Under Joint Management

by Mary Burchell

"It never hurts to keep a man dangling, on the assumption that you areinterested in another man," Anne's employer told her with good-natured cynicism. "But it's taking a great risk to keep him waiting on interests of a family," In Anne's case, however, it was a risk that just had to be taken. To be sure, Gregory was sympathetic and understanding, but how far will any man be sympathetic and understanding if a girl keeps on putting her family first?

Genres: Romance

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1947

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 3 out of 5]

So is it a spicy love story? Yes, very much. But not between the leads!! The crux of the story is about the extra marital escapades of the hero's mother !$&@#@!!@#@@

If you haven't swooned in ridicule by now, read on ...

The heroine Anne and her family are short on money. So the two elder daughters have to work. Sara, the eldest is a clever one. Works as the hero's secretary.

Anne, the next one , that's the heroine for you, is the domestic goddess. She knows only the companion / housekeeper stuff. So that's the job she takes up. Where, with the hero's mom, of course.

Now, comes the meaty part of the tale. The mummy is a capricious middle aged woman. Has a perfectly good husband, and a smart son - the hero. But the travails of the idle rich you see. She is hankering after her childhood sweetheart !!! At the ripe age of 46 ;)))

I know most women reading these stories are in their 30s and 40s. So ladies, its still not too late to have a fling, at least in your mind !!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, the heroine plays chaperone cum conscience keeper and saves the older woman from doing anything stupid. Of course the lady steps back by herself, just in time.

So where is the love life of the heroine in all this ? It doesn't exist you see.

She does have a fiancé, her own childhood sweetheart. All that the poor guy asks for is a few minutes of her time. But our Anne is busy chaperoning the older lady or scrubbing her floor or feeding her family. She just doesn't make time for the fiancé, though till the last 20 pages of the story she maintains that she is looking forward to married life with the poor guy.

The only way out for the fiancé is to switch to the other sister. Which he does promptly, and the sister always fancied him , so that's alright then.

Now let's come to the only sane and immensely likeable character in the story - the hero. He gets Anne to accompany his mother. He protects both the women without being pushy or overbearing. His behavior towards Anne is impeccable, as long as she remains engaged to the poor fiancé. And finally, he seizes his chance as soon the engagement is off. Smart guy, sweet guy.

The love story between the leads is non-existent, added almost as an afterthought after the OM and the sister get together. The mummy story ends with her faith in holy matrimony restored. The book should have been an abject bore. But it wasn't.

That's a good writer for you. Just the sheer writing flow, wit and character + scene building keeps you hooked. May not be much of a love story, but it was a good story alright. 3 stars.

[Aarathi Burki · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a so-so book.There was hardly much interaction between hero and heroine through out the book and they just realize they love each other which I found hard to believe.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd little predictable book, which reads like historical romance now. (The paperback came out in the 70s but the book was originally published in 1947.) Not one of Mary Burchell's best.

[Xandri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing at first, then the heroine's complacency began to pall.