Betty Neels is one of my favorite romance authors. Her romances are sweet, gentle stories with handsome heroes and satisfying endings. Betty Neels was a nurse who when she retired starting writing romance novels. She lived into her 90s and was pulishing to the end. Her first books came out in the 1960's and the last was about the turn of the century. All her books were at least partly set in England, where she was from. Many were also set in Holland, where she lived with her husband for several years. He was Dutch, like many of her characters and was the model for some of them, even though he was not a doctor. Most of her romances, but not all, were between a doctor and usually a nurse or someone in the medical field.

I have included the book descriptions from the back of the book for each title and will add more details and my own reviews for each title. All of the titles are from Harlequin Romance. To make the website easier to use I have divided up the Betty Neels titles into several pages. This second age is for titles 2080 to 2741.

Letitia Marsden had decided against romance. Men simply were not to be trusted. Then she met Doctor Jason Mourik van Nie—and quickly changed her mind. But when he proposed, she rejected him. He had not mentioned love. “I’m a mouse of a girl, Letitia told him furiously, “and you’re sorry for me, just like Karen said, I will not be pitied and patronized….” Yet how could she turn down his offer when to marry him was the dearest wish of her heart?

She might just as well tell him, Cressida decided, knowing full well the final thread of their uneasy relationship might be snapped. Forcing herself to look at him she said in a clear voice. “ I love you, Giles, but you don’t love me. That’s why I’m going back to England.” Being back home should have helped. But it didn’t. Giles’s face seemed imprinted on everything Cressida looked at, his voice was always in her ears. Would she ever get used to life without him?

Joyce smiled at Laura. “You can have him for a month or 2, just while I divorce Larry. Then all you’ll have to do is to leave Reiloff, and he can divorce you. He’ll see that you’re provided for.” Laura listened with growing rage. It was like a hideous nightmare. She wouldn’t give up Reiloff without a fight unless he really did love Joyce. Then…well, then she didn’t know what she would do.

Jenny sighed, if only Toby hadn’t been so complacent, believing that marrying him was the best thing that could happen to any girl. He was a nice enough man, but dull. When she’d argued with him, he hadn’t contradicted her once! If only it had been the Professor…but she couldn’t imagine that man behaving so tamely. “My dear girl.” He had said, “you flatter yourself and me, too—I have no interest in you at all!”

“He’s something of a catch, you know” Eloise was told about the handsome Dr Timon van Zeilst. “But no one’s caught him yet.” She felt quite sure that it wouldn’t be her. Why should he look twice at a plan English nurse with the beautiful Liske around? And Liske had claimed she was destined to be his wife. It was no good telling herself not to care, because she did—even if he was the most infuriating man she’d ever met!

“Love doesn’t need to come into it” No matter what Jeroen said, however, Constantia knew she would rather marry for love. Still, Dr Jeroen van der Giessen was undeniably handsome and nice. And Constantia, who believed that “money brings misery,” didn’t care about his small income. But why would a man like Jeroen need to marry for convenience and companionship? And how could he afford to maintain so many luxurious cars and a “borrowed” mansion? Was he keeping something from her?

He should have been impossible to love--He was overbearing and insufferable!
Yet, when Brittania met Professor Luitingh van Thien who came to her hospital as a visiting consultant surgeon, she promptly fell in love with him!So, when the professor went back to Holland, Britannia followed him. There she met the beautiful and sophisticated Madeleine de Venz, who would, apparently, make a much better wife for the professor. Or would she?

"Are you going to marry her, Walle?" the old man's question was unexpected. The answering "yes" took Philomena completely by surprise. Philomena had hoped her new hairdo and wardrobe would have some effect on her handsome new employer, Dr. Walle van der Tacx. But there'd been no romantic gleam in his eye. In fact, she thought he'd brought her to Holland just to exploit her capacity for hard work. Now here he was telling his grandfather they would be married! No wonder she felt confused!

"I know that we will meet again" That was the promise of the arrogant stranger who'd disrupted the hospital's casualty ward late one night-- but Octavia promptly forgot him.
She was off on an exciting Mediterranean cruise and her head was full of the romantic places she hoped to see. Octavia never dreamed she'd be seeing them with Dr. Lucas van der Weijnen, the stranger from casualty, who was filling in as ship's doctor; nor that he'd want to see her once the cruise was over. She was unprepared for his proposal!

Nurse Lucy Prendergast had not made a good impression. Falling asleep during a consultant’s lecture was hardly the best way to attract the great man’s attention! So she had to correct the bad impression she’d made. Dr. Fraam der Linssen, however, seemed to have a positive genius for catching her in the most awkward situations. And anyway, why should she care what he thought? He’d already made it plain that he preferred her pretty friend , Mies.

It was obvious. Nick wasn’t coming back. They had argued over dinner; Nick walked off in a huff. Alethea tried not to panic when the check arrived, knowing she had nothing more than silver in her handbag….Suddenly, the man she had seen staring at her was at her side, pretending to be a long lost friend—paying the bill. Alethea appreciated his gesture, and the others that followed, but she loved Nick, and not even Dr. Sarre van Diederijk could take his place.

She knew it was time to leave! Determined to break the stranglehold of a selfish stepmother and stepbrother, Becky left home. She'd begin nursing again; make a home for herself and Pooch and Bertie, the pets she'd brought with her. Then at dawn on a rainy highway, fate took a hand--fate in the form of Baron Raukema van den Eck. His mother needed a nurse and Becky filled the bill. Only one thing marred her new life. Poor plain Becky fell desperately, hopelessly in love....

"You're just what the doctor ordered!"  So the crew at Spitzbergen declared when nurse Annis Brown joined their isolated camp. Dr. Jake van Germert didn't seem to agree.
His aloof ways irritated Annis until Ola Julsen arrived and took Annis's mind off Jake. The affair ended, however, leaving Annis with the surprising discovery that, after all, she was in love with Jake.  Jake's sudden proposal should have made her completely happy--but she knew it would be a marriage of convenience for him...and a heartbreak for her!

Emily was the envy of the nursing staff…she worked with the tall, handsome Professor Renier Jurres-Romeijn! Not that she considered her position enviable at all. She knew the great man’s opinion of her—and she’d trade with the others anytime! Anyway, Emily shrugged it off. She was in the hospital to be a good nurse, not to win a beauty pageant! The Professor’s views showed just what a loathsome type he was. But why did it hurt so when he found her vivacious sister, Louisa, so enchanting?

The job came along at the perfect time. Phyllida was overjoyed. Her job as nurse-companion was taking her and her patient to the Canary Islands...and away from her persistent ex-boyfriend Philip.But the trip was a disaster, and if not for the help of handsome Dr. Pieter can Siddardt, Phylly would have been in dire straits. She soon realized she could happily spend the rest of her life with Pieter...but all he could do was urge her to marry Philip!

There was more than one fish in the sea .Amelia was delighted when Tom, her fiance, agreed to accompany her and her father on a holiday fishing trip to Norway.  Luckily, Amelia's father found Gideon van der Tolck, another fishing enthusiast, so she and Tom would have plenty of time to themselves.  Amelia wouldn't admit to herself that the handsome Gideon was far more attractive than Tom. But what did that matter--it was far too late for second thoughts ....

"I don't want my life disturbed." Baron Radinck Thoe van Erckelens was very clear about his reasons for wanting to marry Caroline--and love was not one of them. Caro loved Radinck, though, so she agreed to his terms--that she was not to interfere in his life or try to change it. Inwardly she promised that she would make him love her. But she wondered whether the warm and loving man she saw beneath that cold exterior would ever surface. And if he did--would the warmth be for her?

His type liked only decorative women! Hannah Lang was neither beautiful nor glamorous, but she was a warm, sensitive woman end a darned good nurse! Her employers were delightful and Hannah loved baby Paul, her little patient. The position in Holland would have been perfect were it not for Dr. Valentijn van Bertes. The handsome pediatrician disapproved of Hannah, and that rankled more than it should have--especially as Valentijn was engaged to gorgeous Nerissa van der Post!

How could anything so right be so wrong? She had said yes gladly, but later Katrina wondered why she had agreed to marry Raf van Tellerinck. There was no love between them, certainly. But he needed a wife, and Katrina like and respected him. So it seemed...right. Then everything turned out wrong. Katrina fell deeply in love with her husband - only to find that Raf would have married his lovely ex-girlfriend had he known she was now divorced.

It was more than a family matter...Dr. Duert ter Brandt disapproved of Christina's relationship with his brother, Adam, and he made sure they both knew it. True, he didn't stop Chrissy from coming to Holland to work near Adam - but he made it clear that her infatuation was not in the best interest of his hospital.  Or did he have other, hidden reasons for hoping that Chrissy would give up her notion of love at first sight?

Renting their house was the only way Euphemia could salvage her family’s muddled finances. If only the tenant had been someone she liked—anyone but Dr. Tane van Diederijk, that disturbingly abrupt man…Then Tane asked her to accompany his spoiled and demanding fiancée, who’d recently been ill, to Spain. Reluctantly Euphemia agreed and found everything seemed to change there. Especially the way she felt about the handsome doctor.

Perhaps her dream of love was only a dream. "Working nights in a London hospital is no life for a young girl!" Her mother hadn't actually said it, but Judith knew she was thinking it. In a way, Judith agreed, but what else could she do? Marry Nigel? No, she didn't love him. She had no great feeling for any man--except Charles Cresswell--and that was certainly not love. But could her feeling possibly have any bearing on her agreeing to nurse his mother in his home?

She shared his life but not his love...What would she do? Sadie was suddenly alone in the world, and her cottage home would have to be sold. But luck was with her, for Oliver Trentham, the television screenwriter who had bought the cottage, required a housekeeper-and the job was hers! Unfortunately her heart was soon his--hopelessly so. Such a handsome man, with two small daughters, needed to remarry, but he certainly wouldn't choose his housekeeper!

Annis disliked him on sight. Jake was too good-looking, too rich and too self-assured. Then a sudden shared grief broke down Annis's defenses against his attractiveness.
Jake's sudden marriage proposal made no pretense of love. "You're a sensible girl," he said. "Your head isn't cluttered with romantic ideas." Sensible? Hardly, but Annis had no choice, for any hope of future happiness depended on his falling in love with her.

No one could envy her position. As Lady Manderly's companion, Jemima responded cheerfully to her eccentric whims and demands. But then Jemima Mason was capable of coping with almost anything. The exception was her employer's nephew, Professor Alexander Cator, who went out of his way to provoke Jemima. "You'll never set the world on fire," he said, mocking her plainness. And though his words stung her. Alexander occupied her thoughts more and more.

Facing bankruptcy, Celine’s family was forcedto turn their home into a guest house to make ends meet. Celine found her new life hard work but great fun. She met a young man, Nicky, who seemed very taken with her. If only Nicky’s masterful cousin, Oliver, wouldn’t keep interfering. But when she discovered that Nicky wasmarried, Celine was only too gratelful for Oliver’s comforting presence. Gratitude wasn’t exactly what Oliver had in mind, but it was a start.

Would he ever see how she truly felt? Katrina had known Lucius Massey all her life, and her childish hero worship had grown into a comfortable, warm friendship. She and Lucius had become engaged just to teach her selfish sister Virginia a lesson, nothing more. She knew Lucius would never think of her as more than a friend. But as more and more people congratulated Katrina on her match, a mysterious sadness began to creep into her heart.. Katrina illustrates children’s books. Her parents are dead, but she and her sister still live in the family home. Lucius is a neighbor who has spent a lot of time with spoiled sister. Katrina had asked him to, because she doesn’t like Virginia’s friends. Virginia had expected a proposal and didn’t get one. So she is mad at Lucius and wants Katrina to snub him. The sister has told everyone that Lucius had dumped her for Katrina. She said it purely for spite. Lucius says they should pretend to be engaged, later they can marry. Virginia immediately gets engaged to rich man and wants a quick wedding, which of course, Katrina must organize.

She thought she'd finished with romance. After the breakup of her engagement, Prudence eagerly accepted Dr. Benedict van Vinke's offer of a job in Holland. It seemed the perfect opportunity to begin an entire new life. What she wasn't prepared for was the effect Benedict and his young daughter, Sibella, would have on her emotions.When was she going to stop acting like a fool, she asked herself angrily, and remember she was just his employee?

Working for Professor Sam Gervis was difficult enough, even if you hadn't fallen in love with him. But Polly had. Luckily she was realistic. Sam was engaged to the lovely Deirdre, and besides, he would never look twice at anyone as quiet and mousy as her. So Polly sensibly decided to get away and take up a new career nursing children. But she soon discovered that Sam wasn't a man to be escaped from easily.

When tragedy strikes a London nurse, support comes—not from her fiancé-but from her supervising doctor. But she finds little comfort, knowing he’s already involved with another woman.

She wanted him for herself. Eugenia knew what surgeon Gerard Grenfell needed: a woman who would never feel threatened by his devotion to his work at London's St. Clare's Hospital; a woman who would love him to distraction. And she was that woman.
But he was engaged to Miriam instead, and Eugenia would be forced to marry Humphrey. That done, four people would be miserable for the rest of their lives. It didn't bear thinking about!

Could she settle for less than love? Professor Gideon Beaufort tried Deborah's good nature severely. He reviled her future as a trained nanny, destined to settle for a permanent post caring for other people's children. But was his proposal any more enticing, when all he wanted was a substitute for his young daughter and nothing more? "I won't pretend," he told her candidly. "You see, I think I've forgotten how to love." Deborah found herself wishing the sultry skies of Portugal's exotic Algarve weren't wasted on such a cynical widower and a dedicated nanny with stars in her eyes.

Phoebe accepted Dr. George Pritchard’s proposal because it was the sensible thing to do. He hadn’t offered her love, only understanding friendship , and that seemed enough. She didn’t love him either, she told herself. So she couldn’t quite cope with her fierce jealousy when the beautiful Dutch girl, Corina, came back into George’s live, showing every sign of wanting to resume what had obviously been a very close friendship!

Why was he talking about love? Julia was puzzled by the austere Professor van der Wagema’s remark that there should be more to life than working at St. Anne’s Hospital in London. “At the end of the day, you know what that is” he’d said. “To love and be loved.  Simply that.” Was he hinting that he was going to marry again? And why bother to tell her, anyway? Why should he suppose that she was interested in his private life?

To an English governess, Vienna would be more appealing if her host would stop burying his head in medical studies and show her the true magic to be found in Vienna.