The Wicked Marquis

by Barbara Cartland

When lovely young Orelia Stanyon returned home from the George and Dragon Inn, she found she could not forget the dark, sardonic stranger who had rescued her from two drunken fops. He was a man whose sudden and passionate kiss had stirred Orelia's deepest desires.She was alone in the world. The only family she had was her cousin Caroline-a beautiful woman who lived a wild and impetuous existence. Hardly the proper guardian for Orelia.But then, one day, Caroline announced her engagement. She was to wed the Marquis of Ryde. Handsome and irresistible, he was one of the wealthiest men in Regency England. Perhaps now the family would beBut Orelia was in for a surprise when she met the Marquis. For she knew him as the dark, mysterious man who had secretly won her heart months before at the George and Dragon Inn . . .

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Regency, Classics

256 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1974

About the author

Born in 1901, Barbara Cartland started her writing career in journalism and completed her first book, Jigsaw, when she was just 24. An immediate success, it was the start of her journey to becoming the world’s most famous and most read romantic novelist of all time. Inspiring a whole generation of readers around the globe with her exciting tales of adventure, love and intrigue, she became synonymous with the Romance genre. And she still is to this day, having written over 644 romantic fiction books.
As well as romantic novels, she wrote historical biographies, 6 autobiographies, plays, music, poetry and several advice books on life, love, health and cookery – totalling an incredible 723 books in all, with over 1 billion in sales.
Awarded the DBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 in honour of her literary, political and social contributions, she was President of the Hertfordshire branch of the Royal College of Midwives as well as a Dame of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and Deputy President of the St John Ambulance Brigade.
Always a passionate advocate of woman’s health and beauty, she was dubbed ‘the true Queen of Romance’ by Vogue magazine in her lifetime. Her legend continues today through her wonderfully vivid romantic tales, stories that help you escape from the day to day into the dramatic adventures of strong, beautiful women who battle, often against the odds, eventually to find that love conquers all.
Find out more about the incredible life and works of Dame Barbara Cartland at www.barbaracartland.com

Reviews

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.65*
Okay, I'd say this is a better one from BC.
Most of her book tend to coalesce and in time, this too would join that place in my mind but unlike 2-3 of hers I've read recently, this one is somewhat better done.

“A kiss—to you a little thing!
Yet I heard the angels sing.
The stars all fell from out the sky,
We cannot forget—my heart and I!”
The H saves the h from unwanted male attention at an inn in her village. He then steals a kiss as reward and they have an insta-love connection, only the H's cynical mind takes too long to wrap itself around the idea. By then, he's engaged to an ow in France who by chance turns out to be the h's widowed cousin.

So, the h's the ow in this book. Thankfully the cuz is not painted as an evil, grasping woman but only a troubled, grasping one (;D) and there's true affection between the two girls. The cuz loved a man who left to seek his fortune and since then she's been on a 'manizing spree'. She finds the moody H a bit scary and even now seeks solace with others who fall at her feet.
And there's the proverbial villain who's badly smitten with the h and does his little bit for the drama in the book.

Unlike most books, the middle is where this book is the strongest.
We get few incidents where typically the BC h has to prove her dedication to do-gooding but it's done well here and is not annoying. In fact, I applauded this BC h who could go toe to toe with the H without sounding overly sermonizing, and minus the stuttering. (Those are saved for the love scenes.)
And as a true BC H, he is moved by her innocent zeal to become a better person etc.
The h/H tip toe around each other and their honor. Lot of anguish and longing but being the good peeps they are, they will only toe the honorable line. Hmmm, okay.

*More spoiler*So, of course, the ow's guy returns in the nick of time - on the wedding day. And here's where the h behaves stupidly. So, while she was ready to stand by stoically and see the two married, she runs off when she knows there'll be a disruption? Too un-self-seeking to snatch the wedding gown off the cuz and rush the H to the altar? Sheesh!
BC maybe wanted them to have a fresh start at their hea and not a hand me down one but still, the h running off made no sense to me.

And what about the cuz's latest beau, the poor Italian ambassador? He said he'd waiting for her when she returns from her wedding trip. Lol.
AND what about the malicious grandmother? We get no hint or idea if she ever got her deserved comeuppance from the H. She just disappears from the book. What are the bad guys for if not for being thumped (like the om), ostracized, served their just desserts or even snubbed at the very least.
I hate such loose ends.

[Poonam · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I did not have very high expectations from this book and picked it up for a quick read. I have got to say that I was pleasantly surprised by it.

This may not be my first read by Barbara Cartland (as I distinctly remember reading some books by her but I do not remember which ones). After reading this one I would like to explore more romances written by Cartland.

This is a historical romance where an innocent orphan heroine and a powerful wicked Marquis fall in love eventually. Sounds very run of the mill but I still liked it. It is a clean romance with a satisfying ending.
The star of this book for me is Orelia our heroine. Darius (our hero) wasn't that bad either but he was more on the sidelines as we see the story unfolding through Orelia's eyes.

Orelia was fairly well developed character. I loved her simplicity, honesty, warm and caring nature. She held on to her values and principles without coming off as stuck-up or prudish. I really liked how she handled the different circumstances that she was thrown into.

Also this is not a love at first sight but Darius falls in love with Orelia over the course of time after getting to know her sweet nature better.

The only pitfall in this story was Caroline (Orelia's cousin). She is soo over the top selfish that it is hard to believe that someone like Orelia would toe along with Caroline's mad schemes.
The ending was a bit out of the blue in order to give Orelia a happy ending with Darius.

But apart from the above mention gripe, this was a delightful read.

[Nameeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remembered reading Barbara Cartland when I was in high school and was suddenly feeling nostalgic. I picked up The Wicked Marquis as it seemed to be one of her most popular books. I did not remember reading this one but after a few pages I realized that this was going to be a re-read.

I loved the whole idea of bumping into someone randomly who you then meet again and fall in love with and live happily ever after. Of course only after over coming some obstacles because obviously their love needs to be tested. The story is told entirely from Orelia's point of view and I wish the author had also written from the point of view of the hero, Darius as well.

Darius's male chauvinistic attitude irritated me. Plus Orelia seems to have an asthma attack when ever he seems to be around. She keeps getting breathless which got on my nerves. Plus some of the prose had me rolling my eyes:

It was her secret. It was deep within her heart, and, loving him, she must not in any way spoil that love by making it anything less than the spiritual ecstasy it was at this moment.

This book was published in 1973 so there's a lot of longing from the heroine, a couple of stolen kisses and no sex!!

The story is simple and light to read. So overall this was a 2.5 star read for me.

[Graziella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Boy could Barbara serve up the totally innocent thrills and chills of light Regency romance. I read a pile of them when I was in 7th & 8th grades and loved them all. Until recently I wouldn't have acknowledged even glancing at the covers without disdain or irony but now...well hell, I thank them for recalling to me innocent days when romantic love was a simple concept that followed a reliable script, full of mild mystery and sweet promise...so now I welcome the Dangerous Dukes and Lovelorn Ladies to my Goodreads shelf (all represented by this one title lest the shelf collapse: to the delight of her fans the outlandishly frilly author wrote hundreds (?) of these stories). Barbara, in my mind you have a special overstuffed shocking pink cloud in the afterlife, ostrich-feathered robe discretely drawn around your buffed and pouffed visage...many thanks for the memories.

[Georgina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having seen the film adaptations of four of Barbara Cartland's books, I found myself excitedly looking forward to reading The Wicked Marquis. The films convey a glimpse of the past, the rapture of romance and an ample helping of melodrama, which I found to be a refreshing and enjoyable indulgence. The Wicked Marquis contains all of these things.

From the first page, I was quickly pulled into the scenes Cartland created and found myself swept up by the narrative. I found the heroine endearing and relatable, which was a pleasant surprise.

Her manner of speaking, breathy, stumbling over her words and the excessive use of ellipsis, could have ruined the relationship between heroine and reader, for me, but Cartland balanced this well. Her character was consistent in her mannerisms but also drew the reader in with her impassioned speeches on injustice, rising to the occasion with determination and feeling.

The plot was predictable in places and at times shared common plot twists to the films I have seen, based on her other works. For me however this did not detract from my enjoyment, on the contrary, I found myself intrigued as to how these characters would react, in similar circumstances to those I had seen portrayed on screen.

There are moments that may make a modern reader stop and think, “This is ridiculous!” and they would be perfectly justified in doing so. The same thought crossed my mind on occasion, but for me this endeared the book to me all the more! If you prefer to dissect, analyse and de-construct plot points, or are easily irritated by absurd coincidence and events of a melodramatic nature then this is not the book for you. If, however, you are like me and are looking for a story that will suspend reality and send you into a world of romance and melodrama, then you need look no further than Barbara Cartland. I would recommend this book to all romantics who are looking for an entertaining and immersive read.

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 3 out of 5]

He is engaged to her cousin but he loves the h. She is honorable but the cousin is a slut. Big time and get he was still going to marry her. There is an evil om trying to kidnap her too. The hero saves her of course. On the day of the wedding, the cousins first love shows up to rescue her, drama ensues and the heroine runs away. It was just okay. I don't get why he even asked Carl to marry him. Just stupid.

[Susy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty typical Cartland, tiny blond heroine, misunderstood wicked hero in need of redemption. Heroine in this case is intelligent and fiery and the Marquis is honorable. Cartland sells the romance even if the book comes across as another romance off the assembly line. The deus ex machina ending I foresaw about 20 pages into the book.

Non-taxing, enjoyable little romance full of faith, honor, social justice and other noble principles which are left out of published romances these days. To that end, it reminded me of the patriotic, and earnest novels of American Emilie Loring.

[Reggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 estrellas

[LaFleurBleue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Orelia has more personality and intelligence than the average Barbara Cartland heroin. I managed to believe in the rake hero redemption and I liked both of them sense of honor. The heroine's cousin Caroline didn't deserve love or even respect from any of them ; by the way her behaviour is extremely explicit and far from asexual.
Very enjoyable read in the genre.

[Nadia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was so not my cup of tea. If not for the long-gone first lover of Caroline hero would marry her and the heroine would be left alone with a broken heart and she was ok with that. They didn't fight for their love so I think they didn't deserved that HEA ending. The whole story was too long, too messy and too confusing.

[Marwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

i sooooooooo love barbara cartland ! i read many of her books! i can't decide which one is my favorite ! but this book was very impressive . :) it's so interesting all way through ! i didnt get bored at all !
took me sometime to finish 'cause i was reading some other book at the same time

[Sathish Subramaniam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very nice love story. To remember the most is that it was published in 1977 and now i have read it in 2014, no wonder there is no such girl like Orelia now a days. As said in the story Orelia is a perfect combination and the best package a man can get to fall in love.
The story would be more interesting for those who are in love, those ppl can get that love feel better ( For those who are single like me is doubtful whether u could feel it that much). My first book of Barbara Cartland, no doubt she is the Queen of Romance...
This story about poor orelia who has no one in the world except for her cousin caroline, who is been engaged to marquis. After finding her cousin not so interested with marquis, and marquis interested in her and her love to marquis.
Finally what happened is a usual happy ending which favored all the characters of the story and of-course orelia weds marquis.
Normal love story with a great feel of satisfaction.

[Roub · Rating 3 out of 5]

very sweet one! Darius was a darling where Orelia was concerned ! she was a sweet and timid non entity. Darius fell for her neway bcoz of her honesty and simplicity. she's not the young and vivacious heroine i usually go for but she was incredibly nice.

[Annegirl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ha ha, can't believe I read any her books. Fluff and more fluff.

[KC Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enchanting!

[Pal (the ott alpha love) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesone awesome awesome....did I tell you..It was an awesome read..
Among my all time favorite reads..
Just can't help it

[Regan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and ½ stars! A Classic Regency That Still Appeals and a Plot to Entertain!

First published in 1978, six years after Kathleen Woodiwiss’ classic bodice ripper THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER, this Regency romance presented quite a change. It’s lighthearted banter, short length (at 217 pages), and no more than kisses for its love scenes might seem incongruous with the romances being written then. But it just shows you how varied the historical romance genre was and is.

I loved this story and it kept me up reading late into the night wanting to see how it would end. Set in England in 1817-18, it’s the story of Orelia Stanyon, the niece of a country earl deeply committed to improving the life of the poor, who dies as the story begins leaving Orelia and her cousin Caroline in need of funds. But Caroline, though in love with a young lord who went abroad to make his fortune, has managed to become engaged to Darius, the handsome, wealthy and “wicked” Marquis of Ryde. Caroline does not love him but sees it as a good move for her future security. Until Caroline and Orelia move into the marquis’ home to await the wedding, Orelia does not realize that the marquis is the same gentleman who stole a kiss from her outside the George and Dragon Inn.

Darius has never forgotten that kiss he gave to the young woman he thought a mere country lass. And he is shocked when she appears in his home as his betrothed’s cousin. Orelia with her heart of gold is determined to see her cousin happy and the social ills of London addressed. By the terms of Caroline’s father’s will, she was made Orelia’s guardian, and Orelia was to be Caroline’s conscience. As the wedding approaches, Caroline plays fast and loose with her amours and Orelia has a job keeping up, all the while she is beginning to realize her true feelings for the marquis.

The most striking thing about this story was the fast-paced dialog and the intriguing twists in the plot. Cartland’s writing style sometimes drops into the omniscient, narrator voice but I quickly got used to it. She shows you what all the characters are thinking in her own way and it’s quite charming. While the story is not deeply emotional, it has enough action (including a wretched villain who wants Orelia for his own), and enough angst to keep you on the edge of your reading seat. You will enjoy this one, I promise. I recommend it!

[whylime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was fun, I guess.

The Wicked Marquis has a rather “scandalous” description, but the story really is a typical formula. It’s even more flavorless than vanilla but you know what, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. I liked being able to turn my brain off for a little while and sink into Cartland’s romanticized past.

The writing does, however, leave something to be desired. She has, I think, only about three phrases she knows how to write and they get recycled over and over to an obvious degree. The prose is so lackluster with hardly any substance. Orelia… speaks…. in fluent… ellipses… so she seems… perpetually… constipated… and our “wicked” marquis hardly lives up to his grandiose name.

Not something I’d recommend, but it was fun while it lasted.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

When lovely young Orelia Stanyon returned home from the George and Dragon Inn, she found she could not forget the dark, sardonic stranger who had rescued her from two drunken fops. He was a man whose sudden and passionate kiss had stirred Orelia's deepest desires.

She was alone in the world. The only family she had was her cousin Caroline-a beautiful woman who lived a wild and impetuous existence. Hardly the proper guardian for Orelia.

But then, one day, Caroline announced her engagement. She was to wed the Marquis of Ryde. Handsome and irresistible, he was one of the wealthiest men in Regency England. Perhaps now the family would be secure:

But Orelia was in for a surprise when she met the Marquis. For she knew him as the dark, mysterious man who had secretly won her heart months before at the George and Dragon Inn . . .

[KhanhK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very very very old style of telling story, indeed.
I went thru this book for a little change from all the modern historical romances I've been reading. I must say I'd prefer the style in the old books of Mary Balogh than this one. Anyway, this book has served me all I asked from it: a change.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do all of her heroines have asthma? What's with all the elipses and hyphens? Breathlessness to this extent is not a good indicator of robust health at all. Maybe they need to loosen their stays a bit.

[Carla (carlaherondale) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quiero a alguien como el apuesto Marqués Ryder para amarme y protegerme como él lo hace con Orelia, por favor y gracias.

[Ananyaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling.

[Lyda]

don't know

[Janika Puolitaival · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poimin kirjaston lahjoituskärrystä - en voi uskoa että näitä tuli aikoinaan ahmittua. Niin siirappista romantiikkaa että sokerihumala iski -hauskaa kyllä oli.

[Golden Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have love this one if there's no annoying cousin named Caroline and duchess grandmama.... I want to curse them both almost the whole time I was reading the book.....

[Gogol · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some books by Barbara cartland that I still remember after 30 years, and then there are those that I have read and can only recall a blurred cloud. This is one of the latter.

Obviously the marquis and the heroine will end up together, I think they both liked the cousin Caroline, so that was the different twist, because it’s not every day that one likes the other women in Barbara Cartland books.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Primer y último libro que leo de la autora. Entiendo que es un libro escrito en los 70 pero no funcionó para mí. La protagonista es irritantemente estúpida y manipulable. Él acepta casarse con su prima aunque sabe que le es infiel y supuestamente ama a otra. La prima infiel y egoísta. Todos irritantes e insoportables. La tía se va de rositas después de lo que hizo. La trama sin sentido, apresurada, sin desarrollo. La pareja súper inverosímil. El final, de risa.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was talking about the most prolific authors with friends and we looked it up. Barbara Cartland has a Gunniess Book of World Records record for most novels written in a year (23!) Since I've never read a book by her, I added it to my list. Noting that I'm not a big fan of romances in the first place, this wasn't a good book, but it wasn't by any stretch the worst book either.

[Genna Gutier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitivamente una de las mejores historias de Barbara Cartland. Por fin muestra una pareja que hablan y se conocen antes de "enamorarse" realmente, y se siente así. No es un amor forzado. Los personajes secundarios también son interesantes y no están colocados por simple conveniencia de trama, como solía hacer en la mayoría de sus obras.