The Bachelor's Wedding

by Betty Neels

HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO

A practical marriage?

Araminta Smith had first met Professor Jason Lister when she was hired to look after his niece and nephew. Knowing that her plain but honest looks weren't about to catch her a husband, she was intrigued by the distinguished surgeon's interest in her. Since he was also a confirmed bachelor, the professor's proposal came as an even greater surprise. A marriage between them, as he pointed out to her, would be infinitely practical—and Araminta was nothing if not practical. But then...what about love?

Genres: Romance, Harlequin, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Clean Romance, Hqn

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 11, 1995

About the author

Evelyn 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

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to be the kind of professor that shows up in Betty Neels' books -- the kind with a devoted man servant and cook, a Rolls Royce, and a cottage in the countryside in addition to his beautiful Regency townhouse in London. His dogs are perfectly trained, his suits perfectly pressed, and he relaxes with the poems of Horace, "in the orginal Latin, of course." When he marries, the first thing he does is give his wife permission to buy a complete new wardrobe. He diplomatically removes his avaricious inlaws by sending them to the other end of the country so they will never trouble his wife again, saves starving kittens, and rescues boys with broken legs from floods. All while looking like a gentleman and never breaking a sweat.

I would settle for a perfectly trained dog.

[Grrrrace · Rating 3 out of 5]

A re-read for me, and updated review and rating because I liked it so much better this time! A familiar Cinderella trope from Betty, with a downtrodden but plucky heroine with a vile family who is rescued via a MoC by a bookish Professor of surgery. It’s Betty doing what she did so well, and somehow it never gets old.

Araminta Smith is one of Betty's small and supposedly plain heroines who works for a temp agency. She is hired to help care for the teenaged niece and nephew of our RBD hero, Professor Jason Lister, when his sister has an emergency. Jason pointedly keeps “Miss Smith” at arm’s length, civil but coolly aloof, although he is helpful with the kids. Araminta is attracted from the start, but our sensible girl tells herself it would be silly and pointless to develop any interest in him because she's clearly a nonentity to him.

Not so much. Our RBD is soon irritated to find himself thinking about her a lot, and finding that she compares favorably to the kinds of girls who bother him to take them out when he'd rather be home relaxing with Horace (in Latin of course): ... he found it difficult to dismiss her image from his mind…she was so unlike any of the women of his acquaintance. She had made to attempt to engage his attention; the reverse in fact….She was refreshingly undemanding and he no longer found her plain. How pleasant, he considered, to be able to read and study in his library without the fear of phone calls begging him to dine or escort any of his women acquaintances, wasting hours of precious leisure…a happy state which could be achieved if he were to marry a girl as undemanding as Araminta. He laughed aloud and dismissed the absurd idea. But the seed is planted…

Jason's sister returns, and Jason drives Araminta to her cheerless home. She thinks "that's that," and resumes her unsatisfactory life, picking up another assignment immediately because her sniping, ungrateful father and sister have run up the household bills in her absence. (They are up there on the list of shittiest relatives in a BN book--which is saying something.) The job she takes is awful, and she's still weaving daydreams around meeting Professor Lister again, to her self-derision. She thinks he must have forgotten all about her..."But he hadn't."

He's thinking about her even more--what an ideal companion she was, sensible and unobtrusive and that trait most desired by a BN hero (when they're not setting themselves up for disaster with convenient social butterflies): restful. He decides to look her up to see how she is doing--particularly since he has an inkling that her home life is not very happy.

He's waiting one evening when she finishes her work for the day and he more or less springs his offer on her: a typically prosaic and rather insulting RBD/RDD MoC proposal that Araminta is rightly a little indignant about:"I suppose that, like most men, I have hoped that one day I would meet a woman I would want to love and live with for the rest of my life, but she seems to have eluded me, so I must settle for second-best. After all, many love matches come to grief, whereas a marriage founded on friendship and compatibility may well prove very successful....I consider it right to explain my feelings before I ask you to marry me, Araminta."

