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Philomena's Miracle
SHE LIVED IN HOPE THAT HE WOULD NOTICE HER!
Dr. Walle van der Tacx was a very attractive man. When he offered Philomena a nursing job in Holland, she jumped at itsurely it would mean that she could see more of him? It didn't take her long to realize her mistake and to discover that there was no point in entertaining romantic thoughts about the doctor. Clearly it was just a question of time before he married pretty and vivacious Tritia. It would take a miracle for him to notice plain Philomena, who had nothing but a kind heart to offer him!
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1978
56 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Betty Neels
581 books419 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 38 reviews
March 28, 2022
4 1/2 Stars ~ On the day Philomena learnt that she had earned her nursing degree and was this year's Gold Medalist, she was bubbling with joy but had no one to share it with. A handsome man shared the hospital lift with her and a patient, and over heard another nurse congratulate her. When he asked her if she was about to be married, she told him no, that she'd earned her degree. He congratulated her and commented that her family must be planning a huge celebration, to which Philly said that her family lived too far from London. After a difficult and long shift, Philly is surprised to find the handsome man waiting for her in the hospital lobby as she goes off shift, and is promptly told to change as he's taking her out to dinner. And this begins Philly's adventure.
Walle is obviously finds Philly enchanting and can easily see that she's very inexperienced when it comes to men and her self-esteem has been trodden on. He quickly learns that she has two beautiful step-sisters and a step-mother who though fond of Philly, never has a positive thing to say about her. Walle is a doctor with a busy practice that has two partners in Holland. He's also sought after for his expertise and often lectures. The practice is short a nurse and so Walle asks Philly to work for him, something that Philly is excited to do. Once in Holland she finds the work long and hard but satisfying, but she doesn't get to see much of Walle, until he invites her to his home to meet his mother for the weekend. She also meets his adopted cousin, Trite, a very pretty 18 year-old who demands all of Walle's attention. When Walle begins to court Philly she doesn't believe he can be serious, after all she's plain and really very uninteresting.
This is charming lovestory is one I'm sure I'll want to revisit again. Philly has such a kind heart and though she's not a fool, she doesn't have much confidence in her own charm to attract a man. So when she hears Walle's grandfather ask Walle if he intends to marry her, and Walle's reply of Yes, she thinks he's just joking. But he's actually quite serious, and realizing she needs time to get used to this, he gently courts her.
I enjoyed very much this ugly duckling, Cinderella story. Especially the HEA, with Walle rescuing his beautiful-to-him Philly.
Walle is obviously finds Philly enchanting and can easily see that she's very inexperienced when it comes to men and her self-esteem has been trodden on. He quickly learns that she has two beautiful step-sisters and a step-mother who though fond of Philly, never has a positive thing to say about her. Walle is a doctor with a busy practice that has two partners in Holland. He's also sought after for his expertise and often lectures. The practice is short a nurse and so Walle asks Philly to work for him, something that Philly is excited to do. Once in Holland she finds the work long and hard but satisfying, but she doesn't get to see much of Walle, until he invites her to his home to meet his mother for the weekend. She also meets his adopted cousin, Trite, a very pretty 18 year-old who demands all of Walle's attention. When Walle begins to court Philly she doesn't believe he can be serious, after all she's plain and really very uninteresting.
This is charming lovestory is one I'm sure I'll want to revisit again. Philly has such a kind heart and though she's not a fool, she doesn't have much confidence in her own charm to attract a man. So when she hears Walle's grandfather ask Walle if he intends to marry her, and Walle's reply of Yes, she thinks he's just joking. But he's actually quite serious, and realizing she needs time to get used to this, he gently courts her.
'I'm rather in the position of a child who having marked down the nicest cake on the plate for his own, hopes desperately that no one else will want it.' He smiled at her, a slow, sweet smile which made her gulp.
I enjoyed very much this ugly duckling, Cinderella story. Especially the HEA, with Walle rescuing his beautiful-to-him Philly.
January 9, 2021
A solid one from Betty, with a smitten-from-the-start Rich Dutch Doctor, an equally smitten plain-but-not-really nurse-heroine with the requisite crappy stepmonsters to foster poor self esteem, a catty, young potential OW cousin the heroine thinks might be in the running to be Mrs. RDD, and a castle in Holland that would make just the right place in which to live happily ever after if only the obstacles might be surmounted. It's a pleasing, but not outstanding, visit to Neelsland.
Car porn:
Our RDD has a flashy Maserati Khamsin (this is from 1978, the year of publication):
The heroine has, of course, a Mini:
Car porn:
Our RDD has a flashy Maserati Khamsin (this is from 1978, the year of publication):
The heroine has, of course, a Mini:
January 9, 2020
Philly passes her finals and is the gold medalist. she meets Walle and he takes her out to dinner to celebrate. She meets him again at her home where he just happens to be visiting; he also meets Philly's prettier stepsisters. He offered her a job at his practice in Holland. Philly accepts and goes to Holland. Philly works in the practice for several days before she sees Walle again.
There is an emergency in the middle of the night. Walle picks up Philly to treat a woman having a miscarriage. As it is early in the morning when they are finished, Walle takes Philly to his home, which happens to be a gorgeous castle that Philly had seen a few days before.
Walle invites Philly to stay at his house for the weekend. She has a good time in spite of Tritia van Niep who is as snide and pompous as you would expect from the OW. It is at the end of this visit that Philly has her DR. She muses that Cupid is a washout or perhaps he has run out of arrows.
Walle introduces Philly to various family members, most notably his charming grandfather who, as Walle puts it, jumped the gun and asked Walle if he is going to marry her (he is - no surprise to us, but quite a shock to our girl). She doesn't know whether to take him seriously.
