First published in 1906, this is inevitably steeped in Victorian morality and culture. So it's shocking for 18-year-old Betty, the respectable step-daughter of a Vicar, to meet Vernon, an artist, ten years her senior, without a chaperone. She sees the meetings as educational; he is clearly a serial womaniser...

There’s a lot of irony in the writing, and some wry observations that lift this out of the mundane. There's also some good characterisation. The relationship between Betty and her stepfather is full of misunderstandings, and hoped that they would eventually understand each other better.

In places the story is rather slow-moving, but given its age, most if it is lively, even risqué in places. There are implications and innuendoes, and a fair amount of tension.

This made a good book to read when on holiday; it wasn’t so gripping that I couldn’t put it down but the characters and situations were distinct enough that I never forgot who was whom. Not as good as the author’s better-known children's books, but on the whole I liked this novel and am glad I read it. ( )

Eh, what can I say about this book? Betty Desmond was certainly very naive and made a lot of bad choices. I'm glad everything turned out good in the end, with Betty and her step-father learning some things they needed to know. I wasn't at all surprised by the ending—I could see it coming. It was obvious Betty and Vernon's relationship was all romance and no substance. I never felt sorry for Eustace Vernon—I'm not sure if he is supposed to be a likeable character or not but I disliked him the whole time. ( )