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Clothes-Pegs
Annabel Brown has taken a job in the sewing room at Bertna's, a high-end dressmaker, to help her family's finances. When one of the "mannequins" employed downstairs quits unexpectedly, Tania Petoff, the shop's owner, decides to try lovely Annabel in her place, to the chagrin of her catty fellow models. Annabel's improved status leads to tension in her close-knit family, then (following a wardrobe malfunction) she catches the eye of wealthy Lord David de Bett-and the ire of the dreadful Honourable Octavia Glaye. How things work themselves out is as delicious a bit of frothy fun as one could well imagine.
Clothes-Pegs is the first of twelve charming, page-turning romances published under the pseudonym "Susan Scarlett" by none other than beloved children's author and novelist Noel Streatfeild. Out of print for decades, they were rediscovered by Greyladies Books in the early 2010s, and Dean Street Press and Furrowed Middlebrow are delighted now to make all twelve available to a wider audience.
Clothes-Pegs is the first of twelve charming, page-turning romances published under the pseudonym "Susan Scarlett" by none other than beloved children's author and novelist Noel Streatfeild. Out of print for decades, they were rediscovered by Greyladies Books in the early 2010s, and Dean Street Press and Furrowed Middlebrow are delighted now to make all twelve available to a wider audience.
223 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1939
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396 people want to read
About the author
Susan Scarlett
13 books38 followersPseudonym used by the English author Noel Streatfeild for publishing her romance novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
June 22, 2022
Books like this must have been pure catnip to their original audience... imagine it: you're a not-very-well-off teen or twenty-something in the 1930's daydreaming of endless pretty frocks and handsome suitors; the closest you're (probably) going to get to it is a novel like this. And it delivers.
There's a lot to enjoy here, especially if you have a soft spot for a Cinderella-type story. The main character, Annabel, is employed in the workroom of a luxurious house of fashion. One day she is unexpectedly invited to try out as a model to show off clothes to customers. Her three co-models run the gamut from helpful to hateful, and she has a lot to learn about the seemingly easy life of modeling. Then she falls instantly in love with an aristocrat named David de Bett, whose eyes she met across the showroom.
With that initial setup, I thought this book was going to turn out to be complete fantasy/wish fulfillment (and it pretty much is), but what grounds it slightly in reality is Annabel's loving but imperfect home life. Her anxious but plays-it-cool mother, her protective and gruff father, and her kid sister who just wants to break out of poverty and be somebody.
The romance may sit a bit uncomfortably with some modern readers, as Annabel is only 17 (!) and falling in love with an older "superior" man. He's kind, but his education, wealth, and experience in life mean that the power is all on his side, with Annabel in the position of humble, grateful subordinate. Still, she has some strong moments with her family, as well as the girls at work and the catty woman who is competing with her for David's attention.
This was my first book by Susan Scarlett (a pen name of Noel Streatfeild). I'm inclined to give some of the others a try when they're re-released this August by Dean Street Press. When you're in the mood for something warm and light, these would fit the bill. (Side note: I was a bit put off by the odd punctuation at times. The comma usage was pretty distracting, but that may have been a production issue with the page scanning).
Thanks to Dean Street Press for this digital review copy!
There's a lot to enjoy here, especially if you have a soft spot for a Cinderella-type story. The main character, Annabel, is employed in the workroom of a luxurious house of fashion. One day she is unexpectedly invited to try out as a model to show off clothes to customers. Her three co-models run the gamut from helpful to hateful, and she has a lot to learn about the seemingly easy life of modeling. Then she falls instantly in love with an aristocrat named David de Bett, whose eyes she met across the showroom.
With that initial setup, I thought this book was going to turn out to be complete fantasy/wish fulfillment (and it pretty much is), but what grounds it slightly in reality is Annabel's loving but imperfect home life. Her anxious but plays-it-cool mother, her protective and gruff father, and her kid sister who just wants to break out of poverty and be somebody.
