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The Convenient Wife
You have no family, no home and no prospect of marrying.
That might be true, but Venetia Forbes didn't see her situation as any reason to accept Professor Duert ter Laan-Luitinga's prosaic proposal!
But after tasting champagne for the first time in her life, Venetia was astounded to hear herself saying yes.
My ward needs an example of a contented, harmonious marriage.
Without love Venetia was convinced their marriage might be anything but harmonious by the time young Anneta went to her aunt in America!
And what would happen to their marriage then?
That might be true, but Venetia Forbes didn't see her situation as any reason to accept Professor Duert ter Laan-Luitinga's prosaic proposal!
But after tasting champagne for the first time in her life, Venetia was astounded to hear herself saying yes.
My ward needs an example of a contented, harmonious marriage.
Without love Venetia was convinced their marriage might be anything but harmonious by the time young Anneta went to her aunt in America!
And what would happen to their marriage then?
192 pages, Audiobook
First published January 1, 1990
51 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Betty Neels
564 books418 followersEvelyn Jessy "Betty" Neels was born on September 15, 1910 in Devon to a family with firm roots in the civil service. She said she had a blissfully happy childhood and teenage years.(This stood her in good stead later for the tribulations to come with the Second World War). She was sent away to boarding school, and then went on to train as a nurse, gaining her SRN and SCM, that is, State Registered Nurse and State Certificate of Midwifery.
In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service, which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station. This comprised eight nursing sisters, including Betty, to 100 men! In other circumstances, she thought that might have been quite thrilling! When France was invaded in 1940, all the nursing sisters managed to escape in the charge of an army major, undertaking a lengthy and terrifying journey to Boulogne in an ambulance. They were incredibly fortunate to be put on the last hospital ship to be leaving the port of Boulogne. But Betty's war didn't end there, for she was posted to Scotland, and then on to Northern Ireland, where she met her Dutch husband. He was a seaman aboard a minesweeper, which was bombed. He survived and was sent to the south of Holland to guard the sluices. However, when they had to abandon their post, they were told to escape if they could, and along with a small number of other men, he marched into Belgium. They stole a ship and managed to get it across the Channel to Dover before being transferred to the Atlantic run on the convoys. Sadly he became ill, and that was when he was transferred to hospital in Northern Ireland, where he met Betty. They eventually married, and were blessed with a daughter. They were posted to London, but were bombed out. As with most of the population, they made the best of things.
When the war finally ended, she and her husband were repatriated to Holland. As his family had believed he had died when his ship went down, this was a very emotional homecoming. The small family lived in Holland for 13 years, and Betty resumed her nursing career there. When they decided to return to England, Betty continued her nursing and when she eventually retired she had reached the position of night superintendent.
Betty Neels began writing almost by accident. She had retired from nursing, but her inquiring mind had no intention of vegetating, and her new career was born when she heard a lady in her local library bemoaning the lack of good romance novels. There was little in Betty's background to suggest that she might eventually become a much-loved novelist.
Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969, and by dint of often writing four books a year, she eventually completed 134 books. She was always quite firm upon the point that the Dutch doctors who frequently appeared in her stories were *not* based upon her husband, but rather upon an amalgam of several of the doctors she met while nursing in Holland.
To her millions of fans around the world, Betty Neels epitomized romance. She was always amazed and touched that her books were so widely appreciated. She never sought plaudits and remained a very private person, but it made her very happy to know that she brought such pleasure to so many readers, while herself gaining a quiet joy from spinning her stories. It is perhaps a reflection of her upbringing in an earlier time that the men and women who peopled her stories have a kindliness and good manners, coupled to honesty and integrity, that is not always present in our modern world. Her myriad of fans found a warmth and a reassurance of a better world in her stories, along with characters who touched the heart, which is all and more than one could ask of a romance writer. She received a great deal of fan mail, and there was always a comment upon the fascinating places she visited in her stories. Quite often those of her fans fortunate enough to visit Ho
In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service, which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station. This comprised eight nursing sisters, including Betty, to 100 men! In other circumstances, she thought that might have been quite thrilling! When France was invaded in 1940, all the nursing sisters managed to escape in the charge of an army major, undertaking a lengthy and terrifying journey to Boulogne in an ambulance. They were incredibly fortunate to be put on the last hospital ship to be leaving the port of Boulogne. But Betty's war didn't end there, for she was posted to Scotland, and then on to Northern Ireland, where she met her Dutch husband. He was a seaman aboard a minesweeper, which was bombed. He survived and was sent to the south of Holland to guard the sluices. However, when they had to abandon their post, they were told to escape if they could, and along with a small number of other men, he marched into Belgium. They stole a ship and managed to get it across the Channel to Dover before being transferred to the Atlantic run on the convoys. Sadly he became ill, and that was when he was transferred to hospital in Northern Ireland, where he met Betty. They eventually married, and were blessed with a daughter. They were posted to London, but were bombed out. As with most of the population, they made the best of things.
When the war finally ended, she and her husband were repatriated to Holland. As his family had believed he had died when his ship went down, this was a very emotional homecoming. The small family lived in Holland for 13 years, and Betty resumed her nursing career there. When they decided to return to England, Betty continued her nursing and when she eventually retired she had reached the position of night superintendent.
Betty Neels began writing almost by accident. She had retired from nursing, but her inquiring mind had no intention of vegetating, and her new career was born when she heard a lady in her local library bemoaning the lack of good romance novels. There was little in Betty's background to suggest that she might eventually become a much-loved novelist.
Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969, and by dint of often writing four books a year, she eventually completed 134 books. She was always quite firm upon the point that the Dutch doctors who frequently appeared in her stories were *not* based upon her husband, but rather upon an amalgam of several of the doctors she met while nursing in Holland.
To her millions of fans around the world, Betty Neels epitomized romance. She was always amazed and touched that her books were so widely appreciated. She never sought plaudits and remained a very private person, but it made her very happy to know that she brought such pleasure to so many readers, while herself gaining a quiet joy from spinning her stories. It is perhaps a reflection of her upbringing in an earlier time that the men and women who peopled her stories have a kindliness and good manners, coupled to honesty and integrity, that is not always present in our modern world. Her myriad of fans found a warmth and a reassurance of a better world in her stories, along with characters who touched the heart, which is all and more than one could ask of a romance writer. She received a great deal of fan mail, and there was always a comment upon the fascinating places she visited in her stories. Quite often those of her fans fortunate enough to visit Ho
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 8, 2021
A rescue-the-waif (briefly)/marriage of convenience story that crystallizes some familiar themes from The Great Betty—particularly that BN MoCs are very much a love triangle involving a wary, enigmatic hero, a long-suffering heroine, and the hero’s true love/mistress: his WORK. Even for Betty, the not-so-convenient husband, eminent surgeon Duert ter Laan Luitinga, is work OBSESSED, and not only because he’s more than usually muddled in his feelings and wishes regarding his new wife, Venetia, and does his best to avoid her as much as possible. It makes for a rather uneven read, since the hero blows to such hot and cold extremes. On the one hand, he reminds her frequently that his work comes first: ”I have become self-centered, and my work is all-important to me. I resent anything or anyone interfering with it.” She said, “Yes, of course.” After all, that was his reason for marrying her [to deal with all the distractions that interfered with his work].
On the other hand, though: She found that his smile disorganized her common sense. It was still more disorganized when he added, “I have thought lately that I should like to get to know you, Venetia.” She swallowed the toast, lost her breath, and had to be thumped gently on the back. When she had her breath back, she said quite inadequately, “Yes, well—if you want to. There’s nothing much to know…” Her voice trailed away under his amused stare.
Yet for all his (by Betty standards) strong hints that he’d like a more intimate relationship with his wife, Duert is more cold than hot, and our heroine is left to the usual BN wife-of-convenience pursuits: handicrafts, helping the FFRs run the historic homes, learning Dutch, and shopping for clothing suitable to her newly elevated station. Her main purpose in Duert’s life, though, is to keep an eye on his 17-year-old wild-child ward, who will be off to America soon to live with her aunt. And Anneta—not a bad kid, per se, but definitely sneaky and a handful, is plenty to deal with, especially on top of a husband who acts like no such thing, relegating our heroine to the fringes of his life most of the time.
“It will be easier [when Anneta has gone to America],” Duert’s old auntie reassures her, seeing clearly the barriers that Duert throws up between himself and Venetia whenever she starts to penetrate his formidable defenses. “You are perfectly matched, only he hasn’t discovered that yet. No, I am mistaken—he has discovered it, but he is ignoring it. It was unexpected you see.”
Venetia had gone a bright pink. She said, “Yes, it was. I—I love him.”
“Yes, dear, I know. But you are sensible and patient.”
Sensible and patient being, of course, the hallmarks of BN’s brides of convenience, until they finally come to the end of their seemingly endless ability to put up with neglect and emotional starvation and walk away, however briefly….As usual, this is enough of a wake-up call for the hero to finally put his wife before his work (canceling a lecture even!) and chase her down to confess his true, if reluctantly accepted, feelings, and ask for a second chance. Not a bad grovel (again, by BN standards) for a big, arrogant, godlike BN hero!
I would have liked TCW better if I could believe that Duert really changes by the end, but I wasn’t convinced: as with most of BN’s heroes, it’s pretty clear that even with an HEA, his work will always come first. Given that his work is saving lives, it’s something that we and the heroines just have to accept, I suppose--Betty makes that more than clear! The big misunderstanding in this one didn’t go on too long, at least, and the hero realizes how absurd and unlikely the Big Mis is with regard to his wife, so he quickly realizes the truth of the matter even before his ward’s confession clears it up, so that was a nice touch. From 1990 (with a cover by Norm Eastman), TCW is, overall, a pretty solid MoC tale from Betty, with good angst, a snappy-when-it’s-merited heroine whom I liked very much, a hero who grew on me, and the usual well-told tale from TGB. Pamela Shropshire has all the details in her recap.
On the other hand, though: She found that his smile disorganized her common sense. It was still more disorganized when he added, “I have thought lately that I should like to get to know you, Venetia.” She swallowed the toast, lost her breath, and had to be thumped gently on the back. When she had her breath back, she said quite inadequately, “Yes, well—if you want to. There’s nothing much to know…” Her voice trailed away under his amused stare.
Yet for all his (by Betty standards) strong hints that he’d like a more intimate relationship with his wife, Duert is more cold than hot, and our heroine is left to the usual BN wife-of-convenience pursuits: handicrafts, helping the FFRs run the historic homes, learning Dutch, and shopping for clothing suitable to her newly elevated station. Her main purpose in Duert’s life, though, is to keep an eye on his 17-year-old wild-child ward, who will be off to America soon to live with her aunt. And Anneta—not a bad kid, per se, but definitely sneaky and a handful, is plenty to deal with, especially on top of a husband who acts like no such thing, relegating our heroine to the fringes of his life most of the time.
“It will be easier [when Anneta has gone to America],” Duert’s old auntie reassures her, seeing clearly the barriers that Duert throws up between himself and Venetia whenever she starts to penetrate his formidable defenses. “You are perfectly matched, only he hasn’t discovered that yet. No, I am mistaken—he has discovered it, but he is ignoring it. It was unexpected you see.”
Venetia had gone a bright pink. She said, “Yes, it was. I—I love him.”
“Yes, dear, I know. But you are sensible and patient.”
Sensible and patient being, of course, the hallmarks of BN’s brides of convenience, until they finally come to the end of their seemingly endless ability to put up with neglect and emotional starvation and walk away, however briefly….As usual, this is enough of a wake-up call for the hero to finally put his wife before his work (canceling a lecture even!) and chase her down to confess his true, if reluctantly accepted, feelings, and ask for a second chance. Not a bad grovel (again, by BN standards) for a big, arrogant, godlike BN hero!
I would have liked TCW better if I could believe that Duert really changes by the end, but I wasn’t convinced: as with most of BN’s heroes, it’s pretty clear that even with an HEA, his work will always come first. Given that his work is saving lives, it’s something that we and the heroines just have to accept, I suppose--Betty makes that more than clear! The big misunderstanding in this one didn’t go on too long, at least, and the hero realizes how absurd and unlikely the Big Mis is with regard to his wife, so he quickly realizes the truth of the matter even before his ward’s confession clears it up, so that was a nice touch. From 1990 (with a cover by Norm Eastman), TCW is, overall, a pretty solid MoC tale from Betty, with good angst, a snappy-when-it’s-merited heroine whom I liked very much, a hero who grew on me, and the usual well-told tale from TGB. Pamela Shropshire has all the details in her recap.
May 10, 2013
Very disappointing read for me. I couldn't get past the storyline. I usually love an ugly duckling to swan story, but this one was very sad and left a lot to be desired.
A young woman is left destitute when her grandmother dies. Though she is training to be a nurse, she is left penniless and alone. She meets a young, arrogant but attractive doctor at the hospital where she is training. He deems that she will make a wonderful, convenient wife. She is unassuming, quiet, kind and generous and so perfect to help him keep his young ward in line. Since she is rather homely she should be grateful that he has asked her. After all, who would ever want her.
I felt so saddened that this kind hearted heroine was made to feel this way. I thought the hero was nothing but a shallow jerk and no matter what he did, I could not bring myself to like him. I know there were tons of hints dropped along the way for me to gather that he was falling for her, but it didn't matter. The damage was done.
I love Betty Neels, but I would not recommend this one.
A young woman is left destitute when her grandmother dies. Though she is training to be a nurse, she is left penniless and alone. She meets a young, arrogant but attractive doctor at the hospital where she is training. He deems that she will make a wonderful, convenient wife. She is unassuming, quiet, kind and generous and so perfect to help him keep his young ward in line. Since she is rather homely she should be grateful that he has asked her. After all, who would ever want her.
I felt so saddened that this kind hearted heroine was made to feel this way. I thought the hero was nothing but a shallow jerk and no matter what he did, I could not bring myself to like him. I know there were tons of hints dropped along the way for me to gather that he was falling for her, but it didn't matter. The damage was done.
I love Betty Neels, but I would not recommend this one.
April 5, 2017
Venetia Forbes, poor English student nurse and orphan, was so unlucky as to be shopping in Woolworth's when a bomb exploded - IRA presumably. A piece of glass went into her arm on one side and out the other (ouch!) and another patient waiting in Casualty keeps leaning on it. When RDD/eminent brain surgeon, Duert ter Laan-Luitinga, notices our girl looking quite green and pale, he "descends from the Olympian heights;" removes the glass and stitches her up. She thanks him by barfing - nice romantic first meeting, no? Resoundingly, NO!
Venetia lives in the nurses' home, but stays with Granny on days off and holidays. Granny dies suddenly. Duert sees that Venetia needs a break from coping with settling up Granny’s affairs and arranges for her to spend a week in the country with his registrar’s wife. Arthur and Lottie Miles are a nice couple, very much in love and expecting their first child. Duert and Arthur are going on a consult out of the country and Lottie wants a companion – Venetia. When Duert and Arthur return, Duert takes Venetia out several times to let Arthur and Lottie be alone. On one of these excursions, Duert asks Venetia to help pick out a trinket for his ward, and he tells Venetia about Anneta. While looking at some antique jewelry and selecting a pearl necklace for Anneta, they come across an early-19th century necklace of amethysts, pearls and green enamel leaves. Venetia admires the necklace. The shopkeeper tells them a charming story of its creation.
Back on duty at the hospital, Venetia is called to Sister’s office. Duert is there and quite unexpectedly proposes a MOC. He has a ward who needs a good example of ladylike behavior for a few months. After a day or so of contemplating a future with nothing but years and years of nursing, Venetia accepts. They are quickly married by special license, although Venetia actually gets a rather enchanting wedding (planned by Lottie, although Duert doesn’t correct Venetia when she assumes he arranged for it). Immediately after the wedding and a simple reception, they travel to Holland for Venetia to assume her new life and be introduced to Anneta. (NOTE: Venetia may be the most fortunate of all our Brides of Convenience and even many of the Wives of Love – she had a proper wedding with her friends present, a bridal bouquet and followed by a reception.)
Anneta the Ward welcomes Venetia, takes her shopping, says how much she wants to be friends, and makes Venetia promise to never rat her out to Duert. She does curb Anneta's more flamboyant, extravagant clothing purchases. Anneta has a series of dental appointments, or so she tells Venetia. Venetia senses something is a little off but doesn't do anything about it.
Venetia focuses on being the kind of wife Duert wants. He kisses her occasionally and talks to her about his work. It isn’t long before Venetia discovers that Anneta isn’t really going to the dentist, but is going out with apparently her more unsavory friends; when Venetia overhears Anneta talking about her exploits in Dutch and is able to understand her, Venetia tells Anneta to stop the outings, but agrees not to tell Duert.
Venetia tells Duert that Anneta should learn something about how the other half live and they begin doing volunteer work. Anneta gets an invitation to stay with a friend in Paris; Duert plans a secret (secret from Anneta) holiday to take Venetia to his aunt’s home in Salcombe in Devon. We – and Venetia – sense a change in Duert’s manner toward Venetia, but he is not consistent.
Aunt Millicent is delightful, “Miss Marple in the flesh.” Duert and Venetia take a lot of drives through the country and walks on the beach. It is on one of the latter that she has her DR. She begins to pry a bit about his past and current love life. Duert admits he has met someone he loves and wants a future with. (Of course we know he means Venetia.) Venetia replies that of course he can’t do anything about being with her until Anneta turns 18 and goes to America and he agrees (which is 4 months away).
They all return to Delft. One day, Venetia thinks she sees Anneta in Amsterdam with a man but convinces herself she was mistaken. TGB skims over the following weeks until Duert proposes Venetia and Anneta accompany him to London. Anneta throws a fit initially, but later agrees to go without a fuss. In London, Anneta has planned outings with her friends, of which Duert approves. One day when Venetia is getting in a taxi to go to Harrod’s, she quite unmistakably sees Anneta kissing a man. Venetia realizes that her suspicions were right all along and Anneta has been seeing this guy while pretending to do volunteer work and other activities.
Back home in Hampstead, Venetia confronts Anneta, who dramatically declares she will kill herself if Venetia tells Duert about the man; she is in love with this man, Jan, but she wants Duert to remember her as a nice girl and she wants a big 18th birthday party, which Duert will deny her if she has been bad. (Anneta is obviously very spoiled and immature for 18.) Venetia agrees not to tell Duert, so that later at said birthday party, when Venetia and Duert come upon Anneta and Jan in the garden, Anneta says that Jan has been seeing Venetia on the sly. Duert is very cold. Anneta leaves for America.
Venetia decides to go to Aunt Millicent and tells Duert so. Duert tells her he has to go to Paris for a few days and that he is aware he has been a neglectful husband, but he has recently discovered he has fallen in love with her. He leaves. Venetia goes to Aunt Millicent. Duert returns from Paris and makes preparations to go to Salcombe when Anneta calls and confesses.
Duert finds Venetia on the beach and asks why she didn’t tell him the truth about Anneta. She says she promised and besides, he was so angry. He pull from his pocket the amethyst necklace and tells her it is proof he loves her, that he thinks he has always loved her although he didn’t know it right away. He asks her to come back to him and perhaps learn to like him a little; she replies that she has almost always liked him and has loved him for quite some time. Kisses follow while Miss Marple, er Aunt Millicent, watches from a window.
I like this one quite a lot. Anneta is the typical trouble-making teenage daughter/ward we find in Neelsland – not malicious, just spoiled and selfish. She could actually turn out to be a decent human being someday. Venetia is a delight. Duert is the typical aloof-at-first RDD whose life will be transformed by falling in love with the right Betty, but's hard to pinpoint just when his DR occurred.
Only one thing bugged me - we never learn when Duert bought the amethyst necklace for Venetia. TGB doesn’t tell us whether he secretly bought it when Venetia was with him (which is very early in the book and makes this scenario unlikely, IMO) or at some later time after his DR. I dislike loose ends like this.
Venetia lives in the nurses' home, but stays with Granny on days off and holidays. Granny dies suddenly. Duert sees that Venetia needs a break from coping with settling up Granny’s affairs and arranges for her to spend a week in the country with his registrar’s wife. Arthur and Lottie Miles are a nice couple, very much in love and expecting their first child. Duert and Arthur are going on a consult out of the country and Lottie wants a companion – Venetia. When Duert and Arthur return, Duert takes Venetia out several times to let Arthur and Lottie be alone. On one of these excursions, Duert asks Venetia to help pick out a trinket for his ward, and he tells Venetia about Anneta. While looking at some antique jewelry and selecting a pearl necklace for Anneta, they come across an early-19th century necklace of amethysts, pearls and green enamel leaves. Venetia admires the necklace. The shopkeeper tells them a charming story of its creation.
Back on duty at the hospital, Venetia is called to Sister’s office. Duert is there and quite unexpectedly proposes a MOC. He has a ward who needs a good example of ladylike behavior for a few months. After a day or so of contemplating a future with nothing but years and years of nursing, Venetia accepts. They are quickly married by special license, although Venetia actually gets a rather enchanting wedding (planned by Lottie, although Duert doesn’t correct Venetia when she assumes he arranged for it). Immediately after the wedding and a simple reception, they travel to Holland for Venetia to assume her new life and be introduced to Anneta. (NOTE: Venetia may be the most fortunate of all our Brides of Convenience and even many of the Wives of Love – she had a proper wedding with her friends present, a bridal bouquet and followed by a reception.)
Anneta the Ward welcomes Venetia, takes her shopping, says how much she wants to be friends, and makes Venetia promise to never rat her out to Duert. She does curb Anneta's more flamboyant, extravagant clothing purchases. Anneta has a series of dental appointments, or so she tells Venetia. Venetia senses something is a little off but doesn't do anything about it.
Venetia focuses on being the kind of wife Duert wants. He kisses her occasionally and talks to her about his work. It isn’t long before Venetia discovers that Anneta isn’t really going to the dentist, but is going out with apparently her more unsavory friends; when Venetia overhears Anneta talking about her exploits in Dutch and is able to understand her, Venetia tells Anneta to stop the outings, but agrees not to tell Duert.
Venetia tells Duert that Anneta should learn something about how the other half live and they begin doing volunteer work. Anneta gets an invitation to stay with a friend in Paris; Duert plans a secret (secret from Anneta) holiday to take Venetia to his aunt’s home in Salcombe in Devon. We – and Venetia – sense a change in Duert’s manner toward Venetia, but he is not consistent.
Aunt Millicent is delightful, “Miss Marple in the flesh.” Duert and Venetia take a lot of drives through the country and walks on the beach. It is on one of the latter that she has her DR. She begins to pry a bit about his past and current love life. Duert admits he has met someone he loves and wants a future with. (Of course we know he means Venetia.) Venetia replies that of course he can’t do anything about being with her until Anneta turns 18 and goes to America and he agrees (which is 4 months away).
They all return to Delft. One day, Venetia thinks she sees Anneta in Amsterdam with a man but convinces herself she was mistaken. TGB skims over the following weeks until Duert proposes Venetia and Anneta accompany him to London. Anneta throws a fit initially, but later agrees to go without a fuss. In London, Anneta has planned outings with her friends, of which Duert approves. One day when Venetia is getting in a taxi to go to Harrod’s, she quite unmistakably sees Anneta kissing a man. Venetia realizes that her suspicions were right all along and Anneta has been seeing this guy while pretending to do volunteer work and other activities.
Back home in Hampstead, Venetia confronts Anneta, who dramatically declares she will kill herself if Venetia tells Duert about the man; she is in love with this man, Jan, but she wants Duert to remember her as a nice girl and she wants a big 18th birthday party, which Duert will deny her if she has been bad. (Anneta is obviously very spoiled and immature for 18.) Venetia agrees not to tell Duert, so that later at said birthday party, when Venetia and Duert come upon Anneta and Jan in the garden, Anneta says that Jan has been seeing Venetia on the sly. Duert is very cold. Anneta leaves for America.
Venetia decides to go to Aunt Millicent and tells Duert so. Duert tells her he has to go to Paris for a few days and that he is aware he has been a neglectful husband, but he has recently discovered he has fallen in love with her. He leaves. Venetia goes to Aunt Millicent. Duert returns from Paris and makes preparations to go to Salcombe when Anneta calls and confesses.
Duert finds Venetia on the beach and asks why she didn’t tell him the truth about Anneta. She says she promised and besides, he was so angry. He pull from his pocket the amethyst necklace and tells her it is proof he loves her, that he thinks he has always loved her although he didn’t know it right away. He asks her to come back to him and perhaps learn to like him a little; she replies that she has almost always liked him and has loved him for quite some time. Kisses follow while Miss Marple, er Aunt Millicent, watches from a window.
I like this one quite a lot. Anneta is the typical trouble-making teenage daughter/ward we find in Neelsland – not malicious, just spoiled and selfish. She could actually turn out to be a decent human being someday. Venetia is a delight. Duert is the typical aloof-at-first RDD whose life will be transformed by falling in love with the right Betty, but's hard to pinpoint just when his DR occurred.
Only one thing bugged me - we never learn when Duert bought the amethyst necklace for Venetia. TGB doesn’t tell us whether he secretly bought it when Venetia was with him (which is very early in the book and makes this scenario unlikely, IMO) or at some later time after his DR. I dislike loose ends like this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2025
Aunt Millicent is the best part!
March 25, 2021
The Course of True Love
Betty created stories that championed the women that are often overlooked because they lack what society today sees as the perfect woman.
Her heroines tended to be on the plain side, plump and often in some need of help. The romance comes into play when the wealthy hero arrives. Not always love at first sight, it grows over the course of the story.
It’s slow burn at its finest but it doesn’t detract from a readers investment.
In a way I often find this romance more satisfying than what’s been offered up lately.
Betty Neels was a truly remarkable woman.
It’s a yes from me!
Betty created stories that championed the women that are often overlooked because they lack what society today sees as the perfect woman.
Her heroines tended to be on the plain side, plump and often in some need of help. The romance comes into play when the wealthy hero arrives. Not always love at first sight, it grows over the course of the story.
It’s slow burn at its finest but it doesn’t detract from a readers investment.
In a way I often find this romance more satisfying than what’s been offered up lately.
Betty Neels was a truly remarkable woman.
It’s a yes from me!
May 7, 2021
I really enjoyed this story of a marriage of convenience, until close to the end. Then it hit several tropes I don't like at all - the misunderstanding that would be solved if only one person behaved like an adult and explained themselves to the other and the foolish promise to "not tattle" that allows one person to manipulate another. (Don't we teach our kids not to keep a promise to "not tell anyone" if keeping the secret will really hurt someone? Then why shouldn't adults follow the same rules?) I had to subtract a star due to these ridiculous tropes. A pity, it was a fun book otherwise.
NB - If you enjoy Neel's books join the conversation at the GR group Betty Neels Junkies. See you there!
NB - If you enjoy Neel's books join the conversation at the GR group Betty Neels Junkies. See you there!
November 16, 2019
I loved this book! All Betty Neels books are so pleasant to read! An absolute delight
January 17, 2025
The Convenient Book Report… by Chad “The Hammer” Heater
It began with an inconvenience. A spark. A bang. A crash. A boom. A snap. A crackle. A pop. A bomb had gone off in the local Woolworth while plain Venetia was shopping for a gift for her soon to be dead granny.
But Venetia would soon forget the terrorist attack that almost took her life when she saw the Professor Doctor Duert ter Laan-Luitinga in the emergency area helping crippled children and patching wounds. Not only did she forget the terrorist attack, she also forgot the painful laceration on her arms where broken glass ripped through her like the emotions she began to feel for the Doctor Professor when he took her aside to stitch her up.
Despite having worked at the same hospital as him, this was the first time he’d noticed Venetia. Which was convenient for both of them. As his deft hands worked on her recently slashed arm, she was swooning over being close to him. When he found out she was a nurse in the hospital, he made sure that she return home despite her shift coming up. In fact, he even escorted her home in his Bentley.
It was then we got a glimpse into the life of Venetia. She was an orphan living with her granny. Paycheck to paycheck in a plain ordinary existence. But this was all about to change when her granny passed and she found herself in a convenient marriage.
You see, Doctor Professor Baron Van Landsgraad needed a convenient wife. His ward and her steamy decisions were making the life of the famous international brain surgeon inconvenient. And Venetia was going to solve that for him.
The proposal was what you’d describe as convenient. Their lives would be intertwined while the Professor Baron Doctor Ruud Van Nistelroy was engulfed in his work, sweet Venetia would show Annetta the ward how to properly behave in society.
All this made all of the characters (and possibly some readers) forget all about the terrorist attack. But why would we dwell on that inconvenience? That’s not what this story is about!
Instead, Doctor Professor Arjen Robben takes Venetia to his home country of Holland for their marriage and to meet his ward Annetta. They marry in the most convenient of fashion with a full blown ceremony and reception. Venetia begins to learn that the Doctor Professor Baron Van Munchhausen MD is quite wealthy. Where such a charade for a convenient wife would be inconvenient for a less wealthy man. But not for the Doctor Professor MD. You see, he is also an orphan like Venetia and Annetta. The last time I encountered this many orphans was when I was watching the Warriors bop their way back to Coney. But if you think you’re going to see as much action as that, you’re going to be inconvenienced.
Now that Venetia has become the convenient wife she always dreamed to be, she begins to spend time with Annetta the inconvenient ward while Ser Gerald Professor Doctor Von Doom MD continues his lectures around Europe and performing emergency brain surgery on the aristocracy. Venetia and Annetta shop. They shop a lot. We’re talking over the top shop. Shop till they drop. During this time, the convenient wife begins to miss the convenient husband. And when he’s around, she begins to inconveniently start falling in love with him.
But she feels like this may be temporary due to Annetta moving to the US when she turns 18 to live with her Aunt. The author doesn’t really explain why this is happening, but that would inconvenience the plot. Because the real focus is how are Venetia and Jack are going to end up together and live happily ever after.
Eventually Venetia finds out that Annetta has been lying to her and sneaking off to see a gentleman caller by the name of Jan. Which is a Dutch name and pronounced “yawn.” Much like this Harlequin Romance novel. Annetta begs Venetia not to tell Dr. Terrence MD PhD about this because she doesn’t want to inconvenience him while he’s focusing on curing world hunger one brain surgery at a time and wants to be a convenient ward to him much like his convenient wife. And Dr. MD knows about this Jan rapscallion and had warned Annetta to never see him again!
Fast forward to Annetta’s birthday. During the party, out by the fount, Venetia notices Annetta is hanging out with some uninvited guests… She confronts Annetta and realizes one of the guests is the gentleman caller Jan! This is when trouble ensues because Professor Doctor Duert ter Laan-Luitinga stumbles upon this scene and Annetta tells him that Jan is there to see Venetia and that the two of them are shagging. This is when the author decides to convince us that Duert actually believes the 18 year old and storms of angry because apparently he has feelings for his convenient wife. Which is inconvenient!
Days pass. Venetia goes to some beach town with a name that I can’t pronounce and didn’t bother remembering because at this point I’m wondering how this got published and why the convenient wife made for a better romance novel than the life of the ward. I guess that’s because it is a Harlequin Romance and not Harlot Romance. Which is prefer the latter because then we’d at least get some more smut than the occasional kiss on the cheek followed by a blush.
On a scale of one to pho, I give this book one star.
Oh. And the Doctor Professor eventually receives a phone call from his ward telling him that she was lying and then he finds Venetia, admits that he was wrong, tell her he loves her and then they are happy on the beach as a convenient couple. If I were Venetia, I would’ve convenienced myself out of that marriage because it’s obvious the only brain that really needed to be operated on in this book was that of Duert…
It began with an inconvenience. A spark. A bang. A crash. A boom. A snap. A crackle. A pop. A bomb had gone off in the local Woolworth while plain Venetia was shopping for a gift for her soon to be dead granny.
But Venetia would soon forget the terrorist attack that almost took her life when she saw the Professor Doctor Duert ter Laan-Luitinga in the emergency area helping crippled children and patching wounds. Not only did she forget the terrorist attack, she also forgot the painful laceration on her arms where broken glass ripped through her like the emotions she began to feel for the Doctor Professor when he took her aside to stitch her up.
Despite having worked at the same hospital as him, this was the first time he’d noticed Venetia. Which was convenient for both of them. As his deft hands worked on her recently slashed arm, she was swooning over being close to him. When he found out she was a nurse in the hospital, he made sure that she return home despite her shift coming up. In fact, he even escorted her home in his Bentley.
It was then we got a glimpse into the life of Venetia. She was an orphan living with her granny. Paycheck to paycheck in a plain ordinary existence. But this was all about to change when her granny passed and she found herself in a convenient marriage.
You see, Doctor Professor Baron Van Landsgraad needed a convenient wife. His ward and her steamy decisions were making the life of the famous international brain surgeon inconvenient. And Venetia was going to solve that for him.
The proposal was what you’d describe as convenient. Their lives would be intertwined while the Professor Baron Doctor Ruud Van Nistelroy was engulfed in his work, sweet Venetia would show Annetta the ward how to properly behave in society.
All this made all of the characters (and possibly some readers) forget all about the terrorist attack. But why would we dwell on that inconvenience? That’s not what this story is about!
Instead, Doctor Professor Arjen Robben takes Venetia to his home country of Holland for their marriage and to meet his ward Annetta. They marry in the most convenient of fashion with a full blown ceremony and reception. Venetia begins to learn that the Doctor Professor Baron Van Munchhausen MD is quite wealthy. Where such a charade for a convenient wife would be inconvenient for a less wealthy man. But not for the Doctor Professor MD. You see, he is also an orphan like Venetia and Annetta. The last time I encountered this many orphans was when I was watching the Warriors bop their way back to Coney. But if you think you’re going to see as much action as that, you’re going to be inconvenienced.
Now that Venetia has become the convenient wife she always dreamed to be, she begins to spend time with Annetta the inconvenient ward while Ser Gerald Professor Doctor Von Doom MD continues his lectures around Europe and performing emergency brain surgery on the aristocracy. Venetia and Annetta shop. They shop a lot. We’re talking over the top shop. Shop till they drop. During this time, the convenient wife begins to miss the convenient husband. And when he’s around, she begins to inconveniently start falling in love with him.
But she feels like this may be temporary due to Annetta moving to the US when she turns 18 to live with her Aunt. The author doesn’t really explain why this is happening, but that would inconvenience the plot. Because the real focus is how are Venetia and Jack are going to end up together and live happily ever after.
Eventually Venetia finds out that Annetta has been lying to her and sneaking off to see a gentleman caller by the name of Jan. Which is a Dutch name and pronounced “yawn.” Much like this Harlequin Romance novel. Annetta begs Venetia not to tell Dr. Terrence MD PhD about this because she doesn’t want to inconvenience him while he’s focusing on curing world hunger one brain surgery at a time and wants to be a convenient ward to him much like his convenient wife. And Dr. MD knows about this Jan rapscallion and had warned Annetta to never see him again!
Fast forward to Annetta’s birthday. During the party, out by the fount, Venetia notices Annetta is hanging out with some uninvited guests… She confronts Annetta and realizes one of the guests is the gentleman caller Jan! This is when trouble ensues because Professor Doctor Duert ter Laan-Luitinga stumbles upon this scene and Annetta tells him that Jan is there to see Venetia and that the two of them are shagging. This is when the author decides to convince us that Duert actually believes the 18 year old and storms of angry because apparently he has feelings for his convenient wife. Which is inconvenient!
Days pass. Venetia goes to some beach town with a name that I can’t pronounce and didn’t bother remembering because at this point I’m wondering how this got published and why the convenient wife made for a better romance novel than the life of the ward. I guess that’s because it is a Harlequin Romance and not Harlot Romance. Which is prefer the latter because then we’d at least get some more smut than the occasional kiss on the cheek followed by a blush.
On a scale of one to pho, I give this book one star.
Oh. And the Doctor Professor eventually receives a phone call from his ward telling him that she was lying and then he finds Venetia, admits that he was wrong, tell her he loves her and then they are happy on the beach as a convenient couple. If I were Venetia, I would’ve convenienced myself out of that marriage because it’s obvious the only brain that really needed to be operated on in this book was that of Duert…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2013
This was an odd read. One of the authors Marriage of Convenience plots but it was unusual in that the hero really didn't seem to know what he had got himself into.
INstead of another woman being the complication, we have Duert's ward Anneta who is carrying on an illicit love affair under everyone's nose.
Venetia is one of Betty's mousey heroines with big beautiful grey eyes. She is good and kind and a consolation to almost plain women everywhere that they too can marry attractive if rather enigmatic, millionaire doctors.
INstead of another woman being the complication, we have Duert's ward Anneta who is carrying on an illicit love affair under everyone's nose.
Venetia is one of Betty's mousey heroines with big beautiful grey eyes. She is good and kind and a consolation to almost plain women everywhere that they too can marry attractive if rather enigmatic, millionaire doctors.
April 9, 2018
Fairly typical Betty Neels. I thought the reason to get married was more than a bit weak, and it doesn't really seem to have done the job anyway. But we get our HEA at the end and our heroine does have a bit of backbone so that's nice.
May 2, 2025
"Esposa a la medida"
Esta novela de Betty tiene un comienzo inmejorable...de película 🎥 😎Arranca con una muchacha en la guardia de un hospital a la espera de ser atendida en medio de un caos de heridos,ha explotado una bomba...y ella Venettia Forbes, joven enfermera,espera su turno.
Pasan horas hasta que un doctor la nota y la atiende realizándole una cirugía de emergencia en uno de sus brazos, este no es otro que el eminente cirujano holandés Duert ter Laan-Luitinga's,el héroe de nuestra desvalida muchacha,y por lejos uno de los nombres más largos e impronunciables del universo Betty ☺️✨🥰
La historia tiene sus conmovedores momentos, la muerte de la anciana abuela, la soledad de la protagonista.
Esta vez la historia no es un triángulo romántico lleno de malos entendidos sino que encuentra en el personaje secundario de Annette su contraparte a todos los valores positivos que representa Venettia.La señorita de 18 años, pupila del doctor, será todo lo opuesto a nuestra dócil y sensata heroína,es interesada, manipuladora, mentirosa y frívola.
Llega hasta calumniar a Venettia y dejarla como una cualquiera!
Tenemos a un doctor celoso y como siempre un final feliz.
Super recomendable ☺️
Esta novela de Betty tiene un comienzo inmejorable...de película 🎥 😎Arranca con una muchacha en la guardia de un hospital a la espera de ser atendida en medio de un caos de heridos,ha explotado una bomba...y ella Venettia Forbes, joven enfermera,espera su turno.
Pasan horas hasta que un doctor la nota y la atiende realizándole una cirugía de emergencia en uno de sus brazos, este no es otro que el eminente cirujano holandés Duert ter Laan-Luitinga's,el héroe de nuestra desvalida muchacha,y por lejos uno de los nombres más largos e impronunciables del universo Betty ☺️✨🥰
La historia tiene sus conmovedores momentos, la muerte de la anciana abuela, la soledad de la protagonista.
Esta vez la historia no es un triángulo romántico lleno de malos entendidos sino que encuentra en el personaje secundario de Annette su contraparte a todos los valores positivos que representa Venettia.La señorita de 18 años, pupila del doctor, será todo lo opuesto a nuestra dócil y sensata heroína,es interesada, manipuladora, mentirosa y frívola.
Llega hasta calumniar a Venettia y dejarla como una cualquiera!
Tenemos a un doctor celoso y como siempre un final feliz.
Super recomendable ☺️
November 20, 2022
Betty Neels' books are: sherry before dinner in the drawing room, handsome wealthy men rescuing scraggly mutts, Cinderella plots, brave girls facing adversity, and gentle sweet romance. Her books are like comfort food, soothing at times of stress. An Anglophile's delight. I could say this about all her books that I have read and I have read 70 out of 135. Her books have influenced my own writing.
I have an original first American paperback edition, October 1990. /Update, I have now read 135 of 135.
I have an original first American paperback edition, October 1990. /Update, I have now read 135 of 135.
Read
July 27, 2011Venetia survived a bombers attack, but she might not survive when she finds out she loves Duert and doesn't believe he loves her.
Plain to look at, Venetia has a wealth of charm that wins over the taciturn Doctor Duert ter Laan-Luitinga. The biggest issue, is marrying him to provide his ward with an example of a contented, harmonious marriage when the ward, Anetta is leaving in a few months.
A very sweet story.
Plain to look at, Venetia has a wealth of charm that wins over the taciturn Doctor Duert ter Laan-Luitinga. The biggest issue, is marrying him to provide his ward with an example of a contented, harmonious marriage when the ward, Anetta is leaving in a few months.
A very sweet story.
April 6, 2010
So far so good. Betty Neels banget....
March 29, 2011
Simple, sweet romance, provides a few hours of pleasant diversion.
October 31, 2011
A gentle romantic story.
August 7, 2012
not my normal book type but i liked it alot!!
November 18, 2014
Just a sweet predictable love story. I like romance...
March 30, 2016
How can Venetia be that naive????!!!
November 3, 2025
3.5 stars. I am angry at this book because it had so much potential but didn't deliver. Or maybe I am angry at Duert, the H, for being such an asshat and then not even grovelling much. Or maybe I am angry at venetia for being such a ridiculous pushover. Gaargh.
The first time around, I gave up reading this book at around the 60% mark. It just wasn't getting interesting enough and I think I lost my patience with it.
This is the story of nurse Venetia, one of Betty's plain Janes, and RDD Duert, a man obsessed with his work and who is guardian to a difficult teenage girl. (She likes to party with men.) Duert sees venetia struggling with life and helps her out, especially after her grandma dies, though he isn't much impressed with her and doesn't know why he keeps seeking her out.
He offers her a MOC because he would like to give his teenage ward, a party girl named annetta, an example of a good marriage and a responsible female figure in her life. He says it only need be until his ward goes to her aunt in america, just a few months, and then if she wants to break off the marriage then he will make sure venetia is provided for. Venetia hasnt got much else going for her. She agrees. They get married.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Neither venetia nor duert have any strong feelings for each other and this was the main problem with the book. It became boring. What were we supposed to root for? They didn't even seem all that compatible for each other. Finally, at 72%, venetia fell in love with duert. at 72%. which made it a lackluster read for most of the book. For me, It was no fun to read since neither of them seemed to feel much for each other on page. Nothing for me to root for. I pref my heroines to fall first and then we can have some lovely angst. There wasnt much until that point.
After that point came the angst, and we really began to feel the effect of Duert's shocking level of neglect and forgetfulness of venetia and it started to hurt. Poor venetia. And he was mocking and cruel about it too when she pushed back a little. Ouch.
Also, the ward Annetta was a disgustingly selfish b*tch and venetia was extremely naive for falling for her lies over and over. The problem is when you are honest and trusting and have so little life experience, the habitual liars and experienced manipulators can really wind you around their little finger, so I have to give venetia a pass even if her naivety was so frustrating and made her stupid.
MORE SPOILERS
near the end, annetta gets caught out with the man she's been secretly seeing. Venetia had v recently caught annetta with the man and annetta promised venetia she wouldnt see him again. And annetta wept and was a spoiled brat and made venetia promise to tell duert nothing, which venetia did. So when the man turns up at their house, venetia tries to get rid of him. Duert catches the trio together and Anetta lies and tells duert that it was venetia who has been seeing the man. Wtf! Talk about a supremo evil b*tch.
It peeved me off that venetia felt bound by her stupid promise at that point to refused to tell duert the truth, but oh well. In a way it was fun to see duert get his just desserts and think the wife he neglected had started seeing another man. I wish we got to read more of his hurt on page because he'd realised recently that he had fallen for venetia, and now it turns out it was too late. Oh no! Suck it, duert, you beast.
So anyway, we got the whole finale breakup with her going away and him realising the error of his ways and coming after her. The ending scene was v brief. Unsatisfactorily brief unfortunately.
Overall this was an okay read. Some good points during the end, but most of the book didn't hold my attention enough and it took a second try to finish it. The last 30% redeemed it from being 3 stars to more 3.5 stars.
The first time around, I gave up reading this book at around the 60% mark. It just wasn't getting interesting enough and I think I lost my patience with it.
This is the story of nurse Venetia, one of Betty's plain Janes, and RDD Duert, a man obsessed with his work and who is guardian to a difficult teenage girl. (She likes to party with men.) Duert sees venetia struggling with life and helps her out, especially after her grandma dies, though he isn't much impressed with her and doesn't know why he keeps seeking her out.
He offers her a MOC because he would like to give his teenage ward, a party girl named annetta, an example of a good marriage and a responsible female figure in her life. He says it only need be until his ward goes to her aunt in america, just a few months, and then if she wants to break off the marriage then he will make sure venetia is provided for. Venetia hasnt got much else going for her. She agrees. They get married.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Neither venetia nor duert have any strong feelings for each other and this was the main problem with the book. It became boring. What were we supposed to root for? They didn't even seem all that compatible for each other. Finally, at 72%, venetia fell in love with duert. at 72%. which made it a lackluster read for most of the book. For me, It was no fun to read since neither of them seemed to feel much for each other on page. Nothing for me to root for. I pref my heroines to fall first and then we can have some lovely angst. There wasnt much until that point.
After that point came the angst, and we really began to feel the effect of Duert's shocking level of neglect and forgetfulness of venetia and it started to hurt. Poor venetia. And he was mocking and cruel about it too when she pushed back a little. Ouch.
Also, the ward Annetta was a disgustingly selfish b*tch and venetia was extremely naive for falling for her lies over and over. The problem is when you are honest and trusting and have so little life experience, the habitual liars and experienced manipulators can really wind you around their little finger, so I have to give venetia a pass even if her naivety was so frustrating and made her stupid.
MORE SPOILERS
near the end, annetta gets caught out with the man she's been secretly seeing. Venetia had v recently caught annetta with the man and annetta promised venetia she wouldnt see him again. And annetta wept and was a spoiled brat and made venetia promise to tell duert nothing, which venetia did. So when the man turns up at their house, venetia tries to get rid of him. Duert catches the trio together and Anetta lies and tells duert that it was venetia who has been seeing the man. Wtf! Talk about a supremo evil b*tch.
It peeved me off that venetia felt bound by her stupid promise at that point to refused to tell duert the truth, but oh well. In a way it was fun to see duert get his just desserts and think the wife he neglected had started seeing another man. I wish we got to read more of his hurt on page because he'd realised recently that he had fallen for venetia, and now it turns out it was too late. Oh no! Suck it, duert, you beast.
So anyway, we got the whole finale breakup with her going away and him realising the error of his ways and coming after her. The ending scene was v brief. Unsatisfactorily brief unfortunately.
Overall this was an okay read. Some good points during the end, but most of the book didn't hold my attention enough and it took a second try to finish it. The last 30% redeemed it from being 3 stars to more 3.5 stars.
January 25, 2020
I am so disappointed in myself. I finished this book.
I gave up. I put it down at 70 pages because the damn thing was absolutely disgusting me, and after a few other reading attempts I went back to it. Back to this woman who was training to be a nurse and gave it all up to marry a rich doctor, leave her career, and be told to her freaking face half a dozen times that she "wasn't pretty." Who the hell does this? Ok, the guy was rich as snot, but this book was written in ... wait for it ... 1990! 19 freaking 90!
Now, if it were set in 1943 I'd be totally cool with it.
The food is always delicious and described in aching detail. All she and her husband's ward do is buy clothes. Clothes after clothes after clothes. Anneta is described as being achingly horrid, but she seemed ok to me (until she really, truly did something horrid) and the two people fall for each other even though it doesn't seem like they have a whit in common other than eating the finest food Holland has to offer.
And can we talk about these names these Harlequin romance novelists HAVE to choose? Is it a rule of the Harlequin publishers that at least one name be completely made up? I'm not talking about Venetia, which always brought to my mind blinds until Anneta was introduced, which -- according to Google -- is pronounces Ann-ett-uh...and then I was seeing Venetia and saying in my head "Ven-ett-uh" and the other Dutch names I looked up. Truus. Domas. But Duert? Duert? No mention ANYWHERE on the Internet of such a name. In my head, it became "Dirt" and I couldn't for the life of me create any other way of saying it. Also, he has 3 last names, probably because the author had a word minimum and this story couldn't thrive on delicious food and delectable clothes alone.
Also, did the author mention that she was ugly? Oh, yes, every 5 pages.
WHY did I read this? But, I couldn't put it down. I don't know why. This is why it gets 2 stars for that feat alone. It did bring to mind a somewhat lavish lifestyle that, granted, many women would have longed for. And to this day, I bet many women would give up their life and career for delicious food, wonderful clothes, and a separate bedroom from the achingly handsome husband that isn't there half the time and is kinda mean to her, because remember, she's not pretty.
UGH.
I gave up. I put it down at 70 pages because the damn thing was absolutely disgusting me, and after a few other reading attempts I went back to it. Back to this woman who was training to be a nurse and gave it all up to marry a rich doctor, leave her career, and be told to her freaking face half a dozen times that she "wasn't pretty." Who the hell does this? Ok, the guy was rich as snot, but this book was written in ... wait for it ... 1990! 19 freaking 90!
Now, if it were set in 1943 I'd be totally cool with it.
The food is always delicious and described in aching detail. All she and her husband's ward do is buy clothes. Clothes after clothes after clothes. Anneta is described as being achingly horrid, but she seemed ok to me (until she really, truly did something horrid) and the two people fall for each other even though it doesn't seem like they have a whit in common other than eating the finest food Holland has to offer.
And can we talk about these names these Harlequin romance novelists HAVE to choose? Is it a rule of the Harlequin publishers that at least one name be completely made up? I'm not talking about Venetia, which always brought to my mind blinds until Anneta was introduced, which -- according to Google -- is pronounces Ann-ett-uh...and then I was seeing Venetia and saying in my head "Ven-ett-uh" and the other Dutch names I looked up. Truus. Domas. But Duert? Duert? No mention ANYWHERE on the Internet of such a name. In my head, it became "Dirt" and I couldn't for the life of me create any other way of saying it. Also, he has 3 last names, probably because the author had a word minimum and this story couldn't thrive on delicious food and delectable clothes alone.
Also, did the author mention that she was ugly? Oh, yes, every 5 pages.
WHY did I read this? But, I couldn't put it down. I don't know why. This is why it gets 2 stars for that feat alone. It did bring to mind a somewhat lavish lifestyle that, granted, many women would have longed for. And to this day, I bet many women would give up their life and career for delicious food, wonderful clothes, and a separate bedroom from the achingly handsome husband that isn't there half the time and is kinda mean to her, because remember, she's not pretty.
UGH.
June 16, 2022
A book recommended by a colleague. It’s too wholesome and good book. But I am not fan of seeing women being shy and quiet and undemanding from the man or in this case, a husband. I am not fan of how domesticated they are. Women should be demanding and loud in getting what they want or need. Venetia is too gentle for me while Duert is being a workaholic and life saving doctor and his niece is a brat and passing her mistakes to the saint and sweet girl Venetia. Anneta, the niece, is bitch and manipulating Venetia. She’s seeing someone when she’s saying she’ll meet her friends. In short, a bish.
The story of this book is about Duert asking Venetia to be his fake wife for the sake of changing Anneta’s bitchy side. Well, Venetia changed his niece’s attitude by showing constant kindness to the point of being abused and stabbed in the back by accusing Venetia is having an affair that the man Anneta is seeing. Duert, who has fallen in love with Venetia, is ignoring her. But in the end, when Anneta is 18 years old and went to US with her relatives, she spilled her sins and relieved Venetia of the wrong accusations.
I see that this book has 4.00 stars and that means it is good. But it’s just too wholesome and the main character is abused because she’s too kind and considerate. I am not really fan of portrayal of women like that. Still 4 stars for me.
The story of this book is about Duert asking Venetia to be his fake wife for the sake of changing Anneta’s bitchy side. Well, Venetia changed his niece’s attitude by showing constant kindness to the point of being abused and stabbed in the back by accusing Venetia is having an affair that the man Anneta is seeing. Duert, who has fallen in love with Venetia, is ignoring her. But in the end, when Anneta is 18 years old and went to US with her relatives, she spilled her sins and relieved Venetia of the wrong accusations.
I see that this book has 4.00 stars and that means it is good. But it’s just too wholesome and the main character is abused because she’s too kind and considerate. I am not really fan of portrayal of women like that. Still 4 stars for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2021
Venetia Forbes is alone in the world with only her work as a student nurse to occupy her. Professor Duert ter Laan-Luitinga is an unattached brain surgeon with a ward who is a little on the wild side. Marriage would be convenient and give them both something they need. Will convenience turn to love?
This was the perfect rainy day book. The story was sweet and well-told. I think it is one of my favorite stories I've read by this author, and I've read quite a few by now. Venetia was a sweet, no-nonsense girl, and I liked that it took some time for her to realize her feelings for the doctor.
I am always amused by two things in these books: the descriptions of food and the descriptions of the clothes. It gives an interesting look into the time period the story is set. This time it was the late eighties, maybe the first part of 1990.
Readers who enjoy sweet, unsurprising books will probably enjoy this one.
This was the perfect rainy day book. The story was sweet and well-told. I think it is one of my favorite stories I've read by this author, and I've read quite a few by now. Venetia was a sweet, no-nonsense girl, and I liked that it took some time for her to realize her feelings for the doctor.
I am always amused by two things in these books: the descriptions of food and the descriptions of the clothes. It gives an interesting look into the time period the story is set. This time it was the late eighties, maybe the first part of 1990.
Readers who enjoy sweet, unsurprising books will probably enjoy this one.
February 14, 2022
Meh. It was okay. Being a HUGE Betty Neels fan, I'm always disappointed when I'm disappointed with one of her stories. I still want to giggle when all of Betty Neels' female characters spend hours discussing fashion. I can honestly say that I've never had five minutes worth of fashion conversation - let alone hours - with any of my friends. But, I'm just saying. The only thing that made this story "different" was the "other woman." In this case, the other woman isn't an old girlfriend or fiancé, it's the doctor's ward. Just when you thought you were starting to like Anneta, she did something nasty and spiteful [hiss!] in typical Betty Neels fashion (oops, there's that word again).
December 22, 2023
This isn’t one of the Betty books that comes to mind when I think of my favourites by this author but I quite enjoyed this long overdue re-read of it. Venetia, the heroine, though a little naive is not lacking in agency, and is kind and not too downtrodden as some Betty heroines can be. Duert is unfortunately at times rude and mostly absent-minded but not the worst. Anneta was spoiled and overindulged and took advantage of Venetia’s naïveté and Duert’s inattentiveness. And yet all these things combined to deliver another soothing, relaxing, low-mid angst Betty where the main couple’s growing feelings for each other are pretty evident.
July 23, 2023
Great story!
Duert and Venetia are a really good couple. It's interesting how he gets involved with her life in the first place. Neither actually knows they're in love until later in the story. Annetta, Duert's ward, is very spoiled and very tricky. Venetia is a little too trusting. I do wish she'd been more inclined to follow her suspicions. I loved the story overall, but would like to know what happened with the side story of Annetta. I kind of hate when there's no real resolution to part of the story.
Duert and Venetia are a really good couple. It's interesting how he gets involved with her life in the first place. Neither actually knows they're in love until later in the story. Annetta, Duert's ward, is very spoiled and very tricky. Venetia is a little too trusting. I do wish she'd been more inclined to follow her suspicions. I loved the story overall, but would like to know what happened with the side story of Annetta. I kind of hate when there's no real resolution to part of the story.
November 11, 2025
The FMC is a naively trusting and thus completely blind doormat lead by the nose by a conniving snake. The MMC was such a mocking and distant non-charmer that when he finally did show signs of affection, the FMC naturally and completely missed (or misconstrued) them. His grovel was ridiculously insufficient; her stubborn refusal to save her reputation and marriage because of a promise to a manipulative liar was annoying; the nasty snake, aka ward, never gets her comeuppance; and there is no romance until the very last page. The stars are for the food and setting.
August 10, 2023
The guy in this one was waaay too much of an unfeeling, cold, workaholic d-bag. Sometimes Betty Neels writes the worst heroes, the kind who strike you as utterly selfish psychopaths who honestly have no idea that other people, such as the h, have thoughts and feelings of their own. Makes those out-of-the-blue love confessions delivered on the second to last page feel really undeserved and hollow.
September 25, 2024
I just don’t see how seeing the hero with a wife would have helped the ward in any way just a few months before she was to leave him for good. And she turned out to be spoilt rotten . The hero was a boor. And got his wake up call when the ward lied about the heroine. His one redeeming factor was that even thinking she had cheated he was willing to go after her to bring her back. Other wise there was no romance in this one.
May 15, 2022
Usual Betty Neels, if you like her you will like this book. That said, I noticed, and have noticed in all her books, the amount of time spent eating. In this one, while on a four hour drive, they had breakfast before leaving, stopped for coffee about an hour into the drive, had crabmeat sandwiches for lunch around noon, stopped for tea when almost there and later went out for dinner!
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