A Girl in a Million

Betty Neels. British author. The great dame of medical romances. Born in 1909, she oughta had stock in Mills and Boon. She's written oodles of these things! More than 100, and all after she retired from nursing. Clean stories, profanity free (mostly) and sex free. This particular romance was first published in 1993, and later released in digital format.<br /><br />In Betty's world of romance, every hero is a rich Dutch doctor and every heroine loves nothing better than waking at sunrise, puttering in the garden, and keeping cats. Usually, her heroines are plain janes and poor as church mice. Often, they are nurses. (Never doctors!)<br /><br />********************<br /><br />Marius van Houben is Dutch, but also has a home in England, as a consultant doctor. He is rich, handsome, debonaire, and accustomed to getting his way. Accustomed to fawning females. <br /><br />Caroline doesn't fawn. She's a plainspoken, plain-faced and stubborn-willed nursing student. At first meeting, she falls down some steps outside his home while on holiday in Amsterdam. Marius takes her inside to patch her up. Then he forgets about her.<br /><br />But later...when his nephew Marc (adorable 3-year-old) becomes very sick, he makes Caroline nurse him. Makes her come to Holland, to nurse him some more. <br /><br />He falls in love with her, but is too thick to realize it. His dog knows it before he does! So he's clueless. Until she gets measles (Koplik's Spots). Wherein he finds her spotty face the most beautiful on earth. Why, she's a girl in a million! LOL! <br /><br />But he thinks it's too late. Thinks she has become engaged to another. To a fellow doctor, no less! How he broods. What a mood he's in, bending his dog's ear late into the night, totally lovelorn.<br /><br />Happy but rushed ending. With Neels, we're happy if we get a passionate embrace.<br /><br />See this clever review, at the Neels website: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://everyneelsthing.blogspot.com/2010/04/girl-in-million-1993.html">http://everyneelsthing.blogspot.com/2...</a>

Student nurse Caroline holidays in Amsterdam and drops off a book as a favour to a colleague. The receiver is big handsome Marius van Houben. She is so immediately struck down by his masculine charms that she falls over in the gutter outside his house.<br /><br />He brings her inside for a bit of first aid and to advise her to comb her hair. He’s not at all invested in her – she’s plain and cheaply dressed. And has messy hair.<br /><br />Back at the hospital, Caroline is still thinking about Marius. Her friends all sort of imply that she was hopeless to not flirt with him, or dress better. She needs to be the sort of girl a man takes out to a fancy restaurant, or she’ll never get a boyfriend. Caroline suspects this is true, but what is a shy girl with limited funds and no hairspray to do? When he shows up on the ward as star anaesthesiologist, and uncle to a comatose little boy, they meet again.<br /><br />And keep meeting, as only sensible Caroline can properly nurse the comatose little boy back to health.<br /><br />All the way through reading this book, I thought it was set in the early 1970s. I was really sure when Caroline goes shopping for slightly nicer clothes, but still can’t come at a mini skirt. It was actually published in 1993. The whole hospital setting had this air of being 50s era. It all feels very hierarchical, there seemed to be enough time in the day to have tea breaks and regular meals. In fact, when there weren’t tea breaks or regular meals, it was almost apocalyptic in tone. No nurse must go more than 3 hours without a break! Perhaps it was a sign of a properly unionised workplace. Certainly, what I’ve mostly avoided in not watching any US TV shows set around hospitals, is how everything is always heaps urgent. There’s always gunman invading the hospital and the place getting shut down with plague, and turning homeless people away because they don’t have insurance, and medical staff getting it on in the supply closet, or selling drugs in the alley behind the hospital to fuel their gambling addiction. There is no way any of that is going on at Caroline’s hospital. Matron wouldn’t stand for it.<br /><br />Everyone was very English (unless of course they were Dutch). I imagined the nurses were wearing those big origami style hat things and the patient beds were wooden and in long rows in an echoing hall, and some medical person might show up at any moment to strap you down and saw your arm off, just because. So while I initially thought it was comfortable and old fashioned, and people just lay around and got better or died, realising it could suddenly turn into the random amputation hospital made it terribly shadowy and frightening, probably more so than a US TV hospital. Which is why I like English authors, because you don’t always realise that everything’s getting really dramatic until it suddenly slaps you silly. And then you’re all, where did that torrent of violent emotion come from? I thought they were just going to have a Pims and listen to the gramophone?<br /><br />The old fashioned feel may be down to the fact that Neels has been a writer for far longer than she’s been a nurse. Certainly, a Sarah Morgan hospital has a very different feel. I also didn’t think anyone has been very much in awe of anaesthetics for ages, because I had the impression they were easy medicine, and most of the time we’re all just lucky we wake up, or lucky we don’t wake up while being operated on. I read about that once, it sounded like a horror novel. I also read that no one really understands how drugs make us unconscious, although since I can’t remember any more than that headline, it’s really not sufficient for me to hold an informed opinion on anaesthesiologists. Plus, I really don’t do medical stuff, and even though I’ve read Sarah Morgan’s hospital books, I tend to vague out when she talks diagnosis and treatment.<br /><br />I do have an informed opinion on Dutch men, as in I have some in my family. I know Neels thinks they make awesome heroes, but I’ve avoided her for years because I really could not think about them that way. I did really like Marius. He’s like this old fuddy duddy man who likes the company of sexy young girls, but realises that if he thinks about it too deeply, he’ll have to face the fact that he’s kind of a creep. He spends most of the novel alternately forgetting Caroline exists, and wondering why he’s thinking about her when she’s such a little plainy pants. I completely approved of him feeling guilty about being old when he realises he definitely wants to get in those pants. I chose to find this endearing and funny, rather than unromantic and chilling.<br /><br />Caroline has this very sturdy personality with a wildly romantic streak … I liked her despite thinking she was throwing away the poetry of her soul on an old guy. <br />

Such a good one from Betty--no bombs or crashes in this one, and really no high drama, even the slight OM drama is muted and quickly revealed to be a small misunderstanding. The story is like the heroine--quiet, unassuming, and absolutely delightful. I'm hardly unbiased--I love Betty and I forgive her things that I would fume at from another author: her sexism; her managing, overbearing heroes. Her particular magic is that she makes me believe in the love between her MCs and in the essential goodness of most people. Me! Cynical me! That is magic.<br /><br />I also love how in the midst of BN"s ridiculous, anachronistic fairy tales, so "British," so old-fashioned and comforting and bucolic, the real world intrudes, with road accidents and horrible injuries, sick children and abusive parents, muggers and bombs--just a day at work for BN's nurses and doctors and matters they deal with sensibly, skillfully, caringly. And somehow that touch of grit and darkness just enhances the escapism of the romances she writes. It's really pretty astonishing, and I don't do justice to BN's wonderful ability to balance the sweet and light with those dark touches of the real world.<br /><br />AGiaM, in particular, won my heart with its pacing and its details: The gradual and touching way in which the baffled hero comes to acknowledge that he cannot get the ordinary girl with the beautiful eyes out of his head, gradually coming to realize that he's lost his heart to her. His amusing conversations with his rescue pup about her. The way he comes to think of her as "his Caroline." The likable heroine, who is doing her level best to try to keep the unattainable (she thinks) hero out of her head even though she knows she's also lost her heart to the handsome RDD.<br /><br />In particular, though, both Marius and Caroline were just so likable, so real, so right for one another. Their coming together was just charming and oh-so-satisfying.

Caroline Frisby, orphan and trainee nurse, is on holiday in Amsterdam with her only relative, Aunt Meg. As a favor to another student nurse, she delivers a package to a lovely house beside a canal just off the Herengracht. As she is leaving, a dark blue Bentley pulls up, catching her attention. She falls and gets some scrapes and bruises. A tall, blond, handsome man gets out of the Bentley, helps her us, takes her inside the house, introduces himself as Marius van Houben, and tends to her injuries. <br /><br />End of holiday, back to work. Except, she can’t stop thinking about Mr. van Houben. And guess who shows up at the hospital one day? Of course. Mr. van Houben is a renowned anesthetist who travels all over. <br />Marius’s young nephew has a brain injury and Caroline is assign as his special nurse. She is a caring, devoted nurse, so when little Marc recovers enough to go home, his parents ask Marius to arrange for Caroline to accompany them home to Holland.<br /><br />Marius tries to dismiss Caroline as plain and probably uninteresting, but as work continues to throw them together, he finds he can’t stop thinking about her. She has discovered that she is in love with him but is determined not to let him see how she feels. Once Marius realizes he loves Caroline, he’s pretty straightforward about pursuing her, except when he mistakenly thinks Caroline is dating one of the house doctors. Once he realizes they are just friends, he makes his move. <br /><br />He comes to the Casualty Dept where she is working and when she asks what he wants, he says, “You.” Caroline says that she is likely just a passing fancy. Marius tells her, “My dear, darling girl, most certainly I fancy you, I have indeed fancied you for some time and have no doubt of it, I shall continue to do so for the rest of my life. Moreover I’m in love with you, and life without you does not bear contemplation.” He suggests going to Aunt Meg’s and then to see a “rather worthy bishop” to get a special license.<br /><br />This is standard TGB comfort food, like a creamy mac-n-cheese. What does make this one rather special is that we see quite a lot of Marius’s viewpoint. His conversations with Neptune, the dog rescued from a canal, are really adorable. After he proposes, he tells Caroline that he had promised Neptune he would bring her back home as soon as possible. So cute!<br />

What can I say, I love to read Betty Neels' books. When I need something sweet and easy, her books help me to loosen up.<br /><br />About the book, it was nice to read hero's feelings and thoughts. Usually in a Betty Neels' book, we follow the progress from heroine's pov and daily events MC's attended to. <br />A few times, it was mentioned that hero couldn't understand why his mind occupies with heroine, even though she's not a beauty etc. <br />It was fun to watch how he fell in love with the heroine. <br /><br />I think, contemporary writers should check Ms Neels' books to comprehend how to develop a slowly building romance and how to write a few daily chores without being bored, yet adding reality to the tehir story.<br /><br />However more or less author's books' similar story development, I still love to read her books and I hope, I'll have the time to finish all of her products.<br /><br />I'm really grateful my GRs friend Linda to introduce the author to me.

This book is billed as the "The Best of Betty Neels," but I assume by "Best" Harlequin means "Easiest for us to transfer to digital." Because this book is far from best of anything. I can't believe it was originally published in 1993. The dynamic of the relationship, the medical details, the attitude of the secondary characters, are all more like 1953 than 1993. <br /><br />Our introduction to the heroine is when she falls down some steps and injures herself while on holiday in Amsterdam. The Dutch hero is there to scoop her up (she's outside his house when she falls) and takes her inside to clean her up. He examines her and then produces gauze, bandages, and some ointment from a black bag on his desk to dress her wound. Amazingly, that is not enough information for the nursing-student heroine to tumble to the fact that the hero is a doctor. Not a good sign. This very brief encounter--they exchange about thirty words--is enough for the heroine, Caroline, to become completely obsessed with the hero, Marius van Houben, for no reason that I could figure out. The hero comes across as arrogant and manipulative throughout the book, using Caroline for her skills and ignoring her as a person. In fact, it is the 67% mark of the digital edition before he feels "a faint stirring of interest" toward her. Thrilling. She of course, falls in love with him well before that, but again, for no reason that I could discern. Given the difference in age and status between them, it seems more like a girl's crush on her teacher than anything. In fact, I have no idea why either of them falls for the other--other than that it's a romance novel and that's what they're supposed to do. Since he's a wealthy, sought-after doctor and she's a struggling student he dresses down for daring to think she can finish eating before jumping to carry out his wishes, the romance was bound to be uneven, but the way the author portrays the heroine makes it even worse. She seems like a rather clueless child most of the time in constant need of rescue and/or direction from him. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="94601a14-d991-4fb8-acf2-7e21a23f4c24" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="94601a14-d991-4fb8-acf2-7e21a23f4c24">Even the crisis moment in the story makes her seem like a child when she comes down with <i>measles</i> of all things. And when Marius decides he's in love with her and wants to marry her, he arranges the end of her training and employment at the hospital before he's even spoken to her. She, of course, meekly goes along with everything he says. Romantic.</label><br /><br />To add to the annoyance factor, the digital transfer seems inadequate. Even though Marius van Houben is an anaesthetist, he's consistently referred to as Mr Van Houben, even in scenes in his point of view or in the hospital:<blockquote>It was Staff Nurse who told her later that the child in the side-room was to be operated on that evening. 'That's why Mr van Houben came--he's a wizard with anaesthetics.'</blockquote> I suspect nearly all the instances of "Mr van Houben" (278 of them) are supposed to be "Dr van Houben." Pretty careless, if so. I hope Harlequin has transferred some older Betty Neels titles to digital, because I would like to read the work she produced when she was in her prime. I know she was a favorite author of many romance fans--my grandmother among them--but it's hard to understand why from this particular offering.

4.5 stars<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1418845736ra/12920461.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br>Another amazing feel-good book by Betty Neels! I loved this one so much, I loved the heroine and her kindness and caring nature, I loved how the hero couldn't get her out of his mind and kept making excuses to take her out, and most of all, I loved little Marc. He was such a dear! &lt;3 I loved the relationship between Marc and Caroline.<br><br>Th only thing that put me off and disappointed me was how short and hurried the ending was. It wasn't enough! Betty's endings are never quite up to the mark. When she asks him <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="c2c3d46e-d374-4994-ae49-feeec51838d8" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="c2c3d46e-d374-4994-ae49-feeec51838d8"> 'What do you want?' and he answers, 'You,' - her reaction to that was unrealistic. If someone who had previously showed so little interest in me told me that he wanted me, I'd sure as hell be confused and would have no idea that he meant he wanted <i>wanted</i> me, in the romantic sense. </label> That was the main reason why the ending seemed so hurried.<br><br>But since I enjoyed the rest of the book so much, I'm giving it a 4.5 star rating. <br><br>Betty Neels FTW!<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1418845736ra/12920462.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]>

This is definitely a different Betty in some ways. It’s unusual with the Bettys I’ve read for the hero to be oblivious to his feelings for so long. At first, Marius is only connected to Caroline through her nursing of his small nephew, Marc, and it seems to be only that for quite a while. We get glimpses of Marius’s perspective and I think it is over halfway before he finally realizes he loves Caroline. Two things help with that: Caroline’s supposed connection to Robert Brewster and her getting the measles and needing support and protection. I thought it was particularly sweet how Marius cared for her in her illness. <br /><br />Caroline is a student nurse and she gets transferred to the children’s ward early in the story where she clearly excels. I loved the details of her nursing the children under her care. She has a natural gentleness with the children that Betty describes beautifully. I love the relationship she develops with Marc, and I love that she’ll get to be his aunt! <br /><br />I enjoyed the part Marius’s cousin and Caroline’s fellow student nurse Corinna plays. She’s a matchmaker but a clever one and knows how to lightly manipulate Marius in regards to Caroline. I also enjoyed the head of Children’s, Sister Crump. A delightful name and a savvy nurse and observer. I love her training of Caroline and the good relationship they develop between them. <br /><br />Though this was written in the 90s, it seems that married women weren’t nurses. I don’t know if that was actually true or if it was just an old-fashioned Betty-ism, but that note at the end rang sour for a 21st century reader. Marius rather highhandedly smooths the way for Caroline to drop out of nursing school so she can marry him and beget many children. Of course, it’s obvious she’ll be a wonderful wife and mother, but she’s also such a good nurse. I am sad that she has to drop that part of her personhood. <br /><br />Oh, and Aunt Meg was a great character!

This was such a wonderful book, I remember reading it 20 years ago and has found it to be so sweet and felt the same this time around. There is not much of a story in this book but the sheer narrative makes it very interesting and the scenes are all very well described.<br />We all can relate with the heroine Caroline and the feelings she goes through when she meets the handsome doctor Van houben . I liked the way her character progresses and her hardworking nature and simplicity which makes her a girl in a million for our hero. This is a clean neat romance which will appeal to any lover of romantic stories , highly recommended and looking forward to reading more books by Betty Neels

This is a very nice Neels book, one where both MC's are pleasant people. Our heroine is an orphaned nursing student who lives with her Aunt, the hero a RD anesthetist with a female cousin who works with the heroine. (Despite what the description says, I didn't find him arrogant at all. Simply preoccupied at first.) There's no nasty OW or terrible parent causing trouble, just two people who don't think they have anything in common spending time together and gradually falling in love. Sometimes I really want to spend time with pleasant grownups being quietly entertained, and this book worked quite well.