4.0 out of 5 stars
4 1/2 Stars! ~ Conflict of Hearts lives up to it's title., April 23 2012
By KayLovesToRead - Published on Amazon.com
Conflict of Hearts by Liz Fielding ~ Harlequin Romance Subscription #320 ~ March 1997
All Lizzie had ever wanted was for her father to be happy. Over hearing a telephone call by his bride to be that made it obvious that Olivia was ruthless and taking advantage of him, Lizzie tried to tell her father. He refused to listen, and then Olivia declared to her brother Noah that Lizzie was causing trouble and needed to be kept away. To give the newlyweds their space, Noah promised to take Lizzie to stay in London with him. But at the wedding comes the young man that Lizzie had thought she was in love with, and along with him is his newly wedded wife. The shock is quite obvious, and Noah believes Lizzie's going to try to destroy another marriage. So Noah contrives a false relationship between himself and Lizzie, making it appear to all that they are lovers. When it looks like Lizzie is determined to be with Peter, he forces Lizzie to marry him. What Noah doesn't know is that Lizzie marries him because she needs Peter to realize that she doesn't love him and that he belongs with his pregnant wife. Noah doesn't hide his disapproval and disdain, and Lizzie bites back with cutting barbs whenever he taunts her. The sparks fly and so does their chemistry. Only Noah goes a bit too far, and Lizzie realizes that loving a husband who despises her is beyond bearable.
While we're not given Noah's point of view, we are often shown how puzzled he is by Lizzie. He has a belief of her character and is sometimes brutal in his behaviour towards her. Lizzie doesn't see the point in trying to defend her character, it would all fall on deaf ears. When Olivia admits she'd lied to Noah about Lizzie as a matchmaking ploy, Noah has to come to terms with what he's done. Until he realizes that Lizzie must still love Peter terribly in order to sacrifice herself to save Peter's marriage, then he hates her again for using him. Lizzie is caught in so many webs, and regrets taunting Noah, fearing that making him believe the worst of her has made it certain that he'll never love her in return. Ah, so much angst! I love a story where the hero and heroine seem to constantly misunderstand each other, when in fact, they've both been in love right from the beginning! Conflict of Hearts lives up to it's title.