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Midnight Sun's Magic
Mills & Boon presents the complete Betty Neels collection. Timeless tales of heart-warming romance by one of the world’s best-loved romance authors.
How to convince Jake – Annis needed ideas! Finding romance didn’t seem likely in a place like Spitzenbergen, so close to the North Pole. But when Annis went there for a short time to work, she found herself falling in love with a handsome Norwegian, though the affair was brief and disappointing.
So when Dutchman Jake van Germent, asked her to marry him, Annis was more than pleased to accept. He wasn’t handsome, but he had everything else she could possibly want! He knew about her Norwegian, too, and Annis found that she couldn’t make Jake believe that she had married him for love…
142 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1979
60 people are currently reading
134 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 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 25, 2021
After the irredeemable ogre in Judith, I really needed a swoon-worthy BN hero, and boy did yummy Jake deliver. Oh, this one was fun and had some memorable divergences from the usual Betty tales! Yes, it follows a familiar format—multiple locations (Three! England/Norway/Holland), an MoC midway through, some OM/OW dramarama. Ah, but also some of the strongest intimations that sexytimes would be imminent that I’ve read in a BN! (Alas, the only way my lascivious musings about BN's big handsome heroes will ever be realized is if I write my own fan-fic, I guess. 😉)
Jake breaks the typical BN hero mold in MSM—sure, he’s an RDD but he seems lighter and warmer and more casual and more REAL in many ways than Betty’s usual offering. He’s actually described as “lighthearted” in one scene! The setting, a remote (nuclear? research? Betty’s not quite clear) station in the Artic Circle in far-north Norway, is exotic and intriguing as well! We have the usual move to Holland and what appears to be an MoC but isn't on either side (and a real white-satin-and bridal veils wedding to boot!) The ending is pretty funny (our poor stymied heroine just cannot get a chance to confess her feelings) and satisfying. Waldo and Olympia from The End of the Rainbow make an appearance (although only Olympia gets lines). Super cute!
Car Porn:
Forget the standard-issue Rolls or Bentley: Jake has his own seaplane! Now that’s hot!
Jake breaks the typical BN hero mold in MSM—sure, he’s an RDD but he seems lighter and warmer and more casual and more REAL in many ways than Betty’s usual offering. He’s actually described as “lighthearted” in one scene! The setting, a remote (nuclear? research? Betty’s not quite clear) station in the Artic Circle in far-north Norway, is exotic and intriguing as well! We have the usual move to Holland and what appears to be an MoC but isn't on either side (and a real white-satin-and bridal veils wedding to boot!) The ending is pretty funny (our poor stymied heroine just cannot get a chance to confess her feelings) and satisfying. Waldo and Olympia from The End of the Rainbow make an appearance (although only Olympia gets lines). Super cute!
Car Porn:
Forget the standard-issue Rolls or Bentley: Jake has his own seaplane! Now that’s hot!
March 20, 2015
This is one of Betty's marriage of convenience stories with the hero having fallen in love with the heroine at first sight and having to wait patiently for her to catch up. In this one our hero, Jake, has competition in the charmer Ola. I found the setting of remote Norway to be quite interesting and refreshing from Betty's usual England to Holland stories. Of course, when they marry, Jake and Annis live in Holland in all the spendour that Betty loves to bequest to her heroes. Unknown to Jake, Annis actually is marrying him for love, but thinks he's only marrying her for convenience. I was thoroughly charmed with Annis at the end, when she is thwarted the final time from making her declaration of love, and must do so in an angry letter. Their HEA is rather romantic, with everything finally coming to rights, as only Betty can make happen.
For my rather long winded review including many spoilers ....
For my rather long winded review including many spoilers ....
September 28, 2016
3 1/2 stars. Annis Brown is a tall gorgeous redhead with green eyes. She has wasted 3 years with the worthy but boring Arthur Potter. She wears a sexy dress she knows that she will disapprove of, asks him if he is ever going to propose and then turns him down all in one fell swoop. She's not a girl to mince words. At least not until later.
Annis's family consists of a brother and Great-Aunt Mary who lives in the Dorset village of Mere. Her brother, an atomic engineer, asks her to take a job as nurse/secretary/cook (sounds like a normal wife, right) in Spitzbergen, which is on an island off the coast of Norway.
She's looking for romance in Spitzbergen and she finds it. She ignores the handsome RDD and instead gets swept off her feet by a complete rotter (he's married and admits he didn't tell because he didn't think she would be willing to play kissy-face with another woman's husband - no DUH).
Heartbroken, she accepts Jake's proposal for a MOC. Of course she has a DR that she's really in love with Jake, but she has a bugaboo about an OW, Nina. She's never seen Nina with Jake and he's never mentioned her but she gets the idea that Nina is the love of his life. She runs away (surprise!), Jake comes after her, all is explained, and they have champagne because, as Jake says, it is their wedding night. Strongly implied conjugal relations.
I really loved the first half of the book, but thought it fell a bit flat in the second half.
Annis's family consists of a brother and Great-Aunt Mary who lives in the Dorset village of Mere. Her brother, an atomic engineer, asks her to take a job as nurse/secretary/cook (sounds like a normal wife, right) in Spitzbergen, which is on an island off the coast of Norway.
She's looking for romance in Spitzbergen and she finds it. She ignores the handsome RDD and instead gets swept off her feet by a complete rotter (he's married and admits he didn't tell because he didn't think she would be willing to play kissy-face with another woman's husband - no DUH).
Heartbroken, she accepts Jake's proposal for a MOC. Of course she has a DR that she's really in love with Jake, but she has a bugaboo about an OW, Nina. She's never seen Nina with Jake and he's never mentioned her but she gets the idea that Nina is the love of his life. She runs away (surprise!), Jake comes after her, all is explained, and they have champagne because, as Jake says, it is their wedding night. Strongly implied conjugal relations.
I really loved the first half of the book, but thought it fell a bit flat in the second half.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2014
This is a sweet story with the beginning set in Norway where the heroine Annis Brown goes to work as a nurse cum cook at an isolated station where her brother works. The temporary Doctor is Dutchman Jake van Germert and he and Annis are well on the way to developing something when a flirty, handsome Norwegian turns up. Ola knows all the romantic moves and after her longterm extremely boring boyfriend in London and the slow cautious, almost brotherly friendship with Jake it's not surprising she is swept away with the romance.
It is short lived however and it isn't long before Annis recognises her infatuation for what it is. But somehow kind brotherly Jake doesn't realise and when he asks her to marry him, it is offered as a marriage of convenience on his part. Of course that makes it very hard for Annis to confess that she actually loves Jake and her feeling for Ola died pretty quickly once he was out of sight.
There is a hint about another woman in this story but the conflict centres around the misunderstandings regarding Annis brief romance with Ola. A lovely read with some Norwegian scenery thrown in for good measure.
It is short lived however and it isn't long before Annis recognises her infatuation for what it is. But somehow kind brotherly Jake doesn't realise and when he asks her to marry him, it is offered as a marriage of convenience on his part. Of course that makes it very hard for Annis to confess that she actually loves Jake and her feeling for Ola died pretty quickly once he was out of sight.
There is a hint about another woman in this story but the conflict centres around the misunderstandings regarding Annis brief romance with Ola. A lovely read with some Norwegian scenery thrown in for good measure.
October 9, 2021
I have read this one before, but when I found a mint copy for ten cents at a used book sale, I snapped it up. I decided to reread my old banged-up copy before tossing it. My only problem with "Midnight Sun's Magic" is the setting. It seemed odd to be in Norway with a Betty Neels couple. I'm sure that it's a beautiful area, but not my cup of tea for romance. Luckily, the second half of the book moves to Holland where Annis meets Jake's family and they have a marriage of convenience. I liked the subtle way that they get to know each other better. It was also different to have the main hero suffer a broken leg from an accident. At least he suffered it heroically.
December 19, 2025
4.5 stars. what a lovely book. this isn't your typical Betty story so I had put off reading it for a while, but now I have, i loved it! I also thought I wouldn't like the fact she fell in love with some other guy, but this was briefly and well handled and didn't take over the story much and the focus remained on Jake and Annis.
Aniss (27) is a nurse and ward sister, a big tall beautiful girl, being courted by a rather boring man who is nice but refuses to ask her to marry u till he's got all his ducks lined up. lol. plus she isn't sure she wants to marry him to the point she is desperate for a change in life. so when her brother, an engineering type, who is working in the distant isolated north of Norway, asks her to come work at his job site for a while, she decides to take the chance to travel. it's all men over there and they are pleased to see a beautiful girl join them, all except for the rugged giant of a Dutch doctor who remains aloof. she begins to think he doesn't like her and maybe he is a grumpy sort and yet all the men look up to him and like him very much. he's a quiet mysterious giant who doesn't talk about himself much, but he is out there doing scientific and medical research as well as being their temp doc.
eventually he thaws a little a takes her to see a hidden colony of seals. they find they both enjoy the idyllic silence of Norway. when she nearly slips, he catches her and steals a kiss that she enjoys very much.
he takes her with him on his sea plane to the local town for their fortnightly/monthly supplies run, takes her for a meal, and she then shops while he goes to provide cover at the local hospital. it's on the way back that they see a boat in trouble near windy cliffs and end up rescuing a Norwegian scientist who is coming to join their team. the guy is v charming and handsome and unashamedly flirts with Annis from the start.
annis likes him a lot. she had been longing for more romance in her life and had found jake v reserved and u romantic. she and the OM end up going for long walks and spending lots of time together, and he remains charming and chatty and romances her with lots of sweet little gifts he leaves lying around for her. her brother says he doesn't like the guy but is unable to give a reason why. her brother had told her he thought jake was a good match for her, but she hasn't given jake much thought since OM arrived.
SPOILERS AHEAD
then one day, while she and OM are on a walk, one of the team falls into the freezing sea. OM freezes up, doing nothing. it is jake who rushes past them and dives into the sea to rescue the unconscious guy who had hit his head and was drowning. OM does nothing, so Annis clambers down the rocks to help Jake pull the guy from the freezing sea. Annis screams at OM to run for help. other men arrive and help get Jake out, but jake has badly broken his leg.
she nurses jake and they fly to the hospital to get his leg tended. she stays a few days to nurse jake, and them OM visits her and tells her he is leaving. she is shocked. he had not mentioned leaving. he smirks and says the job was always temporary and he must return to his life and his wife. she is stunned. he laughs and says that of course he never told her about his wife because then she wouldn't have dated him and wouldn't have kissed him so warmly. she is heartbroken and humiliated and furious and tells him to go. jake sees her rushing back to her room and calls her in. when he sees her face, he is very kind and discreet and tells her to take some time off.
after sobbing her heart out in private, she is determined to hide her feelings and get on with it. they return to the job site for a few weeks with Jake still on crutches. he watches out for her and even tells the other guys to not mention the OM to her. they become friends. he even risk himself on crutches to help her when she is rescuing a bird with broken wings during artic wind conditions. she realises it is jake who she loves but hides her feelings, feeling fickle. After a while, jake is due to leave and she is haunted by the idea she might never see him again. at the last min before leaving, he finds her crying over it, and thinks she is crying over OM. he comforts her and tells her she will recover from it. he asks her to marry him. says he thinks she's beautiful and enjoys her friendship and enjoys spending time with her and thinks thye can be happy. then he says that his sister, who used to housekeep and care for him has gotten married, and he would like a wife now. she's a bit miffed, but she loves him and can't bear to never see him again. she agrees.
there are times when she almost tells him both before and after they marry that she loves him but something always interrupts or he is always too busy to listen. they move to Holland for the wedding and settle into his home. his family welcomes her. she finds that he is busy but she enjoys the time they do spend together, though he is still on crutches so they don't go out much. there is minor pseudo OW drama when a mean cousin in law of his keeps mentioning his ex, Nina, to Annis, and Annis gets the OW stuck in her head because Jake refuses to talk about her.
ENDING SPOILERS
eventually the OM comes to Holland and seeks annis out and begs her forgiveness and says he will leave his wife so they can be together. all lies to get her into bed no doubt. she tells him to sod off, but he comes again to her house. she tells jake, who is quietly very angry about it. she tells jake they need to talk, but jake says we need to cool down before we talk. she hotly says I want to talk now, but he walks out. (we readers can assume he is afraid she will want to end their marriage and he wants to give her time to rethink it.) she thinks he doesn't want to hear that she loves him. distraught, she writes him a rushed letter saying she loves him but that he won't listen to her or believe her that she no longer loves the OM. she runs away to a hotel they once dined at together.
he looks everywhere for her and is very worried, then luckily the kindly hotel owner phones him to tell him where she is. he goes after her and confesses his love. this scene was very sweet and not at all rushed. we get to savour the moment a bit. it was lovely.
CONCLUSION
I am usually a huge fan of the icehole in Betty's books and I like a tonne of angst. this book has a very considerate, if quiet, hero, and a small amount of pining/angst. and yet it was so enjoyable, mostly because Annis had no clue how much Jake loved her but the poor man was just unable to show it because just as he was trying to make progress with her, the charmer OM came and swept her away! poor jake! and despite all that he remains patient and loving and takes his chance when he can. he is so lovely! and then Annis thinks she feel in love first and it we get her pining for Jake and hoping to win his love. it was a delicious betty book, never once boring, no skimmed bits at all. I loved it.
Aniss (27) is a nurse and ward sister, a big tall beautiful girl, being courted by a rather boring man who is nice but refuses to ask her to marry u till he's got all his ducks lined up. lol. plus she isn't sure she wants to marry him to the point she is desperate for a change in life. so when her brother, an engineering type, who is working in the distant isolated north of Norway, asks her to come work at his job site for a while, she decides to take the chance to travel. it's all men over there and they are pleased to see a beautiful girl join them, all except for the rugged giant of a Dutch doctor who remains aloof. she begins to think he doesn't like her and maybe he is a grumpy sort and yet all the men look up to him and like him very much. he's a quiet mysterious giant who doesn't talk about himself much, but he is out there doing scientific and medical research as well as being their temp doc.
eventually he thaws a little a takes her to see a hidden colony of seals. they find they both enjoy the idyllic silence of Norway. when she nearly slips, he catches her and steals a kiss that she enjoys very much.
he takes her with him on his sea plane to the local town for their fortnightly/monthly supplies run, takes her for a meal, and she then shops while he goes to provide cover at the local hospital. it's on the way back that they see a boat in trouble near windy cliffs and end up rescuing a Norwegian scientist who is coming to join their team. the guy is v charming and handsome and unashamedly flirts with Annis from the start.
annis likes him a lot. she had been longing for more romance in her life and had found jake v reserved and u romantic. she and the OM end up going for long walks and spending lots of time together, and he remains charming and chatty and romances her with lots of sweet little gifts he leaves lying around for her. her brother says he doesn't like the guy but is unable to give a reason why. her brother had told her he thought jake was a good match for her, but she hasn't given jake much thought since OM arrived.
SPOILERS AHEAD
then one day, while she and OM are on a walk, one of the team falls into the freezing sea. OM freezes up, doing nothing. it is jake who rushes past them and dives into the sea to rescue the unconscious guy who had hit his head and was drowning. OM does nothing, so Annis clambers down the rocks to help Jake pull the guy from the freezing sea. Annis screams at OM to run for help. other men arrive and help get Jake out, but jake has badly broken his leg.
she nurses jake and they fly to the hospital to get his leg tended. she stays a few days to nurse jake, and them OM visits her and tells her he is leaving. she is shocked. he had not mentioned leaving. he smirks and says the job was always temporary and he must return to his life and his wife. she is stunned. he laughs and says that of course he never told her about his wife because then she wouldn't have dated him and wouldn't have kissed him so warmly. she is heartbroken and humiliated and furious and tells him to go. jake sees her rushing back to her room and calls her in. when he sees her face, he is very kind and discreet and tells her to take some time off.
after sobbing her heart out in private, she is determined to hide her feelings and get on with it. they return to the job site for a few weeks with Jake still on crutches. he watches out for her and even tells the other guys to not mention the OM to her. they become friends. he even risk himself on crutches to help her when she is rescuing a bird with broken wings during artic wind conditions. she realises it is jake who she loves but hides her feelings, feeling fickle. After a while, jake is due to leave and she is haunted by the idea she might never see him again. at the last min before leaving, he finds her crying over it, and thinks she is crying over OM. he comforts her and tells her she will recover from it. he asks her to marry him. says he thinks she's beautiful and enjoys her friendship and enjoys spending time with her and thinks thye can be happy. then he says that his sister, who used to housekeep and care for him has gotten married, and he would like a wife now. she's a bit miffed, but she loves him and can't bear to never see him again. she agrees.
there are times when she almost tells him both before and after they marry that she loves him but something always interrupts or he is always too busy to listen. they move to Holland for the wedding and settle into his home. his family welcomes her. she finds that he is busy but she enjoys the time they do spend together, though he is still on crutches so they don't go out much. there is minor pseudo OW drama when a mean cousin in law of his keeps mentioning his ex, Nina, to Annis, and Annis gets the OW stuck in her head because Jake refuses to talk about her.
ENDING SPOILERS
eventually the OM comes to Holland and seeks annis out and begs her forgiveness and says he will leave his wife so they can be together. all lies to get her into bed no doubt. she tells him to sod off, but he comes again to her house. she tells jake, who is quietly very angry about it. she tells jake they need to talk, but jake says we need to cool down before we talk. she hotly says I want to talk now, but he walks out. (we readers can assume he is afraid she will want to end their marriage and he wants to give her time to rethink it.) she thinks he doesn't want to hear that she loves him. distraught, she writes him a rushed letter saying she loves him but that he won't listen to her or believe her that she no longer loves the OM. she runs away to a hotel they once dined at together.
he looks everywhere for her and is very worried, then luckily the kindly hotel owner phones him to tell him where she is. he goes after her and confesses his love. this scene was very sweet and not at all rushed. we get to savour the moment a bit. it was lovely.
CONCLUSION
I am usually a huge fan of the icehole in Betty's books and I like a tonne of angst. this book has a very considerate, if quiet, hero, and a small amount of pining/angst. and yet it was so enjoyable, mostly because Annis had no clue how much Jake loved her but the poor man was just unable to show it because just as he was trying to make progress with her, the charmer OM came and swept her away! poor jake! and despite all that he remains patient and loving and takes his chance when he can. he is so lovely! and then Annis thinks she feel in love first and it we get her pining for Jake and hoping to win his love. it was a delicious betty book, never once boring, no skimmed bits at all. I loved it.
December 16, 2025
4.5 stars. what a lovely book. this isn't your typical Betty story so I had put off reading it for a while, but now I have, i loved it! I also thought I wouldn't like the fact she fell in love with some other guy, but this was briefly and well handled and didn't take over the story much and the focus remained on Jake and Annis.
Aniss (27) is a nurse and ward sister, a big tall beautiful girl, being courted by a rather boring man who is nice but refuses to ask her to marry u till he's got all his ducks lined up. lol. plus she isn't sure she wants to marry him to the point she is desperate for a change in life. so when her brother, an engineering type, who is working in the distant isolated north of Norway, asks her to come work at his job site for a while, she decides to take the chance to travel. it's all men over there and they are pleased to see a beautiful girl join them, all except for the rugged giant of a Dutch doctor who remains aloof. she begins to think he doesn't like her and maybe he is a grumpy sort and yet all the men look up to him and like him very much. he's a quiet mysterious giant who doesn't talk about himself much, but he is out there doing scientific and medical research as well as being their temp doc.
eventually he thaws a little a takes her to see a hidden colony of seals. they find they both enjoy the idyllic silence of Norway. when she nearly slips, he catches her and steals a kiss that she enjoys very much.
he takes her with him on his sea plane to the local town for their fortnightly/monthly supplies run, takes her for a meal, and she then shops while he goes to provide cover at the local hospital. it's on the way back that they see a boat in trouble near windy cliffs and end up rescuing a Norwegian scientist who is coming to join their team. the guy is v charming and handsome and unashamedly flirts with Annis from the start.
annis likes him a lot. she had been longing for more romance in her life and had found jake v reserved and u romantic. she and the OM end up going for long walks and spending lots of time together, and he remains charming and chatty and romances her with lots of sweet little gifts he leaves lying around for her. her brother says he doesn't like the guy but is unable to give a reason why. her brother had told her he thought jake was a good match for her, but she hasn't given jake much thought since OM arrived.
