Nanny By Chance

Rating:
Summary: Jinxed heroine
Review: as usual neels has written a wonderful story about araminta,whose dreams are proving ilusive to her.each step she takes forward in aspiring for her dreams is thwarted.and now that she is especially close to her training for becoming a nurse--dr.marcus van der breugh enters and she finds herself looking after his twin nephews in neels' favourite setting-holland.he tells her that she can never be a nurse and that comes out true.she leaves training to teach in a school--supported by marcus who finds her a job there so that he can court her.the end is quite rushed and the climax in apark where marcus finds her after she is jobless, is well written.

Rating:
Summary: not to be a nurse
Review: as usual neels has written a wonderful story about araminta,whose dreams are proving ilusive to her.each step she takes forward in aspiring for her dreams is thwarted.and now that she is especially close to her training for becoming a nurse--dr.marcus van der breugh enters and she finds herself looking after his twin nephews in neels' favourite setting-holland.he tells her that she can never be a nurse and that comes out true.she leaves training to teach in a school--supported by marcus who finds her a job there so that he can court her.the end is quite rushed and the climax in apark where marcus finds her after she is jobless, is well written.

Rating:
Summary: Jinxed heroine
Review: I love Betty Neels' books as a rule, but, sadly, this is the only story I cannot recommend. Betty Neels' recurrent theme of strong heroines in dire circumstances who have to be rescued by the heroes, is usually well-offset by the charm of her writing. However, unfortunately, that does not work as well here.

The heroine just has too many odds stacked against her. For instance, Marcus tells her that she'll never become a nurse. But on what basis? She takes excellent care of his nephews when the boys contract the mumps. Or when Araminta runs afoul of the nasty and unfair ward sister. Couldn't she have asked for a transfer? There are indications that the hospital staff may not have been averse to this. Nurses are needed, and Araminta could have continued her training and fulfilled her long-time goal. The hero, Marcus, is kind and well-meaning, but I also wondered if he wasn't subconsciously setting Araminta up so that she would have no resources of her own, and would wind up dependent on him. And I found it sad that Araminta could give up her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse so easily, just because of an (unwise) remark from the hero, and a bad break or two after she started her training.

Betty Neels was an excellent and charming writer; but I would pass on this one story. Read some of her earlier books, ("A Match for Sister Maggy", "Saturday's Child", "Tangled Autumn", "Not Once But Twice"), and you'll see that her heroines can be strong women who are allowed to professionally stand on their own.

Rating:
Summary: Rushed ending.
Review: Plot description on this book's Amazon.com page. Typical Betty Neels story. Uncaring relatives, plain heroine, handsome hero. Araminta tries, but she has no skills, Marcus doesn't really realize he loves her till she is gone, but tries his best for her. No old love interest in this one to stir the plot, but a series of mishaps. Good, solid story, just what we read these for, but the ending is rushed. I haven't yet come across a Neels story that didn't have a 'hurry up finish' ending.