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The Paradise Waltz
Christine is the local schoolteacher—far too pretty to be stuck out in the country with only the elderly Brigadier and her scottie for company. Alan is an eminent surgeon with sadness in his past, far too young to be content with the life of a single gentleman with a large, empty country residence. The Brigadier thinks they would make a perfect couple—but other suitors have their eyes on both Alan and Christine.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published December 10, 2009
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Stirling
70 books18 followersA pseudonym used by Hugh C. Rae, initially in collaboration with Peggie Coghlan and later alone.
Hugh Crauford Rae was born on November 22, 1935 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, son of Isobel and Robert Rae. He published his first stories aged 11 in the Robin comic, winning a cricket bat the same year in a children’s writing competition. After graduating from secondary school, he worked as an assistant in the antiquarian department of John Smith's bookshop. At work, he met her future wife, Elizabeth. Published since 1963, he started to wrote suspense novels as Hugh C. Rae, but he also used the pseudonyms of Robert Crawford, R.B. Houston, Stuart Stern (with S. Ungar) and James Albany. On 1973, his novel "The Shooting Gallery" was nominee by the Edgar Award. On 1974, he wrote the first few romance novels with Peggie Coghlan, using the popular pseudonym Jessica Stirling. However, when she retired 7 years after the first book was published, he continued writing more than 30 on his own, and also as Caroline Crosby. His female pseudonyms first became widely known in 1999, when "The Wind from the Hills" was shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Widowed nine years ago, Hugh died on September 24, 2014 at the age of 78.
Hugh Crauford Rae was born on November 22, 1935 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, son of Isobel and Robert Rae. He published his first stories aged 11 in the Robin comic, winning a cricket bat the same year in a children’s writing competition. After graduating from secondary school, he worked as an assistant in the antiquarian department of John Smith's bookshop. At work, he met her future wife, Elizabeth. Published since 1963, he started to wrote suspense novels as Hugh C. Rae, but he also used the pseudonyms of Robert Crawford, R.B. Houston, Stuart Stern (with S. Ungar) and James Albany. On 1973, his novel "The Shooting Gallery" was nominee by the Edgar Award. On 1974, he wrote the first few romance novels with Peggie Coghlan, using the popular pseudonym Jessica Stirling. However, when she retired 7 years after the first book was published, he continued writing more than 30 on his own, and also as Caroline Crosby. His female pseudonyms first became widely known in 1999, when "The Wind from the Hills" was shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Widowed nine years ago, Hugh died on September 24, 2014 at the age of 78.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 23, 2021
"A Cosy Scottish Romantic Saga, Leaves You With That Real 'Feel-Good' Factor"
Jessica Stirling, is top-notch at what she does ... writing Scottish romantic sagas, that you can get yourself `lost in', for a few hours.
Although she is a prolific writer, she always manages to find a slightly different approach to each of the individual stories, that I have read over the years, and finds a way to weave an intricate plot, that will keep you guesing right until the end.
`Paradise Waltz' was a comfortable, cosy read. It brought a fullness and life to the characters in a very short time, giving me plenty of opportunity to see their development over the course of the story.
At the same time, a sense of the isolation, and almost unwelcome intrusiveness, of life in a remote rural location, came through quite strongly. A community hankering after some of the trappings of modern day living, but unwilling to fully embrace the changes needed, to unlock those rewards. I did feel that there may have been room for more scenic description about the village and it's surrounds, but that may just be my hankering after a more `wordy' detailed story and may have been totally incidental to the lives and interactions of the main characters.
Christine leads a relatively sheltered life, as ward to a retired Brigadier, living in a position of ease at his large country home and with a secure career as local school teacher. She is is a very naive and immature character, who is easily duped by the wily experience of local pony breeder Beattie, who outwardly is highly self-sufficient, quite used to living in the harshest of conditions and surviving on her wits ... especially when it comes to men!
Alan Kelso, is a successful surgeon in the city, a widower who is seldom seen in the village, until he takes a shine to both women and they to him. He is possibly the weakest of the characters in this love triangle, indecisive, easily led and unwilling to make any kind of committment for fear of making the wrong decision.
The appearance of an outsider, who is keen to make his home in this inward facing community and who is therefore possibly the most perceptive of the characters, eventually breaks the stalemate of the triangle, also breaking down the barriers to expose Beattie's well hidden vulnerability and insecurity. The character of Les, is possibly the most well-written and developed character in this story and I found myself gravitating towards his outgoing and exuberant personality, to lift the whole plot of the book and move it along apace.
When seeming disaster strikes Christine and her mother, it again takes the outside impartial view of the newcomer to recognise the situation for what it is, ask questions when things don't appear to add up and galvanise the reluctant Dr. Kelso into action.
