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Roses for Christmas
Eleanor remembered Fulk from her childhood, and how she had disliked him. Now Eleanor was grown up and a nurse, and suddenly Fulk, a consultant, was back in her life. He hadn't changed a bit, still dictorial and overbearing, which was a problem because in the circumstances she couldn't avoid him! It also shouldn't matter that he was engaged to pretty little Imogen -- but somehow, it did...
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
52 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Betty Neels
564 books411 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 - 30 of 44 reviews
February 12, 2012
this is my fav book written by her.when i visited london,made sure that i visited a lot of places mentioned in her books,loved markd and spencer,harrodds and selfridges.
April 10, 2021
Unfortunately, this one didn't stand up to my original rating. I'm going to remove one star. Things got a bit too repetitive for me with Imogen, Imogen, Imogen.....Plus, I didn't even realize he was an RDD, until halfway through the book. ;-(
It's not bad, but it's definitely middle of the road for our Betty.
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Another deliciously sweet romance by Betty Neels. Betty Neels is like a warm hot chocolate in front a blazing fire on a cold winters day. When you are done, you feel warm and fuzzy all over!
It's not bad, but it's definitely middle of the road for our Betty.
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Another deliciously sweet romance by Betty Neels. Betty Neels is like a warm hot chocolate in front a blazing fire on a cold winters day. When you are done, you feel warm and fuzzy all over!
November 29, 2014
I love the gentle way Betty Neels weaves her love stories around just the right circumstances for her heroines to fall hopelessly in love. Of course, her heroes usually already know that the heroines belong to them, they just have to be patient.
In this one, Betty gives us a Scottish heroine who is a nurse in Edinburgh. Our hero is a medical Professor from Holland. Their fathers were great friends, however, it's been 20 years since Fulk last visited Eleanor's family --- he'd been sixteen to Eleanor's five. He'd always had a soft spot for her and she'd never forgotten him, and how he used to soothe her childish tears. Eleanor is a feisty young woman who doesn't appreciate his overwhelming ways, and they find themselves always quarreling. We, of course, know it's only a matter of time for these two to figure out just where all these sparks are leading to. Ms. Neels gives Eleanor a lovely HEA, one worthy of a contented sigh.
In this one, Betty gives us a Scottish heroine who is a nurse in Edinburgh. Our hero is a medical Professor from Holland. Their fathers were great friends, however, it's been 20 years since Fulk last visited Eleanor's family --- he'd been sixteen to Eleanor's five. He'd always had a soft spot for her and she'd never forgotten him, and how he used to soothe her childish tears. Eleanor is a feisty young woman who doesn't appreciate his overwhelming ways, and they find themselves always quarreling. We, of course, know it's only a matter of time for these two to figure out just where all these sparks are leading to. Ms. Neels gives Eleanor a lovely HEA, one worthy of a contented sigh.
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December 2, 2023This was one of the first books I ever read by Betty Neels and I remember thinking what a complete jerk the H was. I could not understand why on earth she would tolerate this kind of rudeness and game-playing. Also, he was 11 years older than her and that meant that when they were children, he was a 16-year-old bullying a five-year-old! Why would she give this jerk the time of day?
Dozens of books later, I get it: I have been brainwashed. Now he’s just a garden variety H.
Dozens of books later, I get it: I have been brainwashed. Now he’s just a garden variety H.
December 28, 2023
We're in the 11th month of Covid quarantine and this is the first Betty Neels book I've reread! What's wrong with me? I know she's an awesome comfort read - I first discovered her when I was regrouping after losing my husband and both my parents in one week. Desperate to pass the time but needing nothing heavy to digest I picked a Neels book up on Overdrive and fell in (quiet) love. I loved that she was old-fashioned, like the stories I grew up on. I loved that nobody yelled, screamed or cheated in her books. I loved that her heroines had quiet dignity, were capable and intelligent and humble. I loved the details of families, dogs and cats, clothes, and suppers eaten in the kitchen. And I still love those things. A dose of Betty is just what I needed right now. Anyway, this is a reread, so my original review stands below.
Another Neels book with a loving family and hard-working nurse. In this case the RDD is someone our nurse knew as a young child - and she wasn't too fond of him. When he shows up years later she can't decide if she likes him or not. How he feels about her is a mystery, unless you recognize the pattern from other BN stories.
There's a real feel of winter in the first part of this book, where our hero and heroine must rescue some stranded school children in a blizzard. I happen to love stories with plenty of snow, so that part was right up my alley. The second half had our MC's caring for her sick younger brother in Holland.
The MC's in this one were both likable, though Eleanor kept "not liking" Fulk longer than I thought she should. OTOH I do understand that you can get stuck in how you think you feel about someone and perhaps not realize your feelings have changed - or they have.
3.5 star
NB - If you enjoy Neel's books join the conversation at the GR group Betty Neels Fanatics. See you there!
Another Neels book with a loving family and hard-working nurse. In this case the RDD is someone our nurse knew as a young child - and she wasn't too fond of him. When he shows up years later she can't decide if she likes him or not. How he feels about her is a mystery, unless you recognize the pattern from other BN stories.
There's a real feel of winter in the first part of this book, where our hero and heroine must rescue some stranded school children in a blizzard. I happen to love stories with plenty of snow, so that part was right up my alley. The second half had our MC's caring for her sick younger brother in Holland.
The MC's in this one were both likable, though Eleanor kept "not liking" Fulk longer than I thought she should. OTOH I do understand that you can get stuck in how you think you feel about someone and perhaps not realize your feelings have changed - or they have.
3.5 star
NB - If you enjoy Neel's books join the conversation at the GR group Betty Neels Fanatics. See you there!
September 28, 2016
Eleanor MacFarlane is a beautiful Scottish nurse with a large loving family. Her family's home is in the very north of Scotland; her father is a minister and her mother runs a large household consisting of five children. There are James, Mary, Eleanor, Margaret, and Henry. The story opens when an old family friend, Fulk van Hensum, RDD, comes to visit. His late father was great friends with Rev. MacFarlane. (Other than this, there is no mention of any other members of Fulk's family, which is quite unusual for LaNeels.)
Eleanor last saw Fulk when she was five and he was 16. She recalls him pulling her hair, her kicking his shins, falling down crying, and him picking her up and hugging her. We know that he falls in love with her on sight, although he is engaged to Imogen, who is in the south of France; Eleanor says that he wasn't so polite yesterday (when they first met) and he replies, "one sometimes says the wrong thing when one is taken by surprise." Eleanor becomes aware that she both likes and dislikes Fulk immensely and wonders how this is possible.
Soon comes a blizzard in which Fulk and Eleanor must rescue the local schoolmaster (with broken leg) and boys from a mountain cave; Henry, who is recovering from chickenpox and doing poorly, goes home with Fulk; then Henry develops rheumatic fever and Eleanor must go to Holland to nurse him.
While waiting for Fulk and Henry to arrange for Henry's passport, Eleanor amuses herself by writing a wish list. Fulk picks it up and reads it: "Sable coat, Gina Fratini dress, Givenchy scarf, Marks and Spencer sweater, toothpaste, surgical scissors, every paperback I want, roses for Christmas."
Now, with our heroine in The Netherlands, the magical land of love, she has plenty of time for her Dawning Realization.
On a long weekend, Fulk drives (!) to Cannes to see Imogen. (To break the engagement, we wonder? Yes, we later find out that Fulk found her amusing herself with a short, fat, balding American millionaire.)
In the meantime, she gets looked over by Fulk's future mother-in-law not to be, who comes to, as she puts it, look over Imogen's interests. Regrettably, Eleanor loses her temper. Quite a funny scene.
Henry is recovering and Fulk fetches Eleanor's parents for Sint Nikolaas.
Some lovely family scenes. Fulk takes Eleanor out to explore Groningen on a cold rainy day and kisses her on a canal bridge.
Fulk takes her parents home; immediately upon his return, Imogen telephones and Eleanor answers, then gives the phone to Fulk. Next day, Imogen comes over, presumably to see what Eleanor looks like. She says she doesn't love Fulk and isn't going to marry him. When she leaves, Eleanor notices that folk is there and she urges him to run out and catch her. He just laughs and says that Eleanor heard Imogen say that she didn't love him and wasn't going to marry him. He says that when he went to Cannes, he found that Imogen was "consoling herself" with an American millionaire. "An American millionaire is so much richer than a Dutch one, you know." Ha!
