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Winter of Change & A Matter of Chance
Their lives will never be the same again... And these two young women refuse to settle for anything less than the love they deserve in these romantic favorites from Betty Neels.
Winter of Change
When her grandfather passes away, it comes as a huge surprise to plain nurse Mary Jane Pettigrew that she's inherited a large house and an income to go with it. But there's a catch--surgeon Fabian van der Blocq is to be her guardian! His young ward certainly isn't going to let Fabian have it all his own way--but that's easier said than done with a man as arrogant and handsome as Fabian...
A Matter of Chance
Recently orphaned nurse Cressida Bingley needs a fresh start--so moving to Holland for a new job seems perfect. Until she finds herself lost in Amsterdam and must accept help from a charming knight in shining armor, who turns out to be her new boss's partner! Dr. Giles van der Tiele can't forget the alluring young woman he rescued, and he intends to make her his bride. The only problem is that Cressida refuses to marry for anything less than love!
Winter of Change
When her grandfather passes away, it comes as a huge surprise to plain nurse Mary Jane Pettigrew that she's inherited a large house and an income to go with it. But there's a catch--surgeon Fabian van der Blocq is to be her guardian! His young ward certainly isn't going to let Fabian have it all his own way--but that's easier said than done with a man as arrogant and handsome as Fabian...
A Matter of Chance
Recently orphaned nurse Cressida Bingley needs a fresh start--so moving to Holland for a new job seems perfect. Until she finds herself lost in Amsterdam and must accept help from a charming knight in shining armor, who turns out to be her new boss's partner! Dr. Giles van der Tiele can't forget the alluring young woman he rescued, and he intends to make her his bride. The only problem is that Cressida refuses to marry for anything less than love!
- GenresRomance
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 31, 2018
78 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Betty Neels
576 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 2, 2020
If I had read the two stories when they were originally published I believe I would have loved them, but now I was a bit upset that the women in both books were bossed around by men. Stories were good and did keep me reading.
July 24, 2022
Bettys wonderful formula works again
True to form with Betty Neels'
wonderful formula. Cressy was a little more outspoken than other Betty Neels' characters . It was great to see how both characters had a mind of their own.
True to form with Betty Neels'
wonderful formula. Cressy was a little more outspoken than other Betty Neels' characters . It was great to see how both characters had a mind of their own.
March 13, 2018
Perfect
I wish everyone would read a Betty Neels book! The truly entertaining stories and sweet romance are not to be missed. So refreshing, in this day and age.
I wish everyone would read a Betty Neels book! The truly entertaining stories and sweet romance are not to be missed. So refreshing, in this day and age.
August 11, 2018
Lovely
If you enjoy your romances clean, light, fluffy and vintage then you will enjoy the wonderful work of Betty Neels
If you enjoy your romances clean, light, fluffy and vintage then you will enjoy the wonderful work of Betty Neels
June 19, 2024
Rather sweet historical romance. Read to complete a prompt for a book written in 1977. Did need to define some of the Dutch words just to clarify for myself.
January 23, 2025
My escapes books! Light and easy read.
October 2, 2024
Someone write a biography on Betty Neels. Did she meet a jerk of a Dutch doctor who played school yard crush on her, proposed and then jilted her? Or did she meet a Dutch doctor who had no interest in her whatsoever but she was infatuated with him? Inquiring minds and all that...
I liked Winter of Change (four stars) better than A Matter of Chance (two stars).
In Winter of Change:
Dude, every single character in this book told the heroine that she wasn't pretty.
I liked Winter of Change (four stars) better than A Matter of Chance (two stars).
In Winter of Change:
Dude, every single character in this book told the heroine that she wasn't pretty.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews