Dedication Jones

by Kate Norway

It was a big decision for Didi she must choose between her interesting new job as staff nurse and settling down as her fiance wanted! But if she were really in love with him why would there be any difficulty making up her mind? Actually, it was her heart that solved the problem!

160 pages, Softcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Olive M. Norton -- She was born in 1913 and passed away in 1973.

She published under the names ~
Bess Norton
Hilary Neal
Kate Norway

Reviews

[JR · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've said it before; Olive Norton (aka Kate Norway, Bess Norton, Hilary Neal) titles can be hit and miss. 'Dedication Jones' - published later than others I've read by the author - is a 'miss'. Albeit it's not a dreadful one - the book is readable, but as another reviewer notes, it doesn't qualify as a 'page-turner'.

In fact its story-line is essentially a watered down version of an earlier Kate Norway title The Morning Star; the male protagonists in both books are older, Welsh-born psychiatrists and the youngish nursing heroines initially are both engaged to non-medical 'other men' characters. However, whereas 'The Morning Star' has a mystery element that maintains reader interest, 'Dedication Jones' doesn't, so that its plot-line is pretty pedestrian and predictable (even for the genre!) In a nutshell; hospital nurse Delia Jones (aka. Didi) has gotten engaged to well-heeled local businessman, Geoff Lockyer, from habit as much as anything else. When Geoff tires of the hospital rigmarole around night shifts etc., he tells Didi it's time they married, causing her to freak out. Didi has no desire to stop working, particularly since she's become Staff Nurse on the Psychosomatic Ward where good looking consultant, Dr. Dwyryd Ffestin-Jones, is introducing her to psychiatry (even nabbing her pocket watch to hypnotise a patient). Admittedly, Didi's fiancee Geoff is a slightly dodgy building contractor, but she isn't exactly gentle with him. Her relief when he falls for a more suitable young lady, even if it happens when he's in ICU after being attacked on a housing site, is palpable. Single again, all is looking rosy for Didi, until she lands in hot-water for administering antibiotics to a patient who's allergic. The hero decides to cover for her, and promptly lands himself in trouble with the Hospital medical board. Depressed at his subsequent coolness toward her, Didi goes down with a bad 'flu and refuses to buck-up until Dr. Dwyryd pays her a home visit and clears the air between them = HEA.

I'm rating 'Dedication Jones' a three-star vintage romance read - and mind it only just scrapes in. The novel is not one of Olive's better titles, and I'd recommend instead locating a copy of either 'The Morning Star' or A Nourishing Life.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3½ Stars

This is a charming romance written in the heroine's first person point of view. I usually skip romances in the first person, especially from an author I'm not familiar with. Ms Norway has a lovely writing voice, and the story flows very well.

This is the story of Didi, a newly registered staff nurse. Her first position is in the Isolation Ward, where contagious patients and patients with mental issues are sent. The psychiatric consultant in charge is a Welshman, who instantly draws her interest. Didi is engaged to Geoff, a young civil engineer working for his father's construction firm. Geoff's eager for her to quit her job and marry him, but Didi has just been registered and wants to work for a year, and hopefully part-time after their married. Didi's father works for the Council and is investigating construction firms and the graft offered to inspectors in order to win contracts. When Didi asks Geoff about his own practices, she's shocked to learn that he's not too bothered with a bit of gifting for favours. This wakes Didi up and she starts to question her feelings for Geoff, and wondering why she's always so eager to see Dr Jones.

Didi and Dwy don't actually go on a date and their first kiss isn't until they are about to declare their love for each other. Yet the romance works for me because of the wonderful characterizations of people involved, from the patients to the nurses and physicians. This is a charming story that I found a pleasure to read.

[Mlmoore · Rating 2 out of 5]

So far I am on about the 4th page and hope the book isn't boring all the way through. I have been reading it for about 3 days, because it is deffinately not one of those that I cannot put down.