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She was a bewitching young girl, that pretty Polly Marsh, and she knew it. She also knew that beauty could be her passport into the castles where she had always known she belonged. So she set her sights on a duke and joined the firm of Westerman's as a stenographer. Surely one of that noble family would notice her, and then all her dreams would come true! The trouble with pretty Polly Marsh was that she just didn't know her place.
But others did and were only too happy to remind her that dashing Lord Peter was merely playing at love when he appeared to be paying her court. The duchess was beside herself. Peter s brother, the starchy Marquis of Wollerton, was desperate to pry Peter from Polly's side. But Polly was determined to have Peter and her dream. Peter wouldn't betray her, would he?
In this whirlwind series, Marion Chesney brings us spirited, independent women who are at once bewitching, beguiling, and determined to have their say and make their mark on both their world and the world at large, be it within their social circle or extending beyond. With their arms wide open, these women are absolutely original and unforgettable, as are the tales in which they are featured. Here is life, in all of its folly and foibles, in a dizzying place where dreams are both shattered and made.
But others did and were only too happy to remind her that dashing Lord Peter was merely playing at love when he appeared to be paying her court. The duchess was beside herself. Peter s brother, the starchy Marquis of Wollerton, was desperate to pry Peter from Polly's side. But Polly was determined to have Peter and her dream. Peter wouldn't betray her, would he?
In this whirlwind series, Marion Chesney brings us spirited, independent women who are at once bewitching, beguiling, and determined to have their say and make their mark on both their world and the world at large, be it within their social circle or extending beyond. With their arms wide open, these women are absolutely original and unforgettable, as are the tales in which they are featured. Here is life, in all of its folly and foibles, in a dizzying place where dreams are both shattered and made.
131 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 1980
42 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
Jennie Tremaine
16 books35 followersMarion Chesney Gibbons
aka: Ann Fairfax, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, M.C. Beaton, Sarah Chester.
Marion Gibbons (née Chesney) was a Scottish writer of romance and mystery novels. Marion wrote her historical romances under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, as well as several pseudonyms ( Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, and Charlotte Ward). Using the pseudonym M.C. Beaton she also wrote many popular mystery novels, most notably the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth mystery series. Both of these book series have been adapted for TV. Because of her great success with mystery novels her publishers both in the U.S. and abroad began using the M.C. Beaton pseudonym for all of her novels.
aka: Ann Fairfax, Helen Crampton, Marion Chesney, Charlotte Ward, M.C. Beaton, Sarah Chester.
Marion Gibbons (née Chesney) was a Scottish writer of romance and mystery novels. Marion wrote her historical romances under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, as well as several pseudonyms ( Helen Crampton, Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, and Charlotte Ward). Using the pseudonym M.C. Beaton she also wrote many popular mystery novels, most notably the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth mystery series. Both of these book series have been adapted for TV. Because of her great success with mystery novels her publishers both in the U.S. and abroad began using the M.C. Beaton pseudonym for all of her novels.
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June 15, 2018
In a more middle-class environment, Polly’s newly refined voice would have caused acid comment, but the cockneys of the market were proud of anyone who wanted to get on and simply called Polly “the duchess,” with their usual nonchalant friendly good humor.
M.C. Beaton. Polly (Kindle Location 114-115). Constable & Robinson. Kindle Edition.
This novel, set during the Edwardian era in London, centers on the ambitious aims of an aggressively upwardly mobile 19 yr old working class heroine called Polly Marsh. Polly lives in the Cockney area of Stone Lane, Shoreditch and she's the only member of her family who is educated and can speak in the correct upper class manner, using the proper Received Pronunciation accent ( aka the Oxford or the BBC Pronunciation ). Polly is very vain because she thinks that her elocution lessons and her outstanding beauty have earmarked her for a lifestyle among the aristocrats. She's not a very a likable heroine, at first, because she's full of herself and everything she does is geared towards lassoing herself a rich, aristocratic husband. Her family members and her neighbours in Stone Lane have all inadvertently contributed to Polly's delusions of grandeur:
The elocution lessons had been the brainchild of her schoolteacher, Miss James. Miss James had assured Polly’s mother that a girl with startlingly good looks and superior intelligence should not be condemned to go through life with a hideous cockney accent.
M.C. Beaton. Polly (Kindle Locations 111-113). Constable & Robinson. Kindle Edition.
Polly loves her family but is also very ashamed of them because of the way they speak, dress and because they lack her ambitions. At the start of the story, Polly has managed to land herself a job as a stenographer at an import/expert firm called Westerman's. This is all part of her special husband hunting scheme because the firm is owned by the Duke of Westerman and he has 2 eligible sons: Edward, the Marquis of Wollerton ( the Hero ) and Lord Peter. Polly is convinced that her sublime blonde, blue eyed beauty will mesmerize the younger son Peter. She's rather naive and is over confident because all the people in Stone Lane have filled her head with the notion that she's the most fabulous beauty in all of England. This is Polly:
When Polly turns up to work, she's depressed to discover that neither of the duke's sons work at or visit the firm regularly. Edward, the H, has his own business interests and Peter is a playboy. The novel provides an interesting look at working life for a female in a male dominated society and company. Polly doesn't make many friends at work because she's too standoffish and focused on her own ambitious goals, but she does manage to attract the attention of an infatuated clerk called Bob Friend. This guy had been courting the only other female employee - a plain young lady called Amy Feathers - but he became so dazzled by Polly that he soon started to ignore the less attractive woman. Polly wasn't interested in Bob but only cultivated his friendship to see what sort of information she could garner about the duke's sons. This is Edward, the H:
This is Lord Peter, the younger brother that Polly has set her sights on:
Polly gets herself into quite a few embarrassing situations in her effort to attract Peter's attentions. She borrows clothing and accessories from other people in order to impress the duke and his family and he even invites herself inside their mansion at Bevington Chase even though she knows that she's not supposed to be there. She borrows a dress from a seamstress who worked for the local theatre; the dress was made for the local production of "Lady Windermere's Fan" and Polly is quite proud of how she looks in this gown. This situation is humiliating but Polly ( being Polly ) comes out of it unscathed, even when all her fellow employees start to dislike her and make horrible comments about the way she aspires to reach beyond her present social station in life. Her boss' wife, Mrs. Baines, comes to loathe Polly and keeps pestering poor henpecked Mr. Baines to fire the heroine:
Mr. Baines had been joined by his wife, Gladys, whose small eyes darted jealously over Lady Windermere’s tea gown.
“You should be taught a lesson, my girl,” she said bitterly. “Aping your betters, that’s what. And I’d like to know where you got the money for that frock.”
M.C. Beaton. Polly (Kindle Location 479-481). Constable & Robinson. Kindle Edition.
It was amusing to see how Polly coped with other women's envy and jealousy; she often ignored it, like water rolling off a duck's back and that just served to infuriate Mrs. Baines, Amy Feathers and even the lofty Duchess of Westerman herself. The duchess loathed Polly because she saw that her younger son Peter was attracted to the heroine and she couldn't bear to have a daughter in law from the working class. Most of the duchess' efforts was spent trying to get the H Edward to put a stop to any romantic relationship between Peter and Polly. Peter didn't have any honorable intentions, however. He only wanted to make Polly his mistress but the silly and naive heroine ( who had never had a boyfriend ) thought that he wanted to marry her. The H managed to save Polly from being seduced by Peter by sending his brother to work at one of Westerman's foreign companies. Polly continued to write letters to Peter but the latter soon got engaged to an upper class English expatriate. The lecherous toad still intended to make Polly his mistress when he returned to England and the stupid heroine thought that he was going to break his engagement and marry her instead.
The Duchess of Westerman is portrayed as an overweight, unhygienic lady who doesn't bathe regularly. In fact, the author even highlights occasions where the H, her son, and other characters are a bit disgusted at the grimy build up of muck on the duchess' neck and back. That made me laugh a lot because I kept thinking of this high and mighty snobbish lady who thinks she's better than Polly yet other characters are unable to stand close to her due to her body odour and clothing with stained collars. This is the Duchess of Westerman:
This is a coming of age story for Polly, because the heroine undergoes a lot of drastic changes before she finally becomes a nice human being at the end. Polly gets herself into a bit of a bind when she lies to the H and his brother Peter and tells them that her parents are dead. That was her lowest point and I was very disappointed at how low she had sunk in her effort to try and impress these aristocrats. She even moves out of her home and starts to live in a young working women's hostel, because she doesn't want Peter or the H to see where her parents live in Stone Lane. But some of the best parts of the story deal with her Cockney relatives in Stone Lane. Alf and Mary Marsh were funny and lovable characters. They're poor and hardworking but they're honest and it was sad to see how much Polly hurt them when she tried to distance herself from them, in her efforts to acquire an aristocratic suitor.
The chemistry between Polly and Edward was strong from the very first time they meet but the obstinate heroine thinks that Peter is the easier brother to go after. It's always Edward, the H, who gets her out of trouble, who is polite and sweet to her parents and who is there to protect her from the stupidity of her own actions. Edward becomes besotted with Polly but is at first reluctant to act on it because, unlike his brother, he is not the type who seduces virgins like Polly. The heroine is so naive about sex and romance that she even wonders if she's gotten pregnant after a heavy make out session with Edward. I grew to like Polly as time passed because all of her inner vulnerabilities were gradually revealed; she became more and more disillusioned when her fairytale plans started to fall apart. The author also develops a couple other amusing storylines with Amy Feathers, Bob Friend, Mr. Baines and Lady Blenkinsop. Bob Friend goes back to courting Amy and Mr. Baines has an affair with Lady Blenkinsop and runs off with her to live in the south of France.
At the end of the story, Polly becomes a better person as a result of her disappointments and she makes amends to her family for the way she had treated them. Edward also proposes to her in the most delightful and romantic fashion. The smelly duchess gets drunk when she realizes that her precious first born son is the one who will be marrying a Cockney girl. Amy Feathers and Bob Friend get married and the latter gets a promotion that enables him to purchase a nice house. However, Amy ends up becoming bitter and even more jealous of Polly because the heroine is now a marchioness:
Amy followed Polly’s social career by way of the glossy magazines and wrote frequently to editors reminding them that the Marchioness of Wollerton was nothing more than a cockney office girl. They never replied to her letters.
M.C. Beaton. Polly (Kindle Locations 2177-2179). Constable & Robinson. Kindle Edition.
That plot twist did surprise me because I'd honestly expected mousy little Amy to be happy when she got Bob to marry her. I hadn't anticipated that her unhealthy envy of Polly would lead to such bitterness about her own life that it would eventually lead to the break up of her own marriage to Bob. In the epilogue, poor Bob Friend finds himself unhappy with a sourpuss wife who runs off with the middle aged Mr. Baines. Mr. Baines' relationship with Lady Blenkinsop had also ended and so he'd returned to England and embarked on an adulterous relationship with Amy. Nevertheless, things worked out very well for Edward and Polly because they're still in love and very happy in the epilogue. Edward had even offered to allow Polly's relatives to live in the Dower House at Granbeigh estate but the Marsh's soon became bored with country life and returned to the excitement of Stone Lane.
Marion Chesney ( writing as Jennie Tremaine ) did a fabulous job with this novel and I've become a great fan of her writing based on the novels I've read so far.
M.C. Beaton. Polly (Kindle Location 114-115). Constable & Robinson. Kindle Edition.
This novel, set during the Edwardian era in London, centers on the ambitious aims of an aggressively upwardly mobile 19 yr old working class heroine called Polly Marsh. Polly lives in the Cockney area of Stone Lane, Shoreditch and she's the only member of her family who is educated and can speak in the correct upper class manner, using the proper Received Pronunciation accent ( aka the Oxford or the BBC Pronunciation ). Polly is very vain because she thinks that her elocution lessons and her outstanding beauty have earmarked her for a lifestyle among the aristocrats. She's not a very a likable heroine, at first, because she's full of herself and everything she does is geared towards lassoing herself a rich, aristocratic husband. Her family members and her neighbours in Stone Lane have all inadvertently contributed to Polly's delusions of grandeur:
The elocution lessons had been the brainchild of her schoolteacher, Miss James. Miss James had assured Polly’s mother that a girl with startlingly good looks and superior intelligence should not be condemned to go through life with a hideous cockney accent.
M.C. Beaton. Polly (Kindle Locations 111-113). Constable & Robinson. Kindle Edition.
