Yours to Command

by Mary Burchell

Imagine what a shock it was for Sydney to discover that the newly appointed Headmaster of the boys' school at which she was matron was none other than her ex-fiancé, Hugh Lulworth, whom she had not been able to forget!

Tormented by her love for Hugh, it was no wonder that she sought comfort in the warm sympathetic understanding of Lucas Manning, the famous actor. She was enjoying her work and was romantically entwined with Lucas, whose two young wards were in her care.

Would Hugh's arrival change her whole life again?

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Romance, Harlequin

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Ida Cook was born on 1904 at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland, England. With her eldest sister Mary Louise Cook (1901), she attending the Duchess' School in Alnwick. Later the sisters took civil service jobs in London, and developed a passionate interest in opera. The sisters helped 29 jews to escape from the Nazis, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965, the Cook sisters were honored as Righteous Gentiles by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Israel.

As Mary Burchell, she published more than 125 romance novels by Mills & Boon since 1936. She also wrote some western novels as James Keene in collaboration with the author Will Cook (aka Frank Peace). In 1950, Ida Cook wrote her autobiography: "We followed our stars". She helped to found the Romantic Novelists' Association, and was its president from 1966 to her death on December 22, 1986.

Reviews

[Anuradha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sydney is a good family girl. Gave up her marriage plans because her dad and younger brothers were in need of her support. The spurned fiance is the OM. 6 months later, daddy remarries, so Sydney is a free bird, free to pursue her career, her dreams.

She lands a prim and proper job as the matron of a residential boys school. Some cute kids, and cute banter in the story.

So who's the hero then? Lucas Manning, a popular playright, a regular face in many of Mary Burchell's tales, as a guest character. This story is about his own HEA. Lucas has 2 nephews in Sydney's school.

Now, bring in a whole lot of twists and turns in the story aided by convenient coincidences. That's Mary Burchell for you.

OM comes to the school as the new head master. He has his own new fiance in tow. The OW is the mother of hero's nephews, she also lands in the school by chance. That's enough fodder for 7-8 chapters.

After tangling the leads in their respective jealousy tropes, the author sorts out everything in the end. With a nice HEA confession. But just like in many Mary Burchell books, even here , the heroine spends an inordinate amount of time making declarations of love for the OM !!! Then suddenly gets a brainwave about the poor hero in waiting.

Good, racy read with dramatic story telling. And a lovely , almost poetic use of the English language. I love her, Mary Burchell...

[Ellyn (Mrs. Darcy in my Dreams) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was disappointing for a Mary Burchell book. For more than 80% of the book she was still in love with her old fiancé who dumped her because she wouldn't abandon her family after her mom died. He didn't deserve the lack of bitterness she had toward him throughout their reunion. It was kind of nice to not know which guy would be the H.

[Erica Matthews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favorite Mary Burchell books, but still enjoyed it. There was more focus on domestic things rather than the romance between the main characters. I also lost patience with the heroine for taking so long to figure out what was so obvious!

[Margo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and angst-free, with some nice Burchell touches. Reader beware: Burchell's entertainers contain strong superficial streaks, which can be offputting, and the H has more than a little of that. Ultimately, though, he's a good guy and he's definitely in love with the h.

[Reading with Cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Sydney has a spine and stands up to not one, but two, OW (OWs?). Even the last minute Big Mis isn’t completely stupid and Lucas’ explanation for his behavior is a bit...flimsy.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sydney is a matron at a boarding school. She had reluctantly broken her engagement with Hugh over some family obligations before taking this job. Suddenly, the new Headmaster of the school arrives, and who is it? Hugh, of course, with his fiancée Marcia. Lucas Manning is the uncle of two boys who just started at the school. He's a famous stage actor in London. The boys' mother Anne comes back into their lives after a long absence. The boys think she is dead. There are some complicated intertwining relationships. Well developed characters.

I loved it! There are so many good books by this author. I had only intended to read two of them, When Love is Blind (Warrender #3) and Song Cycle (Warrender #1), which I read in that order. But by then, the Warrender books interested me. I moved onto others as well.

I couldn't pick a favorite book from all of them, but this is one of my favorites from her non-Warrender and non-Florian books.

This is the second time I've read this book since November.

These are the books which contain characters from Yours to Command:

Yours to Command, 1956
On the Air, 1956 X
Dear Sir, 1958
Dear Trustee, 1958


Edit to add on 3-18-25: I've come back to amend this review to state that I now consider Yours to Command to be a side part of the Florian books, as both Lucas and Florian appear in the next story, On the Air. Without reading Yours to Command, Lucas' small part in On the Air doesn't make the same sense as it does when the reader has already been introduced to his character. And it was an excuse to read this book a third time, as I am reading the Florian books from start to finish, now that I've collected all 6 of the books I know of with Florian as part of its plot. Now to reread On the Air.

Grey-eyed characters: Sydney (heroine) has grey-blue eyes

[Fiona Marsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this one because the hero is actor Lucas Manning who is mentioned in a number of other books that touch on the theatre including Dear Trustee in which the hero and heroine go to the theatre and he and his wife are pointed out.

This starts out as one of the fairly typical school based stories of the time. Why don't we have these any more. I can't remember the last hero who was a school teacher though heroine's can still be teachers. The heroine, Sydney, is Matron in an exclusive boys school and on almost the first day back she meets Lucas Manning through his nephews who have just started at the school.

At the time Sydney sees little significance in this, despite liking him and thinking his nephews are adorable. She likes him enough to use him as a confidant over something that is troubling her.

She has just found out that the love of her life, her former fiancé, Hugh, is about to arrive as headmaster of the school after a last minute change. And he isn't married.

Lucas is rather sweet and encouraging but when Hugh arrives, he brings his brand new fiancée, an old friend of them both.

This is not a full of drama story as Sydney deals with the fiancée's animosity, the complications of Lucas and the boys when their mother returns and the daily contact with Hugh.

Over all an enjoyable relaxing read with an interesting cast of characters and some cute interaction with the boys and their school friends.