Desire for the Star

Perfect for fans of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn.

Valerie was once saved from a life in a wheelchair by the charming Dr. Axel Anton. Years later, when looking after his young niece in Vienna, Valerie comes across the doctor again. Her long-standing affections towards him are soon rekindled, but their budding romance, though steamy and exciting, sets off some dramatic turns. What makes matters more complicated is that the doctor's brother, Rudi, is the one who has proposed to Valerie. Do Valerie and the doctor stand a chance? A vintage romance novel by one of Ida Pollock’s pseudonyms, Averil Ives.

A must-read for fans of literary romance and surprising twists of fate.



Averil Ives is a pseudonym of Ida Pollock (1908 – 2013), a highly successful British writer of over 125 romance novels translated into numerous languages and published across the world. Ida Pollock has sold millions of copies over her 90-year career.

Pollock began writing when she was 10 years old. Ida has travelled widely, living in several different countries. She continues to be popular amongst both her devoted fan base and new readers alike. Pollock has been referred to as the "world's oldest novelist" who was still active at 105 and continued writing until her death.

On the occasion of her 105th birthday, Pollock was appointed honorary vice-president of the Romantic Novelists' Association, having been one of its founding members.

Ida Pollock wrote in a wide variety of pseudonyms: Joan M. Allen, Susan Barrie, Pamela Kent, Averil Ives, Anita Charles, Barbara Rowan, Jane Beaufort, Rose Burghley, Mary Whistler and Marguerite Bell.