with crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
ic but pregnant remarks such as there is no going back and don’t say anymore to seal their relationship
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
.
As strong willed women submit to even stronger willed men, happiness
Happiness
Happiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. A variety of biological, psychological, religious, and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources....
follows.
Temporary Marriage (1981)
Temporary Marriage (1981) is a Kay Thorpe classic. Regan and Keir are such meaningful names where the name Regan, stands out with pride like its namesake and Keir, an outlandish name suits someone who does something outlandish, coveting a girl beyond his social periphery and then turning hurt pride into zeal and determination.Regan and Keir's story does not finish with the first curtain close. They come together in a second act. But the ghost of the first one lies between them. To exorcise this ghost, they both act on impulses reaching impromptu decisions that voice deeply held sentiments, which they push out at the time from any detail analysis.
The pretext of marriage gives them the form needed to communicate at a level other than the one using clinical words. This is sexual love where unalloyed emotions bring out the affirmatives which are intellectually negated. And so this form of love opens up a window to their Will
Will (philosophy)
Will, in philosophical discussions, consonant with a common English usage, refers to a property of the mind, and an attribute of acts intentionally performed. Actions made according to a person's will are called "willing" or "voluntary" and sometimes pejoratively "willful"...
.
And what comes by way of a rescue: a sudden crystallization of emotions. The pent up emotions wandering in the recesses and henceforth stamped out by reasonable means find a sudden release. In an outburst of emotions, the accompanied words flow in a torrent. However, the delivery is still negative in charge. But the negativity is so shrill and brittle in texture, that this time a true listener could hear the affirmation even when the words deny it.
And so, it is for the listener to validate the affirmative sentiment behind the negative words. A true listener, then, is one who shares in the deep sentiment. This is a test for the listener as well, since if he/she didn't share, then the words would ring out empty and full of negative dischord, and not resonate with affirming emotions.
For both the speaker and the listener, there is selfishness in this emotion.
The Man at Kambala (1973), The Iron Man (1974) and Sugar Cane Harvest (1975) also use this motif
Motif (narrative)
In narrative, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative aspects such as theme or mood....
as the story's climax
Climax (narrative)
The Climax is the point in the story where the main character's point of view changes, or the most exciting/action filled part of the story. It also known has the main turning point in the story...
point.
Single Novels
- The Last of the Mallorys (1968)
- Devon Interlude (1968)
- Opportune Marriage (1969)
- Rising Star (1969)
- Curtain Call (1971)
- Not Wanted on Voyage (1972)
- Sawdust Season (1972)
- Man in a Box (1972)
- Olive Island (1972)
- Remember This Stranger (1973)
- Apple in Eden (1973)
- Man at Kambala (1973)
- Iron Man (1974)
- The Shifting Sands (1975)
- Sugar Cane Harvest (1975)
- Royal Affair (1976)
- Caribbean Encounter (1976)
- Safari South (1976)
- River Lord (1977)
- Storm Passage (1977)
- Lord of La Pampa (1977)
- Timber Boss (1978)
- Wilderness Trail (1978)
- Full Circle (1978)
- Bitter Alliance (1978)
- Man from Tripoli (1979)
- This Side of Paradise (1979)
- Dividing Line (1979)
- Chance Meeting (1980)
- No Passing Fancy (1980)
- Copper Lake (1981)
- Floodtide (1981)
- Temporary Marriage (1981)
- New Owner (1982)
- Man of Means (1982)
- The Land of the Incas (1983)
- Never Trust a Stranger (1983)
- Master of Morley (1983)
- The Inheritance (1984)
- No Gentle Persuasion (1985)
- Double Deception (1985)
- No Gentleman Persuasion (1985)
- South Seas Affair (1985)
- Dangerous Moonlight (1985)
- Win or Lose (1986)
- Jungle Island (1986)
- Time Out of Mind (1987)
- Land of Illusion (1988)
- Tokyo Tryst (1988)
- Skin Deep (1989)
- Steel Tiger (1989)
- Intimate Deception (1990)
- Against All Odds (1990)
- Night of Error (1990)
- Trouble on Tour (1991)
- Wild Streak (1991)
- Lasting Legacy (1991)
- The Alpha Man (1992)
- Past All Reason (1992)
- Left in Trust (1992)
- The Spanish Connection (1993)
- Worlds Apart (1994)
- Trial in the Sun (1994)
- The Wedding Deception (1995)
- The Rancher's Mistress (1997)
- All Male (1997)
- Contract Wife (1998)
- The Thirty-Day Seduction (1998)
- Virgin Mistress (1999)
- A Mistress Worth Marrying (2000)
- Bride on Demand (2000)
- The Italian Match (2001)
- A Reckless Attraction (2002)
- Mother and Mistress (2003)
- The Billion-Dollar Bride (2004)
- Bought by a Billionaire (2005)
Omnibus In Collaboration
- Wayaway / The Way Through the Valley / Not Wanted on Voyage (1977) (with Dorothy Cork and Jean S. MacLeod)
- Stranger in the Glen / The Man At Kambala / Lord of the Sierras (1978) (with Flora KiddFlora KiddFlora Kidd was a British-Canadian popular writer of over 70 romance novels in Mills & Boon from 1966 to 2000.-Biography:Flora born on 1926 in Liverpool, England...
and Anne WealeAnne WealeJay Blakeney was a British newspaper reporter, well-known as romance writer under the pseudonyms Anne Weale and Andrea Blake. She wrote over 88 for Mills & Boon from 1955 to 2002...
) - Dolphin Bay / Festival Summer / Safari South (1981) (with Gloria Bevan and Charlotte LambCharlotte LambSheila Holland, née Sheila Ann Mary Coates was best known as the pseudonym Charlotte Lamb, a prolific and bestselling romantic novelist...
) - The Shifting Sands / Portrait of Jaime / Touched by Fire (1982) (with Jane DonnellyJane DonnellyJane Donnelly was a popular writer of over 60 romance novels in Mills & Boon from 1965 to 2000.-Single novels:*Don't Look Back *A Man Apart *Don't Walk Alone *This Hell Called Love *Shadows from the Sea...
and Margaret WayMargaret WayMargaret Way is an Australian writer, and she is one of Mills & Boon's most prolific authors with more than 110 novels.-Biography:Margaret Way was born on 7 August in Brisbane, Australia...
) - Villa Faustino / Girl At Dane's Dyke / Sugar Cane Harvest (1982) (with Katrina Britt and Margaret Rome)
- Rising River / Tree of Promise / The River Lord (1985) (with Linden Grierson and Juliet Shore)
- Latin Lovers (2006) (with Anne MatherAnne MatherAnne Mather is the pseudonym used by Mildred Grieveson , a popular British author of over 160 romance novels. She also signed novels as Caroline Fleming and Cardine Fleming....
and Michelle ReidMichelle ReidMichelle Reid is a popular British writer of over 30 romance novels in Mills & Boon since 1988.-Biography:Michelle Reid born and grew up in Manchester in the Northwest of England with her four siblings...
) - The Innocence Collection (2007) (with Penny JordanPenny JordanPenny Halsall, née Penelope Jones better known by her pen name of Penny Jordan, is a best-selling and prolific English writer of over 200 romance novels...
and Carole MortimerCarole MortimerCarole Mortimer is a popular British writer of over 150 romance novels since 1978. She was one of Mills & Boon's youngest authors, and now is one of their most popular and prolific authors.-Biography:...
)
External links
- Kay Thorpe's Webpage in Fantastic Fiction's Website