Tempestuous April

by betty-neels

...a dream wedding
Harriet had met the man of her dreams, the one she'd always imagined herself marrying. But Dr. Friso Eijsinck was very attractive, and he seemed to be surrounded by pretty girls. Harriet began to feel that, as far as Friso was concerned, she was only one of many. What she didn't know was that Friso had met his dream wife, and he was going to make sure that he married her.

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

219 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1970

Reviews

[Grrrrace · Rating 5 out of 5]

From 1970, TA (Betty’s 5th book) shows that so many of her tropes and scenes were there from the beginning. There’s a sweet energy to this one, with the MCs showing their mutual smittenness early and clearly. This one has an arrogant but somewhat vulnerable hero given to swoon-worthy utterances, a likable and capable heroine, and all the elements that Betty would use so effectively over the course of her 30-year career.

Harriet Slocombe is 24, blond, petite, and pretty, with an air of reserve and a sharp tongue when needed, resulting in the friendly nickname “Haughty Harry.” Our Harry is well-liked and an excellent nurse, soon to become the new Ward Sister of Men’s Surgical. Despite her good looks, Harriet is heart-whole and picky, resigned to singledom since her ideal mate has not appeared and she won’t settle for less--“surrounded by men as though they were bees around a honeypot and she treated them all as though they were brothers.”

Harriet accepts her Dutch friend Sieske’s invitation to go to Holland for 3 weeks. She’s heard so much about Sieske’s fiance, family, and friends that she feels as if she’s met them, including Sieske’s father’s medical-practice partner, Friso Eijsinck, whom Harriet imagines to be a “middle aged bachelor with a soup-stained waistcoat.”

He’s not. He is hot. She first spies him in his AC 428 Fastback, and with a lightning-bolt flash of recognition realizes that this is the man she’s been waiting for her entire life:

Looking at him she had the sudden deep conviction that they had met before; her heart started to race, she wished with all her heart that he would turn and look at her. As though she had shouted her wish out loud at him, he turned his head and she found herself gazing into the level gray eyes. It seemed to her that she had known him—a complete stranger—all her life; she smiled with the sudden delight of it, wondering if he felt the same way too. Apparently he did not; there was no expression on his face at all, and she went slowly pink under his cool stare…and [then] he was gone, leaving her gazing sadly after him; the man who had been in her thoughts for so many years…the reason for her never being more than friends with the men she met. He had been her dream, but dreams didn’t last.

The next day, she comes face to face with the man in the Fastback—and discovers he’s Friso Eijsinck, her host’s medical partner. “He was a giant among the giantlike people around her, and he wore his great height with a careless arrogance.…” Despite her shock and her blushes, she greets him “in a voice that would have done credit to one of Miss Austen’s young ladies, and this time she didn’t smile.” Hee. Our RDD is coolly polite and impatient for her to be gone, and she feels awkward and as if he dislikes her. We find out later that Friso has pots of money, loves his work--and loves girls too, according to Sieske’s brother Aede. But Friso’s not married and he had once told Aede that “he was waiting for the girl.”

Back from our sightseeing tour of Friesland, Harry runs into Friso, who blocks her path and “reluctantly” asks why she smiled at him so, a stranger in the street. She says that she thought she had recognized him. He understands at once what she means, and says “once or twice in a lifetime we meet someone who should be a stranger and is not.” But despite that, he’s not very friendly and she feels awkward and still thinks he dislikes her.

More Friesland travelogue—Betty really immerses us in 1970 Holland, and it’s lovely! We drive past Friso’s baronial pile, and our unmercenary heroine thinks only that he must be lonely. But Aede tells her that he’s a workaholic and “there are always people calling” when he’s not working. Harriet thinks that he’s quite happy as he is without her, and she’s sad and resolves to stop thinking of him (but doesn’t).

Sieske’s fourteen-year-old sister Taeike has a massive crush on our RDD (which will be soul-crushing for others temporarily, alas). Meanwhile, everyone is planning Sieske’s engagement party, so we’re wrapped in the bustle of family life and Dutch engagement customs. The night of the party, Friso sweeps Harriet off to dance. They dance well together but he doesn’t come near her again until after midnight, finding her being entertained by two young medical interns. He easily dismisses them with a “smile of charm and authority,” and corrals the heroine, bringing up AGAIN how happy she looked when she first saw him. She says she thought he was someone she knew and he asks if that’s true and she, thinking of his rumored many girlfriends, tells him it’s not quite true but good enough.

They dance again, and If You Go Away comes on, and he pulls her out onto the veranda, and kisses her as she’d never been kissed before—only to be interrupted by Taeike. He leaves soon after without saying goodbye, and Harry has a mopey Dawning Realization that she’s in love with Friso but not at all sure what he feels. She sadly concludes that his kiss was just moonlight madness.

A few days after the party, Harriet runs into Friso and is very stiff, calling him Dr. Eijsinck. He tells her not to play Haughty Harry with him—he’s no young intern to be dismissed. She’s annoyed that her nickname preceded her. He tells her that Sieske had described her so well he knew who she was immediately, “and you recognized me, didn’t you, although you didn’t know me,” bringing up their first contact a THIRD time!

He shows her the garden room and tells her about his family “deliberately”; an RDD spilling private details is a serious matter in BN’s books. Harry tells him about her preconceptions that he’d be a lonely middle-aged recluse. Friso asks if she felt sorry for him, and she says not anymore, with his lovely home, family, beautiful girlfriends. He laughs and (I assume) engages in sophisticated banter, asking if he should add her to his collection of girlfriends. She knows she should get angry but instead only feels sad and tongue-tied. Our RDD redeems himself slightly: “I’m sorry, Harriet—I had forgotten that you aren’t like anyone else.” But he’s cool and casual after that and she’s left uncertain as to what he really feels for her.

Sieske’s sister Taeike starts to show signs of jealousy, but Harriet thinks she’s imagining the fleeting dirty looks. Harriet’s stay with Sieske’s family is described with great warmth and detail, and our heroine is shown to be helpful, likable, and a little shy. The relationship grows between our MCs, with Friso revealing his feelings (in that cryptic RDD way) and hinting at permanence between them. Harriet is starry eyed, daring to hope that dreams really do come true.

We have not one but two scenes of them saving people (a car crash, with Harriet and Sieske assisting Friso; another, more dramatic rescue in which Harriet helps Friso deliver a baby in a flooded house). During the latter episode, our kind-hearted, practical, and well-prepared heroine uses her Swiss Army knife to save a leashed farm dog from drowning. Kind-hearted Friso offers to adopt him. On the way back from the farmhouse, she asks him what he and the woman’s husband were singing/reciting, and he tells her it was the ancient Frisian oath:

With five weapons shall we keep our land/with sword and with shield, with spade and with fork and with the spear, out with the ebb, up with the flood, to fight day and night against the Northking and against the wild Viking, that all Friesians may be free, the born and unborn, so long as the wind from the clouds shall blow and the world shall stand.

Rousing stuff! And he turns it into a personal oath as well:

”We are a persistent race, we do not give up, nor do we let go…Forever is a long time—loving is forever too. So long as the wind from the clouds shall blow. Remember that, my dear Harriet.”

Harriet only has a few days left in Holland, so Sieske and her fiancé take her to see Amsterdam. Friso drives the girls there. Before he leaves, he asks if she’ll miss him and kisses her and tells her to remember the Frisian oath: so long as the clouds shall blow…. We all get a nice tour and even catch a glimpse of Holland’s Queen Juliana. Harriet isn’t thinking about her pending departure, only what Friso might say to her before she leaves, since he’s implied a future for them. Sieske seems to think they have a future as well. But back at Sieske’s aunt’s house, Harriet has a premonition that something is amiss—and when the aunt says that Friso called and he won’t be able to come for them the next day, she has an awful feeling it’s all gone wrong.

And so it has. She returns to Sieske’s home, and Friso ghosts her. Sieske’s sister Taeike (definitely an OW in training) tells her she knows why Friso didn’t come—Harriet was taking his “flirtation” too seriously, and as he is going to be married, he thought it was kinder to pretend to be too busy to see Harriet before she left Holland. Poor Harry is devastated—she concludes that she must have glorified a couple of weeks’ flirtation into something more. She does her best to hide her heartbreak.

Friso had promised that she would see the dog before she left, but there’s no sign of him the day before departure. She’s too unhappy to even cry. She hands out the gifts she brought for Sieske’s family, and Taeike starts to cry but doesn’t confess. As Harriet is leaving, Friso shows up with Moses the rescue dog to keep his promise and that’s it. He’s aloof and she does her best to say goodbye without tears. “I hope…” she starts to say, and he mockingly asks what she hopes for him—wealth, health, and happiness? She sees that he’s angry and says, voice wobbling, that it is what she wishes, and she leaves. He doesn’t say goodbye.

Poor heartbroken Harriet goes home and does her best to get on with things, in true BN heroine fashion. People notice that she’s lost her sparkle. When her dad wonders if she’s anemic, her mother snaps at him that obviously Harry’s in love!

She’s at a village shop when Friso shows up. She’s shocked and then angry when he says that her new job as Ward Sister isn’t doing much for her (paler, thinner) looks. She tells him if that’s all he’s come to say, he can go away, and he says it’s not, and he won’t. The shopkeeper turns the Open sign to Closed and leaves them alone, hee. She’s fiddling with her basket and Friso, tired and exasperated, “thunders” at her to stop and listen to him. They are going to get one thing straight: it’s she that he is going to marry. And, high-handed, managing RDD that he is, he has it all arranged already, including a marriage license and the church set for the following day.

Explanations and avowals galore, and a reminder of the oath that means his love was forever. But first he kisses her breathless, on route to HEA.

Epic car porn!
Hero cars:
AC 428 Frua GT Fastback
Bentley T (Mulliner Park Ward)
Land Rover
Other cars mentioned:
An elderly Sprite
BMW 2500
Lotus Elan
Marcos GT:

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harriet Slocombe, soon to be Ward Sister, is invited to spend her holiday at the home of her Dutch nurse friend, Sieske van Minnen. Sieske's father is a doctor and the whole family makes Harriet welcome, except for the partner, Dr. Friso Eijsinck. Unfortunately, while Harriet fell in love with him at first sight, he initially seems to have no interest in settling down with one woman and certainly not with Harriet.

However, Friso soon begins to pay attention to Harriet and actually is quite open about his attraction to her. He kisses her often, tells her she is beautiful and hints at a future together. Harriet allows her feelings for him to show and is more head-over-heels than just about any other Betty heroine I can think of.

TGB usually includes some sort of emergency that requires the H/h to either work together or to be stranded together. This book features an unusual and quite interesting emergency. a sea dyke is damaged when a small plane crashed into it, causing flooding in the fields and houses below the dyke. In one of those houses is a woman in labor that Crisp had been called to attend. He needs assistance and sent for Sieske; she was away so Harriet went.

On the way in the house, Harriet sees a dog tied up, in water belly-deep, left to drown. She cuts the rope and takes him in the house with her. Friso appears amused. They successfully deliver the baby and are marooned there for a few hours until the ambulance is able to get there. Harriet throws a makeshift stew together from the ingredient s of some tins and Friso says he never expected that she was such an excellent cook, too.

Things are going swimmingly between them and although he never says the "L" word, he makes it clear that he has feelings for her. So, when Friso fails to pick up Harriet and Sieske at Tante Tonia's home as promised, Harriet knows something is amiss. Sieske's young sister tells Harriet that Friso is getting married and didn't want to hurt Harriet. Harriet is devastated and returns to England resolved to never see Friso again.

Of course, Taeike has a crush on Friso and she lied to both Harriet and Friso about the other. Her conscience got the better of her, though, and she confesses to Friso. He immediately goes to England, finds Harriet at the village shop and proposes on the spot.

Several unique details in this one. First, Harriet is a rare blonde among Neels heroines; not just blonde, but gorgeous with it! Also, there is a lot of romance - sexual tension, actually, even if delicately alluded to - between the H/h.

This book is certainly worth a read (and reread!) by any fan of TGB. 4 1/2 stars.

Here’s a link to the Pinterest board I created with the help of ChatGPT. https://pin.it/3tlynwSHd

[Leona · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one just didn't work for me at all. Surprisingly, I found the whole book to be rather flat. I didn't care for the interaction between H/h and the hero was not likable. I believe this is one of Betty's earlier endeavors. Suffice it to say, she certainly improved when it came to creating swoon worthy heroes.

