What do you think?
Rate this book
An Ideal Wife
Had she really broken his heart with her meddling?
Louisa enjoyed her job as a doctor's receptionist--until her boss took on extra work--which meant that Dr. Thomas Gifford had to help out. She found Thomas to be quite aloof--and very attractive. So when she discovered he was engaged to Helena, someone she considered completely wrong for him, Louisa decided she had to stop Thomas from making a dreadful mistake. But she didn't count on her own growing feelings for him--or that he might not want to become disgengaged!
Louisa enjoyed her job as a doctor's receptionist--until her boss took on extra work--which meant that Dr. Thomas Gifford had to help out. She found Thomas to be quite aloof--and very attractive. So when she discovered he was engaged to Helena, someone she considered completely wrong for him, Louisa decided she had to stop Thomas from making a dreadful mistake. But she didn't count on her own growing feelings for him--or that he might not want to become disgengaged!
219 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Betty Neels
621 books425 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 10, 2023
Queen of Puddings! This was so much fun! I adore Louisa. She’s so deliciously competent, honest, and has great boundaries with the Pompous Percy and the catty OW Helena. I really enjoyed that it’s not insta-love for Thomas Gifford but a slow (well, a Betty “slow”) dawning of his affection. Louisa plays matchmaker too, and her schemes are so excellent. 😂 I absolutely loved the Scottish scenes too with Aunt Kitty and Uncle Bob and all the talk of tea time with bannocks and strawberry jam. I am also super envious that Thomas’s ancestral home is in the Lake District. There are some fun side characters in this too, though Louisa especially takes center stage.
November 19, 2020
Written in 1998 (Betty was 89!), An Ideal Wife, shows that Betty still had what it takes well into her final years. What a good ‘un, and, in some ways, a surprising departure from some BN norms this one was.
For one, Louisa Howarth is the boldest and most outspoken BN heroine I have come across to date—more so than Eugenie in A Secret Infatuation or Rosie in A Kind of Magic or Eliza in Heaven Is Gentle or … well, I could go on, but you get the idea. Louisa is big and beautiful, self-confident and kind; she is equal to the hero in social standing (indeed, they attend many of the same social events); she has private means as well as a good job; and she is not afraid to speak her mind! And so she does, frequently, not letting the hero’s attempts at cool remoteness set her back at all, and more than a match (in the nicest of ways) for his snooty, unlikable fiancée and for her own unwanted, prosy suitor, Percy. She is a delight, liked by all, unselfconscious but knowing her own worth, albeit with zero conceit. And it’s fun for once to have a Managing Miss of a heroine in place of the usual Managing Mister BN hero! Thomas may have the patience to work out/wait out matters out to his own satisfaction, but Louisa has plans. And it’s fun to watch her turn her clever mind to sorting out the tangled webs in this book, even if her schemes get waylaid by her own good conscience and soft heart.
Hero Thomas Gifford is one of Betty’s Rich British Doctors, overworked but in love with his work, kind at heart, wealthy, well-mannered. Because we get lots of hero POV in this one, he’s not nearly as remote or opaque as some of Betty’s heroes—as cool and contained as he is, we also see his troubled thoughts and muddled feelings as he finds his mapped-out orderly life—including an eventual but as yet unscheduled marriage to the OW—disrupted by the heroine’s arrival into it.
The story follows a familiar pattern—hero is engaged to another woman who is awful and all wrong for him; he meets the heroine and sparks fly, which they both initially interpret as dislike soon tinged with unwilling attraction; the heroine starts to fall for him (though she doesn’t admit it to herself for quite a while) and resolves to save him from the OW if she can because she knows he’ll be unhappy all his days otherwise, but later decides if it’s what he truly wants, she has no right to interfere. (One of the best and most admirable things about BN’s heroines is that they don’t act from self-interest (or not deliberately or primarily anyway)—their first concern is really that the hero not be made unhappy.) The hero also has his Dawning Realization that he’s in love with the heroine but has to end his engagement honorably before he can seriously pursue (i.e., marry--this is BN after all) the heroine. It's charming to see their mutual feelings grow, especially in scenes that are more homey and ordinary than we usually get in BN books (such as the hero and heroine sharing meal prep and clean-up in the heroine's little flat--very real-life and sweet).
This one’s notable for its unusually forthright and affluent heroine, lots of hero PoV, and charming settings (Salisbury again and Scotland). We also get the usual well-drawn secondary characters, loyal critters, food porn, and that ineffable mix of nostalgia, clean romance, and old-fashioned (and much-needed) values of kindness and duty that so shines in Betty’s books. Her appeal lives on for good reason.
For one, Louisa Howarth is the boldest and most outspoken BN heroine I have come across to date—more so than Eugenie in A Secret Infatuation or Rosie in A Kind of Magic or Eliza in Heaven Is Gentle or … well, I could go on, but you get the idea. Louisa is big and beautiful, self-confident and kind; she is equal to the hero in social standing (indeed, they attend many of the same social events); she has private means as well as a good job; and she is not afraid to speak her mind! And so she does, frequently, not letting the hero’s attempts at cool remoteness set her back at all, and more than a match (in the nicest of ways) for his snooty, unlikable fiancée and for her own unwanted, prosy suitor, Percy. She is a delight, liked by all, unselfconscious but knowing her own worth, albeit with zero conceit. And it’s fun for once to have a Managing Miss of a heroine in place of the usual Managing Mister BN hero! Thomas may have the patience to work out/wait out matters out to his own satisfaction, but Louisa has plans. And it’s fun to watch her turn her clever mind to sorting out the tangled webs in this book, even if her schemes get waylaid by her own good conscience and soft heart.
Hero Thomas Gifford is one of Betty’s Rich British Doctors, overworked but in love with his work, kind at heart, wealthy, well-mannered. Because we get lots of hero POV in this one, he’s not nearly as remote or opaque as some of Betty’s heroes—as cool and contained as he is, we also see his troubled thoughts and muddled feelings as he finds his mapped-out orderly life—including an eventual but as yet unscheduled marriage to the OW—disrupted by the heroine’s arrival into it.
The story follows a familiar pattern—hero is engaged to another woman who is awful and all wrong for him; he meets the heroine and sparks fly, which they both initially interpret as dislike soon tinged with unwilling attraction; the heroine starts to fall for him (though she doesn’t admit it to herself for quite a while) and resolves to save him from the OW if she can because she knows he’ll be unhappy all his days otherwise, but later decides if it’s what he truly wants, she has no right to interfere. (One of the best and most admirable things about BN’s heroines is that they don’t act from self-interest (or not deliberately or primarily anyway)—their first concern is really that the hero not be made unhappy.) The hero also has his Dawning Realization that he’s in love with the heroine but has to end his engagement honorably before he can seriously pursue (i.e., marry--this is BN after all) the heroine. It's charming to see their mutual feelings grow, especially in scenes that are more homey and ordinary than we usually get in BN books (such as the hero and heroine sharing meal prep and clean-up in the heroine's little flat--very real-life and sweet).
This one’s notable for its unusually forthright and affluent heroine, lots of hero PoV, and charming settings (Salisbury again and Scotland). We also get the usual well-drawn secondary characters, loyal critters, food porn, and that ineffable mix of nostalgia, clean romance, and old-fashioned (and much-needed) values of kindness and duty that so shines in Betty’s books. Her appeal lives on for good reason.
December 3, 2014
This is one of Neel's rare English heroes. In this case it is Dr Thomas Gifford, engaged to skinny selfish Helena.
When he meets curvy tall Doctors receptionist Louisa Howarth, her blunt speaking triggers animosity between them.
All the same, Louisa knew Helena was the wrong wife for him and sets up her own unwanted suitor Percy with her. It all looks to be going swimmingly when she realises that what she really wants is for Thomas to be happy. Which may mean Helena after all.
When he meets curvy tall Doctors receptionist Louisa Howarth, her blunt speaking triggers animosity between them.
All the same, Louisa knew Helena was the wrong wife for him and sets up her own unwanted suitor Percy with her. It all looks to be going swimmingly when she realises that what she really wants is for Thomas to be happy. Which may mean Helena after all.
November 12, 2016
I think this will be my favourite of all Betty Neels' novels. I loved both the characters very much; definitely loved Louisa. She comes across as a busybody who needs to mind her own business in the beginning but eventually you are pulled into her schemes. I loved the fact that she was absolutely blunt and held no compunction while speaking her mind not just to Thomas but to everyone she meets in the novel. I enjoyed the way Thomas is not described as mini royalty as heroes are treated in other of Neels' novels. He comes around Louisa's flat makes coffee, shells peas and helps wash up. She is quite confident in ordering him about when he is with her. Make no mistake, he has everything what other heroes of Betty Neels' novels have but somehow Thomas seems more human, more natural. I really loved this one. However, it should have been named something other than An Ideal Wife. The title feels inadequate!
May 7, 2021
Louisa is a doctor's receptionist who lives with her spoiled step-mother and occasionally goes out with a pompous man who thinks he wants to marry her, though she has turned him down several times. When she meets Dr. Gifford they don't immediately hit it off, but circumstances keep throwing them together. Only when Louisa meets Dr. Gifford's spoiled fiance does she decide to get involved in his life and separate him from this unsuitable attachment. Not that she wants him for herself...
This is one of the rare Neels books where the hero admits he loves the heroine before the last chapter. Throw in a mysteriously ill Middle Easterner, picnicking, a stray kitten, weddings and a vacation in Scotland to round off this very nice story.
NB - If you enjoy Neel's books join the conversation at the GR group Betty Neels Junkies. See you there!
This is one of the rare Neels books where the hero admits he loves the heroine before the last chapter. Throw in a mysteriously ill Middle Easterner, picnicking, a stray kitten, weddings and a vacation in Scotland to round off this very nice story.
NB - If you enjoy Neel's books join the conversation at the GR group Betty Neels Junkies. See you there!
September 28, 2016
Well this is unusual! We have a heroine - an Olivia - who has a good job, her own income left to her by her grandmother, and who owns stylish expensive clothes! She also has a stepmother who, while not exactly loving, is at least not the wicked stepmother from Cinderella. She also has a would-be fiancée, Percy; he is the typical Harrumphrey.
Louisa is secretary to Sir James Wilberforce, a consultant physician. He tells Louisa that he has taken on a part-time partner, Thomas Gifford, Who is the handsomest man Luisa has ever seen. Thomas is engaged to Helena Thornfold, a Veronica if ever there was one and totally unsuitable for Thomas.
So Louisa has a brainstorm. She will contrive to get Percy and Helena to make a match. She does, and it works only too well. Then Louisa discovers that she loves Thomas.
Of course, all ends well. Helena and Percy get married secretly, in spite of Louisa trying to stop the wedding. Thomas declares himself and says they will have an ideal marriage. "We shall love each other and argue and quarrel and make it up again and delight in each other's company. And the children, of course."
Louisa is secretary to Sir James Wilberforce, a consultant physician. He tells Louisa that he has taken on a part-time partner, Thomas Gifford, Who is the handsomest man Luisa has ever seen. Thomas is engaged to Helena Thornfold, a Veronica if ever there was one and totally unsuitable for Thomas.
So Louisa has a brainstorm. She will contrive to get Percy and Helena to make a match. She does, and it works only too well. Then Louisa discovers that she loves Thomas.
Of course, all ends well. Helena and Percy get married secretly, in spite of Louisa trying to stop the wedding. Thomas declares himself and says they will have an ideal marriage. "We shall love each other and argue and quarrel and make it up again and delight in each other's company. And the children, of course."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2020
1998
4.5*
The ruthless kiss got the extra 0.5* haha!
What a delightful book from start to end. After the slow moving Nanny By Chance I loved reading about our RBD and 'Olivia' heroine Louisa. We get to see him trying to hold in his amusement with Louisa and trying NOT to think of her.
What I don't get is why did he have to look at her so coldly at times and sent her all the wrong signals...contrived plot devices to make Louisa NOT realise she really was in love with Thomas herself and therefore went to such lengths to put Percy and Helena together?
Their regrettably short time together in Scotland was beautiful. All those descriptions made me want to go to the Scottish Highlands and the Lakes aww...
Love this book.
4.5*
The ruthless kiss got the extra 0.5* haha!
What a delightful book from start to end. After the slow moving Nanny By Chance I loved reading about our RBD and 'Olivia' heroine Louisa. We get to see him trying to hold in his amusement with Louisa and trying NOT to think of her.
What I don't get is why did he have to look at her so coldly at times and sent her all the wrong signals...contrived plot devices to make Louisa NOT realise she really was in love with Thomas herself and therefore went to such lengths to put Percy and Helena together?
Their regrettably short time together in Scotland was beautiful. All those descriptions made me want to go to the Scottish Highlands and the Lakes aww...
Love this book.
March 29, 2020
A pleasant quick read. Louisa Howarth works for Sir James in his general practice as a receptionist. When Sir James needs to go overseas for a special hush-hush patient, his part-time partner, Dr. Thomas Gifford needs to work more closely with Louisa. They don't hit it off at first (not uncommon in Betty Neels books), but soon Thomas realizes he is becoming infatuated with her. Too bad he is already engaged to the spoiled and snobbish Helena Thornfold. Being a gentleman, he cannot just break off the engagement. Meanwhile, Louisa has plans of her own to keep Thomas from a very unhappy marriage.
October 7, 2013
This one I did not enjoy as much as a normal Betty Neels book. I felt she rambled at lot in the beginning and rushed the ending.
February 6, 2013
This is the right name of the book, but the wrong description.
July 14, 2014
3.5 stars
Typical Betty Neels book. Very old fashioned style story but it's a good read when you don't want to think too much or get caught in a twisted plot.
Typical Betty Neels book. Very old fashioned style story but it's a good read when you don't want to think too much or get caught in a twisted plot.
September 4, 2024
The heroine in this one proved to be too much of an idiot for me to comfortably enjoy the book. The vicarious embarrassment she induced when she bought that hideous dress on purpose to wear at a wedding of mutual friends with the hero and his fiancée so as to direct all attention to said fiancée was actually painful. Seeing as the fiancée was actually the more beautiful, more elegantly dressed, more soigné of the two, this gesture smacked more of an utter lack of self confidence, where she preferred to simply check out rather than be compared with her. The underlying jealousy apparent in her thoughts didn’t do her much favour either. All in all as much as I liked the hero, the heroine was unfortunately not likeable.
For my own future reference this is the one where the heroine decides hero’s fiancée would actually better suit the man she was seeing and tries to match make between the two, but when she falls in love with the hero she gets stricken with a case of guilty conscious and tries her best to undo the damage.
For my own future reference this is the one where the heroine decides hero’s fiancée would actually better suit the man she was seeing and tries to match make between the two, but when she falls in love with the hero she gets stricken with a case of guilty conscious and tries her best to undo the damage.
October 27, 2023
I so enjoy Neels' novels but even though I liked this book, I prefer the ones with the specialist doctors who live in Holland.
Louisa is a doctor's receptionist and seemed to me she had to work an awful lot of hours with little consideration to breaks or lunch times.
Her doctor invited another doctor to help him....Dr. Thomas Gifford, an Englishman. He is engaged to a snobbish but beautiful lady called Helena who doesn't love Thomas but he is rich and she could have an easy life as his wife.
She does show some tantrums when Thomas can't escort her places or if he gets an emergency call...she doesn't understand that he has to answer those calls no matter what. Louisa knows that Helena doesn't love him and wouldn't be a good wife. So she makes plans to get her and Percy to meet ....her plan works.
But not before Louisa realizes that she loves Thomas herself....but the ending is good for all of them which is why I like to read these romance novels now and then.
Louisa is a doctor's receptionist and seemed to me she had to work an awful lot of hours with little consideration to breaks or lunch times.
Her doctor invited another doctor to help him....Dr. Thomas Gifford, an Englishman. He is engaged to a snobbish but beautiful lady called Helena who doesn't love Thomas but he is rich and she could have an easy life as his wife.
She does show some tantrums when Thomas can't escort her places or if he gets an emergency call...she doesn't understand that he has to answer those calls no matter what. Louisa knows that Helena doesn't love him and wouldn't be a good wife. So she makes plans to get her and Percy to meet ....her plan works.
But not before Louisa realizes that she loves Thomas herself....but the ending is good for all of them which is why I like to read these romance novels now and then.
July 16, 2026
A Fine Muddle
There's no nice way to say this. Louisa is a busybody. LOL!! Thankfully, she's a busybody that was right this time. You want to dislike Felicity, Louisiana stepmother, but you really can't. She's self absorbed but she's not mean to Helena.
Thomas is really nice, and it's great that he realizes he's in love with Louis before she realizes she's in love with him. It's normally the other way around. I like how he just keeps on with his life and patiently waits. The only thing they didn't write that I wanted to read about is how he and Helena finally split.
Percy is a pompous ass and Helena is a stuck up hag, so I'm glad Louisa's meddling did some good.
Even though she got the result she wanted, Louisa wasn't sure she did the right thing, so she started meddling again. She muddles things up in her mind. It's a good thing that Thomas eventually straightens her out.
This story is definitely worth reading!
There's no nice way to say this. Louisa is a busybody. LOL!! Thankfully, she's a busybody that was right this time. You want to dislike Felicity, Louisiana stepmother, but you really can't. She's self absorbed but she's not mean to Helena.
Thomas is really nice, and it's great that he realizes he's in love with Louis before she realizes she's in love with him. It's normally the other way around. I like how he just keeps on with his life and patiently waits. The only thing they didn't write that I wanted to read about is how he and Helena finally split.
Percy is a pompous ass and Helena is a stuck up hag, so I'm glad Louisa's meddling did some good.
Even though she got the result she wanted, Louisa wasn't sure she did the right thing, so she started meddling again. She muddles things up in her mind. It's a good thing that Thomas eventually straightens her out.
This story is definitely worth reading!
February 10, 2026
Read: 14Dec25, 7Feb26
4.4 stars. this was a lovely read. a little angsty, a little slow burn, so sweet to see these two take an initial dislike but then eventually fall for each other.
h Louisa (27) is a doctor's secretary, a beautiful big tall capable girl with an independent and outspoken spirit. she is rudely awoken by banging on her door one morning and has angry words with the big man standing there. it turns out he has found her housekeeper laid low with a migraine outside, and carries the old lady inside. neither h nor H are pleased with each other, and when they meet later at the doctor's surgery and find out they will sometimes be working together, they are coolly polite.
H is Thomas, a rich British doctor who has agreed to be part-time partner with Louisa's boss. and when her boss is called away for some urgent work abroad, Loiusa finds herself scrambling around busily working with Thomas and grudgingly liking him a little better. it turns out Thomas is engaged to a chilly cold kind of beauty, Helena, who louisa immediately dislikes and feels would make Thomas a terrible wife and make his life a misery. she feels sorry at that thought.
Louisa herself was being courted by the pompous Percy who sneakily knew from Louisa's indolent stepmother that Louisa expects to inherit some money from her grandma. he is fairly well off himself but thinks louisa will do for him. but louisa knows percy would be a terrible match for her and tells him firmly she will not marry him. percy is miffed. louisa realises that pompous Percy and stuffy Helena would be a perfect match for each other and this will perhaps save Dr Thomas from a miserable future, so she contrives to introduce the snooty pair to each other.
SPOILERS
it takes a while for Thomas and louisa to realise they like the other a bit too much. in fact, louisa does her best to save Thomas from the horrid Helena well before she herself falls for Thomas.
we get to see Thomas and louisa work together to help a pregnant ill lady and also to save a kitten. he admires her calm unexpected domesticity, how capable and kind she is, but not her blunt tongue. she often tells him things he doesn't want to hear, like how bad a match Helena is for him, thus they always fall out again.
even so, he finds himself admiring her carefree beauty. he finds himself discovering that Helena hates his work and plans to put down his beloved dog as soon as they wed, for which there is no date in sight as Helena won't pick one. she is miffed Thomas is always working when she wants him to always be with her worshipping her beauty, and so she lashes out by spending more time with percy, who adores her and gives her all the attention she craves.
as percy and Helena spend time together, Thomas finds himself seeking out Louisa more and more. even when the thought crosses his mind that Louisa is the kind of woman he wants to marry, he quickly pushes the thought away.
even so, when she goes to Scotland for a two week holiday, he finds that he needs to go there for work and takes some extra days off so he can visit her. he tells himself he needs to see more of her and get her out of his system and discover she is not right for him.
but their days off in the beauty of the Scottish countryside are just idyllic and he realises he is in love with her. but what to do about his fiancée?
he drives louisa home, on the way visiting his mom in the lake district. she dreads returning home as it will mean a return to their usual chilly businesslike attitude towards one another, and indeed this seems the case on the way home.
by this point she has also realised she is in love with him, but she believes him to be in love with Helena, no matter how unsuitable the woman is. and now she regrets interfering in their relationship and worries Thomas will be hurt about Helena and percy. she vows to undo the damage and try to separate the two.
ENDING SPOILERS
Thomas is just coolly civil with louisa when they return home. she is upset by it and tries to avoid him. she also does her best to get Percy to give up helena, but percy is besotted. when she discovers that Percy and Helena are planning to elope, she is frantic to stop it as she hates the thought of Thomas being heartbroken. but she is delayed getting to the church to stop the wedding.
in the meantime Thomas had also found out about the wedding and is headed there, in his case to ensure the wedding goes ahead. louisa has arrived too late and the wedded pair already left. when she encounters Thomas, she apologises for the pqrt she played. but he is pleased the pair are wed and tells her so. a medical emergency calls him away before he can declare his love, but he eventually tracks her down again and does so.
CONCLUSION
the book was sweet and had a great pace and was v enjoyable. we got to see lots of beautiful pleasant cozy domestic scenes and nature scenes with the h and H spending time together. this book is set in summer, unlike many betty books which are set in cozy winter, and thus we get to see some of the summer beauty and h and H enjoying the joys of outdoor life and nature. even though h and H don't realise their love until later in the book, we still get a plentiful sense of romantic tension and conflict between the two because of their initial dislike, but also their chemistry simmers beneath their every encounter, so its never slow or boring. plus there is a huge host of amusing side characters without anyone being too nasty, but some being selfish and catty enough to keep things amusing. even if my preference is for betty's angstier books, this was indeed a lovely read.
4.4 stars. this was a lovely read. a little angsty, a little slow burn, so sweet to see these two take an initial dislike but then eventually fall for each other.
h Louisa (27) is a doctor's secretary, a beautiful big tall capable girl with an independent and outspoken spirit. she is rudely awoken by banging on her door one morning and has angry words with the big man standing there. it turns out he has found her housekeeper laid low with a migraine outside, and carries the old lady inside. neither h nor H are pleased with each other, and when they meet later at the doctor's surgery and find out they will sometimes be working together, they are coolly polite.
H is Thomas, a rich British doctor who has agreed to be part-time partner with Louisa's boss. and when her boss is called away for some urgent work abroad, Loiusa finds herself scrambling around busily working with Thomas and grudgingly liking him a little better. it turns out Thomas is engaged to a chilly cold kind of beauty, Helena, who louisa immediately dislikes and feels would make Thomas a terrible wife and make his life a misery. she feels sorry at that thought.
Louisa herself was being courted by the pompous Percy who sneakily knew from Louisa's indolent stepmother that Louisa expects to inherit some money from her grandma. he is fairly well off himself but thinks louisa will do for him. but louisa knows percy would be a terrible match for her and tells him firmly she will not marry him. percy is miffed. louisa realises that pompous Percy and stuffy Helena would be a perfect match for each other and this will perhaps save Dr Thomas from a miserable future, so she contrives to introduce the snooty pair to each other.
SPOILERS
it takes a while for Thomas and louisa to realise they like the other a bit too much. in fact, louisa does her best to save Thomas from the horrid Helena well before she herself falls for Thomas.
we get to see Thomas and louisa work together to help a pregnant ill lady and also to save a kitten. he admires her calm unexpected domesticity, how capable and kind she is, but not her blunt tongue. she often tells him things he doesn't want to hear, like how bad a match Helena is for him, thus they always fall out again.
even so, he finds himself admiring her carefree beauty. he finds himself discovering that Helena hates his work and plans to put down his beloved dog as soon as they wed, for which there is no date in sight as Helena won't pick one. she is miffed Thomas is always working when she wants him to always be with her worshipping her beauty, and so she lashes out by spending more time with percy, who adores her and gives her all the attention she craves.
as percy and Helena spend time together, Thomas finds himself seeking out Louisa more and more. even when the thought crosses his mind that Louisa is the kind of woman he wants to marry, he quickly pushes the thought away.
even so, when she goes to Scotland for a two week holiday, he finds that he needs to go there for work and takes some extra days off so he can visit her. he tells himself he needs to see more of her and get her out of his system and discover she is not right for him.
but their days off in the beauty of the Scottish countryside are just idyllic and he realises he is in love with her. but what to do about his fiancée?
he drives louisa home, on the way visiting his mom in the lake district. she dreads returning home as it will mean a return to their usual chilly businesslike attitude towards one another, and indeed this seems the case on the way home.
by this point she has also realised she is in love with him, but she believes him to be in love with Helena, no matter how unsuitable the woman is. and now she regrets interfering in their relationship and worries Thomas will be hurt about Helena and percy. she vows to undo the damage and try to separate the two.
ENDING SPOILERS
Thomas is just coolly civil with louisa when they return home. she is upset by it and tries to avoid him. she also does her best to get Percy to give up helena, but percy is besotted. when she discovers that Percy and Helena are planning to elope, she is frantic to stop it as she hates the thought of Thomas being heartbroken. but she is delayed getting to the church to stop the wedding.
in the meantime Thomas had also found out about the wedding and is headed there, in his case to ensure the wedding goes ahead. louisa has arrived too late and the wedded pair already left. when she encounters Thomas, she apologises for the pqrt she played. but he is pleased the pair are wed and tells her so. a medical emergency calls him away before he can declare his love, but he eventually tracks her down again and does so.
CONCLUSION
the book was sweet and had a great pace and was v enjoyable. we got to see lots of beautiful pleasant cozy domestic scenes and nature scenes with the h and H spending time together. this book is set in summer, unlike many betty books which are set in cozy winter, and thus we get to see some of the summer beauty and h and H enjoying the joys of outdoor life and nature. even though h and H don't realise their love until later in the book, we still get a plentiful sense of romantic tension and conflict between the two because of their initial dislike, but also their chemistry simmers beneath their every encounter, so its never slow or boring. plus there is a huge host of amusing side characters without anyone being too nasty, but some being selfish and catty enough to keep things amusing. even if my preference is for betty's angstier books, this was indeed a lovely read.
May 8, 2025
Louisa and Dr Thomas Gifford
A timeless Betty Neels classic. A sweet love story with a happy ending. Louisa’s stepmother is trying to marry her off to her longtime suitor Percy whom she will never love. Louisa sees that Thomas is engaged to Helena, a woman she feels is completely wrong for him. Louisa decides to introduce her suitor, the persistent Percy, to Dr Giffords totally wrong for him fiancée Helena…it just might work. Not so she can get the good doctor for herself, but just so Thomas (Dr Gifford), can be happy.
A timeless Betty Neels classic. A sweet love story with a happy ending. Louisa’s stepmother is trying to marry her off to her longtime suitor Percy whom she will never love. Louisa sees that Thomas is engaged to Helena, a woman she feels is completely wrong for him. Louisa decides to introduce her suitor, the persistent Percy, to Dr Giffords totally wrong for him fiancée Helena…it just might work. Not so she can get the good doctor for herself, but just so Thomas (Dr Gifford), can be happy.
May 4, 2018
Leída bajo el interesante titulo: Un terrible error. Louisa Howarth es una muchacha decidida y frontal(ella es recepcionista)lo suficiente segura para plantarse ante el doctor en cuestión Thomas Gifford, preguntarle lo que se le viene en gana y rescatarlo de un matrimonio poco feliz con su superficial novia. A grandes rasgos podría decir que si tenemos un héroe Betty bastante atípico,un poco más abierto al diálogo y no tan ajeno.Pero así y todo extraño lo más clásico del canon.
November 30, 2025
Utterly charming, Betty Neels at her best. The hero is aloof and a little cold/grumpy at times but he is never cruel or mean. It's rather nice we get his perspective from time to time.
Anyway - it had all the things I love in a BN books. Lots of food and cooking, long car journeys, jersey dresses, an old dog, a recued kitten, a bitch OW who would make a terrible wife and a heroine who has a backbone and doesn't let anything get her down too much.
Anyway - it had all the things I love in a BN books. Lots of food and cooking, long car journeys, jersey dresses, an old dog, a recued kitten, a bitch OW who would make a terrible wife and a heroine who has a backbone and doesn't let anything get her down too much.
December 6, 2023
This is my second favorite Betty Neels book. For a change, it is a dashing English doctor, Thomas, who is the MMC. I loved how feisty and honest Louisa was. It was a good slow burn full of BN wit. It's a book that I'll read again and again.
December 18, 2017
A bit dated, but a sweet and quick read.
April 18, 2020
Good story
I didn't like the main characters manipulations too much but it all turned out well. The stepmother wasn't mean or anything, so all was well there too.
I didn't like the main characters manipulations too much but it all turned out well. The stepmother wasn't mean or anything, so all was well there too.
August 5, 2020
Pleasant read.
May 8, 2021
A boringly heartwarming romance. Nothing really happens and everything is quaint, but I would read it again. It's the best type of comfort read.
April 8, 2023
Typical Betty Neels story line! Quick escape novel.
May 20, 2026
An Ideal Wife
This is a about a girl who tries matchmaking then starts to regret and tries to stop what she started.
This is a about a girl who tries matchmaking then starts to regret and tries to stop what she started.
Read
March 9, 2017As soon as I started reading this book I knew I was going to like it. Kept me interested right until the very end.
February 10, 2017
So cute!!! I love this one!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews