One Coin in the Fountain

by Anita Charles

"Rose's handsome guardian, Sir Laurence Melville, was jilted at the altar. In love with him herself, Rose silently cheered, but then Sir Laurence immediately left England. Not even the dashing prince Rose later met in Rome, where she'd gone as a companion, could erase Sir Laurence's image from her heart. Then Rose threw a coin in the fountain; miraculously, Sir Laurence appeared. Unfortunately, he was accompanied by the beautiful Signora Bardoli" This is from the back cover of the book.

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Romance

191 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

One of many pseudonyms used by Ida Julia Pollock, née Crowe.

Mrs. Pollack was a British writer of several short-stories and 125 romance novels that were published under her married name and under a number of different pseudonyms: Joan M. Allen; Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Averil Ives, Anita Charles, Barbara Rowan, Jane Beaufort, Rose Burghley, Mary Whistler and Marguerite Bell. She has sold millions of copies over her 90-year career. She has been referred to as the "world's oldest novelist" who was still active at 105 and continued writing until her death.

Ida and her husband, Lt Colonel Hugh Alexander Pollock, DSO (1888–1971), a veteran of war and Winston Churchill's collaborator and editor, had a daughter, Rosemary Pollock, who is also a romance writer.

Reviews

[Margo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes in these May-September romances (the h is 19 and the H in his mid-30s), there can be some heartbreak in store since there is such a difference in maturity. All sorts of things have to be endured while waiting for the other person to grow up: watching as they have unsuitable crushes on other people; enduring the cruel words they lash out with because they don't understand what they're feeling; and desperately trying to understand their inexplicable, inconsistent behavior while they figure things out.

The poor h really had to put up with a great deal while she waited for the H to be ready for a mature, grown-up relationship.

[Aarathi Burki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
I really loved this story,it was fast paced,witty at times humorous and romantic. I fell in love with the leads who were such a likeable characters and quite sensible too.

Rose a nineteen year old extremely beautiful girl is a ward of sir Laurence, she is in love with him but is at a finishing school in Paris when she is invited for his wedding. She comes to England with a heavy heart to participate in the wedding where his fiance takes an instant dislike to Rose and vice versa. Laurence is jilted on the altar by his fiance Heather for another man which leaves Laurence shattered and he had some heated discussion with rose where she points out to him that Heather was moody unsuitable for him which leaves him fuming. Laurence decided to leave the county asking Rose to stay back in his house till he returns whereas rose soon takes up a job as a companion to a wealthy lady who looks on rose as a daughter and showers her with latest clothes and they begin to travel the world.
6 months later Rose is in Rome when she comes face to face with Laurence,.
Rose is now breathtakingly beautiful with beautiful dresses at her disposal and Laurence is drawn to her.Rose has admirers of her own in the form of a widowed prince and his nephand Laurence is seerhing with jealousy. He proposes marriage of convenience to Rose to prevent her from marrying an old prince while Rose refuses both the men. Laurence's ex returns back and Rose doubts if he is yielding to her charms ,they both have a showdown and Laurence decides to leave Rome.
Rose has had enough and decides to go away to Paris to her friend when her airplane crashes but recovers and she suffers mild injuries. Laurence on hearing her departure to Paris comes to know from her companion old lady that Tose always loved him realizes his mistake and with great difficulty finds her and confesses his live.Rose is overwhelmed and accepts his love and they decide to marry and live happily.

This was such a sweet story and very well written that I am looking forward to read more books by this author

[Reading with Cats · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rose has absolutely zero personality, other than being pretty and having red hair (which we are reminded about over and over and over again). And Sir Laurence has all the intelligence of a turnip. These two deserve each other.
2.5 stars

[Toni NB · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this years ago (YEARS AGO) and for some reason it popped into my head that I had to reread it. There were three particular Harlequin romance novels that I distinctly remember. Not because of any particularly fantastic content, but because I was young and growing up in Detroit and I simply enjoyed them. They were so different from my current situation at the time and were means of escape.
I couldn't remember the titles but of course I could remember the front covers and so I spent about two hours on eBay trying to find these "vintage" Harlequin romances. Haha, it was a nice two hours of mindless nothing...as are these books which is just the speed that I'm needing right now during this #inthetimeofcorona.

Rose is a very young 19 yo girl freshly left from finishing school in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Ok, let's stop right here. This sets the tone for the entire brief novel. When was the last time you heard of anyone going to finishing school or even reading about finishing school? But I digress...

Rose returns home to England, we learn fairly quickly that she is in love with her guardian, Sir Lance (egads), who is engaged to be married to the flightly Heather.
***SPOILERS***
Heather jilts Sir Lance. Sir Lance is devastated (more likely hurt pride than loss of true love).
Sir Lance runs away to parts unknown. Rose leaves England with her new employer, the elderly, worldly, fairy-godmother and wealthy Mrs Wilson-Plunkett. They travel to Rome. Rose hits the jackpot with her new boss, who outfits her in silk and schemes to get her married to the debonair and older Prince Paul.
Once again, let us pause. Because I had to pause a few times while reading this and marvel at the sheer ridiculousness of the storyline. But again, this is a Harlequin romance fiction. Does anyone even get the reference if I say, "Calgon, take me away?"; it is fittingly said here.

Anyway, Sir Lance happens to be in Rome as well, but accompanied by the beautiful signora Lola. How vexing for Rose. She can't avoid seeing Sir Lance; and Sir Lance is not happy with Mrs W-P's conniving about Rose's future.
To wrap, Rose does not marry the prince, much to Mrs W-P's chagrin. Rose decides once and for all that she is going to be independent of both Mrs W-P and her lavish jet-setting lifestyle (girl, are you crazy?! Let's rethink this!) as well as her handsome guardian, Sir Lance (ugh, foolish girl).
She ups and leaves to go to Paris to stay in some little flat with her old school chum and make her way into the world. However, poor Rose's plane crashes in the Alps. Of course there would be no casualties and ultimately Sir Lance finds Rose and brings her home during which time they finally profess their love to each other. They return to Rome, Mrs W-P is ecstatic that they've finally realized their love for each other and they live happily ever after.

[Lynn Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

First published 1957. Reprinted 1968 and this Harlequin Edition in 1981 under the Classics Editions.
Very tender romantic tale of its time.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sappy