She was to be second-best, was she? If--and the idea was laughable of course--she should marry him, she would make him eat those words, even if it took years. It was, in fact, a good reason for marrying him... She tells him she would like to think about it and will let him know the next day. She decides to talk to her vicar, who listens carefully and asks if she loves Jason. She admits that she doesn't but that she really really likes him and they are compatible in important, serious ways. She thinks they'd be happy. The vicar tells her he thinks she should marry Jason--trust, respect, and liking can grow to affection, and it would be good for her family to have to take responsibility for themselves.

When Jason shows up that night, they tell her father and sister together that they are getting married. Sister Alice's reaction: "Marry Araminta? But that's ridiculous…she's not even pretty, you'll be ashamed by her." Jason’s look scares her and shuts her down instantly. Dear old Dad goes with "We shall have to manage as best we can without you, Araminta," a remark which made her feel guilty, as he'd intended. Dear old dad doesn’t even plan to attend the very modest wedding to give his “lesser” daughter (in his eyes) away until the hero writes him a pointed note—and includes some money so the heroine can buy a decent dress for the wedding, which he tells Araminta’s father to pretend is his own money to avoid humiliating the heroine. Dad keeps back a good portion of the money—Alice deserves some of it, he figures—but does give Araminta a hundred pounds, which she uses to buy a nice wedding outfit.

Araminta and I both start to really fall for Jason from this point, as he becomes protective and intent on making sure she’s not unhappy. ”…I want you out of your father’s house as soon as possible…I do not mean to be unjust, Araminta, but they are rapidly turning you into a doormat. You deserve better than that. I don’t promise you an exciting life, but I shall do my best to make you happy.”

They marry, a very quiet church wedding. He does have to go to the hospital that night for an emergency, and she realizes that her life with him has begun as it will go on, but she’s happy when he talks to her about his work the next morning. He’s busily back to work, though, although he promises to go with her on a shopping spree in a few days. Our heroine gets the BN clothing makeover via Harrods to kit her out for her new life.

But she’s disappointed later when he doesn't seem to notice her new pretty outfits and at his habit of retiring to his study to immerse himself in work and reading, although she knows it was what she had agreed to. Ah well, there’s always tapestry work and knitting and the dogs to keep her occupied. But she is a little sad and before long has her Dawning Realization: she’s in love with him, and probably has been for a while. Now this was a pretty kettle of fish, since he had shown no sign of even a mild romantic thought about her. The obvious answer was to get him to fall in love with her….it seemed unlikely, but with patience [and the help of beauty products, hee—that BN faith in fashion!] she could at least have a good try.

Their placid, platonic life continues, although our limited hero PoV shows Jason becoming increasingly aware of and attracted to his bride. She likes his friends—except for Vicky, who has been making plays for him for years but never achieves OW status. His friends and family find her charming, he tells her after a party, and she’s glad but It would be nice…if Jason found [her] charming too. Love, if this was love, wasn’t at all what she had expected…Something would have to be done, and quickly…How, she wondered, did one get a man to fall in love with one—even show an interest….? Something which the professor was doing, if only she could have known…

He’s noticed something different about her—“as though she had made a discovery of some sort.” He is glad that she’s slotting so conveniently into his life and he looks forward to spending the weekend with her at his country cottage. We get critter rescue, always a BN bonding event: There’s a half-starved cat at the cottage, which they take in. They have a nice weekend, pottering in the garden and taking walks, and sharing domestic tasks. Araminta is carefully friendly but reserved, though which, while it might have concealed her true feelings, caused an awkwardness which the professor was quick to notice and wonder about. He had to admit to himself that in the short time in which he had known her, she had become a part of his life which was becoming increasingly important to him, but he was aware that…Araminta had retreated and he couldn’t think why.

Back in London, Vicky invades their domestic peace their first night home, to their annoyance, although they politely ask her to stay for dinner. “What a chatterbox you are, Vicky,” Jason tells her when she rambles on about people Araminta doesn’t know, and he shuts her down sharply when she sneaks in a few jabs at Araminta. Vicky is disposed of from that point on—“a wasted evening,” Jason says to Araminta afterward, and when she thanks him again for their lovely weekend at the cottage, he gets downright testy: “Thank me?” He sounded harsh. “Why should you thank me? I found every moment of it delightful.”

Only a few days later, our hero has his own Dawning Realization: He was staring at her so intently that she looked down at her person. “Is something wrong?” she asked him. “No, no, something is very right, and I’ve only just discovered it.”