The whole premise of the book is that both fall in love at first sight. I guess I believe in "lust" at first sight, but not "love" at first sight. Chemistry is certainly a necessary element in a relationship, but neither H or h did anything worth earning each other's affections, let alone love. They were either barking at each other, ignoring each other, or making moon eyes, but I never felt their relationship progress. The resolution of the "big misunderstanding" was disappointing and though I usually enjoy and appreciate Betty's travelogues into Holland, this time it was just boring.

I kept flipping the pages not in anticipation, but to finish it quickly so I could move on to a "good read".

I am on a quest to find and read as many of Betty's books as I can. Had I read them in order, I would not be on this journey because I would have stopped after reading this one.

I recommend passing.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a favorite but a fun read nonetheless. I enjoyed how much time Harriet gets to spend with her friend Sieske’s family in Holland. It takes up basically the whole book. Friso isn’t the most charming of heros but there were some sweet moments.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars ~ Harriet is 24 and has just been promoted to Ward Sister of the men's surgical ward in an English hospital. Her best friend, Sieske, is leaving her nursing job to return to Holland to plan her wedding and she's invited Harriet to spend her three week vacation with her. Harriet's never left England before and she's very excited of all the wonderful places Sieske promises to show her. On her first venture into town, Harriet is awestruck by the man in the splendid sports car. And when the man looks her way, her whole face lights up as her heart recognizes him as the man of her dreams. Sieske's father is a doctor who runs a very large practice and he has a young partner who shares his responsibilities. Much to Harriet's surprise, Friso is the man in the sports car and he's not at all the pleasant man she was expecting him to be. In fact, he has a playboy reputation and he's rather arrogant. Harriet's a very pretty woman and in order to fend off flirtatious doctors and forward patients, she's learnt to carry herself in an aloof manner and gained the nickname of Haughty Harry. Friso totally confuses her, at times he's laughing mockingly at her, and others he seems to be genuinely happy to be in her company. And just when she thinks he returns her love, Harriet learns that he'd only been having some spring fun while she was on holiday and that he plans to marry another.

This is a Betty Neels classic with a difference, both hero and heroine are struck with love at first sight. It's common for Ms. Neels heroes to be in love first, so this was rather refreshing to see both Friso and Harry struggle with their sudden uncertain feelings. Friso gives off such lovely hints about how he feels and though Harry wants very much for him to love her she can't believe he does. This is a very early book by Ms. Neels and I was pleasantly surprised that there was actually quite a bit of kissing. This is a charming love story with a very satisfying HEA

[Kitcatscratch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Greatest crime was boredom. Maybe it was frame of mind but...I don't think so. On to another Neels book...

[Mudpie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25*

I really like "Haughty Harry" very much! The opening scene of Harriet doing her rounds checking the ward was something I imagined Florence Nightingale doing! Except it was more high tech now compared to back then, so more machinery sounds I'd imagine.

Friso started out badly. I love the moment when Harry saw Friso in his car and knew he was her dream man! She beamed at him, but he looked at her like she was a "lamppost " and realised in real life her dream man may not be that at all.

He was aloof, sardonic and faintly mocking, somehow making Harry feel awkward without even saying a word. I felt so awful for her...I got the vibes that Friso thought Harry was a gold digger?! That she was interested in his great big house rather than his beautiful garden when Sieske's brother mentioned they had driven past his home and Harry admired the flowers there...

SPOILERS


However as they saw more of each other, to steal the phrase from The Uncrushable Jersey Dress, Friso's "disdain diminished ". He also betrayed that he was not as unaffected as he'd like Harry to think, asking her why she had smiled like that to him. We later hear from his own mouth that he too had fallen in love with her at first sight, but he had had the advantage of knowing he'd see her again so of course common sense dictated that he should drive off when the traffic light had changed! You see, Sieske had always been writing home describing Harry so accurately that even Friso could recognise Harry when he saw her on the pavement that first day she arrived in Franeker.

Friso's intensifying interest and feelings for Harry were witnessed by those around...he'd grab and hold on to her hand, and he was not shy in saying things to Harry to let her know he's got feelings for her. I love it! That they both communicated their liking for each other so early on. That small separation in Amsterdam towards the end of three weeks was bittersweet. Harry wished Friso was there with her but she knew she'd see him again soon...except he never came.

I KNEW Betty wouldn't just let these two have it so smooth and easy. Taeike was giving Harry hateful looks and unfortunately she was out to sabotage these two lovers! She might only be 14 but she could be so wicked! Basically she told both Friso and Harry the same lie; each of them were getting married...to someone else. Except one thought the other was too keen and it's embarrassing having to reject the other...so it's easier not to see each other before Harry left in a couple of days!

Harry was heartbroken...so much for Friso and his Friesian oath of forever love! He could not even keep his word on fetching them from Amsterdam! It was weird how Sieske and brother Aede seemed to know something went wrong but nobody said anything...And when we saw Friso before Harry left, he was hiding anger and was being his disdainful self again. He said he'd let her see Moses the dog before she left and he's keeping his word, but what about his love oath?!

It was baffling as hell because we hadn't known what Taeike did...and Harry went home heartbroken.

Then two weeks later the hospital matron and doctor were behaving weirdly (cannot resist the word because Sieske's fiancé was name Wierd...I hope it's pronounced more like Wyatt than weird!) as though Harry was oeaving them. When she left to go home on her off days, ger family was worried about her losing her zest and sparkle! Her mother was intuitive and deduced she's upset over love and it must have to do with Friso who was mentioned in every letter!

When she went to the butcher the next day, who ekse but Friso should appear!? He explained what Taeike did, who the blonde and brunette were, and that he's loved her on first sight! The sweet butcher had closed his shop to give them privacy, so lots of kissing!

And to thank the butcher, Friso invited the butcher loudly in the crowded shop to attend their wedding the next day, at oh 11am!

WHAT?! Turned out he's spend the past ten days or so busy arranging the wedding and Harry leaving the hospital! But it seemed he had not even asked her parents for permission because they had not been in the know the previous day! Now Friso was being presumptuous arranging a wedding when he's yet to propose even!

I really dislike the hero who told all and sundry he's getting married, and the poor heroine got broken-hearted because dammit hero never indicated he even liked heroine! So it was v presumptuous to assume the heroine would marry when asked! To go so far as to announce to others, and go arranging her life!

This was a lovely travelogue of Holland. I love Keukenhof and reading about Harry's delight when she saw Friso's garden and house, boat and car. To me it wasn't avarice, rather she was truly appreciative of the beauty of these objects and admired them with reverence almost!

I really want to give this more stars because there's so much to like, but the manufactured conflict in the end and resolution fell flat. Young Taeike needed to be spanked and punished! 14 was NOT THAT YOUNG to be forgiven so lightly! Because it was a really wicked trick she played!

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice. I like how Friso was affectionate and made his intentions known and the heroine wasn't helpless.

[Billie Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better and better

I never get tired of these sweet, timeless, love stories. The world needs more Betty Neels in my humble opinion.

[Annemarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is very interesting to read about your own country through the eyes of a foreigner. More than Betty Neels other books, this one really read like a travellog of Friesland, as well as the rest of the Netherlands. Maybe a bit too much at time, as there's a great deal of places named, just for the sake of naming them. Still not a fan of Dutch words in English sentences, because it makes me codeswitch mid-sentence too much.

The heroine is actually pretty this time, and knows it, so that was fun. But other than that, her personality was very similar to all the other heroines in Betty Neels books. I also kinda dislike the whole blondes are pretty, brunnettes are plain thing that she has going on in all her books. There was a lot of "You're not like other girls" going on as well, even though she behaved almost identically to Sietske, her Dutch friend.

Neels clearly knows a lot about life in the Netherlands, thought from her descriptions, mostly very upper-class households. It's interesting that in all her books the Dutch houses she describes are very upperclass while the British houses she describes are lower-middle class.

The hero and heroine actually spend time together, and talked, who would have thunk. But like in all Neels books, it's hard to figure out why exactly they like each other. Insta-love all the time.

All in all it was an okay, easy read.

[Jite · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another multi-time re-read. I go on a great Betty binge a couple of times a year I’m periods of stress because they’re the most soothing, gentle books. This one features small, beautiful English nurse (a rare Betty combo) on vacation in the Netherlands with her friend when she meets handsome RDD and they fall in love at first time. But then she’s shy and he can be a bit of a smug so-and-so, so there’s a lot of talking at cross purposes and misunderstanding. But it’s also cute with a lot of adventure moments in it. The parents weren’t toxic as they’ve been in a couple of recent Betty re-reads, I liked it.

[Aarathi Burki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful story completely set in Holland.Unlike the usual betty neels novel here rhe hero Friso was very expressive about his liking for the heroine Harriet and kisses her several times during the entire story. Tge supporting characters were all very good and there was hardly any OW or OM which made it a wonderful read. Highly recommended

[Fiona Marsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harriet's holiday in Holland was at the instigation of her nursing colleague and friend Sieske. While staying with Sieske's family she met Dr Friso Eijsinck who was in partnership with Sieske's father. There was an instant attraction. Of the fated kind where their eyes meet and somehow they know. HOwever it takes a little while for them to get things together and Friso is an acknowledged flirt with several girls on a string.

Just when it all seems to be coming together, trouble is made by Sieske's little sister who has a crush on the doctor. A variation on the evil other woman but easily resolved. A sweet story.

[Tonya Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

First published as "Nurse Harriet Goes to Holland"

Harriet had met the man of her dreams, the one she'd always imagined herself marrying. But Dr. Friso Eijsinck was very attractive, and he seemed to be surrounded by pretty girls. Harriet began to feel that, as far as Friso was concerned, she was only one of many. What she didn't know was that Friso had met his dream wife, and he was going to make sure that he married her.

Sweet and entertaining.

[Patricia West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance

I so enjoy Betty Neels' sweet stories of love. Pretty Harriet a nurse in a London hospital travels to Holland where she finds her true love, a doctor named Friso. Of course, their path together is fraught with misunderstanding; but, love triumphs in the end.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just re-read this and liked it even better this time. This sweet Betty book left me with a smile on my face.

[Nell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another lovely Betty book with real chemistry between the couple.

[Patricia schmit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Travel Guide, Maybe

Although written in the lovely style of Betty Neels, the plot is almost invisible. A good read if you want to rest your mind!!!!

[LiMa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harriet is a beautiful blonde British nurse who goes on holiday to Holland with her Dutch friend Sieske to spend three weeks with Sieske's family. In Holland, Harriet meets Dr. Friso Eijsinck. He's the man of her dreams. She first spots him driving around town and recognizes him as the unknown man she's been dreaming of and for whom she holds all other men at bay. She gets to know him better during her three weeks abroad since he shares a medical practice with Sieske's father. Harriet loves Friso but darned if I can figure out why. He blows hot, he blows cold. He is arrogant, supercilious, condescending, rude and sure spends a lot of time hanging around with other ladies. I suppose Friso is a product of romance trends of the time, but what is meant to provide the conflict every romance needs comes out on the page as merely unpleasant.

Tempestuous April was one of Betty's earliest efforts. It was written in 1970 and in some ways, it's a little time capsule, possibly one of the major reasons I liked it. For example, I loved the description of Harriet getting ready for church.
"Harriet dressed with care the next morning. Her thin wool dress and coat were almost new and a delicious shade of almond green. They became her mightily; so did the silk turban with its ends tied in a jaunty knot in the nape of her neck; her shoes were good ones and matched her gloves and handbag. She applied Miss Dior with thoughtful care and surveyed herself in the long mirror..."

Almond green! A turban! Awesome.

Friso, in addition to being a tool, also has a wicked temper. He's *finally* on the verge of letting Harriet know he thinks she's really groovy when their budding romance is derailed by the lies of a jealous 14-year-old. Friso believes the lies without verifying they are true. He dumps Harriet like yesterday's newspaper and the way he does it is cruel: after leading her to believe he's very serious about her, he ghosts her. Then when the 14-year-old confesses, Friso follows the broken-hearted Harriet back to England. He engineers their wedding without consulting her, and resigns her job without telling her. You know, like she's five years old and can't participate in the biggest decisions of her own life.

We get to visit Harriet and Friso in 1977's A Matter of Chance. Meant to showcase their HEA complete with several children, Friso remarks that having Harriet around is like having many women around (you can practically hear him thinking "too many gosh-darned women underfoot"). He pauses, then says "which is delightful, mind you" or words to that effect.

Smooth. Real smooth, buddy.

I did enjoy Tempestuous April. But that's despite Friso. 3 stars.

[Barty · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. alas I found this one only okay because I disliked too much of it. I couldn't connect with either the h or the H and found them both annoying at times. what a pity! maybe I just wasn't in the right mood...

this is the one where our h, Harriet, 24, is known as haughty Harry by the young doctors who she, a beautiful girl, refuses to flirt with. she visits Holland with her Dutch friend and stays with the family, where she meets the doctor dads business partner, Friso, 34. for both of them it is love at first sight.

for me, it having been made clear that they both want each other, the rest of the story became a bunch of silly faff. her being haughty and annoyed at him because she thought she was only one of his many flirts. him allowing and even encouraging her to think all the gorgeous girls he's been seen with are his dates and that Harry is just one of many. I lost my patience with them both. it all felt juvenile.

at one point, after he makes his feelings known to her and tells her she is special, she is in such cloud nine being so vapid with making herself look nice and giddy with waiting to see him that she can't focus on anyone or anything else. it just made her seem vapid, alas.

partly I wonder if the story setting just failed to show them both in the best light. she was on holiday so of course she wouldn't have any of the usual challenges of life to cope with. plus because she wasn't one of Betty's waifs, wasn't poor, wasn't plain, wasn't encumbered by horrid relatives or needy dependents, then she came across as a character with not much depth and not much reason for us to root for her. yeah, she displayed her nursing talents a few times and once in a big crisis where she worked with H to deliver a difficult baby during a bad flood, but it still wasn't enough.

and him, he came across as a guy who had life far too easy. in other Betty books the RDD is shown to be WOW by the way his colleagues and strangers react to him and respect him. here we see him through the eyes of his business partner's adoring family only, and thus he's their beloved rich family friend, hero worshipped by the youngsters, but not quite seen as the WOW man of the world that other Betty heroes are showcased as.

it just didn't work for me. I did t enjoy any depth in their romance. couldn't root for them. didn't care much to see it work, and skimmed a lot.

Any romantic conflict just felt like a bunch of silly reasons like two lovelorn teens flirting and being cagey with each other. a pity.

plus the fact that's the main climactic drama was a 14 year old with a crush lying to them both was just a bit meh.

[Teri-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've read a number of Neels' books nothing in this will be new to you. Even the last minute plot twist can be seen long before it arrives. However, the story is crammed with lovely details of Dutch countryside, a visit to Keukenhof gardens, (a place I have visited in the spring - it's lovely), sightseeing, sailing, and even a serious wetting when a dyke is breached. All the delightful details Betty does so well. I quite enjoyed a couple of happy hours being swept far away from my everyday life.

[Katy Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haughty Harry (Harriet) and Dr Friso Eijsinck

Haughty Harry (Harriet) and Dr Friso Eijsinck: one of my favorite Betty Neels. A sweet romance by an author that you could read aloud wherever you are. So, so good. I started saving and collecting my favorite books and one day realized that several were by the same author, so over a few years I collected almost all of Betty Neels’ books in paper. Now, years later I have quite a few on my Kindle. I’m trying to make sure I eventually have one of each her books.📚 I love Betty Neels! ❤️

[Super*BETA*Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another of my top Betty Neels reads. I love that Friso falls first. Unlike a lot of her books, this one has him quite open about his feelings from early on. We even get a very early kiss, which is nice. I also liked the fact that unlike most of Betty's plain-Jane heroines, Harriet was beautiful and petite. A nice change from her standard formula.

[Karen Szyszko · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't one of Betty's better stories. I found it read mostly like a touring book - lots and lots of description about cities and places around Holland. I did find it amusing that our hero knew Harriet's nickname, Haughty Harry. I also enjoyed Harriet's encounter with Queen Juliana. Aside from that, the book falls kind of flat.

[Annabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm currently on a Betty Neels binge reading everything of hers I can get my hands on. I find her books comforting and charming. This book I liked very much. There's nothing quite like seeing the name of your home town in black and white.

[mary glynn stelmack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one!

As a,longtime Betty neels reader I delighted to find one book I hadn't read and it was so good and sweet to read . I miss her books and have looked for similar authors but haven't found any one I like as well.

[Kristen Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different than other Neels I've read- most of the book takes place while our heroine is on holiday in Holland with a nursing friend. Weird that the big misunderstanding was at the hands of a 14 yr old kid, but a decent read overall.

[Michelle David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely

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

[Mrs J Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frito and Harry, what’s not to love although Moses, the dog, did steal the show.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harlequin romance set in England and The Netherlands. Lots of description of the countries.