Title: The Fortunes of Francesca
Author: Betty Neels
Publisher: Harlequin
Line: The Best of Betty Neels
ISBN: 9780373249718
More Information: http://www.harlequin.com
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Francesca gave up her studies to care for her aunt and brother. Despite her lot in life, she didn't mind the hard work and kept a smile on her face. However, one day, the stability of her life was unbalanced and her family went into the clutches of her vindictive relatives. In steps, Professor Marc van der Kettener. Life suddenly got a little bit better.
Normally, I don't bother writing reviews for Betty Neels' books since they seem all the same to me. But lo and behold, this gem surprised me with its outspoken heroine and well-paced plot. Okay, this still has the formula of a Neels' romance. We have an older Dutch doctor who rescued the heroine from dire straits. The heroine who was an (almost) nurse and needed rescuing from her sad lot in life. And a marriage proposal to solved both their problems. So what made this different? The heroine. Francesca was absolutely delightful with her unguarded, outspoken words. She said things that I wouldn't have the guts to say to my boss. Her chattiness even annoyed Marc. Love it. The emotions, that are usual lacking in her romances, were evident here. It was really refreshing. The plot was actually addicting. I couldn't wait for Marc to rescue her from her evil relatives' clutches. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. It wasn't overly detailed and had a lot more dialogue. The plot was straightforward without extra drama from side characters.
Betty Neels' fans have to read this one. Awesome heroine, not as verbose, just right amount of drama made this an addictive read. If you haven't read one before, this would be a great book to start with from this venerable author.
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