Summer Mountain

by Dorothy Cork

Summer MountainIt was a bit daunting, Helen found, when she arrived in Australia to marry Nicky Jamieson only to discover that Nicky himself was abroad on a long holiday.But while she waited for his return, Helen made lots of other friends and met other men - among them Finn Ascroft, of whom Nicky's sister Corinne said firmly, "Finn Ascroft you will please leave alone..."

Genres: Harlequin Romance

192 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1972

About the author

As an author for Mills and Boon and later for Harlequin Romance, Dorothy Cork wrote 38 romance novels. She was born in 1918 and is still alive. Her first book was published in 1965 and the last in 1985.

Quite a number of her books have been translated into a diversity of languages: Japanese, Greek, Italian, French and so on.

She also wrote a number of short stories - about half of which were published in various Australian magazines.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been disappointed by a couple of Dorothy Cork's previous books, ("Butterfly Montane", "Island of Escape"), I went into this with lowered expectations. And then, I was pleasantly surprised! The book has absolutely lovely descriptions of Snowy Mountain in Australia, with the prose describing the mists, waterfalls, snowgum trees, and colorful flowers almost verging on the mystical. And Finn is a wonderfully kind, mature, caring, and compassionate hero. (If all Dorothy Cork's heroes were as good as he is, I wouldn't have approached this book so warily.) Recommended.

[Myrna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The h rushes to Australia to join her fiancé only to discover he’s changed his itinerary abruptly without telling anyone about their unofficial engagement. She has to wait for him to come back with everyone assuming she’s chasing him and forcing him to ditch continents just to get rid of her.
The H is a Good Samaritan that helps her.
Her fiancé’s family is atrocious. Everybody is making comments about the h’s fiancé but she’s parroting how much in love they are and that everyone is wrong. And keeps accepting invitations from the black sheep in the H’s family. The H has to save her several times.
The main couple hardly has a conversation. Then suddenly the h starts doubting her life’s choices. Finally her fiancé arrives unannounced. He’s furious she hasn’t made much progress with his mom, as he desperately needs his mom’s financial support. The h keeps making excuses for her fiancé even when she realizes he’s ready to marry a local heiress for a monetary gain. And still she stays by him and expects him to choose her.
I was so disappointed in her.
In the end the H claims her after she realizes she doesn’t mind her fiancé marrying a local heiress.
We don’t get to see the H much. At first you can think he’s only a gentleman helping a damsel in distress because of good manners. Then slowly you realize that he could have feelings for her. He’s suddenly angry and boorish. And she’s in love with Nicky while running around with Jeremy. And Richard.
That’s their relationship essentially.

[Last Chance Saloon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have rated higher if the OW and OM (sister and brother) had gotten some comeuppance - her for lying and being manipulative and him for being dismissive and manipulative. The hero is very nice (especially for Dorothy Cork), and some scenarios were enjoyable, but the OW, her mother and brother gave such a bad vibe that it was gloomy. The hero deserved better, although the heroine was nice enough.