Then he proceeds to tell Eleanor that he hasn't loved Imogen since the moment he saw Eleanor sitting in the attic at her parents home and eating an apple. Lovely declaration and proposal that follows.
Quite a lot of smooching throughout; Fulk explains early on that he and Imogen agreed their engagement would not require either party to change their lifestyles. Obviously a society marriage only. Fulk is quite a fun RDD as well as being kind. Eleanor is sensible but quite feisty - Fulk tells her once that he may as well do something otherwise she would nag (YES, the n-word!) him until he did.
Just super, to use Henry's words!
Eleanor last saw Fulk when she was five and he was 16. She recalls him pulling her hair, her kicking his shins, falling down crying, and him picking her up and hugging her. We know that he falls in love with her on sight, although he is engaged to Imogen, who is in the south of France; Eleanor says that he wasn't so polite yesterday (when they first met) and he replies, "one sometimes says the wrong thing when one is taken by surprise." Eleanor becomes aware that she both likes and dislikes Fulk immensely and wonders how this is possible.
Soon comes a blizzard in which Fulk and Eleanor must rescue the local schoolmaster (with broken leg) and boys from a mountain cave; Henry, who is recovering from chickenpox and doing poorly, goes home with Fulk; then Henry develops rheumatic fever and Eleanor must go to Holland to nurse him.
While waiting for Fulk and Henry to arrange for Henry's passport, Eleanor amuses herself by writing a wish list. Fulk picks it up and reads it: "Sable coat, Gina Fratini dress, Givenchy scarf, Marks and Spencer sweater, toothpaste, surgical scissors, every paperback I want, roses for Christmas."
Now, with our heroine in The Netherlands, the magical land of love, she has plenty of time for her Dawning Realization.
On a long weekend, Fulk drives (!) to Cannes to see Imogen. (To break the engagement, we wonder? Yes, we later find out that Fulk found her amusing herself with a short, fat, balding American millionaire.)
In the meantime, she gets looked over by Fulk's future mother-in-law not to be, who comes to, as she puts it, look over Imogen's interests. Regrettably, Eleanor loses her temper. Quite a funny scene.
Henry is recovering and Fulk fetches Eleanor's parents for Sint Nikolaas.
Some lovely family scenes. Fulk takes Eleanor out to explore Groningen on a cold rainy day and kisses her on a canal bridge.
Fulk takes her parents home; immediately upon his return, Imogen telephones and Eleanor answers, then gives the phone to Fulk. Next day, Imogen comes over, presumably to see what Eleanor looks like. She says she doesn't love Fulk and isn't going to marry him. When she leaves, Eleanor notices that folk is there and she urges him to run out and catch her. He just laughs and says that Eleanor heard Imogen say that she didn't love him and wasn't going to marry him. He says that when he went to Cannes, he found that Imogen was "consoling herself" with an American millionaire. "An American millionaire is so much richer than a Dutch one, you know." Ha!
Then he proceeds to tell Eleanor that he hasn't loved Imogen since the moment he saw Eleanor sitting in the attic at her parents home and eating an apple. Lovely declaration and proposal that follows.
Quite a lot of smooching throughout; Fulk explains early on that he and Imogen agreed their engagement would not require either party to change their lifestyles. Obviously a society marriage only. Fulk is quite a fun RDD as well as being kind. Eleanor is sensible but quite feisty - Fulk tells her once that he may as well do something otherwise she would nag (YES, the n-word!) him until he did.
Just super, to use Henry's words!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2010
Very mediocre Neels. Maybe we are supposed to find the abrupt mood swings, the arguments, the bickering, etc entertaining. But it got really old really fast.
I can't actually say it is a bad book, but so not to my taste at all. If I could, this would be 1 1/2 stars. Bleh.
I can't actually say it is a bad book, but so not to my taste at all. If I could, this would be 1 1/2 stars. Bleh.
October 29, 2020
I like to read Betty Neels' book. For a while I read a lot of her books one after another.
Even I wonder why I like her book so much...
Then I noticed that I read to see heroines' happily ever afters. Some of them life is mundane, nothing to be excited about the future, some of them are in a hopeless situation. Then slowly everything becomes fine with the help of a hero who is mostly a Dutch doctor.
