Betty Neels wrote 134 romance novels, all perfectly clean, most featuring English nurses and rich Dutch doctors. The Final Touch fits Neels’ classic mold: Dutch resident doctor Cor entices Charity with sweet nothings when he is in England on a course, convincing her that he loves her so that she follows him to Holland where she takes a hospital job and eventually realizes Cor is a nasty flirt, and has never been serious about her. Rich Dutch consulting physician Tyco finds Charity crying in the hall and takes her out to supper. He eventually proposes a marriage of convenience because his two young daughters need a mother.
I enjoyed The Final Touch because Charity is a fairly strong character, marrying Tyco because she likes him and his daughters, not quite realizing that she is beginning to love him. Tyco also is more developed than some of Neels’ rich Dutch doctors, feeling vulnerable because he is older than Charity and fears she may still be attached to Cor.
Much as with any romance we readers can’t be too fussy about the plot. Sometimes the conflicts in Neels’ stories are silly; lying old girl friends (or wanna-be girl friends), or foolish misunderstandings and often he or she jumps to conclusions and makes everyone miserable.
The Final Touch has two conflicts. Neither Tyco nor Charity realizes they are falling in love and thus step ever so carefully around each other, worrying about the other’s feelings. Also, Charity’s very beautiful model step sister decides to make a play for Tyco and Charity believes her lies.
Read The Final Touch – indeed, any of Betty Neels’ novels – for pleasure, to see two people fall in love and wade through a few challenges to have a happy life together.
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