Beware the Ides of March

Today is the Ides of March which is best known as the day Julius Caesar was betrayed and assassinated. From the Wiki definition, " The term has come to be used as a metaphor for impending doom."

Gloom, doom, and betrayal. Why the black cloud? The Ides of March also happens to be the day my Dad is getting married. They say in life there are no accidents. Irony? Nah! Melodramatic? Maybe. Okay, okay. I admit it. I'm probably giving Sarah Bernhardt a run for her money. In my defense though, you probably don't have a Bar Hag as your new wicked step mother.

OTOH, at my age I feel well within my rights to quietly divorce my Dad. In fact beginning tomorrow I will be referring to him as Darth Vader. So when next you see me refer to DV or the Dark Lord you will know I mean the man I formerly called 'Dad'.

So, I guess that's it then. No HEA for me and DV. Just black. Lots and lots of black.

Too much? A little over the top?

Life's a Beach and Name that Book

There's trouble here in paradise. My Dad has decided to marry his girlfriend. You know the one that's my age and that he met in a bar? Yeah, that one.

My sibs and I are in a bit of whirl. We get that he wants companionship and is lonely, but it would be nice if he wanted to spend time with us or our children. He has 8 living children and 25 grandchildren. Throw in spouses, great grandchildren...that's a lot of people. After 50 years with our Mom it's a bit much to take in that your 76-year old Dad is going to marry a 54-year old woman in Las Vegas. Feels weird I tells ya...weird. Oh did I mention we got to meet the barfly prospective bride at his 75th birthday? To say it didn't go well is an understatement.

When I tell you that my brothers, who are all about Dad bagging a babe, didn't like her that's saying something because they have a very generous grading curve. I swear my Dad's love life has more drama than Shmoo's.

Enough already about Dad. On to books.

Over at Reader' Gab at Access Romance CindyS commented on my column this week and made note of a book she thought was by Judith McNaught. The hero had to joust all of his wife's family who were all trying to kill him. The wife doesn't realize or believe her family means her husband harm. Not only does the hero have to protect himself from being killed but he's got to make sure not to hurt her relatives in the process. Okay? Got it?

Now I read all of McNaught's early historicals and really liked them, but it's been years. Do any of you bright lights out there know which book this is? I'm all kinds of curious now and would like to read it. Because you know, I only have about 200 other books to read so I NEED to go get this one. Tell me. Can you name that book?