Polly loves her family but is also very ashamed of them because of the way they speak, dress and because they lack her ambitions. At the start of the story, Polly has managed to land herself a job as a stenographer at an import/expert firm called Westerman's. This is all part of her special husband hunting scheme because the firm is owned by the Duke of Westerman and he has 2 eligible sons: Edward, the Marquis of Wollerton ( the Hero ) and Lord Peter. Polly is convinced that her sublime blonde, blue eyed beauty will mesmerize the younger son Peter. She's rather naive and is over confident because all the people in Stone Lane have filled her head with the notion that she's the most fabulous beauty in all of England. This is Polly:
When Polly turns up to work, she's depressed to discover that neither of the duke's sons work at or visit the firm regularly. Edward, the H, has his own business interests and Peter is a playboy. The novel provides an interesting look at working life for a female in a male dominated society and company. Polly doesn't make many friends at work because she's too standoffish and focused on her own ambitious goals, but she does manage to attract the attention of an infatuated clerk called Bob Friend. This guy had been courting the only other female employee - a plain young lady called Amy Feathers - but he became so dazzled by Polly that he soon started to ignore the less attractive woman. Polly wasn't interested in Bob but only cultivated his friendship to see what sort of information she could garner about the duke's sons. This is Edward, the H:
This is Lord Peter, the younger brother that Polly has set her sights on:
Polly gets herself into quite a few embarrassing situations in her effort to attract Peter's attentions. She borrows clothing and accessories from other people in order to impress the duke and his family and he even invites herself inside their mansion at Bevington Chase even though she knows that she's not supposed to be there. She borrows a dress from a seamstress who worked for the local theatre; the dress was made for the local production of "Lady Windermere's Fan" and Polly is quite proud of how she looks in this gown. This situation is humiliating but Polly ( being Polly ) comes out of it unscathed, even when all her fellow employees start to dislike her and make horrible comments about the way she aspires to reach beyond her present social station in life. Her boss' wife, Mrs. Baines, comes to loathe Polly and keeps pestering poor henpecked Mr. Baines to fire the heroine:
Mr. Baines had been joined by his wife, Gladys, whose small eyes darted jealously over Lady Windermere’s tea gown.
“You should be taught a lesson, my girl,” she said bitterly. “Aping your betters, that’s what. And I’d like to know where you got the money for that frock.”
M.C. Beaton. Polly (Kindle Location 479-481). Constable & Robinson. Kindle Edition.
It was amusing to see how Polly coped with other women's envy and jealousy; she often ignored it, like water rolling off a duck's back and that just served to infuriate Mrs. Baines, Amy Feathers and even the lofty Duchess of Westerman herself. The duchess loathed Polly because she saw that her younger son Peter was attracted to the heroine and she couldn't bear to have a daughter in law from the working class. Most of the duchess' efforts was spent trying to get the H Edward to put a stop to any romantic relationship between Peter and Polly. Peter didn't have any honorable intentions, however. He only wanted to make Polly his mistress but the silly and naive heroine ( who had never had a boyfriend ) thought that he wanted to marry her. The H managed to save Polly from being seduced by Peter by sending his brother to work at one of Westerman's foreign companies. Polly continued to write letters to Peter but the latter soon got engaged to an upper class English expatriate. The lecherous toad still intended to make Polly his mistress when he returned to England and the stupid heroine thought that he was going to break his engagement and marry her instead.
The Duchess of Westerman is portrayed as an overweight, unhygienic lady who doesn't bathe regularly. In fact, the author even highlights occasions where the H, her son, and other characters are a bit disgusted at the grimy build up of muck on the duchess' neck and back. That made me laugh a lot because I kept thinking of this high and mighty snobbish lady who thinks she's better than Polly yet other characters are unable to stand close to her due to her body odour and clothing with stained collars. This is the Duchess of Westerman:
This is a coming of age story for Polly, because the heroine undergoes a lot of drastic changes before she finally becomes a nice human being at the end. Polly gets herself into a bit of a bind when she lies to the H and his brother Peter and tells them that her parents are dead. That was her lowest point and I was very disappointed at how low she had sunk in her effort to try and impress these aristocrats. She even moves out of her home and starts to live in a young working women's hostel, because she doesn't want Peter or the H to see where her parents live in Stone Lane. But some of the best parts of the story deal with her Cockney relatives in Stone Lane. Alf and Mary Marsh were funny and lovable characters. They're poor and hardworking but they're honest and it was sad to see how much Polly hurt them when she tried to distance herself from them, in her efforts to acquire an aristocratic suitor.
The chemistry between Polly and Edward was strong from the very first time they meet but the obstinate heroine thinks that Peter is the easier brother to go after. It's always Edward, the H, who gets her out of trouble, who is polite and sweet to her parents and who is there to protect her from the stupidity of her own actions. Edward becomes besotted with Polly but is at first reluctant to act on it because, unlike his brother, he is not the type who seduces virgins like Polly. The heroine is so naive about sex and romance that she even wonders if she's gotten pregnant after a heavy make out session with Edward. I grew to like Polly as time passed because all of her inner vulnerabilities were gradually revealed; she became more and more disillusioned when her fairytale plans started to fall apart. The author also develops a couple other amusing storylines with Amy Feathers, Bob Friend, Mr. Baines and Lady Blenkinsop. Bob Friend goes back to courting Amy and Mr. Baines has an affair with Lady Blenkinsop and runs off with her to live in the south of France.
At the end of the story, Polly becomes a better person as a result of her disappointments and she makes amends to her family for the way she had treated them. Edward also proposes to her in the most delightful and romantic fashion. The smelly duchess gets drunk when she realizes that her precious first born son is the one who will be marrying a Cockney girl. Amy Feathers and Bob Friend get married and the latter gets a promotion that enables him to purchase a nice house. However, Amy ends up becoming bitter and even more jealous of Polly because the heroine is now a marchioness:
Amy followed Polly’s social career by way of the glossy magazines and wrote frequently to editors reminding them that the Marchioness of Wollerton was nothing more than a cockney office girl. They never replied to her letters.
M.C. Beaton. Polly (Kindle Locations 2177-2179). Constable & Robinson. Kindle Edition.
That plot twist did surprise me because I'd honestly expected mousy little Amy to be happy when she got Bob to marry her. I hadn't anticipated that her unhealthy envy of Polly would lead to such bitterness about her own life that it would eventually lead to the break up of her own marriage to Bob. In the epilogue, poor Bob Friend finds himself unhappy with a sourpuss wife who runs off with the middle aged Mr. Baines. Mr. Baines' relationship with Lady Blenkinsop had also ended and so he'd returned to England and embarked on an adulterous relationship with Amy. Nevertheless, things worked out very well for Edward and Polly because they're still in love and very happy in the epilogue. Edward had even offered to allow Polly's relatives to live in the Dower House at Granbeigh estate but the Marsh's soon became bored with country life and returned to the excitement of Stone Lane.
Marion Chesney ( writing as Jennie Tremaine ) did a fabulous job with this novel and I've become a great fan of her writing based on the novels I've read so far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2016
3.5 stars
Miss Polly Marsh, a foolish and naive young lady, had thought she deserved a better life. She was the daughter of a simple tradesman at the turn of the century. As a child, her mother had made the mistake of seeing that Polly received elocution lessons so that she was unencumbered of the local Cockney accent. She had an uncommon beauty and was very much aware of this feature. She thought it was her entitlement to become the wife of a duke.
For over the first half of the romance, the heroine was shallow and I just knew she was going to find a bump in her road to love. It came by way of Lord Peter, the depthless second son of the Duke of Westerman and a charmer. Polly probably deserved him if not that Edward, the Marquis of Wollerton, and Lord Peter’s elder brother, entered the picture.
First impressions are important but everyone deserves a second chance. –Unknown Quote
Edward was much older than both Polly and Peter. Their mother convinced him to break up the pair and he planned to do it with as much grace as possible. Except that when Edward and Polly spoke to each other, she was delectably disagreeable. She liquefied his common sense.
This is the first story I have read by Jennie Tremaine aka Marion Chesney. Just set aside your judgment on whether the romance could have taken place. Some of the actions of the main characters became irrelevant as far as historical accuracy was concerned but I found it amusing enough that I didn’t care –which is very unusual for me. I actually thought the author was poking fun of the class system with some well-placed humor and several interesting secondary stories. I should enjoy reading other books by this author.
Miss Polly Marsh, a foolish and naive young lady, had thought she deserved a better life. She was the daughter of a simple tradesman at the turn of the century. As a child, her mother had made the mistake of seeing that Polly received elocution lessons so that she was unencumbered of the local Cockney accent. She had an uncommon beauty and was very much aware of this feature. She thought it was her entitlement to become the wife of a duke.
