Judith knew that her assignment in Switzerland, translating for a big engineering firm, was going to be a challenge. But just how much of a challenge she didn't realize, until she met the stern head of the firm, Dieter Steiner, who believed only a man could tackle the job. So Judith had to prove him wrong!
This could have been a five star if not for the casual racism (hey, it's a vintage romance, remember?) and the fact that I needed the insufferable OW brought down a peg ON rather than off the page.
Everything else in this bickerfest, office romance between a strong, opinionated, unfiltered, English heroine and the cold, machine-like, Swiss hero that she soon thaws out, to his immense delight, worked.
The hero was NOT a manwhore, quite to the contrary. He was a workaholic who was truly fascinated with his engineering field, to the exclusion of normal, warm human relations. I 100% believed that he gradually fell in love for the first time in his life because the heroine brought much needed spice, life, and laughter to his mechanical, ordered, humorless existence.
The heroine was equally dedicated and interested in her own field as an international translator. Plus, the fact that she loved to tinker with machines and probably would have become an engineer in her own right had she been born in a different era, made her a true soul mate to the hero.
I lost count of how many times the heroine hilariously told off the hero, the OW, the OM, and pretty much all the secondary and tertiary characters who were rude to her. She didn't let anyone get away with anything and I loved her for that.
I also liked the hero because he wasn't afraid to show his repulsion to the OW who wouldn't be stopped by the proverbial black hole. He defended the heroine time and time again, to the OW's seething wrath.
In the midst of all the bickering, there were many moments of casual affection, friendship, and shy romanticism between the protagonists, such as when the hero quotes the Book of Judith to the namesake heroine, telling her indirectly that there is no woman walking the earth who is as beautiful and has such a sense of words. Cute because the heroine is a translator and has a unique affinity for the sense of words. Hilarious because the biblical Judith the hero refers to was so fierce, she cut off her nemesis' head in order to free her people. The hero admits that he makes the heroine so angry at times, he could push her to decapitate him :)
A very nice, entertaining read that made me chuckle out loud a number of times.
Set in Switzerland, this is a lovely vintage featuring a workaholic hero with a skepticism about women in his factory and an English translator heroine who proves him wrong again and again. And to give him credit, he doesn’t seem to mind. 😊
By the end of the story she has: *quickly and efficiently translated instruction manuals for complicated machinery *befriended his sister *routed the OW and wanna be OM’s (including a handsy Italian engineer) *defended the H against an industrial spy *driven H all over when he has a sprained wrist *hiked up a mountain with him
Reread, Just as enjoyable as the last time I read it. Judith gets a little silly towards the end with her protestations when she misunderstands. Fortunately Deiter sees through her, and he really could have rethought what he said. So the ending was a little awqward but still sweet. I loved the way Deiter pronounced Judith's name, 'chewed-it' with his Swiss accent. ................ Such a refreshing read. Kinda like a Betty Neels but the h had MUCH more gumption. Judy is thrilled to be a last minute replacement for a translation job in Switzerland. She is used to men not taking her seriously in her job as it is translation for mechanical manuals, but Dieter is ready to send her packing the moment he realizes she's a woman. I LOVED the way she stood her ground with him!!! All through the story she holds her ground with aplomb... even against the bitchy OW wannabe. *he-he* it was delightful!
It's a laid back read, with interesting side characters, and of course, the enigmatic Dieter.
The story slowly unfolds and before you know it, they are sharing smiles and almost kisses.
There's a fair bit of info about machinery and the sites of Switzerland, but it was all interesting and didn't wander into boring territory (at least not for me).
Safety is all good p.s. Unfortunately this author only wrote 2 (maybe 3) books. Bummer.
"A Sense of Words" is the story of Judith and Dieter.
Our hero is a successful linguistic translator, who is sent on an assignment to Switzerland. She finds herself employed by the hero, a German man who is unhappy with her gender and questions her qualifications. She proves herself to be an efficient worker, and is allowed to stay on as a guest in his home. Most of the book is her sparring with primary and secondary characters to prove herself, and there is barely any romance between the MCs until the very end. The hero is obsessed with his work, the heroine by hers. I think you'd like this book if you like independent and feminist heroines from the 1970s who slayed with their words.
This was lavishly, relentlessly, aggressively boring. It was so boring that I HAD to keep reading to find the twist. Is this some sort of endurance test where only the most determined vintage romance connoisseurs makes it to the over the top amazing unexpected HEA?? Surely, there’s some wild turn? Right? Am I being trolled? But no, the conclusion was just as pointedly dull as the rest of the book. What an odd reading experience. 🫠
An enjoyable read with likeable characters.Judith is a translator mainly specialized in German and French and ia sent ro Switzerland on an assignment.The hero Deiter is an engineer and owner of a manufacturing company who is not keen on a women translator but Judith proves him wrong with her knowledge and experience. What follows is interesting and how they clash against each other.Deiter's sister Verena is a very likeable character who brings humor to the story.An Excellent read with a good description of Switzerland.
I think this is what I would describe as a pleasant read, nothing too taxing. It was very tame and probably would not offend most readers. Judith is a very capable young woman she’s described a number of times in this by different characters, but she’s tall statuesque with a large or voluptuous build quite an Amazon, she’s a determined character and doesn’t allow others to walk all over her, I liked her. She’s a translator and is sent to do a job at the hero’s engineering factory in Switzerland, needless to say he was expecting a man. I found the hero a bit of a cold fish and I wasn’t feeling the chemistry. Apart from that this has a good storyline and well formed supporting characters. I felt this ended rather abruptly but apart from that and the fact that I would have liked the OW to have got her marching orders as well as her obnoxious brother. This was okay.
This was a little too much of a Swiss travelogue and engineering technical writing/translation how-to book. The heroine was a genius and should have been praised much more! I loved the her and did find a lot of her job interesting. A lot of time was spent on the sexism h encountered which was both fascinating in a "WOW" 🤦♀️kind of way and sickening too. The Italian who like pinching the women's bottoms needed a good knee in the groin!
I would have also liked to see the OW create more angst. Author led us to think there would be underhanded dealings which didn't really occur. I also wish H's sister's romance had been finalized with a proposal. I liked the Beta Hero and his nerdy ways!! Nice change of pace for a HP book. Sadly the romance was almost nonexistent until last few pages. 😞
Several times I’ve tried reading this book because of the good reviews, but the beginning is so boring that I have to force myself to keep reading. DNF.
This was delightfully vintage in the best sense. The h, Judith, a technical translator, goes on assignment to Switzerland to Dieter Steiner's machine factory. Let's pause at this point to relish a romance between two people with almost normal jobs. I'm a big fan of a Teutonic H, rational, cool, stern, obsessed with order. The polar opposite of your HP latin lover. The way they've fallen out of fashion in romance suggests my taste might have become a bit niche. How I love a display of stiff upper lip, self control, restraint and emotional continence. In this case both of the leads were sane, sensible yet nevertheless powerfully and discreetly attracted. There are no sex scenes, very little kissing, lots of realistic translation/engineering stuff, very nice and detailed (but not overdone) Swiss travelogue - it sounds boring, no? and yet I read very happily along to the end, confident that I was in the hands of an intelligent and knowledgeable writer. Judith in particular was a fabulous lass - assertive, mature and resourceful. The feminist message was loud and clear. It said it was published in 76, and I definitely remember the battle still being waged over women in the workplace. So depressingly recent. Will check out this author's catalogue.
You know, I kinda liked this one. Technically minded, tall, statuesque (or fat, depending who's talking) heroine has to convince sexist engineer boss that she knows her shit. Which of course she does. It's also nice to read a 1970s romance with a stuffy, somewhat repressed but respectful hero (minus the sexism), rather than a rapey one.
A Sense of Words was a genuinely lovely story. I enjoy Betty Neels romances enormously, and this had much of the same gentle, old-fashioned sweetness that makes her books so comforting. However, it also had slightly more passion and considerably more humour.
In a Betty Neels romance, there is often very little physical affection on the page beyond the occasional kiss. Here, there is a little more kissing and more open acknowledgement of sexual attraction, while still remaining very traditional in tone.
The heroine is also livelier than the typical Betty Neels heroine. Even when Betty Neels writes strong women, they tend to have a certain meekness, vulnerability or reserve. Judy is more outspoken. She laughs often, has a good sense of humour and knows how to laugh things off when necessary, which keeps both her character and the story entertaining.
Judy is a translator who is sent to Switzerland to work with a Swiss machine-manufacturing company. Her assignment is to translate the operating manuals for its machinery.
Dieter, the factory owner, is immediately displeased when she arrives. He had assumed the translator would be a man and doubts that a woman will understand the engineering well enough to produce accurate technical manuals.
Judy quickly challenges that assumption. She explains her experience, including her practical, hands-on familiarity with machinery, and persuades him to give her a chance. Dieter remains deeply sceptical at first, but she repeatedly proves him wrong.
That dynamic was great fun. Dieter is not portrayed as a rampant misogynist. He simply has never encountered a woman capable of disproving his assumptions so consistently. Whenever Judy demonstrates that she knows exactly what she is doing, he generally accepts it in good humour.
I particularly enjoyed watching Judy become integrated into both his professional and personal life. Her work matters to the story, and we see her fitting naturally into the factory rather than merely being given a career as background decoration.
She also ends up staying at Dieter’s family home with his younger sister. This creates the sort of gentle, slice-of-life development I enjoy, as Judy notices the details of his daily life and gradually finds her place within it. She also helps his sister recognise a more suitable romantic match.
There is a little other-man and other-woman drama, but it never becomes heavy or unpleasant. One woman in particular is determined to secure Dieter for herself, although he has no interest in her whatsoever.
Dieter is continually forced to devise clever ways of avoiding the woman’s clutches, sometimes using Judy’s presence to help him escape. This gives Judy and Dieter a private joke to share and adds a charming touch of humour to their growing relationship.
I found the entire book extremely difficult to put down. I wanted to inhale the story and remain inside its lovely, cosy atmosphere. It reminded me of all the qualities I enjoy most in Betty Neels, while adding enough humour, liveliness and passion to give it an identity of its own.
That surprised me slightly because I generally gravitate towards much more angsty romances. A Sense of Words contains very little dramatic angst, yet I remained completely absorbed.
There is some gentle pining once Judy realises she has fallen in love with Dieter. He appears to be a confirmed bachelor with no intention of entering a relationship, while Judy knows her project will eventually end and she will have to return to England.
From Judy’s perspective, Dieter gives no clear sign that he returns her feelings. As readers, however, we gradually begin recognising the evidence. He is far more attracted to her than she realises and is exercising considerable restraint.
I loved watching that slowly become apparent. Given that the novel was published in 1976 and has such a traditional setting and outlook, there is something especially satisfying about seeing Dieter quietly struggling to control how strongly he wants her.
His eventual confession is lovely. He admits that he has been mad about Judy and has wanted to ask her to marry him for some time. The only reason he waited was because she worked for him and he feared that, if she rejected him, the remainder of the project would become awkward for them both.
That gives Dieter his own believable fear of loss. Beneath his confidence and restraint, he was afraid she might say no and that he would still have to continue working beside her afterwards.
The romance develops subtly and naturally. Nothing feels forced or artificially inserted to move the plot forward. Judy and Dieter are both lovely characters, and their relationship grows through work, domestic life, humour, mutual respect and gradually increasing attraction.
The pacing is excellent, the emotions are present without being overdone, and nothing in the story grated on my nerves. That is quite rare for me, and it is why I am giving the book five stars.
I enjoyed it so much that I immediately looked to see what else Madeleine Charlton had written, only to discover that she appears to have published about four books in total. That was genuinely disappointing because I would have been eager to read much more from her.
I now hope to track down the rest of her books. I only wish she had written more.
Overall, A Sense of Words is a warm, funny, gently romantic and wonderfully satisfying story. It captures much of the cosy appeal of a Betty Neels romance while giving its heroine more humour and spirit and allowing slightly more passion into the relationship.
It was a lovely reading experience from beginning to end.
A surprising astounding read, did not expect to enjoy so much. The h was great, I really liked her and the H was normal (not a psycho or douchebag) that for a leading man of a Harlequin set in the 1970s it is a rare thing. I felt the chemistry between them and I enjoyed the interactions with the supporting characters. The setting was also nice. This was the first Harlequin set in Switzerland I have read.
This is a well written love story, with characters that are richly developed. The setting in Switzerland adds charm not only for the scenic beauty but for the culture of a nation with three official languages and multiple district dialects. Judy is a translator with an aptitude for engineering and she's excited for her very first out of country assignment to translate a technical manual for a prominent manufacturing company. Dieter is surprised when Judy proves her aptitude and ability to do the job requested. He's a workaholic and a talented inventor, with little interest in romantic relationships. Judy's bluntness takes him aback and makes him aware of how he's perceived as cold and unemotional. There are moments where it's pretty obvious (though not to Judy) that he is smitten. I'm sad that Ms. Charlton has published only three romances, hopefully I can find a copy of the other two. This is a gem and Dieter and Judy's HEA is a delight.
There was a lovely sense of place as we go with the heroine to Switzerland and enjoy the beauties of lakes, mountains, and quaint villages. I loved the h and enjoyed the details of her translating job and the smart way she handled herself with machines and engineering.
The h had to fend off judgement from the H who thinks only a man could do her job, from her coworkers, the evil OW who was an awful hag. And acquitted herself beautifully and takes them all down a peg or two.
The romance was sweet, and built slowly until the final act where we get all the romance and avowals of love. A great read!
Note: This was a clean read, kisses only. 100% safe for me.
Nice vintage romance. I loved that the h was independent, kickass brilliant at her job, and gave the H exactly what he threw at her. Not a fan of the author's non-PC stereotypes of Italians and Arabs. Safe chaste romance with a kiss or two towards the end. The funniest bit was that the German-Swiss H's pronunciation of the h's name Judith... initially the h noted that it was "Chewed-it" and later "Choody". I had a laugh reading those parts out loud.
Good. A good read. This features a sexist hero (whom I did not like initially) and a truly competent heroine (who I liked). She is talented in languages, is able to prove her mettle to the hero, is able to handle flirtations with ease, is able to confront and handle the OW, her snobby brother, the hateful co-worker, and hero's sister. The descriptions of the Alps and the tourists areas were also wonderful to read.
Judith knew that her assignment in Switzerland, translating for a big engineering firm, was going to be a challenge. But just how much of a challenge she didn't realize, until she met the stern head of the firm, Dieter Steiner, who believed only a man could tackle the job. So Judith had to prove him wrong!
A delightful read! So much more romantic than I anticipated! I love a woman who has more of a life and self esteem than to have only one thing on her mind. This heroine had a gift for languages and work ethic that endeared and surprised those around her. The workaholic grumpy hero became a little more than that as the story progressed. This had all of the vintage charm I enjoy!
Worth reading for the smart heroine, the different setting and the happy ending. It would have been 4 stars but I think the heroine could have done better and the OW was annoying.
the beginning was perfect . the FMC was too insecure and dieter became too charming , KEEP HIM A MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but the last page is like deutchaboo cocaine