the Betts mission statement

This is practically a mission statement for every dysfunctional relationship Betts ever wrote: "He was arrogant and ill-tempered and just about the horridest man she had ever met, and she loved him with all of her heart."
That's from Britannia All at Sea, p. 63, but that sentiment comes up several other times in other Bettses. It's problematic because while the Betts hero usually has a loving moment at the end of the book, it rarely is enough to make up for his bad temper and arrogance in the rest of the book. Why these women think that the Betts heroes will continue to be good people, instead of reverting back to their usual ways, is anyone's guess. I mean, some of these men are practically Dr. House, and we all know how that goes - any unguarded moment of kindness is balanced by a solid week of bad temper.