The romance may sit a bit uncomfortably with some modern readers, as Annabel is only 17 (!) and falling in love with an older "superior" man. He's kind, but his education, wealth, and experience in life mean that the power is all on his side, with Annabel in the position of humble, grateful subordinate. Still, she has some strong moments with her family, as well as the girls at work and the catty woman who is competing with her for David's attention.
This was my first book by Susan Scarlett (a pen name of Noel Streatfeild). I'm inclined to give some of the others a try when they're re-released this August by Dean Street Press. When you're in the mood for something warm and light, these would fit the bill. (Side note: I was a bit put off by the odd punctuation at times. The comma usage was pretty distracting, but that may have been a production issue with the page scanning).
Thanks to Dean Street Press for this digital review copy!
August 28, 2022
A frothy, charming, and completely predictable story.
Annabel Brown works in the workshop of a high end fashion house. The owner noticed her and decided to try her as a model. Here she comes across Octavia Gayle and David Dr Bett, the man she hopes to marry. Octavia notices that David is quite taken by Annabel, and sets out to humiliate her; after this, David takes Annabel out to apologise for Octavia's behaviour. David turns out to be a Lord, so although Annabel falls in love with him, she is sure it can never come to anything.
We all know how the story will end, but it was entertaining finding out how we get there. I feel like this is the sort of story Rosie M. Banks would write.
Annabel Brown works in the workshop of a high end fashion house. The owner noticed her and decided to try her as a model. Here she comes across Octavia Gayle and David Dr Bett, the man she hopes to marry. Octavia notices that David is quite taken by Annabel, and sets out to humiliate her; after this, David takes Annabel out to apologise for Octavia's behaviour. David turns out to be a Lord, so although Annabel falls in love with him, she is sure it can never come to anything.
We all know how the story will end, but it was entertaining finding out how we get there. I feel like this is the sort of story Rosie M. Banks would write.
January 21, 2025
Lovely book! This story was really hard to put down and I enjoyed pretty much every single moment of it. I love that Noel Streatfeild writing as Susan Scarlett has the very same feel as her usual writing, but has a bit more depth and grown up themes. This book didn't disappoint!
I really loved Annabel's character. She's sweet, kind, innocent, and the kind of person you'd like to have as a friend. Annabel's family were also likable, especially, her mother, Ethel. The details were so cozy. It was also fun reading about the behind the scenes at a dressmaker's shop and how it is to be a model on an every day basis. It sounds thrilling, but also exhausting.
There was only tiny bit about the book near the end that surprised me. It seemed like things were resolved too quickly and not very realistically. But, I still enjoyed this book a lot. Also, if you get triggered by "mean girls", this might not be the book for you. It was a bit painful for me to read about, but I got through it only because the writing is so good and it goes along with the plot.
Definitely give this book a read!
I really loved Annabel's character. She's sweet, kind, innocent, and the kind of person you'd like to have as a friend. Annabel's family were also likable, especially, her mother, Ethel. The details were so cozy. It was also fun reading about the behind the scenes at a dressmaker's shop and how it is to be a model on an every day basis. It sounds thrilling, but also exhausting.
There was only tiny bit about the book near the end that surprised me. It seemed like things were resolved too quickly and not very realistically. But, I still enjoyed this book a lot. Also, if you get triggered by "mean girls", this might not be the book for you. It was a bit painful for me to read about, but I got through it only because the writing is so good and it goes along with the plot.
Definitely give this book a read!
January 2, 2023
This was such a sweet read about a naive girl turned model at the dress design house she sews for. It’s a tale of young love, friendship, family dynamics, and a happily ever after. I can see why Elizabeth Crawford in her Introduction quotes The Daily Telegraph “definitely unreal, delightful impossible”. Crawford goes on to say of Scarlett’s (Noel Streatfeild OBE) novels “They were fairy tales, with realistic backgrounds, categorized as perfect ‘reading for Black-out nights’ for the ‘lady of the house’” (Aberdeen Press and Journal). I can only imagine the delight in this escapist read where everything turns out all right in the end.
May 21, 2025
Just sweet, fluffy, and delightful!
February 13, 2023
The romance is this is very sweet as is Annabel Brown’s family. Once again, Streatfeild has captured the family atmosphere best of all, especially the father George’s difficulty in letting his children go as they mature and change and the mother Ethel’s patient and cheerful endurance through the story’s ups and downs. Annabel certainly grows up as well, though I think it’s more her relationships with Bernadette and her parents that forces her to move from girl to woman. Her relationship with David is fun to read about though. My favorite scene was the fateful tea party halfway through where one of the mean girls gets a solid kick in the pants. Hooray!
I didn’t love this as much as other Susan Scarletts I’ve read because I did find the plot more stressful. There are four mannequins at Bertna’s, the shop where Annabel moves from seamstress to model, and two of them are horrible mean girls. I don’t necessarily mind a mean girl in a plot but these two were unrelentingly bad in taking advantage of Annabel’s innocence. Bernadette is the fourth mannequin, and I did love Bernadette’s character and storyline. She was a good friend to Annabel even if some of her well-intended advice had some shaky consequences. The misunderstanding between Annabel and David was also stressful.
Five stars for the first look in this book though! And it’s still a fun, frothy read.
I didn’t love this as much as other Susan Scarletts I’ve read because I did find the plot more stressful. There are four mannequins at Bertna’s, the shop where Annabel moves from seamstress to model, and two of them are horrible mean girls. I don’t necessarily mind a mean girl in a plot but these two were unrelentingly bad in taking advantage of Annabel’s innocence. Bernadette is the fourth mannequin, and I did love Bernadette’s character and storyline. She was a good friend to Annabel even if some of her well-intended advice had some shaky consequences. The misunderstanding between Annabel and David was also stressful.
Five stars for the first look in this book though! And it’s still a fun, frothy read.
November 5, 2022
Another fun romance by Susan Scarlett (Noel Streatfield). I didn't want to put it down and zipped right through it in an afternoon! It was very reminiscent of Sally-Ann, with a sweet working class girl getting swept up in a more glamorous world and finding love with an aristocratic man who's charmed by her wholesomeness and the warm goodness of her family. Predictable but very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to continuing on with the rest of the Susan Scarlett novels.
June 19, 2025
I love Scarlett/Streatfeild, but this is my least favorite I have read by her so far. Just sort of a flat, predictable plot and a rather unrelatable setting for the modern reader (though it is always fascinating to learn about how people lived in other time periods, and the way rich people had the clothes modeled for them at dressmakers' before they even tried them on themselves was interesting).
February 5, 2023
Is it possible to read and NOT enjoy a book reissued by Dean Street Press? Rhetorical question I know. It is completely impossible. Not a snowman's chance in hell.
This book was so enjoyable. Morals of yesteryear, fashion of yesteryear, family drama, and romance.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
P.S. Susan Scarlett is a pseudonym for Noel Streatfield.
This book was so enjoyable. Morals of yesteryear, fashion of yesteryear, family drama, and romance.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
P.S. Susan Scarlett is a pseudonym for Noel Streatfield.
July 11, 2023
I seem to keep getting stuck in books that seem great but don't deliver (or I've forgotten how to DNF). This was much too YA for me, with the 17 year old protagonist Annabel, and I never warmed up her romantic interest. This is a pretty straightforward, predictable romance and while some parts were enjoyable (Annabel's family's domestic scenes and backstage with her friends and frenemies at her modelling job), the actual romance was problematic on many levels to the modern eye. The age gap (not spelled out, but probably close to 10 years), the power balance (her middle class and sheltered, him an aristocrat and man about town), the old-fashioned and toxic Madonna-wh*re views held by the romantic interest (UGH!)...
As with any romance, about two thirds of the way through there is a mandatory conflict between the hero and heroine. Well, this one played out in such a way as to show the hero being rather vile, IMO. Even later, when he realizes that he acted poorly, his first thought is still to throw himself a pity-party, instead of thinking of her. Hated him.
I also found the writing to be too simplistic and disjointed with much jumping around, and there's something weird going on with the formatting. One paragraph would be talking about Anabel at work, and the very next paragraph will have suddenly jumped to different characters at a different location doing their own thing, and this kept happening again and again, and was very distracting.
