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The Final Touch #2
A Happy Meeting
Would he ever notice her? All alone in the world, Cressida had little choice but to accept Aldrik van der Linus's help. But while he seemed happy to fix her up with a job, and even to try to help with her other problems, she couldn't help but wonder what he would do if she presented him with the most serious problems of all: unrequited love!
288 pages, Hardcover
Published June 1, 2007
83 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Betty Neels
567 books418 followersEvelyn Jessy "Betty" Neels was born on September 15, 1910 in Devon to a family with firm roots in the civil service. She said she had a blissfully happy childhood and teenage years.(This stood her in good stead later for the tribulations to come with the Second World War). She was sent away to boarding school, and then went on to train as a nurse, gaining her SRN and SCM, that is, State Registered Nurse and State Certificate of Midwifery.
In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service, which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station. This comprised eight nursing sisters, including Betty, to 100 men! In other circumstances, she thought that might have been quite thrilling! When France was invaded in 1940, all the nursing sisters managed to escape in the charge of an army major, undertaking a lengthy and terrifying journey to Boulogne in an ambulance. They were incredibly fortunate to be put on the last hospital ship to be leaving the port of Boulogne. But Betty's war didn't end there, for she was posted to Scotland, and then on to Northern Ireland, where she met her Dutch husband. He was a seaman aboard a minesweeper, which was bombed. He survived and was sent to the south of Holland to guard the sluices. However, when they had to abandon their post, they were told to escape if they could, and along with a small number of other men, he marched into Belgium. They stole a ship and managed to get it across the Channel to Dover before being transferred to the Atlantic run on the convoys. Sadly he became ill, and that was when he was transferred to hospital in Northern Ireland, where he met Betty. They eventually married, and were blessed with a daughter. They were posted to London, but were bombed out. As with most of the population, they made the best of things.
When the war finally ended, she and her husband were repatriated to Holland. As his family had believed he had died when his ship went down, this was a very emotional homecoming. The small family lived in Holland for 13 years, and Betty resumed her nursing career there. When they decided to return to England, Betty continued her nursing and when she eventually retired she had reached the position of night superintendent.
Betty Neels began writing almost by accident. She had retired from nursing, but her inquiring mind had no intention of vegetating, and her new career was born when she heard a lady in her local library bemoaning the lack of good romance novels. There was little in Betty's background to suggest that she might eventually become a much-loved novelist.
Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969, and by dint of often writing four books a year, she eventually completed 134 books. She was always quite firm upon the point that the Dutch doctors who frequently appeared in her stories were *not* based upon her husband, but rather upon an amalgam of several of the doctors she met while nursing in Holland.
To her millions of fans around the world, Betty Neels epitomized romance. She was always amazed and touched that her books were so widely appreciated. She never sought plaudits and remained a very private person, but it made her very happy to know that she brought such pleasure to so many readers, while herself gaining a quiet joy from spinning her stories. It is perhaps a reflection of her upbringing in an earlier time that the men and women who peopled her stories have a kindliness and good manners, coupled to honesty and integrity, that is not always present in our modern world. Her myriad of fans found a warmth and a reassurance of a better world in her stories, along with characters who touched the heart, which is all and more than one could ask of a romance writer. She received a great deal of fan mail, and there was always a comment upon the fascinating places she visited in her stories. Quite often those of her fans fortunate enough to visit Ho
In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service, which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station. This comprised eight nursing sisters, including Betty, to 100 men! In other circumstances, she thought that might have been quite thrilling! When France was invaded in 1940, all the nursing sisters managed to escape in the charge of an army major, undertaking a lengthy and terrifying journey to Boulogne in an ambulance. They were incredibly fortunate to be put on the last hospital ship to be leaving the port of Boulogne. But Betty's war didn't end there, for she was posted to Scotland, and then on to Northern Ireland, where she met her Dutch husband. He was a seaman aboard a minesweeper, which was bombed. He survived and was sent to the south of Holland to guard the sluices. However, when they had to abandon their post, they were told to escape if they could, and along with a small number of other men, he marched into Belgium. They stole a ship and managed to get it across the Channel to Dover before being transferred to the Atlantic run on the convoys. Sadly he became ill, and that was when he was transferred to hospital in Northern Ireland, where he met Betty. They eventually married, and were blessed with a daughter. They were posted to London, but were bombed out. As with most of the population, they made the best of things.
When the war finally ended, she and her husband were repatriated to Holland. As his family had believed he had died when his ship went down, this was a very emotional homecoming. The small family lived in Holland for 13 years, and Betty resumed her nursing career there. When they decided to return to England, Betty continued her nursing and when she eventually retired she had reached the position of night superintendent.
Betty Neels began writing almost by accident. She had retired from nursing, but her inquiring mind had no intention of vegetating, and her new career was born when she heard a lady in her local library bemoaning the lack of good romance novels. There was little in Betty's background to suggest that she might eventually become a much-loved novelist.
Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969, and by dint of often writing four books a year, she eventually completed 134 books. She was always quite firm upon the point that the Dutch doctors who frequently appeared in her stories were *not* based upon her husband, but rather upon an amalgam of several of the doctors she met while nursing in Holland.
To her millions of fans around the world, Betty Neels epitomized romance. She was always amazed and touched that her books were so widely appreciated. She never sought plaudits and remained a very private person, but it made her very happy to know that she brought such pleasure to so many readers, while herself gaining a quiet joy from spinning her stories. It is perhaps a reflection of her upbringing in an earlier time that the men and women who peopled her stories have a kindliness and good manners, coupled to honesty and integrity, that is not always present in our modern world. Her myriad of fans found a warmth and a reassurance of a better world in her stories, along with characters who touched the heart, which is all and more than one could ask of a romance writer. She received a great deal of fan mail, and there was always a comment upon the fascinating places she visited in her stories. Quite often those of her fans fortunate enough to visit Ho
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
July 30, 2013
4.6 stars
This has got to be my most favourite Betty Neels book! I loved every minute of it. It was so sweet and pleasant and absolutely wonderful. This is Betty Neels at her best!
