A PROMISE TO KEEP
Author – Dorothy Cork
First Published – 1974
Genre – Romance
SubGenre – Medical, as were so many early Harlequins. This is the only medical romance Dorothy Cork wrote, and she did a fabulous job with it.
Setting – Australia – the coast of New South Wales
Hero – Grenville Garrison, dedicated brilliant laconic pediatrician
Heroine – Lesley Brooke – English woman who has traveled to Australia to be with her recently orphaned baby niece and also to reconnect with her fiancé Guy Longden
Major Theme – There are several mistaken identities during the course of the book.
Favorite Supporting Character – Compassionate, no nonsense managing nurse, Sister Gilbert or Gilly
Fun Tidbit – On their first dinner out, Gren and Lesley order John Dory, a sea fish with a dark spot on its side said to be an “evil eye.”
Memorable Line – While walking along the beach with Gren, Lesley sings in a low husky voice, “Moon vestal, sun burning, wheel turning.” He goes “My God,” she stumbles over a rock and into his arms, and then they share THE KISS.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Fantasy Romance
I haven’t read this, and as a rule, I am less fond of medical stories. Can’t really explain why.
Reading your post I remembered I had somewhere a paperback romance by this author. I turned my bookshelf upside down. Couldn’t find it, though I came upon an old notebook where I used to write the books, authors, year of reading and a few lines about the story. Here it is:
Walkabout Wife by Dorothy Cork.
Typical Harlequin romance. Girl meets boy, though the circumstances are a bit different from other romances. Outback setting, good-looking characters, marriage of convenience, at first.
Thanks for reminding me about this author!
I’m with you, Carmen, and was never enthralled with the medical romances. This one by Dorothy Cork is delightful, though. OH, I have Walkabout Wife! It’s not one of my very favorites of hers but was enjoyable. My very favorite is Red Diamond. I always love her Australian settings. Most of her books are set there, with a few exceptions.
As usual an interesting review
Thanks, Cathy. I appreciate that.
Very interesting tidbit about the fish with the “evil eye.” I remember how my older sisters used to read Harlequins, and whenever I see your retro covers I always think of those. I remember trying to read one when I was 7 years old. All I can remember about it was that it had a woman on the cover standing on a rainy street. She had a clear umbrella and was wearing a fashionable raincoat and heels. I can’t tell you what the book was about because I think I only pretended to read it thinking it made me feel grown up. I can still remember that cover though for some reason, LOL.
How cool that you have the memory of the Harlequin cover from such a young age. They did seem rather urbane and mysterious. I didn’t read my first Harlequin until I was in my twenties. My mother and I bought three of them to share. There was one with a handsome man and a horse on the cover, and I kept putting off reading it because it looked too western for my tastes. I read the other two, whose names I do not know, and then read the third. It turned out to be Red Diamond by Dorothy Cork, my all time favorite. Rather than western, the setting was the Outback of Australia.
I love how these Harlequin covers made such a lasting impression. And wow, how ironic that the the book you read last for fear you wouldn’t like it became your all time favorite!