Reviews for Caroline's Waterloo

The average rating for Caroline's Waterloo based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-08-04 00:00:00 Kiwiz Jack I am definitely in the minority on this one. One of the reasons I read Betty Neels is I absolutely love her heroes. They are smart, caring, handsome, dashing and always suited up in armor ready to play the knight. However, not this one. He fell way below the mark. He was so not worthy of the heroine. I kept scratching my head trying to figure out why she ever fell in love with him. I think the lowest point for me came when she rescued the pregnant donkey. One day, Caroline was out walking close to home when she came across a group of travelers who had hitched a donkey behind them. They were beating the poor starved, pregnant donkey. Caroline grabs the donkey's reins demanding that the leader follow her home so that she can purchase the donkey. It really was an endearing moment. The hero is there and comes to her rescue applying the necessary pressure to make sure the man won't ever abuse another animal again. All good, right? Well, not quite. When she asks him what they should name the donkey he responds: "He was staring at her with hard eyes as though he could't bear the sight of her. 'What more could be more appropriate than Caro?" He wanted to know mockingly." He is immediately contrite tries to apologize. But for me the damage was done and it was irrevocable. However, if I had been Caroline, my one-liner back to him would have been. "No need to apologize. You are right only a jackass would marry you."

Review # 2 was written on 2014-12-08 00:00:00 Laura Moreno Reina Our heroine is a nice quiet girl, an orphan with no looks to speak of, but with plenty of friends. Her only relative is an aunt whom she no longer sees since she remarried a man who didn't like Caroline. Caro, as her friends call her, is on holiday in the Netherlands on a biking/camping trip with three girlfriends, other nurses from the hospital. They have a bicycle accident in which Caro cuts her leg and hits her head, rendering her unable to travel home. The accident just happened to occur near the home of a RDD, Radinck (possibly my favorite RDD name!) Thoe van Erckelens. She stays at his home until she recovers, being spoiled by his servants, whom she likes and who like her very much. After her return to England, one day Radinck shows up at the hospital and proposes a MOC. He makes it quite clear that he is not in love with her; he tells her he likes her, but was married before to a FFW and no longer has any romantic feelings or ideas. Caro has already discovered that she is in love with him, and accepts. They have a lovely, if small, wedding and Caro returns to Holland to begin her life as Baroness Thoe van Erckelens. She quickly and quietly fits herself into his household, not asking him for anything. He does take her shopping to purchase new clothes for her new lifestyle, but in an impersonal way. She rescues an abused donkey which draws Radinck's attention to her. Shortly thereafter, he discovers that she has been learning to ride and invites her to ride with him every morning before breakfast. Radinck has his DR one evening (on page 114) when she is in the drawing room dressed up waiting for him to come to dinner. We have to read between the lines to see it as TGB never gives us the hero's viewpoint. This book has no Big Misunderstanding, no OW/OM or Evil Aunt/Cousin. Caro becomes increasingly suspicious/hopeful that Radinck is coming to love her but is still quite unsure. Radinck fights his feelings and is unsure of Caro's. I love Caro's fake runaway! The Declaration is very sweet. Loose Ends. The handkerchief in the pocket is so charming, but I do wish TGB had told us when/where/how he got it. Also, we never get to see Caro and the staff perform the Christmas carols they practiced.