The Girl with Green Eyes is part of The Best of Betty Neels collection from Harlequin Romances. Heroine Lucy Lockitt, is not a nurse, nor is she impoverished nor homely. In fact her family is well off and she is quite pretty, although her parents and two dashing sisters find her somewhat backwards and disappointing.
Lucy works as a child minder at an orphanage (“your little job” per her mother) and has assimilated her family’s view of herself as rather dull, certainly not someone likely to attract handsome, successful Dr. William Thurloe. Nonetheless Lucy falls for him and he finds her delightful, kind, a good listener, not conceited, interested in other people.
On the surface there should be no conflict. Dr. Thurloe proposes to Lucy and she wants so badly to accept, but instead asks for thinking time because he doesn’t say he loves her. Fiona Seymour is widowed, well-off, beautiful, well-dressed and completely selfish. She has also decided that she will marry William Thurloe (or his money), and makes mischief between William and Lucy, telling both lies, stealing William’s love letter to Lucy.
Of course Lucy and William end up together, kissing and planning to marry within a week or two.
I liked that Lucy is not a nurse nor poor or unattractive. She has little self-confidence and knows she isn’t terribly bright or witty. She believes in herself enough to care for children at the orphanage despite her family gently deprecating her work, and radiates gentleness and kindness and character strength.
William could have avoided a few weeks of heartache if he had simply told Lucy he loved her. We wouldn’t have had much of a story then!
Overall The Girl with Green Eyes is written well, easy to follow plot, reasonably interesting and developed characters. Keep in mind this is a romance novel so we aren’t talking great literature, but also realize that Betty Neels’ novels remain popular even 19 years after her death. I along with many others enjoy her clean romances with likable characters, warmth of characterization and good descriptions of setting.
4 Stars
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