Then we have a delightful cameo by Christian and Eliza from Heaven is Gentle and more indiscreet references to the future Dr. and Mrs. van der Tacx. She's beginning to believe.
Walle stops by her room at 6am to go riding. It's a lovely morning and Walle makes The Declaration and Proposal. Philly accepts and then back to the castle (where she is shown to Aladdin's Cave of treasures, er, a lovely bathroom filled with a myriad of cosmetics, of which she avails herself).
Walle insists Philly leave her room with Mevrouw de Winter and come live at the castle. I haven't yet mentioned Aunt Mevrouw van Niep (she is called Mevrouw in the book, but it also says she is adel; perhaps if she married someone not of the adel, she isn't allowed to keep her title?) who is Tritia's #1 fan. When Philly goes back home to nurse the spoiled and whiny chicken-poxed Chloe while Walle is away, Aunt makes mischief and tries to get Terrible Tritia back in line as Mevrouw van der Tacx - all that lovely money and living in a castle, you know.
RDD to the rescue! He dispenses with the spotty nonsense and quickly convinces Philly to have a huge church wedding in the village so all the world can see Philly in white with orange blossom and roses. "You will wear white, my love, and you will be beautiful, as beautiful as you are now." *sigh*
What doesn't quite fit: The painful scene where Walle tells Philly to "do something to your hair, buy new clothes, make up, shoes… You have beautiful eyes and when you don't screw it into that great bun, your hair is beautiful too." I felt such sympathy for Philly since she had already done those things and we must assume he hadn't noticed. I'd like to smack him! Then later he tells her that he has noticed everything she did and wore and has loved her from the beginning. An annoying inconsistency! If not for this, I'd give this book 4 1/2 stars.
There is an emergency in the middle of the night. Walle picks up Philly to treat a woman having a miscarriage. As it is early in the morning when they are finished, Walle takes Philly to his home, which happens to be a gorgeous castle that Philly had seen a few days before.
Walle invites Philly to stay at his house for the weekend. She has a good time in spite of Tritia van Niep who is as snide and pompous as you would expect from the OW. It is at the end of this visit that Philly has her DR. She muses that Cupid is a washout or perhaps he has run out of arrows.
Walle introduces Philly to various family members, most notably his charming grandfather who, as Walle puts it, jumped the gun and asked Walle if he is going to marry her (he is - no surprise to us, but quite a shock to our girl). She doesn't know whether to take him seriously.
Then we have a delightful cameo by Christian and Eliza from Heaven is Gentle and more indiscreet references to the future Dr. and Mrs. van der Tacx. She's beginning to believe.
Walle stops by her room at 6am to go riding. It's a lovely morning and Walle makes The Declaration and Proposal. Philly accepts and then back to the castle (where she is shown to Aladdin's Cave of treasures, er, a lovely bathroom filled with a myriad of cosmetics, of which she avails herself).
Walle insists Philly leave her room with Mevrouw de Winter and come live at the castle. I haven't yet mentioned Aunt Mevrouw van Niep (she is called Mevrouw in the book, but it also says she is adel; perhaps if she married someone not of the adel, she isn't allowed to keep her title?) who is Tritia's #1 fan. When Philly goes back home to nurse the spoiled and whiny chicken-poxed Chloe while Walle is away, Aunt makes mischief and tries to get Terrible Tritia back in line as Mevrouw van der Tacx - all that lovely money and living in a castle, you know.
RDD to the rescue! He dispenses with the spotty nonsense and quickly convinces Philly to have a huge church wedding in the village so all the world can see Philly in white with orange blossom and roses. "You will wear white, my love, and you will be beautiful, as beautiful as you are now." *sigh*
What doesn't quite fit: The painful scene where Walle tells Philly to "do something to your hair, buy new clothes, make up, shoes… You have beautiful eyes and when you don't screw it into that great bun, your hair is beautiful too." I felt such sympathy for Philly since she had already done those things and we must assume he hadn't noticed. I'd like to smack him! Then later he tells her that he has noticed everything she did and wore and has loved her from the beginning. An annoying inconsistency! If not for this, I'd give this book 4 1/2 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2012
This was the most gorgeous read. I cried a few times, Philly is a lovely heroine and the story was beautiful, a real ugly duckling into a swan in the eyes of the man who loves her. I loved the one line where he told her he felt as he were a small boy who had reserved the best and nicest piece of cake on the buffet for himself and was scared he was going to lose it. Just gorgeous.
April 11, 2021
Poor Philomena, she's an intelligent, hard-working young woman without looks or loving family support. Still, she qualifies as a nurse with top honors and on the same day meets her fairy godmother. No, wait, she actually meets her RDD, who for some reason we never actually get explained, whisks Philomena off - first to fine restaurants, then to Holland.
Despite the fact that his initial attraction is never explained, I really enjoyed this book. Philomena is spunky and stands up for herself. Sometimes, at least. The RDD is open in his admiration for Philly, and they actually developed their relationship a bit during the novel. The OW is never really a threat and the final dénouement doesn't come about because Philly is being stupid, just loyal. I liked the MCs a lot and was quite satisfied with this story. It left me with a smile on my face.
NB - If you enjoy Neel's books join the conversation at the GR group Betty Neels Junkies. See you there!
Despite the fact that his initial attraction is never explained, I really enjoyed this book. Philomena is spunky and stands up for herself. Sometimes, at least. The RDD is open in his admiration for Philly, and they actually developed their relationship a bit during the novel. The OW is never really a threat and the final dénouement doesn't come about because Philly is being stupid, just loyal. I liked the MCs a lot and was quite satisfied with this story. It left me with a smile on my face.
NB - If you enjoy Neel's books join the conversation at the GR group Betty Neels Junkies. See you there!
November 24, 2013
I like that they got to know each other and kissed like a normal engaged couple.
September 24, 2022
Nice during the loving moments. But some of the writing is quite dated and many references to appearance is without end. It’s the only reason i knocked off another star. even if i did relate to being plain and nothing special I got the point the first 3 times it was stated. ha.
January 31, 2013
This was such a wonderful book-the plain jane nurse that falls in love with the excellent doctor. Philomena has two self-centered step-sisters who constantly put Philly down, and a lazy stepmother who cares nothing at all for Philomena's feelings. She is asked to go to Holland to be a nurse for the fabulosly wealthy surgeon, where the doctor's beautiful young niece regularly looks down her nose at Philomena's clothing or status. Philomena swallows a lot of tears, or cries privately, but she continues to do her job well and punctually. I loved the doctor's quiet understanding of Philomena's sorrow, and of the way he took the bull by the horns in the end! Great book!!!
May 13, 2012
This was a short book (187 pages) and an older book a friend gave me on Friday, so decided to read it this week-end. It was written in the 1978, (no computers, cellphones) so was a fun and different kind of book to read from the ones we are use to reading now. I call them my vintage books, which I get a hankering to read once in a while. It was a charming, and delightful book to read and I enjoyed it, so therefore, awarded it 3 stars.
July 18, 2008
Betty Neels is one of my favorite authors. I have read everything that she has written that I can get my hands on. I just can't remember the names of the books. Every so often I have a longing to read a Betty Neels book. It has been so long since I have read her books, I couldn't remember her name off hand.
September 5, 2018
I have been reading Betty Neels romance novels since I discovered them in the 1980s. Over the years, I have collected all 134 of them, and come back to them every so often. They are a quick read, of gentle romance, a world where even a plain girl can win the man of her dreams. In this story, Philomena has just finished her exams and been awarded her nursing certificate. She meets Walle van der Tacx, a successful doctor from Holland. He quickly falls for her, and does what he can to see that she doesn't disappear from his life. They fall in love and, of course, in the end, all goes well.
May 18, 2018
1978, 4.5*!
What an awesome ending this book has! We have a big white wedding, and this has one of the best engagement ring scene ever in Neels-land!
The book started awkwardly for me, as in Walle couldn't quite get it right; he was so easy and quick to compliment the stepsisters and his ADOPTED cousin the Octopus Tritia, TO Philly. Which plain girl likes to hear others being praised for their beauty constantly? Like she didn't know? I know the point Walle wanted to make was to him, external looks did not matter, he could see right into Philly's inner beauty at first sight and to him she's the most beautiful girl in the world. But somehow it always came out wrong, and when he tried to make amends it all ended up sounding like he's just saying the nice things about Philly out of politeness and manners.
It didn't help that years growing up with the steps' casual indifference and cruelty had zapped all confidence from Philly. So in order not to let Walle feel obliged to be nice to her, she made excuses to avoid him. Then he called her out, saying he'd love to spend time with her but feared being snubbed! This awkwardness is quite sweet, and realistic in a way!
At least her father left SOMETHING for Philly, and not gave it all to stepmother who'd have no qualms not giving Philly a cent seeing how Philly worked.
Right till the end the steps were ridiculously annoying...how on earth Philly endured them I'll never know! Thanks to Walle's strong character he was able to protect Philly! I absolutely adored the end when he simply took charge of the situation, kicked nasty aunt and ADOPTED cousin out of his bona fide castle, and went to England to rescue Philly!
When grandfather jumped the gun so early, I was very worried because we still had many pages to go. It was very well done of Walle to say it was not yet the place or time to propose or talk further, but poor Philly! I loved the scene meeting the grandfather! And Walle likening himself to a boy and Philly being cake he'd mark out for himself and now worried someone else might take it first, was gorgeous! After this, we got to visit Christian and Eliza from Heaven is Gentle, the couple who met in that remote Scottish asthmatic research camp! They had a new baby!
And when the proposal was done right, the showing and putting the ring on Philly, together with all the lovely things Walle said, made him one of my favourite heroes!
I hated how Walle turned a blind eye when Tritia and/or the aunt was not nice to Philly. He did stop Tritia a couple of times but he always excused her for her youth so that Philly cannot say or do anything without appearing bad...By the end of chapter 8 I was soooo worried! Stupid Philly trusting such an important message to evil aunt...our heroines were too innocent and trusting!
Thank goodness Walle was too smart to believe the aunt at all, and he took charge to uncover the truth and even called his mother home to hold the fort. Such a sweet mother-in-law Philly will have! Our girl dearly needed a mother to love and make up for years of neglect!
Overall this is quite a great story by the end. Love it!
What an awesome ending this book has! We have a big white wedding, and this has one of the best engagement ring scene ever in Neels-land!
The book started awkwardly for me, as in Walle couldn't quite get it right; he was so easy and quick to compliment the stepsisters and his ADOPTED cousin the Octopus Tritia, TO Philly. Which plain girl likes to hear others being praised for their beauty constantly? Like she didn't know? I know the point Walle wanted to make was to him, external looks did not matter, he could see right into Philly's inner beauty at first sight and to him she's the most beautiful girl in the world. But somehow it always came out wrong, and when he tried to make amends it all ended up sounding like he's just saying the nice things about Philly out of politeness and manners.
It didn't help that years growing up with the steps' casual indifference and cruelty had zapped all confidence from Philly. So in order not to let Walle feel obliged to be nice to her, she made excuses to avoid him. Then he called her out, saying he'd love to spend time with her but feared being snubbed! This awkwardness is quite sweet, and realistic in a way!
At least her father left SOMETHING for Philly, and not gave it all to stepmother who'd have no qualms not giving Philly a cent seeing how Philly worked.
