Maysie Greig was considered the most prolific woman novelist of her day, publishing up to 6 books a year under pseudonyms and her own name. Writing over 220 novels, for forty years her books were bestsellers - invariably with happy endings. No Retreat For Love is one of the strangest, most circuitous romances I can think of, but does contain the yearning and fulfillment requested. I will present more than I should in this review, as I can find no other reviews on the internet.
"The man she was in love with was secretly married - and asked Penny to take care of his child!"
Penny was raised with her good friend Alex, a British Air Force pilot she is in love with, so is crushed that he will marry Felicity, a flighty film actress. To protect her movie career, Alex must pretend to be a visiting cousin when he comes home on leave, it's awkward. Even worse for publicity is the baby Felicity has, who is handed over to Penny to nurse while Alex returns to duty and Felicity swans off to Hollywood. Without consulting her, Alex arranges for Penny and the child to follow Felicity to California - pretending to be the nanny - which Penny agrees to for Alex.
This is 1941, and Alex goes missing behind enemy lines.
Penny continues to nanny the boy, whom Felicity has publicized as a sponsored 'war evacuee'. Hollywood heartthrob Barry Lockwood meets and begins to date Penny, but when Felicity is to star in Flowers of England with Barry, she quickly claims him as her fiancé. To top it off, the studio wants to cast the boy as Felicity's son in the picture - they look so much alike! Felicity thinks this is Penny's fault and fires her. When Barry continues dating Penny, Felicity tells him the child is Penny's, and she is trying to trap him into marriage.
Suddenly, Alex returns from being captured by the Germans and is given a hero's welcome in New York, including the grand Red Cross premiere of Flowers of England, where a huge brawl erupts in front of reporters and all the dirty laundry about who is married to whom, who are the boy's parents, and all other confusion gets a royal airing.
I'm not even giving away the end!
Penny returns to England running a mobile canteen in bombed out London, where the story continues - perhaps Alex or Barry will find her in the rubble and their love can begin again.
This really rips along. Competently written and of its time, this is half war time drama and half Hollywood gossip. Felicity is completely self centred and Penny earnest but extremely subservient - Alex, well he has no idea what's going on. Unfortunately, Penny allows herself to be tossed around like a rag, so not a heroine to look up to. Filled with twists, there is never a dull moment, making for an entertaining read.
My copy is one of my collection of Triangle Books hardcover books with a flyleaf inscription in beautiful cursive "Merle Mohring, November 1944"
My other Maysie Greig reviews:
1941 / Hardcover / 278 pages
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