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Never Call It Loving
1958. First Edition. 189 pages. No dust jacket. This is an ex-Library book. Brown cloth. Library copy, with expected inserts and inscriptions. Pages are moderately tanned with visible foxing. Moderate cracking to gutters and rear hinge. Notable water stain to front endpaper. Boards have light edgewear with corner crushing and notable marking to boards. Notable sunning to board edges and spine, which has mild crushing to ends.
- GenresHarlequin Romance
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1958
19 people want to read
About the author
Marjorie Lewty
89 books19 followersMarjorie Lewty, née Lobb, was a British writer of short stories and over 45 romance novels from 1958 to 1999 to Mills & Boon.
She studied at Queen Mary High School in Liverpool, but her plans to study sciences at university were thwarted, when her father died. She was forced to take a hated job at secretary of the District Bank Ltd. from 1923 to 1933, when she married with Richard Arthur Lewty, a dental surgeon of Liverpool. They had one son and one daughter. After her marriage she began to write short stories which were published in magazines. In 1958, she sold her first romance novel to Mills & Boon, and her last novel in 1999.
She studied at Queen Mary High School in Liverpool, but her plans to study sciences at university were thwarted, when her father died. She was forced to take a hated job at secretary of the District Bank Ltd. from 1923 to 1933, when she married with Richard Arthur Lewty, a dental surgeon of Liverpool. They had one son and one daughter. After her marriage she began to write short stories which were published in magazines. In 1958, she sold her first romance novel to Mills & Boon, and her last novel in 1999.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 29, 2020
'Never Call It Loving' was my introduction to Marjorie Lewty and it's a reasonable template, in terms of the chintzy tone and honey sweet story-line, for most of her older titles (e.g. The Short Engagement and The Lucky One).
The story opens with starry-eyed twenty-one year-old heroine Mandy Fenn attending the wedding of her best-friend and room-mate, Eileen. We learn that Mandy, now working as a secretary at Edmund Marsden & Co., Tea Importers, grew up in a Children's Home, her natural mother having abandoned her at Victoria Station (a la Jack Worthing ('Ernest') in The Importance of Being Earnest - presumably Lewty was an Oscar Wilde fan). For the past two-years Mandy has considered herself good as engaged to Robin Marsh, a young man with 'golden hair' and 'teasing blue eyes' who is working abroad, in Nyasaland (modern-day Malawi) for the same tea company employing the heroine.
Alas, Robin has neglected to write during the past three-months and Mandy is feeling increasingly unsettled, fretting that he has forgotten her. It's in this frame of mind that she meets the best-man at Eileen's wedding, Sir Simon Derrington. Sir Simon is standing in for the groom's brother. He's thirty-ish and belongs to the post-war land-rich, cash-poor English gentry. Like Eileen's fiancee, Richard Barratt, Simon is a farmer of sorts - growing acres of roses commercially. Simon is a cool customer and Mandy finds his compelling grey eyes and impersonal scrutiny unnerving. Fortunately, she learns during the wedding reception that Robin is due back later that day, which allows her to wrap herself entirely in a happy haze and largely ignore Sir Simon.
The returned Robin, however, is not so happy at their reunion; he's suffering from a tropical malady. While running a fever he cries out for 'Nicola' causing Mandy, who's devotedly helping to nurse him, some angst. Unwilling to ease her blinkers off though, she decides that his ramblings shouldn't disturb her, since 'Nicola' is likely a character from a novel or film. As Robin recovers, a period of convalescence is suggested, and newly married Eileen offers to host them with her and Richard at their farmhouse, Willowmead. Loathe to bury himself in the countryside, moody Robin only agrees to a holiday there once he learns a famous American film producer has a hired a neighbouring property.
After only a day at Willowmead, alarm bells are ringing in all heads, except Mandy's. She thinks it's Robin's illness that has prevented them recapturing the 'old magic'. When, however, Sir Simon - who lives nearby - asks Robin casually if he ever met Edmund Marsden and his daughter Nicola while he was in Nyasaland, and Robin denies knowing their employer or his daughter, Mandy feels suddenly that she's 'sustained a heavy blow'. From that point onward, matters between the 'engaged-ish' couple begin a down-hill descent.
While Robin subsequently explains Nicola Marden away to Mandy as a 'man hunting female' he encountered while posted to East Africa - a revelation that prompts Mandy to rashly throw in her job with Marden's - his behaviour does little to quench her fears for their future. Increasingly, Robin spends all his time with the neighbouring Americans and, particularly, their elegant daughter - Virgina Randt - telling Mandy that since he's chucked his job in with Marsden's, he intends to become a film actor. Making nice with the American family, Robin tells the over-trusting Mandy is simply 'networking'. Eileen, her husband and Sir Simon, however, are unconvinced by this explanation. When Mandy is called to the Children's Home in London for a few nights as child she'd particularly befriended is in hospital, it's no surprise to them that Robin promptly packs his bags and moves into the film producer's house - Cherrytrees.
When Mandy returns, she arranges with Sir Simon for Pip to convalesce at the institution he's rented the Derrington family home to. Sir Simon, however, has other ideas and installs Pip in his own home, the Dower House, under the care of his housekeeper. Naturally, this means Mandy spends a good deal of time at Simon's home and, since Robin has deserted her to stay at Cherrytrees, they see very little of one another until the Randt's throw a party inviting all their neighbours. That night, Mandy not only meets Nicola Marsden, who doesn't appear at all like a 'man-eater' but she also spots Robin and Virginia Randt locked in an embrace. The following morning, she's woken by the news that Robin and Virginia have eloped.