Cressida was such a sweetheart, I really loved her. She actually knew how to stand up for herself, unlike most Betty Neels heroines. I literally pumped my fist up in the air when I learned that she just up and left Nicola's aunt because of her horrible treatment of her. Go Cressida! (And Cressida is such a pretty name, isn't it? I loved the children's nickname of her, Cressy. I loved it even more when Aldrik started calling her that too.) She was brave and had a very big heart. She's probably my most favourite out of all of Betty's heroines. I actually sympathised with her every step of the way. Yup, you read that right. Me, the heroine-hater, actually sympathised with her. That's how much I loved this book.
Aldrik was also not your typical Betty Neels hero. He was so kind and considerate. I fell in love with him right from the beginning. Admitted, I did feel like smacking his head a few times when he was being so dense in regard to Nicola (he was too trusting and not observant enough) but he realises his mistake soon enough. I liked him plenty. Another thing I always love about Betty Neels' books, the large age gap between the hero and heroine. I love it when the heroes are so much older than the heroines!
As for the antagonist, Nicola, she wasn't your typical BN antagonist either, she was over the top. But you have to give her points for being so persistent and vindictive.
Another thing I loved about this book was the kissing scene.
See what I mean? So much more passion than is normal for Betty Neels. I loved it. :')
This has got to be my most favourite Betty Neels book! I loved every minute of it. It was so sweet and pleasant and absolutely wonderful. This is Betty Neels at her best!
Cressida was such a sweetheart, I really loved her. She actually knew how to stand up for herself, unlike most Betty Neels heroines. I literally pumped my fist up in the air when I learned that she just up and left Nicola's aunt because of her horrible treatment of her. Go Cressida! (And Cressida is such a pretty name, isn't it? I loved the children's nickname of her, Cressy. I loved it even more when Aldrik started calling her that too.) She was brave and had a very big heart. She's probably my most favourite out of all of Betty's heroines. I actually sympathised with her every step of the way. Yup, you read that right. Me, the heroine-hater, actually sympathised with her. That's how much I loved this book.
Aldrik was also not your typical Betty Neels hero. He was so kind and considerate. I fell in love with him right from the beginning. Admitted, I did feel like smacking his head a few times when he was being so dense in regard to Nicola (he was too trusting and not observant enough) but he realises his mistake soon enough. I liked him plenty. Another thing I always love about Betty Neels' books, the large age gap between the hero and heroine. I love it when the heroes are so much older than the heroines!
As for the antagonist, Nicola, she wasn't your typical BN antagonist either, she was over the top. But you have to give her points for being so persistent and vindictive.
Another thing I loved about this book was the kissing scene.
“My beautiful girl,” he said, and fell to kissing her once more.
It was nice to be called beautiful, reflected Cressida, kissing him back with goodwill, even though it wasn’t true, and, anyway, she felt beautiful. With what breath she had left she said, “Aldrik…”
“For God’s sake hold your tongue, and let me love you,” growled the doctor, and meant every word.
See what I mean? So much more passion than is normal for Betty Neels. I loved it. :')
November 17, 2020
Even for a BN hero, Aldrik was one managing mister! This is one of Betty's "waif rescues," with the good RDD coming to the poor heroine's aid when he finds her with a sprained ankle and a rescued puppy on the side of the road. Taking her back to her home, he's concerned and suspicious to realize that both she and the housekeeper seem fearful about the return of the heroine's stepmother, and that the "daughter of the house" occupies a tiny, dismal back room in the house. Yep, yet another BN heroine father who was an idiot and left everything to his second wife, with the assumption she'd take care of the heroine. Seriously, I wonder that RDDs aren't more concerned with the idiotic (and in many cases, cruel and lazy) gene pools from which so many of our hapless heroines spring--it doesn't bode well for the next generation (not that RDDs don't sometimes have pretty awful relatives too).
Some continuity issues in this one--the hero remembers her as having beautiful BROWN eyes, but at a later point in the book, her "blue eyes" flash with anger. And she buys a red velvet dress to wear for dressy occasions but we never see it again--instead, she wears a gray jersey dress that barely passes muster and which she is sick of by the time the holidays come to a close. Bad editing, M&B!
I enjoyed this one a lot--the hero's growing smittenness, which he doesn't realize for quite a while, is cute to watch, and I loved his late-night convos about the heroine with his grandmother. The OW wasn't OTT vile, but she was sufficiently awful to cause some angst. And who doesn't like a Cinderella tale in which the heroine is quite capable of finding her own shoe and making soup out of coaches that turn into pumpkins and leaving the stepmonsters to clean up their own ashes? Prince Charming makes a bit of a hash of things, but he does it out of love, and it's amusing to watch as he becomes more entangled and confused by his own feelings while the heroine just quietly gets on with things--kid wrangling, travel arrangements, building up her wardrobe. From 1992, a solid one, with Betty doing what she does best.
Some continuity issues in this one--the hero remembers her as having beautiful BROWN eyes, but at a later point in the book, her "blue eyes" flash with anger. And she buys a red velvet dress to wear for dressy occasions but we never see it again--instead, she wears a gray jersey dress that barely passes muster and which she is sick of by the time the holidays come to a close. Bad editing, M&B!
I enjoyed this one a lot--the hero's growing smittenness, which he doesn't realize for quite a while, is cute to watch, and I loved his late-night convos about the heroine with his grandmother. The OW wasn't OTT vile, but she was sufficiently awful to cause some angst. And who doesn't like a Cinderella tale in which the heroine is quite capable of finding her own shoe and making soup out of coaches that turn into pumpkins and leaving the stepmonsters to clean up their own ashes? Prince Charming makes a bit of a hash of things, but he does it out of love, and it's amusing to watch as he becomes more entangled and confused by his own feelings while the heroine just quietly gets on with things--kid wrangling, travel arrangements, building up her wardrobe. From 1992, a solid one, with Betty doing what she does best.
