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Master at Arms
The two-week educational cruise started badly for Kate Cameron. She had found a young stowaway for whom she felt sympathetically responsible and had therefore fallen foul of Mark Templar, the powerful Chief Officer; and, unexpectedly, her ex-fiance was on board.
"Just remember, Kate," the Chief Officer said, "that he is 'ex'. Don't try to revive anything."
Kate had told herself the same thing but she resented Mark's advice. It wasn't any of his business anyway!
"Just remember, Kate," the Chief Officer said, "that he is 'ex'. Don't try to revive anything."
Kate had told herself the same thing but she resented Mark's advice. It wasn't any of his business anyway!
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1977
About the author
Betty Beaty
24 books6 followersAs an author for Harlequin Romance, Betty Beaty published nine romance novels. She was also known as Catherine Ross, Betty Smith and Karen Campbell.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 22, 2012
This is a very sweet little romance by an author more well known for writing about airline stewardess romances. Kate Cameron is working on a cruise ship, specialising in school excursions to the Mediterranean. Her job is to supervise school groups and be a kind of parental substitute on the two week cruise.
She gets into trouble almost immediately with the powerfully built, bearded, Chief Officer, when she fails to report a stowaway in time to remove him from the ship. More trouble ensues when one of the school teachers turns out to be her ex-fiance who insists on being friendly.
Not that it should matter because said Chief Officer Mark Templar, is being pursued by an attractive 1st class cabin passenger, and doesn't seem to mind at all. Yet somehow the two keep meeting up. Usually when Kate is in trouble. If she had any regrets about her ex-fiance they were certainly put to bed once she realised just how different and strong were her feelings for Mark Templar.
The story has no great highs or lows but is very realistic in the feeling portrayed by the heroine and the heroine. I thoroughly enjoyed the story even the second time round.
She gets into trouble almost immediately with the powerfully built, bearded, Chief Officer, when she fails to report a stowaway in time to remove him from the ship. More trouble ensues when one of the school teachers turns out to be her ex-fiance who insists on being friendly.
Not that it should matter because said Chief Officer Mark Templar, is being pursued by an attractive 1st class cabin passenger, and doesn't seem to mind at all. Yet somehow the two keep meeting up. Usually when Kate is in trouble. If she had any regrets about her ex-fiance they were certainly put to bed once she realised just how different and strong were her feelings for Mark Templar.
The story has no great highs or lows but is very realistic in the feeling portrayed by the heroine and the heroine. I thoroughly enjoyed the story even the second time round.
September 20, 2019
I cannot recall if 'Master at Arms' was written before or after Path of the moonfish, but it's nowhere near as good a read. In fact, the only really positive aspect is it's
brevity
(there's 176 pages, but the type face is Enid Blyton size).
I'm almost certain too that the story was written purely for serialisation - according to Passion's Fortune: The Story of Mills & Boon - Betty Beaty, who began as a serial writer for Woman's Weekly, was leaned upon by grande dame of women's magazine editors, 'Biddy' Johnson, to turn out more serial material.
'Master at Arms' is penned from a first person perspective - which can really work in some of the older M&B titles (e.g. Smuggled Love) - but, in this case, the 'voice' of heroine, Kate Cameron, is too whimsical and a too plaintive to be engaging.
In the story's opening paragraphs, we learn that Kate, a qualified teacher, ran away to sea about 12-mths ago, following a failed engagement. Rather than signing up for the RN, she joined an 'educational cruise line' in the role of 'assistant matron'. Usually Kate lives on the ship Penelope, but as it's gone for a re-fit, she's been redeployed to 'sister ship' Odysseus.
Kate's new ship appears to be a veritable hive of activity too; before the Bay of Biscay is reached, she manages to encounter her former fiancee, a school-boy stowaway and the aloof Chief Officer (Mark) Templar (in that order). However, despite the fact that she's enmeshed in all these events, we don't get much sense of Kate's character. True, we know that
(i) she regrets her spoiled engagement;
(ii) she is compassionate to stowaway children; and
(iii) she quakes when receiving a dressing down from her Chief Officer,
but the action and encounters have a mundane, cardboard feel to them.
And, if the heroine is a bit of 'limp rag', I can't say I particularly took to the hero either - the Chief Officer's habit of signalling to the heroine every time she's proximate to her ex-fiancee with a cross (i.e. 'ex') was off-putting. Clearly, Mr. Templar, felt some kind of ownership of Miss Cameron, but it didn't stop him encouraging the wealthy 'other woman' and even giving the heroine a public scold when she socked the OW during some bizarre deck game (which also constituted Kate's sole display of bravado).
In summary; this is bland from Beaty and, after the retro delights of 'Moonfish', was most disappointing. I'm rating 'Master At Arms' a two star vintage romance read (i.e. I shouldn't particularly bother seeking it out).
I'm almost certain too that the story was written purely for serialisation - according to Passion's Fortune: The Story of Mills & Boon - Betty Beaty, who began as a serial writer for Woman's Weekly, was leaned upon by grande dame of women's magazine editors, 'Biddy' Johnson, to turn out more serial material.
'Master at Arms' is penned from a first person perspective - which can really work in some of the older M&B titles (e.g. Smuggled Love) - but, in this case, the 'voice' of heroine, Kate Cameron, is too whimsical and a too plaintive to be engaging.
In the story's opening paragraphs, we learn that Kate, a qualified teacher, ran away to sea about 12-mths ago, following a failed engagement. Rather than signing up for the RN, she joined an 'educational cruise line' in the role of 'assistant matron'. Usually Kate lives on the ship Penelope, but as it's gone for a re-fit, she's been redeployed to 'sister ship' Odysseus.
Kate's new ship appears to be a veritable hive of activity too; before the Bay of Biscay is reached, she manages to encounter her former fiancee, a school-boy stowaway and the aloof Chief Officer (Mark) Templar (in that order). However, despite the fact that she's enmeshed in all these events, we don't get much sense of Kate's character. True, we know that
(i) she regrets her spoiled engagement;
(ii) she is compassionate to stowaway children; and
(iii) she quakes when receiving a dressing down from her Chief Officer,
but the action and encounters have a mundane, cardboard feel to them.
And, if the heroine is a bit of 'limp rag', I can't say I particularly took to the hero either - the Chief Officer's habit of signalling to the heroine every time she's proximate to her ex-fiancee with a cross (i.e. 'ex') was off-putting. Clearly, Mr. Templar, felt some kind of ownership of Miss Cameron, but it didn't stop him encouraging the wealthy 'other woman' and even giving the heroine a public scold when she socked the OW during some bizarre deck game (which also constituted Kate's sole display of bravado).
In summary; this is bland from Beaty and, after the retro delights of 'Moonfish', was most disappointing. I'm rating 'Master At Arms' a two star vintage romance read (i.e. I shouldn't particularly bother seeking it out).
September 13, 2020
Sweet romance set at sea with Kate as chaperone for a high school group going on a cruise through the Mediterranean and Mark, the Master at Arms on the ship. They clash but bond together over Barney, a stowaway.
I enjoyed this sweet tale. I liked that it took me into the world of Kate and Mark and the cruise. It was perfect for sitting outside on a summer night and cruising away from the reality of 2020. Need I say more?
I enjoyed this sweet tale. I liked that it took me into the world of Kate and Mark and the cruise. It was perfect for sitting outside on a summer night and cruising away from the reality of 2020. Need I say more?
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews