Initially published in 1987, Bittersweet Passion by Lynne Graham is a novel that thrusts readers into the tumultuous world of Claire Fletcher and Dane Visconti, where passion collides with pride, and misunderstandings ignite an inferno of emotions.

The story opens with the funeral of Adam Fletcher, a man whose death sets in motion a chain of events that unravel the tightly wound lives of those left behind. Claire Fletcher, his adopted granddaughter, is forced to choose between what her heart desires; i.e., follow the love of her life Max or marry one of her cousins for her inheritance.

Claire had never received any affection from the man who had taken her in at a tender age, making it a point to be cruel to her and keep her at an emotional distance. Claire had been forced to sacrifice her own happiness when Adam had taken ill, and his death, while it should have freed her to pursue her own happiness, brings forward more responsibilities.

The novelty of the story lies in how it is Claire that proposes a marriage of convenience to Dane Visconti, the estranged grandson of Adam, whose reputation precedes himself. Dane’s return to the family home ignites sparks of disdain among the Fletcher clan, yet Claire sees in him a solution to her predicament.

While Dane is at first contemptuous regarding Claire’s proposal and sees it as an extension of her crush on him from long back, Dane finally agrees to what she proposes on certain conditions. From the onset, Dane and Claire’s coming together is fraught with misunderstandings and of course, passion. Their ensuing marriage, shrouded in secrecy, when exposed to the prying eyes of the media, adds another layer of distrust to the battleground that is the union between Dane and Claire.

While Claire believes herself to be in love with Max, her internal conflict stems from the effect Dane has on her, his magnetic presence and his sexuality that plays havoc with her emotions. Dane, whose character is more explosive in nature in comparison to Claire, is often driven to the edge by Claire and her seemingly unaffected nature, when she is anything but.

While Claire’s emotional scars are all too vividly portrayed, Dane is a harder nut to crack. However, Claire does have help in understanding Dane’s complex and multi-faceted character, a boy who had been just as emotionally deprived as Claire had been as a young girl growing up in the household of a man who had always made it well known who she was to him.

While I enjoyed the building blocks of the story which had all the hallmarks of a Lynne Graham novel, I felt that the novel faltered in its execution. The prolonged separations between Claire and Dane, fueled by pride and miscommunication, diluted the impact of their passionate encounters. While the underlying chemistry between the characters is palpable, it was not enough to give the novel that oomph factor which I expect from most of Ms. Graham’s work, especially her earlier ones.

Recommended for fans of Ms. Graham’s earlier works. Even though this did not work for me, it just might for you.

Final Verdict: Bittersweet Passion by Lynne Graham is a compelling tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption which offers romance of the raw and intense variety.

Favorite Quotes

In that storm there was only Dane and a flashfire desire that burned in her very bones until she was crying, gasping she knew not what and he gazed down at her in masterly and triumph when she was quite blind to such calculation, her abandonment drawing an answering shudder from the hard, virile length of his body. For the merest instant he hesitated and she collided with the febrile glitter in his beautiful eyes before he possessed her and even the pain did not prevent that instantaneous explosion of pleasure that shattered her into a thousand pieces.

He carried the caress down over the flat tightness of her belly and her clenched hands unfurled and curled again as his tormentingly expert fingers located the silken triangle of her desire. She thought later that she cried out his name in protest, because this was no gentle, gradual seduction that respected her inexperience. He racked her with hunger and her hands wove over his sweat-dampened skin in tortured circles while he slowly sank deep into her, possessing her degree by degree until her nails dug into his shoulders, her head falling back in ecstasy. Ironically it was wilder and more earth shattering than it had ever been before.
Dane ran a possessive finger across the fullness of her lower lip afterwards, while she still trembled against him. ‘This is what I can give you, and don’t tell me it’s not enough, when I see you like this.’

‘I ought to go back to bed.’ Her eyes lingered on him, then swerved away. ‘I thought you were with Mei Ling.’
‘Would it have bothered you if I had been?’ he countered cynically.
‘Yes!’ Angered, she stood her ground. ‘I don’t have to be jealous to find promiscuity offensive,’ she flared.
He caught her to him with powerful hands. ‘Is that a dog-in-the-manger attitude, or something more?’ Hard amusement brimmed in his bright chilling gaze.
‘It’s a very awkward situation.’
‘Awkward?’ Her control appeared to antagonise him. Then he laughed softly and took her tender mouth fiercely, and she went under as if she was drowning, trading him kiss for kiss, guided only by raw hunger. His hand thrust up her jersey and closed over the pointed swell of her breast and she gasped, her knees threatening to buckle under her as her body surged wantonly against the lean, masculine lure of his.

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