Sister Alice shows up, “fingering the small silver ornaments set out” (which I wouldn’t put past her to pocket) and boasting that dear old dad got a better gig in Bournemouth and they’ve sold the house and are moving. Araminta says to Jason afterward that it seems like a miracle and then realizes he’s the miracle maker: “I wanted to make you happy, Araminta.” Her father doesn’t know Jason was behind this uptick in good fortune, and they agree it’s better that way. They meet dear old dad and Alice for dinner (one last time, hopefully!), and dad leaves his elder daughter with this charming farewell: “Of course, you have treated us very badly…I am surprised that any daughter of mine could be so coldhearted and ungenerous, leaving us to manage on our own.” Jason presses her later about what her father said, and although she glosses over it, he says harshly: “Unless you wish to do so, you do not have to see your father or Alice again. They have treated you badly, used you as housekeeper and bread winner and not shown one jot of gratitude. They do not deserve to have their circumstances improved but it was the only way I could think that would set you free.”

With Vicky and Araminta’s crappy family disposed of neatly, we have only the Big Reveal to get past. They sat, the pair of them, each concealing their true feelings, entirely at cross purposes, Betty tells us. Clearly we need a Precipitating Event!

And we get one—nephew Jimmy is missing during a big storm! Araminta insists on going with Jason to search for him. They find him in a well—no, just kidding!—with a broken leg near the rising river, where our RBD does some emergency first aid, taking a moment to hold brave Araminta close and kiss her cold nose, and take Jimmy to safety.

They arrive back home to the tender care of the FFRs, Araminta resolves that she’s done hiding her feelings: Something would have to be done. It wasn’t honest to go on as they were; she would tell him that she had fallen in love with him and leave him to decide what to do. She had never been good at pretending…

She flies downstairs the next morning, prepared to tell all, asking if he can spare a moment, and he tells her that he can spare a lifetime for her, his “own dear heart.” Awww. He confesses his love for her first, and she starts to do the same, but he interrupts her to kiss her “gently at first, and then with a fierce enjoyment that took her breath.” Our RBD has that gleam in his eye betokening the kinds of things that lead to babies, and Buller, our FFR, spying them in a clinch in the hallway, is only to happy to report back to Mrs. Buller: “Happy ever after, that’s what—didn’t I tell you?...Happy ever after, and about time too!”

[Cheesecake · Rating 4 out of 5]

.
This one was pretty simplistic even for this author, and yet I enjoyed the slow easy ride.
It was kinda like a Cinderella story except the prince is oblivious at first rather than instantly smitten.
I think he does notice her from the first time she speaks to him, but it takes a while for his friendly appreciation to turn to desire and love.
Araminta fosters those feelings as best she can in a bit of a 'ugly duckling' bend to the story.
Araminta's father and sister are horrid, selfish people. Just unrepentantly awful! She works day jobs to make ends meet, as the father often spends too much $ on her prettier, lazy sister... yes all of BN's usual plot devices abound in this one; the older bachelor doctor, evil prettier sister, poor but resilient heroine who is 'Jolie Laide', friendly regular folk who like the h.
In this one the Doctor (a surgeon) is a nice friendly guy who is used to his quiet bachelor lifestyle, but preferring books to parties. He comes across as an absent minded professor, except that he notices more than Araminta thinks.

Around half way, the MCs progress to a marriage of convenience. I just assumed it would include sex, but it doesn't. I found this odd. There is no mention of anything intimate, and yet she doesn't doubt that he is faithful.
I loved how Araminta blossomed into a strong woman after meeting the Doctor. After the marriage, she determines to make more of their relationship using subtlety.
The HEA comes at the very end as usual, and yet it was wonderfully romantic. What I wouldn't give for an epilogue to one of BN's books though!

safety is very good no mention of his having had a sexual past at all. So it's all left up to the reader to decide about that. Araminta feels threatened by Vicki, an OW that is childhood friends with one of his sisters and had hoped to marry him herself. But the Doc puts paid to that on Araminta's behalf. It's a clean romance of course with only the kiss and embrace at the end

