An Independent Wife

Written by LINDA HOWARD

Narrated by Romy Nordlinger

Sallie wondered if Rhy would recognize her after seven years. She'd lost weight, loosened up and turned her talents to news reporting for one of the nation's leading magazines. After all this time, would Rhy Baines, the news publisher, recognize his wife? Sallie Jerome, a.k.a. Mrs. Baines, had picked up the pieces of shattered dreams after Rhy walked out. She'd become the independent, self-possessed woman he'd always wanted. Only now, she didn't want him...Or did she?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamscape Media Audio
• Release date: Jun 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781629233901

LINDA HOWARD

Born in Newport, Rhode Island, I grew up in neighbouring Middletown with parents who lived to be on the water. After graduating from Middletown High School in 1984, I attended the University of Rhode Island where I double majored in journalism and political science. I graduated in 1988 and went to work for a small community newspaper, the writing equivalent of boot camp. We worked like dogs for almost no money, but we had a lot of fun and learned so much about writing, editing and life.    I lived in Rhode Island until I was 26 when I did something I had vowed to never do while growing up in a Navy town—I married a Navy guy and moved from the smallest state in the U.S. to Rota, Spain, where he was stationed. To say the change in my life was dramatic is putting it mildly! We had the time of our lives in Spain from 1992 to 1995, where I also earned a master's degree in public administration through a program offered to the military by the University of Maryland. Our daughter Emily was born there three months before we returned to the states.    After we moved to Rhode Island in August 2002, I started to get more serious about the book but still wasn't able to get very far. A year later, in November 2003, my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The next nine months were a roller coaster ride, during which I turned to the book more and more often, seeking an escape from the nightmare of my mother's illness. By early August 2004, I had four solid chapters that my mother was the first to read. I made her cry, she said. She died on August 31, 2004.    Something that had lain dormant for years kicked into gear in the aftermath of my mother's death. I asked myself—what are you waiting for? What meaning will it have to finally write that book if you wait until neither of your parents—the two people who always said you had it in you—aren't around to read it? I firmly believe my mother is sending me these amazing characters who continue to pop up out of nowhere and lead me on one great adventure after another. How else can I possibly explain the incredible things that have happened in the years since she died?    I finished Jack's book, "Treading Water," on May 18, 2005, and published it along with its two sequels, Marking Time and Starting Over, in late 2011. (Read more about The House That Jack Built.) I've finished a few since then, including "Line of Scrimmage," which was the first to be published in September 2008.    I finally sold to Sourcebooks Casablanca in late 2007. Line of Scrimmage was my first published book in September of 2008. Love at First Flight followed in July of 2009. In early 2010, I sold Fatal Affair to Harlequin's new Carina Press digital-first imprint. Fatal Affair was released in July 2010, followed soon after by Fatal Justice, Fatal Consequences, Fatal Destiny and Fatal Flaw. Fatal Attack will be out in November 2012 and the early books in the series will be released in mass market paperback through Harlequin's HQN imprint beginning in the fall of 2013. Going back to 2010, authors were getting more and more excited about the opportunity to publish direct to readers via Kindle, Nook, Kobo and later the iPad. I decided to test the waters and published True North in November 2010 and The Fall in December 2010. Everyone Loves a Hero was released from Sourcebooks in February 2011, and I followed that with the release of the following books in 2011: The Wreck, Maid for Love, Fool for Love, Ready for Love, Georgia on My Mind, Treading Water, Marking Time and Starting Over. Many of these books had been written for years and were waiting for the right avenue to get to readers.    When people ask me what led me to the decision to self-publish, my reply is always the same: "No one was interested in these books except my readers." And boy have they shown me the love for my self-published books! The McCarthy's of Gansett Island Series, which now also includes Falling for Love, Hoping for Love, Season for Love and soon, Longing for Love, has turned me into a bestselling author on Kindle and Nook. The success of that series also led to the recent sale of my Green Mountain Country Store series to Berkley publishing. Watch for the debut of that series in 2014. Readers can also look forward to much more from Gansett Island, much more from Sam, Nick and the Fatal Series gang, and another book in the Treading Water series called Coming Home, which I hope to have out by Christmas 2012. It will pick up Reid and Kate's story from Marking Time ten years later—a story readers have asked me to write. 

Reviews for An Independent Wife

[gogglemiss · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This started off well enough, as Sallie was feisty and had backbone and could fight her corner, but as the story progressed, she fell to love, for her caveman of a husband. I'd like to have seen more of an equalness between them, but, hey, this was a love story, right?

[NNEAMAKA PAYNE · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even though this was first published in 1982, that wasn't the dark ages. But this story is almost medieval, except it's set in modern times. Seven years ago, Sarah had married Rhy, he was 28 to her 18. He was a reporter often traveling away on dangerous assignments, Sarah unable to cope with this asked him to stop. He refused and walked out. He never made any attempt to contact her after that.
Present-day and Sarah have reinvented themselves. Instead of Sarah, she's now called Sallie, she's no longer the innocent and naïve chubby little teenager. She has a degree, she's lost weight, gained self-confidence, and ironically is a reporter traveling the world on dangerous assignments as her husband Rhy once did. Then suddenly the magazine that she works for has a new owner, it's her husband Rhy. Hoping that he won't recognize her, she tries to stay out of his way.
There may be some spoilers here. Once Rhy realizes that his wife is one of the employees, he goes all out to get her back. That's after not bothering where she was for seven years. He stops her traveling, telling her it's too dangerous. He threatens any man she talks to; he stops her from leaving the job saying he will get her blacklisted. When she arrives home one day, he's had all her furniture put in storage and moved her clothes to his flat. He wants her back; he wants children as well. But during all this, he's still seeing another woman. As for Sarah/Sallie, weak doesn't quite describe her, she has no backbone at all. She thought a good fight but just caved into Rhy every single time. This is about the fourth book that is read by this author. She writes books about alpha men and most very dominating to the women in their relationship. But she tends to bring out the wrong of women who never fight back and stand their ground. But somehow, she finds a way to make their union worthwhile. It is my option about her books, but I will not accept that from any man no matter the love I have for them. If they cannot respect me and love who I am, they are not worth my love.

[VicPar32 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

an spineless heroine, and a Netherland hero.

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sallie Jerome is a good reporter, but she's just been grounded. She's met her match in the form of her new publisher Rhy Baines -- he's also her estranged husband, and now that he's located her, he doesn't want her leaving his sight.If I had to pick one word for Sallie, it would be "annoying." I mean, come on, she managed to grow a spine and find a career that she enjoys. Now she's just going to roll over like a dog and let a man who admits he's cheating walk all over her? Sheesh. Not my favorite Howard book, but I've kept it because I'd hate to buy it again and discover how much is irks me all over again.