Paradise For Two

by Betty Neels

Prudence Makepeace had a soft heart, and so she readily gave up her own plans in order to escort her godmother to Holland. Once there, Prudence found the country and the Dutch people charming, with one exception—the overbearing Dr. Haso ter Brons Huizinga.

As infuriating as the man was, sparks flew whenever they met, and Prudence couldn't deny a certain attraction to him. But why was she fretting over Haso? After all, he was about to get married. Little did Prudence know that the doctor's wedding plans weren't quite finalized. There was still the small matter of his intended bride….

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Clean Romance, Contemporary Romance, Slow Burn, Harlequin Romance, Historical Fiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

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

Reviews

[Grrrrace · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s not a lot of love for prickly heroine Prudence Makepeace (Betty’s little joke of a name) over at The Uncrushable Jersey Dress, but I, for one, don’t blame her a bit for being so snappish with hero Haso ter Brons Huizinga, he of the mocking smiles, silkily voiced remarks, and high-handed treatment. It’s a wonder Prudence falls for him at all, since any kindness towards her, let alone wooing of her splendid, russet-haired self, is markedly absent throughout much of Paradise for Two. Yes, Prudence is quick to take offense, but in her defense, Haso is quick to offend. Prudence’s attitude toward the very handsome and self-assured Haso is self-defense more than anything.

Betty’s bickerfest isn’t without a great deal of charm, though. There are some hilarious moments* along with a cast of wonderful secondary characters, including three matchmaking aunts (two of them honorary), a dour-faced maid named Pretty, the wonderfully detestable OW Christabel van Bijl (another Betty joke?—I read it as van Bile), and the usual complement of faithful family retainers and pets. Betty is in rare form indeed, with snarky dialogue, lavish descriptions of gastronomical delights and antique-filled stately homes, and the usual vivid travelogues (Holland and a side trip to Guernsey).

Prudence is one of Betty’s gorgeous nurse-heroines, 25 years old, and despite past boyfriends and offers of marriage, heart-whole and hoping to someday be swept off her feet (although she readily admits that her big beautiful self is a hefty lift). Our hero, Haso, is the usual massive and distinguished RDD (on the younger side at 33), built for the job, but with a bit more of a temper than we usually see explicitly and perhaps not enough time with the heroine to become much more than an adversarial foil for much of the book. Certainly he’s kind to the various older folk in the story—his delightful green-thumbed mother, who instantly recognizes the kind and sensible heroine as just the right girl for him; the various aunts; his old schoolmaster--but when he’s not needling the heroine, he’s icing her out or using that most hateful of all things: the RDD “silky voice.” Prudence is quite right to find him maddening and to strike back with her unruly sharp tongue when pushed.

There are a few RDD-patented "hard kisses" along the way, but usually as a result of her telling him, when he fires her to rage, that she never wants to see him again, and he usually agrees and seems to mean it, until circumstances bring her back into his orbit. He even cancels her new job ruthlessly when he needs her to return to Holland to nurse his very ill mother--and then has the nerve to tell her off for not letting the odious Christabel visit her patient (for valid reasons), and say that he cannot have her disrupting his life and that as soon as his mother is well, she is free to go. “Well, thanks for nothing!” our heroine says angrily, and she’s right—that’s some kind of gratitude. Particularly since, once again (as she had with the aunts on her initial trip to Holland), she is working unpaid and is there as a favor to him.

By this point, Prudence has had her very unwelcome Dawning Realization, and is very hurt by his words but resolved that once she leaves, she will do her best to forget him. And in the meantime, since “there was no profit in thinking about [being in love with someone who didn’t care two pence for her], she turned her thoughts to the pleasant time she would have on the morrow.” Betty’s heroines may occasionally cry themselves to sleep but overall they have an admirable refusal to allow themselves to wallow in self pity and a fierce determination to get on with things, broken heart or no. After so many Harley heroines who let love/sex get in the way of self-respect and pride, Betty's stalwart heroines are usually really refreshing in that respect.

With some rare hours off now that Mevrouw ter Brons Huizinga is on the mend, Prudence sets off on a bike ride and gets hopelessly lost in the Frisian countryside with a storm coming in (and all BN heroines seem to fear storms). She takes shelter at the cottage of a retired schoolteacher who fortunately speaks English. What’s more, he knows, though the local grapevine, who Prudence is: he’s been told she’s the prettiest girl the baker has seen for a long time, hee. She has lunch with the lonely old man until well past the time she said she’d be back, and Haso finds her (having asked around and been given a description of “a big girl with flaming hair,” he says, to Prudence’s displeasure).

When they arrive back at Haso’s house, Christabel is sitting with Haso’s mother (who, along with Haso’s sisters, doesn’t much like her), and she and Prudence spar a little, as usual, with Haso, for once, somewhat mildly coming to Prudence’s defense. Once alone again, Haso’s mother more or less gets Prudence to admit she’s in love with Haso, by asking her if she thinks Christabel will make him a good wife (Prudence is quite impassioned when she recklessly says what she thinks: Christabel doesn’t love him—not the kind of love that waits up to see he’s fed and cared for when he comes home dog tired and needs someone to listen when he needs to unload about his hospital work and other heavy responsibilities). Mevrouw ter Brons Huizinga (what a mouthful—at least Haso tells Prudence to call him by his first name from the start “to save time”) is quite satisfied at this answer and the knowledge that our heroine loves her son, and craftily has Prudence come to read to her in bed late night, dressed in her pretty nightwear—Pride and Prejudice (“I have always enjoyed that bit where Mr. Darcy refuses to dance with Elizabeth”—hee, Betty!). She compares Christobel to Miss Bingley and says that, just as Miss Bingley did not get Darcy, Christabel will not get Haso, because she doesn’t know her man. Prudence muses that Haso can be tiresome—but utterly dependable, and kind to those he likes and loves, and when his mother asks if he’s been unkind to her: “No, just overbearing and dictatorial and impatient.” As Betty’s heroes often are to the heroines with whom they so reluctantly fall in love, because these controlling and controlled heroes find it so difficult to accept that love is the one thing they cannot manage by decree.

Haso returns late, finding Prudence in her pretty peignoir reading to his mother, and sends her off to bed (openly admiring her, not for the first time, in her coffee-colored silk and lace nightwear). Once back in her room, Prudence remembers she’s forgotten to leave instructions about his mother’s care the following day and heads downstairs to leave a note, only to overhear a conversation between Haso and his mother that leads her to believe that he is going to marry Christabel and thinks of herself as a gold digger. Of course, it’s the opposite, but she’s devastated and shamed that he thinks so poorly of her and angrily resolves to leave as soon as possible, preferably without seeing him again. Now that his mother is recovered, she was to leave shortly anyway, and she has good reason to cut her stay even shorter.

The next day, she calls her real Aunt back in England and begs her to concoct an excuse to bring Prudence back to England immediately. “Ah—you’ve met someone who’s swept you off your feet?” her aunt shrewdly guesses, and our desperate heroine admits she has and the sooner she’s gone, the better. Aunt Maud agrees to invent a medical emergency requiring her niece’s immediate presence and nursing. “Would pneumonia do or perhaps a mild stroke?” Auntie asks, entering into the spirit of things with gusto. “A stroke sounds more urgent—but then of course I wouldn’t be able to telephone you. A broken leg I think.” Heee.

Feeling like “something nasty under a stone” for her subterfuge, Prudence explains to her hostess that she urgently must return to England and starts packing. Haso phones in the meantime and is told by a faithful family retainer that Prudence will be leaving shortly and why. Haso gives a set of instructions that puzzles the FFR but that he hastens to carry out. FFR Wigge explains to Prudence that the earliest flight he could get her will leave the next morning.

We see Christabel one final time, boring Haso’s mother glassy eyed and saying snide, rude things to Prudence, until Haso’s younger sister tells her off. Afterward, the sister worries that Haso will marry the odious OW. Prudence wants more than ever to just be gone, spends a near sleepless night thinking about Haso, and wakes early the morning of her departure. She wanders out to the garden where she reminds herself aloud that she had once thought of it as a paradise—for two. “How apt,” says Haso behind her, returned unexpectedly from Amsterdam.

When he tells her he will drive her back to England, she’s horrified, knowing her lie will be discovered if he does, but he (secretly amused and clearly aware) insists, and hustles her inside for breakfast. He brings her into a small sitting room that’s been transformed with masses of roses and champagne—the fantasy scenario she had once confessed to him when he asked why a nice girl like her wasn’t married and she told him her dream of someday being swept off her feet. He slips a sapphire and diamond ring onto her finger while she stands amazed and overwhelmed and calls her his dear, his very dear girl. He had heard her on the stairs the night before, he tells her, and knew she’d likely misunderstood the conversation she’d overheard and would likely do something rash, so he had her delayed until he could get there and propose. He asks her to marry him, and gives her no chance to answer as he “started to kiss her with the air of a man who has waited for something for a long time and … was in no hurry to give it up.”

One of Betty’s more abrupt endings, to be sure, and not a lot of tender moments between our sparring MCs on the way to their love eternal, but nonetheless it’s a satisfying and believable HEA with two who really are equally and perfectly matched. It’s no coincidence that Betty picked Pride and Prejudice as a choice of reading material in this one, because our hero and heroine are very much in the spirit of Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennett. Indeed, I wonder that Betty didn’t write Regencies, because the drawing room manners and settings of her characters would have been better suited to that era than the times in which her books are placed (and I’d lay bets that she was a fan of Georgette Heyer as well, given the similarities between the two writers in certain ways). I suppose Betty wrote what she knew without need of extensive research—hospitals and nursing, good food and fine homes, and love stories that would fit any period.

No great car porn in this one, but one of the funniest exchanges between a BN heroine and OW that I’ve read:

“Ah, the English nurse.” Christobel smiled, her eyes like blue flints. “Haso has told me all about you.” She offered a limp hand, and Prudence gave it a good hearty shake, and she made a show of rubbing it gently. “How strong you are--I’m sure my hand will be bruised. However, I daresay you need to be sturdy in your particular job."

“Well, yes, but that’s a good thing, isn’t it? We can look after the weaklings.”

Haso said something that sounded like “Fifteen all….”

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prudence Makepeace is tall and shapely with russet hair. She has recently refused to marry the Worthy Walter because, as she tells her aunt, he isn't romantic and she wants to be swept off her feet.

Well, Prudence, if you want romance you shouldn't be so bitchy. Except to Christabel. That's totally permissible.

Sadly, Prudence's ill-temper and constant snipping at Haso put me off this book so much that I cannot bring myself to give this a full review. The only bits I enjoyed were when Prudence and Christabel met and exchanged volleys during The Haso Wars. Haso murmurs something that sounds like "Fifteen all." Ha!

The aunts are spoiled, selfish and thoughtless. They've been wealthy all their lives and truly have no clue how normal people live. Haso's mother is a dear, though, and I like his sisters just because they disliked Christabel.

Jerome Blake from the Guernsey trip was a louse. Prudence behaved like a ninny. Haso was an arrogant jerk most of the time.

The ending was admittedly lovely, but so abrupt that it seemed like it was lopped off from another book and awkwardly sewed onto this one, rather like a badly-matched, oddly-shaped patch.

One can only hope that the wedding is actually the beginning of Haso and Prudence's love story.

Well, I suppose there must be SOME of TGB's books to make up the bottom third! This joins Winter of Change as one that I actively disliked!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

After many weeks of being unable to finish a book Betty comes to the rescue. There are many Betty things to like in this story - lots of food, Dutch sites, clothing - but SO MANY rude comments from both main characters. 🙄 How can they fall in love while being so mean to one another? On the other hand there was a lovely Bouvier named Prince and a lovely discussion about Pride and Prejudice.

[Stephanie Duffield · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book at a drug store just outside the Orlando Airport. It should've hit me then that it was a romance novel but for one reason or another it did not.
I don't really read romances and can't say I really enjoyed this one. Once I figured out what it was I had already lost interest. Aren't romance novels suppose to be full of lust, passion, and potentially dirty sex scenes described in no less than 5 pages? If that's what you're looking for it's not here. This is the opposite. A safe tale of a woman not knowing what she wanted/needed even though it was right in front of her. And *spoiler* true love conquers all in the end, isn't that how the fairy tales go?

[Tonya Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prudence Makepeace dreams of being swept off her feet, showered with roses, champagne, and diamonds by the man she loves. Not an easy task for any man, since she is more than a handful. And made even more unlikely since the man she finds she loves, dislikes her. Annoys her. Is very tiresome and has a nasty temper to boot.

Dr Haso ter Brons Huizinga is a man who at first seems to disapprove of Prudence, but sees beyond her prickly personality and falls in love. Not an easy task to win the heart of someone set on aggravating him. What else is a man to do, but sweep her off her feet and shower her with roses, champagne and diamonds?

A really sweet story.

[Liz Michaels · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's actually 3.5,

[Bobby Lawrence · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was a very slow read. Did not really enjoy the book

[Mudpie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* 1988

Surprisingly I like this unpopular book!

Prudence and Haso are like two kids in kindergarten. ..the more they like each other the meaner they are haha!

Initially I thought Prudence was too bitchy but she was not unprovoked. Haso and his bland face, top to toe looks, silky voice and mocking smiles...hey what's up?!

Prudence is a nurse and our RDD a consultant surgeon but not one scene was set in a hospital! Lots of nursing and doctoring though, of 3 rich old ladies. Unpaid nursing, just free but luxurious food and lodging. Even had to be travel guide and driver on Guernsey! Prudence's verbal sparring with Christabel was the best! It's the first one of RDD's sisters or mother was so obvious in dislike of a Veronica haha!

Aunt Maud was a treasure! She offered to pretend to have suffered a stroke except she shouldn't have been able to call Prudence and give the excuse Pru needed to rush home. The final scene was too lovely. Haso redeemed himself beautifully.

[MB (What she read) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snarkily...: Back in the days when a youngish woman with a career could find a fatherly rich doctor to marry, leave her career and training behind her in the dust as she goes merrily on to her future running a household, raising children, and catering to a man who feels comfortable insulting her looks and intelligence.

Somehow, these books are compelling and relaxing reads for me. I'm glad things have changed for women though. I wouldn't want to go back to this era.

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such fun.

Lovely to watch these two strong characters come to terms. As always the descriptions of the little niceties of life were like whipping cream atop an eclair and in this story the two elderly “Aunts” were a deftly done riot of loving privilege.

[Michelle David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely

If you enjoy your romances to be clean, light, fluffy and vintage then you will enjoy the work of Betty Neels.

[Monique E. Lacroix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not bad

Not bad only because I didn't care for mister Blake, skipped some pages there. Aside of that part, I loved the story!

[Brandielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally enjoy the Betty Neels where everyone is a bit ornery but I don’t think I actually liked either MC in this book.

[Mj Weisenburger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick escape novel. Clean romance!

[Barty · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. for those of us who love an icy arrogant H, this Betty book hits the spot. Haso is moody and growly and I loved it.

in this one the h, Prudence, is a big beautiful british nurse who goes to Holland to nurse her godmother, who happens to be an aunt of the H, Haso, who is an RDD. sparks fly at their first meeting and she finds him arrogant and they take a dislike to each other.

in reality haso must have been attracted because he makes an excuse to come back and see h again that very same day and to his delight, finds her sleeping in the garden.

SPOILERS

anyway, the h and H keep striking sparks off each other. even if they also enjoy some pleasant times together, it always seems to end in a spat. each gives as good as they get. our h is lovely and competent, but she has a backbone. most of the story tension comes from their spats and sparky chemistry, which I loved, but some tension also comes from the presence of a grasping OW who Haso has been dating and is determined to marry him. the OW is another source of tension which I enjoy. she isn't as awful as the worst of Betty's OWs who have been absolute sociopaths, but she adds some fun OW related pining to the story for our h.

anyway, nothing overly dramatic happens in this book and yet it was a very pleasant read and quick paced too. i enjoyed it a lot. we see H missing h when she has taken his aunts on a little holdiay to the point he follows to visit them and manages to scare off a scheming golddogger OM who has mistaken h for an heiress. we get some of the h leaving H behind by returning to England, but he high handedly forces her to go back to Holland after his mom gets v ill to nurse her better

ENDING SPOILERS

all along it semes that these two are drawn to each other but cant seem to make it work.

h finally learns that she is in love with H but by this point he is being icily cold with her and makes it clear he only brought her to holland for his mom's health. really he is hurt because h had told him earlier she never wanted to see him again. even so, he's frantic when she gets lost in a storm and comes chasing after her. this was probably when he realised he didn't want to be without her anymore.

for the climax, h overhears a conversation and thinks H is going to marry the OW, and that he thinks h is a grasping gold digger. (really he was saying the opposite.) she is now desperate to not have to see him again so she makes plans to hastily flee back to England. but H foils her plans because he was worried she might do that very thing. bwfore she can flee, he makes a grand gesture to sweep her off her feet like she always said she had wanted and confesses his love for her... the end.

my only complaint is I would have liked to hear more words of devotion from Haso at the end, and have him show some fear of losing her, but instead we got the smug hero and the brief ending. alas. which is what prevented this from being a 5 star read for me.

I recommend this book I definitely among the better written of Betty's books and I found both main characters to be v likeable.

[Eunice Coorlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prudence Makepiece want to Amsterdam with her godmother to act as her nurse. Once there she met.Haso, a doctor, with whom she had a strong dislike. As all romances go, a couple went from enemies to lovers to a HEA.

Another Betty Neels sweet romance.

[Caro · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Paraíso para dos” de Betty al fin un libro que coincide título con traducción.no es que estuvo mal, pero no llegué a congeniar con esta heroína Betty. Ella es Prudence, una joven enfermera que asistirá al cuidado de su madrina y en ese trajín conocerá al Dr Hazo ter Brons Huizinga( no me lo hagan escribir otra vez)La relación entre ellos será pura pelea y provocación. Así como el malentendido final con desenlace feliz.Extrañamente en esta novela se cita a Jane Austen y la novela Orgullo y prejuicio. Un poco de esto tienen los protagonistas. La heroína en esta novela Betty sueña con un hombre que la “ bañe con champagne, rosas y joyas”Así sentirá que pierde la cabeza. Eso llegará no sin antes odiar al protagonista.la prota es pelirroja, bonita y bastante grandota según la describen y le gusta vestir bien y de marca. Otra excepción a la regla Betty. He leído mejores🤷🏻‍♀️

[MaryD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note to self: This is the one where the rather lovely h is talked into accompanying her godmother to the Netherlands. I actually found Prudence rather annoying!

[elstaffe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Neels! *shakes fist at the heavens*