To be honest, I don't remember much about the book. It was just one of the books I read after finishing the preview Betty Neels book. Though I remember that it left a warm feeling in me. So it is 4 stars...
Even I wonder why I like her book so much...
Then I noticed that I read to see heroines' happily ever afters. Some of them life is mundane, nothing to be excited about the future, some of them are in a hopeless situation. Then slowly everything becomes fine with the help of a hero who is mostly a Dutch doctor.
To be honest, I don't remember much about the book. It was just one of the books I read after finishing the preview Betty Neels book. Though I remember that it left a warm feeling in me. So it is 4 stars...
September 28, 2012
Why is it so comforting to read Betty Neels? The hero always takes care of everything, the girl who is usually coping well on her own, gets what she wants before she even knows she wants it. Bossy men are usually a pain in reality because it is their wants not yours, but not in a Neels book. Oh, and they are always handsome and rich. Truly fantasy escape...
December 16, 2017
Clean (sometimes silly) Christmas fluff. I chortled at the doctor being referred to several times as "groovy" since the book was written in 1975. There is something comforting about all the tea times, pets, and garden walks that this British author includes in her romances.
December 13, 2017
Okay...I'm on a Betty Neels' roll. Again, we have a rich Dutch doctor who falls for a nurse, except this time, she is pretty, and she is Scottish! She is taken with him too, except she hasn't quite figured that part out. She spends most of her time irritated with him, because of an incident that happened 20 years ago, at least, that's what she thinks. She hasn't figured out that she's actually irritated with him because he's unavailable; apparently the doctor is engaged.
The doctor gets himself unengaged quite early in the novel, except we don't find this out until much later, so the audience and the heroine are left wondering why he is kissing the heroine so much when he is supposedly not free. This is a trend in Betty Neels' books that I find infuriating sometimes...where the hero strings the heroine along, and doesn't clarify the confusion she is experiencing over whether he is available or not. Just a few words would smooth things out, but then there wouldn't be much conflict, and our nine chapter book would probably get reduced to three chapters.
The doctor gets himself unengaged quite early in the novel, except we don't find this out until much later, so the audience and the heroine are left wondering why he is kissing the heroine so much when he is supposedly not free. This is a trend in Betty Neels' books that I find infuriating sometimes...where the hero strings the heroine along, and doesn't clarify the confusion she is experiencing over whether he is available or not. Just a few words would smooth things out, but then there wouldn't be much conflict, and our nine chapter book would probably get reduced to three chapters.
December 7, 2021
**Book One of 2021 Romance Book Advent Calendar**
Heat Level: Low
I have another book by this author that is a favorite from when I first started reading Harlequin romances when I was a kid. That one I love on pure nostalgia and this one is very similar. A mysterious rich older man (another doctor like the last one) and a young beautiful woman who is... not rich. I can't say I really enjoyed this one, but at the same time it had the same weird comforting feel that the other did. Maybe it's just the writing style. The romance was barely there and there were so many moments where if he had just opened his mouth and let some words out then I might have been more invested in the relationship. Sadly though, he didn't and he was kind of a cardboard cut-out character. She was okay. The children were cute, but not amazing. The setting was good. I can't say I'd recommend this one, but I didn't feel like it was a waste of time either. Meh.
(Note: I'm not using the CAWPILE rating system on these books. These are rated on enjoyment only.)
Heat Level: Low
I have another book by this author that is a favorite from when I first started reading Harlequin romances when I was a kid. That one I love on pure nostalgia and this one is very similar. A mysterious rich older man (another doctor like the last one) and a young beautiful woman who is... not rich. I can't say I really enjoyed this one, but at the same time it had the same weird comforting feel that the other did. Maybe it's just the writing style. The romance was barely there and there were so many moments where if he had just opened his mouth and let some words out then I might have been more invested in the relationship. Sadly though, he didn't and he was kind of a cardboard cut-out character. She was okay. The children were cute, but not amazing. The setting was good. I can't say I'd recommend this one, but I didn't feel like it was a waste of time either. Meh.
(Note: I'm not using the CAWPILE rating system on these books. These are rated on enjoyment only.)
December 24, 2013
Halfway through, I realized that I'd already read this book. I can't say that I really enjoyed it. It follows Neels usual story-line:
- Slightly overweight nurse meets dashing Dutch doctor who is usually a jerk at first.