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this so much! First, Araminta had seriously good boundaries in her work, including with hero Jason’s niece and nephew that she helps care for in the first 40% of the book. I thought she handled the two spoiled but good-at-heart kids very intelligently and I loved reading about the meals she cooks for them. 😂 Of course, the seed is planted in Jason’s mind that Araminta has awfully good wife potential…

When Araminta’s job with Jason’s family is done, she rather unwillingly returns to her father and sister in London who have a remarkable resemblance to Sir Walter Elliot and Elizabeth Elliot in Persuasion. They’re selfish and too good for housework and can’t save money and know just how to guilt Araminta into being the household drudge. She’s torn between her love for them and her longing to set boundaries with them and their spendthrift habits. Fortunately, Jason shows up again and he knows exactly what mischief Father and Sister are up to. He proposes a marriage of convenience to Araminta and F & S are forced to do their own dirty work. You may be able to tell that I loved to hate this pair. 😆 They showed up enough to create some good conflict but not enough to be over the top. And Alice gets her comeuppance in an oh-so-satisfying way.

Jason is clear that their marriage is going to be simply companionable… I thought this was one of the better Neels story with that plot line. The agony didn’t stretch out for too long and the timing of Jason and Araminta realizing their love for each other was realistic and endearing. Such a lovely ending! And nothing like a little rescue act to bring two loving hearts together.

Altogether a lovely read with a hero and heroine who are equally likable!

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this one, our Araminta is truly Araminta Smith. Short, nicely plump with masses of mousy hair but beautiful eyes, she is also possessed of a selfish father and lazy, selfish sister. While Alice is "delicate" and "sensitive," Araminta does temporary domestic work for an agency. It is in this way that she meets her RBD, Professor Jason Lister.

After Araminta is employed by Jason's sister during a domestic crisis, he cannot stop thinking of her. Well, he thinks of coming home to her as a good friend and having her as a built-in excuse to keep away those party- and marriage-minded females who WILL keep calling him and interrupting his quiet reading time.

So he offers Araminta a rather indifferently-phrased proposal, even for a MOC-minded RDD/RBD.

"A fleeting vision of the professor kneeling at her feet begging forgiveness flashed through her head and was instantly sternly repulsed."

So they arrange to marry quietly. Araminta's father and sister aren't even going to attend the wedding, but Jason sends Mr. Smith money and more or less orders him to attend. The money is for Araminta to buy a suitable dress for the wedding. Of course Mr. Smith gives Araminta 100 pounds and gives the rest, of course, to spoiled, selfish Alice.

Jason is quite busy for a few days, in which Araminta gets acclimated to the house. Buller and Mrs. Buller help her all they can and she takes the dogs for a lot of walks. Then Jason gives himself a morning off and they go on the obligatory shopping trip.

That evening, Araminta is looking out the window watching Jason in the garden with the dogs and realizes that she's in love with him.

Jason, Meanwhile, has noticed the subtle differences in Araminta's appearance. He misses her when she isn't there and enjoys being with her. Over the next few weeks he realizes that she has become an important part of his life but doesn't quite realize that he's in love with her. Not yet.

They go to Jason's cottage in Essex for a weekend and rescue a pregnant cat. When they return, Araminta thanks Jason for a lovely weekend. He says something to the effect of "thank me? I enjoyed every minute of it." The reader gets to watch Jason fall in love and it is a delightful thing to see.

The culmination comes with severe storms. Jason and Araminta have gone to the cottage but the weather worsens and they plan to leave early in the morning. Jason wakes Araminta before daylight and tells her that his nephew Jimmy has gone missing and it is believed he is injured out in the storm. They leave immediately and go back to town, Jason intending to leave Araminta there. Araminta refuses to stay and insists on going with Jason to Tisbury. He wraps her in his arms and says "if anything should happen to you . . . "

They do go and successfully rescue Jimmy who has a broken leg. Jason acknowledges that he couldn't have done it without Araminta. After Jimmy is safely in hospital, Jason and Araminta return home, Araminta decides that she will tell Jason that she loves him. So the next morning, Araminta asks Jason if he can spare a minute. He says that he can spare her an entire lifetime and calls her his darling girl. Declarations and much kissing ensue.

I know I have read this book before, but I did not remember how delightful it is. The villains are truly villainous and Jason is truly heroic. Araminta is delightful. Araminta's father is not just selfish as I thought initially. He is truly nasty. As I said, it was truly a pleasure to watch Araminta and Jason fall in love with each other. 4 1/2 stars.

[Bookworman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best BN I've read in a while! A Cinderella-type theme with no major miscommunication between the MCs or too much angst. Just an overall cozy, romantic, and satisfying story.

I enjoyed it so much that I bought my own copy and am going to read it again!

[Teri-K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Araminta Smith. Two years ago a doctor advised her sister to avoid stress, and she's been lazing around the house ever since. Both girls live with their father, a man for whom the word "feckless" was created, who is happy to have Araminta as the breadwinner and housekeeper of the family. She works for a temp agency and her latest job is caring for two teenagers who are currently in the care of their Uncle, a distinguished British doctor. Will the teenagers keep behaving like rude, spoiled brats? Will Araminta's family continue to take advantage of her? How long will it take for the doctor to realize he's in love with her, and how will he go about setting everyone in Araminta's life straight?

The beginning of this story was positively Dickensian, with downtrodden Araminta and her unappreciative family. I actually giggled at it. Eventually things settle down some. Then I appreciated the fact that instead of bemoaning the fact that she's fallen in love with her husband-of-convenience, she decided to do her best to make him love her, too. Jacob is a likable hero, so it's a true HEA at this end of this light, fun story.

[Pamela Su · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Betty Neels fare.

If you like Betty Neels, you'll know what to expect. If you don't, you'll hate it. This has all of Betty Neels' staple themes.

Plain, unassuming but quietly competent heroine...check!
Down-to-earth, eligible doctor who plays his cards close to his chest...check! (Oh, but he isn't Dutch this time! Wow!)
Ungrateful family members...check!
Horrible menial job that sucks your soul...check!

I really do enjoy my Betty Neels romances.

[Marybelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet book. It’s not complicated, exciting, or action-packed. Just a quiet romance that comforts the heart. Usually in Betty Neels’ books we get mostly the female protagonist’s point of view. However, in this book we also get Dr. Lister’s point of view as well. It was nice to see the male lead slowly falling in love. It was also nice to have a strong female that was smart enough to set into play a plan of action to get her man. Great book for a rainy afternoon.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

High drama at end of this one. Abrupt ending.
Part of a combo c2020.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Betty Neels. Her books are perfect for a lazy Sunday.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not my first reading of this book. It is one I really enjoy because it is about two people who fall in love without realizing it. He proposes a marriage of convenience (a popular Betty Neels plotline) and they slowly come face to face with their feelings. My only problem is with Araminta's family. How could anyone be so self-centered and unfeeling toward another member of the family? Araminta's father and sister only tolerate her presence as a maid-of-all-work and a part-time income. Of course, in the end, even they are a little better off, in money at least, if not in manners.

[Biondy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Araminta Smith, gadis sederhana yang hidup bersama seorang ayah yang boros dan adik perempuan yang sangat manja. Dia berjuang keras untuk menghidupi mereka bertiga dan berkali-kali harus menelan kekecewaan akan perlakuan ayah dan adiknya terhadap dirinya.

Hidup Araminta berubah ketika Prof. Jason Lister, seorang dokter bedah, memintanya menjadi istrinya. Setelah mengenal Araminta ketika gadis itu bekerja membantu saudarinya, Prof. Lister merasa dia adalh kandidat yang tepat untuk menjadi istrinya.

Yang Prof. Lister cari adalah seorang wanita yang dapat mengerti waktu kerjanya yang tidak tetap sebagai dokter bedah, tidak banyak menuntut, dan dapat memberinya waktu dan ruang saat dia ingin sendiri. Melihat ini sebagai kesempatan untuk keluar dari tekanan keluarganya, Araminta setuju akan kondisi-kondisi itu.

Araminta, seperti gadis-gadis lainnya, juga bermimpi akan sebuah pernikahan yang penuh cinta dan gairah. Apakah keputusannya untuk menukar mimpinya itu dengan satu kesempatan ini adalah keputusan yang tepat? Apakah cinta merupakan segala-galanya dalam suatu rumah tangga?

