Not Once But Twice

Some classic writers you read not to see what happens, but how it is made to happen. Characters are so likeable you feel like you know them. Locales are so vivid you feel you want to go there. You can smell smells, feel textures of clothing, see the patina on old furniture or fine silver, carefully tended. That's Betty Neels' talent. Hers is the 'comfort food' of light reading~like eating potato chips without the calories.

Here is another fine book of Betty Neels. The heroine, nurse Christina, is involved with a young man who (frankly) turns out be a fink. I'm glad that she got wise to him, and found true love with his older brother. Duert and Christina were subsequently featured with their growing family in another book, "A Girl Called Rose". I'd recommend this book, and I was rooting for the heroine, Christina, all the way!

This is not one of Neels' earliest books, but it is still one of her best. A good choice for the "Reader's Choice" series! The loving couple in this book shows up again in another one of her books, "A Girl Named Rose," I believe, and it was after reading that book I went back to read this story again(I had it in its original printing). It has the traditional Dutch doctor/English nurse formula, but there were some nice plot twists that livened things up. The character development is good, and the author lets you know why the hero and the heroine appealed to each other, based on their personalities and not just surface things like physical appearance. They were likable characters and made you care about what happened to them. As always, Betty Neels provides a wholesome read. If you are looking for a romance that doesn't make you blush, look no further--try out Betty Neels!