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Wedding Bells for Beatrice
Wedding Bells for Beatrice by Betty Neels released on Feb 23, 2004 is available now for purchase.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Betty Neels
584 books422 followersEvelyn Jessy "Betty" Neels was born on September 15, 1910 in Devon to a family with firm roots in the civil service. She said she had a blissfully happy childhood and teenage years.(This stood her in good stead later for the tribulations to come with the Second World War). She was sent away to boarding school, and then went on to train as a nurse, gaining her SRN and SCM, that is, State Registered Nurse and State Certificate of Midwifery.
In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service, which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station. This comprised eight nursing sisters, including Betty, to 100 men! In other circumstances, she thought that might have been quite thrilling! When France was invaded in 1940, all the nursing sisters managed to escape in the charge of an army major, undertaking a lengthy and terrifying journey to Boulogne in an ambulance. They were incredibly fortunate to be put on the last hospital ship to be leaving the port of Boulogne. But Betty's war didn't end there, for she was posted to Scotland, and then on to Northern Ireland, where she met her Dutch husband. He was a seaman aboard a minesweeper, which was bombed. He survived and was sent to the south of Holland to guard the sluices. However, when they had to abandon their post, they were told to escape if they could, and along with a small number of other men, he marched into Belgium. They stole a ship and managed to get it across the Channel to Dover before being transferred to the Atlantic run on the convoys. Sadly he became ill, and that was when he was transferred to hospital in Northern Ireland, where he met Betty. They eventually married, and were blessed with a daughter. They were posted to London, but were bombed out. As with most of the population, they made the best of things.
When the war finally ended, she and her husband were repatriated to Holland. As his family had believed he had died when his ship went down, this was a very emotional homecoming. The small family lived in Holland for 13 years, and Betty resumed her nursing career there. When they decided to return to England, Betty continued her nursing and when she eventually retired she had reached the position of night superintendent.
Betty Neels began writing almost by accident. She had retired from nursing, but her inquiring mind had no intention of vegetating, and her new career was born when she heard a lady in her local library bemoaning the lack of good romance novels. There was little in Betty's background to suggest that she might eventually become a much-loved novelist.
Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969, and by dint of often writing four books a year, she eventually completed 134 books. She was always quite firm upon the point that the Dutch doctors who frequently appeared in her stories were *not* based upon her husband, but rather upon an amalgam of several of the doctors she met while nursing in Holland.
To her millions of fans around the world, Betty Neels epitomized romance. She was always amazed and touched that her books were so widely appreciated. She never sought plaudits and remained a very private person, but it made her very happy to know that she brought such pleasure to so many readers, while herself gaining a quiet joy from spinning her stories. It is perhaps a reflection of her upbringing in an earlier time that the men and women who peopled her stories have a kindliness and good manners, coupled to honesty and integrity, that is not always present in our modern world. Her myriad of fans found a warmth and a reassurance of a better world in her stories, along with characters who touched the heart, which is all and more than one could ask of a romance writer. She received a great deal of fan mail, and there was always a comment upon the fascinating places she visited in her stories. Quite often those of her fans fortunate enough to visit Ho
In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service, which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station. This comprised eight nursing sisters, including Betty, to 100 men! In other circumstances, she thought that might have been quite thrilling! When France was invaded in 1940, all the nursing sisters managed to escape in the charge of an army major, undertaking a lengthy and terrifying journey to Boulogne in an ambulance. They were incredibly fortunate to be put on the last hospital ship to be leaving the port of Boulogne. But Betty's war didn't end there, for she was posted to Scotland, and then on to Northern Ireland, where she met her Dutch husband. He was a seaman aboard a minesweeper, which was bombed. He survived and was sent to the south of Holland to guard the sluices. However, when they had to abandon their post, they were told to escape if they could, and along with a small number of other men, he marched into Belgium. They stole a ship and managed to get it across the Channel to Dover before being transferred to the Atlantic run on the convoys. Sadly he became ill, and that was when he was transferred to hospital in Northern Ireland, where he met Betty. They eventually married, and were blessed with a daughter. They were posted to London, but were bombed out. As with most of the population, they made the best of things.
When the war finally ended, she and her husband were repatriated to Holland. As his family had believed he had died when his ship went down, this was a very emotional homecoming. The small family lived in Holland for 13 years, and Betty resumed her nursing career there. When they decided to return to England, Betty continued her nursing and when she eventually retired she had reached the position of night superintendent.
Betty Neels began writing almost by accident. She had retired from nursing, but her inquiring mind had no intention of vegetating, and her new career was born when she heard a lady in her local library bemoaning the lack of good romance novels. There was little in Betty's background to suggest that she might eventually become a much-loved novelist.
Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969, and by dint of often writing four books a year, she eventually completed 134 books. She was always quite firm upon the point that the Dutch doctors who frequently appeared in her stories were *not* based upon her husband, but rather upon an amalgam of several of the doctors she met while nursing in Holland.
To her millions of fans around the world, Betty Neels epitomized romance. She was always amazed and touched that her books were so widely appreciated. She never sought plaudits and remained a very private person, but it made her very happy to know that she brought such pleasure to so many readers, while herself gaining a quiet joy from spinning her stories. It is perhaps a reflection of her upbringing in an earlier time that the men and women who peopled her stories have a kindliness and good manners, coupled to honesty and integrity, that is not always present in our modern world. Her myriad of fans found a warmth and a reassurance of a better world in her stories, along with characters who touched the heart, which is all and more than one could ask of a romance writer. She received a great deal of fan mail, and there was always a comment upon the fascinating places she visited in her stories. Quite often those of her fans fortunate enough to visit Ho
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 9, 2021
From 1994, Betty airs a few twists in one of her MoC tales. For one, our big, beautiful heroine is from a monied background with loving parents, is not a nurse (she's a hospital lab administrator), and isn't a doormat for the caddish OM. Our RDD hero falls for the heroine from the start, and Betty gives a few clues as to his mindset here and there, but he definitely likes to needle Beatrice into skipping the polite small talk and getting to the point. The OM is an outright stalker, and the potential OW is no such thing.
Overall, it's a cute one from TGB that hits the usual high notes but is just sufficiently different to make it kind of interesting. 3.5* from me, with MCs I enjoyed, a plot moppet who's pretty cute and doesn't get in the way of the romance, some fun secondary characters, a few laugh-out-loud moments, and an HEA ending that's startlingly abrupt but gets the job done.
Overall, it's a cute one from TGB that hits the usual high notes but is just sufficiently different to make it kind of interesting. 3.5* from me, with MCs I enjoyed, a plot moppet who's pretty cute and doesn't get in the way of the romance, some fun secondary characters, a few laugh-out-loud moments, and an HEA ending that's startlingly abrupt but gets the job done.
August 19, 2024
Rather a different Betty in some ways. The OW is not really one and becomes a kind of ally even. The wedding in this was the best I can remember. Both sides of the family get to come so it’s more like a real wedding than many Neels ones are with the whole special license/only a couple witnesses route. Alicia is a sweet character. I did like the ending scene very much, though, per usual, it’s a bit rushed.
September 28, 2016
Beatrice Crawley is a rather unusual Neels heroine in some ways. Yes, she's the Olivia model, with light brown hair and grey eyes, but she is actually well off financially. Her father is a doctor and her maternal great-grandfather was an earl. So, socially, on equal footing with her RDD, Gijs van der Eekerk.
Beatrice works in a hospital, but I'm not sure of her job title. She's a kind of personal food assistant to the hospital labs, and they host medical seminars. Although she met Gijs socially first, she sees him at the hospital quite a lot.
She learns he has a 7yo daughter whose mother ran off with a rich American and was killed.
Beatrice has been seeing Tom for quite some time, but she breaks up with him - he wanted to marry her for her social connections. He is remarkably persistent - nowadays we'd call him a stalker.
Gijs has proposed a MOC and she discovers she's in love with him, so she accepts. As a bonus, it discourages Tom. They marry in her village church and she actually wears a traditional long white gown and her mother's veil! One of a few Neels heroines to do so.
Because Beatrice is well off, she has a more than adequate wardrobe so this one doesn't strictly follow the Stinnet rule. Beatrice meets who she thinks is the OW; turns out she isn't an OW at all. In fact, Mies snatches up Tom.
The denouement is precipitated when Gijs is out most of the night. He had called home and Beatrice, hearing sounds of a party, jumped to the erroneous conclusion that Gijs was out with another woman. In fact, he was treating a couple of drunks injured at the party.
The next night is the hospital ball and during the last dance, Beatrice apologizes and blurts out that she loves him. He reciprocates, they kiss and Gijs says, "My dearest love, shall we go home?"
This one is okay. It has some unique details but is pretty much the standard Neels MOC. Not that that is a bad thing!
Beatrice works in a hospital, but I'm not sure of her job title. She's a kind of personal food assistant to the hospital labs, and they host medical seminars. Although she met Gijs socially first, she sees him at the hospital quite a lot.
She learns he has a 7yo daughter whose mother ran off with a rich American and was killed.
Beatrice has been seeing Tom for quite some time, but she breaks up with him - he wanted to marry her for her social connections. He is remarkably persistent - nowadays we'd call him a stalker.
Gijs has proposed a MOC and she discovers she's in love with him, so she accepts. As a bonus, it discourages Tom. They marry in her village church and she actually wears a traditional long white gown and her mother's veil! One of a few Neels heroines to do so.
Because Beatrice is well off, she has a more than adequate wardrobe so this one doesn't strictly follow the Stinnet rule. Beatrice meets who she thinks is the OW; turns out she isn't an OW at all. In fact, Mies snatches up Tom.
The denouement is precipitated when Gijs is out most of the night. He had called home and Beatrice, hearing sounds of a party, jumped to the erroneous conclusion that Gijs was out with another woman. In fact, he was treating a couple of drunks injured at the party.
The next night is the hospital ball and during the last dance, Beatrice apologizes and blurts out that she loves him. He reciprocates, they kiss and Gijs says, "My dearest love, shall we go home?"
This one is okay. It has some unique details but is pretty much the standard Neels MOC. Not that that is a bad thing!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2021
This was an okay read. Not one of Betty's better books. The story actually was fun and Betty stepped away from several of her tropes. This heroine is beautiful, well off and has a loving well connected family. No downtrodden heroine here. However unlike, Betty's other heroine's, there is nothing to like here. If there was one fault with the book, it was the heroine. Gijs could have done so much better.
December 8, 2023
Sometimes a book has such likable MCs and so many enjoyable details you don't care if there's no plot. That's the case with this story about Beatrice, a young woman who is happy with her life, and Gijs, the widowed RDD who is looking for a wife. I really enjoyed their interactions and all the details of clothes and food. Unlike many Neels stories, there isn't really a baddie here, and everyone, even the jerk, gets a HEA.
September 10, 2025
Way better than the last BN I read: "Fate Takes a Hand"! Very enjoyable.
August 5, 2018
3.5* Spoilers!
I'm partial to the marriage of convenience trope especially when the hero was ALREADY in love with the heroine before they got married!
Plot summary because book blurb did not include one:
Heroine Beatrice was the administrator of St Justin's path. lab. Her father was a respectable GP in the country and her mother was the granddaughter of an earl. This attracted the slimey Tom, who thought the 28 year-old Beatrice would be desperate to marry him, while her parents would be more advantageous to his career. So nice to have a heroine who's not destitute!
Hero Gijs was a renowned Dutch haematologist and surgeon; he's a widower with a 7 year-old daughter Alicia. His wife had left them when Alicia was just a baby for a rich American but died shortly after!
They met at a party where Gijs was a guest of her childhood friend Derek. They did not start off well because he did not care for small talk and she found him rude, but unforgettable! After this Gijs appeared in front of Beatrice in all sorts of situations, but was always there to help.
When Beatrice was sent to Leiden for an exchange program, Gijs was able to bring Beatrice home to show her his house and daughter, while the rest of the household could size her up too! She got the stamp of approval and Alicia loved Beatrice already! Imagine her surprise when Gijs proposed over dinner one night, citing the advantages of a MOC with him. Sensible Beatrice said no, then asked for more time to think about it. But at the next visit to his home, it seemed everyone knew he had proposed and they took for granted she'd accepted! Sure, take your time to think, no pressure Beatrice! Sneaky Gijs...
Meanwhile the pesky Tom did not take no for an answer and promised to be right there waiting for Beatrice once she's back in London. This sort of made Beatrice really uneasy...but what finally made her decide to accept Gijs' proposal was her dawning realisation that she LOVED Gijs! Everyone was overjoyed! Except for Beatrice 's mother. Even though she had witnessed a couple of kisses from Gijs to Beatrice, she cannot help but worried that they were not in love. Her practical father felt Beatrice was a sensible girl, and both were adults so they should know what they were doing.
Gijs was a model fiancé; he requested that Beatrice wear white with a veil, which is what I missed the most in other BN heroines. This was a huge clue as to how Gijs really felt about Beatrice! He had wanted a quick and quiet wedding but when Beatrice got angry, he said she could take six months to plan a big wedding then! The white dress and veil was to indulge in his romantic notions. Aww...And despite his busy schedule he went from Holland to London just to drive her home on her last day of work!
Another thing was even before Beatrice accepted his proposal, he " lent" her a poesy ring to wear and deter Tom's advances. THIS ring he put on her finger himself, but NOT the actual engagement ring (another sapphire and diamond ring as befitted all BN heroines!) What's wrong with all these BN heroes who could not be bothered to put the engagement ring on the heroine?!