I have 3 more Susan Scarletts from Dean Street Press that I'd bought at the same time, but I'm not in the slightest bit excited about them. Sigh.
As with any romance, about two thirds of the way through there is a mandatory conflict between the hero and heroine. Well, this one played out in such a way as to show the hero being rather vile, IMO. Even later, when he realizes that he acted poorly, his first thought is still to throw himself a pity-party, instead of thinking of her. Hated him.
I also found the writing to be too simplistic and disjointed with much jumping around, and there's something weird going on with the formatting. One paragraph would be talking about Anabel at work, and the very next paragraph will have suddenly jumped to different characters at a different location doing their own thing, and this kept happening again and again, and was very distracting.
I have 3 more Susan Scarletts from Dean Street Press that I'd bought at the same time, but I'm not in the slightest bit excited about them. Sigh.
January 8, 2023
#FurrowedMiddleBrowClub on Litsy - January 2023
Spent a lovely Saturday afternoon reading this charming book for #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub. This was my first time reading one of Noel Streatfeild’s adult novels (Susan Scarlett being her nom de plume for her adult novels). I loved getting a look at the workings of a high end fashion house, including all the wonderful descriptions of clothing in the making, fitting and modelling. But, my favorite scenes throughout the book were those featuring Annabel’s family. Her mother and father, in particular, were fabulous characters! I especially love the way that Streatfeild writes about homes, families, and the simple joys of home life. There were lovely descriptions of family meals, planting and cultivating a family garden, family stories, jokes and laughter. It all just sweeps you along in the story.
I did find the wrap up at the end of the novel a bit rushed. Especially when it came to the love story (a modern day Cinderella). Some of the miscommunications were quite serious and deserved a good sorting out. But, it was the perfect book to pick up for the weekend. I’m looking forward to reading more of Streatfeild’s Susan Scarlett novels. Fortunately there are 11 more for me to pick up!
Spent a lovely Saturday afternoon reading this charming book for #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub. This was my first time reading one of Noel Streatfeild’s adult novels (Susan Scarlett being her nom de plume for her adult novels). I loved getting a look at the workings of a high end fashion house, including all the wonderful descriptions of clothing in the making, fitting and modelling. But, my favorite scenes throughout the book were those featuring Annabel’s family. Her mother and father, in particular, were fabulous characters! I especially love the way that Streatfeild writes about homes, families, and the simple joys of home life. There were lovely descriptions of family meals, planting and cultivating a family garden, family stories, jokes and laughter. It all just sweeps you along in the story.
I did find the wrap up at the end of the novel a bit rushed. Especially when it came to the love story (a modern day Cinderella). Some of the miscommunications were quite serious and deserved a good sorting out. But, it was the perfect book to pick up for the weekend. I’m looking forward to reading more of Streatfeild’s Susan Scarlett novels. Fortunately there are 11 more for me to pick up!
March 22, 2023
4.5 stars
April 9, 2023
This book was my first introduction to Susan Scarlett and I appreciated the book for what it was. If you're in the mood for a light, fluffy romance, this book hits the spot. I enjoyed the airiness of her writing and a quickly moving plot.
In terms of cons, I really didn't appreciate the misogyny of the leading male character. I will say that his thoughts and words were representative of the time this story was written but they were hard to overlook. Lord David de Bett assumed the position of an elder teacher to Annabel and she never questioned it. When he got mad at her, he called her a "silly little fool" and compared his past love to an orchid and her to a "simple" cowslip. I don't know if being compared to a cowslip was considered a compliment but if someone used the word "simple" to describe me, those would be fighting words.
All this being said, I could appreciate this book for what it was and I'd be interested in reading more from Scarlett.
In terms of cons, I really didn't appreciate the misogyny of the leading male character. I will say that his thoughts and words were representative of the time this story was written but they were hard to overlook. Lord David de Bett assumed the position of an elder teacher to Annabel and she never questioned it. When he got mad at her, he called her a "silly little fool" and compared his past love to an orchid and her to a "simple" cowslip. I don't know if being compared to a cowslip was considered a compliment but if someone used the word "simple" to describe me, those would be fighting words.
