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Spread Your Wings
189 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1968
7 people want to read
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January 6, 2020
Set partially in London and partially in the South of France, 'Spread Your Wings' by Ruth Clemence is the story of Judy Scott, fashion model and man-magnet. When the tale begins, the heroine is deliberating a forthcoming marriage proposal from sporty Bob Barrasford-Shaw, but soon finds her boy-friend's half-brother, wealthy businessman Charles, intervening to prevent any formal engagement. Charles has a 'more suitable' candidate in mind for his half-brother's wife and is therefore intent on detaching Judy from Bob. While livid at Charles' highhandedness, the heroine comes down with pneumonia before she's time to put up a proper protest.
When Judy eventually recovers - not only has Bob lost much of his interest in her - but the heroine finds she's still too weak still to be on her feet for hours of gown fittings and fashion parades. Realising a break from modelling is required, she takes temporary employment as companion to a young lady living in the Sth. of France. Judy hopes a few months in the mild Mediterranean climate and performing less physically taxing work will help her recover her previous strength. Her new employer, Mme St. Clair, requires assistance with her daughter, Barbara, who recently broke her arm and needs help with dressing, eating etc. Madame views Judy as the right candidate also to improve Barbara's English, spruce up her appearance and prevent her entertaining an undesirable love interest.
As this is M&B land, not long after Judy arrives in Cannes, it transpires that the charming Mme St Clair is the mother of the arrogant, meddling Charles (she has remarried, hence the differing surnames). Charles is not best pleased to find Judy residing at his mother's villa, but since Barbara likes her, he decides to overlook the heroine's 'come here, go away' eyes and retain her services. Also, as he tells her, it will be easier to keep an eye on her, and keep her separated from Bob, when she's living with his family.
What follows is a pleasant, and at times amusing story, of the relationship unfurling between the protagonists - Ruth Clemence's hero's tend to have a very g.s.o.h (my favourite, to date, is Dr. Robert Carver in A Cure with Kindness). Toward the end of the tale too, there's the addition of some menace courtesy of Barbara's caddish love interest. The 'happy ever after' is neatly handled too, with far more 'naturalness' than most M&B/ Harlequin finales of the period
In summary, I'm rating 'Spread Your Wings' a three-and-a-half star vintage romance read - it's certainly an enjoyable 'romp'. That said, so long as an 'exotic' location isn't a prerequisite, I'd recommend the other title I've read from this author, A Cure with Kindness as a better read.
When Judy eventually recovers - not only has Bob lost much of his interest in her - but the heroine finds she's still too weak still to be on her feet for hours of gown fittings and fashion parades. Realising a break from modelling is required, she takes temporary employment as companion to a young lady living in the Sth. of France. Judy hopes a few months in the mild Mediterranean climate and performing less physically taxing work will help her recover her previous strength. Her new employer, Mme St. Clair, requires assistance with her daughter, Barbara, who recently broke her arm and needs help with dressing, eating etc. Madame views Judy as the right candidate also to improve Barbara's English, spruce up her appearance and prevent her entertaining an undesirable love interest.
As this is M&B land, not long after Judy arrives in Cannes, it transpires that the charming Mme St Clair is the mother of the arrogant, meddling Charles (she has remarried, hence the differing surnames). Charles is not best pleased to find Judy residing at his mother's villa, but since Barbara likes her, he decides to overlook the heroine's 'come here, go away' eyes and retain her services. Also, as he tells her, it will be easier to keep an eye on her, and keep her separated from Bob, when she's living with his family.
What follows is a pleasant, and at times amusing story, of the relationship unfurling between the protagonists - Ruth Clemence's hero's tend to have a very g.s.o.h (my favourite, to date, is Dr. Robert Carver in A Cure with Kindness). Toward the end of the tale too, there's the addition of some menace courtesy of Barbara's caddish love interest. The 'happy ever after' is neatly handled too, with far more 'naturalness' than most M&B/ Harlequin finales of the period
In summary, I'm rating 'Spread Your Wings' a three-and-a-half star vintage romance read - it's certainly an enjoyable 'romp'. That said, so long as an 'exotic' location isn't a prerequisite, I'd recommend the other title I've read from this author, A Cure with Kindness as a better read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review