For over the first half of the romance, the heroine was shallow and I just knew she was going to find a bump in her road to love. It came by way of Lord Peter, the depthless second son of the Duke of Westerman and a charmer. Polly probably deserved him if not that Edward, the Marquis of Wollerton, and Lord Peter’s elder brother, entered the picture.
First impressions are important but everyone deserves a second chance. –Unknown Quote
Edward was much older than both Polly and Peter. Their mother convinced him to break up the pair and he planned to do it with as much grace as possible. Except that when Edward and Polly spoke to each other, she was delectably disagreeable. She liquefied his common sense.
This is the first story I have read by Jennie Tremaine aka Marion Chesney. Just set aside your judgment on whether the romance could have taken place. Some of the actions of the main characters became irrelevant as far as historical accuracy was concerned but I found it amusing enough that I didn’t care –which is very unusual for me. I actually thought the author was poking fun of the class system with some well-placed humor and several interesting secondary stories. I should enjoy reading other books by this author.
September 15, 2023
Charming, witty light romance taking place in the Edwardian era.
I had more joy from the secondary characters and their love life than from the main couple - they needed at least a few more encounters before declaring love.
I rarely read Edwardian romances - I don't avoid them, but for some reason, I don't know many authors of them. But I would really like to explore much more. This world of slowly dying social rules and dividers. Such a potential for lovely, funny love stories.
[The main romance --> 3-3.5 stars, the world of contrasts (rich vs. poor) --> 4 stars, Mr. Bains, Mr. and Mrs. Marsh, Bob Friend, Amy, Lady Blenkinsop --> 5 stars]
I had more joy from the secondary characters and their love life than from the main couple - they needed at least a few more encounters before declaring love.
I rarely read Edwardian romances - I don't avoid them, but for some reason, I don't know many authors of them. But I would really like to explore much more. This world of slowly dying social rules and dividers. Such a potential for lovely, funny love stories.
[The main romance --> 3-3.5 stars, the world of contrasts (rich vs. poor) --> 4 stars, Mr. Bains, Mr. and Mrs. Marsh, Bob Friend, Amy, Lady Blenkinsop --> 5 stars]
February 5, 2018
I didn't like this one as much as Amaryllis, which is funny to me because this is the first book of the series and the other was the last, and usually I don't like the later books in a series so much. But Polly was a social climber of the highest order and sooooo naive and I think she was supposed to be unlikable but maybe not that unlikable?
February 4, 2023
God bless Marion Chesney. I never should have doubted her for a moment. I started this one and the heroine was a jerk and the hero was a jerk and blah just another trite romance. Nope, she turns it all topsy-turvey and makes the reader love them all and their foibles and conceits and also makes you laugh.
August 16, 2020
I felt like I was reading a Paula Allardyce novel (aka Charity Blackstock, Charlotte Keppel) who wrote her HRs under the Paula name. The h is overly dramatic, people are people with love rarely being long lasting, and the H and h clash frequently as both are temperamental... It was an ok read over all though I did double check while reading that I was reading Chesney and Allardyce. Especially at one point when Chesney uses the word "instanter." I have only read that word used in Allardyce novels.
January 9, 2023
A girl in Edwardian England is ashamed of her lower class family and upbringing. She obtains a secretarial job in hopes of meeting the wealthy aristocratic owners of the business and, through marriage to one of them, to move up the social ladder.
November 10, 2017
Audio version
March 17, 2013
Edwardian London - city of contrasts - where women were only just starting to be accepted in the work place. Polly is ambitious and she wants to leave her working class upbringing behind and make a better life for herself. She gets a job as a stenographer with an import/export company which is owned by a Duke's family. Polly soon makes herself indispensable but she is not popular with some of her co-workers. Once she meets and falls in love with Lord Peter, the younger son of the Duke, she thinks her dream has come true but there will be many problems before Polly finally finds happiness.
I loved the characters in this entertaining and amusing story. Polly at first glance seems not to be a sympathetic character but I found myself warming to her as she tried to fight her way through all the nuances and traps for the unwary in an unfamiliar social milieu. I thought all the characters were well done and the dialogue believable and fast paced. I liked Polly's family - especially Ma - and the way she has no problem getting on with the aristocracy without changing the way she behaves.
This is a real feel good story and it managed to get me out of a bad mood and made me laugh. I loved the sub plot with the invalid Lady Blenkinsop and her irascible husband. Mr Baines, the office manager, is also an ultimately lovable character as are the other office workers. The book is well written and if you want something to make you feel better about life then try Polly. Great literature it isn't but it is first class entertainment and an enjoyable read.
I loved the characters in this entertaining and amusing story. Polly at first glance seems not to be a sympathetic character but I found myself warming to her as she tried to fight her way through all the nuances and traps for the unwary in an unfamiliar social milieu. I thought all the characters were well done and the dialogue believable and fast paced. I liked Polly's family - especially Ma - and the way she has no problem getting on with the aristocracy without changing the way she behaves.
This is a real feel good story and it managed to get me out of a bad mood and made me laugh. I loved the sub plot with the invalid Lady Blenkinsop and her irascible husband. Mr Baines, the office manager, is also an ultimately lovable character as are the other office workers. The book is well written and if you want something to make you feel better about life then try Polly. Great literature it isn't but it is first class entertainment and an enjoyable read.
April 22, 2019
This is the first book I've read by the author, and I believe she goes by several names and I haven't read any books by any of the them. I do, however, have a couple of cozy mysteries by M.C. Beaton on my bookshelf, so I thought I was reading a cozy mystery when I started this book. I soon realised that this was not a mystery, it is an historical romance. But that wasn't a problem.
Polly is a social climber. She is ashamed of her cockney family. She wants more, better. And she believes she deserves it. She falls in love with a duke and sets her sights on marrying him, but is it real love. That's the real question.
The character's are humorous. And I must say at this point that the narrator, Emma Powell, certainly played a part in bringing them to life. She did an excellent job of narrating the story. I could picture this book as a romantic comedy movie, to be honest. You know the type I mean, the ones you sit and watch on a cold, rainy afternoon to cheer yourself up.
In all honesty, I didn't find anything about the book fabulous or unforgettable, as the plot was quite simple really. Nothing spectacular there. I'm not even sure the historical parts were accurate. But all that aside, I did find the characters and storyline entertaining. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who wants a light read that will bring a smile to their face.
Polly is a social climber. She is ashamed of her cockney family. She wants more, better. And she believes she deserves it. She falls in love with a duke and sets her sights on marrying him, but is it real love. That's the real question.
The character's are humorous. And I must say at this point that the narrator, Emma Powell, certainly played a part in bringing them to life. She did an excellent job of narrating the story. I could picture this book as a romantic comedy movie, to be honest. You know the type I mean, the ones you sit and watch on a cold, rainy afternoon to cheer yourself up.
In all honesty, I didn't find anything about the book fabulous or unforgettable, as the plot was quite simple really. Nothing spectacular there. I'm not even sure the historical parts were accurate. But all that aside, I did find the characters and storyline entertaining. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who wants a light read that will bring a smile to their face.
June 18, 2018
Oh this is sort of silly - set in England, clearly a mild romance novel, but kind of fun. Interestingly the main character wasn't initially very likable but I was rooting for her anyway. It kept me entertained while I worked in the yard and went for walks and I'll probably listen to another one, but if you choose to check these books out no fair blaming me if you find it a little silly/cheesy/dumb/whatever. You've been warned.
November 7, 2018
Okay. The positive: The book has several highly amusing moments, and it has a good final ending.
Negative: I could not like any of the characters but possibly the hero. Polly's integrity and many of the others lacks substance, and their choices are self-serving.
It rarely for me to give less than 3 stars, but I could not in give this a higher rating. I listened to the audio version, and the narrator did a good job. Happy reading/listening!
Negative: I could not like any of the characters but possibly the hero. Polly's integrity and many of the others lacks substance, and their choices are self-serving.
It rarely for me to give less than 3 stars, but I could not in give this a higher rating. I listened to the audio version, and the narrator did a good job. Happy reading/listening!
November 24, 2018
I definitely prefer the series with the larger casts (A House for the Season, Poor Relations, The Traveling Matchmaker), but this romance was a bit like Sabrina in which Polly falls for the younger, charming (shallow) brother, leaving the older, cynical brother to clean up the mess whilst losing his heart in the process. Unfortunately, Polly doesn't quite have Sabrina's sweetness, but it all still works.
April 15, 2022
Polly Polly Polly. Poor Polly
I wanted to smack this girl so hard but honestly I couldn’t blame her for wanting more. She was educated for more after all. The supporting characters were interesting, but unfortunately, very unlikeable, except for Mrs. Marsh, she was a good woman and mother. This is the first book I can recall reading with such distasteful characters and I kind of like that because they were so… human.
I wanted to smack this girl so hard but honestly I couldn’t blame her for wanting more. She was educated for more after all. The supporting characters were interesting, but unfortunately, very unlikeable, except for Mrs. Marsh, she was a good woman and mother. This is the first book I can recall reading with such distasteful characters and I kind of like that because they were so… human.
November 11, 2023
Straight up romance is not my usual genre. But this book came up as ‘recommended’ by my library because I’ve read Beaton’s Agatha Raisin mystery series. So I thought I’d give it a shot.
A fun read, with some minor plot and character flaws. Overall a silly yet enjoyable historical romance where the heroine encounters many ups and downs, falls for the wrong guy but eventually ends up with the right guy, etc. The additional plot lines of other characters made for a quirky and entertain read.
A fun read, with some minor plot and character flaws. Overall a silly yet enjoyable historical romance where the heroine encounters many ups and downs, falls for the wrong guy but eventually ends up with the right guy, etc. The additional plot lines of other characters made for a quirky and entertain read.
July 16, 2020
I really enjoyed Polly. I love Beaton's dry wit and her sharp eye for the foolishness of humans, especially in terms of class distinction and frailties. Peter is an ass and a cad, and I love the way she contrasts him with his older brother. Mr and Mrs Baines are so fabulous too - for secondary characters to be so finely drawn in so brief a romance is a real gift.
October 24, 2023
The book was witty, often laugh-out-loud funny, charming and romantic. The pace was relaxed and enjoyable. It would have been a solid 4 stars except for the very end; the last 5 % of the book felt hurried and cynical, like the author got tired of most of the secondary characters and decided to get rid of them in not a very nice way.
March 17, 2023
Classic Chesney/ Beaton humor. People are more than pretty faces. Younger brother wants Polly, who naively assumes marriage is included in kisses. Older brother really cares for girl. Her East-end mam is a full-blown person to reckon with.
October 6, 2024
3.5 rounded up because I would try another one in this series. Have tried one or two other MC Beaton books (audiobooks) that I have DNFd early on, but this one was interesting throughout. Only 5 hours audio I think. Excellent narration by Emma Powell.
December 10, 2025
this was a very light, witty book revolving around class consciousness and the desire of one young woman to rise above her social status. this is not literature; it is not a great read. it is a diversion for a rainy afternoon. and sometime or other, we all need a rainy day entertainment.
March 17, 2018
Very uneven plot line, unengaging/unsympathetic characters, made myself complete it. Debating if I want to try book 2 in the series.
March 18, 2018
Old fashion easy to read older book. To many side stories and the main characters fell in love before they barely met but all in all as not terrible.
June 17, 2019
An easy read; finished it in a few hours.
September 21, 2019
Light Edwardian romance. Listened on audio and was enjoyable to listen to while doing things around the house.
July 13, 2020
This was a cute and lighthearted story. I like M. C. Beaton. I’ve read some of her other books. The narrator is ok.
April 16, 2021
2:5 stars
May 19, 2021
The heroin is a lying snob who is ashamed of her poor, hard working family.
June 15, 2021
Catalogue Audible
AUDIOBOOK: Read 12 & 14 June 2021
5hrs 59min
Narrator: Charlotte Anne Dore does a good job
It was kinda boring up to the end when the father meets the Duchess and made me laugh out loud a couple of times with his remarks.
Not worth a re-reading.
AUDIOBOOK: Read 12 & 14 June 2021
5hrs 59min
Narrator: Charlotte Anne Dore does a good job
It was kinda boring up to the end when the father meets the Duchess and made me laugh out loud a couple of times with his remarks.
Not worth a re-reading.
February 2, 2023
Delightful fun with cranky supporting characters.
August 27, 2023
Inauspicious start, but Polly learns to be less selfish and snobbish and becomes more lovable.
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