All this being said, I could appreciate this book for what it was and I'd be interested in reading more from Scarlett.
April 21, 2023
“Clothes-Pegs” es una preciosa comedia romántica con la que Susan Scarlett debutó como novelista en 1939. Rescatada, como toda la obra de la autora con este nombre, por Dean Street Press en la colección Furrowed Middlebrow, consta de tan sólo 193 paginas. Es una novelista corta pero de muy agradable lectura que deja con una sensación muy bonita. Si bien no es el mejor libro de Susan Scarlett, sí deja con una sensación de confort.
Los personajes de este libro, con sus virtudes y defectos, son sumamente entrañables. Algunos son amables con ella, otros son un poco gruñones y hay quienes son malicisiosos, pero casi todos tienen algo que hace de este libro una delicia. Me resulta especialmente tierno el padre de Annabelle que ve que su hija ha crecido y es más independiente y el pobre hombre no está preparado para ello. Naturalmente, Annabelle es la mayor de sus hijos, por lo que es una experiencia nueva para él. Pero sin duda, aparte de la protagonista, mi personaje favorito fue Bernadette, la maravillosa joven que acoge a Annabelle bajo su ala, pero que esconde un secreto inconfesable.
Tanto Annabelle como David me parecieron dos personajes adorables y encantadores. En cierto modo podría decirse que esta historia es un coming-of-age para Annabelle, que rompe el cascarón para descubrir un mundo más allá de la casita donde vive con su familia. Un mundo tan excitante y diferente al suyo, como confuso y aterrador. Especialmente dada la diferencia económica y social que hay entre ella y ese mundo.
Los personajes de este libro, con sus virtudes y defectos, son sumamente entrañables. Algunos son amables con ella, otros son un poco gruñones y hay quienes son malicisiosos, pero casi todos tienen algo que hace de este libro una delicia. Me resulta especialmente tierno el padre de Annabelle que ve que su hija ha crecido y es más independiente y el pobre hombre no está preparado para ello. Naturalmente, Annabelle es la mayor de sus hijos, por lo que es una experiencia nueva para él. Pero sin duda, aparte de la protagonista, mi personaje favorito fue Bernadette, la maravillosa joven que acoge a Annabelle bajo su ala, pero que esconde un secreto inconfesable.
Tanto Annabelle como David me parecieron dos personajes adorables y encantadores. En cierto modo podría decirse que esta historia es un coming-of-age para Annabelle, que rompe el cascarón para descubrir un mundo más allá de la casita donde vive con su familia. Un mundo tan excitante y diferente al suyo, como confuso y aterrador. Especialmente dada la diferencia económica y social que hay entre ella y ese mundo.
September 11, 2022
This was just the sweetest, frothiest bit of fun.
January 7, 2023
Such an airy, confection of a book, and a lovely way to kick-off my reading for the year. It's utterly predictable and perfectly charming. And points to the the most wonderful, supportive families I've come across recently (even the rebellious little sister has her sympathies).
July 5, 2013
This is fun: teenager gets a job as a model (but it's 1939) The entertaining bit is that being a model turns out to be grinding hard work and not much better than slavery - chief problems: sore feet, lack of food and no rest breaks. Even more entertaining, the other models are refreshingly bitchy. I have no idea if Noel Streatfeild (Scarlett is a pseudonym) ever worked as a model but she certainly knew some vicious women if these were based on real life. The downside for me was that the 'new girl kicks the competition and comes out on top' plot turned into 'rich man falls in love with female model and takes her away to new glamorous life'. Not only does the man own a mansion but he's also polite, socially broadminded and morally sound. Sorry, but that's a bit tedious. Life with the other bitchy models, getting older and crueller together, would be more fun.
November 13, 2017
Fun escape to pre-WWII England and the early high fashion world. Back before glossy fashion magazines, catalogs, on line clothes viewing and even stores with high end outfits in different sizes like Neiman-Marcus or Saks Fifth Avenue, purchasers viewed the clothes on living models. (It appears there are no life like mannequins in this world either.) These models had glamorous lives on the outside, but a really tough road on the inside. For one thing, their job often involved standing for HOURS while people pinned things on them and fine-tuned designs.