- Nurse hates doctor at first, but finds herself strangely attracted to him. But she thinks she isn't good enough for him which comes from her low self esteem.
- They argue a bit and suddenly a romance blooms.
- Doctor becomes her savior in life.
*Sigh* This was an okay read at best. I'm rating it two stars because it is Neels and I have enjoyed some of her other books that followed this same plot.
- Slightly overweight nurse meets dashing Dutch doctor who is usually a jerk at first.
- Nurse hates doctor at first, but finds herself strangely attracted to him. But she thinks she isn't good enough for him which comes from her low self esteem.
- They argue a bit and suddenly a romance blooms.
- Doctor becomes her savior in life.
*Sigh* This was an okay read at best. I'm rating it two stars because it is Neels and I have enjoyed some of her other books that followed this same plot.
March 20, 2014
This was rather an odd setup. Eleanor met Fulk van Hensum when she was about five years old and according to her recollection she didn't like him though we are told he comforted her when she cried and felt quite soothed.
Now she has met him again as her guardian after the death of her father and he is engaged to a largely absent, very pretty blonde called Imogene.
We go through the usually love, hate think with a fair amount of bickering as Eleanor seems to have regressed to five years old in his company. But of course things change and Fulk is annoyingly reticent about his engagement apart from random kisses and stuff.
A nice little read but not remarkable.
Now she has met him again as her guardian after the death of her father and he is engaged to a largely absent, very pretty blonde called Imogene.
We go through the usually love, hate think with a fair amount of bickering as Eleanor seems to have regressed to five years old in his company. But of course things change and Fulk is annoyingly reticent about his engagement apart from random kisses and stuff.
A nice little read but not remarkable.
October 12, 2014
I always love Betty Neels books; good old fashion romances without all the hype and uncomfortable scenes. However, I always wonder why her male characters don't show more of their feelings. Not so in this one. Full gives very specific and specific hints throughout to let us know how he feels about Eleanor. He kisses here many times and holds her close. How can Eleanor be so blind? Or is it her moral compass that has her ignoring the obvious? Either way I love this story because we see more of each character as a real human being.
December 7, 2009
As always with Betty Neels books, I loved this one too.
July 12, 2012
so so - light weekend reading
March 21, 2013
What I would really like in a Betty Neels book is for the hero to explain his behavior and thinking. We always know what the girl is thinking and feeling but not the guy.
December 25, 2012
ah, Betty. every once in a great while your tame. asexual romances are just what I need.
December 29, 2012
A sweet romance. Too good to be true, but that's romance fiction!
December 4, 2013
Wonderful as always
December 24, 2022
3+ can't quite 4 it to make the difference
Making up the reading challenge gap, getting some Bettys reread and onto GR, nabbed a selection of Christmas-and-winter titles.
An Olivia but a mild one, she's a full ward sister, a daring blizzard rescue, and RDD who falls first and hard, and then slots into an average Betty of special nursing and taciturn RDD and in the big house domesticity before the revelations.
Quick notes:
-- A well-paced one!
-- Fulk meets Eleanor (again) and she's munching an apple in barn clothes at the north of beyond Scotland home, and his entire ordered life dissolves in front of him and takes on brand new form (in the form of Eleanor as his wife)
-- Mrs Trot and her kittens
-- The manse; their fathers were friends but she thought him awful as a child, and he at sixteen thought her a little horror and bother (but was still kind)
-- Fulk has a fiancee and Eleanor isn't impressed that she wouldn't appreciate the wilds of Scotland
-- Young Henry
-- He drives her to Edinburgh so she can return to work, enjoys her nice voice and conversation, buys her dinner, ends in a hard kiss!
-- She figures never to see him again but of course he walks right into her ward on rounds within days
-- Eleanor tries to keep seeing him in the worst light but he doesn't seem that bad, although his current idea of an engagement and marriage leaves her cold and so it should
-- Busy days and she returns home for a long weekend
-- Freak blizzard rescue! Perhaps the best part of this book, both Fulk and Eleanor level-headed and heroic and enjoying themselves while being rightly terrified
-- Fulk takes a liking to Young Henry and has him in Holland for a few weeks, along with kind-heartedly taking the 'no one wants him' runt of the litter Moggy
-- "Things I would like to have list" at the passport office (that of course Fulk sees), which includes masses of roses at Christmas, for it would be a true splurge and effort and would certainly show someone cared if they went to the trouble of them for you as a gift
-- Henry comes down with rheumatic fever and so it's time for Eleanor to special him in Holland
-- Some nursing, some house magnificence, some comfort, some walks, some forced intimacy of a sort
-- Fulk rushes off a long distance to "have a weekend" with the not seen but known to be awful fiancee, Imogen; really to break up with her but Eleanor can't know that nor does Fulk let on
-- A sudden fierce kiss!
-- St Nick shopping, she must borrow money for her and younger sister Margaret, but she's no gurbber
-- Henry lets slip that Fulk is basically avoiding her
-- They spend St Nick alone... but only because Fulk has gone to get the parents and what a lovely surprise for them all to be in Holland now
-- He realizes Eleanor does love him, and thank goodness
-- A late in the game day of rainy sightseeing, and he kisses her and she at last kisses him back
-- Imogen comes to have a look at her, and is unimpressed with the lot and leaves Fulk without care or fuss
-- Admissions in a room filled with masses of roses, it's always been you! for me the same, and HEA
Making up the reading challenge gap, getting some Bettys reread and onto GR, nabbed a selection of Christmas-and-winter titles.
An Olivia but a mild one, she's a full ward sister, a daring blizzard rescue, and RDD who falls first and hard, and then slots into an average Betty of special nursing and taciturn RDD and in the big house domesticity before the revelations.
Quick notes:
-- A well-paced one!
-- Fulk meets Eleanor (again) and she's munching an apple in barn clothes at the north of beyond Scotland home, and his entire ordered life dissolves in front of him and takes on brand new form (in the form of Eleanor as his wife)
-- Mrs Trot and her kittens
-- The manse; their fathers were friends but she thought him awful as a child, and he at sixteen thought her a little horror and bother (but was still kind)
-- Fulk has a fiancee and Eleanor isn't impressed that she wouldn't appreciate the wilds of Scotland
-- Young Henry
-- He drives her to Edinburgh so she can return to work, enjoys her nice voice and conversation, buys her dinner, ends in a hard kiss!
-- She figures never to see him again but of course he walks right into her ward on rounds within days
-- Eleanor tries to keep seeing him in the worst light but he doesn't seem that bad, although his current idea of an engagement and marriage leaves her cold and so it should
-- Busy days and she returns home for a long weekend
-- Freak blizzard rescue! Perhaps the best part of this book, both Fulk and Eleanor level-headed and heroic and enjoying themselves while being rightly terrified
-- Fulk takes a liking to Young Henry and has him in Holland for a few weeks, along with kind-heartedly taking the 'no one wants him' runt of the litter Moggy
-- "Things I would like to have list" at the passport office (that of course Fulk sees), which includes masses of roses at Christmas, for it would be a true splurge and effort and would certainly show someone cared if they went to the trouble of them for you as a gift
-- Henry comes down with rheumatic fever and so it's time for Eleanor to special him in Holland
-- Some nursing, some house magnificence, some comfort, some walks, some forced intimacy of a sort
-- Fulk rushes off a long distance to "have a weekend" with the not seen but known to be awful fiancee, Imogen; really to break up with her but Eleanor can't know that nor does Fulk let on
-- A sudden fierce kiss!
-- St Nick shopping, she must borrow money for her and younger sister Margaret, but she's no gurbber
-- Henry lets slip that Fulk is basically avoiding her
-- They spend St Nick alone... but only because Fulk has gone to get the parents and what a lovely surprise for them all to be in Holland now
-- He realizes Eleanor does love him, and thank goodness
-- A late in the game day of rainy sightseeing, and he kisses her and she at last kisses him back
-- Imogen comes to have a look at her, and is unimpressed with the lot and leaves Fulk without care or fuss
-- Admissions in a room filled with masses of roses, it's always been you! for me the same, and HEA
November 11, 2021
I think this is one of those books that you want to read during the holidays. I thought all of the characters very likable. The description of the book talks about how the H was a horrid boy 20 years ago who teased the h when she was little and how he was still a horrid man. The fact is that very early on in the book the h and her family actually think he's a great guy. And he is.