Anyway Beatrice settled into life as stepmother and wife of a medical man. However due to her secret love for Gijs, Beatrice got jealous easily. First thinking Mies was a more than a special female friend of Gijs, and when he called home to say he'd be back late, she heard what sounded like a party in the background and started thinking the worst.
When Gijs finally got home at four AM, she let him have it like a jealous wife! Exhausted Gijs was so angry he was cool towards her and played the avoidance game. It helped that he had to go overseas for a dangerous mission in Northern Ireland!
More than a week passed and Gijs barely made it to the hospital ball, arriving home just in time to dress.
It was during the last dance, the romantic waltz, that Beatrice confessed her jealousy and love for Gijs. HE then revealed he had fallen for her at first sight, on the dance floor too.
Happy ever after.
PS. It was so "funny" the ambitious Tom and shrewd Mies ended up together, deciding to marry after hitting it off on their first meeting! Mies was not blind to his faults, but was confident she could control him! Ha!
I enjoyed this book because it was pretty clear from early on that Beatrice mattered a lot to Gijs. He might tease her and say things to provoke her, but ultimately he was always kind and solicitous of her, looking after her as best as he could. His anger after the road accident event stemmed from fear that Beatrice had run away...and worry about her safety in the horrible snow/rainstorm. But it sure sent out all the wrong mixed signals to Beatrice!
I'm partial to the marriage of convenience trope especially when the hero was ALREADY in love with the heroine before they got married!
Plot summary because book blurb did not include one:
Heroine Beatrice was the administrator of St Justin's path. lab. Her father was a respectable GP in the country and her mother was the granddaughter of an earl. This attracted the slimey Tom, who thought the 28 year-old Beatrice would be desperate to marry him, while her parents would be more advantageous to his career. So nice to have a heroine who's not destitute!
Hero Gijs was a renowned Dutch haematologist and surgeon; he's a widower with a 7 year-old daughter Alicia. His wife had left them when Alicia was just a baby for a rich American but died shortly after!
They met at a party where Gijs was a guest of her childhood friend Derek. They did not start off well because he did not care for small talk and she found him rude, but unforgettable! After this Gijs appeared in front of Beatrice in all sorts of situations, but was always there to help.
When Beatrice was sent to Leiden for an exchange program, Gijs was able to bring Beatrice home to show her his house and daughter, while the rest of the household could size her up too! She got the stamp of approval and Alicia loved Beatrice already! Imagine her surprise when Gijs proposed over dinner one night, citing the advantages of a MOC with him. Sensible Beatrice said no, then asked for more time to think about it. But at the next visit to his home, it seemed everyone knew he had proposed and they took for granted she'd accepted! Sure, take your time to think, no pressure Beatrice! Sneaky Gijs...
Meanwhile the pesky Tom did not take no for an answer and promised to be right there waiting for Beatrice once she's back in London. This sort of made Beatrice really uneasy...but what finally made her decide to accept Gijs' proposal was her dawning realisation that she LOVED Gijs! Everyone was overjoyed! Except for Beatrice 's mother. Even though she had witnessed a couple of kisses from Gijs to Beatrice, she cannot help but worried that they were not in love. Her practical father felt Beatrice was a sensible girl, and both were adults so they should know what they were doing.
Gijs was a model fiancé; he requested that Beatrice wear white with a veil, which is what I missed the most in other BN heroines. This was a huge clue as to how Gijs really felt about Beatrice! He had wanted a quick and quiet wedding but when Beatrice got angry, he said she could take six months to plan a big wedding then! The white dress and veil was to indulge in his romantic notions. Aww...And despite his busy schedule he went from Holland to London just to drive her home on her last day of work!
Another thing was even before Beatrice accepted his proposal, he " lent" her a poesy ring to wear and deter Tom's advances. THIS ring he put on her finger himself, but NOT the actual engagement ring (another sapphire and diamond ring as befitted all BN heroines!) What's wrong with all these BN heroes who could not be bothered to put the engagement ring on the heroine?!
Anyway Beatrice settled into life as stepmother and wife of a medical man. However due to her secret love for Gijs, Beatrice got jealous easily. First thinking Mies was a more than a special female friend of Gijs, and when he called home to say he'd be back late, she heard what sounded like a party in the background and started thinking the worst.
When Gijs finally got home at four AM, she let him have it like a jealous wife! Exhausted Gijs was so angry he was cool towards her and played the avoidance game. It helped that he had to go overseas for a dangerous mission in Northern Ireland!