Ini pengalaman pertama saya baca novel Harlequin. Sudah lama (banget) melihat novel jenis ini di toko-toko buku, tapi tidak pernah tertarik membacanya. Soalnya kayaknya line ini "cewek" banget. Nah, iseng kali ini saya coba membaca Harlequin karena ingin tahu seperti apa isinya.

Bagian awal novel ini masih cukup menarik menurut saya. Khususnya di bagian Araminta menangani ayah dan adiknya. Duh, punya keluarga kayak gitu beneran nyebelin. Kalau saya jadi Araminta juga pasti setuju dengan tawaran Prof. Lister.

Masuk ke bagian setelah dia menikah, segalanya jadi membosankan. Isinya hanya hal-hal trivial dan tidak ada bagian yang dapat menjadi klimaks cerita. Endingnya pun buat saya terasa datar. Btw melihat si Jason Lister ini, saya jadi penasaran apa tokoh pria utama di serial Harlequin memang tipe cowok sempurna yah? Hmm...

Oh, well. Mungkin juga faktor tahun keluaran novel ini juga salah satu hal yang membuat alurnya terasa usang. Mari coba baca Harlequin pinjaman selanjutnya yang agak lebih "baru" (walau tetap aja lama. Wong keluaran tahun 2002).

1.5/5 bintang. Pembulatan ke atas.

[Mudpie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh dear, another meh book in a row. Copyrighted in 1995, it reads not much different from her earlier books except maybe a sameness in plot and characters.

In this story there's really not very much drama. The angst came from Araminta's father and sister's ill treatment of her. She was expected to keep house, wait on her father and useless sister hand and foot, while working menial jobs to supplement the household income! Her father was drawing a not too bad salary yet the money was always squandered by the other two.

Our hero Jason came to the rescue! Really all these marriage of convenience plots have the hero offering an MOC almost out of the blue. In this case the bookish surgeon really wanted a companion and wife who would not interfere with his work, while keeping him safe from matchmakers and gold diggers!

However as time passed, and Araminta's little tricks to improve her looks did draw his attention and interest. It was so funny how one would embroider like mad while trying to hide her secret glances and posturing, the other stared and hope for a sign that she'd be more interested in him! Cross purposes indeed haha! Very sweet watching him fall for her. He truly did not know what's happening, poor clueless but brilliant surgeon!

The attempt at increasing tension with the introduction of an " Other Woman " didn't amount to much.

So overall this felt very milquetoast...very bland romance. Though I like both Araminta and Jason, they were nice and good.

[Fiona Marsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A marriage of convenience story with an absent minded professor and a hard done by young woman. Araminta has one of the stock standard nasty family's so common in Neels' later work. Her father is a spendthrift who spoils his pretty and selfish younger daughter while Araminta struggles to keep the family afloat with part time work and keeping house.

When she gets a position looking after the Professor's niece and nephew while their parents are away, they are thrown together. However neither of them quite realise why they find themselves so comfortable in each others company.

He sees only a restful companion and she, really likes him. When they embark on their marriage it is with a vision of quiet contentment. Naturally it doesn't quite work out that way.

A lovely story and enjoyable read.

[Gramedia Pustaka Utama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Khas cerita Betty Neels, Jason & Araminta menikah tanpa dasar cinta. Di buku ini dikisahkan malah Jason meminta Araminta menikah dengannya atas dasar bahwa Jason butuh istri yang tidak neko-neko dan Jason berpikir bahwa Araminta pun butuh keluar dari kekisruhan mengurusi ayah dan adiknya.

Pertemuan antara Jason dan Araminta terjadi karena Araminta diminta menjadi nanny sementara untuk keponakan Jason. Ketika masa tugas berakhiri itulah Jason melamar Araminta.

Sampai pada akhirnya bisa ditebak, keduanya saling jatuh cinta. Ada satu kalimat yang bikin saya terharu -pada saat Araminta menyadari dirinya jatuh cinta pada Jason, bahwa cinta itu seperti rintik rintik air hujan, merembes ke dalam tanah, bukan seperti petir yang menyambar.

[penelopewanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received as part of an Advents calendar book giveaway, I picked this up today as I wanted a book that wouldn't be too heavy to tote when I went into town.
This is my first encounter with this author, and I find she writes a pleasant story. Were it not for the insight the author provides into her thoughts, the main character would probably be teeth-gnashingly too good to be true, but as on occasion she has quite uncharitable thoughts, she is more bearable in her stoic compliance. The unquestioned acceptance of a chaste marriage was a bit strange- presumably that is resolved on the page after the last. Enjoyable little interlude between other potentially heavier books (in every sense of the term). Lovely to have received as a gift.

[Hopefulpuffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rolls.

A solid book with downtrodden heroine who's pretty much walked over by her widower father and beautiful younger sister.

Bespectacled Professor Jason Lister to save the day! He reads poems in their original Greek and Latin, he sets bones during mighty fierce storms, he marries the mousy average-looking girl.

Araminta knows she's mousy. Luckily, her looks are much improved after a major shopping spree at Harrods (never Selfridges or Harvey Nicks for our Betty heroines) and a trip to the hairdresser.

Best quote when Araminta is trying to figure out how to tell the Professor she loves him, "...one should declare one's love in a shy whisper, preferably in a pretty dress, with soft lighting."

Not much kissing in this one. Too bad. I have the feeling the Professor is good at it!

[Mirella Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berapa yaaa? Rada bingung kasih ratingnya... 4.5 bintang deh... Maklum, dari 3 novel Betty Neels yang diterbitin ma GPU, ini novel favorit saya.

Ceritanya tetep khas Betty Neels, kalo judulnya "Perkawinan Tanpa Cinta", ya memang benar. Araminta dan Jason memang menikah tanpa cinta di antara mereka berdua. Cinta baru berkembang setelah mereka menikah dan mengalami berbagai hal dalam kehidupan pernikahan mereka, termasuk kedatangan Vicky, mantan pacar Jason. Lantas ada juga badai kencang yang menyebabkan keponakan Jason hilang.

Herannya, pas saya baca 2 buku Betty Neels berturutan, entah mengapa nama tokoh wanitanya Araminta... yes, for both books...

[LiMa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

The Bachelor's Wedding from 1995 features an Araminta (small, plump, plain, abundant hair, beautiful eyes) named Araminta. I think there is at least one other Araminta so-named in the canon, but I really like this one. She's a great character.

Araminta Smith is 23, and living with her father and sister Alice. Both of them are awful. Alice might not overdose babies with Seconal (cough*winterwedding*cough) but she's very open about both despising Araminta and her ongoing plans for using Araminta as an unpaid housekeeper and primary breadwinner (she takes temp jobs to keep them all ahead of the bill collectors while Alice lolls around). Dad is just as bad and often tells her how disappointed he is in her for failing to be in two places at once (out working to pay the family's bills because he's terrible at managing his finances, or at home cooking and cleaning, take your pick). Araminta sometimes makes excuses for them but she's quite clear-eyed about them too. She dreams of walking out to lead her own life but knows she never will. It's never really explained why they feel so free to verbally and financially abuse her and why she puts up with it. But Betty frequently uses this scenario as a plot point in way too many of her books.

Then one day Araminta gets a job as a temporary home help for a woman whose husband is working in South America and has fallen ill. The wife has to fly off at a moment's notice so her brother Jason, a renowned surgeon, gets the job of hiring someone to take care of her resentful teenage children. These two little horrors don't believe they need a babysitter but since her presence is a fait accompli, shrug their shoulders and proceed to treat Araminta dismissively as nothing more than the hired help. This book is full of people treating kind, patient, hardworking and practical Araminta like s***.

But while his sister is overseas, Jason and Araminta get to know each other a bit. He's aloof and cool for sure, because he's locked down tight emotionally. But he is also willing to unbend a little when needed. When Mum returns and Araminta has to return home to her despicable family, part II of the story commences. Jason decides it's time to take a wife and he proposes a marriage of- not convenience exactly- but one of friendship, companionship and low-key gentle living. He is very clear that no romance is on the table, and that he believes Araminta will be the wife he needs: someone compatible who respects time spent on his work, leaves him alone to his preferred leisure activities of reading books in the original Latin (or is it Greek) and serving as a buffer from all the ladies who would like to distract him from his solitary scholarly pursuits.

Araminta is OK with all of this. She isn't in love at this point but she likes Jason very much and is very comfortable with him. She considers the genteel life Jason will give her to be a vast improvement over spending her youth as her family's doormat and scapegoat.

Now normally in a Neels, you would see some hint that the RBD/RDD has fallen in love very quickly and is just waiting around for the heroine to fall in love with him. We definitely get some side character POV early on that Jason is having tender feelings for Araminta but his actions say differently. If he is in love early on, it's buried deep in his psyche. It takes Araminta until late in the book herself before she admits to herself that she loves him, and his dawning realization is even slower. I mean, if the standard BN Home Tour of Everlasting Love as a token of the RDD/RBD's undying love (characterized by the ladies over at the Uncrushable Jersey Dress) is any clue, Jason leaves it to the housekeeper to show Araminta the house while he goes to his study and shuts the door. But he does take her shopping and to weekends at his country cottage, spends time explaining his work and encouraging her interest in learning about medicine. Together they rescue a stray cat and also his nephew (flood, out hiking, broken leg). For both, this love seems to be more about their compatibility, mutual liking and respect than burning desire. Betty frequently has her characters mention that there is a difference between loving and being in love (that is, true caring vs passion). This book is really pouring this concept on thick. It's a warm, gentle read.

Here's what I liked about the book:
Araminta'a kind, pragmatic nature.
Jason's equally kind personality and his immediate efforts to bring Araminta into his life.
Cat rescue! Pregnant mom cat!
Jason's beautiful homes
All the usual BN focus on food, cooking, housekeeping
An epic shopping expedition to buy Araminta a whole new wardrobe
Jason putting the rotten teenagers in their place for their rudeness to Araminta.
Jason putting the rotten would-be OW in her place for being rude to Araminta.
Jason relocating Araminta's rotten family far away where they can't continue to be rude *and* despicable to her.

The ending is incredibly abrupt and quite clunky. Betty's endings were usually very abrupt, but in this case, after all the wonderful details that came before, it's like she realized she only had five minutes left to write the ending and send the manuscript off in the post to the publisher. Unfortunately, this is one of the couples who did not make cameo appearances in later books so we don't get a look at their HEA and future babies. I would have liked to see that.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A petty standard Betty Neels. Woman works hard, is unappreciated by family, particularly attractive younger sister. Older and slightly gruff Doctor is the hero. As I said, the usual. But this is even more charming than the usual Neels, there was more time spent on what the hero was thinking, and we could see him grow to love her.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm on a Betty Neels kick at the momemt: her books are full of certainty and nostalgia -- when life is busy, that's just what the doctor ordered! Her heroines are very "can-do" and they make the best of life. Which appeals.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, easy read.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this author on the Clean Romance group bookshelf so I thought I'd give it a try. It was a cute story, nothing extraordinary. Nice and clean.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, you almost always know what you're going to get with a Betty Neels book. I enjoy them for a quick read when it is too late to start something longer.

[Mary Craven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have re-read The Bachelor's Wedding. One of my favorite authors. Nice to have an old favorite waiting when you are busy with yard work.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first Betty Neels book that I have read. An utterly heart-warming feel good read. I loved it and have devoured three more by Ms. Neels.

[Kobie · Rating 5 out of 5]

just love Betty Neels!

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this on the kindle but the synopsis is wrong for this book
It was still a nice book as is all of Betty Neels books you know what will happen it just how you get there

[Deane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like these stories where the two main characters have a platonic marriage....

Araminta Smith is a slave to her father and sister....she waits on them hand and foot and supports them by working ...her father is always spending money on the sister, Alice....he expects Araminta to give all of her money into the housekeeping money where he takes any of the money he wants to spend on Alice.

Araminta gets a weekly job looking after two young teens who don't care for her because she makes them make their beds, hang up their clothing, pick up their school bags but they are doing as she asks except the girl, Gloria who is used to being able to do whatever she wants to do. Her mother and the helper never restrict her.

After their uncle Professor Jason Lister sees Araminter's home environment, he suggests that they marry....she needs a better home and he would like someone like her who is quiet and understands when he has to be reading or writing or going to the hospital.

She realizes she is in love with him but it takes him a longer to realize he loves her also....so all ends well, as usual.