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The Girl with Green Eyes
Unlike her two sisters, Lucy was happier at home—if only she could find Mr. Right to share it with! But when she had almost given up her search for such a man, the eminent pediatrician William Thurloe came into her life. Attractive and dynamic, he was the answer to her dreams. But why would he be interested in her when the glamorous Fiona made it clear she was also available?Originally published in 1991.
174 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1990
96 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
Betty Neels
582 books419 followersEvelyn Jessy "Betty" Neels was born on September 15, 1910 in Devon to a family with firm roots in the civil service. She said she had a blissfully happy childhood and teenage years.(This stood her in good stead later for the tribulations to come with the Second World War). She was sent away to boarding school, and then went on to train as a nurse, gaining her SRN and SCM, that is, State Registered Nurse and State Certificate of Midwifery.
In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service, which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station. This comprised eight nursing sisters, including Betty, to 100 men! In other circumstances, she thought that might have been quite thrilling! When France was invaded in 1940, all the nursing sisters managed to escape in the charge of an army major, undertaking a lengthy and terrifying journey to Boulogne in an ambulance. They were incredibly fortunate to be put on the last hospital ship to be leaving the port of Boulogne. But Betty's war didn't end there, for she was posted to Scotland, and then on to Northern Ireland, where she met her Dutch husband. He was a seaman aboard a minesweeper, which was bombed. He survived and was sent to the south of Holland to guard the sluices. However, when they had to abandon their post, they were told to escape if they could, and along with a small number of other men, he marched into Belgium. They stole a ship and managed to get it across the Channel to Dover before being transferred to the Atlantic run on the convoys. Sadly he became ill, and that was when he was transferred to hospital in Northern Ireland, where he met Betty. They eventually married, and were blessed with a daughter. They were posted to London, but were bombed out. As with most of the population, they made the best of things.
When the war finally ended, she and her husband were repatriated to Holland. As his family had believed he had died when his ship went down, this was a very emotional homecoming. The small family lived in Holland for 13 years, and Betty resumed her nursing career there. When they decided to return to England, Betty continued her nursing and when she eventually retired she had reached the position of night superintendent.
Betty Neels began writing almost by accident. She had retired from nursing, but her inquiring mind had no intention of vegetating, and her new career was born when she heard a lady in her local library bemoaning the lack of good romance novels. There was little in Betty's background to suggest that she might eventually become a much-loved novelist.
Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969, and by dint of often writing four books a year, she eventually completed 134 books. She was always quite firm upon the point that the Dutch doctors who frequently appeared in her stories were *not* based upon her husband, but rather upon an amalgam of several of the doctors she met while nursing in Holland.
To her millions of fans around the world, Betty Neels epitomized romance. She was always amazed and touched that her books were so widely appreciated. She never sought plaudits and remained a very private person, but it made her very happy to know that she brought such pleasure to so many readers, while herself gaining a quiet joy from spinning her stories. It is perhaps a reflection of her upbringing in an earlier time that the men and women who peopled her stories have a kindliness and good manners, coupled to honesty and integrity, that is not always present in our modern world. Her myriad of fans found a warmth and a reassurance of a better world in her stories, along with characters who touched the heart, which is all and more than one could ask of a romance writer. She received a great deal of fan mail, and there was always a comment upon the fascinating places she visited in her stories. Quite often those of her fans fortunate enough to visit Ho
In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service, which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station. This comprised eight nursing sisters, including Betty, to 100 men! In other circumstances, she thought that might have been quite thrilling! When France was invaded in 1940, all the nursing sisters managed to escape in the charge of an army major, undertaking a lengthy and terrifying journey to Boulogne in an ambulance. They were incredibly fortunate to be put on the last hospital ship to be leaving the port of Boulogne. But Betty's war didn't end there, for she was posted to Scotland, and then on to Northern Ireland, where she met her Dutch husband. He was a seaman aboard a minesweeper, which was bombed. He survived and was sent to the south of Holland to guard the sluices. However, when they had to abandon their post, they were told to escape if they could, and along with a small number of other men, he marched into Belgium. They stole a ship and managed to get it across the Channel to Dover before being transferred to the Atlantic run on the convoys. Sadly he became ill, and that was when he was transferred to hospital in Northern Ireland, where he met Betty. They eventually married, and were blessed with a daughter. They were posted to London, but were bombed out. As with most of the population, they made the best of things.
When the war finally ended, she and her husband were repatriated to Holland. As his family had believed he had died when his ship went down, this was a very emotional homecoming. The small family lived in Holland for 13 years, and Betty resumed her nursing career there. When they decided to return to England, Betty continued her nursing and when she eventually retired she had reached the position of night superintendent.
Betty Neels began writing almost by accident. She had retired from nursing, but her inquiring mind had no intention of vegetating, and her new career was born when she heard a lady in her local library bemoaning the lack of good romance novels. There was little in Betty's background to suggest that she might eventually become a much-loved novelist.
Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969, and by dint of often writing four books a year, she eventually completed 134 books. She was always quite firm upon the point that the Dutch doctors who frequently appeared in her stories were *not* based upon her husband, but rather upon an amalgam of several of the doctors she met while nursing in Holland.
To her millions of fans around the world, Betty Neels epitomized romance. She was always amazed and touched that her books were so widely appreciated. She never sought plaudits and remained a very private person, but it made her very happy to know that she brought such pleasure to so many readers, while herself gaining a quiet joy from spinning her stories. It is perhaps a reflection of her upbringing in an earlier time that the men and women who peopled her stories have a kindliness and good manners, coupled to honesty and integrity, that is not always present in our modern world. Her myriad of fans found a warmth and a reassurance of a better world in her stories, along with characters who touched the heart, which is all and more than one could ask of a romance writer. She received a great deal of fan mail, and there was always a comment upon the fascinating places she visited in her stories. Quite often those of her fans fortunate enough to visit Ho
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
December 14, 2012
So, this book and I had a complicated relationship. To begin with, my friends and I have a trashy romance novel book circle, where we often give each other books where the heroine has our name or, in this case, green eyes like mine -- the more ridiculously terrible or terribly ridiculous, the better.
Unfortunately, I mostly just found this book boring -- excruciatingly so, to the point where I could only read a couple of pages at a time, and eventually started making snarky comments in the margins because it was the only way I could stand to read it. The characters are incredibly dull and the world is populated by robots rather than real people. The writing is bland, and apparently missed the whole "show, don't tell" boat. It also feels old fashioned, but not in a charming way, like Pushing Daisies or Damsels in Distress, but a creepy, Stepford way. I finally started to make up ways to explain why the heroine was so utterly boring and the hero so darn creepy.
My first explanation was that Lucy was mildly mentally retarded. This would explain why her parents preferred that she stay home and help them plan parties and such, why she had to fight to get a job, and why no one seemed terribly surprised that she had never gone to college. It also explains why William felt so creepy -- not only was he making decisions for Lucy without her input (e.g. ordering for her at restaurants), but he was also hitting on a mentally retarded woman a good decade his junior. Creep.
Then I realized that this didn't work, because the entire world in which this book takes place is completely warped. Although it was written in 1991 and presumably meant to be contemporary, everyone has a household staff, the friends' live-in nanny only gets 4 hours off a week, and measles is apparently a common childhood illness instead of a public health emergency. Which...no, just no. Accordingly, my second way to make the book more interesting was that it had started out as a tie-in novel to The Stepford Wives. At least it explained William.
[Sidenote: I have a Masters degree in infectious disease epidemiology, and I can tell you that is not the case now, but as I was born in 1987, I checked with my mother, a former hospital administrator, just to be sure, and she confirmed what I thought.
I will, however, credit the author with knowing the symptoms of legionnaire's disease, and that it is only transmitted from a point source, not person to person. However, an outbreak among children would be extremely unusual -- it is far more common among seniors, smokers, and the immunocompromised. I suspect she wanted a disease that was serious, but that her protagonists would not be in danger from, and that wouldn't be gross to deal with.]
But a funny thing happened as I sped through the last bit of the book on a high from some truly excellent coffee and beignets: I started to like Lucy, just a little. She showed some actual personality, even if it was in the form of passive-aggressive bitchiness, and the fact that she had actually fought to get her job and keep it, even with her family being such jerks about it, became a lot more impressive after her family began to play a more prominent role. William became even more of a controlling, infantalizing jerk, and if Fiona were a male villain she would have had a Snidely Whiplash mustache to twirl, but it became clear to me that Lucy was a perfectly normal young woman who had been trampled into a doormat. So what if she'd used her only ration of "freaking do something" to get that orphanage job before the book started? At least she'd done it! I found myself hoping that after she was fired at the end, she would tell her family to go to Hell, move to Scotland, and start over. Unfortunately, she used her new ration of "freaking do something" to chase after William. What a waste.
For most of this evening, I have been nursing some sincere anger with the author, but then I looked her up on Wikipedia. It turns out that Ms. Neels was born in 1909 and didn't start writing until 1969, though she continued until her death in 2001. So really, the entire world was probably telling her for most of her life that this was how the world should be. Maybe she really wanted to be a doctor, but writing fiction in this most maligned of genres was all she could reasonably spend her ration of rebellion on.
So, now, if you have made it to the end of this review, I ask that you take a moment to thank everyone who has worked and continues to work to ensure that the world portrayed by Betty Neels is no longer a reality, and never will be again. This book may be an absolutely awful piece of writing, but it has opened my eyes to how very lucky I am, and that is always a good thing.
Just, uh, fellow terrible-romance-novel-circle members? Please, please, please confirm that I would never be this much of a doormat, even if I had been born in 1909? The thought kind of makes me want to scream in terror.
Unfortunately, I mostly just found this book boring -- excruciatingly so, to the point where I could only read a couple of pages at a time, and eventually started making snarky comments in the margins because it was the only way I could stand to read it. The characters are incredibly dull and the world is populated by robots rather than real people. The writing is bland, and apparently missed the whole "show, don't tell" boat. It also feels old fashioned, but not in a charming way, like Pushing Daisies or Damsels in Distress, but a creepy, Stepford way. I finally started to make up ways to explain why the heroine was so utterly boring and the hero so darn creepy.
My first explanation was that Lucy was mildly mentally retarded. This would explain why her parents preferred that she stay home and help them plan parties and such, why she had to fight to get a job, and why no one seemed terribly surprised that she had never gone to college. It also explains why William felt so creepy -- not only was he making decisions for Lucy without her input (e.g. ordering for her at restaurants), but he was also hitting on a mentally retarded woman a good decade his junior. Creep.
Then I realized that this didn't work, because the entire world in which this book takes place is completely warped. Although it was written in 1991 and presumably meant to be contemporary, everyone has a household staff, the friends' live-in nanny only gets 4 hours off a week, and measles is apparently a common childhood illness instead of a public health emergency. Which...no, just no. Accordingly, my second way to make the book more interesting was that it had started out as a tie-in novel to The Stepford Wives. At least it explained William.
[Sidenote: I have a Masters degree in infectious disease epidemiology, and I can tell you that is not the case now, but as I was born in 1987, I checked with my mother, a former hospital administrator, just to be sure, and she confirmed what I thought.
I will, however, credit the author with knowing the symptoms of legionnaire's disease, and that it is only transmitted from a point source, not person to person. However, an outbreak among children would be extremely unusual -- it is far more common among seniors, smokers, and the immunocompromised. I suspect she wanted a disease that was serious, but that her protagonists would not be in danger from, and that wouldn't be gross to deal with.]
But a funny thing happened as I sped through the last bit of the book on a high from some truly excellent coffee and beignets: I started to like Lucy, just a little. She showed some actual personality, even if it was in the form of passive-aggressive bitchiness, and the fact that she had actually fought to get her job and keep it, even with her family being such jerks about it, became a lot more impressive after her family began to play a more prominent role. William became even more of a controlling, infantalizing jerk, and if Fiona were a male villain she would have had a Snidely Whiplash mustache to twirl, but it became clear to me that Lucy was a perfectly normal young woman who had been trampled into a doormat. So what if she'd used her only ration of "freaking do something" to get that orphanage job before the book started? At least she'd done it! I found myself hoping that after she was fired at the end, she would tell her family to go to Hell, move to Scotland, and start over. Unfortunately, she used her new ration of "freaking do something" to chase after William. What a waste.
For most of this evening, I have been nursing some sincere anger with the author, but then I looked her up on Wikipedia. It turns out that Ms. Neels was born in 1909 and didn't start writing until 1969, though she continued until her death in 2001. So really, the entire world was probably telling her for most of her life that this was how the world should be. Maybe she really wanted to be a doctor, but writing fiction in this most maligned of genres was all she could reasonably spend her ration of rebellion on.
So, now, if you have made it to the end of this review, I ask that you take a moment to thank everyone who has worked and continues to work to ensure that the world portrayed by Betty Neels is no longer a reality, and never will be again. This book may be an absolutely awful piece of writing, but it has opened my eyes to how very lucky I am, and that is always a good thing.
Just, uh, fellow terrible-romance-novel-circle members? Please, please, please confirm that I would never be this much of a doormat, even if I had been born in 1909? The thought kind of makes me want to scream in terror.
April 18, 2021
I recommend passing on this one. It's barely 2 stars. In fact 2 stars is quite generous. Usually, when I don't like a book it is due to the hero. However, this time it was the heroine. The hero was too good for her and I think he should have fallen in love with OW.
A dud....
A dud....
March 5, 2015
3 1/2 stars. I’m quite torn on this book. I confess to being quite partial to the title, myself being a “girl with green eyes.” Lucy is adorable, but perhaps a bit too precious. William is the typical Neels hero, although somewhat less vague than some.
First of all, Lucy Lockitt is not an Araminta. She is quite pretty and has a comfortably-upper-middle-class family. Her father is an eminent archaeologist; her mother is a society-minded wife with the intelligence to competently accompany her husband on expeditions; and her sisters are both “clever” young career women. So, why does Lucy behave like an Araminta, and a rather immature one at that??? I get the shyness, I truly do, having strong introvert tendencies myself. I like Lucy and I would like her even more if she spent less time crying and bemoaning her lack of cleverness (although I blame that on her family). One trait that has my unqualified approval, though, is her love of poetry. I love, love, love the scene where she quotes the poem Waiting by John Burroughs. (Burroughs was an American poet, a contemporary of Whitman.)
I do love that Lucy marched to her own drummer and stuck with her job at the orphanage in spite of her family’s disapproval.
I love Alice the confidant/housekeeper.
I love that William was open with Lucy about his lack of interest in marrying Fiona.
I love that William took Lucy to his house every day so she could nap in his garden.
Fiona is a deliciously evil OW.
As usual, I enjoy the post-marital peek into the homes of other RDDs/PBNs, this time Litrik and Fran from The Secret Pool.
I love that Lucy didn’t hesitate to travel to Holland to find William when she discovered Fiona’s Evil Plot.
Delightful Declaration and Proposal.
First of all, Lucy Lockitt is not an Araminta. She is quite pretty and has a comfortably-upper-middle-class family. Her father is an eminent archaeologist; her mother is a society-minded wife with the intelligence to competently accompany her husband on expeditions; and her sisters are both “clever” young career women. So, why does Lucy behave like an Araminta, and a rather immature one at that??? I get the shyness, I truly do, having strong introvert tendencies myself. I like Lucy and I would like her even more if she spent less time crying and bemoaning her lack of cleverness (although I blame that on her family). One trait that has my unqualified approval, though, is her love of poetry. I love, love, love the scene where she quotes the poem Waiting by John Burroughs. (Burroughs was an American poet, a contemporary of Whitman.)
I do love that Lucy marched to her own drummer and stuck with her job at the orphanage in spite of her family’s disapproval.
I love Alice the confidant/housekeeper.
I love that William was open with Lucy about his lack of interest in marrying Fiona.
I love that William took Lucy to his house every day so she could nap in his garden.
Fiona is a deliciously evil OW.
As usual, I enjoy the post-marital peek into the homes of other RDDs/PBNs, this time Litrik and Fran from The Secret Pool.
I love that Lucy didn’t hesitate to travel to Holland to find William when she discovered Fiona’s Evil Plot.
Delightful Declaration and Proposal.
November 16, 2023
3.5 rounded up to 4. I just have to say that Lucy’s family is so oddly and annoyingly condescending to her about her work in an orphanage. One sister works in an art gallery and the other is a secretary to a high-powered finance guy. And why are they so much more clever and accomplished than Lucy? (They’re not.) Lucy’s love of the children in the orphanage and especially her care for the vulnerable Miranda is so lovely. It’s the best part of this story. The other best part is that Dr William Thurloe thoroughly appreciates Lucy’s kindness, patience, and gentleness. I also love Lucy’s family’s housekeeper Alice. I also enjoyed Lucy’s trip(s) 🤐 to Holland and another Betty couple, Litrik and Francesca. At least, I assume they must be another Betty couple. If I’ve read their story, I can’t quite remember it. 😂 So yeah, this is a fun one despite the silly miscommunication towards the end, but that’s classic Betty. The rather epic rom-com ending helps make up for it.
August 17, 2025
One of the few Betty Neels' titles that I have never read before. It's so delightful that even after 20 years I can still find new books of hers to discover.
This was also delightful and maybe in my top five BN's.
ETA 8-16-25
I re-read this since it's available on KU. It's definitely not in my top five Bettys. Don't get me wrong. It's good. I just didn't adore it as much as I thought I might. Based on my 2011 review though, I loved it.
Probably more of a 3 1/2 - 4 star rating. It was a little long in the tooth.
This was also delightful and maybe in my top five BN's.
ETA 8-16-25
I re-read this since it's available on KU. It's definitely not in my top five Bettys. Don't get me wrong. It's good. I just didn't adore it as much as I thought I might. Based on my 2011 review though, I loved it.
Probably more of a 3 1/2 - 4 star rating. It was a little long in the tooth.
March 21, 2013
Let me preface my review by saying that I love Betty Neel's books. I don't mind they are old fashioned romances in fact that really warms my heart that in a time where romance is pretty flashy (still good but flashy) the nostalgia and simplicity of her books are heartwarming.
Now for the actual review. It wasn't a bad book. Don't let the 2 stars fool you. Overall the book wasn't bad, but to me the issues outweighed the good.
Issue One: Sensible heroine doesn't act sensibly.
When it came to her relationship with the good doctor Lucy did a lot of things off the fly. She lied and she just was flighty but her character was sensible and reliable. This was completely at odds and kept me from trying to empathize with her.
Issue Two: Everyone disliked Fiona but she got her way almost til the very end.
WTF...seriously...W...T...F.... I appreciate that sometimes circumstances being what they are...this can happen...but it was a pretty last slide kinda move and not something I was expecting from Betty Neels in this book. I was a bit disappointed in how that mess all went down. [To clarify: I think that it could have been done-a last minute save...and BN has done it well in other books but it didn't work out for The Girl With the Green Eyes....just didn't]
Issue Three: I really wanted her family to see that she wasn't a failure.
Can someone acknowledge her talents please???? Someone other than the doctor. Please??? This isn't really an issue as much as a pet peeve. It was like the heroine was treated as if she were stupid when she really wasn't.
Issue Four: Where is the chemistry???
I don't know about anyone else but I found the doctor's insistence at taking Fiona out (aka the girl everyone hated) whilst deciding to MARRY Lucy in pretty bad taste. Or even when his feelings changed...that's when you set that heifa excuse me when you set Fiona straight good doctor.
Issue Five: Random declaration of love at the end.
See issue four: no chemistry and all of a sudden he loves her back. I mean -ok so that's not entirely true...we see evidence of his feelings but he was very very very very closemouthed about it. The kiss was cute though. (and it happened closer to the end...so not kosher)
But I loved: Lucy's sensibilty.
The way the doctor was very much alpha male.
The very sweet letter that he wrote to her.
The way he took care of her.
Her bumbling encounters with him. (NOT the second guessing and self deprecating thoughts afterward)
and Alice...
***I added another star because I really do like this book and I find myself reading it over and over again. Even with my issues with it.
Now for the actual review. It wasn't a bad book. Don't let the 2 stars fool you. Overall the book wasn't bad, but to me the issues outweighed the good.
Issue One: Sensible heroine doesn't act sensibly.
When it came to her relationship with the good doctor Lucy did a lot of things off the fly. She lied and she just was flighty but her character was sensible and reliable. This was completely at odds and kept me from trying to empathize with her.
Issue Two: Everyone disliked Fiona but she got her way almost til the very end.
WTF...seriously...W...T...F.... I appreciate that sometimes circumstances being what they are...this can happen...but it was a pretty last slide kinda move and not something I was expecting from Betty Neels in this book. I was a bit disappointed in how that mess all went down. [To clarify: I think that it could have been done-a last minute save...and BN has done it well in other books but it didn't work out for The Girl With the Green Eyes....just didn't]
Issue Three: I really wanted her family to see that she wasn't a failure.
Can someone acknowledge her talents please???? Someone other than the doctor. Please??? This isn't really an issue as much as a pet peeve. It was like the heroine was treated as if she were stupid when she really wasn't.
Issue Four: Where is the chemistry???
I don't know about anyone else but I found the doctor's insistence at taking Fiona out (aka the girl everyone hated) whilst deciding to MARRY Lucy in pretty bad taste. Or even when his feelings changed...that's when you set that heifa excuse me when you set Fiona straight good doctor.
Issue Five: Random declaration of love at the end.
See issue four: no chemistry and all of a sudden he loves her back. I mean -ok so that's not entirely true...we see evidence of his feelings but he was very very very very closemouthed about it. The kiss was cute though. (and it happened closer to the end...so not kosher)
But I loved: Lucy's sensibilty.
The way the doctor was very much alpha male.
The very sweet letter that he wrote to her.
The way he took care of her.
Her bumbling encounters with him. (NOT the second guessing and self deprecating thoughts afterward)
and Alice...
***I added another star because I really do like this book and I find myself reading it over and over again. Even with my issues with it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2008
My mother used to get Harlequins when I was little, but they were apparently too sexy for me to read when I was, like, ten. But this one was deemed harmless, and I was allowed to have it. I remember reading it a couple times back then and loving it, so when I found it buried in a box in the back of my closet, the warmth of nostalgia compelled me to revisit it.
It was not a successful revisit. It's a very old-fashioned book, but not in a charming way; it was published in 1991, but it feels completely out of touch with modern times. Lucy is a frustrating heroine; for all the conniving she does to put herself in Dr. Thurloe's way, she's still unbelievably passive. I just wanted her to do something rather than whinging on because he didn't appear to pick up that her running into him (secretly on purpose!) in the park meant that she wanted to marry him and have lots of babies.
And neither she nor Dr. Thurloe really have much in the area of personality.
If things had been slightly different - Lucy being less passive, none of this love at first sight crap, there being some hint of why Dr. Thurloe was such a catch and not just cardboard - I might have thought this sweet and even charming. As it is, I felt a bit ick about it all.
One star for the actual content of the book, one star for that warmth of nostalgia that insisted on sticking around despite everything.
It was not a successful revisit. It's a very old-fashioned book, but not in a charming way; it was published in 1991, but it feels completely out of touch with modern times. Lucy is a frustrating heroine; for all the conniving she does to put herself in Dr. Thurloe's way, she's still unbelievably passive. I just wanted her to do something rather than whinging on because he didn't appear to pick up that her running into him (secretly on purpose!) in the park meant that she wanted to marry him and have lots of babies.
And neither she nor Dr. Thurloe really have much in the area of personality.
If things had been slightly different - Lucy being less passive, none of this love at first sight crap, there being some hint of why Dr. Thurloe was such a catch and not just cardboard - I might have thought this sweet and even charming. As it is, I felt a bit ick about it all.
One star for the actual content of the book, one star for that warmth of nostalgia that insisted on sticking around despite everything.
March 11, 2014
I will always give every Betty Neel book I read 5 stars (unless more are offered!). These are simple love stories, no gore, no graphic sex. Just Romance. They are very sweet and formulaic, so you know what you are getting with each one, but that still does not ruin it for me. She changes them just enought to keep them interesting. Her heroes are usually Dutch and I have learned alot about Holland reading them! Her heroines change, but they are usually strong, intelligent and independent women. I recommend these stories for anyone who likes to read before bed and who likes to have sweet dreams!
June 2, 2018
I very much enjoyed this book. However, I can't understand why Betty Neels made so many of her male protagonists either clueless or the type to put off their feelings. Had William not beat around the bush and just told Lucy how he felt from the beginning, neither would have suffered so much. The same can be said of her female leads who don't stand up for themselves and their feelings. Perhaps that's why I enjoy the books so much, the characters are so real to me that I'd like to get them off somewhere and give them a good talking to. That said, I love the ending, and Lucy's solution to her problem.
February 1, 2026
This had a conniving character that brought the drama-perfect!
July 8, 2019
My least liked Betty Neels’ book.
June 10, 2024
Picked up some Vintage Betty Neels from the thrift store. Not one of my favorites from her, but a bit of a comfort read nonetheless.
September 19, 2017
This book I liked but not as much as her others, I couldn't really see the chemistry between the h Lucy and H William and I thought he spent most of the time with the ow Fiona than with Lucy despite him falling in love with her, I would have liked to have seen him woo Lucy.
I did like the explanation he gave her towards the end that Fiona meant nothing to him and was all about having fun and taking her out whenever he got bored but all I could think was he must have been bored all the time considering the amount of time he spent with her lol and I wished Lucy did actually try and move on but she spent most of the time plotting ways in how to marry him but I did like near the end when he got a taste of his own medicine when he got falsely told that she was going to marry another man despite himself proposing to her beforehand.
I liked Lucy but she was always putting herself down and I thought she was a little on the stalker side lol and I found her family condescending especially about the orphanage where she worked at, I liked the ending especially where Fiona causes mischief but like all the others she wasn't very clever, the ending wasn't that satisfactory as it ended too quickly, I would have liked to have read about them going to her family and reading about their reactions but I'm happy that we did see Fiona's reaction when she realised that no matter what William would never marry her.
I did like the explanation he gave her towards the end that Fiona meant nothing to him and was all about having fun and taking her out whenever he got bored but all I could think was he must have been bored all the time considering the amount of time he spent with her lol and I wished Lucy did actually try and move on but she spent most of the time plotting ways in how to marry him but I did like near the end when he got a taste of his own medicine when he got falsely told that she was going to marry another man despite himself proposing to her beforehand.
I liked Lucy but she was always putting herself down and I thought she was a little on the stalker side lol and I found her family condescending especially about the orphanage where she worked at, I liked the ending especially where Fiona causes mischief but like all the others she wasn't very clever, the ending wasn't that satisfactory as it ended too quickly, I would have liked to have read about them going to her family and reading about their reactions but I'm happy that we did see Fiona's reaction when she realised that no matter what William would never marry her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2016
A Special Treat.
I love all the Betty Neels books, but especially the ones with hospital settings involved.
This storyline varied a little because the H & H were still of the same social and financial standing. Lucy therefore needed another type of rescuing and it was a delight to experience how the author unfurled her usual magic.
In this book the H/William was a lot less austere than some of the other leading men. I found myself secretly smiling along with him as he teases "the girl with the green eyes".
I would recommend this book to anyone needing to unwind at the end of the workday or to pleasantly pass the time while waiting on appointment, destinations etc.
I gave it five stars because it was a easy effortless read with all the pleasure and none of the guilt of "comfort food" for the soul.
I love all the Betty Neels books, but especially the ones with hospital settings involved.
This storyline varied a little because the H & H were still of the same social and financial standing. Lucy therefore needed another type of rescuing and it was a delight to experience how the author unfurled her usual magic.
In this book the H/William was a lot less austere than some of the other leading men. I found myself secretly smiling along with him as he teases "the girl with the green eyes".
I would recommend this book to anyone needing to unwind at the end of the workday or to pleasantly pass the time while waiting on appointment, destinations etc.
I gave it five stars because it was a easy effortless read with all the pleasure and none of the guilt of "comfort food" for the soul.
March 19, 2017
Lucy Lockitt knew she would never be the pretty one, the smart one, the clever one. She was just the quiet, shy one in the family. Still, she finds working in the orphanage as a way to contribute to society and do her part. She would like to marry and have her own family, but until she met Dr William Thurloe, she never really believed in love at first sight.
William Thurloe might be ten years older than Lucy, but he sees that she shares the joys of children and helping as much as he does. He finds her quiet beauty suits him just fine. But, the widow Mrs Fiona Seymour is determined that a doctor would suit her just fine as the next husband and sets about throwing a kink in the works.
A very sweet story. Light and fun.
William Thurloe might be ten years older than Lucy, but he sees that she shares the joys of children and helping as much as he does. He finds her quiet beauty suits him just fine. But, the widow Mrs Fiona Seymour is determined that a doctor would suit her just fine as the next husband and sets about throwing a kink in the works.
A very sweet story. Light and fun.
February 4, 2013
A good read only for someone who is a fan of sweet romantic novels by Betty Neels.
The simplicity of the characters would make you long for the time when Life was simple.The heroine,Lucy was typically Betty Neels,pure of heart and simple of looks and easily ignorable but sweet enough to be treasured by the main character William for her manners, patience and behaviour towards kids.Sweet romance, but stretched too much without content.
Have read better from Betty Neels and would definitely love to read more from her collection :)
The simplicity of the characters would make you long for the time when Life was simple.The heroine,Lucy was typically Betty Neels,pure of heart and simple of looks and easily ignorable but sweet enough to be treasured by the main character William for her manners, patience and behaviour towards kids.Sweet romance, but stretched too much without content.
Have read better from Betty Neels and would definitely love to read more from her collection :)
October 12, 2015
Look elsewhere for hot passionate clinches between characters, Neels writes a beautiful and refined love story. Okay so I mostly kept her books on hand in case my mother ever asked to see what I was reading when I was younger, so she wouldn't scold me for reading 'trash'. But in this story I must say Neels' Lucy was very much me back then, stuck at home and considered to have no potential by her family, yet in the end love found her, and reading this book gave me hope enough that some day I would too.
April 11, 2021
I started reading this at the library and was enjoying it a lot, except then I put it down and took so long to get back to it that I had to back up two chapters just to remember what was going on and who these people were. So I guess that makes it a typically pleasant Neels books but not especially memorable for either characters or plot.
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 9, 2011
Marvelous. The heroine, Lucy, was not a doormat, she had flashing green eyes and the rich *not Dutch* pediatrician was delightful. A rather oblivious family but not cruelly so ... the housekeeper Alice was a stand-in mother. A couple from an earlier book -- I thinking -- appear but I'm not sure: I'll have to track down the couple*. A lovely story. *The Secret Pool
March 22, 2016
Not Much More Than Green Eyes
Through most of this story, I really didn't like Miss Green Eyes. While recognizing that she was a nice person, I simply couldn't care what she would be doing in the next chapter.
Through most of this story, I really didn't like Miss Green Eyes. While recognizing that she was a nice person, I simply couldn't care what she would be doing in the next chapter.
October 26, 2010
Everyone in this book was flat. The time frame was a bit confusing as well. I stuck with because it was short and I thought it would get better. It did not.
June 27, 2012
Beautiful novel.
February 27, 2024
I have always loved all the books by Betty Neels. They are simple predictable love stories...but that's okay. Sometimes you just need a light read.
October 11, 2013
Review to come.
April 30, 2016
A typical Betty Neels though I like how the heroine takes her future into her own hands at the end.
April 21, 2013
Nice clean, gentle romance.
March 5, 2022
A reread for me, and one that wasn't particularly memorable except for the extended "happy epilogue" appearances of Francesca and Litrik from The Secret Pool, one of my favorite, and very angsty, Neels tales. TGwtGE (1990) doesn't nearly have the same impact as that earlier story. It's a "middle-of-the-road Jaeger shirt-waister" (to steal a line from Joyce, the odious OW/sister of the heroine in The Hasty Marriage) of a story, with a fairly standard shy-but-frequently seething heroine, a kind-at-heart but infuriatingly enigmatic hero, misunderstandings, a scheming OW who will sink to any depths, even to achieve her end of snaring our Rich British Doctor, great food, kindly Faithful Family Retainers who occasionally drop their aitches, and the vaguely Edwardian setting that can't be dispelled by references to modern medicine, air travel, fabulous cars, or even--gasp!--computers!
Lucy, our heroine, is not one of Betty's impoverished, neglected "mice"--she's pretty and from an affluent family who, for once, are not really all that awful awful--they're just a little dismissive and baffled by the "home bird" in their high-flying nest. Her two sisters are career girls--gasp!--who both are engaged to equally ambitious men (including prosy Cyril, her pompous brother-in-law-to-be, whom Betty has great fun skewering). Despite her good looks, Lucy is shy and quiet and thinks repeatedly that she's not "clever," as her sisters and parents are, but she nonetheless finds purpose and value in working everyday at an orphanage. Her work brings her into contact with our hero, RBD William Thurloe, an eminent pediatrician who is unmarried but appears to be on the verge of a commitment with our odious OW, she of the tinkling laugh and meager bosom, Fiona Seymour, "A handsome lady of thirty-odd years, widowed, comfortably situated and well versed in the social graces." Lucy may be selfless and kind to children and animals and those in need, but as usual, Neels gives her an unangelic side that makes her all the more endearing (to me, anyway)--she detests Fiona at first glance, and not just out of jealousy.
Because she is jealous. Lucy is the rare BN heroine who realizes immediately that she has fallen in love with her hero at first sight (as does Laura of The Hasty Marriage)--the Dawning Realization is instantaneous, much to her surprise and dismay, that he is the one. And she's resolved from the start to marry our hero and save him from what she's sure would be a lifetime of unhappiness with Fiona and her plans for a child-free life of parties and social climbing.
Familiar territory, yes, but Betty does it so well, that even fairly lackluster MCs don't quite derail the charms of this book. One wonders, sure, why William, who Betty makes clear is quite interested in Lucy from the start (he claims to have fallen for her at first sight as well, during the mutual avowals) continues to date Fiona for most of the book, even though he tells Lucy very plainly at one point that he has no real feelings for her and Fiona was just an amusing companion to take out occasionally. But as any Betty reader knows, our cool and enigmatic heroes do their "wooing" in their own way and at their own pace, and are patient in achieving their romantic ends. And so it goes.
What elevates this story for me is the amount of page space Betty gives to Francesca and Litrik, who, having achieved their own HEA in The Secret Pool, appear in a good portion of this book, epitomizing the happily married couple raising a family and still wildly in love with one another. Betty almost derails her own story with the attention and obvious affection she expends on these two. For me, it was a nice visit, and we get an especially detailed travelogue of the delights of The Netherlands as a result, but it does lessen the focus on our MCs a bit.
Overall, TGwtGE has all of Betty's usually charming details--a nice heroine who manages to avoid being too nice; a hero who is sufficiently out of reach to bring a little angst to the tale; hints of real-world darkness that somehow make the fairytale aspects all the more appealing; wonderfully detailed food, cars, and locations; and the secondary characters who are given life and warmth in just a few vividly drawn lines. If it's not one of her best, it's nonetheless warm and oddly appealing for all of its anachronisms and prewar modes and mores, and, for me, an enjoyable return to Neelslandia.
I love the cover--familiar faces, lovely background, and some nice details (like the lace at her collar and cuffs)--by the wonderful Will Davies.
Car porn:
William has the standard-issue Rolls--the Silver Spur II, with its longer wheelbase as compared to the Silver Spirit model of that year (1990) seems a good bet:
He also has a smaller Daimler, which the Faithful Family Retainers use. Let's say, the Double Six:
Litrik is still driving his silver grey Daimler -- love the continuity, Betty! (Yes, I checked! :-D) It would be 4-5 years old by the time of TGwtGE, so let's say the 1986 Double 6, what a beaut, with a V12 under the hood! Drool!
No mention of Litrik's Bristol (probably the Britannia, produced from 1982-1993, handcrafted and very rare), but we'll assume it's still in residence:
But Fran nonetheless has a Mini (even with two kiddos?) Let's hope she's tearing around in the Bristol when she leaves them with Nanny -- not that the Mark VI Mini wouldn't be a fun car to drive, but still:
Lucy, our heroine, is not one of Betty's impoverished, neglected "mice"--she's pretty and from an affluent family who, for once, are not really all that awful awful--they're just a little dismissive and baffled by the "home bird" in their high-flying nest. Her two sisters are career girls--gasp!--who both are engaged to equally ambitious men (including prosy Cyril, her pompous brother-in-law-to-be, whom Betty has great fun skewering). Despite her good looks, Lucy is shy and quiet and thinks repeatedly that she's not "clever," as her sisters and parents are, but she nonetheless finds purpose and value in working everyday at an orphanage. Her work brings her into contact with our hero, RBD William Thurloe, an eminent pediatrician who is unmarried but appears to be on the verge of a commitment with our odious OW, she of the tinkling laugh and meager bosom, Fiona Seymour, "A handsome lady of thirty-odd years, widowed, comfortably situated and well versed in the social graces." Lucy may be selfless and kind to children and animals and those in need, but as usual, Neels gives her an unangelic side that makes her all the more endearing (to me, anyway)--she detests Fiona at first glance, and not just out of jealousy.
Because she is jealous. Lucy is the rare BN heroine who realizes immediately that she has fallen in love with her hero at first sight (as does Laura of The Hasty Marriage)--the Dawning Realization is instantaneous, much to her surprise and dismay, that he is the one. And she's resolved from the start to marry our hero and save him from what she's sure would be a lifetime of unhappiness with Fiona and her plans for a child-free life of parties and social climbing.
Familiar territory, yes, but Betty does it so well, that even fairly lackluster MCs don't quite derail the charms of this book. One wonders, sure, why William, who Betty makes clear is quite interested in Lucy from the start (he claims to have fallen for her at first sight as well, during the mutual avowals) continues to date Fiona for most of the book, even though he tells Lucy very plainly at one point that he has no real feelings for her and Fiona was just an amusing companion to take out occasionally. But as any Betty reader knows, our cool and enigmatic heroes do their "wooing" in their own way and at their own pace, and are patient in achieving their romantic ends. And so it goes.
What elevates this story for me is the amount of page space Betty gives to Francesca and Litrik, who, having achieved their own HEA in The Secret Pool, appear in a good portion of this book, epitomizing the happily married couple raising a family and still wildly in love with one another. Betty almost derails her own story with the attention and obvious affection she expends on these two. For me, it was a nice visit, and we get an especially detailed travelogue of the delights of The Netherlands as a result, but it does lessen the focus on our MCs a bit.
Overall, TGwtGE has all of Betty's usually charming details--a nice heroine who manages to avoid being too nice; a hero who is sufficiently out of reach to bring a little angst to the tale; hints of real-world darkness that somehow make the fairytale aspects all the more appealing; wonderfully detailed food, cars, and locations; and the secondary characters who are given life and warmth in just a few vividly drawn lines. If it's not one of her best, it's nonetheless warm and oddly appealing for all of its anachronisms and prewar modes and mores, and, for me, an enjoyable return to Neelslandia.
I love the cover--familiar faces, lovely background, and some nice details (like the lace at her collar and cuffs)--by the wonderful Will Davies.
Car porn:
William has the standard-issue Rolls--the Silver Spur II, with its longer wheelbase as compared to the Silver Spirit model of that year (1990) seems a good bet:
He also has a smaller Daimler, which the Faithful Family Retainers use. Let's say, the Double Six:
Litrik is still driving his silver grey Daimler -- love the continuity, Betty! (Yes, I checked! :-D) It would be 4-5 years old by the time of TGwtGE, so let's say the 1986 Double 6, what a beaut, with a V12 under the hood! Drool!
No mention of Litrik's Bristol (probably the Britannia, produced from 1982-1993, handcrafted and very rare), but we'll assume it's still in residence:
But Fran nonetheless has a Mini (even with two kiddos?) Let's hope she's tearing around in the Bristol when she leaves them with Nanny -- not that the Mark VI Mini wouldn't be a fun car to drive, but still:
July 12, 2025
The Girl with Green Eyes from 1990 is a bit of a departure for Betty in that our heroine Lucy is neither an Araminta (small, plain, impoverished, self-sufficient) nor an Olivia (tall, beautiful, sometimes impoverished, usually self-sufficient). Lucy would be an Araminta if she were plain, but she's pretty, from a well-to-do family and has no need to struggle to make ends meet. This makes her an outlier in Neelsland.
I don't really find much to admire about Lucy. Neither does her family. Lucy works at an orphanage taking care of babies and toddlers and her family is non-plussed and annoyingly dismissive since everyone else is much more ambitious. Parents are famous archeologists, one sister is a high-powered executive assistant, and the other works in an art gallery. Not sure how "orphanage baby minder" is considered less noble than these jobs, but OK. They also don't understand why Lucy isn't more interested in fashion and high society and why she is so passive and quiet. Well, since Lucy is the narrator of her own story albeit in third person, she herself will tell you there's nothing going on in her head. She's "not clever," as she is fond of telling people, and when out on a date with the RBD (rich British doctor) William, with whom she has fallen in love at first sight at the ripe old age of 25 when he treats one of her orphans for a serious condition, she struggles to think of things to say that will capture his interest. Or to think of anything at all except her determination to marry him. I believe we are supposed to consider her sweet and mild, but I found her a tad sly, especially at the end when after successfully capturing her man, she asks him if they can get married before her sisters (both already engaged) do. So after lying low and never saying boo to a goose even if she is obviously irritated by her family's attitude to her, she does indeed feel competitive and would like to one-up them. I find this funny but might have found it even funnier if we hadn't been led to believe what a nice, self-effacing girl she is. But then again, it's good she has some bite to her after all.
As for William, the H... as others have said, he's an enigmatic piece of cardboard. When the story concludes, he would have us believe he fell in love with Lucy at first sight, but he spends months not pursuing her. He goes out with the evil widowed OW instead, but then tries to persuade us he was never interested in her and only took her out because, well, he was lonely. But why spend months avoiding social contact with Lucy and escorting the widow instead? Page count? It's obvious he understands only too well that Lucy loves him to go by all the secret amusement he displays at Lucy's blushes and delight in being with him. Then there is the bit where a side character wonders why William won't pull the trigger with Lucy and another side character says William has many reasons, none of which he will disclose. Wouldn't it be nice if William would at least clue in the reader, just a little hint? N.b. I found William tiresome.
Two stars. Not one of Betty's best.
I don't really find much to admire about Lucy. Neither does her family. Lucy works at an orphanage taking care of babies and toddlers and her family is non-plussed and annoyingly dismissive since everyone else is much more ambitious. Parents are famous archeologists, one sister is a high-powered executive assistant, and the other works in an art gallery. Not sure how "orphanage baby minder" is considered less noble than these jobs, but OK. They also don't understand why Lucy isn't more interested in fashion and high society and why she is so passive and quiet. Well, since Lucy is the narrator of her own story albeit in third person, she herself will tell you there's nothing going on in her head. She's "not clever," as she is fond of telling people, and when out on a date with the RBD (rich British doctor) William, with whom she has fallen in love at first sight at the ripe old age of 25 when he treats one of her orphans for a serious condition, she struggles to think of things to say that will capture his interest. Or to think of anything at all except her determination to marry him. I believe we are supposed to consider her sweet and mild, but I found her a tad sly, especially at the end when after successfully capturing her man, she asks him if they can get married before her sisters (both already engaged) do. So after lying low and never saying boo to a goose even if she is obviously irritated by her family's attitude to her, she does indeed feel competitive and would like to one-up them. I find this funny but might have found it even funnier if we hadn't been led to believe what a nice, self-effacing girl she is. But then again, it's good she has some bite to her after all.
As for William, the H... as others have said, he's an enigmatic piece of cardboard. When the story concludes, he would have us believe he fell in love with Lucy at first sight, but he spends months not pursuing her. He goes out with the evil widowed OW instead, but then tries to persuade us he was never interested in her and only took her out because, well, he was lonely. But why spend months avoiding social contact with Lucy and escorting the widow instead? Page count? It's obvious he understands only too well that Lucy loves him to go by all the secret amusement he displays at Lucy's blushes and delight in being with him. Then there is the bit where a side character wonders why William won't pull the trigger with Lucy and another side character says William has many reasons, none of which he will disclose. Wouldn't it be nice if William would at least clue in the reader, just a little hint? N.b. I found William tiresome.
Two stars. Not one of Betty's best.
July 12, 2018
3.75* rounded up to 4* 1990
I'd have given this a bit more if the Veronica, Fiona had had her comeuppance! Or made to pay for her cruel lies and mischief! Instead she's off to marry a much richer American. Though that fatal car or plane crash could loom large in her future!
Lucy was a spunky heroine, she might be meek but she's spirited! Look at her sparkling emerald eyes, like William did. She knew William was her dream man at first sight and set out to marry him. Yet she's not a scheming girl so it's tough figuring out how to go about it. This reminds me of Caroline in Caroline's Waterloo! Strategy to win the war haha! But the only scheming thing she did was to go to a park near William's house...hoping to "bump" into him LOL. When she did she was so happy yet guilty!
I hated that William was escorting Fiona everywhere all the time! Lunches, dinners, parties, dances, drives, argh! By then Lucy was in his life, couldn't he have spent more time wooing her instead? Instead he's only giving her tea, albeit one on one intimately...but then he'd ruin it by saying he's got dinner or lunch guests. Argh how embarrassing. The only time he issued a last minute invitation to lunch in person, Lucy was led to believe she'd been asked to make up the numbers. Boo William! When Lucy confronted him later asking him if he had no interest in Fiona why bring her out at all, he claimed he was lonely. Well Before Lucy it was acceptable but not After Lucy! His proposal came out of the blue, no wonder Lucy didn't jump and accept it right away. And he disappeared without a word after proposing, so evil Fiona's fell on fertile ground.
For a moment I thought William would adopt Miranda and raise her with Lucy!
Litrik and Fran from The Secret Pool appeared in this and played critical roles. Fran practised some revisionist history or did she give away the truth hmm...I felt weirded out that they've named their second child after the dead Lisa. They called her Little Lisa, but what happened when LL grew up? Would they call the dead Lisa Dead Lisa and this the Lisa who Lived? I know they wanted to honour their dead and dearly beloved child, they could have given it as middle name to this new baby. I pity Little Lisa, the new baby.
The ending was awesome, Lucy going after the man she loved! I wish
Lucy told William ALL the lies Fiona had spouted and he'd give a Fiona a good telling off!
PS. Lucy had rich but neglectful parents, her two sisters were self centred, so she's really a poor lil rich gal. Alice the housekeeper and the Trumps in William's household more than made up to Lucy though with their devotion!
I love how Lucy will now hold her head high by marrying before her two "clever" sisters! Yesss!
I'd have given this a bit more if the Veronica, Fiona had had her comeuppance! Or made to pay for her cruel lies and mischief! Instead she's off to marry a much richer American. Though that fatal car or plane crash could loom large in her future!
Lucy was a spunky heroine, she might be meek but she's spirited! Look at her sparkling emerald eyes, like William did. She knew William was her dream man at first sight and set out to marry him. Yet she's not a scheming girl so it's tough figuring out how to go about it. This reminds me of Caroline in Caroline's Waterloo! Strategy to win the war haha! But the only scheming thing she did was to go to a park near William's house...hoping to "bump" into him LOL. When she did she was so happy yet guilty!
I hated that William was escorting Fiona everywhere all the time! Lunches, dinners, parties, dances, drives, argh! By then Lucy was in his life, couldn't he have spent more time wooing her instead? Instead he's only giving her tea, albeit one on one intimately...but then he'd ruin it by saying he's got dinner or lunch guests. Argh how embarrassing. The only time he issued a last minute invitation to lunch in person, Lucy was led to believe she'd been asked to make up the numbers. Boo William! When Lucy confronted him later asking him if he had no interest in Fiona why bring her out at all, he claimed he was lonely. Well Before Lucy it was acceptable but not After Lucy! His proposal came out of the blue, no wonder Lucy didn't jump and accept it right away. And he disappeared without a word after proposing, so evil Fiona's fell on fertile ground.
For a moment I thought William would adopt Miranda and raise her with Lucy!
Litrik and Fran from The Secret Pool appeared in this and played critical roles. Fran practised some revisionist history or did she give away the truth hmm...I felt weirded out that they've named their second child after the dead Lisa. They called her Little Lisa, but what happened when LL grew up? Would they call the dead Lisa Dead Lisa and this the Lisa who Lived? I know they wanted to honour their dead and dearly beloved child, they could have given it as middle name to this new baby. I pity Little Lisa, the new baby.
The ending was awesome, Lucy going after the man she loved! I wish
Lucy told William ALL the lies Fiona had spouted and he'd give a Fiona a good telling off!
PS. Lucy had rich but neglectful parents, her two sisters were self centred, so she's really a poor lil rich gal. Alice the housekeeper and the Trumps in William's household more than made up to Lucy though with their devotion!
I love how Lucy will now hold her head high by marrying before her two "clever" sisters! Yesss!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2024
I hate to say it (because I love Betty Neels), but I found this one to be dull and tedious.
These two like each other, really *really* like each other. So what do they do? She pines after him while being cold and snappish to his face, he meanwhile pretends complete indifference to her and dates another woman. They barely spend any time together, and when they do they only talk trivial stuff and never take the time to get to know each other.
So for me the whole 'romance' was two people barely talking to each other, and spending huge chunks of the book off with other people doing other things.
Even worse, when he asks her to marry him (and bare in mind she's spent the ENTIRE BOOK dreaming about marrying him) and says 'oh I'll need to think about it' and sends him off with a chilly half-no. WHAT???
These two like each other, really *really* like each other. So what do they do? She pines after him while being cold and snappish to his face, he meanwhile pretends complete indifference to her and dates another woman. They barely spend any time together, and when they do they only talk trivial stuff and never take the time to get to know each other.
So for me the whole 'romance' was two people barely talking to each other, and spending huge chunks of the book off with other people doing other things.
Even worse, when he asks her to marry him (and bare in mind she's spent the ENTIRE BOOK dreaming about marrying him) and says 'oh I'll need to think about it' and sends him off with a chilly half-no. WHAT???
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