More than a week passed and Gijs barely made it to the hospital ball, arriving home just in time to dress.
It was during the last dance, the romantic waltz, that Beatrice confessed her jealousy and love for Gijs. HE then revealed he had fallen for her at first sight, on the dance floor too.
Happy ever after.
PS. It was so "funny" the ambitious Tom and shrewd Mies ended up together, deciding to marry after hitting it off on their first meeting! Mies was not blind to his faults, but was confident she could control him! Ha!
I enjoyed this book because it was pretty clear from early on that Beatrice mattered a lot to Gijs. He might tease her and say things to provoke her, but ultimately he was always kind and solicitous of her, looking after her as best as he could. His anger after the road accident event stemmed from fear that Beatrice had run away...and worry about her safety in the horrible snow/rainstorm. But it sure sent out all the wrong mixed signals to Beatrice!
August 1, 2008
Beatrice -seorang putri dokter- pertama kali bertemu dengan Gijs di pesta Lady Dowey. Saat itu, Beatrice merasa bahwa sang profesor "dingin" dan tidak suka basa-basi. Pokoknya membuat Beatrice berpikir tidak ingin bertemu dengannya lagi.
Tapi entah kenapa, takdir memutuskan bahwa Beatrice dan Gijs sering bertemu secara kebetulan. Entah itu karena adanya seminar kedokteran di RS tempat Beatrice bekerja, atau pertemuan di pintu masuk asrama RS saat Beatrice baru saja menangis karena menolak lamaran menikah dari Tom.
Pun ketika Beatrice harus pergi ke Leiden, Belanda untuk pertukaran pegawai RS, Gijs terkesan selalu hadir.
Sampai pada akhirnya Gijs melamar Beatrice atas dasar persahabatan yang terbina antara mereka berdua. Saat memikirkan lamaran ini, Beatrice menyadari dirinya mencintai Gijs, sehingga ia pun menerima lamaran Gijs.
Setelah menikah, Beatrice tinggal di Belanda. Suatu saat, sahabat Gijs -Mies van Trott- datang berkunjung. Awalnya Beatrice sebal melihatnya -cemburu tepatnya. Tapi lama-lama malah jadi menyukai Mies. Saat Tom datang berkunjung ke Belanda, Mies dan Tom malah langsung tertarik.
Saat di pesta dansa, Beatrice akhirnya memberitahu Gijs tentang perasaan cintanya. Ternyata, Gijs pun merasakan hal yang sama.
Tapi entah kenapa, takdir memutuskan bahwa Beatrice dan Gijs sering bertemu secara kebetulan. Entah itu karena adanya seminar kedokteran di RS tempat Beatrice bekerja, atau pertemuan di pintu masuk asrama RS saat Beatrice baru saja menangis karena menolak lamaran menikah dari Tom.
Pun ketika Beatrice harus pergi ke Leiden, Belanda untuk pertukaran pegawai RS, Gijs terkesan selalu hadir.
Sampai pada akhirnya Gijs melamar Beatrice atas dasar persahabatan yang terbina antara mereka berdua. Saat memikirkan lamaran ini, Beatrice menyadari dirinya mencintai Gijs, sehingga ia pun menerima lamaran Gijs.
Setelah menikah, Beatrice tinggal di Belanda. Suatu saat, sahabat Gijs -Mies van Trott- datang berkunjung. Awalnya Beatrice sebal melihatnya -cemburu tepatnya. Tapi lama-lama malah jadi menyukai Mies. Saat Tom datang berkunjung ke Belanda, Mies dan Tom malah langsung tertarik.
Saat di pesta dansa, Beatrice akhirnya memberitahu Gijs tentang perasaan cintanya. Ternyata, Gijs pun merasakan hal yang sama.
April 26, 2017
I read this on the kindle
Another of Betty Neels books they all do run in the same vein while when you think of today they are dated but no sex just an old fashion romance
Betrice marries Gijs just before she accepts his proposal she realises she in love with him so his marriage proposal of a friendly marriage she accepts
He has a daughter from his previous marriage who like Betrice, so Betrice tries to get Gijs to fall in love with her
I won't say more if you not read any BN books you can still work out what will happen but these are nice especially in describing the homes furniture & areas in the Netherlands
Not sure when this was written but she started writing late 1969 so can't be dated along with Gijs who is very rich you get a class that most of us will never know
Another of Betty Neels books they all do run in the same vein while when you think of today they are dated but no sex just an old fashion romance
Betrice marries Gijs just before she accepts his proposal she realises she in love with him so his marriage proposal of a friendly marriage she accepts
He has a daughter from his previous marriage who like Betrice, so Betrice tries to get Gijs to fall in love with her
I won't say more if you not read any BN books you can still work out what will happen but these are nice especially in describing the homes furniture & areas in the Netherlands
Not sure when this was written but she started writing late 1969 so can't be dated along with Gijs who is very rich you get a class that most of us will never know
June 20, 2013
To say the least,Its a typical Mills and Boons Novel.The subtle hints of love and drama keeps the reader wanting to finish the book fast, but not lame enough to stop reading it altogether.
