Friday, April 30, 2010

An Interesting Betty Neels Site......like there are a lot of them


The Uncrushable Jersy Dress is a really interesting and versatile site that concentrates on Betty's books and anything that the author chooses to relate to them. The blog description says "conquering the world one Betty Neels at a time".
Ya gotta love it!! This button/award is for The Uncrushable Jersy Dress!

Friday, April 23, 2010

My Current Betty......An Old Fashioned Girl


Published in 1992, An Old Fashioned Girl is Betty's 111th book.

The blurb on the back says:
How could she make him notice her?

Patience knew she couldn't be more different form the sort of women Dutch surgeon Julius van der Beek seemed to attract. After all she was a quiet country girl with a somewhat unique taste in clothes - and an assertive personality to match! Yet she was attracted to him. Not that she had a hope of making him notice her, particularly with the glamorous Sylvia van Teule already at his side. . .


Sooooo, I have read this book before...numerous times. As I've said before I like Betty's books because they're relaxing. Her books and a few others, including Pride and Prejudice (check out my P&P blog), are books that I read when I can't find anything new that looks interesting.

Anyhoo, as I read this book, this time, I'm going to note places and meals, I find the meals fascinating at times, and do little blogettes about them....eventually.

TTFN (TaTa for Now)
La



Thursday, April 22, 2010

Why do I like Betty Neels' Books?

Hmmm....or maybe that should be "Why I like Betty Neels' books?"
It is a very subtle difference.

I'm really not sure why I like the books so much. They are well written but then they are also all very, very, very similar to each other.
But it doesn't seem to matter. The books are just fun, easy to read and relaxing. Maybe the fact that you basically know what will happen makes them enjoyable.

The is very little sex...shoot there's no sex in a Betty book. Unless, you consider kissing sex and even if you do, there is still very little sex in a Betty book. Which is okay. Even without it the book is still interesting, sorta.

The heroines in Betty's books are just a bit too good to be believed. Well, most of them are. Occasionally, you'll find a heroine who's feisty and will speak up for herself but even she gets walked on by some folks and she's touchy with the wrong person, ie the hero.
Here's what one reviewer had to say about Betty's heroines:
Betty’s books are always sweet with the main characters having integrity, even when others do not act in the same manner towards them.

Yes, the majority of, but not all of, Betty's Heroines are nurses or work in the hospital in some way. The heroes are usually doctors and most often from the Netherlands. So far I've only read one book where neither the hero or the heroine worked in a hospital.

It goes without saying, although I am going to say it, that the books all end happily. But then it's a Harlequin so, hey, it's suppose to end up with everyone getting together.

Oh yeah, and I love to read about the places in Betty's books. I've never been to the Netherlands or the UK....dang it! But I plan to go just so I can visit all the places I've read about in Betty's books.

Anyway, back to me, naturally.
I like...love Betty's books because they're fun, relaxing and .....special.
Yea Betty!!!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Pictures of the Netherlands


Fabulous Panoramic Pics of the Netherlands

This link leads to lots of wonderful panoramic pics taken in the Netherlands. The country that Betty loved to have her doctors based in, more or less.

This is the blurb written at the top of the page for these pics:
Some panoramas made in the Netherlands
Flash (or QuickTime ) is necessary to view these panoramas.
The (strange looking) images below are spherical projections.
Click on any of these images to view the corresponding panorama.
In such a panorama you can view in any direction. Use the mouse or left/right/up/down arrows.
Use SHIFT to zoom in, CTRL to zoom out.

The panoramas are really fabulous! I have no idea how it works but I wish I could do it.
Check them out!
These pics are panoramas of Windmills

A List of All of Betty Neels' Books

Single Novels

* Sister Peters in Amsterdam (1969)
* Amazon in an Apron (1969) aka A Match for Sister Maggy / Nurse in Holland
* Blow Hot, Blow Cold (1970) aka Surgeon from Holland / Visiting Surgeon / Visiting Consultant
* Tempestuous April (1970) aka Nurse Harriet Goes to Holland
* Damsel in Green (1970)
* Fate is Remarkable (1970)
* Tulips for Augusta (1971)
* Tangled Autumn (1971)
* The Fifth Day of Christmas (1971)
* Tabitha in Moonlight (1972)
* Wish with the Candles (1972)
* Saturday's Child (1972)
* Uncertain Summer (1972)
* Victory for Victoria (1972)
* Winter of Change (1973) aka Surgeon in Charge
* Cassandra by Chance (1973)
* Three for a Wedding (1973)
* Stars Through the Mist (1973)
* Enchanting Samantha (1973)
* The Gemel Ring (1974)
* The Magic of Living (1974)
* Cruise to a Wedding (1974)
* The End of the Rainbow (1974)
* A Small Slice of Summer (1975)
* Henrietta's Own Castle (1975)
* A Star Looks Down (1975)
* The Moon for Lavinia (1975)
* Cobweb Morning (1975)
* Heaven is Gentle (1975)
* Roses for Christmas (1975)
* The Edge of Winter (1976)
* Esmeralda (1976)
* A Gem of a Girl (1976)
* Grasp a Nettle (1977)
* A Matter of Chance (1977)
* Pineapple Girl (1977)
* The Little Dragon (1977)
* The Hasty Marriage (1977)
* Britannia All at Sea (1978)
* Never While the Grass Grows (1978)
* Ring in a Teacup (1978)
* Philomena's Miracle (1978)
* Sun and Candlelight (1979)
* The Promise of Happiness (1979)
* Midnight Sun's Magic (1979)
* Winter Wedding (1979)
* Hannah (1980)
* Last April Fair (1980)
* When May Follows (1980)
* Caroline's Waterloo (1980)
* The Silver Thaw (1980)
* Surgeon in Charge (1980)
* Not Once But Twice (1981)
* An Apple from Eve (1981)
* Heaven Round the Corner (1981)
* Judith (1982)
* A Girl to Love (1982)
* All Else Confusion (1982)
* A Dream Came True (1982)
* Midsummer Star (1983)
* Roses and Champagne (1983)
* Never Say Goodbye (1983)
* Never Too Late (1983)
* Once for All Time (1984)
* Year's Happy Ending (1984)
* Polly (1984)
* Heidelberg Wedding (1984)
* At the End of the Day (1985)
* A Summer Idyll (1985)
* Magic in Vienna (1985)
* Never the Time and the Place (1985)
* A Girl Named Rose (1986)
* Two Weeks to Remember (1986)
* The Secret Pool (1986)
* Stormy Springtime (1987)
* Off with the Old Love (1987)
* A Doubtful Marriage (1987)
* A Gentle Awakening (1987)
* The Course of True Love (1988)
* When Two Paths Meet (1988)
* Paradise for Two (1988)
* The Fateful Bargain (1989)
* No Need to Say Good-Bye (1989)
* The Chain of Destiny (1989)
* Hilltop Tryst (1989)
* The Convenient Wife (1990)
* A Suitable Match (1990)
* The Girl with Green Eyes (1990)
* The Most Marvellous Summer (1991)
* A Kind of Magic (1991)
* A Little Moonlight (1991)
* An Unlikely Romance (1992)
* Romantic Encounter (1992)
* The Quiet Professor (1992)
* An Old-Fashioned Girl (1992)
* The Awakened Heart (1993)
* At Odds with Love (1993)
* A Girl in a Million (1993)
* Waiting for Deborah (1994)
* Wedding Bells for Beatrice (1994)
* Dearest Mary Jane (1994)
* A Secret Infatuation (1994)
* Fate Takes a Hand (1995)
* Marrying Mary (1996)
* Only by Chance (1996)
* A Kiss for Julie (1996)
* The Vicar's Daughter (1996)
* The Daughter of the Manor (1997)
* The Mistletoe Kiss (1997)
* Love Can Wait (1997)
* The Fortunes of Francesca (1997)
* Nanny by Chance (1998)
* An Ideal Wife (1998)
* A Winter Love Story (1998)
* Discovering Daisy (1999)
* A Good Wife (1999)
* Making Sure of Sarah (1999)
* An Independent Woman (2001)