The trouble between lively, sandy-haired nurse Jane
Chapin and handsome Washington attorney Joshua Blake began when they met at the
Continental Broadcasting Studios. It was a simple case of mistaken identity -
he thought she was an impudent receptionist and she thought he was an aspiring
page boy. But what followed turned out to be an intricate matter of
international intrigue that involved them both in a dangerous series of
romantic double-crosses; curious quirks of fate and terrifying realities that
threatened both their lives and love. The truth was the only thing that would
save them - but they would have to ignore their own gnawing doubts long enough
to find it.
Fun vintage romantic suspense. I read the author's
romantic suspense books from the 70s and 80s and have fond memories of them. I
was unaware of this title until I saw a complete list of her books. Naturally,
I had to track down a copy and read it.
The story gets off to a rough start for our heroine,
Jane, and hero, Josh. In a comedy of errors, they first jump to conclusions
about who the other one is, trading barbs and snide remarks. If that's not
enough, a mishap with an ink bottle ends with Josh covered in ink, and when he
moves Jane out of his way, it triggers a rogue file drawer that intersects with
his head. Needless to say, they are not each other's biggest fans. The icing on
the cake is when Jane is tagged to show Josh around the studios.
Jane is filling in as a temporary nurse at the studio as
a favor to a family friend. She's just finished a two-year job in South America
and plans a vacation at her parents' place in Washington state before moving on
to her next job. Josh is an attorney from the studio's headquarters in DC who
has come to New York to help boost the international section's productivity in
advance of congressional budget hearings. The two mix like oil and water, but there
are sparks of attraction under the antagonism. Complicating matters are other
potential love interests who have their eyes on Jane and Josh. The studio's
resident doctor, a friend of Josh's, makes no secret of his interest in Jane.
Josh is frequently found in the company of Ellen Barton, the daughter of a
studio vice president who has her eye on him.
Life gets more interesting when one of the producers is
found knocked unconscious in the music library. Emilio is married to the
daughter of a Caribbean dictator but is currently carrying on an affair with the
studio librarian, so maybe there is some connection. Not long after, Jane's
apartment is ransacked, leaving her and Josh puzzled about the reason. Despite
their constant clashes, Jane and Josh work together to see if they can figure
out the culprit. An attack on the division head and a poetry quote are the final
clues that lead to the bad guy facing justice.
I enjoyed seeing the development of the relationship
between Jane and Josh. Neither is at their best during their first meeting and
despite their misunderstandings, there is no doubt that they've made an
impression on each other. Over the next few days, they can go from perfectly
agreeable to snarky attitudes in a heartbeat. Jane tries to put Josh out of her
mind by going out with Dr. Mark Jamieson. It's all for nothing when they
encounter Josh with Miss Barton. I thought Mark was lovely with his acceptance
that they weren't meant to be and that he and Jane still had a good time. Josh
didn't seem quite as content in his role. He won points with me when he came to
the rescue after Jane's apartment was ransacked. His protectiveness was sweet
and gave me hope for the future. I wasn't sure what would happen when Josh
disappeared after all the trouble and Jane didn't hear from him. I didn't blame
her for leaving her temp job early to head to her parents' home to recover. I
loved the scene on the train and Josh's big moment.
It was a lot of fun reading this vintage story. The
descriptions brought those earlier days into sharp focus. Reading about how
Jane got dressed to go out for the afternoon and grabbed a fresh pair of white
gloves before leaving created a vivid picture in my mind. The clothing
descriptions were interesting and set the mood for their scenes.
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