SPOILERS AHEAD
then one day, while she and OM are on a walk, one of the team falls into the freezing sea. OM freezes up, doing nothing. it is jake who rushes past them and dives into the sea to rescue the unconscious guy who had hit his head and was drowning. OM does nothing, so Annis clambers down the rocks to help Jake pull the guy from the freezing sea. Annis screams at OM to run for help. other men arrive and help get Jake out, but jake has badly broken his leg.
she nurses jake and they fly to the hospital to get his leg tended. she stays a few days to nurse jake, and them OM visits her and tells her he is leaving. she is shocked. he had not mentioned leaving. he smirks and says the job was always temporary and he must return to his life and his wife. she is stunned. he laughs and says that of course he never told her about his wife because then she wouldn't have dated him and wouldn't have kissed him so warmly. she is heartbroken and humiliated and furious and tells him to go. jake sees her rushing back to her room and calls her in. when he sees her face, he is very kind and discreet and tells her to take some time off.
after sobbing her heart out in private, she is determined to hide her feelings and get on with it. they return to the job site for a few weeks with Jake still on crutches. he watches out for her and even tells the other guys to not mention the OM to her. they become friends. he even risk himself on crutches to help her when she is rescuing a bird with broken wings during artic wind conditions. she realises it is jake who she loves but hides her feelings, feeling fickle. After a while, jake is due to leave and she is haunted by the idea she might never see him again. at the last min before leaving, he finds her crying over it, and thinks she is crying over OM. he comforts her and tells her she will recover from it. he asks her to marry him. says he thinks she's beautiful and enjoys her friendship and enjoys spending time with her and thinks thye can be happy. then he says that his sister, who used to housekeep and care for him has gotten married, and he would like a wife now. she's a bit miffed, but she loves him and can't bear to never see him again. she agrees.
there are times when she almost tells him both before and after they marry that she loves him but something always interrupts or he is always too busy to listen. they move to Holland for the wedding and settle into his home. his family welcomes her. she finds that he is busy but she enjoys the time they do spend together, though he is still on crutches so they don't go out much. there is minor pseudo OW drama when a mean cousin in law of his keeps mentioning his ex, Nina, to Annis, and Annis gets the OW stuck in her head because Jake refuses to talk about her.
ENDING SPOILERS
eventually the OM comes to Holland and seeks annis out and begs her forgiveness and says he will leave his wife so they can be together. all lies to get her into bed no doubt. she tells him to sod off, but he comes again to her house. she tells jake, who is quietly very angry about it. she tells jake they need to talk, but jake says we need to cool down before we talk. she hotly says I want to talk now, but he walks out. (we readers can assume he is afraid she will want to end their marriage and he wants to give her time to rethink it.) she thinks he doesn't want to hear that she loves him. distraught, she writes him a rushed letter saying she loves him but that he won't listen to her or believe her that she no longer loves the OM. she runs away to a hotel they once dined at together.
he looks everywhere for her and is very worried, then luckily the kindly hotel owner phones him to tell him where she is. he goes after her and confesses his love. this scene was very sweet and not at all rushed. we get to savour the moment a bit. it was lovely.
CONCLUSION
I am usually a huge fan of the icehole in Betty's books and I like a tonne of angst. this book has a very considerate, if quiet, hero, and a small amount of pining/angst. and yet it was so enjoyable, mostly because Annis had no clue how much Jake loved her but the poor man was just unable to show it because just as he was trying to make progress with her, the charmer OM came and swept her away! poor jake! and despite all that he remains patient and loving and takes his chance when he can. he is so lovely! and then Annis thinks she feel in love first and it we get her pining for Jake and hoping to win his love. it was a delicious betty book, never once boring, no skimmed bits at all. I loved it.
Aniss (27) is a nurse and ward sister, a big tall beautiful girl, being courted by a rather boring man who is nice but refuses to ask her to marry u till he's got all his ducks lined up. lol. plus she isn't sure she wants to marry him to the point she is desperate for a change in life. so when her brother, an engineering type, who is working in the distant isolated north of Norway, asks her to come work at his job site for a while, she decides to take the chance to travel. it's all men over there and they are pleased to see a beautiful girl join them, all except for the rugged giant of a Dutch doctor who remains aloof. she begins to think he doesn't like her and maybe he is a grumpy sort and yet all the men look up to him and like him very much. he's a quiet mysterious giant who doesn't talk about himself much, but he is out there doing scientific and medical research as well as being their temp doc.
eventually he thaws a little a takes her to see a hidden colony of seals. they find they both enjoy the idyllic silence of Norway. when she nearly slips, he catches her and steals a kiss that she enjoys very much.
he takes her with him on his sea plane to the local town for their fortnightly/monthly supplies run, takes her for a meal, and she then shops while he goes to provide cover at the local hospital. it's on the way back that they see a boat in trouble near windy cliffs and end up rescuing a Norwegian scientist who is coming to join their team. the guy is v charming and handsome and unashamedly flirts with Annis from the start.
annis likes him a lot. she had been longing for more romance in her life and had found jake v reserved and u romantic. she and the OM end up going for long walks and spending lots of time together, and he remains charming and chatty and romances her with lots of sweet little gifts he leaves lying around for her. her brother says he doesn't like the guy but is unable to give a reason why. her brother had told her he thought jake was a good match for her, but she hasn't given jake much thought since OM arrived.
SPOILERS AHEAD
then one day, while she and OM are on a walk, one of the team falls into the freezing sea. OM freezes up, doing nothing. it is jake who rushes past them and dives into the sea to rescue the unconscious guy who had hit his head and was drowning. OM does nothing, so Annis clambers down the rocks to help Jake pull the guy from the freezing sea. Annis screams at OM to run for help. other men arrive and help get Jake out, but jake has badly broken his leg.
she nurses jake and they fly to the hospital to get his leg tended. she stays a few days to nurse jake, and them OM visits her and tells her he is leaving. she is shocked. he had not mentioned leaving. he smirks and says the job was always temporary and he must return to his life and his wife. she is stunned. he laughs and says that of course he never told her about his wife because then she wouldn't have dated him and wouldn't have kissed him so warmly. she is heartbroken and humiliated and furious and tells him to go. jake sees her rushing back to her room and calls her in. when he sees her face, he is very kind and discreet and tells her to take some time off.
after sobbing her heart out in private, she is determined to hide her feelings and get on with it. they return to the job site for a few weeks with Jake still on crutches. he watches out for her and even tells the other guys to not mention the OM to her. they become friends. he even risk himself on crutches to help her when she is rescuing a bird with broken wings during artic wind conditions. she realises it is jake who she loves but hides her feelings, feeling fickle. After a while, jake is due to leave and she is haunted by the idea she might never see him again. at the last min before leaving, he finds her crying over it, and thinks she is crying over OM. he comforts her and tells her she will recover from it. he asks her to marry him. says he thinks she's beautiful and enjoys her friendship and enjoys spending time with her and thinks thye can be happy. then he says that his sister, who used to housekeep and care for him has gotten married, and he would like a wife now. she's a bit miffed, but she loves him and can't bear to never see him again. she agrees.
there are times when she almost tells him both before and after they marry that she loves him but something always interrupts or he is always too busy to listen. they move to Holland for the wedding and settle into his home. his family welcomes her. she finds that he is busy but she enjoys the time they do spend together, though he is still on crutches so they don't go out much. there is minor pseudo OW drama when a mean cousin in law of his keeps mentioning his ex, Nina, to Annis, and Annis gets the OW stuck in her head because Jake refuses to talk about her.
ENDING SPOILERS
eventually the OM comes to Holland and seeks annis out and begs her forgiveness and says he will leave his wife so they can be together. all lies to get her into bed no doubt. she tells him to sod off, but he comes again to her house. she tells jake, who is quietly very angry about it. she tells jake they need to talk, but jake says we need to cool down before we talk. she hotly says I want to talk now, but he walks out. (we readers can assume he is afraid she will want to end their marriage and he wants to give her time to rethink it.) she thinks he doesn't want to hear that she loves him. distraught, she writes him a rushed letter saying she loves him but that he won't listen to her or believe her that she no longer loves the OM. she runs away to a hotel they once dined at together.
he looks everywhere for her and is very worried, then luckily the kindly hotel owner phones him to tell him where she is. he goes after her and confesses his love. this scene was very sweet and not at all rushed. we get to savour the moment a bit. it was lovely.
CONCLUSION
I am usually a huge fan of the icehole in Betty's books and I like a tonne of angst. this book has a very considerate, if quiet, hero, and a small amount of pining/angst. and yet it was so enjoyable, mostly because Annis had no clue how much Jake loved her but the poor man was just unable to show it because just as he was trying to make progress with her, the charmer OM came and swept her away! poor jake! and despite all that he remains patient and loving and takes his chance when he can. he is so lovely! and then Annis thinks she feel in love first and it we get her pining for Jake and hoping to win his love. it was a delicious betty book, never once boring, no skimmed bits at all. I loved it.
September 20, 2015
This is my first book by the author. I'll admit I picked it up because of the cover - I love reading about the extreme North, so a book set in Norway was enticing. Later it moves to Holland, and a childhood fondness for Hans Brinker made that appealing, too.
I knew this would be an old-fashioned book. I read a lot of older books and generally enjoy them, so that wasn't a problem. However, as I read this it began to feel creepy. This isn't historical fiction, only an older book, and the relationship between the MC's felt really old-fashioned. Our hero married the heroine without ever telling her he loved her, or even that her liked her much. He did comment frequently on how beautiful she is. After their marriage he cheerfully neglects her, talking about how he doesn't have time for her but evidently expecting her to be fine with that. When she picks a silly fight with him I was actually cheering her on, which I normally wouldn't do. But the best word to describe the hero is bloodless and I couldn't help but want to see if there was any feeling in him at all. The revelation was disappointing.
I will read another by Neels, to see if they're all like this one, and because I like books with unusual settings. If you want to read a "contemporary" romance lacking in any kind of love or romance, (no sex, either), without emotion or any actual relationship between the MC's, I can recommend this. Otherwise, it's just very strange.
I knew this would be an old-fashioned book. I read a lot of older books and generally enjoy them, so that wasn't a problem. However, as I read this it began to feel creepy. This isn't historical fiction, only an older book, and the relationship between the MC's felt really old-fashioned. Our hero married the heroine without ever telling her he loved her, or even that her liked her much. He did comment frequently on how beautiful she is. After their marriage he cheerfully neglects her, talking about how he doesn't have time for her but evidently expecting her to be fine with that. When she picks a silly fight with him I was actually cheering her on, which I normally wouldn't do. But the best word to describe the hero is bloodless and I couldn't help but want to see if there was any feeling in him at all. The revelation was disappointing.
I will read another by Neels, to see if they're all like this one, and because I like books with unusual settings. If you want to read a "contemporary" romance lacking in any kind of love or romance, (no sex, either), without emotion or any actual relationship between the MC's, I can recommend this. Otherwise, it's just very strange.