A bit of a Cinderella story where the mean girls attempt to screw things up but don't succeed, and there is even a castle-like place to go along with the Lord at stake here.
A bit of a Cinderella story where the mean girls attempt to screw things up but don't succeed, and there is even a castle-like place to go along with the Lord at stake here.
June 19, 2011
I do like Noel Streatfeild but I get the feeling that she recycles the same characters or at least types of characters in every book she wrote. In some cases this works better than in others. This was an interesting look at the fashion industry in the 1920s and it was good light fluffy reading so I really can't complain.
October 22, 2022
A Cinderella fairy tale! My review:
http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/202...
http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/202...
July 21, 2023
Another delightful read from Susan Scarlett/Noel Streatfeild! A sheltered young lady is moved from the workroom to the showroom at a dressmaker's and enters another world, with ensuing difficulties in her modest family and among the other models. I wasn't too sure about the love interest Lord David de Bett, but he turned out all right in the end. Since this was written in 1939, let's hope all those characters survived the war!
October 15, 2023
An absolutely delightful read. Noel Streatfield has a gift for describing clothes and food and everyday life in the most charming way. Looking forward to exploring more of her books under Susan Scarlett.
January 21, 2024
Such a sweet little romance. Some would no doubt say saccharine but it was just the sort of thing I was looking for, good overcomes evil and a happy ending with everyone getting what they deserve.
August 2, 2022
Yes, Dean Street Press and Furrowed Middlebrow have done it again! Here's my review of this adorable novel. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2022/08/0...
October 10, 2022
Thank you to Dear Author for spotlighting the re-release of these Susan Scarlett books.
This one is a little (a lot) predictable, but that's okay if you know what you're getting going in. The writing about the close-knit family was nice. Also, I learned a lot about Bromo-Seltzer and why it was discontinued. Tranuilizers and poison, people! That was from my research, not the book.
Really more like 2.5 stars.
This one is a little (a lot) predictable, but that's okay if you know what you're getting going in. The writing about the close-knit family was nice. Also, I learned a lot about Bromo-Seltzer and why it was discontinued. Tranuilizers and poison, people! That was from my research, not the book.
Really more like 2.5 stars.
August 19, 2022
Realistic events and settings, likeable characters in a plot that isn't too intense (set in England of course), make a perfect happy escape novel for me. The writing is not on a level with other favorite authors like Von Arnim or Angela Thirkell, but I enjoyed this and would probably read it again someday.
January 29, 2025
This book was pure frothy, escapist, wholesome delight. I found this book because I love Noel Streatfeild but had no idea she write a line of fluffy romantic chick lit. This is everything I love in a bedtime book… predictable and charming.
January 25, 2023
Annabel is a seamstress for an upscale London fashion house. When one of the models leaves the shop, Annabel is asked if she wouldn't consider taking her place. Annabel (who in classic romance novel fashion has no idea how attractive she is) agrees since this means more money and money is always a concern for her solidly middle class family with whom she still lives. While modeling, she falls in love with Lord David de Bett but that relationship is thwarted by the man's catty ex-girlfriend and one of the other models who dislike Annabel (because she is no better than she ought to be). Luckily, one of the other models, the mysterious Bernadette, is kind and helps her learn the ropes. And Annabel's natural good nature and personality help her as well and does her solid upbringing and her close relationship with her family. This was a sweet, if dated and predictable, romance. As noted by many of my fellow readers, it is largely the well-drawn secondary characters that make the story interesting. Read for #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub on Litsy
October 18, 2022
Sweet, easy, and unsurprising, much like a comforting bowl of ice cream. This first of Susan Scarlett’s (AKA Noel Streatfeild) charming “light novels” was published in 1939 and recently reissued by Dean Street Press, who apparently know that readers in 2022 need comfort sweets as much as readers 80 years ago.
November 3, 2022
Just OK really, but she's a decent writer, so 3*.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews