Saturday's Child

Saturday's Child is about a hard working, patient, kind British nurse who has fallen on very hard times. The hero is another Dutch doctor who works too hard. The setting is basically Holland with a side trip to Spain. I really enjoyed the secondary characters in this one and they stay important throughout the novel. The hero is a Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde character who does lovely things for other people, even Abigail's best friend/servant, but who treats her coldly, with disdain, suspicion, and a little hatred even as he hires her for job after job. I did not enjoy this as much as the other reviewers did. The heroe's seeming hatred of women, Abigail in particular, is important to the plot, but I got tired of the fact that he was only nice to her when he wanted something--"Please, Abigail". It has a typical happy ending which we depend on.

Saturday's child works hard for a living...The old saying certainly apples to Nurse Abigail Trent. Pleasant but plain, and sorely in need of money, Abigail is preparing to devote herself to her career when Professor Dominic van Wijkelen strides into her life. Unfortunately, the professor apparently hates all women,--and Abigail in particular. What can she do but hide her heartbreak and continue to do the work he finds for her--which somehow mysteriously contrives to keep her near him in Holland? Abigail is from England but working in Holland, She is a private nurse for an American woman. She has been nursing her mom until her death and so is completely broke. There is a family servant, Bollinger, she is very close too. He is an elderly man who only has his pension. She owes him a year's wages and it determined to pay him. Dominic is a specialist on the American woman's case. He gets Abigail a job with another patient and also brings Bollinger to his house as temporary help. Bollinger really likes him. The Professor was married when in his 20's and his wife soon cheated on him.

I thought I'd read all of Betty Neels' books, so it was a treat when I delved into this one and found it new to me. Sure the plot followed Neels' tried-and-true Dutch doctor/British nurse pattern, but it's always a delight to read about her steadfast characters and how they resolve their romantic dilemmas. In this one, Abigail faces tough times trying to make a living for herself and an old family servant after her mother dies. Her romantic interest in a particularly abrasive professor seems unlikely, but gradually his good points win the reader over. The descriptions of scenes in Holland and inside the homes there are as delightful as ever. Neels delivers her usual satisfying romance that keeps readers coming back.

Book Description: Abigail worked hard for a living. And she expected to go on earning her own living for no man had shown signs of wanting to marry her--least of all the mysterious Professor Dominic van Wijkelen. Certainly he admired her nursing skills. He confidently asked her to take on his private cases, which took Abigail from London to Holland then Spain. But all he seemed to feel for her was intense dislike! Did Dominic not trust women? Was she too plain? Whatever the reason, there was little Abigail could do about it. This is Betty Neels at her best. Dominic van Wijkelen is the usual rich, handsome Dutch Doctor and Abigail Trent is the usual plain, hardworking British Nurse; however, their characters are not quite the norm; they are slightly more intense than usual. Dominic appears arrogant, abrasive, and at times gives the impression that he dislikes Abigail - immensely. Abigail is independent, works hard, and has no family other than her good friend Bollinger. Dominic epitomizes "once bitten twice shy" and does not want to feel anything for Abigail other than respect for her nursing abilities. He fights his attraction to her, wants to find her lacking in character, thereby assisting him in his struggle to keep her from getting emotionally close to him. Abigail knows that Dominic dislikes her; she sees it when he looks at her. He would never be interested in her because she's plain. This Neels story, with the usual misunderstandings, image issues, and obstacles, is about two strong characters who suffered difficult or painful pasts with a glimpse of what made them who and what they are. They work hard for their living, but are they willing to work hard for a future that is more than a lonely existence? Dominic & Abigail appear in "Stars Through The Mist" & "The Gemel Ring"

Abigail Trent is a private duty nurse who, having lost her home since her father passed away, travels from one job to another, staying with her patients. She has decided, very early in life, that she is too plain for any man to want to marry her, so she decides to concentrate on her career. Then, she meets Dr. Dominic van Wijkelen while she is nursing an American woman in Holland. Dr. van Wijkelen is often cynical and impatient with Abigail. However, he also thinks highly of her as a nurse, always requesting her for his cases. But Abigail wonders if he will ever appreciate her as a woman....I think this is one of Betty Neels's best books. Abigail is a strong heroine and an excellent nurse. This story also covers a wider geographical range than most of Ms. Neels' books, (which usually only are set in England and the Netherlands). Abigail's travels take her across Europe, particularly when she and Dominic are driving his small niece from Spain to Holland in order for the child to have an operation in Dominic's hospital. Dominic's occasionally snappish personality is offset by his obvious regard for Abigail's professional capabilities. This book is well worth reading by fans of both romance books and Betty Neels.

From the Cover: Abigail was a true 'Saturday's Child'; she worked very hard for her living. And it looked like she could expect to go on earning her own living, for no one seemed to be in any great hurry to marry her - least of all Dominic van Wijkelen, who admired her as a nurse but who seemed to have no personal feeling for her at all - except dislike!This was a GREAT Betty Neels book! Abigail and Dominic are featured in several other of her books about tall, handsome doctors and the plain-faced nurses who really aren't so plain after all. Locations changed rather frequently for a "Betty book", and we get to see a little of Spain, France and Belgium in addition to the regular England/Holland journey. Good reading! I highly recommend this one!