July 25, 2013
4.5 stars, rounding up o 5. I really enjoyed this one. The heroine was down on her luck, but she didn't wallow in self pity and knew how to speak her mind. Hero was sweet and I liked that I got his POV throughout the story.
Most of BN's books follow a similar pattern, yet they still entertain. They are extremely light on the romance side, but heavy on the storytelling.
I knocked off .5 star because
1) OW was a bit watered down. I so love an evil conniving OW, and though this one did stir the pot, she was a bit superfluous to the story.
2) Ending was a bit too abrupt for my taste. Though this is typical of BN, this one felt more so than others.
Still a fun read, and one of my top 5 by Betty Neels
Most of BN's books follow a similar pattern, yet they still entertain. They are extremely light on the romance side, but heavy on the storytelling.
I knocked off .5 star because
1) OW was a bit watered down. I so love an evil conniving OW, and though this one did stir the pot, she was a bit superfluous to the story.
2) Ending was a bit too abrupt for my taste. Though this is typical of BN, this one felt more so than others.
Still a fun read, and one of my top 5 by Betty Neels
May 26, 2013
I adore this beloved author and am sad that she passed away many years ago, but love the fact that I can read her books on any given day. This book,like her others, is a wonderful simple story that does not fail to make the reader happy! I read this book while recovering from surgery out in the sun while watching my kids and was soothed by the simple happiness that came from those pages. I wish more people would read her books for I am sure they would love them just as much as i do!
April 24, 2017
Cressida Preece is one of the unfortunate homeless Aramintas. Her father remarried, to a selfish, lazy woman who despises Cressida; then her father dies, leaving everything to his wife, who expects Cressida to work for her keep. Cressida stays only for the sake of FFR Moggy, who has two years before she can draw the annuity left to her by Mr. Preece. Or so Stepmother said...
One day Cressida is out walking and sees an abandoned dog, tied to a tree. While she is freeing him, he jolts her, causing her to severely sprain her ankle. Fortunately, our RDD is passing in his Bentley and he stops to rescue them both. His name is Aldrik van der Linus. He has an English grandmother, Lady Merrill.
The doctor inquires into Cressida's situation and begins setting things right, beginning with Moggy's annuity. Then he invents a small legacy of £100 for Cressida and a job as companion to his grandmother.
Of course, this does not remove thoughts of Cressida from his clever brain - just the opposite, in fact.
This one has some delightful moments, but Aldrik and Cressida don't spend a great deal of time together. We do get quite a bit of Aldrik's POV, though. There's a standard issue Veronica who causes trouble, although Aldrik is much more forthright about not marrying her. We revisit Charity and Tyco, one of my favorite Neels couples, and we get to see the birth of Pledge #1. We also get to know another delightful Dutch - er, Fries - family, the ter Beemstras, for whom Cressy works as a sort of nanny/governess.
This is also the book in which the heroine buys a red velvet dress from Laura Ashley, then proceeds to wear a dull grey dress upon every occasion; the red velvet is never mentioned again! Perhaps TGB added it at the last moment but didn't modify any other scenes to reference it???
One day Cressida is out walking and sees an abandoned dog, tied to a tree. While she is freeing him, he jolts her, causing her to severely sprain her ankle. Fortunately, our RDD is passing in his Bentley and he stops to rescue them both. His name is Aldrik van der Linus. He has an English grandmother, Lady Merrill.
The doctor inquires into Cressida's situation and begins setting things right, beginning with Moggy's annuity. Then he invents a small legacy of £100 for Cressida and a job as companion to his grandmother.
Of course, this does not remove thoughts of Cressida from his clever brain - just the opposite, in fact.
This one has some delightful moments, but Aldrik and Cressida don't spend a great deal of time together. We do get quite a bit of Aldrik's POV, though. There's a standard issue Veronica who causes trouble, although Aldrik is much more forthright about not marrying her. We revisit Charity and Tyco, one of my favorite Neels couples, and we get to see the birth of Pledge #1. We also get to know another delightful Dutch - er, Fries - family, the ter Beemstras, for whom Cressy works as a sort of nanny/governess.
This is also the book in which the heroine buys a red velvet dress from Laura Ashley, then proceeds to wear a dull grey dress upon every occasion; the red velvet is never mentioned again! Perhaps TGB added it at the last moment but didn't modify any other scenes to reference it???
February 4, 2021
The essence of this story was good where the hero helps the heroine make her life when she is left almost penniless but I found him falling in love with her far fetched. There was hardly anything noteworthy in her for him., a millionaire doctor to fall in love with her. The hero himself describes to his grandma that the girl is plain looking, with no proper education yet I fail to understand how he falls in love with her, it’s like falling in love with a passer by on the road.
I agree that it’s a fiction and not real life but this was hardly appealing, I would have accepted the story if she was a nurse and he a doctor who worked in same hospital , saw each other many times and got attracted but this story was too artificial and it had too many coincidences which were hard to believe. It’s definitely not one of BN best
I agree that it’s a fiction and not real life but this was hardly appealing, I would have accepted the story if she was a nurse and he a doctor who worked in same hospital , saw each other many times and got attracted but this story was too artificial and it had too many coincidences which were hard to believe. It’s definitely not one of BN best
May 29, 2018
Ay, Betty, Betty, me arruinaste para otras autoras, tenés que saberlo :P.
Qué hermosa novela, no cambiaría nada. Cómo me encantan sus heroínas luchadoras y poco agraciadas y sus doctores fríos y distantes. En este caso hay un poco de lo que piensa Aldrik, así que fue más disfrutable aun.
Cressida es una chica que se hace sola, da mucho placer acompañarla durante el transcurso de la novela y llegar al HEA abrupto pero tan merecido... Aunque sus argumentos se repiten constantemente en Betty, cada libro es único.
Qué hermosa novela, no cambiaría nada. Cómo me encantan sus heroínas luchadoras y poco agraciadas y sus doctores fríos y distantes. En este caso hay un poco de lo que piensa Aldrik, así que fue más disfrutable aun.
Cressida es una chica que se hace sola, da mucho placer acompañarla durante el transcurso de la novela y llegar al HEA abrupto pero tan merecido... Aunque sus argumentos se repiten constantemente en Betty, cada libro es único.
April 26, 2017
It was short, yet very sweet and satisfying read for me.
September 18, 2016
Betty is always a treat when I'm between books and looking for something light, satisfying and fun! I've read and collected so many of her books over the years and many characters make repeat appearances - I was surprised to see GR actually has this as book 2 in a series after "The Final Touch", which was Tyco and Charity's story. I'll have to track that one down next for a re-read!
Here Tyco and Charity are the happily settled couple expecting their first child together after a blissful first year of marriage; Aldrik is their dear friend, and he comes to the rescue of Cressida - literally! The story opens with Cressy sitting beside the road as darkness falls with a scruffy dog; she found him half-starved and tied to a tree and tried to rescue him - getting knocked over and twisting her ankle in the process. Aldrik is the only kindly Samaritan to stop and help our girl, and when he takes Cressy home he discovers she has an evil stepmother and dear old housekeeper she's trying to protect...cue the white knight in the Bentley!
Aldrik truly is one of the kindest, sweetest Betty heroes, and Cressida is one of Betty's best delightfully sensible yet plain and deserving heroines - their delightful love story, ably assisted by not just by Tyco and Charity but another kind Dutch couple who eventually employ Cressida as mother's help for their six kids, is fun and satisfying. We also get Nicola, a wonderfully bitchy and devious OW who goes out of her way to spoil the blossoming romance.
Rotten OW, dear old family retainers and loving family friends, a smart and charming granny for Aldrik, a rescue dog named Caesar and a massive St. Bernard named Mabel, plus more fabulous food and beautiful stately homes than you can shake a stick at - a Betty fan's cup runneth over! I won't let so many years between rereading some of Betty's earlier books, they really are keepers.
Here Tyco and Charity are the happily settled couple expecting their first child together after a blissful first year of marriage; Aldrik is their dear friend, and he comes to the rescue of Cressida - literally! The story opens with Cressy sitting beside the road as darkness falls with a scruffy dog; she found him half-starved and tied to a tree and tried to rescue him - getting knocked over and twisting her ankle in the process. Aldrik is the only kindly Samaritan to stop and help our girl, and when he takes Cressy home he discovers she has an evil stepmother and dear old housekeeper she's trying to protect...cue the white knight in the Bentley!
Aldrik truly is one of the kindest, sweetest Betty heroes, and Cressida is one of Betty's best delightfully sensible yet plain and deserving heroines - their delightful love story, ably assisted by not just by Tyco and Charity but another kind Dutch couple who eventually employ Cressida as mother's help for their six kids, is fun and satisfying. We also get Nicola, a wonderfully bitchy and devious OW who goes out of her way to spoil the blossoming romance.
Rotten OW, dear old family retainers and loving family friends, a smart and charming granny for Aldrik, a rescue dog named Caesar and a massive St. Bernard named Mabel, plus more fabulous food and beautiful stately homes than you can shake a stick at - a Betty fan's cup runneth over! I won't let so many years between rereading some of Betty's earlier books, they really are keepers.
September 20, 2015
This is what I'm coming to recognize as standard Betty Neels fare. There's a plain, down-on-her-luck young English girl with a good heart, (not a nurse this time), and a rich Dutch Doctor who is about to marry the wrong woman. This book also includes an injured dog, a loving but slightly dishonest elderly grandmother, a lot of cute kids and plenty of snow. The heroine knew how to stand up for herself, but the hero felt a bit blank. This one isn't as good as some of her others, but is a solid three stars.
Why do I read these books when they're so predictable? Well, there are times that I want to read a book I can count on. Especially if it's late at night and I can't sleep. I appreciate that these books are clean, not angsty, well written, and usually have very likable heroes and heroines. That and an HEA are enough to satisfy sometimes. If you feel that way, try these books. There are so many of them available that you won't run out of comfort reading any time soon. And that's a good thing, right?
Why do I read these books when they're so predictable? Well, there are times that I want to read a book I can count on. Especially if it's late at night and I can't sleep. I appreciate that these books are clean, not angsty, well written, and usually have very likable heroes and heroines. That and an HEA are enough to satisfy sometimes. If you feel that way, try these books. There are so many of them available that you won't run out of comfort reading any time soon. And that's a good thing, right?
February 24, 2014
An old fashioned romance, heart warming.
December 1, 2025
A nice, romantic story. Very enjoyable. So enjoyable I read it twice!
March 29, 2018
Leída con el titulo “Cállate y déjame amarte”/ o Encuentro feliz (para revista Jazmín)Cressida Preece y Aldrik Van der Linus serán esta vez quienes vivan desencuentros y el amor en esta novelita de chica cenicienta que es salvada de su malévola madrastra por su príncipe el doctor. La novedad de esta novela es la aparición( crossover) de personajes de otras novelas que aparecen nuevamente: el dr Tyco y su flamante embarazada esposa Charity.Me gusto mucho y la leí dos veces.
May 31, 2013
Cressida has no one in the world. She accepts a job in Holland. Here she meets Aldrik and falls in love with him. However he's involved with the glamorous Nicola. Romance. Sweet. An enjoyable read for holiday.
Read
July 27, 2011Very delightful :)
Cressida shows she might be plain in appearance at first glance, but she ultimately has the inner beauty Aldrik needs to make his life complete.
Cressida shows she might be plain in appearance at first glance, but she ultimately has the inner beauty Aldrik needs to make his life complete.
August 21, 2018
Reseña #41 Happy Meeting
Reseña y ficha técnica en el link en Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
Con el título muy rosa en español de "Cállate y dejame amarte" Betty Neels lo ha vuelto a hacer, nuevamente consigue que tenga una adicción romántica con sus historias cortas, sobrias hechas de detalles cotidianos, ambientada entre Londres y Holanda con un clima frío pero hermoso, descripciones de paisajes justas y precisas, Aldrik pareciera ser frío y Cressida se muestra lejana y discreta, pero hay fuego escondido en sus corazones... pareciera que nada ocurre pero dentro de ellos hay una lucha: él por conquistar, la de ella por olvidar, y cuando logran ponerse de acuerdo, te dejan el corazón cálidamente emocionado...
"Happy Meeting" es una historia que me enganchó de inmediato y me encantó. Cressida y Aldrik me gustaron mucho. Además Charity y Tyco de "Toque Final" hacen su aparición en esta novela.
Aunque parezca mas de lo mismo: médicos guapos, ricos y holandeses, chicas no muy lindas, pobres y en peligro, pero decididas y valientes, amor sobrio, algo ingenuo y a la antigua... aun así, cada novela de Betty Neels es única. Le doy 4,5 porque el final fue algo abrupto y me faltaron un par de besos y abrazos y un poco mas de palabras amorosas, nunca tan sobria Betty por Dios!!!
Lo admito...Soy una #bettyneelslover
4,5/5 porque me gustó bastante.
Te invito a a seguirme en el siguiente link, agradeceré tu visita y comentarios ya sea aquí o en el blog :
http://perezosa69.blogspot.com/
Reseña y ficha técnica en el link en Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
Con el título muy rosa en español de "Cállate y dejame amarte" Betty Neels lo ha vuelto a hacer, nuevamente consigue que tenga una adicción romántica con sus historias cortas, sobrias hechas de detalles cotidianos, ambientada entre Londres y Holanda con un clima frío pero hermoso, descripciones de paisajes justas y precisas, Aldrik pareciera ser frío y Cressida se muestra lejana y discreta, pero hay fuego escondido en sus corazones... pareciera que nada ocurre pero dentro de ellos hay una lucha: él por conquistar, la de ella por olvidar, y cuando logran ponerse de acuerdo, te dejan el corazón cálidamente emocionado...
"Happy Meeting" es una historia que me enganchó de inmediato y me encantó. Cressida y Aldrik me gustaron mucho. Además Charity y Tyco de "Toque Final" hacen su aparición en esta novela.
Aunque parezca mas de lo mismo: médicos guapos, ricos y holandeses, chicas no muy lindas, pobres y en peligro, pero decididas y valientes, amor sobrio, algo ingenuo y a la antigua... aun así, cada novela de Betty Neels es única. Le doy 4,5 porque el final fue algo abrupto y me faltaron un par de besos y abrazos y un poco mas de palabras amorosas, nunca tan sobria Betty por Dios!!!
Lo admito...Soy una #bettyneelslover
4,5/5 porque me gustó bastante.
Te invito a a seguirme en el siguiente link, agradeceré tu visita y comentarios ya sea aquí o en el blog :
http://perezosa69.blogspot.com/
May 23, 2019
2.5 ⭐️
The power imbalance is too much for me to enjoy it.
The power imbalance is too much for me to enjoy it.
December 7, 2025
3 stars. this one fell flat for me and I felt like it didn't have enough depth or enough strong emotion, but people who like Betty's gentler and less angsty romances may like it.
h Cressida injures her ankle badly while rescuing a starving dog and manages to wait by a lonely country lane hoping a car will pass by and help her. H Aldrik is the only one who stops. luckily he is a doc and kindly and gently tends to her ankle, takes her home, and when it becomes clear she and the housekeeper fear the evil stepmother who won't tolerate the dog, he even adopts the dog too. he leaves, giving Cressida no further thought... promising start, I though.
Cressida (24) is a plain jane who lives with her nasty stepmother. since her dad died some months back she has been used as a servant but she can't leave home and get a job as she refuses to abandon her beloved elderly housekeeper and must wait 2 years till the old lady gets her annuity from the dads will. Aldrik (35) is a RDD who recently has been considering getting married and has picked out a potential bride, a beautiful Dutch girl who would fit into his life and make an appropriate wife.
After Aldrik takes cressy home he goes to visit his gran and they end up speaking about cressy and they wonder why cressy doesn't move out if she is so mistreated in her own home.
he can't help but worry a little so he makes excuses to check up on her and she eventually tells him her situation. he speaks to her family lawyer and they discover the stepmother lied and the old housekeeper can get her annuity immediately, and thus cressy will be free.
except cressy has no skills. she is also too proud to accept help. knowing this, he arranges through a third party for her to be offered first a job as his nan's companion and later, a job as a companion to an acquaintance in Holland. he thinks once she has a permanent job he can stop worrying about her.
SPOILERS AHEAD
he had intended to get her the second job as companion to a friend of his who is pregnant and who lives near his house in Friesland so he can keep an eye on her. however he confides this to his OW, who gets suspicious and, being a conniving creature, persuades him that cressy would be better off working for her own aunt.
he arranges it so that cressy doesn't know his involvement. but when cressy gets to the OW's aunt's house in holland, she is treated as a menial servant by the nasty aunt. when aldrik visits with the OW to check how cressy is doing, he finds cressy scouring the pantry. the aunt snidely tells cressy that she ought to be grateful the doc got her both of her jobs. cressy is shocked and upset. she feels humiliated that he pitied her and went behind her back.
he is annoyed cressy was told that way, but the OW says she will talk to her aunt alone to smooth things over and to make sure the aunt doesn't treat cressy as menial staff. instead, the OW visits cressy and tells her that aldrik was disappointed at how ungrateful cressy is after all his hard work to help her and that cressy better buck up and show some gratitude to even have a job.
cressy has some backbone and actually immediately packs her things and quietly walks out of the house, intent of going back to England and finding her own job.
at that point I was glad and thought the story might finally get interesting. and that she would finally have a chance to prove herself and try to stand on her own two feet. but nope, Aldrik turns up and insists she stay in Holland and he finds her a job nannying for a friendly lovely couple with 6 kids. he occasionally drops by to see cressy.
he decides at the 70% mark out of the blue that he wants to marry cressy and no-one else will do for him, but that he needs to go slowly as she doesn't trust him yet. so far we have seen signs that cressy likes him very much and that she dislikes the OW who she thinks will make his life miserable, but I do not recall her having a moment of dawning realisation of loving him.
ENDING SPOILERS
he is quite busy with his work but he does let the OW know he won't be marrying her. then he has to go away for work, and the spiteful OW takes a chance to go see cressy and make it sound like she and aldrik will soon marry.
for me, the crisis point here was not powerful because aldrik himself did nothing that contributed to pushing cressy away and it was entirely down to the OW. it would have been more heart-rending if it was a pattern of behaviour from aldrik that added to cressy's heartbreak here. instead, cressy's reaction feels a bit overkill and silly because she should already know to mistrust the OW and was stupid to believe her.
cressy is so upset st the idea aldrik is to marry so she wants to leave Holland and never see him again, but she worries about letting down her nice employer.
the excuse cressy needs comes when her former housekeeper phones and urgently needs cressys help. she's about to become homeless as her sister who she was living with suddenly died and a nasty nephew inherited and is evicting the old lady. so cressy goes to England and tries to find a way to help, even begging her evil stepmother for a loan so she can buy the cottage, but she gets nowhere.
meantime aldrik returns from abroad, works mega hard for 3 days to clear his schedule so he can finally tell cressy he loves her. but he arrives to find she's fled to England. he chases her down, buys up the cottage for the housekeeper, and sweeps cressy into his arms and kisses her. it was sweet but felt meaningless because the story that came before it felt lackluster and I wasn't really feeling the romance.
THE REASONS WHY THIS WAS A LACKLUSTER STORY:
there was not enough depth to the story. him playing deus ex machina was the entire plot:
1. Aldrik decides out of the blue that he wants cressy for his wife and has felt that way for a while. this is at 70% but feels quite early because they never get to spend much meaningful time together and she has almost no impact on his life.
2. cressy's character was underdeveloped. she had been sheltered all her life, and when she finally got some jobs we are told she works had and does well in them, however we never really see that. we are mostly told, not shown, that she is a pleasant companion. plus she never gets a chance to show her independence and never gets a chance to prove herself. she's likeable enough in a meagre lackluster way and it's hard to know why the hero imagines himself so deeply in love with her out of the blue.
3. there wasn't enough romantic growth between them. he is v deus ex machina and sorting out all her problems. she just sits there and does nothing. they don't rescue people together or work together like in other Betty books. it wasn't v interesting in terms of them actually spending time together. he takes her out to tea at his house once. just once.
overall 3 stars is the max I can give. there was nothing annoying about this story but there was nothing all that great either. I wouldn't bother reading it again because there was no enjoyment to be had. no angst at all and I'm an angst junkie.
h Cressida injures her ankle badly while rescuing a starving dog and manages to wait by a lonely country lane hoping a car will pass by and help her. H Aldrik is the only one who stops. luckily he is a doc and kindly and gently tends to her ankle, takes her home, and when it becomes clear she and the housekeeper fear the evil stepmother who won't tolerate the dog, he even adopts the dog too. he leaves, giving Cressida no further thought... promising start, I though.
Cressida (24) is a plain jane who lives with her nasty stepmother. since her dad died some months back she has been used as a servant but she can't leave home and get a job as she refuses to abandon her beloved elderly housekeeper and must wait 2 years till the old lady gets her annuity from the dads will. Aldrik (35) is a RDD who recently has been considering getting married and has picked out a potential bride, a beautiful Dutch girl who would fit into his life and make an appropriate wife.
After Aldrik takes cressy home he goes to visit his gran and they end up speaking about cressy and they wonder why cressy doesn't move out if she is so mistreated in her own home.
he can't help but worry a little so he makes excuses to check up on her and she eventually tells him her situation. he speaks to her family lawyer and they discover the stepmother lied and the old housekeeper can get her annuity immediately, and thus cressy will be free.
except cressy has no skills. she is also too proud to accept help. knowing this, he arranges through a third party for her to be offered first a job as his nan's companion and later, a job as a companion to an acquaintance in Holland. he thinks once she has a permanent job he can stop worrying about her.
SPOILERS AHEAD
he had intended to get her the second job as companion to a friend of his who is pregnant and who lives near his house in Friesland so he can keep an eye on her. however he confides this to his OW, who gets suspicious and, being a conniving creature, persuades him that cressy would be better off working for her own aunt.
he arranges it so that cressy doesn't know his involvement. but when cressy gets to the OW's aunt's house in holland, she is treated as a menial servant by the nasty aunt. when aldrik visits with the OW to check how cressy is doing, he finds cressy scouring the pantry. the aunt snidely tells cressy that she ought to be grateful the doc got her both of her jobs. cressy is shocked and upset. she feels humiliated that he pitied her and went behind her back.
he is annoyed cressy was told that way, but the OW says she will talk to her aunt alone to smooth things over and to make sure the aunt doesn't treat cressy as menial staff. instead, the OW visits cressy and tells her that aldrik was disappointed at how ungrateful cressy is after all his hard work to help her and that cressy better buck up and show some gratitude to even have a job.
cressy has some backbone and actually immediately packs her things and quietly walks out of the house, intent of going back to England and finding her own job.
at that point I was glad and thought the story might finally get interesting. and that she would finally have a chance to prove herself and try to stand on her own two feet. but nope, Aldrik turns up and insists she stay in Holland and he finds her a job nannying for a friendly lovely couple with 6 kids. he occasionally drops by to see cressy.
he decides at the 70% mark out of the blue that he wants to marry cressy and no-one else will do for him, but that he needs to go slowly as she doesn't trust him yet. so far we have seen signs that cressy likes him very much and that she dislikes the OW who she thinks will make his life miserable, but I do not recall her having a moment of dawning realisation of loving him.
ENDING SPOILERS
he is quite busy with his work but he does let the OW know he won't be marrying her. then he has to go away for work, and the spiteful OW takes a chance to go see cressy and make it sound like she and aldrik will soon marry.
for me, the crisis point here was not powerful because aldrik himself did nothing that contributed to pushing cressy away and it was entirely down to the OW. it would have been more heart-rending if it was a pattern of behaviour from aldrik that added to cressy's heartbreak here. instead, cressy's reaction feels a bit overkill and silly because she should already know to mistrust the OW and was stupid to believe her.
cressy is so upset st the idea aldrik is to marry so she wants to leave Holland and never see him again, but she worries about letting down her nice employer.
the excuse cressy needs comes when her former housekeeper phones and urgently needs cressys help. she's about to become homeless as her sister who she was living with suddenly died and a nasty nephew inherited and is evicting the old lady. so cressy goes to England and tries to find a way to help, even begging her evil stepmother for a loan so she can buy the cottage, but she gets nowhere.
meantime aldrik returns from abroad, works mega hard for 3 days to clear his schedule so he can finally tell cressy he loves her. but he arrives to find she's fled to England. he chases her down, buys up the cottage for the housekeeper, and sweeps cressy into his arms and kisses her. it was sweet but felt meaningless because the story that came before it felt lackluster and I wasn't really feeling the romance.
THE REASONS WHY THIS WAS A LACKLUSTER STORY:
there was not enough depth to the story. him playing deus ex machina was the entire plot:
1. Aldrik decides out of the blue that he wants cressy for his wife and has felt that way for a while. this is at 70% but feels quite early because they never get to spend much meaningful time together and she has almost no impact on his life.
2. cressy's character was underdeveloped. she had been sheltered all her life, and when she finally got some jobs we are told she works had and does well in them, however we never really see that. we are mostly told, not shown, that she is a pleasant companion. plus she never gets a chance to show her independence and never gets a chance to prove herself. she's likeable enough in a meagre lackluster way and it's hard to know why the hero imagines himself so deeply in love with her out of the blue.
3. there wasn't enough romantic growth between them. he is v deus ex machina and sorting out all her problems. she just sits there and does nothing. they don't rescue people together or work together like in other Betty books. it wasn't v interesting in terms of them actually spending time together. he takes her out to tea at his house once. just once.
overall 3 stars is the max I can give. there was nothing annoying about this story but there was nothing all that great either. I wouldn't bother reading it again because there was no enjoyment to be had. no angst at all and I'm an angst junkie.
January 14, 2018
3.5* rounded down. I loved revisiting Charity and Tyco from The Final Touch, book 1 of this mini series. I initially wondered what's the link because we sure read nothing of Aldrik and Cressida in The Final Touch, but here we found out Tyco and Aldrik were schoolmates and he's to be the godfather of the little baby who's to be born soon! So exciting!
It was more lovely reading about Tyco and Charity in this book. They seemed to have overshadowed the actual romance in this and other than fly by visits Aldrik and Cressida hardly spent time together! They spent most of the book missing and thinking/dreaming of each other!
The evil Nicola tried to make mischief and succeeded. Like his grandmother said, Aldrik was a stupid man to believe himself rid of Nicola so easily...
About the grey jersey dress that Cressida was so heartily sick of; when she first worked for Aldrik's grandmother, wasn't one of the first things she bought a gorgeous red velvet Laura Ashley dress?! Why was it never worn again? Haha...
Spoilers!!!
Tyco and Charity's twin girls got their wish which they expressed in The Final Touch: a baby brother! Little Tyco was the spitting image of Tyco senior too! It was so sweet to read how lovey dovey these two are, making Cressida so envious.
It was more lovely reading about Tyco and Charity in this book. They seemed to have overshadowed the actual romance in this and other than fly by visits Aldrik and Cressida hardly spent time together! They spent most of the book missing and thinking/dreaming of each other!
The evil Nicola tried to make mischief and succeeded. Like his grandmother said, Aldrik was a stupid man to believe himself rid of Nicola so easily...
About the grey jersey dress that Cressida was so heartily sick of; when she first worked for Aldrik's grandmother, wasn't one of the first things she bought a gorgeous red velvet Laura Ashley dress?! Why was it never worn again? Haha...
Spoilers!!!
Tyco and Charity's twin girls got their wish which they expressed in The Final Touch: a baby brother! Little Tyco was the spitting image of Tyco senior too! It was so sweet to read how lovey dovey these two are, making Cressida so envious.
May 2, 2016
I've read many of Betty Neels's romances and they work very well. This one follows the tried and tested formula.
A large (code for tall and well built), good looking Dutch or half-Dutch doctor, very rich, has a town house and country home, large happy family, quiet, respectable, sometimes rude, who takes control and fixes our heroine's problems.
Our heroine is usually a nurse, or a well educated young lady who hasn't been trained for anything. Most of the time she'll be hard up for money, or living with a mean and selfish stepmother/aunt/sister/sister-in-law/grandmother, be very pretty, kind and down to earth, and love children, dogs, cats and long walks in the country.
And this formula is always a winner. Here we have the appropriately typecast Dr Aldrick, but it is our heroine Cressida who stands out. She's no meek pushover, she speaks her mind and in one applause worthy scene (unusual for a BN novel) packs her bags and leaves a job when she's not treated well.
But that's it really, a pleasant story, but not memorable.
A large (code for tall and well built), good looking Dutch or half-Dutch doctor, very rich, has a town house and country home, large happy family, quiet, respectable, sometimes rude, who takes control and fixes our heroine's problems.
Our heroine is usually a nurse, or a well educated young lady who hasn't been trained for anything. Most of the time she'll be hard up for money, or living with a mean and selfish stepmother/aunt/sister/sister-in-law/grandmother, be very pretty, kind and down to earth, and love children, dogs, cats and long walks in the country.
And this formula is always a winner. Here we have the appropriately typecast Dr Aldrick, but it is our heroine Cressida who stands out. She's no meek pushover, she speaks her mind and in one applause worthy scene (unusual for a BN novel) packs her bags and leaves a job when she's not treated well.
But that's it really, a pleasant story, but not memorable.
May 21, 2014
3.5 stars. A sweet, charming little book. I enjoyed it. There was a little too much of the hero swooping in at the critical moment to save the poor heroine, but it was still very fun to read. It was written many years ago, and I love reading those kinds of books. Those Dutch names are very different - I had absolutely no idea how to even think about pronouncing them. But all in all, I really liked it.
September 21, 2024
This one had a pacing problem. We were given chapter and verse and the description of every step taken to put the children to bed or sit at the table or do different things, but the abrupt ending was a short, disconcerting one page at the most.
Also the hero was too much of an idiot, at one point he agrees with the OW that she should be the one to speak with the heroine and calm her down after her abject treatment at the hands of the OW’s aunt, but next when he goes after the heroine to dissuade her from returning to England he describes exactly what the OW would have told her to make her leave the place. So he pretended to be oblivious at the cost of the heroine. And then he continues to see the OW and take her out, even knowing what a vile lying character she has. When you come down to it the hero was a huge jerk in my opinion.
Also the hero was too much of an idiot, at one point he agrees with the OW that she should be the one to speak with the heroine and calm her down after her abject treatment at the hands of the OW’s aunt, but next when he goes after the heroine to dissuade her from returning to England he describes exactly what the OW would have told her to make her leave the place. So he pretended to be oblivious at the cost of the heroine. And then he continues to see the OW and take her out, even knowing what a vile lying character she has. When you come down to it the hero was a huge jerk in my opinion.
January 9, 2023
Meh. I know I complain about Betty telling the same old nurse-and-doctor story over and over, but having a heroine with NO skills is not to be preferred. Cressida is kicked around by her stepmother, then by a devious girlfriend of the workaholic hero, and then even the kindly characters give her ten kids to nanny to, and those parts were the dullest of all. More of the dumb scenes where the hero kisses her occasionally, and she figures he doesn't mean anything by it...? Plus I do like when the hero has a plausible reason to like the heroine, but Cressida has nothing but a pair of nice eyes in a plain face.
So...not my favorite Betty Neels.
So...not my favorite Betty Neels.
November 5, 2020
This is a lovely, romantic book. Cressida sprains her ankle trying to rescue an abused dog. She herself is rescued by Aldrik van der Linus, and he takes an interest in improving her sad life. The progression is slow, the two don't get to meet as often as I would like, but I love the old-fashioned courtship. The only thing I didn't like that they don't get to spend Christmas together. There are some quite touching scenes and an ending with a quote from John Donne. I loved reading it again.
December 20, 2023
Clean romance.
Cressida Is financially abused by her stepmother. She also is treated like a servant in her own home. she dares not leave because of the older servant would also be turned out. She meets Aldrik when she finds a poor abused dog in need of help. then in a series of “trying to help behind the scenes” Aldrik makes sure she can get a job or two somewhere else, allowing Cressida to leave home. In a series of misfortunes, a female friend of Aldrik interferes…
Cressida Is financially abused by her stepmother. She also is treated like a servant in her own home. she dares not leave because of the older servant would also be turned out. She meets Aldrik when she finds a poor abused dog in need of help. then in a series of “trying to help behind the scenes” Aldrik makes sure she can get a job or two somewhere else, allowing Cressida to leave home. In a series of misfortunes, a female friend of Aldrik interferes…
March 26, 2025
"A Happy Meeting" is the story of Cressida and Aldrik.
Sweet romance in which a heroine, who is enslaved by her stepmother meets the doctor hero while rescuing a stray dog. He dresses her foot, and takes it upon himself to help her. From very early on in the book we see the hero go out of his way to help the heroine, and the heroine remains oblivious to his feelings. Some OW drama, loads of sacrifices by the heroine and saving by the hero, ends in a chase and HEA.
Enjoyed it
Safe
3.5/5
Sweet romance in which a heroine, who is enslaved by her stepmother meets the doctor hero while rescuing a stray dog. He dresses her foot, and takes it upon himself to help her. From very early on in the book we see the hero go out of his way to help the heroine, and the heroine remains oblivious to his feelings. Some OW drama, loads of sacrifices by the heroine and saving by the hero, ends in a chase and HEA.
Enjoyed it
Safe
3.5/5
June 6, 2018
Book Two of connected couples features Cressida Preece and Aldrik van der Linus.
Aldrik is a friend of Dr. Gijs van der Eekerk and his wife Beatrice. Cressida meets them both when Aldrik whisk her off to Holland to take a job with another family he is acquainted with. Cressida spends a night in their home and visits often thereafter.
Aldrik is a friend of Dr. Gijs van der Eekerk and his wife Beatrice. Cressida meets them both when Aldrik whisk her off to Holland to take a job with another family he is acquainted with. Cressida spends a night in their home and visits often thereafter.
January 23, 2022
This is comfort reading for my soul
I always come back to them somehow when I am not able to read anything else
Betty Neels helps me through and I am happy now.
It was a wonderful story like always. She always comes through with a great story and great characters. Loved the book
I always come back to them somehow when I am not able to read anything else
Betty Neels helps me through and I am happy now.
It was a wonderful story like always. She always comes through with a great story and great characters. Loved the book
December 2, 2025
This ending was absolute perfection!!! I totally swooned like a teenager with this couple. I loved the families, the other characters, the setting, and reading the doctor call our heroine “Cressy.” This was sweet and so beautifully written. I can’t wait to read it again.
December 9, 2017
Love at Last
This is a typical Betty Neels book. Strong hero, plain girl. Her books just make me feel good. I enjoyed this book.
This is a typical Betty Neels book. Strong hero, plain girl. Her books just make me feel good. I enjoyed this book.
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