Betty Neels (born 15 September 1909 in Leyton, England – d. 7 June 2001 in England) was a prolific British writer of over 134 romance novels (first publication entirely for Mills & Boon in United Kingdom and later reprinted in the North America by Harlequin), beginning in 1969 and continuing until her death. Her work is known for being particularly chaste.[citation needed]
Biography
Personal life
Evelyn Jessy "Betty" Neels was born on 15 September 1909 in Leyton[1] (then part of Essex but now in Greater London) to a family with firm roots in the Civil Service. She spent her childhood and youth in Devonshire. She was sent away to boarding school, and then went on to train as a nurse, gaining her SRN and SCM, that is, State Registered Nurse and State Certificate of Midwifery.[2][3]
In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service (TANS), which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station, until the invasion of France in 1940. She was commissioned into the TANS as a Sister on 30 May 1941. Later she worked in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where she met a Dutchman, named Johannes Meijer. They married in 1942 and had a daughter in 1945.[2][3][4]
The married couple lived in London, and later they moved to the Netherlands for thirteen years, where she resumed her nursing career. When the family returned to England, she continued her nursing. When she retired, she had reached the position of Night Superintendent.[2]
Neels died in hospital on 7 June 2001, aged 91.[2]
Writing career
Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969.[2] Her career with Mills & Boon or Harlequin spanned 30 years, and she continued to write into her 90th year. She wrote 134 novels.
Her novels have several recurring themes. The main male and female characters are often brought together by circumstances before love flourishes.[citation needed] The heroine is usually either a Cinderella or a "splendidly built" queen-sized woman.[citation needed] A character will often have expertise in antiques. Family pets are common. The male protagonist is often a Dutch surgeon.[citation needed]Robin Ince has commented on the fact that her heroes are often Dutch.[5] He also notes that some of her books have been re-published under different titles.[5]
Bibliography
A collection of novels by Betty Neels
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 (1975)
Wish with the Candles (1972)
Saturday's Child (1972)
Uncertain Summer (1972)
Victory for Victoria (1972)
Winter of Change (1973)
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)
Philomena's Miracle (1978)
Never While the Grass Grows (1978)
Ring in a Teacup (1978)
Sun and Candlelight (1979)
The Promise of Happiness (1979)
Midnight Sun's Magic (1979)
Winter Wedding (1979)
Last April Fair (1980)
The Silver Thaw (1980)
Caroline's Waterloo (1980)
Hannah (1980)
When May Follows (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)
The 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)
The Girl with Green Eyes (1990)
A Suitable Match (1990)
Roses Have Thorns
The Most Marvellous Summer (1991)
The Final Touch (1991)
A Little Moonlight (1991)
A Kind of Magic (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)
A Valentine for Daisy (1993)
Dearest Love
A Secret Infatuation (1994)
Wedding Bells for Beatrice (1994)
A Christmas Wish
Waiting for Deborah (1994)
The Bachelor's Wedding
Dearest Mary Jane (1994)
Fate Takes a Hand (1995)
The Right Kind of Girl
The Mistletoe Kiss (1997)
Marrying Mary (1996)
A Kiss for Julie (1996)
The Vicar's Daughter (1996)
Only by Chance'(1996)
The Daughter of the Manor (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)
The Final Touch Series
The Final Touch (1991)
A Happy Meeting (1992)
Dr Fforde Series
Always and Forever (2000)
The Doctor's Girl (2001)
First Class Series Multi-Author
Roses Have Thorns (1990)
Kids & Kisses Multi-Author
A Valentine for Daisy (1993)
Family Ties Multi-Author
A Christmas Wish (1994)
Sealed with a Kiss Multi-Author
Dearest Love (1995)
Holding Out for a Hero Multi-Author
The Bachelor's Wedding (1995)
Baby Boon Multi-Author
The Right Kind of Girl (1995)
White Weddings Multi-Author
An Innocent Bride (1999)
Matilda's Wedding (2000)
White Wedding Multi-Author
Emma's Wedding (2001)
Collections
Best of Betty Neels: Britannia All at Sea, The Little Dragon (1985)
Sister Peters in Amsterdam / Nurse in Holland / Blow Hot, Blow Cold (1989)
Christmas Gift Set (1998)
The Proposal / Making Sure of Sarah (2001)
Not Once But Twice / A Girl Named Rose (2002)
The Christmas Proposal / A Christmas Romance (2001)
Christmas Gift Pack (2001)
The Most Marvellous Summer / A Summer Idyll (2002)
Only by Chance / A Happy Meeting (2002)
Tangled Autumn / The Edge of Winter (2002)
The Secret Pool / The Girl with Green Eyes (2002)
Winter of Change / A Winter Love Story (2002)
A Betty Neels Christmas (2002)
Sun and Candlelight / A Star Looks Down (2003)
Matilda's Wedding / An Innocent Bride (2003)
Dearest Mary Jane / Romantic Encounter (2003)
Last April Fair / The Course of True Love (2003)
The Promise of Happiness / Caroline's Waterloo (2003)
Sister Peters in Amsterdam / Emma's Wedding (2003)
The Christmas Collection (2003)
Christmas Wishes (2003)
Betty Neels Bridal Collection (2007)
Omnibus in Collaboration
A Wife for Andrew / Bitter Masquerade / Fate Is Remarkable (1971) (with Lucy Gillen and Margery Hilton)