Devastated, Mandy tries to put a brave face on it - her daily visits to the Dower House to see Pip help to sustain her through the period as does Sir Simon's suggestion that she act as his secretary. Eventually, she comes to value Simon's friendship more and more, so that before she know's it she's fallen for him. But Mandy is convinced (incorrectly) that Simon will soon marry Nicola Marsden (who has apprised her of Robin's whole sordid history in East Africa and made the heroine realise she had a fortunate escape). Feeling she'll soon be a third wheel, Mandy decides she must return to London and begin afresh. Her attempt at doing a bunk, however, isn't overly successful and instead she finds herself held steadfastly in Simon's arms at a horticultural show where he's just carried off first prize and named his new hybrid rose after her.
While 'Never Call It Loving' is nearly as sugary throughout as it's candy-floss like 'happy ever after', Lewty does write well and the novel is an engaging, if very twee tale - I'm rating the book a three-and-a-half star vintage romance read.
The story opens with starry-eyed twenty-one year-old heroine Mandy Fenn attending the wedding of her best-friend and room-mate, Eileen. We learn that Mandy, now working as a secretary at Edmund Marsden & Co., Tea Importers, grew up in a Children's Home, her natural mother having abandoned her at Victoria Station (a la Jack Worthing ('Ernest') in The Importance of Being Earnest - presumably Lewty was an Oscar Wilde fan). For the past two-years Mandy has considered herself good as engaged to Robin Marsh, a young man with 'golden hair' and 'teasing blue eyes' who is working abroad, in Nyasaland (modern-day Malawi) for the same tea company employing the heroine.
Alas, Robin has neglected to write during the past three-months and Mandy is feeling increasingly unsettled, fretting that he has forgotten her. It's in this frame of mind that she meets the best-man at Eileen's wedding, Sir Simon Derrington. Sir Simon is standing in for the groom's brother. He's thirty-ish and belongs to the post-war land-rich, cash-poor English gentry. Like Eileen's fiancee, Richard Barratt, Simon is a farmer of sorts - growing acres of roses commercially. Simon is a cool customer and Mandy finds his compelling grey eyes and impersonal scrutiny unnerving. Fortunately, she learns during the wedding reception that Robin is due back later that day, which allows her to wrap herself entirely in a happy haze and largely ignore Sir Simon.
The returned Robin, however, is not so happy at their reunion; he's suffering from a tropical malady. While running a fever he cries out for 'Nicola' causing Mandy, who's devotedly helping to nurse him, some angst. Unwilling to ease her blinkers off though, she decides that his ramblings shouldn't disturb her, since 'Nicola' is likely a character from a novel or film. As Robin recovers, a period of convalescence is suggested, and newly married Eileen offers to host them with her and Richard at their farmhouse, Willowmead. Loathe to bury himself in the countryside, moody Robin only agrees to a holiday there once he learns a famous American film producer has a hired a neighbouring property.
After only a day at Willowmead, alarm bells are ringing in all heads, except Mandy's. She thinks it's Robin's illness that has prevented them recapturing the 'old magic'. When, however, Sir Simon - who lives nearby - asks Robin casually if he ever met Edmund Marsden and his daughter Nicola while he was in Nyasaland, and Robin denies knowing their employer or his daughter, Mandy feels suddenly that she's 'sustained a heavy blow'. From that point onward, matters between the 'engaged-ish' couple begin a down-hill descent.
While Robin subsequently explains Nicola Marden away to Mandy as a 'man hunting female' he encountered while posted to East Africa - a revelation that prompts Mandy to rashly throw in her job with Marden's - his behaviour does little to quench her fears for their future. Increasingly, Robin spends all his time with the neighbouring Americans and, particularly, their elegant daughter - Virgina Randt - telling Mandy that since he's chucked his job in with Marsden's, he intends to become a film actor. Making nice with the American family, Robin tells the over-trusting Mandy is simply 'networking'. Eileen, her husband and Sir Simon, however, are unconvinced by this explanation. When Mandy is called to the Children's Home in London for a few nights as child she'd particularly befriended is in hospital, it's no surprise to them that Robin promptly packs his bags and moves into the film producer's house - Cherrytrees.
When Mandy returns, she arranges with Sir Simon for Pip to convalesce at the institution he's rented the Derrington family home to. Sir Simon, however, has other ideas and installs Pip in his own home, the Dower House, under the care of his housekeeper. Naturally, this means Mandy spends a good deal of time at Simon's home and, since Robin has deserted her to stay at Cherrytrees, they see very little of one another until the Randt's throw a party inviting all their neighbours. That night, Mandy not only meets Nicola Marsden, who doesn't appear at all like a 'man-eater' but she also spots Robin and Virginia Randt locked in an embrace. The following morning, she's woken by the news that Robin and Virginia have eloped.
Devastated, Mandy tries to put a brave face on it - her daily visits to the Dower House to see Pip help to sustain her through the period as does Sir Simon's suggestion that she act as his secretary. Eventually, she comes to value Simon's friendship more and more, so that before she know's it she's fallen for him. But Mandy is convinced (incorrectly) that Simon will soon marry Nicola Marsden (who has apprised her of Robin's whole sordid history in East Africa and made the heroine realise she had a fortunate escape). Feeling she'll soon be a third wheel, Mandy decides she must return to London and begin afresh. Her attempt at doing a bunk, however, isn't overly successful and instead she finds herself held steadfastly in Simon's arms at a horticultural show where he's just carried off first prize and named his new hybrid rose after her.
While 'Never Call It Loving' is nearly as sugary throughout as it's candy-floss like 'happy ever after', Lewty does write well and the novel is an engaging, if very twee tale - I'm rating the book a three-and-a-half star vintage romance read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2023
Lovely vintage romance complete with English village, orphans, OM, very nice pseudo OW, housekeeper with lumbago
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews