"Separate Beds" by LaVyrle Spencer

Title: Separate Beds
Author: LaVyrle Spencer
Published: 1985
Genre: Romance

Synopsis: Catherine Anderson and Clay Forrester come from two completely different worlds, but one blind date leaves them forever linked. Clay, a handsome law student, and Catherine, a serious, bookish undergrad, experience an evening they will never forget. Fortified by the beauty of the night, as well as a bottle of wine, they share a night together. A few short months later, Catherine discovers she's pregnant. They agree to a marriage of convenience, an arrangement that suits them both-until they begin to fall in love.
Moving and deeply affecting, Separate Beds is a celebration of the healing power of love.

This is re-read for me that I haven't read in quite a few years.

In a word: Bittersweet

I say this is a bittersweet romance, not because it doesn't have a happy ending, it does. But because these two mess up and fumble from the beginning to nearly the very last page before they get it together and truly admit their feelings for each other. From their first blind date they make one mistake after another, but fate continues to bring them together.

Catherine is one of the most stubborn heroines I've ever read and for most of the book she frustrated me beyond reason because she kept pushing Clay away when she should have just let go and opened up to him. She would have saved herself a world of hurt if she did. She bordered close on "too stupid to live" for me most of the time, except that she had an abusive past so I cut her some slack. She was emotionally damaged, but not broken. She was strong, but vulnerable. Those things made me go easy on her, but she still caused me numerous moments that I wanted to slap her upside the head and say "What are you doing?!".

Clay said lots of stupid things and made his own mistakes which he owned up to, but he tried so many times to reach Catherine I can't blame the guy if he'd had tossed up his hands and never looked back again. There is one thing he did that doesn't sit well with me and I am not sure I forgive him for. It's a big no-no for heroes to do while they are supposed to be pining for the heroine. I won't give it away, but I am sure others who've read the book know what I'm talking about. I didn't like it, and I don't think I've forgiven it.

But it was Catherine who was really frustrating to me and for that reason this is not one of my favorite LaVyrle Spencer books but it's still a wonderful romance story with a happy ending.

I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5. It's better than 'good' but not a 'great' read.