1925. Attractive and strong-willed 23-year-old Isla Scott leaves her job as a nurse in Edinburgh to return to her hometown of Edgemuir and take up a vacancy at Dr Lorne's fashionable spa, where she is reunited with her handsome brother, Boyd. Revelling in her new role and being close to Boyd, all seems well for Isla and the Scott family. But the siblings soon find that romance threatens to cloud their future. Boyd is bowled over by pretty new waitress Trina Morris, but is she playing games with his affections? Meanwhile, the rest of the spa is falling under the spell of a new doctor, Grant Revie...but will Isla?
Anne Douglas is a wonderful story teller. Her stories are told at a nice even pace and don't feel rushed or too slow. I really enjoyed Nothing Ventured. This story is set in 1925. A time when women were slowly becoming more independent. This story is a romance but written with a sense of the times which reflected the innocence and sweetness of its characters.
O.K., I admit it. I'm a sucker for old-fashioned English/Scottish romantic fiction, the kind where the lovers spend much time only "kissing and caressing". Almost Downton-Abby-ish in its clothes and hairstyles, to say nothing of ethics, morals and the roles of women and employees, it's still a simple and "nice" story with (no spoiler here) a happy ending for all.
All a bit nearly done up and predictable really. Romance very typical of the time, women giving up there careers for marriage, annoyed me really. No wonder why woman today have trouble having careers. Old ideas die hard.