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Midnight Sun's Magic

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Finding romance didn't seem likely in a place like Spitsbergen, so close to the North Pole. Yet when Annis went there for a short time to work, she found herself falling in love with a handsome Norwegian. But the romance was brief and disappointing, so when Dutchman Jake van Germent asked her to marry him, Annis was more than pleased to accept. He wasn't handsome, but he was everything else she could possibly want! Jake knew about her recent affair, though, and Annis found she couldn't make Jake believe that she had married him for love....

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

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About the author

Betty Neels

497 books391 followers
Evelyn Jessy "Betty" Neels was born on September 15, 1910 in Devon to a family with firm roots in the civil service. She said she had a blissfully happy childhood and teenage years.(This stood her in good stead later for the tribulations to come with the Second World War). 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.

In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service, which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station. This comprised eight nursing sisters, including Betty, to 100 men! In other circumstances, she thought that might have been quite thrilling! When France was invaded in 1940, all the nursing sisters managed to escape in the charge of an army major, undertaking a lengthy and terrifying journey to Boulogne in an ambulance. They were incredibly fortunate to be put on the last hospital ship to be leaving the port of Boulogne. But Betty's war didn't end there, for she was posted to Scotland, and then on to Northern Ireland, where she met her Dutch husband. He was a seaman aboard a minesweeper, which was bombed. He survived and was sent to the south of Holland to guard the sluices. However, when they had to abandon their post, they were told to escape if they could, and along with a small number of other men, he marched into Belgium. They stole a ship and managed to get it across the Channel to Dover before being transferred to the Atlantic run on the convoys. Sadly he became ill, and that was when he was transferred to hospital in Northern Ireland, where he met Betty. They eventually married, and were blessed with a daughter. They were posted to London, but were bombed out. As with most of the population, they made the best of things.

When the war finally ended, she and her husband were repatriated to Holland. As his family had believed he had died when his ship went down, this was a very emotional homecoming. The small family lived in Holland for 13 years, and Betty resumed her nursing career there. When they decided to return to England, Betty continued her nursing and when she eventually retired she had reached the position of night superintendent.

Betty Neels began writing almost by accident. She had retired from nursing, but her inquiring mind had no intention of vegetating, and her new career was born when she heard a lady in her local library bemoaning the lack of good romance novels. There was little in Betty's background to suggest that she might eventually become a much-loved novelist.

Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969, and by dint of often writing four books a year, she eventually completed 134 books. She was always quite firm upon the point that the Dutch doctors who frequently appeared in her stories were *not* based upon her husband, but rather upon an amalgam of several of the doctors she met while nursing in Holland.

To her millions of fans around the world, Betty Neels epitomized romance. She was always amazed and touched that her books were so widely appreciated. She never sought plaudits and remained a very private person, but it made her very happy to know that she brought such pleasure to so many readers, while herself gaining a quiet joy from spinning her stories. It is perhaps a reflection of her upbringing in an earlier time that the men and women who peopled her stories have a kindliness and good manners, coupled to honesty and integrity, that is not always present in our modern world. Her myriad of fans found a warmth and a reassurance of a better world in her stories, along with characters who touched the heart, which is all and more than one could ask of a romance writer. She received a great deal of fan mail, and there was always a comment upon the fascinating places she visited in her stories. Quite often those of her fans fortunate enough to visit Ho

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5 stars
163 (45%)
4 stars
108 (30%)
3 stars
67 (18%)
2 stars
17 (4%)
1 star
4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
343 reviews73 followers
May 25, 2021
After the irredeemable ogre in Judith, I really needed a swoon-worthy BN hero, and boy did yummy Jake deliver. Oh, this one was fun and had some memorable divergences from the usual Betty tales! Yes, it follows a familiar format—multiple locations (Three! England/Norway/Holland), an MoC midway through, some OM/OW dramarama. Ah, but also some of the strongest intimations that sexytimes would be imminent that I’ve read in a BN! (Alas, the only way my lascivious musings about BN's big handsome heroes will ever be realized is if I write my own fan-fic, I guess. 😉)

Jake breaks the typical BN hero mold in MSM—sure, he’s an RDD but he seems lighter and warmer and more casual and more REAL in many ways than Betty’s usual offering. He’s actually described as “lighthearted” in one scene! The setting, a remote (nuclear? research? Betty’s not quite clear) station in the Artic Circle in far-north Norway, is exotic and intriguing as well! We have the usual move to Holland and what appears to be an MoC but isn't on either side (and a real white-satin-and bridal veils wedding to boot!) The ending is pretty funny (our poor stymied heroine just cannot get a chance to confess her feelings) and satisfying. Waldo and Olympia from The End of the Rainbow make an appearance (although only Olympia gets lines). Super cute!

Car Porn:
Forget the standard-issue Rolls or Bentley: Jake has his own seaplane! Now that’s hot!
Profile Image for Kay.
1,901 reviews119 followers
March 20, 2015
This is one of Betty's marriage of convenience stories with the hero having fallen in love with the heroine at first sight and having to wait patiently for her to catch up. In this one our hero, Jake, has competition in the charmer Ola. I found the setting of remote Norway to be quite interesting and refreshing from Betty's usual England to Holland stories. Of course, when they marry, Jake and Annis live in Holland in all the spendour that Betty loves to bequest to her heroes. Unknown to Jake, Annis actually is marrying him for love, but thinks he's only marrying her for convenience. I was thoroughly charmed with Annis at the end, when she is thwarted the final time from making her declaration of love, and must do so in an angry letter. Their HEA is rather romantic, with everything finally coming to rights, as only Betty can make happen.


For my rather long winded review including many spoilers ....
Profile Image for Pamela Shropshire.
1,386 reviews67 followers
September 28, 2016
3 1/2 stars. Annis Brown is a tall gorgeous redhead with green eyes. She has wasted 3 years with the worthy but boring Arthur Potter. She wears a sexy dress she knows that she will disapprove of, asks him if he is ever going to propose and then turns him down all in one fell swoop. She's not a girl to mince words. At least not until later.

Annis's family consists of a brother and Great-Aunt Mary who lives in the Dorset village of Mere. Her brother, an atomic engineer, asks her to take a job as nurse/secretary/cook (sounds like a normal wife, right) in Spitzbergen, which is on an island off the coast of Norway.

She's looking for romance in Spitzbergen and she finds it. She ignores the handsome RDD and instead gets swept off her feet by a complete rotter (he's married and admits he didn't tell because he didn't think she would be willing to play kissy-face with another woman's husband - no DUH).

Heartbroken, she accepts Jake's proposal for a MOC. Of course she has a DR that she's really in love with Jake, but she has a bugaboo about an OW, Nina. She's never seen Nina with Jake and he's never mentioned her but she gets the idea that Nina is the love of his life. She runs away (surprise!), Jake comes after her, all is explained, and they have champagne because, as Jake says, it is their wedding night. Strongly implied conjugal relations.

I really loved the first half of the book, but thought it fell a bit flat in the second half.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Fiona Marsden.
Author 38 books140 followers
January 27, 2014
This is a sweet story with the beginning set in Norway where the heroine Annis Brown goes to work as a nurse cum cook at an isolated station where her brother works. The temporary Doctor is Dutchman Jake van Germert and he and Annis are well on the way to developing something when a flirty, handsome Norwegian turns up. Ola knows all the romantic moves and after her longterm extremely boring boyfriend in London and the slow cautious, almost brotherly friendship with Jake it's not surprising she is swept away with the romance.

It is short lived however and it isn't long before Annis recognises her infatuation for what it is. But somehow kind brotherly Jake doesn't realise and when he asks her to marry him, it is offered as a marriage of convenience on his part. Of course that makes it very hard for Annis to confess that she actually loves Jake and her feeling for Ola died pretty quickly once he was out of sight.

There is a hint about another woman in this story but the conflict centres around the misunderstandings regarding Annis brief romance with Ola. A lovely read with some Norwegian scenery thrown in for good measure.
Profile Image for Evelyn.
Author 1 book31 followers
October 9, 2021
I have read this one before, but when I found a mint copy for ten cents at a used book sale, I snapped it up. I decided to reread my old banged-up copy before tossing it. My only problem with "Midnight Sun's Magic" is the setting. It seemed odd to be in Norway with a Betty Neels couple. I'm sure that it's a beautiful area, but not my cup of tea for romance. Luckily, the second half of the book moves to Holland where Annis meets Jake's family and they have a marriage of convenience. I liked the subtle way that they get to know each other better. It was also different to have the main hero suffer a broken leg from an accident. At least he suffered it heroically.
Profile Image for Teri-K.
2,297 reviews58 followers
September 20, 2015
This is my first book by the author. I'll admit I picked it up because of the cover - I love reading about the extreme North, so a book set in Norway was enticing. Later it moves to Holland, and a childhood fondness for Hans Brinker made that appealing, too.

I knew this would be an old-fashioned book. I read a lot of older books and generally enjoy them, so that wasn't a problem. However, as I read this it began to feel creepy. This isn't historical fiction, only an older book, and the relationship between the MC's felt really old-fashioned. Our hero married the heroine without ever telling her he loved her, or even that her liked her much. He did comment frequently on how beautiful she is. After their marriage he cheerfully neglects her, talking about how he doesn't have time for her but evidently expecting her to be fine with that. When she picks a silly fight with him I was actually cheering her on, which I normally wouldn't do. But the best word to describe the hero is bloodless and I couldn't help but want to see if there was any feeling in him at all. The revelation was disappointing.

I will read another by Neels, to see if they're all like this one, and because I like books with unusual settings. If you want to read a "contemporary" romance lacking in any kind of love or romance, (no sex, either), without emotion or any actual relationship between the MC's, I can recommend this. Otherwise, it's just very strange.
Profile Image for Tonya Warner.
1,214 reviews13 followers
Read
July 27, 2011
Annis wants the same as every woman, to be swept off her feet. Everyone assumed she would eventually marry Arthur, but she was twenty-seven and wanted to have some romance in her life. Her brother helps her get a job close to the North Pole and she meets the doctor, Jake.



Jake is a large, imposing man. He falls for Annis quickly, but when Ola appears on the scene, he is unsure if he can win her. When Jake jumps to the rescue of an unconsious man, breaking his leg, Annis realizes Ola is not for her, but Jake is the one she loves. Jake asks her to marry him, but does not let her know it is for love.



Annis tries to let Jake know how she feels, but events keep getting in the way. When Ola reappears on the scene, Jake and Annis have a big blowup, and she leaves to try and see if she can rationally get an answer to the situation. Jake realizes he should have spoke up sooner, love sometimes needs words as well as actions.



An excellent story.
Profile Image for Michelle.
510 reviews171 followers
Read
November 1, 2008
Midnight Sun's Magic
Betty Neels
Contemporary Romance
288 pages
copyright: 1979
isbn: 0-263-19316-0

HOW TO CONVINCE JAKE-ANNIS NEEDED IDEAS!

Finding romance didn't seem likely in a place like Spitzenbergen, so close to the North Pole. But when Annis went there for a short time to work, she found herself falling in love with a handsome Norwegian, though the affair was brief and disappointing.

So when Dutchman Jake van Germent asked her to marry him, Annis was more than pleased to accept. He wasn't handsome, but he had everything else she could possibly want! He knew about her Norwegian, too, and Annis found that she couldn't make Jake believe that she had married him for love...
Profile Image for Diana.
1,532 reviews84 followers
December 16, 2016
One of the first Harlequin authors I remember reading. I was completely enthralled by the exotic locales in her books when I was 13. Now reading these books are more of a way of remembering the aunt who got me started on them. I'll probably always love them due to the nostalgia factor. her books will always be some of my favorites to re-read.
Profile Image for Marilyn.
Author 178 books194 followers
July 11, 2010
I found the hero of this one a little darker than usual. It was a nice change.
Profile Image for Mudpie.
856 reviews7 followers
March 11, 2018
1979 book set in England, with a stint in Norway and then Holland. The part in Spitzbergen was the most interesting! A research/radio station almost in the artics, it was fun reading how Annis adapted to life there though she was probably there just a couple of months. But so much could happen in such a short time!

Annis meeting Rich Dutch Doctor Jake, thinking she did not really like him because for some reason he seemed not to like her and was either aloof or avoiding her mostly, the rescue and joining of a new Norwegian staff Ola, Annis being swept off her feet by the romantic Ola, Ola's dishonourable behaviour when Harald got injured and Jake's heroic rescue, Jake breaking his leg, Ola revealing his departure and that he's married, poor Annis feeling cheated but definitely not broken hearted, more work, and surprise proposal from Jake!

Now I have never believed for a second it's to be a MOC because being an RDD there's really no need to marry Annis to cook and care for him simply because his sister got married and moved out. The most obvious clue was no way would a hero be so insistent on a big white wedding with all the nearest and dearest attending, and gosh he even discuss wedding dress materials and veil lengths with Annis!

Oh Annis was a beautiful Amazon at 5 ft 10! Is she the tallest BN heroine?

I wish the conflict was not so contrived; many times Annis wanted to clear the air about Ola because Jake thought she was still hung up on Ola...then the evil cousin had to keep mentioning Jake's ex Nina to Annis and HE always dismissed Nina as a non issue but refused to talk about it. Towards the end even he said they needed to talk but he'd always find something more important to do...


SPOILERS SPOILERS

These RDD heroes of Betty were so dedicated to their patients. ..even a found runaway wife could wait. He was frantic when he thought Annis gone from his life, yet when he was told where she was, instead of going straight to his beloved wife, he went to visit his patient first. Granted it was a nedical emergency but dammit for once I wish a hero would put his wife first!

Bravo Annis, your love letter was epic!

Oh and Jake was no shy hero...he had hinted the situation (their routine/marriage arrangements) would change once his plaster on the leg came off...dare I hope he meant they'd consummate the marriage? For sure at the hotel where he found Annis, he ordered champagne because it's to be their wedding night! *blushes* Heh...

Overall Jake was a pretty good hero, but I really disliked him for telling Annis he brought his various girlfriends to Schudderbeurs before. Was he trying to make her jealous dammit? i really felt bad for Annis...which female would not be upset to be told in her face by her beloved husband that yes he's brought many women here before. She could draw the conclusion herself, knowing is one thing but to amost be rubbed in her face by the facts from him...gosh. how stupid can he get? ! And he still had to ask what did he do now to upset her...it could have been a perfectly romantic dinner but he's ruined it!

So for this I take away 1*.

PS. Waldo and Olympia from The End of the Rainbow make cameo appearances here as Jake's best friend and wife. Waldo is one of my least fave heroes because he had believed the OW over his own wife...
548 reviews15 followers
January 3, 2019
This is a typical Betty Neels fare, set in Norway instead of England -> Holland. But the magic of her stories is missing in this one.

The scenes are abrupt, the relationship between the leads is choppy and superficial. And the OM sticks out like a sore thumb, he breezes in and out of the story without any meaning. Only a silly fool can fall for him, that's our heroine. And only a dumb idiot can go on believing that the girl still loves the OM, that's our hero.

Nope, I couldn't spot any magic in this mundane affair.
Profile Image for Michelle David.
2,296 reviews11 followers
July 17, 2018
A treat

If you enjoy your romances clean, light, fluffy and vintage then you will enjoy the wonderful work of Betty Neels
458 reviews4 followers
February 17, 2021
I needed something light after finishing Grapes of Wrath so this is perfect. I always go back to Neels for a filler. This one set partly in Scandinavia; is a nice change from her normal London or Holland.

Very pleasant
Profile Image for Katharine Holden.
870 reviews14 followers
May 6, 2021
Not one of Neels's better novels. Unbelievable characters and actions, and way too many mentions of heroine's "glorious mop" of hair.
June 1, 2021
Not bad

I liked some of her other books better, I don't know why. I liked the Norway adventure but after that had a hard time finishing the book
53 reviews
October 20, 2016
Not Quite Magical Enough

Interesting bit about Norway, but otherwise a bit boring. Guess every story can't be magical, but it is a quietly readable book.
Profile Image for Parparak Pink.
237 reviews20 followers
March 27, 2018
Absolutely fascinating. Beautiful, sweet slow romance. Not like other book from Betty Neels but I can say for sure it's one of my favorite of her works. Hero and the heroine loveable and storyline really enjoyable. Loved it and recommend it to all.




Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

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