Right till the end the steps were ridiculously annoying...how on earth Philly endured them I'll never know! Thanks to Walle's strong character he was able to protect Philly! I absolutely adored the end when he simply took charge of the situation, kicked nasty aunt and ADOPTED cousin out of his bona fide castle, and went to England to rescue Philly!
When grandfather jumped the gun so early, I was very worried because we still had many pages to go. It was very well done of Walle to say it was not yet the place or time to propose or talk further, but poor Philly! I loved the scene meeting the grandfather! And Walle likening himself to a boy and Philly being cake he'd mark out for himself and now worried someone else might take it first, was gorgeous! After this, we got to visit Christian and Eliza from Heaven is Gentle, the couple who met in that remote Scottish asthmatic research camp! They had a new baby!
And when the proposal was done right, the showing and putting the ring on Philly, together with all the lovely things Walle said, made him one of my favourite heroes!
I hated how Walle turned a blind eye when Tritia and/or the aunt was not nice to Philly. He did stop Tritia a couple of times but he always excused her for her youth so that Philly cannot say or do anything without appearing bad...By the end of chapter 8 I was soooo worried! Stupid Philly trusting such an important message to evil aunt...our heroines were too innocent and trusting!
Thank goodness Walle was too smart to believe the aunt at all, and he took charge to uncover the truth and even called his mother home to hold the fort. Such a sweet mother-in-law Philly will have! Our girl dearly needed a mother to love and make up for years of neglect!
Overall this is quite a great story by the end. Love it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2025
A very sweet read. One reason I keep coming back to the Betty Neels’ stories is that they are simple reads. There are no graphic scenes or coarse language. They are mild enough a twelve year old can read them, but the characters are likable and the reader gets invested in them and their circumstances.
In this book, I love how Welle accepts his attraction to Philly as love at first sight, and how he points out to her that he likes what he sees when he looks at her. What I don’t like is that he keeps Philly guessing as to his intentions until he’s ready to announce it to the world. One thing I do like is how Welle never doubts Philly or her love for him. He knew right away what his aunt was up to, and wasn’t afraid to throw her out of his house. I also enjoy seeing Philly outdo her step sisters. And for once we see the happy ending of the characters' marriage which is often missing from the Betty Neels' stories.
In this book, I love how Welle accepts his attraction to Philly as love at first sight, and how he points out to her that he likes what he sees when he looks at her. What I don’t like is that he keeps Philly guessing as to his intentions until he’s ready to announce it to the world. One thing I do like is how Welle never doubts Philly or her love for him. He knew right away what his aunt was up to, and wasn’t afraid to throw her out of his house. I also enjoy seeing Philly outdo her step sisters. And for once we see the happy ending of the characters' marriage which is often missing from the Betty Neels' stories.
January 19, 2026
Read: 19Dec25,
4.4 stars. I enjoyed this one a lot. Plenty going on in this story to keep us interested and turning the pages. However this one is a gentler romance and doesnt have much angst - it features a h and H who arent overcoming great odds in life. Neither is an underdog in terms of impoverishment or in terms of overcoming past heartache and cynicism for the H, so while this tale was lovely, it didn't quite have the extra oomph of a h and H who have suffered a lot and for whom we can feel that extra happiness when they find their joy together. And yet it was always interesting and I enjoyed seeing these two be good to each other and find their HEA.
Plain Jane Nurse Philomena (23) meets RDD Walle (36) at the hospital when she kindly warns him that only patients and nurses are allowed to use the lifts and he is amused and helps her wheel her patient on. She later finds out he is a visiting consultant/doctor. When he finds out she has passed her exams, he persuades her to go out to dinner with him that evening to celebrate but also claiming that he is lonely and would appreciate a dinner companion to urge her to overcome her caution. They are sweet and friendly to one another from the start, but he makes a couple of faux pas when talking of his beautiful young cousin that makes Philly feel that he must think her a plain and unamusing girl, and at the end of dinner she goes a bit chilly on him and he regrets it. He says a lovely quote from shakespeare about hoping fate will bring him a second chance.
Phily lacks confidence in her looks and even her personality because her stepmom and stunning stepsisters are always putting her down. They are more the self obsessed and neglectful sort rather than the purposefully cruel sort. When Philly is visiting her home in the countryside, Walle 'happens' to be in the same town enjoying some days off (he totally tracked her down in the hope of seeing her!) and they all meet, and the gorgeous stepsisters immediate invite the rich handsome doctor to their home for a party that evening. Philly feels a bit dejected because Walle, like all men, seems immediately entranced by the beauty of her stunning stepsisters and even comments on it several times.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The stepsisters, particularly the older of the pair, does her best through the party evening to make Walle think Philly is boring and to steal his attentions and his company for herself. She succeeds in going out with him the next day because when Walle comes to visit, Philly has gone out horse-riding to clear her mind of her growing envy. Afterwards, when he is driving Philly back to London he even comments on how he finds her a bit daunting and is afraid she might snub him if he outright asks her out!
Anyway, it was pretty clear to me from the start that Walle likes Philly and he drops plenty of hints that it is her who he is interested in. As soon as he possibly can, he conspires to offer her a job at his practice in holland and persuade her to move there. He claims he and his partners need a good plain nurse who wont always be going out with men in the evenings and be distracted all the time. She suddenly decides she will buy new nice clothes and start doing her hair and makeup in an effort to make him eat his words, but when she gets to holland, she barely sees him as he is busy with work elsewhere and sometimes abroad. It is nearly a week till she sees him, and even then he doesnt notice her changes at all, leaving her feeling disheartened.
Other sources of story conflict are his "cousin" - a 19 year old girl adopted by his aunt - who is currently living with Walle (and his mom) and always flinging her arms around him and kissing him and flirting and is possessive of him. Philly sees Walle driving the girl around quite often and is jealous. In the meantime, she is lonely in her evenings so she is glad to meet the younger single brother of one of her doc bosses, a nice guy who invites her to spend the day with him on the weekend. Because of her plans with this guy, she keeps having to say no to walle whenever he asks her to come and visit his mum for the weekend.
Eventually she does visit and finds that he lives in a castle. She likes his mom, but the cousin/OW Tritia, a blond beauty, takes a dislike to Philly and is mean about her looks, making Philly feel angry and sad. Anyway, at one point Walle seems to withdraw into himself (the poor man is suffering insecurity when he thinks Philly likes the OM), but then he starts making an effort to take Phily out for morning horse rides etc.
In the meantime they work together helping save a few lives and he does a lot to watch over her and make her life easier.
He persuades her to come on a long drive with him and visit his grandpa and grandpa blatantly asks "Walle, is this the girl you are going to marry?" and Walle replies yes, and Philly is stunned, and also feels insecure as if it is all some joke at her expense, the poor girl. Walle jokes that Philly is still considering her options and that the young OM is interested in her. She tells him off and says he has no right to say such things, and he says he hopes he will have the right. He says something really sweet about himself being a bit like a child who has earmarked the best slice of cake for himself and is desperately hoping no one else will want it. The poor man is clearly besotted and uncertain whether she will have him. How sweet! Even when walle reassures her afterwards that he wants to marry her, she doesn't believe it. Shortly afterwards, they visit his friends, who also mention they hope she will marry Walle, and he is open and honest about wanting to marry her.
At this point the main story conflict is her self doubt and her insistence that surely he must want to marry the OW cousin, Tritia. Which he denies.
ENDING SPOILERS
After seeing her driving out with the OM one evening while he himself is driving out with Tritia, I had thought he would be upset about her seeing the OM when he has made his feelings for her known. Instead, he comes throwing stones at her window to wake her up early the next morning and has brought the horses so they can go for a ride. He proposes, and they confess their love for each other, and he explains away her doubts about Tritia and about her plain looks ~(get over it woman!) and about how rich he is and her being uncertain about if she will fit into his castle lifestyle. At this point there was still quite a bit of the book to go and I was surprised to see them already happily confessing their love so early.
After that he insists she must move into his castle or he will never see her and they plan to marry asap. But when he has to go away for work, the nasty Tritia's mother has returned and she plots to throw a spanner in the works, making out to Philly that Walle prefers Tritia but that Tritia wouldn't have him... The snooty aunt hasn't got as much money as she wants and so wants to catch Walle for her daughter and get his money. Philly resolves not to believe her. But then Philly's selfish stepmom calls Philly home, saying that the stepsister is very ill and needs Philly to nurse her. Philly leaves messages for walle with the aunt, but the aunt instead tells Walle that Philly didn't want to marry him anymore so she went back to England.
Walle doesn't believe a word of it and makes his own enquiries. He finds out why Philly went to England and angrily turfs the aunt and Tritia from his home, and goes to England to save Philly from being a nursing drudge to her cousin who isn't even that ill. We get to see him being sweet and supportive and her throwing herself into his arms. Plus then he urges her to have a big wedding so he can show her off to the world and rub it into her doubters' faces that she is getting happily married. We get to see quite a bit of them being in love rather than the abrupt endings Betty usually gives us.
CONCLUSION
This was a very enjoyable Betty Neels story. The main reason it didn't get into the 4.5 star+ range is because I like a lot of angst and an icehole best or for the story to leave me with the biggest afterglow of feels, and this one left me with a happy sigh but didn't quite reach those heights. One big bonus of this story though was that we got plenty of time to enjoy their love and happiness at the end of the story, whereas Betty usually gives us the briefest of endings. This ending was lovely in it's own way. Plus the main characters were very likeable and we got to see them in an admirable light in their work and got to see them spend plenty of time together. It was v sweet that he fell first and had to feel that uncertainty of whether he could win over the girl or not, but I like that Betty has her heroes holding their cards close to their chests so that we cant see what they feel too early otherwise the books would get boring. she just gives us enough hints for us to feel the romance.
4.4 stars. I enjoyed this one a lot. Plenty going on in this story to keep us interested and turning the pages. However this one is a gentler romance and doesnt have much angst - it features a h and H who arent overcoming great odds in life. Neither is an underdog in terms of impoverishment or in terms of overcoming past heartache and cynicism for the H, so while this tale was lovely, it didn't quite have the extra oomph of a h and H who have suffered a lot and for whom we can feel that extra happiness when they find their joy together. And yet it was always interesting and I enjoyed seeing these two be good to each other and find their HEA.
Plain Jane Nurse Philomena (23) meets RDD Walle (36) at the hospital when she kindly warns him that only patients and nurses are allowed to use the lifts and he is amused and helps her wheel her patient on. She later finds out he is a visiting consultant/doctor. When he finds out she has passed her exams, he persuades her to go out to dinner with him that evening to celebrate but also claiming that he is lonely and would appreciate a dinner companion to urge her to overcome her caution. They are sweet and friendly to one another from the start, but he makes a couple of faux pas when talking of his beautiful young cousin that makes Philly feel that he must think her a plain and unamusing girl, and at the end of dinner she goes a bit chilly on him and he regrets it. He says a lovely quote from shakespeare about hoping fate will bring him a second chance.
Phily lacks confidence in her looks and even her personality because her stepmom and stunning stepsisters are always putting her down. They are more the self obsessed and neglectful sort rather than the purposefully cruel sort. When Philly is visiting her home in the countryside, Walle 'happens' to be in the same town enjoying some days off (he totally tracked her down in the hope of seeing her!) and they all meet, and the gorgeous stepsisters immediate invite the rich handsome doctor to their home for a party that evening. Philly feels a bit dejected because Walle, like all men, seems immediately entranced by the beauty of her stunning stepsisters and even comments on it several times.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The stepsisters, particularly the older of the pair, does her best through the party evening to make Walle think Philly is boring and to steal his attentions and his company for herself. She succeeds in going out with him the next day because when Walle comes to visit, Philly has gone out horse-riding to clear her mind of her growing envy. Afterwards, when he is driving Philly back to London he even comments on how he finds her a bit daunting and is afraid she might snub him if he outright asks her out!
Anyway, it was pretty clear to me from the start that Walle likes Philly and he drops plenty of hints that it is her who he is interested in. As soon as he possibly can, he conspires to offer her a job at his practice in holland and persuade her to move there. He claims he and his partners need a good plain nurse who wont always be going out with men in the evenings and be distracted all the time. She suddenly decides she will buy new nice clothes and start doing her hair and makeup in an effort to make him eat his words, but when she gets to holland, she barely sees him as he is busy with work elsewhere and sometimes abroad. It is nearly a week till she sees him, and even then he doesnt notice her changes at all, leaving her feeling disheartened.
Other sources of story conflict are his "cousin" - a 19 year old girl adopted by his aunt - who is currently living with Walle (and his mom) and always flinging her arms around him and kissing him and flirting and is possessive of him. Philly sees Walle driving the girl around quite often and is jealous. In the meantime, she is lonely in her evenings so she is glad to meet the younger single brother of one of her doc bosses, a nice guy who invites her to spend the day with him on the weekend. Because of her plans with this guy, she keeps having to say no to walle whenever he asks her to come and visit his mum for the weekend.
Eventually she does visit and finds that he lives in a castle. She likes his mom, but the cousin/OW Tritia, a blond beauty, takes a dislike to Philly and is mean about her looks, making Philly feel angry and sad. Anyway, at one point Walle seems to withdraw into himself (the poor man is suffering insecurity when he thinks Philly likes the OM), but then he starts making an effort to take Phily out for morning horse rides etc.
In the meantime they work together helping save a few lives and he does a lot to watch over her and make her life easier.
He persuades her to come on a long drive with him and visit his grandpa and grandpa blatantly asks "Walle, is this the girl you are going to marry?" and Walle replies yes, and Philly is stunned, and also feels insecure as if it is all some joke at her expense, the poor girl. Walle jokes that Philly is still considering her options and that the young OM is interested in her. She tells him off and says he has no right to say such things, and he says he hopes he will have the right. He says something really sweet about himself being a bit like a child who has earmarked the best slice of cake for himself and is desperately hoping no one else will want it. The poor man is clearly besotted and uncertain whether she will have him. How sweet! Even when walle reassures her afterwards that he wants to marry her, she doesn't believe it. Shortly afterwards, they visit his friends, who also mention they hope she will marry Walle, and he is open and honest about wanting to marry her.
At this point the main story conflict is her self doubt and her insistence that surely he must want to marry the OW cousin, Tritia. Which he denies.
ENDING SPOILERS
After seeing her driving out with the OM one evening while he himself is driving out with Tritia, I had thought he would be upset about her seeing the OM when he has made his feelings for her known. Instead, he comes throwing stones at her window to wake her up early the next morning and has brought the horses so they can go for a ride. He proposes, and they confess their love for each other, and he explains away her doubts about Tritia and about her plain looks ~(get over it woman!) and about how rich he is and her being uncertain about if she will fit into his castle lifestyle. At this point there was still quite a bit of the book to go and I was surprised to see them already happily confessing their love so early.
After that he insists she must move into his castle or he will never see her and they plan to marry asap. But when he has to go away for work, the nasty Tritia's mother has returned and she plots to throw a spanner in the works, making out to Philly that Walle prefers Tritia but that Tritia wouldn't have him... The snooty aunt hasn't got as much money as she wants and so wants to catch Walle for her daughter and get his money. Philly resolves not to believe her. But then Philly's selfish stepmom calls Philly home, saying that the stepsister is very ill and needs Philly to nurse her. Philly leaves messages for walle with the aunt, but the aunt instead tells Walle that Philly didn't want to marry him anymore so she went back to England.
Walle doesn't believe a word of it and makes his own enquiries. He finds out why Philly went to England and angrily turfs the aunt and Tritia from his home, and goes to England to save Philly from being a nursing drudge to her cousin who isn't even that ill. We get to see him being sweet and supportive and her throwing herself into his arms. Plus then he urges her to have a big wedding so he can show her off to the world and rub it into her doubters' faces that she is getting happily married. We get to see quite a bit of them being in love rather than the abrupt endings Betty usually gives us.
CONCLUSION
This was a very enjoyable Betty Neels story. The main reason it didn't get into the 4.5 star+ range is because I like a lot of angst and an icehole best or for the story to leave me with the biggest afterglow of feels, and this one left me with a happy sigh but didn't quite reach those heights. One big bonus of this story though was that we got plenty of time to enjoy their love and happiness at the end of the story, whereas Betty usually gives us the briefest of endings. This ending was lovely in it's own way. Plus the main characters were very likeable and we got to see them in an admirable light in their work and got to see them spend plenty of time together. It was v sweet that he fell first and had to feel that uncertainty of whether he could win over the girl or not, but I like that Betty has her heroes holding their cards close to their chests so that we cant see what they feel too early otherwise the books would get boring. she just gives us enough hints for us to feel the romance.
Read
July 27, 2011Philomena believes herself plan and boring, especially compared to her beautiful step-sisters. Walle lets her know that he likes what he sees when he looks at her. To him, she is beautiful.
Delightful.
Delightful.
July 25, 2013
Really really enjoyed this book!!!!!!
October 11, 2013
Review to come.
March 24, 2021
I changed my mind, Alexander from A Star Looks Down have been replaced by Walle as my favorite hero of Betty Neels'! My 9th read from Betty, I can't seem to go on a week without reading one her books, good thing she wrote more than a hundred! Philomena's Miracle has, by far, the most too good to be true kind of plot, I mean, most of Betty's plots are too good to be true, but this one exceeds the most! The title really suits itself, what happened to Philly is indeed a miracle that I also wish to have. From the very first encounter of Philly and Walle, to how they got to be associated together, all just seems too good to be true. Walle is such a dear, I love how he deliberately pursues Philly, and how he goes out of his way just to be with her. And the scene with his grandpa, he was such a tease! I remember a friend of mine, very much like Walle, he would also tease me the same way, and I find it really funny that my very reaction was the same as Philly's!
Anyway, we can read another classic proposal here, although my favorite is still from Litrik in The Secret Pool. I love that the proposal happened early in the morning and during their most spontaneous conversation, the romantic in me is indeed very pleased! This is also the first Betty Neels book that I read where the proposal didn't happen in the last pages of the book, which was surprising! Given the fact that Betty likes to end things abruptly after the proposal or confession has been made. They got to plan the wedding and there was even a bit of a situation, of which I loved how sensible Walle acted in it, such a darling indeed.
I wish I'd also get to have my very own Walle. He didn't look at the outward appearance, instead, he saw Philly for who she really was, and he loved her with all his heart.
"Young men always go for the pretty girls, that's human nature, but young men grow up you know."
"He took her chin in one hand and turned her face deliberately to the light. 'A pretty face is a poor substitute for compassion and loving kindness - you'll do very well as you are.'"
And lastly, Philly was very insecure, she knows where she stands, she couldn't seem to believe that Walle chose her, and from experience, I totally understand where she comes from. And yet I love how Walle would always assure Philly.
"They were a third of the way now and she faltered for a moment, and at the same moment he turned very deliberately, and at the sight of his kind, loving face all her doubts vanished as though they had never been. . . . . She was the most beautiful girl in the world and he loved her; his look told her that as plainly as though he had shouted it in the length of the church."
Anyway, we can read another classic proposal here, although my favorite is still from Litrik in The Secret Pool. I love that the proposal happened early in the morning and during their most spontaneous conversation, the romantic in me is indeed very pleased! This is also the first Betty Neels book that I read where the proposal didn't happen in the last pages of the book, which was surprising! Given the fact that Betty likes to end things abruptly after the proposal or confession has been made. They got to plan the wedding and there was even a bit of a situation, of which I loved how sensible Walle acted in it, such a darling indeed.
I wish I'd also get to have my very own Walle. He didn't look at the outward appearance, instead, he saw Philly for who she really was, and he loved her with all his heart.
"Young men always go for the pretty girls, that's human nature, but young men grow up you know."
"He took her chin in one hand and turned her face deliberately to the light. 'A pretty face is a poor substitute for compassion and loving kindness - you'll do very well as you are.'"
And lastly, Philly was very insecure, she knows where she stands, she couldn't seem to believe that Walle chose her, and from experience, I totally understand where she comes from. And yet I love how Walle would always assure Philly.
"They were a third of the way now and she faltered for a moment, and at the same moment he turned very deliberately, and at the sight of his kind, loving face all her doubts vanished as though they had never been. . . . . She was the most beautiful girl in the world and he loved her; his look told her that as plainly as though he had shouted it in the length of the church."
April 3, 2025
Jealousy isn't pretty
I loved this book. Philomena is so wonderful and kind that you can't help but to fall in love with her just as Walle did. She's convinced that she is plain and has no looks, but I imagine that she is absolutely stunning.... especially with her green eyes. That's one of the things Walle mentions when she talks about how beautiful her stepsisters are. He says "But they don't have green eyes". The reason she's convinced that she is plain, of course, is because her stepmother makes sure to tell her that every chance she gets. Maybe Philomena looks like her mother and the stepmother can't abide the fact that Philomena's mother was her husband's first love. That's just a guess. She's so selfish and so jealous that I feel like she's akin to Cinderella's stepmother, pretty on the outside, but ugly otherwise.
Then, there's Walle's empty headed cousin, Tritia, who is actually adopted. She's probably very pretty, but she also comes across as very selfish. Her mother, Walle's aunt by marriage, has hopes that Tritia will marry Walle. She counted on Tritia's beauty to attract Walle. Somehow, she can't understand that Walle wants someone who has inner beauty as well as outer beauty.
All these, supposedly, beautiful but very jealous women around this couple can't seem to understand one very relevant fact. Jealousy isn't pretty.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
I loved this book. Philomena is so wonderful and kind that you can't help but to fall in love with her just as Walle did. She's convinced that she is plain and has no looks, but I imagine that she is absolutely stunning.... especially with her green eyes. That's one of the things Walle mentions when she talks about how beautiful her stepsisters are. He says "But they don't have green eyes". The reason she's convinced that she is plain, of course, is because her stepmother makes sure to tell her that every chance she gets. Maybe Philomena looks like her mother and the stepmother can't abide the fact that Philomena's mother was her husband's first love. That's just a guess. She's so selfish and so jealous that I feel like she's akin to Cinderella's stepmother, pretty on the outside, but ugly otherwise.
Then, there's Walle's empty headed cousin, Tritia, who is actually adopted. She's probably very pretty, but she also comes across as very selfish. Her mother, Walle's aunt by marriage, has hopes that Tritia will marry Walle. She counted on Tritia's beauty to attract Walle. Somehow, she can't understand that Walle wants someone who has inner beauty as well as outer beauty.
All these, supposedly, beautiful but very jealous women around this couple can't seem to understand one very relevant fact. Jealousy isn't pretty.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
September 18, 2021
Rounding up from 3.5. Apparently Philomena's Miracle is the same miracle that happens in every Betty Neels book: a tall, handsome, older, broad-shouldered Dutch doctor falls for a plain, dumpy British nurse. He then offers her a job in the Netherlands, introduces her to an elderly female relative and a gorgeous, spiteful younger female relative, is amused when the heroine feels insecure, and then marries her.
If that's a comforting recipe for you (and it is for me, if I take several months between books), you'll enjoy this rendition. I must say, in my own romance-writing I try to give my heroine some looks or my hero a reason why he isn't all about beauty because, in the real world, it has been my observation that big handsome men NEVER fall for plain women because they never even notice them to begin with.
One sort of troublesome bit in this book (and for which I took off half a star) is their mutual assumption that Philly will quit as soon as ever she can, after she is engaged. Quit to do what? I thought she was thrilled to become a nurse! If he'd gotten her knocked up I might understand, but this is a Betty Neels book we're talking about.
Oh, well. Still generally fun and formulaic.
If that's a comforting recipe for you (and it is for me, if I take several months between books), you'll enjoy this rendition. I must say, in my own romance-writing I try to give my heroine some looks or my hero a reason why he isn't all about beauty because, in the real world, it has been my observation that big handsome men NEVER fall for plain women because they never even notice them to begin with.
One sort of troublesome bit in this book (and for which I took off half a star) is their mutual assumption that Philly will quit as soon as ever she can, after she is engaged. Quit to do what? I thought she was thrilled to become a nurse! If he'd gotten her knocked up I might understand, but this is a Betty Neels book we're talking about.
Oh, well. Still generally fun and formulaic.
March 5, 2024
Another good story although I kept wondering why she didn't take the words of Dr. Wallevan der Tacx when he said in the last half of the book that he was going to marry her....she kept telling him how plain she was and didn't believe him.
Finally he gave her a beautiful old ring that had been in the family for generations and she finally believed he was going to marry her.
She had a job in Holland working for 2 doctors which she really enjoyed but was still so loyal to her stepmother and her very beautiful half sisters....she seemed to be easily led by anyone with any authority at all.
Finally Walle finds her in a cabin looking after her sister who has chicken pox and doesn't want anyone to see her in such a state...so silly....sometimes I think the girls in these stories only think about clothes and men with money.
As usual, the story ended well with a big wedding underway for Walle and Philomea....
Finally he gave her a beautiful old ring that had been in the family for generations and she finally believed he was going to marry her.
She had a job in Holland working for 2 doctors which she really enjoyed but was still so loyal to her stepmother and her very beautiful half sisters....she seemed to be easily led by anyone with any authority at all.
Finally Walle finds her in a cabin looking after her sister who has chicken pox and doesn't want anyone to see her in such a state...so silly....sometimes I think the girls in these stories only think about clothes and men with money.
As usual, the story ended well with a big wedding underway for Walle and Philomea....
March 23, 2019
Philomena has lived in the shadow of her beautiful stepsisters for years, and she knows she's plain. When she meets the handsome Dr. Walle van der Tacx, she knows she doesn't have a chance, even when he offers her a job in Holland. Will she come to know her own worth?
I think this is one of my favorites by Betty Neels. It is a warm, gentle story, and the characters are lovely. Philly is a sweet girl, and Walle is kind at every turn. I wanted them to find love together from the first time they meet at a lift in the hospital.
These older stories make for easy reads, and on a lazy evening, I can't think of a better author to pick up.
I think this is one of my favorites by Betty Neels. It is a warm, gentle story, and the characters are lovely. Philly is a sweet girl, and Walle is kind at every turn. I wanted them to find love together from the first time they meet at a lift in the hospital.
These older stories make for easy reads, and on a lazy evening, I can't think of a better author to pick up.
December 16, 2017
Finally...a Betty Neels novel in which the handsome rich Dutch doctor doesn't beat around the bush and clearly lets the plain English nurse know that he loves her instead of spending time being vague about his feelings. He's still rather bossy, but a lot of Neels' heroes seem to have a paternalistic/older/know it all demeanor because they have more experience. In spite of that, I enjoyed this story more than most of Neels' other work.
April 4, 2022
This book was a bit different in terms of the love confessing by hero, usually in Betty neels novel hero confesses his feelings in the last page where as here the hero expressed his love to the heroine much earlier and they plan out their wedding in a sweet way inspite of a couple of misunderstanding caused by a jealous aunt and her nephew.
December 13, 2023
In a word, meh. Not my favourite Betty: sad-sack heroine bemoaning her unattractive state and a hero who isn't kind to her. I didn't like either of them. For a lengthier "meh", check out the blog review:
https://missbatesreadsromance.com/202...
https://missbatesreadsromance.com/202...
February 14, 2024
One of the best Bettys. I love that they get engaged at 80% instead of dragging out what's already obvious -- that they love each other. The RDD is less standoffish than usual, despite a few gaffes (I prefer to pretend the conversation in the garden in chapter 6 never happened). I wish Betty had used this pacing more often.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2024
Wonderful love story
I really enjoyed this book, one of Betty Neels’ best. The hero and heroine liked each other from the beginning and it was delightful to see them fall in love and agree to marry, and not at the very end of the book, as is often the case in Betty Neels’ books. I really like this one!!
I really enjoyed this book, one of Betty Neels’ best. The hero and heroine liked each other from the beginning and it was delightful to see them fall in love and agree to marry, and not at the very end of the book, as is often the case in Betty Neels’ books. I really like this one!!
March 26, 2018
Betty Neels is a comfort read, and this story is one of the sweetest.
April 20, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
July 23, 2018
Lovely
If you enjoy your romances clean, light, fluffy and vintage then you will enjoy the wonderful work of Betty Neels
If you enjoy your romances clean, light, fluffy and vintage then you will enjoy the wonderful work of Betty Neels
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews