
The Promise of Happiness
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $20.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Anne Cater
-
By:
-
Betty Neels
About this listen
Rebecca Saunders isn't Baron Tiele Raukema van den Eck's type - she's already heard him describe her as a thin mouse! But he's been very kind, rescuing her from an intolerable home life and giving her a job nursing his mother.
As Tiele's got a gorgeous girlfriend, Becky knows it's useless to love him - but it's already too late....
©1979 Betty Neels (P)2016 SoundingsListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Quiet Professor
- By: Betty Neels
- Narrated by: Anne Cater
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Megan thought she had it all - a good job, a caring family and a fiancé whom everyone agreed would make her a wonderful husband. But then her perfectly constructed world fell apart, and she found that her one hope was Professor Jake van Belfeld. He seemed determined to rebuild her life - but why was he taking such a personal interest in her? He couldn't think that her heart needed his attention, too, could he?
-
-
Disappointed
- By Sharon D. Anderson, Ph.D. on 07-02-17
By: Betty Neels
-
The Venice Sketchbook
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Caroline Grant is struggling to accept the end of her marriage when she receives an unexpected bequest. Her beloved great-aunt Lettie leaves her a sketchbook, three keys, and a final whisper...Venice. Caroline’s quest: to scatter Juliet “Lettie” Browning’s ashes in the city she loved and to unlock the mysteries stored away for more than 60 years.
-
-
Poor character and storyline development
- By Sasha on 05-19-21
By: Rhys Bowen
-
The Nothing Girl
- The Frogmorton Farm Series, Book 1
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Getting a life isn't always easy. And hanging on to it is even harder.... Jodi Taylor brings all her comic writing skills to this heartwarming tale of self-discovery. Known as The Nothing Girl because of her severe stutter and chronically low self-confidence, Jenny Dove is only just prevented from ending it all by the sudden appearance of Thomas, a mystical golden horse only she can see. Under his guidance Jenny unexpectedly acquires a husband - the charming and chaotic Russell Checkland.
-
-
So much better than I expected
- By MarilynArms on 07-25-15
By: Jodi Taylor
-
All the Lonely People
- By: Mike Gayle
- Narrated by: Ben Onwukwe
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In weekly phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Birdpaints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun, friendship, and fulfillment. But it's a lie. In reality, Hubert's days are all the same, dragging on without him seeing a single soul. Until he receives some good news - good news that in one way turns out to be the worst news ever, news that will force him out again, into a world he has long since turned his back on.
-
-
For all the lonely and not-so-lonely people
- By R. Sharma on 08-22-21
By: Mike Gayle
-
Queen of the Mersey
- By: Maureen Lee
- Narrated by: Maggie Ollerenshaw
- Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Queenie is only 14 and has been deserted by her mother. Set in Liverpool and Wales at the outbreak of World War II, this story explores themes of female friendship and betrayal from the perspective of a group of women of widely different ages.
-
-
Entertaining
- By W on 05-27-08
By: Maureen Lee
-
A Single Thread
- A Novel
- By: Tracy Chevalier
- Narrated by: Fenella Woolgar
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1932. After the Great War took both her beloved brother and her fiancé, Violet Speedwell has become a "surplus woman," one of a generation doomed to a life of spinsterhood after the war killed so many young men. Yet Violet cannot reconcile herself to a life spent caring for her grieving, embittered mother. After countless meals of boiled eggs and dry toast, she saves enough to move out of her mother's place and into the town of Winchester, home to one of England's grandest cathedrals.
-
-
Well-written but Not for Everyone
- By Janna Wong Healy on 04-05-20
By: Tracy Chevalier
-
The Quiet Professor
- By: Betty Neels
- Narrated by: Anne Cater
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Megan thought she had it all - a good job, a caring family and a fiancé whom everyone agreed would make her a wonderful husband. But then her perfectly constructed world fell apart, and she found that her one hope was Professor Jake van Belfeld. He seemed determined to rebuild her life - but why was he taking such a personal interest in her? He couldn't think that her heart needed his attention, too, could he?
-
-
Disappointed
- By Sharon D. Anderson, Ph.D. on 07-02-17
By: Betty Neels
-
The Venice Sketchbook
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Caroline Grant is struggling to accept the end of her marriage when she receives an unexpected bequest. Her beloved great-aunt Lettie leaves her a sketchbook, three keys, and a final whisper...Venice. Caroline’s quest: to scatter Juliet “Lettie” Browning’s ashes in the city she loved and to unlock the mysteries stored away for more than 60 years.
-
-
Poor character and storyline development
- By Sasha on 05-19-21
By: Rhys Bowen
-
The Nothing Girl
- The Frogmorton Farm Series, Book 1
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Getting a life isn't always easy. And hanging on to it is even harder.... Jodi Taylor brings all her comic writing skills to this heartwarming tale of self-discovery. Known as The Nothing Girl because of her severe stutter and chronically low self-confidence, Jenny Dove is only just prevented from ending it all by the sudden appearance of Thomas, a mystical golden horse only she can see. Under his guidance Jenny unexpectedly acquires a husband - the charming and chaotic Russell Checkland.
-
-
So much better than I expected
- By MarilynArms on 07-25-15
By: Jodi Taylor
-
All the Lonely People
- By: Mike Gayle
- Narrated by: Ben Onwukwe
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In weekly phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Birdpaints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun, friendship, and fulfillment. But it's a lie. In reality, Hubert's days are all the same, dragging on without him seeing a single soul. Until he receives some good news - good news that in one way turns out to be the worst news ever, news that will force him out again, into a world he has long since turned his back on.
-
-
For all the lonely and not-so-lonely people
- By R. Sharma on 08-22-21
By: Mike Gayle
-
Queen of the Mersey
- By: Maureen Lee
- Narrated by: Maggie Ollerenshaw
- Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Queenie is only 14 and has been deserted by her mother. Set in Liverpool and Wales at the outbreak of World War II, this story explores themes of female friendship and betrayal from the perspective of a group of women of widely different ages.
-
-
Entertaining
- By W on 05-27-08
By: Maureen Lee
-
A Single Thread
- A Novel
- By: Tracy Chevalier
- Narrated by: Fenella Woolgar
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1932. After the Great War took both her beloved brother and her fiancé, Violet Speedwell has become a "surplus woman," one of a generation doomed to a life of spinsterhood after the war killed so many young men. Yet Violet cannot reconcile herself to a life spent caring for her grieving, embittered mother. After countless meals of boiled eggs and dry toast, she saves enough to move out of her mother's place and into the town of Winchester, home to one of England's grandest cathedrals.
-
-
Well-written but Not for Everyone
- By Janna Wong Healy on 04-05-20
By: Tracy Chevalier
-
The Orphan House
- Absolutely Gripping and Heartbreaking Historical Fiction
- By: Ann Bennett
- Narrated by: Naomi Frederick
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sarah Jennings knows there’s one place she can go to find some peace and quiet during her difficult divorce. But arriving at her beloved father’s home in the countryside, she finds him unwell and hunched over boxes of files, studying the records from Cedar Hall, the crumbling orphanage in town. He says that hidden behind the wrought iron gates and overgrown ivy are secrets about their family, and he asks for her help.
-
-
The Orphan House
- By Sylvia Sue Wilson on 04-22-20
By: Ann Bennett
-
Bel Lamington
- By: D. E. Stevenson
- Narrated by: Patience Tomlinson
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bel, an orphan daughter of an Army colonel, is brought up in an English village and flung into the whirl of London life to earn a hard living as a secretary while attempting to navigate romance, unexpected friendships and urban life. Shy and sensitive, she is unaware of the pitfalls that surround her. When Bel is offered a chance to leave London and venture to a fishing hotel in Scotland for a much needed holiday with an old school friend, things begin to change. There she learns that you cannot escape from your troubles by running away from them....
-
-
Gentle reading from an era long gone
- By Chelle on 04-21-21
By: D. E. Stevenson
-
The Shop Girls of Harpers
- Oxford Street, Book 1
- By: Rosie Clarke
- Narrated by: Juliette Burton
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Sally, Beth, Margaret and Rachel meet at a job interview for the wonderful new store in Oxford Street, they have no idea they will become lifelong friends. When all four girls are lucky enough to be selected as sales staff their exciting new adventure begins. Join them as they overcome heartbreak and grief, find love and happiness and remain united in their friendship, whatever life throws at them.
-
-
Disappointed!
- By Liberty Bell on 03-11-22
By: Rosie Clarke
-
The Blue Sapphire
- By: D. E. Stevenson
- Narrated by: Hilary Neville
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a beautiful spring day, Julia Harburn sat on a seat in Kensington Gardens enjoying the sunshine. She was wearing a white frock and a large straw hat with a sapphire-blue ribbon which exactly matched her eyes - a strange coincidence, as it turned out, for the blue sapphire was to have a far-reaching influence upon her life. So far, her life had been somewhat dull and circumscribed; but quite suddenly her horizons were enlarged. She began to make new friends.
-
-
A meandering journey
- By Anonymous User on 07-10-14
By: D. E. Stevenson
-
A Place Like Home
- Short Stories
- By: Rosamunde Pilcher
- Narrated by: Barbara Barnes, Eilidh Beaton, Ellie Heydon, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Place Like Home is a collection of Rosamunde Pilcher’s most enduring short stories, never before published in audiobook form. The collection contains 15 stories, which range from "The Holiday", in which a wife surprises her husband of 25 years with a holiday full of Mediterranean sunshine, red rocks, and blue seas in an effort to rekindle the romance they had before children; "The Eye of Love", which takes the listener to the bright spring sunshine and sparkling waves of a Northumbrian village where old flames meet again; and more.
-
-
I love All of Pilcher’s books…except this one.
- By pamela on 05-24-22
-
The Cake Shop in the Garden
- By: Carole Matthews
- Narrated by: Jilly Bond
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fay Merryweather runs her cake shop from her beautiful garden. She whips up airy sponges and scrumptious scones while her customers enjoy the lovely blossoms and gorgeous blooms. Looking after the cake shop, the garden, and her cantankerous mother means Fay is always busy, but she accepts her responsibilities because if she doesn't do all this, who will? Then Danny Wilde walks into her life and makes Fay question every decision she's ever made.
-
-
Wonderful!
- By Kris on 01-30-23
By: Carole Matthews
-
Front Line Nurse
- By: Rosie James
- Narrated by: Anna Cordell
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Angelina Green never knew her mother, who left her in a cardboard box by the East London docks on a freezing November night when she was a tiny baby. Saved by a local orphanage, she knows she owes her life to the kindness of others. And she’s determined to repay her debt by working as a nurse. Strong, kind and patient, Angelina is a natural on the ward. But when war breaks out in 1914 and she is sent to The Front, her courage is tested like never before....
-
-
The bones of a good book are there poor execution
- By SanGan on 11-29-19
By: Rosie James
-
The Old Ducks' Club
- By: Maddie Please
- Narrated by: Penelope Freeman
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sophia Gregory has lost her sparkle.... Recently single and about to turn 60, Sophia doesn’t recognise the old woman staring back at her in the mirror. How has life passed her by? A quiet holiday in beautiful Rhodes is the perfect chance for her to find herself. Until she meets the Old Ducks! Juliette, Kim and Anita are three friends who are determined not to grow old gracefully! Bold and brash, they are Sophia’s worse nightmare, until they make her an honorary member of The Old Ducks’ Club!
-
-
Laugh out loud
- By MELODY JOY on 09-10-22
By: Maddie Please
-
The Bird's Nest
- By: Shirley Jackson, Kevin Wilson - foreword
- Narrated by: Linda Jones, Mark Bramhall
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Elizabeth is a demure 23-year-old wiling her life away at a dull museum job, living with her neurotic aunt, and subsisting off her dead mother’s inheritance. When Elizabeth begins to suffer terrible migraines and backaches, her aunt takes her to the doctor, then to a psychiatrist. But slowly, and with Jackson’s characteristic chill, we learn that Elizabeth is not just one girl - but four separate, self-destructive personalities.
-
-
Great audio version
- By jaspersu on 10-21-21
By: Shirley Jackson, and others
-
Small Pleasures
- A Novel
- By: Clare Chambers
- Narrated by: Karen Cass
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1957: Jean Swinney is a feature writer on a local paper in the southeast suburbs of London. Clever but with limited career opportunities and on the brink of forty, Jean lives a dreary existence that includes caring for her demanding widowed mother, who rarely leaves the house. It’s a small life with little joy and no likelihood of escape.
-
-
Awful ending
- By greyhound on 03-07-22
By: Clare Chambers
-
The Getaway Girls
- By: Dee MacDonald
- Narrated by: Jilly Bond
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Connie McColl is finally free to make her own decisions for the first time in decades. And when she meets glamorous Gill and downtrodden Maggie, at a rather dull flower arranging class, it seems that she’s not the only one dreaming of adventure. The three very different women all agree it’s about time they had a holiday to remember. So they make a pact for this summer to be their best yet - and drive off into the sunset together....
-
-
a funny read
- By Barbara on 06-21-22
By: Dee MacDonald
-
In Royal Service to the Queen
- A Novel of the Queen's Governess
- By: Tessa Arlen
- Narrated by: Mhairi Morrison
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Marion Crawford can remember each of the wonderful 16 years when she was governess to the little Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose: included in their lives, confided in, needed, trusted, and loved. These memories will never dim, ever. In Marion's mind, she will always be their Crawfie. But things become increasingly complicated as the young royals navigate adulthood. It is May 1945, and Princess Elizabeth - the heiress presumptive to the British throne - has fallen in love, and the only member of her family who is happy for her is her governess.
-
-
The reader was excellent
- By Lulu on 01-25-25
By: Tessa Arlen