June 24, 2013
Beatrice marries Gijs, a widower with a small child and a nusy medical career, to help him with his domestic life.
January 20, 2014
A nice, gentle read romance. One of her best I think.
December 17, 2013
Why don't the men ever just tell the girl he lives her?
January 13, 2026
Read: 13Jan26
4 stars. Quite a nice read featuring a cool, terse hero who made the story interesting. In this one we can never be quite sure what the H is thinking, and the capable heroine can't be quite sure why he is always there for her.
Beatrice (28) is a big beautiful hospital administrator, daughter of a well-off doctor dad and loving mum, not one of Betty's impoverished heroines. She meets a handsome stranger Gijs (38) at a christmas party and finds his bruque staight-talking speech to be rude and tells him so, then stalks off. she feels rude, but he doesn't give her a chance to apologise.
when he later turns up at her hospital for some lectures, she learns he is an RDD and prof. she is being pursued by Tom, a young doc who wants her family money and connections to smooth his career and arrogantly assumes she will marry him, though he doesn't give a toss about her. Beatrice, outraged when he states this outright, dumps him, but he is so arrogant he carries on pursuing her. Gijs sees all this going on and takes steps to help her fend tom off. in contrast to the utterly selfish Tom, Gijs is always aware of what she needs and makes sure of her comfort.
They go on a couple of dates, but she assumes he is just being social because they know people in common.
I found it interesting that Gijs can't seem to stand small talk with her and always wants to cut to the honest stuff. even so, he doesn't tell her what he feels, presumably because he knows she isn't ready to hear it.
SPOILERS AHEAD
she goes on a work exchange scheme to Holland where she sees him again, and he takes her to see his house and meet his little daughter. he tells her he is going to get married soon, so even though she likes him, she tells herself to keep an emotional distance. imagine her shock when it's her he proposes to. a sensible MOC based on a good friendship, he says.
she always wanted to marry for love and has turned other men down for that reason. she intends to say no to Gijs even after he asks her to think about it after she returns to England. he even gives her a family heirloom ring to help her fend off the ever persistent Tom.
at around 50% she realises she's fallen in love with him. thus she agrees to marry him, in hopes he will fall for her too.
they marry, she moves to Holland, he continues to take good care of her and is always considerate. no major dramas in this one. but she is frustrated by the emotional distance and by her desire for him to fall in love with her, but she seems no nearer achieving this.
she even gets jealous of a female friend of his, but the friend ends up being helpful and nice to Beatrice.
ENDING SPOILERS
one evening, he phones to say he wont be home til late, and she hears a party in the background and a woman calling him. he doesnt get home until past 4am and she furiously confronts him, and implies that he was cheating on her. he is very angry with her. this was near the end and livened up the book a bit with some much needed drama. he is furious with her for thinking it and he avoids being alone with her after that, and won't let her apologise even after she discovers he helped 2 men horribly injured at a party full of drunks. he even goes away to Ireland for a week and his calls home are v breif.
she is desperate to talk to him, and he finally comes home just in time for the hospital ball, but even then he stays busy and doesn't give her a chance to apologise.
eventually, as they are dancing towards the end of the night, she confesses she was jealous because she fell in love with him. he is happy. he says he fell for her when they first met and has been waiting for her all this time. it was a brief ending, but sweet and it worked.
CONCLUSION
despite this book not having as much depth of plot as my fave betty books, I did quite like it because because Gijs was so alpha and so rudely forthright and domineering and yet he also always gave her exactly what she needed and listened to her, and the mix of that was compelling. I like an icehole hero and he was an icehole in his own way, but he was an icehole in pursuit of his woman and caring for her needs rather than the usual icehole who is terrified of love. so yes, his character provided enough of a source of romantic conflict in the book to keep things interesting. I also loved how he was always there to help her thwart the nasty Tom. what a guy!
4 stars. Quite a nice read featuring a cool, terse hero who made the story interesting. In this one we can never be quite sure what the H is thinking, and the capable heroine can't be quite sure why he is always there for her.
Beatrice (28) is a big beautiful hospital administrator, daughter of a well-off doctor dad and loving mum, not one of Betty's impoverished heroines. She meets a handsome stranger Gijs (38) at a christmas party and finds his bruque staight-talking speech to be rude and tells him so, then stalks off. she feels rude, but he doesn't give her a chance to apologise.
when he later turns up at her hospital for some lectures, she learns he is an RDD and prof. she is being pursued by Tom, a young doc who wants her family money and connections to smooth his career and arrogantly assumes she will marry him, though he doesn't give a toss about her. Beatrice, outraged when he states this outright, dumps him, but he is so arrogant he carries on pursuing her. Gijs sees all this going on and takes steps to help her fend tom off. in contrast to the utterly selfish Tom, Gijs is always aware of what she needs and makes sure of her comfort.
They go on a couple of dates, but she assumes he is just being social because they know people in common.
I found it interesting that Gijs can't seem to stand small talk with her and always wants to cut to the honest stuff. even so, he doesn't tell her what he feels, presumably because he knows she isn't ready to hear it.
SPOILERS AHEAD
she goes on a work exchange scheme to Holland where she sees him again, and he takes her to see his house and meet his little daughter. he tells her he is going to get married soon, so even though she likes him, she tells herself to keep an emotional distance. imagine her shock when it's her he proposes to. a sensible MOC based on a good friendship, he says.
she always wanted to marry for love and has turned other men down for that reason. she intends to say no to Gijs even after he asks her to think about it after she returns to England. he even gives her a family heirloom ring to help her fend off the ever persistent Tom.
at around 50% she realises she's fallen in love with him. thus she agrees to marry him, in hopes he will fall for her too.
they marry, she moves to Holland, he continues to take good care of her and is always considerate. no major dramas in this one. but she is frustrated by the emotional distance and by her desire for him to fall in love with her, but she seems no nearer achieving this.
she even gets jealous of a female friend of his, but the friend ends up being helpful and nice to Beatrice.
ENDING SPOILERS
one evening, he phones to say he wont be home til late, and she hears a party in the background and a woman calling him. he doesnt get home until past 4am and she furiously confronts him, and implies that he was cheating on her. he is very angry with her. this was near the end and livened up the book a bit with some much needed drama. he is furious with her for thinking it and he avoids being alone with her after that, and won't let her apologise even after she discovers he helped 2 men horribly injured at a party full of drunks. he even goes away to Ireland for a week and his calls home are v breif.
she is desperate to talk to him, and he finally comes home just in time for the hospital ball, but even then he stays busy and doesn't give her a chance to apologise.
eventually, as they are dancing towards the end of the night, she confesses she was jealous because she fell in love with him. he is happy. he says he fell for her when they first met and has been waiting for her all this time. it was a brief ending, but sweet and it worked.
CONCLUSION
despite this book not having as much depth of plot as my fave betty books, I did quite like it because because Gijs was so alpha and so rudely forthright and domineering and yet he also always gave her exactly what she needed and listened to her, and the mix of that was compelling. I like an icehole hero and he was an icehole in his own way, but he was an icehole in pursuit of his woman and caring for her needs rather than the usual icehole who is terrified of love. so yes, his character provided enough of a source of romantic conflict in the book to keep things interesting. I also loved how he was always there to help her thwart the nasty Tom. what a guy!
June 6, 2018
Wedding Bells For Beatrice is book one in what I like to refer to as a three book connected mini-series. Many Betty Neels characters make appearances in other books, but the three couples in these stories play a key role in each others romances.
Gijs van der Eekerk meets Beatrice Crawley at a country house party. He fell in love instantly but was careful not to reveal it to Beatrice. Instead the two clash and Gijs sets out to right the situation. The two meet again at the London hospital where Beatrice works and where she is also trying to shake off social climbing boyfriend. Gijs takes matters in hand and soon Beatrice finds herself in a marriage of convenience and the mother to an adorable little girl named Alicia.
As with Neels' marriage of convenience stories, the couple has to sort themselves out before true love is declared. However the process of discovery is what makes for an enjoyable read. Readers will revisit with Beatrice and Gijs in Book Two of this series in A HAPPY MEETING.
Gijs van der Eekerk meets Beatrice Crawley at a country house party. He fell in love instantly but was careful not to reveal it to Beatrice. Instead the two clash and Gijs sets out to right the situation. The two meet again at the London hospital where Beatrice works and where she is also trying to shake off social climbing boyfriend. Gijs takes matters in hand and soon Beatrice finds herself in a marriage of convenience and the mother to an adorable little girl named Alicia.
As with Neels' marriage of convenience stories, the couple has to sort themselves out before true love is declared. However the process of discovery is what makes for an enjoyable read. Readers will revisit with Beatrice and Gijs in Book Two of this series in A HAPPY MEETING.
February 6, 2020
Ok, great beginning, good middle, jeez was that a fast wrap up! I love that Ms. Neels is always a safe bet of innocence and a type of calm. However, sometimes she finishes a story in such a goofy-fast way.
Spoiler:
What was the purpose of Mies? I mean a hospital employee could have accidentally told Beatrice of the “party/accident”. As far as I can see, that was the only purpose to her existence...well, that and she proves that Gijs has terrible taste in friends. (Mies was going to use Thom and vice verse??)
Gijs is upset Beatrice doesn’t trust him? How many Neels stories have the same situation in reverse? Guy jealous of nothing till end.
It’s sweet, cute, Ms Neels HAS written worse: this isn’t her best work.
Spoiler:
What was the purpose of Mies? I mean a hospital employee could have accidentally told Beatrice of the “party/accident”. As far as I can see, that was the only purpose to her existence...well, that and she proves that Gijs has terrible taste in friends. (Mies was going to use Thom and vice verse??)
Gijs is upset Beatrice doesn’t trust him? How many Neels stories have the same situation in reverse? Guy jealous of nothing till end.
It’s sweet, cute, Ms Neels HAS written worse: this isn’t her best work.
August 16, 2023
Same as any other Betty books.Hero is a doctor and, in this case, a widower with a 7 year old daughter. He is Dutch. Heroine works in the administration department in a London hospital. They meet and develop good understanding and friendship.Hero loves her but offers a marriage based on friendship , companionship, and heroine who already loves him, agrees to marry him, and shifts to Netherlands. They finally confess their love for one another and live HEA.
Though the concept of the story is the same as most of BN books, her narration is captive and never boring.Betty is always soothing to read.
Though the concept of the story is the same as most of BN books, her narration is captive and never boring.Betty is always soothing to read.
September 20, 2019
Love this book because i love story about MOC.but different with other betty neel's MOC stories, heroine wore properly white wedding dress and veil! good for you hero! Wedding at village church and wedding reception with friends and family. Gijs was sweet hero and loved heroine from the very first sight.
June 14, 2020
I read this for the Netherlands connection, but it was so basic. And I could not for the life of me figure out the time period it was supposed to take place -- the attitudes and styles seemed like 1910-20s, but then there were references to McDonald's and computers and I was scratching my head the whole time.
January 3, 2024
OMG what a dumb book! I’m sorry Betty fans you know I love these simple sweet books but come on now! The best thing about this book is the dinner Beatrice and her large DD ate. “They ate smoked salmon, fricassee of chicken with asparagus and a soufflé light as air.”
August 6, 2018
Lovely
If you enjoy your romances light, clean, fluffy and vintage then you will enjoy the wonderful work of Betty Neels
If you enjoy your romances light, clean, fluffy and vintage then you will enjoy the wonderful work of Betty Neels
October 12, 2022
3.5 stars
Good story, main characters are a bit bland. OW/OM drama kept to a minimum.
Good story, main characters are a bit bland. OW/OM drama kept to a minimum.
December 12, 2023
Clean romance.
Beatrice and Gijs meet at a dance. She had been steadily dating Tom who has been a little pushy about getting married, for all the wrong reasons, she realizes she likes him as a friend only. Gijs helps her to get a temporary place in the work exchange and she enjoys the time there and learning a new language. Gijs introduces her to his daughter from a previous marriage and later asks Beatrice to marry him. (Beautiful wedding!) and now just to find out that she loves him!
Will they finally profess their live to each other?
Beatrice and Gijs meet at a dance. She had been steadily dating Tom who has been a little pushy about getting married, for all the wrong reasons, she realizes she likes him as a friend only. Gijs helps her to get a temporary place in the work exchange and she enjoys the time there and learning a new language. Gijs introduces her to his daughter from a previous marriage and later asks Beatrice to marry him. (Beautiful wedding!) and now just to find out that she loves him!
Will they finally profess their live to each other?
June 2, 2018
This was the first of the Betty Neels books I read. I love it then,and I love it now. The characters are believable and the circumstances funny but tender. Will hope to read it again some time in the future.
March 19, 2020
Delightful
I really enjoy Betty Neels romance stories. They are so much fun to read. Sweet and clean, my very favorites.
I really enjoy Betty Neels romance stories. They are so much fun to read. Sweet and clean, my very favorites.
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