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Busman's Holiday
Discovering that the man she loved was already married was shattering blow to Staff Nurse Frances Allendale. Not being one to make a scene, she nursed her bruised heart in secret and vowed that no man would ever have the chance to let her down months later, she still felt numb with the misery of it. Then, snatching a brief holiday with her aunt, she bumped into Dr. David Loftus -- and kept on bumping into him. Although she was on holiday, medical emergencies kept throwing them together, which was just what Frances didn’t want. For although she admired his skill and his way with patients, in every action, every word of David’s, she heard only an echo of the past…
- GenresRomance
306 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 1978
About the author
Lucilla Andrews
85 books10 followersLucilla Matthew Andrews Crichton
aka
Lucilla Andrews, Diana Gordon, Joanna Marcus.
Lucilla Matthew Andrews was born on 20 November 1919 in Suez, Egypt, the third of four children of William Henry Andrews and Lucilla Quero-Bejar. They met in Gibraltar, and married in 1913. Her mother was daughter of a Spanish doctor and descended from the Spanish nobility. Her British father workerd by the Eastern Telegraph Company (later Cable and Wireless) on African and Mediterranean stations until 1932. At the age of three, she was sent to join her older sister at boarding school in Sussex.
She joined the British Red Cross in 1940 and later trained as a nurse at St Thomas' Hospital, London, during World War II. In 1947, she retired and married Dr James Crichton, and she discovered, that he was addicted to drugs. In 1949, soon after their daugther Veronica was born, he was committed to hospital and she returned to nursing and writing. In 1952, she sold her firt romance novel, published in 1954, the same year that her husband died. She specialised in Doctor-Nurse romances, using her personal experience as inspiration, and wrote over thirty-five novels since 1996. In 1969, she decided moved to Edinburgh.
Her daugther read History at Newnham College, Cambridge, and became a journalist and Labour Party communications adviser, before her death from cancer in 2002. In late 2006, Lucilla Andrews' autobiography No Time for Romance became the focus of a posthumous controversy. It has been alleged that the novelist Ian McEwan plagiarized from this work while writing his highly-acclaimed novel, Atonement. McEwan has protested his innocence. She passed away on 3 October 2006. She was a founder member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, which honoured her shortly before her death with a lifetime achievement award.
aka
Lucilla Andrews, Diana Gordon, Joanna Marcus.
Lucilla Matthew Andrews was born on 20 November 1919 in Suez, Egypt, the third of four children of William Henry Andrews and Lucilla Quero-Bejar. They met in Gibraltar, and married in 1913. Her mother was daughter of a Spanish doctor and descended from the Spanish nobility. Her British father workerd by the Eastern Telegraph Company (later Cable and Wireless) on African and Mediterranean stations until 1932. At the age of three, she was sent to join her older sister at boarding school in Sussex.
She joined the British Red Cross in 1940 and later trained as a nurse at St Thomas' Hospital, London, during World War II. In 1947, she retired and married Dr James Crichton, and she discovered, that he was addicted to drugs. In 1949, soon after their daugther Veronica was born, he was committed to hospital and she returned to nursing and writing. In 1952, she sold her firt romance novel, published in 1954, the same year that her husband died. She specialised in Doctor-Nurse romances, using her personal experience as inspiration, and wrote over thirty-five novels since 1996. In 1969, she decided moved to Edinburgh.
Her daugther read History at Newnham College, Cambridge, and became a journalist and Labour Party communications adviser, before her death from cancer in 2002. In late 2006, Lucilla Andrews' autobiography No Time for Romance became the focus of a posthumous controversy. It has been alleged that the novelist Ian McEwan plagiarized from this work while writing his highly-acclaimed novel, Atonement. McEwan has protested his innocence. She passed away on 3 October 2006. She was a founder member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, which honoured her shortly before her death with a lifetime achievement award.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 10, 2023
Set in 1970, when I was 15 years old, the author tries to use what she thinks was modern youth language at the time - funky, dollies etc - but only sounds forced, as it would have done even at the time. Usual doctor/nurse romance formula although not in a hospital setting apart from one emergency. Just a pleasant light read in between books, although some signs creeping in of the long sentences Lucilla Andrews adopted in her later books.
July 3, 2014
This mystery dragged in parts. I read it on my Kindle, so that may explain why it seemed long. The interaction between Wimsey and his wife was okay, but they seemed to overthink the relationship--maybe that's a Brittish trait. Overall, a nice mystery book.
May 2, 2021
Not much nursing happens in this one, and the relationship between the hero and heroine was problematic, so it was really probably 2 stars, except that I liked most of the supporting characters and the setting. And there was a dog, which is probably what pushed it into 3-star territory. The dog was delightful.
January 24, 2020
Another of Andrews' books I have a sentimental and irrational attachment to. The third star is entirely dubious and arguable.
March 19, 2026
Awwwwww. I adore Lucilla Andrews’ books but she’s the queen of the abrupt resolution and quick conclusion. This one had a very sweet ending with lots of warmth and romance.
August 6, 2022
Reading this a 2nd time I had a complete about face and found this novel a bore. Dr David Loftus may have been a good doctor but otherwise he bored me and so did the writer. Sometimes it doesn't pay to re-read books.
This was my review only 6 months ago:
I have to admit I could not put this one down and read until 2:00 a.m. when I finished it. Nurse Frances Allandale, recovering from a broken heart, is on vacation with her sister Nicky helping their Aunt Josephine move to a new house. Dr David Loftus shows up just as she is out on a roof trying to entice their dog Psmith back inside. David is the spitting image of her ex which means Frances doesn't like him at all but as time goes by Frances realises he is not only bigger than her ex but better as he is a pediatrician consultant in the nearby hospital, loves children and seems very attracted to her.
The first half of this novel was pretty good, but the second half was too sweet, all characters getting HEAs--even finally Frances. I loved David Loftus but thought he talked too much and so did Sir Martin.
This was my review only 6 months ago:
I have to admit I could not put this one down and read until 2:00 a.m. when I finished it. Nurse Frances Allandale, recovering from a broken heart, is on vacation with her sister Nicky helping their Aunt Josephine move to a new house. Dr David Loftus shows up just as she is out on a roof trying to entice their dog Psmith back inside. David is the spitting image of her ex which means Frances doesn't like him at all but as time goes by Frances realises he is not only bigger than her ex but better as he is a pediatrician consultant in the nearby hospital, loves children and seems very attracted to her.
The first half of this novel was pretty good, but the second half was too sweet, all characters getting HEAs--even finally Frances. I loved David Loftus but thought he talked too much and so did Sir Martin.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews