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Tulips for Augusta
...hearts and flowers
What a maddening, impossible man Constantijn van Lindemann was! Wherever Augusta went, there he was: inviting her out, paying her compliments, sending her enormous bouquets of tulips, even kissing her on occasion. Augusta had to admit that she enjoyed it, especially the kisses. But until she could discover how important a part the glamorous Susan played in his life, how could she possibly take Constantijn seriously?
What a maddening, impossible man Constantijn van Lindemann was! Wherever Augusta went, there he was: inviting her out, paying her compliments, sending her enormous bouquets of tulips, even kissing her on occasion. Augusta had to admit that she enjoyed it, especially the kisses. But until she could discover how important a part the glamorous Susan played in his life, how could she possibly take Constantijn seriously?
Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
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About the author
Betty Neels
564 books418 followersEvelyn 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
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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 23, 2025
Our redheaded heroine is assigned to the private ward at the hospital and she's none too happy about it. The hero, who is visiting his godmother, doesn't help by making remarks about her hair, which he apologizes for with tulips. The heroine is then off the Holland to practice her Dutch and visit her ancient aunties. By sheer Betty coincidence the H is their doctor.
These kind of coincidences go on for most of the story. They actually go out on a date and the h is very happy until the OW rears her head. The H is not very forthcoming about the OW (a young girl, really) who keeps taking up all of his time. It's obvious to everyone but the h that he is interested in her. After a meandering Act III, the H finally explains why he's had to drop everything to sort out his ward. It's the h he wants to marry. HEA. A solid story in the Neels canon.
These kind of coincidences go on for most of the story. They actually go out on a date and the h is very happy until the OW rears her head. The H is not very forthcoming about the OW (a young girl, really) who keeps taking up all of his time. It's obvious to everyone but the h that he is interested in her. After a meandering Act III, the H finally explains why he's had to drop everything to sort out his ward. It's the h he wants to marry. HEA. A solid story in the Neels canon.
May 17, 2021
Unfortunately not one of my favorites by this author. I thought this went on a bit too long and I became frustrated with the doctor's refusal to confess what his true relationship was to the OW. It made for silly misunderstandings. I also wasn't very convinced of his feelings.
Constantijn fell fall short of the standards of other heroes from Betty. I thought Roly deserved so much more.
This is a 3 star, for middle of the road. Skip this one if you can.
Constantijn fell fall short of the standards of other heroes from Betty. I thought Roly deserved so much more.
This is a 3 star, for middle of the road. Skip this one if you can.
October 7, 2017
Staff Nurse Augusta Brown isn't happy about being sent to the Private Patients wing, but it is there she meets Lady Belway and, more importantly, her godson, Dr. Constantijn van Lindemann.
He brings her a bunch of tulips, but Augusta wonders about the gorgeous girl with them, Susan Belsize.
Augusta goes to Alkmaar to visit her great-aunts. Her Tante Marijna has a bout of angina and as Fate Would Have It, Dr. van Lindemann is her physician. After two more bunches of tulips, Augusta knows she loves Constantijn, but what about Susan?
This is a pretty straightforward romance; both parties are fairly open about their feelings; they see quite a lot of each other. The RDD is actually quite romantic, sending Augusta flowers on 4 separate occasions (some Neels heroines are lucky to have flowers at their hasty weddings!)
There is a bit of confusion over Susan at the very end, but it's quickly cleared up without the necessity of running away. Another delightful little story. 4 1/2 stars.
One thing I forgot that I adored about this book was the lovely relationship between Augusta and her mother. Definitely one of the best mums in Neelsland.
He brings her a bunch of tulips, but Augusta wonders about the gorgeous girl with them, Susan Belsize.
Augusta goes to Alkmaar to visit her great-aunts. Her Tante Marijna has a bout of angina and as Fate Would Have It, Dr. van Lindemann is her physician. After two more bunches of tulips, Augusta knows she loves Constantijn, but what about Susan?
This is a pretty straightforward romance; both parties are fairly open about their feelings; they see quite a lot of each other. The RDD is actually quite romantic, sending Augusta flowers on 4 separate occasions (some Neels heroines are lucky to have flowers at their hasty weddings!)
There is a bit of confusion over Susan at the very end, but it's quickly cleared up without the necessity of running away. Another delightful little story. 4 1/2 stars.
One thing I forgot that I adored about this book was the lovely relationship between Augusta and her mother. Definitely one of the best mums in Neelsland.
July 16, 2010
The Bettys who run The Uncrushable Jersey Dress (blog devoted to Betty Neels' books) gave Tulips for Augusta their top rating. Alas, I am afraid that I cannot agree.
Our Rich Dutch Doctor, Constantijn van Lindemann, is absolutely fabulous for the first three quarters of the book. Then he becomes afflicted with the 'not going to talk about Susan' disease, which is the source of the required Big Misunderstanding.
Our insecure heroine, Augusta Brown, has a very hard time believing that our RDD is sincere in his compliments, gifts of Very Expensive Flowers, etc. She detects hints of sarcasm (where there are none) every time he calls her his "dear Miss Brown". But she falls in love with him anyway and brings herself to (most of the time) believe him when he admits that he is beginning to love her. She even accepts his fairly non-romantic proposal of marriage.
But--- there is the young, slim, beautiful Susan who seems to have a solid claim on his time. It takes us to 3/4ths of the book to find out Susan is his ward! Even with this fact now out in the open, Augusta still has doubts, which are never answered directly by our RDD. She finally has to get the whole story third hand.
And it is the last quarter of the book that knocks down my rating. It drags on and on--when it could have been wrapped up easily, smiles and kisses all around, if the RDD had just given Augusta a straight answer to the Susan question. He seems to know her so well on so many levels, but is blind to her massive insecurity on the subject of Susan.
Our Rich Dutch Doctor, Constantijn van Lindemann, is absolutely fabulous for the first three quarters of the book. Then he becomes afflicted with the 'not going to talk about Susan' disease, which is the source of the required Big Misunderstanding.
Our insecure heroine, Augusta Brown, has a very hard time believing that our RDD is sincere in his compliments, gifts of Very Expensive Flowers, etc. She detects hints of sarcasm (where there are none) every time he calls her his "dear Miss Brown". But she falls in love with him anyway and brings herself to (most of the time) believe him when he admits that he is beginning to love her. She even accepts his fairly non-romantic proposal of marriage.
But--- there is the young, slim, beautiful Susan who seems to have a solid claim on his time. It takes us to 3/4ths of the book to find out Susan is his ward! Even with this fact now out in the open, Augusta still has doubts, which are never answered directly by our RDD. She finally has to get the whole story third hand.
And it is the last quarter of the book that knocks down my rating. It drags on and on--when it could have been wrapped up easily, smiles and kisses all around, if the RDD had just given Augusta a straight answer to the Susan question. He seems to know her so well on so many levels, but is blind to her massive insecurity on the subject of Susan.
November 3, 2025
A so-so Betty but a delightful buddy read group!
May 10, 2013
4 1/2 Stars ~ Augusta is a Sister on the men's surgical ward of a busy London hospital and when another Sister is off on medical leave, she's transferred over to Private Patients. It's here that she runs into Constantijn who is visiting his elderly godmother. Visiting with him is a very pretty young woman who he seems to be very fond of, so Augusta assumes she's his love interest. When Augusta takes her three week vacation in Holland to visit her great-aunts, one of them has a serious episode of angina. Much to Augusta's surprise the doctor who calls to the house is none other than Constantijn. He confirms that her aunt has had an angina attack and he orders a week of complete bed rest, placing Augusta in charge of her care. Constantijn takes up his pursuit of her and takes her out several times and keeps her off balance with his kisses. She returns to London knowing that she's fallen desperately in love with him but that surely he belongs to Susan, that pretty blonde woman he'd been seeing in London. Weeks pass, and on her first days off she goes home to her parents in Dorset, only to be surprised again to find Constantijn there filling in for the local doctor who turns out to be his godfather. He asks Augusta if she believes in fate, and again he begins his pursuit of her. And just when Augusta thinks he might love her in return, Susan reappears and she seems to have a hold on Constantijn that he refuses to talk about.
This is another Betty Neels classic where the hero knows his heart well before the heroine, although this heroine makes her declaration first. Constantijn is determined in his pursuit but he patiently gives Augusta the time she needs to get to know him. At times I wondered why he kept coming back after her attempts to push him away. Of course there's a silly miscommunication about Susan that puts Augusta in a tizzy, but she comes to her senses rather quickly to set things right again. Their HEA is a most satisfying one.
This is another Betty Neels classic where the hero knows his heart well before the heroine, although this heroine makes her declaration first. Constantijn is determined in his pursuit but he patiently gives Augusta the time she needs to get to know him. At times I wondered why he kept coming back after her attempts to push him away. Of course there's a silly miscommunication about Susan that puts Augusta in a tizzy, but she comes to her senses rather quickly to set things right again. Their HEA is a most satisfying one.
February 4, 2021
This is another okish book of Neels which I had difficulty in finishing. Having read so many romantic books and quite a number of interesting ones I thought this was lame. I failed to understand how and when the Hero got attracted to the Heroine.
There was nothing eye catching or breath taking for hero to fall in love with this heroine and come to think of it they hardly knew each other or worked in the same place.
Highly disappointing and boring story
There was nothing eye catching or breath taking for hero to fall in love with this heroine and come to think of it they hardly knew each other or worked in the same place.
Highly disappointing and boring story
August 21, 2022
3.5 Stars. This is a re-read and I enjoyed it because it was one of those where the hero Constantijn is not secretive about his feelings or the fact that he’s in love with the heroine, it’s just that there’s an unnecessary potential love triangle element to mess with Augusta’s mind that I thought was quite unnecessary. That said, overall, I enjoyed this and thought it was a good comfort read.
March 29, 2018
There's lots of kissing in this story! Constantijn the RDD told Augusta/Gussie/Roly/ My darling Miss Brown that he disliked "carroty top" and thus would not hit on her, which made Augusta a huffy disliking him! But she could not get him out of her mind...
He really showed up everywhere, like any good hero in a romance. Turned out he was the GP near her grandaunts' house in Alkmaar, and Dr Soames near her home in Dorset was his godfather! He even operated in the hospital because he was trained in both Cambridge and Leiden! Wow!
We had some nice sightseeing in and around Alkmaar, the best being the drive spent...with Gussie sleeping beside him hehe...that's very sweet of him actually! He drive a James Bond Rolls Royce, the Silver Shadow model.
Constantijn wasn't shy at all, very early on he started kissing Augusta. He loved showering her with gorgeous tulips, from his own garden I hope, and once, roses. Dozens and dozens. What a dear!
I really enjoyed this book because we really get a lot more insight into life as a nurse, the little tidbits like ward sisters hoarding cleaning supplies, duty rota, and how they gossiped and ogled fashion on patients and visitors! So funny when Augusta confessed to Constantijn the nurses did discuss them behind their backs, cos Susan wore such nice clothes!
SPOILERS
Susan wasn't supposed to be an issue; Constantijn had already said upfront. But being his ward it's inevitable she's with him a lot. But it really didn't help when he told Augusta he'd once considered marrying Susan but it didn't come up to anything. Why, and why not?! After his non-response to Augusta's love declaration, I wanted to hit him over the head! Having been so sweet to her courting her, when she returned his feelings he kind of retreated and blew cold. Sigh, these RDDs!
I honestly wondered why he couldn't have at least confided in Augusta the bare facts of Susan's mess. He KNEW Augusta had some hang ups about him and Susan, and he could have very easily reassured her, but he did not.
Very tempted to give this only 3*, but I have to say Constantijn 's courtship right from the start and open declaration of feelings early on was a delightful change from the usual BN stories! But I was on tenterhooks because I knew the book couldn't end just after the declarations, there were still many pages to go! So I knew there must be some big conflict or misunderstanding between this and the end.
It was an anticlimax but I hope Constantijn gave Augusta a big white wedding with lots of tulips!
PS. Augusta had Dutch blood and could speak passable Dutch! Aww...
He really showed up everywhere, like any good hero in a romance. Turned out he was the GP near her grandaunts' house in Alkmaar, and Dr Soames near her home in Dorset was his godfather! He even operated in the hospital because he was trained in both Cambridge and Leiden! Wow!
We had some nice sightseeing in and around Alkmaar, the best being the drive spent...with Gussie sleeping beside him hehe...that's very sweet of him actually! He drive a James Bond Rolls Royce, the Silver Shadow model.
Constantijn wasn't shy at all, very early on he started kissing Augusta. He loved showering her with gorgeous tulips, from his own garden I hope, and once, roses. Dozens and dozens. What a dear!
I really enjoyed this book because we really get a lot more insight into life as a nurse, the little tidbits like ward sisters hoarding cleaning supplies, duty rota, and how they gossiped and ogled fashion on patients and visitors! So funny when Augusta confessed to Constantijn the nurses did discuss them behind their backs, cos Susan wore such nice clothes!
SPOILERS
Susan wasn't supposed to be an issue; Constantijn had already said upfront. But being his ward it's inevitable she's with him a lot. But it really didn't help when he told Augusta he'd once considered marrying Susan but it didn't come up to anything. Why, and why not?! After his non-response to Augusta's love declaration, I wanted to hit him over the head! Having been so sweet to her courting her, when she returned his feelings he kind of retreated and blew cold. Sigh, these RDDs!
I honestly wondered why he couldn't have at least confided in Augusta the bare facts of Susan's mess. He KNEW Augusta had some hang ups about him and Susan, and he could have very easily reassured her, but he did not.
Very tempted to give this only 3*, but I have to say Constantijn 's courtship right from the start and open declaration of feelings early on was a delightful change from the usual BN stories! But I was on tenterhooks because I knew the book couldn't end just after the declarations, there were still many pages to go! So I knew there must be some big conflict or misunderstanding between this and the end.
It was an anticlimax but I hope Constantijn gave Augusta a big white wedding with lots of tulips!
PS. Augusta had Dutch blood and could speak passable Dutch! Aww...
August 5, 2022
Lately, I have taken a detour off the main road of historical romances and delved into the world of contemporary romances/NAs/bully romances. It's been quite the road trip. However, I needed a break and what better than Betty Neels! What makes this even more awesome is that my local library does these book sales where it's like, $10 or $15 for as much as you can fill in a brown grocery bag. AND usually BOGO. AND there's often sealed bags set aside for $2 that state what is inside like "Romance" or "Mystery." I grabbed a few of these $2 bags and found some Betty Neels, Diana Palmer and a whole plethora of Harlequins. Yay! Even if the other bags are crap I feel like the cost of books today TOTALLY makes up for the whopping $12 I spent in total for 6 bags. :D
Where was I? Oh yeah. BETTY NEELS!
I totally adore her books and have read sooooo many of them. However, I have to admit that this was a middle of the road book for me. There were some interesting deviations than per her norm in that the H was very physically demonstrative (lots of kisses and touches and IMO blatant expression that he's into her). The h comes around, as is expected, and falls in love with him. The thing is that despite the H's ardent wooing of the h, he was still a bit of a prick. In fact, if he was a real life guy (and actually, a lot of jerks are like him so I guess he is real life in a way), I would warn my girlfriends to run far and run fast. The main reason is that he asks the h many questions and gets all up in her business about her life. Yet, when she asks him questions about himself and his life, he turns the questions aside and talks of other things. Then throw in the beautiful OW who always seems to take his attention, one in which he even admits that he considered marrying a year or two earlier, then it's basically a red cape flapping in front of a bull. Yet, the h lets it all slide despite her hurt and suspicions because she loves him.
In the end, I wasn't quite sure what drew him to the h. I also couldn't believe that the h, a strong Neels h, lets him get away with this evasiveness. I guess it also bothered me because it felt a little real life in that I get it. It's easy to get swept away and let "uncomfortable" things go because you don't want to rock the boat or start a fight or heavens forbid, lose the guy.
Bah. So while Neels is always on point, this is not one of her better ones. Still, it's Neels and if you're going through her works then of course, you gotta read this one!
Where was I? Oh yeah. BETTY NEELS!
I totally adore her books and have read sooooo many of them. However, I have to admit that this was a middle of the road book for me. There were some interesting deviations than per her norm in that the H was very physically demonstrative (lots of kisses and touches and IMO blatant expression that he's into her). The h comes around, as is expected, and falls in love with him. The thing is that despite the H's ardent wooing of the h, he was still a bit of a prick. In fact, if he was a real life guy (and actually, a lot of jerks are like him so I guess he is real life in a way), I would warn my girlfriends to run far and run fast. The main reason is that he asks the h many questions and gets all up in her business about her life. Yet, when she asks him questions about himself and his life, he turns the questions aside and talks of other things. Then throw in the beautiful OW who always seems to take his attention, one in which he even admits that he considered marrying a year or two earlier, then it's basically a red cape flapping in front of a bull. Yet, the h lets it all slide despite her hurt and suspicions because she loves him.
In the end, I wasn't quite sure what drew him to the h. I also couldn't believe that the h, a strong Neels h, lets him get away with this evasiveness. I guess it also bothered me because it felt a little real life in that I get it. It's easy to get swept away and let "uncomfortable" things go because you don't want to rock the boat or start a fight or heavens forbid, lose the guy.
Bah. So while Neels is always on point, this is not one of her better ones. Still, it's Neels and if you're going through her works then of course, you gotta read this one!
August 16, 2013
I have mixed feelings about this one. The heroine is a little on the plain side, and suffers the unfortunate childhood nickname of "roly." However, she's generally pretty confident and competent at her nursing, and the hero isn't shown repeatedly perplexed by his interest in the mousy plain girl (probably partly because though she's not a beauty, she's not mousy). This is good, because those Betty Neels books get me down.
Instead, he pursues her from nearly the beginning, with big bouquets of flowers and such, which is nicely romantic. On the other hand, much of the conflict is a little flat, and focused on a Big Misunderstanding (hers, not his, of course). 3.5 stars
Instead, he pursues her from nearly the beginning, with big bouquets of flowers and such, which is nicely romantic. On the other hand, much of the conflict is a little flat, and focused on a Big Misunderstanding (hers, not his, of course). 3.5 stars
November 4, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ There was much to like here (a very infatuated, charming RDD), but one huge miscommunication that was so unnecessary. 😭
August 19, 2013
Lovely, restful old-fashioned romance.
September 28, 2020
Easy enough read, but I couldn't quite get into it. I liked that we learned more about the nurse at work, but other than that, it feels very similar to most Betty Neels books, and there's not much special about it.
February 1, 2014
Constantijn is an absolutely lovely hero but he suffers from the typical Neels hero reticence about the most important piece of information in the eyes of the heroine. The status of "The Other Woman" in his life. In this case, the lovely Susan who he rushes off to Paris and Northumberland at the drop of her hat leaving Augusta gasping.
Augusta is quite an attractive heroine, still suffering a little from her childhood nickname of Roly, although she is no longer deserving of the name. It is certainly flattering having great bunches of Tulips turning up on her ward and her doorstep but she can't quite believe Constantijn is serious.
All the same it is very sweet and a lovely romance.
Augusta is quite an attractive heroine, still suffering a little from her childhood nickname of Roly, although she is no longer deserving of the name. It is certainly flattering having great bunches of Tulips turning up on her ward and her doorstep but she can't quite believe Constantijn is serious.
All the same it is very sweet and a lovely romance.
March 10, 2018
Though I love Betty Neels work,and hope to read as many as I can, there are times I am not sure if she just had to stretch the story for editing sake. I mean this misunderstanding could have (and should have if the hero loved Augusta) been taken care of simply in a private conversation! If you can’t trust the “other half” of yourself with private matters, who can ya trust?
This issue does come up in many a Neels book, just this time...I wanted to smack the guy upside the head. :cringe:
This issue does come up in many a Neels book, just this time...I wanted to smack the guy upside the head. :cringe:
January 23, 2023
Super cosy Betty Neels, always a pleasure to read. Top tip to all you blokes out there looking to woo the red-headed ladies - don't tell them you dislike their 'carroty hair', tends to go down like a lead balloon.
February 25, 2014
I'm not sure why but her books are some of my favorites to re-read. My aunt got me hooked on them when I was about 13, and I still love them.
Want to read
August 28, 2016I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14169511
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14169511
November 8, 2025
3.7 stars. I liked a lot about this book but, for me, it was lacking that magical touch that some of Betty's other books left me with. I think the main reason was that I couldn't quite like the H for the careless way he handled things, and that's saying something since I have grown used to cutting Betty's Hs some slack for their dreadful and arrogant incommunication.
anyway, if this one our plain Jane carroty haired nurse is 23, has a loving family and isn't impoverished, plus she is part Dutch and visits Holland regularly. our H is a RDD, a but younger than Betty's usual Hs at 33. they meet when he comes to h's hospital to visit his godmother, who is one of her patients. she tries to scarper from the private patients room but he insists on opening the door for her and following her out and chiding her for running away and teasing her that he had no plans to hit on her because he doesn't like carroty haired girls anyway. naturally, our not-so-meek h is mightily miffed. ooh, sparks already! I was hopeful of the potential.
SPOILERS
it seems obvious that for the H is was love at first sight. he never actually says this but he does ask h later a couple of times if she believes in fate, thus we can draw out own conclusions.
she spends the next few days trying to avoid him and he teases her for running away from him as if he is somwthing wicked. he sends her a big bunch of tulips a few days later. it was quite romantic really how he likes to send her flowers and gifts throughout the book.
the main source of conflict in this book is firstly the heroines uncertainty about him and feeling annoyed at him for what he said when they met. she must find him attractive but feel rejected hy him. plus his manner is a bit snarky and he doesn't reveal his feelings for her fully though he keeps seeking her out to spend time with her. she starts falling for him anyway. chemistry. secondly, there is some perceived other woman drama. H's godmother had a beautiful 21 year old nice who H is often seen with and who he thinks is beautiful. (he even thought he wanted to marry the girl a year ago, which he later admits to the H, trying to be honest with her rather than to hurt her feelings.) everyone keeps telling the h that they have seen him out and about with this other girl, H's own neice tells h that the girl has her own bedroom in H's house in Holland etc, but whenever h asks him about the girl, he avoids the topic, skirting around it in a suspicious manner that leaves the h feeling like he won't tell her anything personal about himself and hurt.
the mains problem for me about this book is that H thinks he loves the h but he won't confide in her about this other girl when he's had weeks to do so, and even when they grew close enough for him to trust her with secrets. instead he let this crop eat away at his chance to build a proper romance and relationship with the h. it really peeved me off how nonsensical it was.
MORE SPOILERS
The big secret was that this girl, who happens to have been H's ward since she was 13, has fallen in love with H's married friend, and H is trying to save his friends marriage whilst also protecting the girl from having her reputation damaged. I simply don't understand why he couldn't just tell h about all this. nonsensical reason given was 'I didn't want to burden you with it when we weren't even engaged yet'. Meh.
anyway, the book isn't dull, plenty of action, plenty of them working together in tough situations, plenty of him finding chances to stealth date our h, and he says a whole lot of romantic things which are quite lovely, more than most Betty H's usually say. and yet I couldn't bring myself to fully like the H by the end of it for that one big reason.
it is quite clear for a large part of the book that these two like each other but the H's aloof attitude about his stupid secret and his snarky teasing, and the h's resultant pulling away from his is what keeps the book interesting.
i found the ending was lacklustre. it did not make up for the mild angst and uncertainty the h was made to feel, and he didn't grovel or even apologise for his stupidity. he just gave his stupid explanation as if that was reasonable. it was a very quick ending too. sadly, overall, the book was good and an involving read, but personally it left me unsatisfied as if they worked a lot of back and forth over a whole bunch of nothing.
anyway, if this one our plain Jane carroty haired nurse is 23, has a loving family and isn't impoverished, plus she is part Dutch and visits Holland regularly. our H is a RDD, a but younger than Betty's usual Hs at 33. they meet when he comes to h's hospital to visit his godmother, who is one of her patients. she tries to scarper from the private patients room but he insists on opening the door for her and following her out and chiding her for running away and teasing her that he had no plans to hit on her because he doesn't like carroty haired girls anyway. naturally, our not-so-meek h is mightily miffed. ooh, sparks already! I was hopeful of the potential.
SPOILERS
it seems obvious that for the H is was love at first sight. he never actually says this but he does ask h later a couple of times if she believes in fate, thus we can draw out own conclusions.
she spends the next few days trying to avoid him and he teases her for running away from him as if he is somwthing wicked. he sends her a big bunch of tulips a few days later. it was quite romantic really how he likes to send her flowers and gifts throughout the book.
the main source of conflict in this book is firstly the heroines uncertainty about him and feeling annoyed at him for what he said when they met. she must find him attractive but feel rejected hy him. plus his manner is a bit snarky and he doesn't reveal his feelings for her fully though he keeps seeking her out to spend time with her. she starts falling for him anyway. chemistry. secondly, there is some perceived other woman drama. H's godmother had a beautiful 21 year old nice who H is often seen with and who he thinks is beautiful. (he even thought he wanted to marry the girl a year ago, which he later admits to the H, trying to be honest with her rather than to hurt her feelings.) everyone keeps telling the h that they have seen him out and about with this other girl, H's own neice tells h that the girl has her own bedroom in H's house in Holland etc, but whenever h asks him about the girl, he avoids the topic, skirting around it in a suspicious manner that leaves the h feeling like he won't tell her anything personal about himself and hurt.
the mains problem for me about this book is that H thinks he loves the h but he won't confide in her about this other girl when he's had weeks to do so, and even when they grew close enough for him to trust her with secrets. instead he let this crop eat away at his chance to build a proper romance and relationship with the h. it really peeved me off how nonsensical it was.
MORE SPOILERS
The big secret was that this girl, who happens to have been H's ward since she was 13, has fallen in love with H's married friend, and H is trying to save his friends marriage whilst also protecting the girl from having her reputation damaged. I simply don't understand why he couldn't just tell h about all this. nonsensical reason given was 'I didn't want to burden you with it when we weren't even engaged yet'. Meh.
anyway, the book isn't dull, plenty of action, plenty of them working together in tough situations, plenty of him finding chances to stealth date our h, and he says a whole lot of romantic things which are quite lovely, more than most Betty H's usually say. and yet I couldn't bring myself to fully like the H by the end of it for that one big reason.
it is quite clear for a large part of the book that these two like each other but the H's aloof attitude about his stupid secret and his snarky teasing, and the h's resultant pulling away from his is what keeps the book interesting.
i found the ending was lacklustre. it did not make up for the mild angst and uncertainty the h was made to feel, and he didn't grovel or even apologise for his stupidity. he just gave his stupid explanation as if that was reasonable. it was a very quick ending too. sadly, overall, the book was good and an involving read, but personally it left me unsatisfied as if they worked a lot of back and forth over a whole bunch of nothing.
April 18, 2023
I picked up this book while searching for a not-super-long book with tulips on the cover for a seasonal reading challenge (ATY's Spring 2023 challenge). I had never heard of the author before, and was shocked to find out that this was book 7 out of 134 of the Betty Neels collection. It's pretty awesome that she had such a long, prolific career, and I found it cute that apparently lots of her books feature nurses as main characters and dashing Dutch leading men considering that that's exactly how she met her Dutch husband.
At any rate, I enjoyed this book and read it in one long sitting. I was surprised by how many non-clichés there were for every overused romance trope.
For example:
- The book starts off with Augusta casually dating a doctor (not the primary love interest) at work. Since the author was born in 1909, I guess I expected her work to be more "traditional" but it was a really nice surprise to see the characters casually dating each other and moving on without heartbreak.
- I actually got really squeamish during this book because of some of the things Augusta has to do as a nurse. I'm talking, she puts her fingers inside of a patient to pinch his arteries. Augusta's job is really at the forefront of this book rather than being a backdrop for a romance. Her coworkers and patients are all present as side characters, and it's actually a pretty interesting look at the daily life of a nurse at this time.
- This has nothing to do with clichés but I just really liked the detail of Augusta being bilingual in Dutch.
- Augusta is far from a perfect heroine. I actually don't have a problem with angelic FMCs (I know it irritates some readers) but again, I was expecting it when I shouldn't have - Augusta is pretty judgmental and easily irritable, and overall a very normal person. Hence, she's relatable even when she's not very likable.
- To expand on that, there are a lot of details about Augusta fussing about what to wear, which I actually enjoyed because I like reading about fashion and it was really refreshing for her to admit many times that she wore something in the hopes of running into someone. She loves to shop, and I really appreciated that because I feel like so many heroines in books these days are written to go against stereotypes that the majority of them end up disliking dresses, shopping, makeup, etc. This obviously isn't a bad thing, but I just liked seeing my love of shopping validated here in a hard-working nurse who grew up on a farm, which I find also fights stereotypes, albeit in a different way.
- Also, Augusta embarrasses herself several times (falling asleep, ripping the seat of her pants, etc) which added to the humor and interest in this book.
- This book is super romantic in a way you don't see in many contemporary romances because it would probably come off as too cheesy and a bit old-fashioned. The MMC straight up tells her that he's falling in love with her, they kiss a LOT more than you would expect for this kind of book, the way he asks about what kind of ring or dress she'd like, how he buys her stuff when they go shopping together, etc.
There were definitely issues with this book, but they were all relatively minor. There is the big misunderstanding trope, but it doesn't really affect the pacing of the book and is resolved in a pretty satisfying way although I do wish the ending was more fleshed out.
I don't know if I'll read more of Betty Neels' work just because the reviews I've seen give me the feeling that they are pretty formulaic, and what I find refreshing here may end up being redundant in her other books. I'll probably attempt to read at least one or two others that have premises that sound a bit more different, then come back here to do a brief comparison.
Some tropes that appear in this book:
- ML falls first
- Workplace romance
- Misunderstanding trope
- ML saves FL (multiple times)
*2023 Around the Year Reading Challenge*
Prompt #33: A book by an author with a first name popular in 1923
At any rate, I enjoyed this book and read it in one long sitting. I was surprised by how many non-clichés there were for every overused romance trope.
For example:
- The book starts off with Augusta casually dating a doctor (not the primary love interest) at work. Since the author was born in 1909, I guess I expected her work to be more "traditional" but it was a really nice surprise to see the characters casually dating each other and moving on without heartbreak.
- I actually got really squeamish during this book because of some of the things Augusta has to do as a nurse. I'm talking, she puts her fingers inside of a patient to pinch his arteries. Augusta's job is really at the forefront of this book rather than being a backdrop for a romance. Her coworkers and patients are all present as side characters, and it's actually a pretty interesting look at the daily life of a nurse at this time.
- This has nothing to do with clichés but I just really liked the detail of Augusta being bilingual in Dutch.
- Augusta is far from a perfect heroine. I actually don't have a problem with angelic FMCs (I know it irritates some readers) but again, I was expecting it when I shouldn't have - Augusta is pretty judgmental and easily irritable, and overall a very normal person. Hence, she's relatable even when she's not very likable.
- To expand on that, there are a lot of details about Augusta fussing about what to wear, which I actually enjoyed because I like reading about fashion and it was really refreshing for her to admit many times that she wore something in the hopes of running into someone. She loves to shop, and I really appreciated that because I feel like so many heroines in books these days are written to go against stereotypes that the majority of them end up disliking dresses, shopping, makeup, etc. This obviously isn't a bad thing, but I just liked seeing my love of shopping validated here in a hard-working nurse who grew up on a farm, which I find also fights stereotypes, albeit in a different way.
- Also, Augusta embarrasses herself several times (falling asleep, ripping the seat of her pants, etc) which added to the humor and interest in this book.
- This book is super romantic in a way you don't see in many contemporary romances because it would probably come off as too cheesy and a bit old-fashioned. The MMC straight up tells her that he's falling in love with her, they kiss a LOT more than you would expect for this kind of book, the way he asks about what kind of ring or dress she'd like, how he buys her stuff when they go shopping together, etc.
There were definitely issues with this book, but they were all relatively minor. There is the big misunderstanding trope, but it doesn't really affect the pacing of the book and is resolved in a pretty satisfying way although I do wish the ending was more fleshed out.
I don't know if I'll read more of Betty Neels' work just because the reviews I've seen give me the feeling that they are pretty formulaic, and what I find refreshing here may end up being redundant in her other books. I'll probably attempt to read at least one or two others that have premises that sound a bit more different, then come back here to do a brief comparison.
Some tropes that appear in this book:
- ML falls first
- Workplace romance
- Misunderstanding trope
- ML saves FL (multiple times)
*2023 Around the Year Reading Challenge*
Prompt #33: A book by an author with a first name popular in 1923
September 27, 2017
This follows a similar narrative arc to Ring In A Teacup, whereby the doctor declares his interest much earlier than usual. Compared to the usual pacing, however, these plots don't work as well for me. The central conflict essentially involves the question Does he love her (in which case, of course, he'll marry her, unless it's a marriage-of-companionship-er-convenience plot).
While satisfying on the one hand to get an earlier declaration, I've yet to see that pacing work well structurally. You know a Neels hero will never fake love, so if he's already said or hinted he does, it essentially resolves the conflict. The last remaining chapters of the book just have to spool out less-consequential details. Both times I found myself wondering, How could there be that much of the story to tell? What's left to resolve?
Now, certainly, a plot like this could work, were Neels not so committed to her heroines' unyielding love. Were the woman to get cold feet or suddenly wobble over giving up a career or something, you could easily put the man's declaration earlier and still leave plenty of suspense in the final third. You could even have a heroine who doesn't think she's lovable and refuses to accept his word ... at first. But Neels, much as I enjoy her books, never seemed to give her heroines that much agency. Once they fall, no one and nothing can dislodge the hook, and no geographic or vocational price proves too high for love.
While satisfying on the one hand to get an earlier declaration, I've yet to see that pacing work well structurally. You know a Neels hero will never fake love, so if he's already said or hinted he does, it essentially resolves the conflict. The last remaining chapters of the book just have to spool out less-consequential details. Both times I found myself wondering, How could there be that much of the story to tell? What's left to resolve?
Now, certainly, a plot like this could work, were Neels not so committed to her heroines' unyielding love. Were the woman to get cold feet or suddenly wobble over giving up a career or something, you could easily put the man's declaration earlier and still leave plenty of suspense in the final third. You could even have a heroine who doesn't think she's lovable and refuses to accept his word ... at first. But Neels, much as I enjoy her books, never seemed to give her heroines that much agency. Once they fall, no one and nothing can dislodge the hook, and no geographic or vocational price proves too high for love.
May 13, 2025
A sweet story from very early in her career. I enjoyed the characters. Sometimes things happened a bit too conveniently to be believable, but in fiction, that's not entirely unexpected.
The occasional wording problems should have been caught by the editor. I've found that sometimes the author is too close to their work to catch them. Ultimately, that's the editors job.
The book was a bit uneven. One of the things that slowed down the book for me were the unnecessary details about some of the patients that had nothing to do with the story later on.
It was very detailed in the medical situations, whether in the hospital or out. Only someone with nursing experience could write with this intricate knowledge.
I saw a snippet by one of the reviewers who didn't like the book, who said Constantijn spent a good deal of the last part of the book avoiding talking about Susan. From what they said, I thought it would be much more dramatic than it was. After finishing the book, I didn't think it was a fair assessment. He certainly wasn't as mysterious about her as the reviewer made it seem.
Of course, as happens in romance novels, communication would have saved the day. But then there wouldn't be a story. Certainly, in real life, perfect communication is not as common as faulty assumptions made with less than all the facts. Although, to Augusta's credit, she did ask some questions he did not answer, or answer satisfactorily, so she was left to come to her own conclusions without the whole picture.
The occasional wording problems should have been caught by the editor. I've found that sometimes the author is too close to their work to catch them. Ultimately, that's the editors job.
The book was a bit uneven. One of the things that slowed down the book for me were the unnecessary details about some of the patients that had nothing to do with the story later on.
It was very detailed in the medical situations, whether in the hospital or out. Only someone with nursing experience could write with this intricate knowledge.
I saw a snippet by one of the reviewers who didn't like the book, who said Constantijn spent a good deal of the last part of the book avoiding talking about Susan. From what they said, I thought it would be much more dramatic than it was. After finishing the book, I didn't think it was a fair assessment. He certainly wasn't as mysterious about her as the reviewer made it seem.
Of course, as happens in romance novels, communication would have saved the day. But then there wouldn't be a story. Certainly, in real life, perfect communication is not as common as faulty assumptions made with less than all the facts. Although, to Augusta's credit, she did ask some questions he did not answer, or answer satisfactorily, so she was left to come to her own conclusions without the whole picture.
April 26, 2020
I'm really enjoying the early Betty Neels books - not so much for the romance part, which for someone raised on modern sex-and-shopping romance novels is often a little contrived - but for the beginning parts, the day-to-day lives of the heroines. She really has a great sense of detail and character, and so many of her minor characters are permitted to be interesting (the heroine is casually dating a doctor at the start of the book, who then starts dating another nurse; the other nurse, with whom the heroine is friendly, decides she'd rather like a chance at a new doctor and she and the heroine connive to push the doctor off onto a third nurse, all of this with a casual cheer that implies this is the normal course of their social lives). It's a look at a whole other world - starched caps and all - and the romance is almost beside the point.
December 16, 2018
N0. 7 in pub order. I always enjoy Betty Neels' books, though I sometimes get peeved with the H, as they are so secretive about their feelings. In this one, for a change, he confesses he's "almost in love" with the h, but she doesn't believe it because of "the other woman". It's always fun to find out how they make it to their HEA. Betty Neels' stories take you back to a time when things weren't so hectic. Although set in the '70s, which weren't my favorite decade, her stories capture more of the simplicity and morality of the time she grew up, 1930s-1940s.
November 13, 2023
Another novel by one of my favourite authors....Betty Neels
This one a bit different as the doctor is Constantijn van Lindemann who has a practice in Holland as well as lovely homes and he also works in the London hospitals as a consultant and surgeon.
But from the beginning, he seems to really like Augusta but she's not sure if he is joking, teasing or beginning to love her. She does fall in love with him but she doesn't know how to react to his kisses, his hugs or his bunches of flowers; mostly tulips.
Of course, the ending is the right one...a good read after a few mysteries.
This one a bit different as the doctor is Constantijn van Lindemann who has a practice in Holland as well as lovely homes and he also works in the London hospitals as a consultant and surgeon.
But from the beginning, he seems to really like Augusta but she's not sure if he is joking, teasing or beginning to love her. She does fall in love with him but she doesn't know how to react to his kisses, his hugs or his bunches of flowers; mostly tulips.
Of course, the ending is the right one...a good read after a few mysteries.
September 15, 2024
This was a very lukewarm romance if that, I find it mildly curious that the heroes find it beneath themselves to confide in their respective heroines in BN books. Their reticence borders on offensive in my opinion. After all if you’re hoping that someone would trust, love and respect you enough to share their lives with you, you can very well be transparent about the comings and goings in your life. It’s the least you can do.
October 17, 2023
"Tulips for Augusta" is the story of Augusta and Constantijn.
Sweet love story with a smitten hero and heroine, who pussyfoot around each other because the heroine keeps pushing him away. I did get a bit annoyed at her towards the end because he kept saying he loved her, yet she doubted him way too much.
Safe
2.5/5
Sweet love story with a smitten hero and heroine, who pussyfoot around each other because the heroine keeps pushing him away. I did get a bit annoyed at her towards the end because he kept saying he loved her, yet she doubted him way too much.
Safe
2.5/5
January 31, 2021
A bit different
Yes a nurse and doctor but a gp, not a consultant. Towards the end the relationships were a bit far fetched. It was not my favorite ending of an otherwise great story
Yes a nurse and doctor but a gp, not a consultant. Towards the end the relationships were a bit far fetched. It was not my favorite ending of an otherwise great story
March 24, 2018
3.50 stars!
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