The Bay of the Nightingales

Tawhai Hills #3

by Essie Summers

Margot Chesterton had travelled to New Zealand to look for her long-lost father - but Pierre Laveroux persisted in believing that her motive was a more sinister one. Which was a pity, as Margot would so much have preferred him to have a good opinion of her!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Harlequin Romance

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Essie Summers was a New Zealand author who wrote so vividly of the people and landscape of her native country that she was offered The Order Of the British Empire for her contributions to New Zealand tourism.

Ethel Snelson Summers was born on on July 24, 1912 to a newly-emigrated couple, Ethel Snelson and Edwin Summers, situated in Bordesley Street in Christchurch, Essie was always proud of both her British heritage and her New Zealand citizenship. Both her parents were exceptional storytellers, and this, combined with her early introduction to the Anne of Green Gables stories, engendered in her a life-long fascination with the craft of writing and the colorful legacy of pioneers everywhere.

Leaving school at 14 when her father's butcher shop experienced financial difficulties, she worked for a number of years in draper's shops and later turned her experiences to good use in writing the romantic novels for which she became famous.

She met her husband-to-be William Flett when she was only 13 years old, but it was 13 years before she consented to marry him. A minister's wife and the mother of two, William and Elizabeth, she still found many opportunities to pen short stories, poetry and newspaper columns before embarking on her first novel, which sold to the firm of Mills & Boon in 1956.

Summers died in Taradale, Hawkes Bay on the August 27, 1998.

http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/...

Reviews

[Fiona Marsden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like a should have liked this more. It had all the things I like in an Essie Summer's but it sort of annoyed me that she thought she loved her boyfriend more than he loved her. When she's met the hot new guy and finds herself thinking of him and missing him and still thinks the ex was the love of her life. A bit TSTL.

Other than that I enjoyed the read and the cast of characters. Loved the hero Pierre who was part French and a bit passionate about everything. This was pretty much the story. He misunderstands something, flies off the handle but is over it quickly when he finds out the truth. Margot is less forgiving which is probably just as well or they would have been married in chapter two. It was obvious Pierre was smitten.

The sub plot about Margot searching for her father was quite nicely done and very satisfactory. A nice story but didn't get me excited.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read Harlequin Romances by the crateload when I was in high school some 40 years ago...a friend of mine just moved to New Zealand and has been sending back photos, and I took a hankering to read some of the Essie Summers books again, as my early impression of New Zealand (where I have yet to travel) was formed. I was curious about the descriptions of the landscape, mainly. The landscapes as described by Summers do seem to fit the photos that I've been seeing. The story was pretty ridiculous--even for an admittedly formulaic romance. The whole thing hinges on a misunderstanding that could not possibly have been sustained more than 10 minutes, so we either have to think that the main character is an idiot or that pretty much everyone else is. Definitely did not hold up on a second read.

[Last Chance Saloon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one is really forgettable. The heroine (25) dates the hero in England, not because she likes him, but because she wants to pass the time whilst her heart is breaking because she cannot marry the man she does love (he sensibly loves someone else). She goes to New Zealand to find the father she did not know she had, and he turns up rather hurt because she ditched him by letter then forgot him, but he always forgives her. It felt like she settled for the hero, even though he was a catch and she was not.
As you can tell, I did not like the heroine (selfish), and I didn't like the story much.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

4½ Stars

Mills & Boon had a remarkable talent for scouting out master story tellers. Ms. Summers was such a master. In these stories, the characters come alive, and the surroundings and events play integral parts. This love story is another gem, though early on there were some sections that lagged but happily passed quickly into the grips of the story again. Pierre and Margot were destined to be together. Their's is an enchanting journey to HEA, and I hope Ms. Summers has continued that HEA in other storie

[Claudia Breland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I want to visit New Zealand! This is exactly the sort of cozy read to take you far away from turmoil. And with a family history puzzle included.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A letter from her recently-deceased uncle turns Margot's life upside-down -- literally. Learning that she may have a father living in New Zealand who is unaware of her existence, she travels there to see if she can at least determine his circumstances. But fate steps in with the perfect job for her, helping to open and operate a small museum.

[Keren Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some really great dialogue and wonderful descriptive writing.