Read
July 27, 2011Annis wants the same as every woman, to be swept off her feet. Everyone assumed she would eventually marry Arthur, but she was twenty-seven and wanted to have some romance in her life. Her brother helps her get a job close to the North Pole and she meets the doctor, Jake.
Jake is a large, imposing man. He falls for Annis quickly, but when Ola appears on the scene, he is unsure if he can win her. When Jake jumps to the rescue of an unconsious man, breaking his leg, Annis realizes Ola is not for her, but Jake is the one she loves. Jake asks her to marry him, but does not let her know it is for love.
Annis tries to let Jake know how she feels, but events keep getting in the way. When Ola reappears on the scene, Jake and Annis have a big blowup, and she leaves to try and see if she can rationally get an answer to the situation. Jake realizes he should have spoke up sooner, love sometimes needs words as well as actions.
An excellent story.
Jake is a large, imposing man. He falls for Annis quickly, but when Ola appears on the scene, he is unsure if he can win her. When Jake jumps to the rescue of an unconsious man, breaking his leg, Annis realizes Ola is not for her, but Jake is the one she loves. Jake asks her to marry him, but does not let her know it is for love.
Annis tries to let Jake know how she feels, but events keep getting in the way. When Ola reappears on the scene, Jake and Annis have a big blowup, and she leaves to try and see if she can rationally get an answer to the situation. Jake realizes he should have spoke up sooner, love sometimes needs words as well as actions.
An excellent story.
Read
November 1, 2008Midnight Sun's Magic
Betty Neels
Contemporary Romance
288 pages
copyright: 1979
isbn: 0-263-19316-0
HOW TO CONVINCE JAKE-ANNIS NEEDED IDEAS!
Finding romance didn't seem likely in a place like Spitzenbergen, so close to the North Pole. But when Annis went there for a short time to work, she found herself falling in love with a handsome Norwegian, though the affair was brief and disappointing.
So when Dutchman Jake van Germent asked her to marry him, Annis was more than pleased to accept. He wasn't handsome, but he had everything else she could possibly want! He knew about her Norwegian, too, and Annis found that she couldn't make Jake believe that she had married him for love...
Betty Neels
Contemporary Romance
288 pages
copyright: 1979
isbn: 0-263-19316-0
HOW TO CONVINCE JAKE-ANNIS NEEDED IDEAS!
Finding romance didn't seem likely in a place like Spitzenbergen, so close to the North Pole. But when Annis went there for a short time to work, she found herself falling in love with a handsome Norwegian, though the affair was brief and disappointing.
So when Dutchman Jake van Germent asked her to marry him, Annis was more than pleased to accept. He wasn't handsome, but he had everything else she could possibly want! He knew about her Norwegian, too, and Annis found that she couldn't make Jake believe that she had married him for love...
December 3, 2025
One of the first Harlequin authors I remember reading. I was completely enthralled by the exotic locales in her books when I was 13. Now reading these books are more of a way of remembering the aunt who got me started on them. I'll probably always love them due to the nostalgia factor. her books will always be some of my favorites to re-read.
July 11, 2010
I found the hero of this one a little darker than usual. It was a nice change.
December 7, 2016
Star Rating: ★★½☆☆
March 11, 2018
1979 book set in England, with a stint in Norway and then Holland. The part in Spitzbergen was the most interesting! A research/radio station almost in the artics, it was fun reading how Annis adapted to life there though she was probably there just a couple of months. But so much could happen in such a short time!
Annis meeting Rich Dutch Doctor Jake, thinking she did not really like him because for some reason he seemed not to like her and was either aloof or avoiding her mostly, the rescue and joining of a new Norwegian staff Ola, Annis being swept off her feet by the romantic Ola, Ola's dishonourable behaviour when Harald got injured and Jake's heroic rescue, Jake breaking his leg, Ola revealing his departure and that he's married, poor Annis feeling cheated but definitely not broken hearted, more work, and surprise proposal from Jake!
Now I have never believed for a second it's to be a MOC because being an RDD there's really no need to marry Annis to cook and care for him simply because his sister got married and moved out. The most obvious clue was no way would a hero be so insistent on a big white wedding with all the nearest and dearest attending, and gosh he even discuss wedding dress materials and veil lengths with Annis!
Oh Annis was a beautiful Amazon at 5 ft 10! Is she the tallest BN heroine?
I wish the conflict was not so contrived; many times Annis wanted to clear the air about Ola because Jake thought she was still hung up on Ola...then the evil cousin had to keep mentioning Jake's ex Nina to Annis and HE always dismissed Nina as a non issue but refused to talk about it. Towards the end even he said they needed to talk but he'd always find something more important to do...
SPOILERS SPOILERS
These RDD heroes of Betty were so dedicated to their patients. ..even a found runaway wife could wait. He was frantic when he thought Annis gone from his life, yet when he was told where she was, instead of going straight to his beloved wife, he went to visit his patient first. Granted it was a nedical emergency but dammit for once I wish a hero would put his wife first!
Bravo Annis, your love letter was epic!
Oh and Jake was no shy hero...he had hinted the situation (their routine/marriage arrangements) would change once his plaster on the leg came off...dare I hope he meant they'd consummate the marriage? For sure at the hotel where he found Annis, he ordered champagne because it's to be their wedding night! *blushes* Heh...