Although, to me, the ending of the saga appeared a little rushed, almost coming together rather too neatly and quite quickly into the last couple of pages and may have benefited from a little more time to reach a natural conclusion and highlight the final development of the characters, it was nothing that spoiled the overall reading experience.
Jessica Stirling, is top-notch at what she does ... writing Scottish romantic sagas, that you can get yourself `lost in', for a few hours.
Although she is a prolific writer, she always manages to find a slightly different approach to each of the individual stories, that I have read over the years, and finds a way to weave an intricate plot, that will keep you guesing right until the end.
`Paradise Waltz' was a comfortable, cosy read. It brought a fullness and life to the characters in a very short time, giving me plenty of opportunity to see their development over the course of the story.
At the same time, a sense of the isolation, and almost unwelcome intrusiveness, of life in a remote rural location, came through quite strongly. A community hankering after some of the trappings of modern day living, but unwilling to fully embrace the changes needed, to unlock those rewards. I did feel that there may have been room for more scenic description about the village and it's surrounds, but that may just be my hankering after a more `wordy' detailed story and may have been totally incidental to the lives and interactions of the main characters.
Christine leads a relatively sheltered life, as ward to a retired Brigadier, living in a position of ease at his large country home and with a secure career as local school teacher. She is is a very naive and immature character, who is easily duped by the wily experience of local pony breeder Beattie, who outwardly is highly self-sufficient, quite used to living in the harshest of conditions and surviving on her wits ... especially when it comes to men!
Alan Kelso, is a successful surgeon in the city, a widower who is seldom seen in the village, until he takes a shine to both women and they to him. He is possibly the weakest of the characters in this love triangle, indecisive, easily led and unwilling to make any kind of committment for fear of making the wrong decision.
The appearance of an outsider, who is keen to make his home in this inward facing community and who is therefore possibly the most perceptive of the characters, eventually breaks the stalemate of the triangle, also breaking down the barriers to expose Beattie's well hidden vulnerability and insecurity. The character of Les, is possibly the most well-written and developed character in this story and I found myself gravitating towards his outgoing and exuberant personality, to lift the whole plot of the book and move it along apace.
When seeming disaster strikes Christine and her mother, it again takes the outside impartial view of the newcomer to recognise the situation for what it is, ask questions when things don't appear to add up and galvanise the reluctant Dr. Kelso into action.
Although, to me, the ending of the saga appeared a little rushed, almost coming together rather too neatly and quite quickly into the last couple of pages and may have benefited from a little more time to reach a natural conclusion and highlight the final development of the characters, it was nothing that spoiled the overall reading experience.
June 1, 2017
Really disappointed in this Jessica Stirling read. The only thing that kept me going was to actually see who ends up together in the chaotic mess of how she writes about romance...just wasn't feeling it sadly. I guess I was expecting more after reading a wonderful trilogy of hers in the past.
June 21, 2024
I'm not crazy about romance novels but this one was pretty good. Hugh C. Rae was a truly talented author.
I have read many of his novels written under the Jessica Stirling name.
I have read many of his novels written under the Jessica Stirling name.
May 15, 2016
First the good stuff: She writes her characters well. I do feel like I know them. It is also a good look into life in the 1930s. As purely a book on life in a small village, it would be good.
Bad: As someone who is meant to write romance, Jessica Stirling is hopeless at writing about people falling in love. Let me explain...
Alan Kelso is a 46 year old surgeon who was widowed a year ago. Even when married he was a bit socially awkward, didn't really care about people or the beautiful things of life and poured himself into his work. Christine is a primary school teacher in her late twenties and appears to be a little more of a fun person. She is sweet and people like her. On paper, I can't see those two suiting each other, so I needed the author to show me why Christine would fall for Alan, and this is where she falls very flat!
Alan sees Christine wave at his train and is interested in finding out about her so the next day he sets off on a walk in the hope of meeting her. He does and after a very brief conversation about nothing important, they agree to walk together. End of scene. Now this is obviously a significant walk because Christine starts being interested in him, to the point where she risks rain and walks the next day in the hope of meeting him. It is obviously also significant enough because the Brigadier notices her interest and starts playing match maker. The problem is, all we get is that they talked mostly about the weather and Christine thought he was "charming", "pleasant" and "easy to talk to". Give me some brief flashback to a point when he was "charming" or something that he did to make her interested. She has been pushing suitors away for years, so it has to be something significant to have her do the chasing. I am sure Stirling had great visions of these two falling in love as they walked, but she didn't give me, the reader, any of it. In fact, throughout the whole book the encounters between Alan and Christine were always brief and never gave me any reason to be excited about them.
Alan was never a nice character. As I said, he was socially awkward, had little knowledge of how to treat a woman well (even after being married) and even when he was interested in Christine, kept going off and sleeping with Beatty. Stirling never gave me a good reason to like him or want him with Christine, so when they got together, it wasn't the exciting moment one wants in a book.
Stirling can do emotion and description, but when it comes to the love of these two, she is as flat as a pancake so I didn't join the ride. I felt like she was expecting me to be dancing in a field of wild flowers, but I spent the whole book on the other side of the river trying to work out where the bridge was.
Bad: As someone who is meant to write romance, Jessica Stirling is hopeless at writing about people falling in love. Let me explain...
Alan Kelso is a 46 year old surgeon who was widowed a year ago. Even when married he was a bit socially awkward, didn't really care about people or the beautiful things of life and poured himself into his work. Christine is a primary school teacher in her late twenties and appears to be a little more of a fun person. She is sweet and people like her. On paper, I can't see those two suiting each other, so I needed the author to show me why Christine would fall for Alan, and this is where she falls very flat!
Alan sees Christine wave at his train and is interested in finding out about her so the next day he sets off on a walk in the hope of meeting her. He does and after a very brief conversation about nothing important, they agree to walk together. End of scene. Now this is obviously a significant walk because Christine starts being interested in him, to the point where she risks rain and walks the next day in the hope of meeting him. It is obviously also significant enough because the Brigadier notices her interest and starts playing match maker. The problem is, all we get is that they talked mostly about the weather and Christine thought he was "charming", "pleasant" and "easy to talk to". Give me some brief flashback to a point when he was "charming" or something that he did to make her interested. She has been pushing suitors away for years, so it has to be something significant to have her do the chasing. I am sure Stirling had great visions of these two falling in love as they walked, but she didn't give me, the reader, any of it. In fact, throughout the whole book the encounters between Alan and Christine were always brief and never gave me any reason to be excited about them.
Alan was never a nice character. As I said, he was socially awkward, had little knowledge of how to treat a woman well (even after being married) and even when he was interested in Christine, kept going off and sleeping with Beatty. Stirling never gave me a good reason to like him or want him with Christine, so when they got together, it wasn't the exciting moment one wants in a book.
Stirling can do emotion and description, but when it comes to the love of these two, she is as flat as a pancake so I didn't join the ride. I felt like she was expecting me to be dancing in a field of wild flowers, but I spent the whole book on the other side of the river trying to work out where the bridge was.
June 18, 2016
I chose this book simply because I do like the writings of Jessica Stirling. She didn't disappoint either.
Not usually a fiction reader, I have read quite a few lately so here goes my review for this one.
Set in 1932, small town England, Christine Summers the teacher of the junior school classes of the village school and no designs on marriage to anyone and was quite content with her life as it was. However, Charley Noonan, a local farmer with a severe crush on the pretty teacher, had other ideas. He'd been keen on her for 10 years yet Christine showed no romantic interest in him at all, despite all his efforts.
However, Christine meets a lonely widower Alan Kelso, and finds herself falling in love, even though Alan has found himself a quick romp in the hay with local horse breeder, Beatty McCall. Beatty has designs on Alan but Alan isn't interested in anything long term, let alone permanent.
Christine and her mother Maude live in the house of an elderly army officer who had been the commander of Maude's husband's unit before her husband had been killed in the war. Maude was his housekeeper and Christine had spent many years in the house they now called home.
All was not to last when the old man suddenly died and the worms began coming out of the woodwork, Christine and Maude suddenly finding themselves homeless.
I enjoyed this book and found it to be a good relaxing read.
Not usually a fiction reader, I have read quite a few lately so here goes my review for this one.
Set in 1932, small town England, Christine Summers the teacher of the junior school classes of the village school and no designs on marriage to anyone and was quite content with her life as it was. However, Charley Noonan, a local farmer with a severe crush on the pretty teacher, had other ideas. He'd been keen on her for 10 years yet Christine showed no romantic interest in him at all, despite all his efforts.
However, Christine meets a lonely widower Alan Kelso, and finds herself falling in love, even though Alan has found himself a quick romp in the hay with local horse breeder, Beatty McCall. Beatty has designs on Alan but Alan isn't interested in anything long term, let alone permanent.
Christine and her mother Maude live in the house of an elderly army officer who had been the commander of Maude's husband's unit before her husband had been killed in the war. Maude was his housekeeper and Christine had spent many years in the house they now called home.
All was not to last when the old man suddenly died and the worms began coming out of the woodwork, Christine and Maude suddenly finding themselves homeless.
I enjoyed this book and found it to be a good relaxing read.
March 3, 2011
A candid look at rural Scotland in the 1930's.
January 1, 2014
Thsi was a nice relaxing read. i was really disappointed in the end it was a real let down.
January 2, 2024
Ho hum...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews