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Roses Have Thorns
He was cold-hearted and arrogant...and she loved him to distraction. Sarah had been happy working at the hospital - until Radolf Nauta interfered and left her jobless. Forced to find other means to support herself, she was totally unprepared to meet the domineering Radolf again. He hadn't changed one bit! But Sarah had, and she soon realized that her heart now belonged to him.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1990
82 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Betty Neels
564 books408 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 46 reviews
June 4, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ four stars -
This book, “Roses Have Thorns”, was such a fun, romantic read. It pleasantly reminded me why I’ve been on a Betty Neels (BN) read-fest lately.
I would encourage anyone that loves easy-to-read Harley or M&B romances to give this tale a chance.
This story delivers all of the trademark BN romance staples:
. An independent heroine who is intelligent, capable, and hardworking. She gives our Hero delicious snark, which makes for wonderful banter between them.
. A complete backstory for our heroine that spans from her later childhood to her present twenty-eight year old self. BN does a great job fleshing out her characters, and our heroine Sarah, has lots of interaction with our Hero and a wide secondary cast.
. A satisfyingly romantic Cinderella story arc - my favorite trope ❤️. Even though we don’t get to see Sarah in all her new finery - because surely Radolf is going to gift her a new wardrobe as a wedding present 💝.
. BN’s signature Hero - a handsome and successful RDD - Rich Dutch Doctor - complete with a beautifully expensive car (this time a Rolls).
. A smitten Hero who comes to our heroine’s rescue to save her from peril, not once, but twice!
. A heroine that meets several members of the Hero’s family - including his mother. Of course they all adore our wonderful heroine. Really, who wouldn’t? Sarah is the standard, wonderful BN heroine.
. Adorable pets that have their own action within the story - of course our heroine has the requisite BN feline. Radolf, our Hero, has a wonderfully fluffy Golden Retriever.
I found this story to be one of the better Neels stories I’ve read, so far. I’ll be carrying on with my BN read-through. This one definitely ranks up there with my other two BN’s favorites:
1. “Dearest Mary Jane” - review here 👉 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2. “An Old-Fashioned Girl” - review here 👉 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Overall, a fun, thoroughly-told, romantic read that I would recommend to anyone else who enjoys BN.
Four romantic stars.
This book, “Roses Have Thorns”, was such a fun, romantic read. It pleasantly reminded me why I’ve been on a Betty Neels (BN) read-fest lately.
I would encourage anyone that loves easy-to-read Harley or M&B romances to give this tale a chance.
This story delivers all of the trademark BN romance staples:
. An independent heroine who is intelligent, capable, and hardworking. She gives our Hero delicious snark, which makes for wonderful banter between them.
. A complete backstory for our heroine that spans from her later childhood to her present twenty-eight year old self. BN does a great job fleshing out her characters, and our heroine Sarah, has lots of interaction with our Hero and a wide secondary cast.
. A satisfyingly romantic Cinderella story arc - my favorite trope ❤️. Even though we don’t get to see Sarah in all her new finery - because surely Radolf is going to gift her a new wardrobe as a wedding present 💝.
. BN’s signature Hero - a handsome and successful RDD - Rich Dutch Doctor - complete with a beautifully expensive car (this time a Rolls).
. A smitten Hero who comes to our heroine’s rescue to save her from peril, not once, but twice!
. A heroine that meets several members of the Hero’s family - including his mother. Of course they all adore our wonderful heroine. Really, who wouldn’t? Sarah is the standard, wonderful BN heroine.
. Adorable pets that have their own action within the story - of course our heroine has the requisite BN feline. Radolf, our Hero, has a wonderfully fluffy Golden Retriever.
I found this story to be one of the better Neels stories I’ve read, so far. I’ll be carrying on with my BN read-through. This one definitely ranks up there with my other two BN’s favorites:
1. “Dearest Mary Jane” - review here 👉 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2. “An Old-Fashioned Girl” - review here 👉 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Overall, a fun, thoroughly-told, romantic read that I would recommend to anyone else who enjoys BN.
Four romantic stars.
November 1, 2021
Awww, such a sweet and somewhat angsty Neels' Cinderella outing (although the heroine does a good job of saving herself from adversity most of the time, as any self-respecting BN heroine would). From 1990, but take away the references to cars (and one startling Neelsian reference to computers!), and this really could be pre-WWI (going back even to Regency-era), with its manor houses and Upstairs/Downstairs-Downton vibe.
The title comes from a quote from Shakespeare that the heroine uses as a riposte when the hero unkindly mocks her with a quote from Chaucer when he comes upon her in a rare new and pretty rose-print dress she is happily wearing for the first time when she bumps into him. Sparks fly: She exclaims "oh no..." and then, aghast at her own rudeness, "Good afternoon, Professor Nauta."
She detected mockery in his "Good afternoon, MIss Fletcher," and his slow appraisal of her person. "Well, well, it would be rude to say that I scarcely recognise you, wouldn't it? Would it be appropriate for me to quote Chaucer? 'And she was as fair as is the rose in May...'"
Sarah eyed him with dislike. "Roses have thorns--Shakespeare said that--and good day to you, Professor. you are not only rude, you are unkind too."
(He apologizes nicely and with real contrition and takes her out to a very nice tea at Fortnums. I love Betty Neels.)
A slow simmer in this one—it takes a while for both Sarah and Radolf to realize that their mutual awareness and inability to stop thinking about the other is love, and both fight pretty strongly against their developing feelings. Radolf is of Neel’s crankier heroes but likable for all that, and Sarah is super sweet—not a Mary Sue, because I don’t think Neels writes Mary Sues; she is just a really nice girl who is very lonely but who doesn’t allow herself to feel self-pity and, in BN heroine fashion, just gets on with making the best of things and living her life as independently and well as she can. Nicely drawn secondary characters that, while standard Neels stock, sparkle in their own right give the story a lot of humor and color. A typically comforting and comfortable Neels read, in which most people are kind and well-meaning and we can close the book in the happy knowledge that all is right in the hero's and heroine's world. For me, BN's stories, as similar as they may be one to the next, somehow never fail to deliver.
Not so much car or food porn in this one, but Radolf drives the usual luxurious ride: in this case, a Rolls:
The title comes from a quote from Shakespeare that the heroine uses as a riposte when the hero unkindly mocks her with a quote from Chaucer when he comes upon her in a rare new and pretty rose-print dress she is happily wearing for the first time when she bumps into him. Sparks fly: She exclaims "oh no..." and then, aghast at her own rudeness, "Good afternoon, Professor Nauta."
She detected mockery in his "Good afternoon, MIss Fletcher," and his slow appraisal of her person. "Well, well, it would be rude to say that I scarcely recognise you, wouldn't it? Would it be appropriate for me to quote Chaucer? 'And she was as fair as is the rose in May...'"
Sarah eyed him with dislike. "Roses have thorns--Shakespeare said that--and good day to you, Professor. you are not only rude, you are unkind too."
(He apologizes nicely and with real contrition and takes her out to a very nice tea at Fortnums. I love Betty Neels.)
A slow simmer in this one—it takes a while for both Sarah and Radolf to realize that their mutual awareness and inability to stop thinking about the other is love, and both fight pretty strongly against their developing feelings. Radolf is of Neel’s crankier heroes but likable for all that, and Sarah is super sweet—not a Mary Sue, because I don’t think Neels writes Mary Sues; she is just a really nice girl who is very lonely but who doesn’t allow herself to feel self-pity and, in BN heroine fashion, just gets on with making the best of things and living her life as independently and well as she can. Nicely drawn secondary characters that, while standard Neels stock, sparkle in their own right give the story a lot of humor and color. A typically comforting and comfortable Neels read, in which most people are kind and well-meaning and we can close the book in the happy knowledge that all is right in the hero's and heroine's world. For me, BN's stories, as similar as they may be one to the next, somehow never fail to deliver.
Not so much car or food porn in this one, but Radolf drives the usual luxurious ride: in this case, a Rolls:
April 21, 2024
RDD (Rich Dutch Doctor) has sworn off women, having been dumped years ago by his fiancee who ran off with a wealthy South American.
Our heroine is his receptionist at a local London hospital. She ends up getting fired (Doctor's fault) with no references. He happens to be out of the country when she is fired. On his return, he frantically searches all of London to find her consumed by guilt that she lost her job.
She ends up taking a position as a maid for a wealthy woman who turns out to be the professors "godmother". So where she thinks she has seen the last of him, she is mortified to find out that he is constantly showing up in her life and making a nuisance of himself. Of course, doctor refuses to admit his real feelings for the heroine, convinced that he needs to show up to make sure she is all right since he is the reason she lost her job. Of course, that's just his handy excuse. Poor RDD has fallen hard, but doesn't want to admit that this "slip of a girl" has him twisted inside and out.
These two really did start off not liking each other and it was fun to watch them banter back and forth. The chemistry between them was rather electric and more than I have seen in most of BNs stories.
For that reason, I think this is one of Betty's better books. It was fun to watch their journey and watch them fall in love. There is a particularly sweet and very touching scene in the end where the RDD rescues her from a trap, where she has been badly mangled. This made the ending more satisfying them most other BN books I have read.
BN tends to write a lot of the Cinderella underdog kind of stories with magic fairy Godmothers. This was no exception, but was still quite entertaining.
I highly recommend.
Our heroine is his receptionist at a local London hospital. She ends up getting fired (Doctor's fault) with no references. He happens to be out of the country when she is fired. On his return, he frantically searches all of London to find her consumed by guilt that she lost her job.
She ends up taking a position as a maid for a wealthy woman who turns out to be the professors "godmother". So where she thinks she has seen the last of him, she is mortified to find out that he is constantly showing up in her life and making a nuisance of himself. Of course, doctor refuses to admit his real feelings for the heroine, convinced that he needs to show up to make sure she is all right since he is the reason she lost her job. Of course, that's just his handy excuse. Poor RDD has fallen hard, but doesn't want to admit that this "slip of a girl" has him twisted inside and out.
These two really did start off not liking each other and it was fun to watch them banter back and forth. The chemistry between them was rather electric and more than I have seen in most of BNs stories.
For that reason, I think this is one of Betty's better books. It was fun to watch their journey and watch them fall in love. There is a particularly sweet and very touching scene in the end where the RDD rescues her from a trap, where she has been badly mangled. This made the ending more satisfying them most other BN books I have read.
BN tends to write a lot of the Cinderella underdog kind of stories with magic fairy Godmothers. This was no exception, but was still quite entertaining.
I highly recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2013
This was the first (and will always be the greatest in my mind) Betty I ever read. I was nineteen years old, I was doing a gap year by working full-time as a receptionist for a small retail store, and I was so lonely that even cockroaches felt sorry for my friendless self.
I was in need of the comfort and fantasy that Betty Neels could provide, and, since Harlequin was sending, at least, one Betty title every three months (it seemed), I soon had many companions. Within the paperback binding of these gems, I felt cossetted, loved, and, in most Betty's, rescued.
I share all this because I want you to realize that I could never write a fair review of "Roses Have Thorns". I never even pick up a copy of "Roses Have Thorns" (I now own like three)without experiencing all the memories and emotions that accompany it. Radolf and Sarah are almost breathing entities to me. It's a small paperback, and my original is very weathered, but the book means the world to me.
This wasn't so much a review as an opportunity for me to cry, I guess. What I was leading up to and got horribly muddled while typing is this: This book is rated an infinite amount of stars. It saved me twenty-three years ago.
I was in need of the comfort and fantasy that Betty Neels could provide, and, since Harlequin was sending, at least, one Betty title every three months (it seemed), I soon had many companions. Within the paperback binding of these gems, I felt cossetted, loved, and, in most Betty's, rescued.
I share all this because I want you to realize that I could never write a fair review of "Roses Have Thorns". I never even pick up a copy of "Roses Have Thorns" (I now own like three)without experiencing all the memories and emotions that accompany it. Radolf and Sarah are almost breathing entities to me. It's a small paperback, and my original is very weathered, but the book means the world to me.
This wasn't so much a review as an opportunity for me to cry, I guess. What I was leading up to and got horribly muddled while typing is this: This book is rated an infinite amount of stars. It saved me twenty-three years ago.
December 15, 2022
Awwwww...
This reminds me of butter buiscuits and warm tea in a winter afternoon while my cat is sleeping beside me on my favourite couch and the fireplace is burning a vivacious fire.
It's a nice, clean romance about a nice, clean nurse and her dutch cold doctor, that loves her but is too shy to show her, so he basically hires her to take care of his old relative in Holland.
It is light and romantic, in a very old kind of way with an alpha man who's obviously very cold outside but very warm inside.
This is one example of how an author can write the same kind of story with the same characters, english nurse and dutch doctor, and always is able to create little jems we love to read.
In Italy we had Liala, an author who wrote many romantic books during the first decades of 1900 and was also a friend of the italian poet Gabriele D'annunzio, who very often had in her books heroes who were fighter pilots. Her books were one of the first example of romantic fiction written by a female author and not serialized in newspapers as happened before that date.
This book is really an uplifting reading, the heroine is actually too good to be true, very nice, caring and kind hearted, she loves and is loved by everyone and the hero, who's actually lacking in the comunication department especially as regards his feelings and emotions, has a hard time making her realize that he's madly in love with her even if he's a grumpy bear with a sore paw.
Not much drama or tragedy, only many many misunderstandings because she's too well bred to ask and he's too emotionally impaired to explain.
And I loved the pair, he so grumpy and she so calm and loving, I cannot help but imagining them as a very fecund family with many children, a cat or two and a lot of tea and butter biscuits.
This reminds me of butter buiscuits and warm tea in a winter afternoon while my cat is sleeping beside me on my favourite couch and the fireplace is burning a vivacious fire.
It's a nice, clean romance about a nice, clean nurse and her dutch cold doctor, that loves her but is too shy to show her, so he basically hires her to take care of his old relative in Holland.
It is light and romantic, in a very old kind of way with an alpha man who's obviously very cold outside but very warm inside.
This is one example of how an author can write the same kind of story with the same characters, english nurse and dutch doctor, and always is able to create little jems we love to read.
In Italy we had Liala, an author who wrote many romantic books during the first decades of 1900 and was also a friend of the italian poet Gabriele D'annunzio, who very often had in her books heroes who were fighter pilots. Her books were one of the first example of romantic fiction written by a female author and not serialized in newspapers as happened before that date.
This book is really an uplifting reading, the heroine is actually too good to be true, very nice, caring and kind hearted, she loves and is loved by everyone and the hero, who's actually lacking in the comunication department especially as regards his feelings and emotions, has a hard time making her realize that he's madly in love with her even if he's a grumpy bear with a sore paw.
Not much drama or tragedy, only many many misunderstandings because she's too well bred to ask and he's too emotionally impaired to explain.
And I loved the pair, he so grumpy and she so calm and loving, I cannot help but imagining them as a very fecund family with many children, a cat or two and a lot of tea and butter biscuits.
July 25, 2024
When I finished, I said to myself: “Thoroughly delightful.” I already want to revisit this one. It’s a bit episodic in a fun way though the action in the last half moves to a manor house where Sarah works as a housemaid. The staff of the house are so fun and their genuine care for Sarah is heartwarming. The conflict between Sarah and Radolf at the end felt realistic and there isn’t really an OW which is a relief. (Neels’ OWs can be a bit much!) We get some of Radolf’s viewpoint too so we get to see simultaneously how Radolf and Sarah’s feelings for each other develop. The butler at the manor house is called Cork. Rather appropriate since he has the keys to the cellar. 😂
May 16, 2017
4.5 stars. Sarah Fletcher, age 28. Small and thin with pansy eyes. Hair color? Has a cat named Charles at her bed-sit. Mother dead, father remarried then died. Stepmother kicked her out five years previously. Outpatient Receptionist at St. Cyprian's.
Professor Radolf Nauta was previously engaged to a Veronica who instead ran away with a South American millionaire. His mother comes to visit him at his clinic and decides Sarah would do as companion to her MIL, who is terminally ill. Radolf asks her to do so and volunteers to make sure Charles is cared for in her absence. She agrees.
So Radolf's plan is put into effect. The old lady dies 2 days before Sarah's leave is up, but she is asked to stay for the funeral. She writes a letter to the hospital to let them know about the extra days, but due to a postal worker's strike, it never reaches them. Thus, Sarah is fired.
Being unsuccessful at finding a new clerical job, she takes a job as housemaid to a Lady Wesley. Coincidentally, she is Radolf's godmother. Meanwhile, Radolf has discovered Sarah has been fired and realizing it is his fault, frantically tries to find her. Of course when he visits his godmother, he sees her. He is furious she is working as a domestic. Lady Wesley is well aware he is interested in Sarah "that way" and takes every opportunity to twit him about it.
Lady Wesley's household moves to London for a month. On her day off, Sarah becomes involved with some young thugs and is injured. Radolf happens upon the scene; he tells Sarah she will be admitted to hospital and "don't fuss." She replies, "if this is your bedside manner, I am surprised that you can make a living." He laughs.
He arranges for Sarah to act as his mother’s companion while she is visiting him at his house at Minster Lovell. Sarah is convinced that Radolf does not like her and doesn't want to see her. So when he comes to see his mother on Sunday, Sarah lies and says she has been invited to Sunday lunch at the vicar’s. She really just goes for a long walk only to discover she has no money to eat. So poignant! The professor finds her and takes her to tea. She admits to wanting to avoid him and he doesn't come back during the rest of her stay with Mevrouw Nauta.
She returns to Lady Wesley's and does extra duty because one of the other maids is off sick. She is given a day off in London as a reward. Of course she runs into the professor and he takes her to his house for lunch where she meets his dog, Trotter, and his staff. She overhears part of a telephone conversation about a wedding and assumes that the professor is going to be married soon.
The waters become muddied even further when the Professor brings his houseman to Lady Wesley's. The houseman is coincidentally a young man that Sarah knew from her home. Radolf incorrectly assumes they are a couple and Sarah does not disabuse him of that notion.
Meanwhile Sarah has become more and more despondent and has grown thin and pale. Likewise the professor is ill-tempered and short with his staff and others. When he learns that his houseman has an understanding with a nurse at the hospital, he becomes quite determined to marry Sarah. His butler and housekeeper notice the difference and realize which way the wind is blowing.
One of the staff leaves the door to Sarah's cottage open and Charles escapes. He is missing for three days and Sarah is distraught. On her day off, Sarah scours the countryside looking for him. She finds him caught in a rabbit snare, but unfortunately falls and catches herself in another snare. She's unable to free either of them. Lady Wesley calls Radolf because she is concerned that Sarah has been missing for more than 12 hours. He immediately drives down and searches for them with his dog, Trotter. He finds them in the snares and frees them both. Sarah goes to sleep in his arms. "They were very still but from time to time the professor dropped a kiss on to Sarah's tousled head." *The cat rescue scene is possibly my very favorite in this book full of lovely scenes.*
Back at the house, Sarah is taken off her duties and commanded to rest. She tells Charles "I can manage quite well until he smiles at me, but then I go all to pieces."
She is sitting in the sun on the grass shucking peas when the professor arrives. He tells her he is taking her home - to their home. Sarah asks who is Lisse about whom she overheard the conversation. He explains that Lisse is his sister and is getting married very shortly but he says "I think we shall marry before then." Sarah tell him he has started at the wrong end and that he hasn't even asked her to marry him. Radolf tells her that when he first noticed her, he had no wish to get married but found himself thinking of her a lot. He finally had to admit that she was his dream girl and he wanted her in his life..
Kisses – they are to be married in Minster Lovell by special license!
This book is really delightful. Sarah is plucky. Her character is shown through the fact that she is willing to work hard as a domestic even though she comes from a genteel background. We get to see Radolf’s point of view – at first he doesn’t notice her at all; then merely as someone in the background; then when he can’t stop thinking of her, she is an irritant; finally, he has to admit she is his dream girl. The characters of Lady Wesley’s staff are well drawn and interesting as well and Sarah considers them her friends. Mijnheer Nauta we meet only briefly; we don’t get as clear a picture of Mevrouw Nauta as we do of other RDD mothers, but TGB lets us know she likes and approves of Sarah.
Professor Radolf Nauta was previously engaged to a Veronica who instead ran away with a South American millionaire. His mother comes to visit him at his clinic and decides Sarah would do as companion to her MIL, who is terminally ill. Radolf asks her to do so and volunteers to make sure Charles is cared for in her absence. She agrees.
So Radolf's plan is put into effect. The old lady dies 2 days before Sarah's leave is up, but she is asked to stay for the funeral. She writes a letter to the hospital to let them know about the extra days, but due to a postal worker's strike, it never reaches them. Thus, Sarah is fired.
Being unsuccessful at finding a new clerical job, she takes a job as housemaid to a Lady Wesley. Coincidentally, she is Radolf's godmother. Meanwhile, Radolf has discovered Sarah has been fired and realizing it is his fault, frantically tries to find her. Of course when he visits his godmother, he sees her. He is furious she is working as a domestic. Lady Wesley is well aware he is interested in Sarah "that way" and takes every opportunity to twit him about it.
Lady Wesley's household moves to London for a month. On her day off, Sarah becomes involved with some young thugs and is injured. Radolf happens upon the scene; he tells Sarah she will be admitted to hospital and "don't fuss." She replies, "if this is your bedside manner, I am surprised that you can make a living." He laughs.
He arranges for Sarah to act as his mother’s companion while she is visiting him at his house at Minster Lovell. Sarah is convinced that Radolf does not like her and doesn't want to see her. So when he comes to see his mother on Sunday, Sarah lies and says she has been invited to Sunday lunch at the vicar’s. She really just goes for a long walk only to discover she has no money to eat. So poignant! The professor finds her and takes her to tea. She admits to wanting to avoid him and he doesn't come back during the rest of her stay with Mevrouw Nauta.
She returns to Lady Wesley's and does extra duty because one of the other maids is off sick. She is given a day off in London as a reward. Of course she runs into the professor and he takes her to his house for lunch where she meets his dog, Trotter, and his staff. She overhears part of a telephone conversation about a wedding and assumes that the professor is going to be married soon.
The waters become muddied even further when the Professor brings his houseman to Lady Wesley's. The houseman is coincidentally a young man that Sarah knew from her home. Radolf incorrectly assumes they are a couple and Sarah does not disabuse him of that notion.
Meanwhile Sarah has become more and more despondent and has grown thin and pale. Likewise the professor is ill-tempered and short with his staff and others. When he learns that his houseman has an understanding with a nurse at the hospital, he becomes quite determined to marry Sarah. His butler and housekeeper notice the difference and realize which way the wind is blowing.
One of the staff leaves the door to Sarah's cottage open and Charles escapes. He is missing for three days and Sarah is distraught. On her day off, Sarah scours the countryside looking for him. She finds him caught in a rabbit snare, but unfortunately falls and catches herself in another snare. She's unable to free either of them. Lady Wesley calls Radolf because she is concerned that Sarah has been missing for more than 12 hours. He immediately drives down and searches for them with his dog, Trotter. He finds them in the snares and frees them both. Sarah goes to sleep in his arms. "They were very still but from time to time the professor dropped a kiss on to Sarah's tousled head." *The cat rescue scene is possibly my very favorite in this book full of lovely scenes.*
Back at the house, Sarah is taken off her duties and commanded to rest. She tells Charles "I can manage quite well until he smiles at me, but then I go all to pieces."
She is sitting in the sun on the grass shucking peas when the professor arrives. He tells her he is taking her home - to their home. Sarah asks who is Lisse about whom she overheard the conversation. He explains that Lisse is his sister and is getting married very shortly but he says "I think we shall marry before then." Sarah tell him he has started at the wrong end and that he hasn't even asked her to marry him. Radolf tells her that when he first noticed her, he had no wish to get married but found himself thinking of her a lot. He finally had to admit that she was his dream girl and he wanted her in his life..
Kisses – they are to be married in Minster Lovell by special license!
This book is really delightful. Sarah is plucky. Her character is shown through the fact that she is willing to work hard as a domestic even though she comes from a genteel background. We get to see Radolf’s point of view – at first he doesn’t notice her at all; then merely as someone in the background; then when he can’t stop thinking of her, she is an irritant; finally, he has to admit she is his dream girl. The characters of Lady Wesley’s staff are well drawn and interesting as well and Sarah considers them her friends. Mijnheer Nauta we meet only briefly; we don’t get as clear a picture of Mevrouw Nauta as we do of other RDD mothers, but TGB lets us know she likes and approves of Sarah.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2023
Overall I found this to be one of BN's better reads. The reveal of their true feelings is too close to the last page as per usual in a BN romance, but the crazy ambling road they took to get there was fun.
A wee bit of upstairs/downstairs going on.
Rose is a lonely girl of 28 who works as a clerk in the medical clinic where Radolf (the Dutch doctor, of course) works. She's worked there for 3 years and is (of course) a wallflower. But Radolf's mother shows up one day and talks Radolf into talking Rose into being his grandmother's companion in her final days.
I really don't think Radolf thought anything about Rose until then and it was still a very slow opening of his eyes over the course of the book, to his true feelings for Rose. Even Rose doesn't start thinking of him that way till about half way.
"How puzzling it was that she could love him so wholeheartedly and find him such a tiresome man."
He does indirectly cause Rose to be fired, so she ends up working for his Godmother as a maid. The story was kinda full of coincidences like that, but I didn't mind. Rose ends up serving him dinner and stuff while his godmother tries to match him up with a god awful niece and another daughter of a family friend or something. Both were horrid people and I never felt worried. He wasn't trying to make her jealous, but it did kinda suck, because by then Rose had come to realize she had feelings for him, but was sure that he disliked her. I mean there could have been no doubt over that, what with the way he would talk down to her in a disgruntled way.
But really he was uncomfortable around her because he was starting to fall for her. They never say his age but talk about him like he's older and given up on marriage and love. He's pretty set in his ways and not about to take kindly to having to change them.
All of this of course, I read between the lines.
Another plus, is Rose's pampered cat, Charles.
Even though the ILY's don't come till the end, I found them more romantic than the usual BN endings.
Rose herself seems like the usual doormat at the start, but has a fair bit of gumption around Radolf and speaks plainly to him, which I don't think he is used to.
Overall, a sweet read that I will probably revisit!
Safety is good.
A wee bit of upstairs/downstairs going on.
Rose is a lonely girl of 28 who works as a clerk in the medical clinic where Radolf (the Dutch doctor, of course) works. She's worked there for 3 years and is (of course) a wallflower. But Radolf's mother shows up one day and talks Radolf into talking Rose into being his grandmother's companion in her final days.
I really don't think Radolf thought anything about Rose until then and it was still a very slow opening of his eyes over the course of the book, to his true feelings for Rose. Even Rose doesn't start thinking of him that way till about half way.
"How puzzling it was that she could love him so wholeheartedly and find him such a tiresome man."
He does indirectly cause Rose to be fired, so she ends up working for his Godmother as a maid. The story was kinda full of coincidences like that, but I didn't mind. Rose ends up serving him dinner and stuff while his godmother tries to match him up with a god awful niece and another daughter of a family friend or something. Both were horrid people and I never felt worried. He wasn't trying to make her jealous, but it did kinda suck, because by then Rose had come to realize she had feelings for him, but was sure that he disliked her. I mean there could have been no doubt over that, what with the way he would talk down to her in a disgruntled way.
But really he was uncomfortable around her because he was starting to fall for her. They never say his age but talk about him like he's older and given up on marriage and love. He's pretty set in his ways and not about to take kindly to having to change them.
All of this of course, I read between the lines.
Another plus, is Rose's pampered cat, Charles.
Even though the ILY's don't come till the end, I found them more romantic than the usual BN endings.
Rose herself seems like the usual doormat at the start, but has a fair bit of gumption around Radolf and speaks plainly to him, which I don't think he is used to.
Overall, a sweet read that I will probably revisit!
Safety is good.
Read
December 6, 2022Written in 1990 by Betty Neels, 20th century queen of the classic British medical romance, may she rest in peace. Born in 1909, a career nurse through wwii and beyond, her books are liberally embellished with details on medical treatments, architecture, clothing, menus and cordon bleu recipes. She married a Dutchman, and many of her heroes are also Dutch.
This is a modern Cinderella story featuring Radolf (no typo) and Sarah. A British receptionist at a hospital clinic, Sarah is 28 years old. She’s hard-working, gentle, patient — but not a doormat. A Cinderella, her loving father died five years ago, after which her wicked stepmother couldn’t wait to show her the door. To all intents and purposes, she’s an orphan, living in a gloomy London flatlet with her cat, Charles.
When she got back to her London job she was immediately fired by Miss Payne, a bitter old maid. The doctor found out, and gave her frozen hell.
Then he had to search for Sarah. Cuz he felt guilty that she got fired. Or so he told himself.
LOL. I had to laugh at this type of thing, which went on for some time:
Just funny to watch him deal with the plain little nobody he cannot forget. Then, when he finds her, she’s a house servant, and he cannot stand that either. Haha!
So, Neels did it again. Oh, and as with most of her books, this one comes with a few adventures, beginning with a mugging in the park, wherein Sarah jumps into the fray to save an elderly man from a gang of punks, and the Prof jumps into the fray to save them both. Hehe. And let’s not forget the cat’s confrontation with a rabbit snare.
This is a modern Cinderella story featuring Radolf (no typo) and Sarah. A British receptionist at a hospital clinic, Sarah is 28 years old. She’s hard-working, gentle, patient — but not a doormat. A Cinderella, her loving father died five years ago, after which her wicked stepmother couldn’t wait to show her the door. To all intents and purposes, she’s an orphan, living in a gloomy London flatlet with her cat, Charles.
Small, a little too thin, pleasant-faced without being pretty, beautiful pansy eyes, a thin, delicate nose, a wide mouth and a crown of hair which took her some considerable time to put up each morning.Dutch Doctor Radolf Nauta, age 36. His unfaithful fiancée tossed him for a rich millionaire a decade ago and he’s still keeping a tight guard on his heart. His mother suggests that Sarah would be acceptable to his tartar of a grandmother, who is dying, and needs someone at her side. So Sarah gets extra pay to live in Holland for a while. Actually, ‘In the north, miss, just south of Leeuwarden—that is in Friesland.’
When she got back to her London job she was immediately fired by Miss Payne, a bitter old maid. The doctor found out, and gave her frozen hell.
It wasn’t until lunchtime, his clinic over, that the Professor had gone to Miss Payne’s office. He had been there for ten minutes or so and Miss Payne, very much shaken, had had to be buoyed up with cups of strong tea after he had gone.
Then he had to search for Sarah. Cuz he felt guilty that she got fired. Or so he told himself.
The need to find her became an obsession but only, he reminded himself, because he felt responsible for her misfortune.
LOL. I had to laugh at this type of thing, which went on for some time:
The very least she could have done would have been to let him know that she had left St Cyprian’s. Was she aware that he had spent a good deal of his leisure looking for her? By the end of the performance he was in a towering rage, all the worse for having to conceal it. He sat through supper at the fashionable restaurant Lady Wesley had chosen, his bland good manners masking his feelings.
Just funny to watch him deal with the plain little nobody he cannot forget. Then, when he finds her, she’s a house servant, and he cannot stand that either. Haha!
She was crossing the hall with a loaded tray when the Professor came out of the drawing-room and saw her. Without a word he took the tray from her, carried it down to the kitchen where he dumped it on the table, and walked away again, all the while silent. Sarah found it unnerving.
So, Neels did it again. Oh, and as with most of her books, this one comes with a few adventures, beginning with a mugging in the park, wherein Sarah jumps into the fray to save an elderly man from a gang of punks, and the Prof jumps into the fray to save them both. Hehe. And let’s not forget the cat’s confrontation with a rabbit snare.
September 17, 2017
Un encanto de novela.
Personajes queribles, una heroína fuerte y luchadora, un héroe distinto a los de Betty, para nada un doctor amable y correcto: él dice groserías y no se disculpa con nadie.
La química entre los protagonistas es deliciosa ^^, sus conversaciones me dejaron suspirando y lograron que éste sea uno de mis favoritos de esta autora.
Personajes queribles, una heroína fuerte y luchadora, un héroe distinto a los de Betty, para nada un doctor amable y correcto: él dice groserías y no se disculpa con nadie.
La química entre los protagonistas es deliciosa ^^, sus conversaciones me dejaron suspirando y lograron que éste sea uno de mis favoritos de esta autora.
July 19, 2011
One get the impression that the Netherlands is populated by nothing but enormous doctors.
September 1, 2012
I love Betty Neels. Her books give details about the settings and the homes but not so much (at all) about the physical side of the love story. Very predictable but very comfortable, too.
April 30, 2015
I enjoyed reading this story by Betty Neels very much. Her heroine is self-reliant, looks for solutions rather than indulging in self-pity and maintains her integrity. She doesn't draw attention to herself and yet almost everyone she comes into contact with likes her. Except the hero - at first glance. But he is carrying a huge chip on his shoulder because ten years earlier the girl he thought he loved jilted him.
He was not the worst hero that Betty Neels wrote. He's not deliberately cruel, just self-absorbed - until Sarah's quiet remonstrances recall him to the life lessons he learned as a youngster. She doesn't hesitate to correct him with "watch your language" or "you are rude". Their dialogues often bring a smile to my face if not an outright laugh. Some of the best dialogue Betty Neels wrote. Charming!
Unintentionally, but just by being herself, Sarah thaws his frozen heart and he can't stay away from her. This is a sweetly funny, slowly building romance and I put it with my other Betty Neels' favorites.
He was not the worst hero that Betty Neels wrote. He's not deliberately cruel, just self-absorbed - until Sarah's quiet remonstrances recall him to the life lessons he learned as a youngster. She doesn't hesitate to correct him with "watch your language" or "you are rude". Their dialogues often bring a smile to my face if not an outright laugh. Some of the best dialogue Betty Neels wrote. Charming!
Unintentionally, but just by being herself, Sarah thaws his frozen heart and he can't stay away from her. This is a sweetly funny, slowly building romance and I put it with my other Betty Neels' favorites.
December 19, 2021
One of my favorite Betty Neels with a practical and strong heroine and a hero who is all mixed up but soon figures out what he wants is the girl.
I loved the scenes where she pushes him away in her best chambermaid manner and even more the rescue scene near the end. Lovely story.
I've been catching up on the books I've re-read and haven't bothered to put in Goodreads. I'm still not going to hit my reading goal, but I'm blaming it on moving out of the country. At least that's my story!
I loved the scenes where she pushes him away in her best chambermaid manner and even more the rescue scene near the end. Lovely story.
I've been catching up on the books I've re-read and haven't bothered to put in Goodreads. I'm still not going to hit my reading goal, but I'm blaming it on moving out of the country. At least that's my story!
March 22, 2019
Love this book. My favourite of Ms Neel’s book. Usually I want her hero’s to grovel just a little and lose their cool but this one showed the hero’s perspective which was great. The rescue of Charles made me melt. I would marry the guy if I could.
June 9, 2025
I didn't love this one when I first read it but a second read revealed its five star awesomeness. The English h works as a receptionist for the cranky doctor H (RBD/RDD) and for years he doesn't notice her. Then his mother taps her to be a companion to their Dutch grandmother, who is dying. During the long nights of the grandmother's illness, the H notices her and against his inclination, falls in love. This is not stated outright but it's there between the lines. All that midnight hour piano playing and H-on-h hair braiding clearly gets an RDD worked up.
This leads to the second act. Because the H asks her to stay in Holland for granny's funeral, the h is late getting back to her job in England and is fired. The H doesn't know where she has gone, and runs around England tearing the place up looking for her. He finally finds her in the country, working as a housemaid, coincidentally at the home of his godmother. The h took the job because she was allowed to bring her pet cat Charles. I love Charles. La Neels very frequently bestows pet cats or dogs on her heroines, sometimes with much pathos attached (see The Promise of Happiness or Always and Forever). Charles stars in a particularly heartbreaking scene later on. 💔
The H begins visiting very frequently. If his love wasn't obvious before, it sure is now. He tells his mother:
‘... I can assure you that I have tried to discover a means whereby she gets more suitable employment without discovering that I am the source. If she knew that, she would refuse immediately.’ He added bitterly, ‘At least I know where she is.’
Meanwhile, our h becomes faint while serving at table. She tells the butler it's the scent of the food she's dishing out making her woozy, but no. It's love. (In this scene, the H is cutting a slice of the cheese she's holding out. Cutting the cheese. The smell making her faint. Was Betty making a vulgar little joke? Discuss.)
Then Charles escapes in a panic during a thunderstorm. He is lost for days, and gets caught in a rabbit snare. The rescue scene had me in tears. (No cats are harmed! I have cats myself and I don't think I could ever read Betty again if Charles wasn't okay.) This episode serves to bring H and h together.
Roses Have Thorns is full of delightful side characters that make this book a joy to read. The H is one of the last very cranky heroes as Betty shifted more to the paternalistic and may I say bland (if still often very hot). The h is an Araminta from head to toe, but like many Aramintas, she's sensible and no pushover. RHT was written in 1990 during the time when Betty was shifting towards a different type of unskilled heroine. The book also has Betty's oft-seen theme of class differences in British society. The h is working first as a receptionist and then as a housemaid, but everyone can see she's a lady and all make sure to tell each other so. The distinction is lost on the H, who first of all never saw her at all and when he did, only saw her as the one he loved. Aww.
This leads to the second act. Because the H asks her to stay in Holland for granny's funeral, the h is late getting back to her job in England and is fired. The H doesn't know where she has gone, and runs around England tearing the place up looking for her. He finally finds her in the country, working as a housemaid, coincidentally at the home of his godmother. The h took the job because she was allowed to bring her pet cat Charles. I love Charles. La Neels very frequently bestows pet cats or dogs on her heroines, sometimes with much pathos attached (see The Promise of Happiness or Always and Forever). Charles stars in a particularly heartbreaking scene later on. 💔
The H begins visiting very frequently. If his love wasn't obvious before, it sure is now. He tells his mother:
‘... I can assure you that I have tried to discover a means whereby she gets more suitable employment without discovering that I am the source. If she knew that, she would refuse immediately.’ He added bitterly, ‘At least I know where she is.’
Meanwhile, our h becomes faint while serving at table. She tells the butler it's the scent of the food she's dishing out making her woozy, but no. It's love. (In this scene, the H is cutting a slice of the cheese she's holding out. Cutting the cheese. The smell making her faint. Was Betty making a vulgar little joke? Discuss.)
Then Charles escapes in a panic during a thunderstorm. He is lost for days, and gets caught in a rabbit snare. The rescue scene had me in tears. (No cats are harmed! I have cats myself and I don't think I could ever read Betty again if Charles wasn't okay.) This episode serves to bring H and h together.
Roses Have Thorns is full of delightful side characters that make this book a joy to read. The H is one of the last very cranky heroes as Betty shifted more to the paternalistic and may I say bland (if still often very hot). The h is an Araminta from head to toe, but like many Aramintas, she's sensible and no pushover. RHT was written in 1990 during the time when Betty was shifting towards a different type of unskilled heroine. The book also has Betty's oft-seen theme of class differences in British society. The h is working first as a receptionist and then as a housemaid, but everyone can see she's a lady and all make sure to tell each other so. The distinction is lost on the H, who first of all never saw her at all and when he did, only saw her as the one he loved. Aww.
November 18, 2017
I really wonder what is the appeal of Betty Neels' books! The pace was slow, but the settings, characters and daily routines and minutiae were always vividly and lovingly described, with the dry humour or tongue in cheek descriptions or remarks thrown in, that made me unable to put the books down.
I first read her book way back in early 2000 I think. It felt too slow for my younger self but now I fully appreciate her books after the rushed, instant lust norm in category romance the past decade. My last book was The Old Fashioned Girl which was lovely. I like this book even more for the unexpected touches of humour... like The Professor's wry thoughts of his godmother being cheap asking him for free medical advice, or how Mr Cork used a big word, and the housekeeper did not understand the meaning of the word...and many more such examples.
What a delight!
Now the romance itself. I personally did not understand why or how Sarah fell in love with Radolf. He was somewhat awful to her each time they met, yet he let her have glimpses of his finer self when she least expected it.
But their angst and misunderstanding dragged on too long! I wanted more sweet kisses and romance, but no doubt the things he DID for her showed love...like arranging her to be his mother's companion, rescuing her from thugs and rabbit snares...
Can't wait to read more of her books.
I first read her book way back in early 2000 I think. It felt too slow for my younger self but now I fully appreciate her books after the rushed, instant lust norm in category romance the past decade. My last book was The Old Fashioned Girl which was lovely. I like this book even more for the unexpected touches of humour... like The Professor's wry thoughts of his godmother being cheap asking him for free medical advice, or how Mr Cork used a big word, and the housekeeper did not understand the meaning of the word...and many more such examples.
What a delight!
Now the romance itself. I personally did not understand why or how Sarah fell in love with Radolf. He was somewhat awful to her each time they met, yet he let her have glimpses of his finer self when she least expected it.
But their angst and misunderstanding dragged on too long! I wanted more sweet kisses and romance, but no doubt the things he DID for her showed love...like arranging her to be his mother's companion, rescuing her from thugs and rabbit snares...
Can't wait to read more of her books.
September 6, 2017
One of TGB's best. Dialogue is sparkling, our RDD is testy, irascible and very much in need of love and understanding. Our heroine Sarah is small, shy, and plain. Working in obscurity in our Professor's clinic since her uncaring Stepmother kicked her out of her family home. The plot is involved. Our main characters strike ⚡️ off of each other and the supporting characters are vividly drawn and engaging. When Sarah gets her HEA we are glad.
October 18, 2016
This was a fun little blast from the past. I was a huge Betty Neels fan as a teen, and though I cannot remember whether I've read this one before, it has the Betty Neels formula down pat: imposing, grouchy, emotionally constipated Dutch doctor falls for plain Jane nobody with the dazzling well-loved kindhearted pathological cheerfulness/personality of a Disney princess, they dislike one another etc. etc. happily ever after ;)
January 29, 2008
Horrible.
September 9, 2012
One I had not read before. Really liked the new twists that were included.
July 29, 2013
It was a good book until the end where the professor just automatically thinks about rabbit snares when the girl is missing, like that would be the first thing to pop into anyone's mind.
October 22, 2023
This earned a glowing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Roses have thorns is a sweet, angsty read with a memorable MC: the traditional Dutch doctor and the proud, hardworking h who after being fired from her receptionist job, is left to work as a maid for the H's godmother.
Unlike many of Betty Neels mousy and doormat heroines, she was witty and proud. But I still read most of the book with tears in my eyes, especially at the parts where the h did not think herself worthy of the H and cried herself to sleep with only her cat Charles for witness.
I dont know how Betty Neels does it, but she had me hooked from start to finish on this one too. I felt the H's inner dilema when he found himself constantly looking for the h (feeling responsible for her at first and later in the book feeling outright jealous!!!). He was so annoyed that she settled for working as a housemaid with her qualifications and his frustration every time she had to wait on him and her boss' guests was palpable.
Betty explained the h's decision by the fact that she needed a job fast and couldnt find any that matched her skillset, but also by the fact that she felt so lonely during her time in London. She longed to be part of a home, even if only as a housemaid. I sobbed every time this was mentioned.
Many things happened since but that's for you to find out if you decide to do the right thing and read this book 😉
The build up to the H's confession was not rushed and the ending was satisfactory. This book is definitely reread material for me. In fact, I'm already looking for stories with similar plots.
Roses have thorns is a sweet, angsty read with a memorable MC: the traditional Dutch doctor and the proud, hardworking h who after being fired from her receptionist job, is left to work as a maid for the H's godmother.
Unlike many of Betty Neels mousy and doormat heroines, she was witty and proud. But I still read most of the book with tears in my eyes, especially at the parts where the h did not think herself worthy of the H and cried herself to sleep with only her cat Charles for witness.
I dont know how Betty Neels does it, but she had me hooked from start to finish on this one too. I felt the H's inner dilema when he found himself constantly looking for the h (feeling responsible for her at first and later in the book feeling outright jealous!!!). He was so annoyed that she settled for working as a housemaid with her qualifications and his frustration every time she had to wait on him and her boss' guests was palpable.
Betty explained the h's decision by the fact that she needed a job fast and couldnt find any that matched her skillset, but also by the fact that she felt so lonely during her time in London. She longed to be part of a home, even if only as a housemaid. I sobbed every time this was mentioned.
Many things happened since but that's for you to find out if you decide to do the right thing and read this book 😉
The build up to the H's confession was not rushed and the ending was satisfactory. This book is definitely reread material for me. In fact, I'm already looking for stories with similar plots.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2025
5 stars. a delicious sumptuous read. deservedly a BN fave. how lovely were the Prof and Sarah in this one! he was stuck in his ways, refusing to beleive he had fallen for her, but desperately trying to find her and save her from hard times, and so miserable when he didn't know where she was. and she was determined to be self sufficient while secretly heartbroken because she had fallen for him but she no signs he'd fallen for her. and this was the funniest BN book I have read so far, with such amusing scenes while they are determinedly being star crossed lovers. aha. I usually love an angsty read and this was lowish angst and yet it was absolutely divine, I tell you! plus this had some scenes from his pov which showed his thoughts and revealed his angst, something we rarely see in a BN book and I absolutely lapped it up because Betty NEVER gives us that delicious male angst we all crave. ugh. this was so good it almost hurts and I want to devour it again. ALSO, the bit when he BRAIDS HER HAIR. weeep! so yummy
September 18, 2021
A new favorite Betty Neels! For this one she actually put all her usual stand-bys in a salad spinner and shot them out a little mangled and in a different order. Yes, there is the tall, blond, older, broad-shouldered Dutch doctor and the nondescript English girl. Yes, there is the trip to Holland and the older female relative. But in this one, the heroine is not a nurse(!). And the handsome doctor actually has believable reasons to fall for her. And she doesn't spend all her time jealous of a hot little Dutch gal (insert Dutch name here). So refreshing.
There's also some Upstairs-Downstairs-y bits because Sarah goes into service, a nice cat named Charles, and an honest-to-goodness search-and-rescue scene.
Ah, Betty, after reading a few of your books, the bar is low, but you have outdone yourself.
There's also some Upstairs-Downstairs-y bits because Sarah goes into service, a nice cat named Charles, and an honest-to-goodness search-and-rescue scene.
Ah, Betty, after reading a few of your books, the bar is low, but you have outdone yourself.
July 26, 2022
Another light and soft Betty Neels, to escape the current news cycle.
This one was a bit more frustrating than usual for me. It was written in 1990, but (like all of her books), appears to have been set in 1960. Phones aren't really a thing, there's no way for the main character (Sarah) to contact anyone overseas (why didn't she just ask her boss to call her work to say she'd be a few days late?)...
And how can Sarah never have used any computers or done anything 'modern' at all? So obviously the only possible job is housemaid? What about retail?
I don't know. I liked it well enough, but something about this one just didn't work for me. I think it was the housemaid thing, with the weird affirmation of the separation between people In Service and people Of Quality.
The cat was nice, though.
This one was a bit more frustrating than usual for me. It was written in 1990, but (like all of her books), appears to have been set in 1960. Phones aren't really a thing, there's no way for the main character (Sarah) to contact anyone overseas (why didn't she just ask her boss to call her work to say she'd be a few days late?)...
And how can Sarah never have used any computers or done anything 'modern' at all? So obviously the only possible job is housemaid? What about retail?
I don't know. I liked it well enough, but something about this one just didn't work for me. I think it was the housemaid thing, with the weird affirmation of the separation between people In Service and people Of Quality.
The cat was nice, though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2021
I really liked this book by BN and the heroine Sarah was so sweet kind hearted I fell in love with her. She is someone who knew her plus and minus very well and lives accordingly and never did she complain whether for lack of friends, boyfriend, good clothes or a place to live in. When she looses her job she as a receptionist she readily takes up the job of a house maid as she is very sensible and practical and doesn’t wait for miracles to happen but embraces what comes her way.
I also loved Radolf the hero who has a hard time controlling his feelings for Sarah and tries his best to improve her lifestyle and always feels responsible for her
All in all one of the best books by BN and one of my favourite
I also loved Radolf the hero who has a hard time controlling his feelings for Sarah and tries his best to improve her lifestyle and always feels responsible for her
All in all one of the best books by BN and one of my favourite
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2022
Practical Sarah Fletcher works as a clerk in a hospital. When the remote and usually rude Professor Radolf Nauta asks her to be companion to his dying grandmother, she accepts, never thinking it would cause her to lose her position. But Sarah is not one to shy away from hard work and she becomes a house maid to support herself. She never expects her path to cross that of the professor or that he might have an interest in her...
As always, this was a cozy weekend read. There's not much else to say about it. It was calm and relaxing, just what I needed! The characters were lovely, though I am never fond of romances where the couples seem to spend all their time arguing.
Overall, just a fun, uncomplicated read.
As always, this was a cozy weekend read. There's not much else to say about it. It was calm and relaxing, just what I needed! The characters were lovely, though I am never fond of romances where the couples seem to spend all their time arguing.
Overall, just a fun, uncomplicated read.
March 2, 2022
We're not supposed to judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately, with this book, I do just that. I toss it aside because I don't like the way the Professor is depicted on the cover. When I do get passed the cover, I'm always delighted in what a good story it is. Sarah is so self-sufficient and resourceful that she finds her way out of nearly each and every predicament much to the chagrin of our hero, Professor Nauta. The rescue of Sarah and Charles from the rabbit snares leaves me in a puddle of goo. When she tells Radolf that Charles is purring, his response just pulls at my heart strings. Happy, heavy sigh!
September 28, 2025
I actually picked up Roses Have Thorns by Betty Neels by mistake—I mistook it for The Thorn Birds. By the time I realized, I was already on a long flight with no other options, so I decided to give it a try.
It was not as bad as I expected it to be. The story is very simple with too many coincidences and too many repeated events. Still, it was entertaining enough to keep my attention for the whole flight.
It was not as bad as I expected it to be. The story is very simple with too many coincidences and too many repeated events. Still, it was entertaining enough to keep my attention for the whole flight.
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