Overall Jake was a pretty good hero, but I really disliked him for telling Annis he brought his various girlfriends to Schudderbeurs before. Was he trying to make her jealous dammit? i really felt bad for Annis...which female would not be upset to be told in her face by her beloved husband that yes he's brought many women here before. She could draw the conclusion herself, knowing is one thing but to amost be rubbed in her face by the facts from him...gosh. how stupid can he get? ! And he still had to ask what did he do now to upset her...it could have been a perfectly romantic dinner but he's ruined it!
So for this I take away 1*.
PS. Waldo and Olympia from The End of the Rainbow make cameo appearances here as Jake's best friend and wife. Waldo is one of my least fave heroes because he had believed the OW over his own wife...
Annis meeting Rich Dutch Doctor Jake, thinking she did not really like him because for some reason he seemed not to like her and was either aloof or avoiding her mostly, the rescue and joining of a new Norwegian staff Ola, Annis being swept off her feet by the romantic Ola, Ola's dishonourable behaviour when Harald got injured and Jake's heroic rescue, Jake breaking his leg, Ola revealing his departure and that he's married, poor Annis feeling cheated but definitely not broken hearted, more work, and surprise proposal from Jake!
Now I have never believed for a second it's to be a MOC because being an RDD there's really no need to marry Annis to cook and care for him simply because his sister got married and moved out. The most obvious clue was no way would a hero be so insistent on a big white wedding with all the nearest and dearest attending, and gosh he even discuss wedding dress materials and veil lengths with Annis!
Oh Annis was a beautiful Amazon at 5 ft 10! Is she the tallest BN heroine?
I wish the conflict was not so contrived; many times Annis wanted to clear the air about Ola because Jake thought she was still hung up on Ola...then the evil cousin had to keep mentioning Jake's ex Nina to Annis and HE always dismissed Nina as a non issue but refused to talk about it. Towards the end even he said they needed to talk but he'd always find something more important to do...
SPOILERS SPOILERS
These RDD heroes of Betty were so dedicated to their patients. ..even a found runaway wife could wait. He was frantic when he thought Annis gone from his life, yet when he was told where she was, instead of going straight to his beloved wife, he went to visit his patient first. Granted it was a nedical emergency but dammit for once I wish a hero would put his wife first!
Bravo Annis, your love letter was epic!
Oh and Jake was no shy hero...he had hinted the situation (their routine/marriage arrangements) would change once his plaster on the leg came off...dare I hope he meant they'd consummate the marriage? For sure at the hotel where he found Annis, he ordered champagne because it's to be their wedding night! *blushes* Heh...
Overall Jake was a pretty good hero, but I really disliked him for telling Annis he brought his various girlfriends to Schudderbeurs before. Was he trying to make her jealous dammit? i really felt bad for Annis...which female would not be upset to be told in her face by her beloved husband that yes he's brought many women here before. She could draw the conclusion herself, knowing is one thing but to amost be rubbed in her face by the facts from him...gosh. how stupid can he get? ! And he still had to ask what did he do now to upset her...it could have been a perfectly romantic dinner but he's ruined it!
So for this I take away 1*.
PS. Waldo and Olympia from The End of the Rainbow make cameo appearances here as Jake's best friend and wife. Waldo is one of my least fave heroes because he had believed the OW over his own wife...
January 3, 2019
This is a typical Betty Neels fare, set in Norway instead of England -> Holland. But the magic of her stories is missing in this one.
The scenes are abrupt, the relationship between the leads is choppy and superficial. And the OM sticks out like a sore thumb, he breezes in and out of the story without any meaning. Only a silly fool can fall for him, that's our heroine. And only a dumb idiot can go on believing that the girl still loves the OM, that's our hero.
Nope, I couldn't spot any magic in this mundane affair.
The scenes are abrupt, the relationship between the leads is choppy and superficial. And the OM sticks out like a sore thumb, he breezes in and out of the story without any meaning. Only a silly fool can fall for him, that's our heroine. And only a dumb idiot can go on believing that the girl still loves the OM, that's our hero.
Nope, I couldn't spot any magic in this mundane affair.
July 17, 2018
A treat
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
January 12, 2019
Another HEA
November 25, 2020
Soooo sweet, no emotions.
February 17, 2021
I needed something light after finishing Grapes of Wrath so this is perfect. I always go back to Neels for a filler. This one set partly in Scandinavia; is a nice change from her normal London or Holland.
Very pleasant
Very pleasant
May 6, 2021
Not one of Neels's better novels. Unbelievable characters and actions, and way too many mentions of heroine's "glorious mop" of hair.
June 1, 2021
Not bad
I liked some of her other books better, I don't know why. I liked the Norway adventure but after that had a hard time finishing the book
I liked some of her other books better, I don't know why. I liked the Norway adventure but after that had a hard time finishing the book
March 13, 2023
3.5 stars | Not Betty's worst, but definitely not her best.
December 3, 2022
Jake and Annis. Another nice heroine and hero. Dutch doctor and English nurse.
October 20, 2016
Not Quite Magical Enough
Interesting bit about Norway, but otherwise a bit boring. Guess every story can't be magical, but it is a quietly readable book.
Interesting bit about Norway, but otherwise a bit boring. Guess every story can't be magical, but it is a quietly readable book.
March 27, 2018
Absolutely fascinating. Beautiful, sweet slow romance. Not like other book from Betty Neels but I can say for sure it's one of my favorite of her works. Hero and the heroine loveable and storyline really enjoyable. Loved it and recommend it to all.
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