Also, for once, even though the H has a fiancee, she's rarely seen or mentioned and when she does show up it's not really a big blow up. It's understood early on that the H and his fiancee are not particularly close, not in love and were really only together because on a superficial level they matched (same social circle, wealth, status, etc). For some reason, I also liked that from the beginning when the H and h meet again after 20 years, she asks him about his fiancee. He gives a brief description then says he'll tell her more about her later. Only he keeps putting it off. Until finally he lets her know the engagement is off.
There were cute "family" moments too where they bring up how the h was such a plump, cute baby toddling along on her chubby legs. :D Of course, she grew up to be a woman whom her dad describes as "a fine figure of a woman" (which she took for a compliment until the H mentions that she's grown into a "big girl" which irks her a little as it had a slight negative connotation) and is described a few times as a woman of splendid proportions who moved with an easy grace.
I liked how her family is shown to be decidedly middle class so she's not poor and struggling but she can't be extravagant at the H's level. In fact, there's one part where she takes her little sister shopping in Holland and needs to borrow some money from the H which she will pay back. When he asks how much, she says 10 pounds should do it if it's not too much. He hides a smile before he gives it to her because of course, she's not thinking "oh he's rich and can afford it" but in terms of she doesn't want to leach off of him and needs to pay him back.
They're small moments and very cute.
There was ONE bit that threw me a little. She talks about how he had been such a horrid boy pulling her hair, etc when she was little (5 years old). As adults, he's 11 years older than her. I had to stop and think about the math there a sec. So basically he was 16 when she was 5. There was nothing that made it seem creepy but it kind of skews the perspective a little as we realize her idea of him as a horrid boy is really...well, from the eyes of a 5 year old. Who in fact, followed him everywhere when she was 5 and if I interpret it correctly, got angry when he wouldn't let her tag along everywhere. In fact, the one conflicting memory she has is of her trying to kick him in the shins and falling down and crying and him comforting her. So the whole "horrid boy" thing really strikes me as subjective here.
Also, for once, even though the H has a fiancee, she's rarely seen or mentioned and when she does show up it's not really a big blow up. It's understood early on that the H and his fiancee are not particularly close, not in love and were really only together because on a superficial level they matched (same social circle, wealth, status, etc). For some reason, I also liked that from the beginning when the H and h meet again after 20 years, she asks him about his fiancee. He gives a brief description then says he'll tell her more about her later. Only he keeps putting it off. Until finally he lets her know the engagement is off.
There were cute "family" moments too where they bring up how the h was such a plump, cute baby toddling along on her chubby legs. :D Of course, she grew up to be a woman whom her dad describes as "a fine figure of a woman" (which she took for a compliment until the H mentions that she's grown into a "big girl" which irks her a little as it had a slight negative connotation) and is described a few times as a woman of splendid proportions who moved with an easy grace.
I liked how her family is shown to be decidedly middle class so she's not poor and struggling but she can't be extravagant at the H's level. In fact, there's one part where she takes her little sister shopping in Holland and needs to borrow some money from the H which she will pay back. When he asks how much, she says 10 pounds should do it if it's not too much. He hides a smile before he gives it to her because of course, she's not thinking "oh he's rich and can afford it" but in terms of she doesn't want to leach off of him and needs to pay him back.
They're small moments and very cute.
There was ONE bit that threw me a little. She talks about how he had been such a horrid boy pulling her hair, etc when she was little (5 years old). As adults, he's 11 years older than her. I had to stop and think about the math there a sec. So basically he was 16 when she was 5. There was nothing that made it seem creepy but it kind of skews the perspective a little as we realize her idea of him as a horrid boy is really...well, from the eyes of a 5 year old. Who in fact, followed him everywhere when she was 5 and if I interpret it correctly, got angry when he wouldn't let her tag along everywhere. In fact, the one conflicting memory she has is of her trying to kick him in the shins and falling down and crying and him comforting her. So the whole "horrid boy" thing really strikes me as subjective here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2024
Another good novel by one of my favorite authors...Betty Neels.
When Eleanor was 5 years old, a 16-year old Fulk van Hensum lived nearby and often teased Eleanor but one day she tripped and fell and found herself picked up and held by Fulk....but her memories of Fulk were not happy ones so when he appeared in her life 20 years later, she didn't want anything to do with him.
Fulk now lived in Holland, was a well-known doctor, was liked by his patients and often did consulting in England. But when Eleanor met him, she still didn't like him.
Her brother, Henry was a sickly child and often Eleanor cared for him as she was a nurse in a hospital in Edinburgh. Fulk took him to Holland with him but poor Henry came down with a very serious fever and illness. Eleanor and Fulk spent many hours days and nights keeping a watch over Henry. During these times Fulk was very kind and wasn't anything like he was at 16.
Fulk was engaged to Imogen but she lived 7 hours away so he didn't see her much. But the story ends as all good romances do.
When Eleanor was 5 years old, a 16-year old Fulk van Hensum lived nearby and often teased Eleanor but one day she tripped and fell and found herself picked up and held by Fulk....but her memories of Fulk were not happy ones so when he appeared in her life 20 years later, she didn't want anything to do with him.
Fulk now lived in Holland, was a well-known doctor, was liked by his patients and often did consulting in England. But when Eleanor met him, she still didn't like him.
Her brother, Henry was a sickly child and often Eleanor cared for him as she was a nurse in a hospital in Edinburgh. Fulk took him to Holland with him but poor Henry came down with a very serious fever and illness. Eleanor and Fulk spent many hours days and nights keeping a watch over Henry. During these times Fulk was very kind and wasn't anything like he was at 16.
Fulk was engaged to Imogen but she lived 7 hours away so he didn't see her much. But the story ends as all good romances do.
March 23, 2019
Eleanor disliked Fulk when she was a child, and now that they've met twenty years later, her opinion hasn't improved! But when their paths continue crossing and her brother falls ill, she realizes he might be the man he loves.
The romance for this book wasn't quite romantic for me. Eleanor and Fulk exchange sharp, annoyed words most of the time. Though Fulk's manner does soften Eleanor's feelings, it didn't seem quite realistic.
Still, it was a lovely afternoon read. The pace was fast. Eleanor's siblings were charming side characters and made for a lovely change from ones who ignore the heroines of other books.
The romance for this book wasn't quite romantic for me. Eleanor and Fulk exchange sharp, annoyed words most of the time. Though Fulk's manner does soften Eleanor's feelings, it didn't seem quite realistic.
Still, it was a lovely afternoon read. The pace was fast. Eleanor's siblings were charming side characters and made for a lovely change from ones who ignore the heroines of other books.
November 13, 2023
Oooh! I loved it!
Fulk and Eleanor have quite a story. It's pretty great to know that they have known each other, sort of, almost all of Eleanor's life. Fulk is a wonderful man who sees very quickly that something is wrong with Eleanor's little brother Henry, and he takes steps to help. Eleanor is ever grateful. Fulk tells her in the beginning that he's engaged to be married to a girl named Imogen. Then, of course, Eleanor can't see past that. You'll have to read the book to find out how it all works out! You won't regret it if you are a Betty Neels book lover. 🙂
Fulk and Eleanor have quite a story. It's pretty great to know that they have known each other, sort of, almost all of Eleanor's life. Fulk is a wonderful man who sees very quickly that something is wrong with Eleanor's little brother Henry, and he takes steps to help. Eleanor is ever grateful. Fulk tells her in the beginning that he's engaged to be married to a girl named Imogen. Then, of course, Eleanor can't see past that. You'll have to read the book to find out how it all works out! You won't regret it if you are a Betty Neels book lover. 🙂
January 4, 2023
This was a cute little read. Eleanor first met Fulk when she was five years old and has despised him since. First impressions, ya know. I'm still trying to figure out why Fulk, if he lived in Holland, was in the small town where Eleanor lived. Everyone seems to remember him, but why was he there? I wish BN would've clarified the background meeting just a little more. Ah well, some things we will never know.
January 4, 2022
Fairly disappointed. This book really lacked Neels' typical atmosphere and plot development. Given that her novels are less than 200 pages, this felt like the first 50 pages of her usual books. The temper tantrums seemed abrupt and uncalled for, and the conflicts seemed flat.
December 10, 2022
Its a very typical BN - sweet h, RDD, bitchy OW and lots of stolen chaste kisses. There isn't much to say, which may sound like a negative, but really BN books are just the cosiest, comfiest, sweetest reads and I adore every moment of warm domesticity.
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