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Only by Chance
So near, yet so far.
Life had not been easy for Henrietta Cowper, but she hoped to improve her lot. Then, shortly after she met consultant neurosurgeon Adam Ross-Pit, Henrietta fell seriously ill and her small world changed forever. She had him to thank for her new job, and she was very grateful - and perhaps a little in love. But he didn't need to know that, even if he did continue to come to her rescue!
Life had not been easy for Henrietta Cowper, but she hoped to improve her lot. Then, shortly after she met consultant neurosurgeon Adam Ross-Pit, Henrietta fell seriously ill and her small world changed forever. She had him to thank for her new job, and she was very grateful - and perhaps a little in love. But he didn't need to know that, even if he did continue to come to her rescue!
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1996
83 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Betty Neels
564 books418 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 41 reviews
June 1, 2021
Only by Chance (1996) is the waifiest of waif tales from Betty, and I have to say I loved it! Betty unapologetically pulled out all the heart-tugging stops in this one, with a lonely-but-plucky heroine, Henrietta Cowper, who actually grew up in an orphanage, where she was well educated, brought up to be what BN’s Faithful Family Retainers like to call a “proper lady,” and taught to count her blessings. She even has a cat named Dickens, and rescues a kitten she names Oliver Twist (because he likes second helpings). Our orphan lives in a garret! And scrapes by working at two part-time menial jobs that barely keep our poor as a church mouse heroine in Oxfam castoffs. Betty went all out this time, no half measures!
For all her troubles, Henrietta is likeable and cheerful most of the time, making the best of the least and keeping her chin up despite being extremely lonely in London and one misstep away from financial disaster. And it occurs—she gets sick, and even National Health can’t prevent the loss of her jobs and her awful little room. Left with a jam-jar full of change and a week's pay, Henrietta is in dire straits.
Good thing she’s previously met our hero, the wealthy and aristocratic Adam Ross-Pitt (who remains Mr. Ross-Pitt, except in Henrietta’s thoughts, to the very end). Adam is a world-renowned brain surgeon who splits his time between his London practice and his ancestral rambling country cottage. He is an RBD who has little time for anything outside of his work, and who spends his rare leisure hours at his country home, gardening and walking his dog. He is kind but impatient, with a temper that occasionally gets an airing and a reluctant compulsion to make sure this chance-met young woman who deserves better from life is cared for and happy.
He first meets Henrietta when she steps on his foot as she’s rescuing the kitten upon leaving the hospital where they both work, and next sees her when she falls ill and is taken to the clinic he quietly finances and volunteers services at. He’s not particularly happy to find himself feeling responsible for our heroine, but as fortune would have it, when she loses everything after a hospital stay, he is able to help her get a job that would give her both a home and some stability. Henrietta ends up working as a “Girl Friday” at a stately home in Adam’s village, which is opened to the public on certain days of the week.
Most of Betty’s books have the sense of being set in Edwardian or late Victorian times, and this one even more than most, with only fab cars and modern medicine suggesting more current times. Henrietta’s experiences working at the manor house and building for herself a home in the quaint village where its set and a family among the FFRs she encounters is really endearing. The romance is secondary, really, although it’s sweet and angsty as our heroine secretly falls for the out-of-reach RBD, not realizing that he’s coming to his own Dawning Realization. Betty really nails it in this one, I think because she went all out in her sweet nostalgia for an idealized and more innocent England, which may be the real star here.
Some hero PoV keeps us in the know about the hero’s growing feelings without falling into the trap of unbelievable instalove on his part, and there’s a sweetness and even an intensity to this one that is sometimes lacking in her later books. I often state that I prefer Betty’s earlier tales to her later ones, but I’ve found that every so often, in her mid-1990s period in particular, she still hit it out of the park. The Mistletoe Kiss, published a year later, was one of the standouts for me from this period, but I think I actually enjoyed ObC even more. While Cinderella tales are not my favorite Betty stories, for various reasons this one just worked. Like its MCs, it was a real charmer!
For all her troubles, Henrietta is likeable and cheerful most of the time, making the best of the least and keeping her chin up despite being extremely lonely in London and one misstep away from financial disaster. And it occurs—she gets sick, and even National Health can’t prevent the loss of her jobs and her awful little room. Left with a jam-jar full of change and a week's pay, Henrietta is in dire straits.
Good thing she’s previously met our hero, the wealthy and aristocratic Adam Ross-Pitt (who remains Mr. Ross-Pitt, except in Henrietta’s thoughts, to the very end). Adam is a world-renowned brain surgeon who splits his time between his London practice and his ancestral rambling country cottage. He is an RBD who has little time for anything outside of his work, and who spends his rare leisure hours at his country home, gardening and walking his dog. He is kind but impatient, with a temper that occasionally gets an airing and a reluctant compulsion to make sure this chance-met young woman who deserves better from life is cared for and happy.
He first meets Henrietta when she steps on his foot as she’s rescuing the kitten upon leaving the hospital where they both work, and next sees her when she falls ill and is taken to the clinic he quietly finances and volunteers services at. He’s not particularly happy to find himself feeling responsible for our heroine, but as fortune would have it, when she loses everything after a hospital stay, he is able to help her get a job that would give her both a home and some stability. Henrietta ends up working as a “Girl Friday” at a stately home in Adam’s village, which is opened to the public on certain days of the week.
Most of Betty’s books have the sense of being set in Edwardian or late Victorian times, and this one even more than most, with only fab cars and modern medicine suggesting more current times. Henrietta’s experiences working at the manor house and building for herself a home in the quaint village where its set and a family among the FFRs she encounters is really endearing. The romance is secondary, really, although it’s sweet and angsty as our heroine secretly falls for the out-of-reach RBD, not realizing that he’s coming to his own Dawning Realization. Betty really nails it in this one, I think because she went all out in her sweet nostalgia for an idealized and more innocent England, which may be the real star here.
Some hero PoV keeps us in the know about the hero’s growing feelings without falling into the trap of unbelievable instalove on his part, and there’s a sweetness and even an intensity to this one that is sometimes lacking in her later books. I often state that I prefer Betty’s earlier tales to her later ones, but I’ve found that every so often, in her mid-1990s period in particular, she still hit it out of the park. The Mistletoe Kiss, published a year later, was one of the standouts for me from this period, but I think I actually enjoyed ObC even more. While Cinderella tales are not my favorite Betty stories, for various reasons this one just worked. Like its MCs, it was a real charmer!
March 28, 2021
Another re-read of Betty Neels
___________________________________
Light on the romance and more on the storytelling, a classic trait of Betty Neels. I particularly enjoyed the heroine, Henrietta. She was very endearing. Some of her life events were absolutely heartbreaking, yet she still maintained a loving nature.
I would have liked to have seen more interaction between the H/h, but the fact that you get his POV helped move the story along. Delicious evil OW that keeps everyone on their toes, especially the good doctor.
A classic from BN.
___________________________________
Light on the romance and more on the storytelling, a classic trait of Betty Neels. I particularly enjoyed the heroine, Henrietta. She was very endearing. Some of her life events were absolutely heartbreaking, yet she still maintained a loving nature.
I would have liked to have seen more interaction between the H/h, but the fact that you get his POV helped move the story along. Delicious evil OW that keeps everyone on their toes, especially the good doctor.
A classic from BN.
December 31, 2017
Henrietta Cowper is the “orphaniest orphan” in the Canon. She works two jobs and has a bedsitter in London and literally hangs on by the skin of her teeth, but it all comes crumbling down when she becomes ill. She loses both jobs and her room and if it weren’t for our RBD, Adam Ross-Pitt, she would be living on the street. He helps her find a new place to live and a job in the country, near his home, as a maid-cum-tour guide in a large country house. His FFRs love her and recognize that in spite of her orphaned state, she is a real lady.
There are some really stellar scenes in this book. Deirdre, who wants to become Mrs. Ross-Pitt, has her hopes dashed when Adam tells her bluntly that he has absolutely no intention of ever marrying her. Ha!
Adam has asked Henrietta to have tea at his house and she is prevaricating and says she’d rather go back to the lodge if he doesn’t mind. “ ‘Why should I mind?’ asked Mr. Ross-Pitt savagely, swept away by such a gust of love that he could hardly keep his hands off her. Indeed, if he hadn’t been driving that was what would have happened.”
Adam has charming conversations with Watson, his dog, about how he wants to marry Henrietta.
Henrietta goes to visit an injured neighbor and walks home by herself after dark. She is being followed by a stranger. “Mr. Ross-Pitt, sitting by his open window, heard the scream. He was out of the window, through the gate and running almost before it was over . . . One scream sounded very like another, but he knew that it was Henrietta. . . Adam felt a great wave of tenderness sweep over him. . .”
He goes to see his parents and he tells his mother all about Henrietta.
“Mr. Ross-Pitt, at the sight of her, had found himself positively engulfed by strong feelings. No longer the calm, reserved man. . . he reached her . . . caught her in a fierce embrace and kissed her . . . ‘This will not do,’ she declared. . . ‘go away and forget all about this – this regrettable incident.’ ‘You liked it as much as I did, Henrietta.’
Just when Henrietta has decided to leave her job and go far away, Adam comes to see her. She thinks that he is going to marry Deidre, but he tells her he is not and says, “. . . let us forget her and allow me to do what I have come to do.” Which turns out to be kissing, declaring his love, kissing some more, proposing, and kissing some more.
Sometimes, as much as I love and adore TGB, I have to admit her books are sometimes short on romance. Not this one! 4 ½ stars.
********
Reread Oct 31-Nov 3, 2016. Many of the RDD/RBDs are placid, easy-going and perhaps, even dispassionate. Not Mr. Adam Ross-Pitt. He is EASILY the most passionate of all TGB's heroes.
This book has some of the most romantic passages in the Canon. In addition to those above:
"Mr. Ross-Pitt was astonished to feel his heart to give a decided lurch at the side of her. She wasn't looking her best; her hair was coming down, for she had shed hairpins as she'd run, and her face lacked powder and lipstick. She looked hot and tired and surprisingly happy. He thought that he had never seen anyone quite as beautiful, so absolutely necessary to his happiness. It wasn't the first time he had fallen in love, but he knew that this was the last."
Getting rid of Veronica:
"Deirdre poured the tea and handed him a cup. She said softly, 'You need a wife, Adam – we could get on famously together. . . I would fit into your life.' He looked at her with such disbelief that she put her teacup down in its saucer and leaned back in her chair. It was absurd, but he actually looked as though he was going to shake her. He said in a voice so coldly violent that she flinched, 'Let me make myself plain. I would never, under any circumstance is, want you for my wife.' He added, 'Nor have I given you any reason to suppose that I would.'"
On the Street Where You Live:
". . . he had the admittedly foolish wish to be near Henrietta, even if only for a few hours of the night and with the length of the village between them. Later, having eaten Mrs. Patch's delicious supper, he took Watson for his walk as far as the lodge, to stand like a lovesick youth and look up at the lighted window where his Henrietta was getting ready for bed. He checked a desire to bang on the door and demand to see her and continued on his way, tiring himself and Watson out before reaching his home again."
"Strong feelings" as a euphemism:
"Mr. Ross-Pitt, at the sight of her, had found himself positively engulfed by strong feelings. No longer the calm, reserved man, admired for his cool composure in the face of difficulties. He reached her in a few rapid strides, caught her in a fierce embrace and kissed her. Henrietta, taken aback, allowed herself to enjoy his kiss."
And Taking Care of Business:
"I shall kiss you until you have just enough breath left to say you'll marry me."
I just upgraded this one to 5 full stars.
There are some really stellar scenes in this book. Deirdre, who wants to become Mrs. Ross-Pitt, has her hopes dashed when Adam tells her bluntly that he has absolutely no intention of ever marrying her. Ha!
Adam has asked Henrietta to have tea at his house and she is prevaricating and says she’d rather go back to the lodge if he doesn’t mind. “ ‘Why should I mind?’ asked Mr. Ross-Pitt savagely, swept away by such a gust of love that he could hardly keep his hands off her. Indeed, if he hadn’t been driving that was what would have happened.”
Adam has charming conversations with Watson, his dog, about how he wants to marry Henrietta.
Henrietta goes to visit an injured neighbor and walks home by herself after dark. She is being followed by a stranger. “Mr. Ross-Pitt, sitting by his open window, heard the scream. He was out of the window, through the gate and running almost before it was over . . . One scream sounded very like another, but he knew that it was Henrietta. . . Adam felt a great wave of tenderness sweep over him. . .”
He goes to see his parents and he tells his mother all about Henrietta.
“Mr. Ross-Pitt, at the sight of her, had found himself positively engulfed by strong feelings. No longer the calm, reserved man. . . he reached her . . . caught her in a fierce embrace and kissed her . . . ‘This will not do,’ she declared. . . ‘go away and forget all about this – this regrettable incident.’ ‘You liked it as much as I did, Henrietta.’
Just when Henrietta has decided to leave her job and go far away, Adam comes to see her. She thinks that he is going to marry Deidre, but he tells her he is not and says, “. . . let us forget her and allow me to do what I have come to do.” Which turns out to be kissing, declaring his love, kissing some more, proposing, and kissing some more.
Sometimes, as much as I love and adore TGB, I have to admit her books are sometimes short on romance. Not this one! 4 ½ stars.
********
Reread Oct 31-Nov 3, 2016. Many of the RDD/RBDs are placid, easy-going and perhaps, even dispassionate. Not Mr. Adam Ross-Pitt. He is EASILY the most passionate of all TGB's heroes.
This book has some of the most romantic passages in the Canon. In addition to those above:
"Mr. Ross-Pitt was astonished to feel his heart to give a decided lurch at the side of her. She wasn't looking her best; her hair was coming down, for she had shed hairpins as she'd run, and her face lacked powder and lipstick. She looked hot and tired and surprisingly happy. He thought that he had never seen anyone quite as beautiful, so absolutely necessary to his happiness. It wasn't the first time he had fallen in love, but he knew that this was the last."
Getting rid of Veronica:
"Deirdre poured the tea and handed him a cup. She said softly, 'You need a wife, Adam – we could get on famously together. . . I would fit into your life.' He looked at her with such disbelief that she put her teacup down in its saucer and leaned back in her chair. It was absurd, but he actually looked as though he was going to shake her. He said in a voice so coldly violent that she flinched, 'Let me make myself plain. I would never, under any circumstance is, want you for my wife.' He added, 'Nor have I given you any reason to suppose that I would.'"
On the Street Where You Live:
". . . he had the admittedly foolish wish to be near Henrietta, even if only for a few hours of the night and with the length of the village between them. Later, having eaten Mrs. Patch's delicious supper, he took Watson for his walk as far as the lodge, to stand like a lovesick youth and look up at the lighted window where his Henrietta was getting ready for bed. He checked a desire to bang on the door and demand to see her and continued on his way, tiring himself and Watson out before reaching his home again."
"Strong feelings" as a euphemism:
"Mr. Ross-Pitt, at the sight of her, had found himself positively engulfed by strong feelings. No longer the calm, reserved man, admired for his cool composure in the face of difficulties. He reached her in a few rapid strides, caught her in a fierce embrace and kissed her. Henrietta, taken aback, allowed herself to enjoy his kiss."
And Taking Care of Business:
"I shall kiss you until you have just enough breath left to say you'll marry me."
I just upgraded this one to 5 full stars.
August 25, 2015
God DAMN it, I love Betty Neels so much! :') Needless to say, this was another wonderful one, another favourite. And once again I don't feel like writing a review, so 'nuff said.
April 18, 2024
A new favorite Betty!! Both hero and heroine are equally lovable. I love the work that Henrietta gets to do at the manor house and how this lonely orphan girl slowly builds up people around her who know and love her after her hand-to-mouth and isolated existence in London. We get lovely bits of Adam’s perspective along the way and how he comes to love Henrietta. It’s so sweet! He’s clueless for a while and everyone around him is raising their eyebrows. 😂 The OW woman is barely on the page. She causes her usual confusion but in a different way than normal. Adam completely sees through her and tells her so plainly. So satisfyingly romantic! I can’t wait to re-visit this one. My rating is definitely lashings of whipped cream!
May 3, 2024
This is one of my favorite Bettys. The RBD is very kind but sooooo slow in communicating his feelings for dear Henrietta. A little wooing would not hurt! And she is so humble and kind. This is also full of sweet side characters. And all the pets! ❤️
October 17, 2019
Henrietta, little poor thing... ^^
En mi update lo escribí: compra pan del día anterior porque es más barato y va a comprarse una americana en el Ejército de Salvación, tan raída que el RDD se da cuenta y siente pena. Omg, los mejores condimentos de esta historia tan betty-ish.
Sus ollas de té, sus regresos en autobús, el doctor que en este caso es atento, vive pendiente de ella y hasta podría llamarse apasionado y demostrativo... Me genera tantos lindos sentimientos que es imposible ponerle algo menos que cuatro estrellas.
En mi update lo escribí: compra pan del día anterior porque es más barato y va a comprarse una americana en el Ejército de Salvación, tan raída que el RDD se da cuenta y siente pena. Omg, los mejores condimentos de esta historia tan betty-ish.
Sus ollas de té, sus regresos en autobús, el doctor que en este caso es atento, vive pendiente de ella y hasta podría llamarse apasionado y demostrativo... Me genera tantos lindos sentimientos que es imposible ponerle algo menos que cuatro estrellas.
August 9, 2013
Fairly typical Betty Neels - plain (and unskilled) heroine, big rich doctor hero, unpleasant greedy rival for the hero's affections, servants who love the heroine. I wish Betty Neels' heroines were less pathetic, but this one was a little more romantic than her books usually are, with the hero realizing (and revealing) his feelings earlier than the last two pages.
December 1, 2010
Oh my, this is a really charming little romance with the most down on her luck heroine that Neels has ever produced. Henrietta is an orphan, raised in a children's home (grandparents didn't want her!!!), working marginal jobs in London. She loses both jobs and her lodgings when she catches pneumonia and lands in hospital. Of course there's a knight in shining armor--Dr Adam Ross-Pitt who rescues her and finds her a new job and home.
There's not a whole lot of drama in this one. And being one of Betty's later books, we get a goodly bit of the hero's POV--including the very lovely scene where he sends the "other woman" on her way. Plus there's a cad who tries to ensnare Henrietta, but she is not having any of it and kicks him in the shin.
Very good Neels, all the way around. No heavy angst, as in some of her earlier books, but that's okay.
There's not a whole lot of drama in this one. And being one of Betty's later books, we get a goodly bit of the hero's POV--including the very lovely scene where he sends the "other woman" on her way. Plus there's a cad who tries to ensnare Henrietta, but she is not having any of it and kicks him in the shin.
Very good Neels, all the way around. No heavy angst, as in some of her earlier books, but that's okay.
August 5, 2018
This might be the perfect Betty Neels book -- it has all of her trademarks, but avoids the pitfalls (overemphasizing how "plain" the h is, having the H be too aloof or inscrutable, making the h suffer, overly prominent OW, having the H make all the plans for a wedding while meanwhile the miserable h has no clue how he feels).
The h has had a rough start of it but is a resilient sweetheart; the H, whose point of view is quite prominent, doesn't realize for a while he's in love, even though everyone else does. His POV is a delight. Once he makes up his mind, he is determined to have the h, and despite setbacks, he never wavers. Another nice touch is how everyone around them (the many servants and family members that always populate Neels' books) is overjoyed that this is happening.
Really, a darling book.
The h has had a rough start of it but is a resilient sweetheart; the H, whose point of view is quite prominent, doesn't realize for a while he's in love, even though everyone else does. His POV is a delight. Once he makes up his mind, he is determined to have the h, and despite setbacks, he never wavers. Another nice touch is how everyone around them (the many servants and family members that always populate Neels' books) is overjoyed that this is happening.
Really, a darling book.
November 14, 2021
One of Neels more light-hearted and romantic stories, despite the fact that the heroine is an orphan whose life is miserable and getting worse. :) Both MCs are likable and fun, and we get not only an OW but the Other Man - an American out to cause trouble for young Henrietta. I quite enjoyed this Cinderella fairy tale in modern dress.
August 12, 2012
This is when you know that a Betty Neels' hero has fallen for his previously-thought-of-as-plain heroine:
"They went out to the car and he found her perfume overpowering. Henrietta, he reflected, had smelled of the sea and a faint whiff of shampoo and soap..."
"They went out to the car and he found her perfume overpowering. Henrietta, he reflected, had smelled of the sea and a faint whiff of shampoo and soap..."
October 30, 2025
3.5 stars. So good I bought it!
February 2, 2015
3.5 stars, as in I liked it very much in parts. Sweet, quick read perfect for a rainy afternoon - I think I've read this before but it had a similar plot to an earlier Betty so I'm not sure (I know, not uncommon). This heroine and plotline were a bit more sappy and soft then the heroine in the other Betty (the title escapes me), who was a feisty little thing; Henrietta in this novel had been raised in a children's home and "stayed on to teach the little ones"- very Jane Eyre! A co-worker and friend later comments that Henrietta "sounds like something out of a Victorian novel" so maybe Betty was taking a little sly poke at her own sentimental trope...Still a fluffy, delightful Betty!
January 16, 2021
A rather sweet story. As with most BN stories, the heroine is very much a down-trodden, plain young lady, but this one has a spine as well as a loving disposition. The Hero isn't quite as gruff as many of BN's other men, and the reader gets a lot of what Adam is thinking through his relationship development with Henrietta. I still got frustrated when some communication between the two could have saved both some angst.
Note: She starts off as a cleaner/ physical therapy aid & "graduates" to working in a manor house giving tours.
Note: She starts off as a cleaner/ physical therapy aid & "graduates" to working in a manor house giving tours.
April 16, 2021
Another good book from Betty Neels
I love how she really makes you know the characters this one Henrietta a person who had the rough side of life & loses her home & job when she becomes ill
But in true Betty Neels style we know how it will turn out but it still so nice to read how they arrive at that point
I love how she really makes you know the characters this one Henrietta a person who had the rough side of life & loses her home & job when she becomes ill
But in true Betty Neels style we know how it will turn out but it still so nice to read how they arrive at that point
January 3, 2024
4 stars for the multiple punch in the gut feeling this book gave me. Sue me but I'm a sucker for a struggling, homeless heroine who takes all the hardships life throws at her without complaining. BN sure knows how to deliver those. I liked the H in this one too, for the way he kept taking care of the h. Suffice it to say thay he *SPOILER ALERT* secretly had his former housekeeper invite the h to her house because our homeless girl had nowhere else to go while the house she worked and lived in was closed for 2 weeks. I mean isnt that sweet? That alone bumped the book up a star. Anyway, enjoyable read. Thanks Betty.
August 16, 2024
4.5 stars
May 15, 2024
I bumped this up to 4 stars. Whenever I'm in a book slump and need a lovely break, I always turn to Betty Neels. This is the type of trope I love with the orphaned, downtrodden h who has a kind heart and the caring, capable H who outwardly seems unflappable but inside has fallen for the h. It's also a nice break from contemporary works where the H is OTT and j/p (which I also enjoy) but does stupid things like holds the h in his lap (while riding in the back seat of a car! Like is this even physically possible?). As always, Neels is like a ray of sunshine.
November 3, 2025
This was a VERY romantic Betty Neels story! If you loved "Chain of Destiny", you'll love this book too. There was a great deal of character development and it was great fun to read Dr. Adam Ross-Pitt lose his heart to Henrietta. Dr. Ross-Pitt was such a kind and caring man already, but when faced with a destitute, kind-hearted girl, his best instincts take over and he rescues her. Of course, his heart is now lost to her, but he is unsure of how she feels about him.....Great story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2023
Finally, a male lead who is human! Too bad it took him so long to realize that he's in love. I love how he can’t seem to comprehend why he can’t get Henrietta out of his mind. I also love that after so much suffering and loneliness, Henrietta finally receives her reward for being so good a person.
A really simple story, with no graphic violence or sex. Just an enjoyable storyline. Loved the book.
A really simple story, with no graphic violence or sex. Just an enjoyable storyline. Loved the book.
January 7, 2015
Love most all of Betty Neels books as they are entertaining and an easy story to escape in for a while. With this one you get a bit of behind the scenes view of how some of the great houses in England get ready to receive the public and what the servants and guides go through to be ready for it all.
May 29, 2012
Predictable - Harlequin Romance - but a good lighthearted read.
July 20, 2013
A lovely read. I wanted the heroine's job.
November 13, 2015
love the book had it in paper back lost it then went to epub since I got a ereader
October 6, 2025
4.4 stars. a lovely calm read rather than one of the angsty ones. without angst, I find things a bit slow, but even so, this was absorbing to the end. our hero and heroine are both gentle kind sorts. the main conflict/tension in the romance is that he is unaware of his feelings for so long and thinks of her as a poor destitute inconvenience of a woman who he is constantly having to help out. which is lovely because we are aching to see him fall in love ahah. the hero meets the heroine when she is saving a kitten, then she is brought into his clinic with a severe flu. she is so poor that the flu causes her to lose both jobs and her home and he realises he is going to have to help her out.... a wonderfully sweet tale.
August 13, 2021
3.5 Stars.
Another soothing read from my top go-to comfort read author. In this edition, orphan, Henrietta, is living hand to mouth when she falls sick and “only by chance” meets RBD (Rich British Doctor), Adam (mostly known throughout this book as Mr. Ross-Pitt). Adam can’t quite understand his commitment to helping Henrietta get back on her feet but he’s neither uncomplimentary, nor insulting, nor fighting the urge too deeply and we do get some expression of deep emotion, although like most Betty books, the ending was more abrupt than absolutely desirable. Really enjoyed re-reading this. It has been a long time and it felt like o was reading it for the first time.
Another soothing read from my top go-to comfort read author. In this edition, orphan, Henrietta, is living hand to mouth when she falls sick and “only by chance” meets RBD (Rich British Doctor), Adam (mostly known throughout this book as Mr. Ross-Pitt). Adam can’t quite understand his commitment to helping Henrietta get back on her feet but he’s neither uncomplimentary, nor insulting, nor fighting the urge too deeply and we do get some expression of deep emotion, although like most Betty books, the ending was more abrupt than absolutely desirable. Really enjoyed re-reading this. It has been a long time and it felt like o was reading it for the first time.
September 12, 2020
Different in that the author allows us to see the thoughts of the H. The h is a plucky young lady. Makes me long for the sea or oceans. (Covid is making me feel like a dried up mermaid).
Someone mentioned in a previous review that they wished H and h had better communication and they could have reached the HEA sooner, but that would shorten the book and end the exquisite torture Betty prescribes for us as we wait for the inevitable.
Someone mentioned in a previous review that they wished H and h had better communication and they could have reached the HEA sooner, but that would shorten the book and end the exquisite torture Betty prescribes for us as we wait for the inevitable.
November 3, 2021
Picked this up ...Only by Chance!!
I loved the book just as much as I love reading all Betty Neels books. She has the pulse of the reader and keeps one enthralled with her delightful description of places and events and ofcourse ...Romance
I loved the book just as much as I love reading all Betty Neels books. She has the pulse of the reader and keeps one enthralled with her delightful description of places and events and ofcourse ...Romance
January 24, 2018
Great
Definitely one of the best ones I have read so far. I enjoyed it tremendously. Not a nurse story! I love the motherly and grandmotherly ladies!
Definitely one of the best ones I have read so far. I enjoyed it tremendously. Not a nurse story! I love the motherly and grandmotherly ladies!
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