Der gutaussehende und begehrte Herzog von Oswestry läuft Gefahr von der ebenso schönen wie hinterlistigen Lady Marlene eingefangen zu werden, von der er sich gerade nach einer ungestümen Liebesaffäre getrennt hat. Indem sie vorgibt, ein Kind von ihm zu erwarten, will sie ihn vor den Altar schleppen oder, so droht sie, sie wird einen Skandal heraufbeschwören, etwas das er niemals akzeptieren könnte. Obwohl er bisher immer geschworen hatte, niemals zu heiraten, erscheint es ihm jetzt unausweichlich - bis ihn ein schönes junges Mädchen vor seiner Haustür anfleht, ihr auf der Flucht vor einem teuflischen Plan zu helfen...
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
All Barbara Cartland books are essentially the same, but this was the first one of hers I ever read, and fortunately for me (though I didn't know it at the time), also one of her best. Another book I have an unreasoning fondness for with all its breathless heroine and unabashed romance and overwrought plot
The heroine meets the Hero as she is running away from some villains who would have taken her to a brothel.
Coincidentally, it is the evil brother of the Hero who attempted to traffic her into a life of prostitution when he encounters her in the country, just as her father died. He offers her a job, but the heroine does not know that he has nefarious intentions.
The Hero rescues her as she is running away from the henchmen of his brother, Even as he helps the heroine, he asks for her help in return. He is. Eing pressured by an unscrupulous Lady who wants him to marry her.
The heroine agrees because she has no where else to go, she has just lost everything she had, and she has just been through a most traumatic and terrifying experience.
Of course the heroine is beyond lovely, she charms all the friends and relatives of the Hero including his grandmother. Everyone is so pleased with his engagement. Except of course, the unscrupulous lady who has just been thwarted, and the evil brother who is unhinged. The younger brother of the Hero actually hates him because he has always coveted the Dukedom.
When the couple are in the country, the evil brother, with his hired footpads, accosts both the Hero and heroine. He ties them up in an abandoned house so that they will starve to death. He also steals a very valuable ring from the Duke.
The Hero and heroine manage to escape, but on their way back to the estate, they see the body of the evil brother. He has been murdered by his own henchmen, who could not pass up the opportunity of getting their hands on the ring.
The heroine now does not need to fear the brother, they also read in the papers of the marriage of unscrupulous lady to another old but rich peer, so there is no longer a reason for the pretend engagement.
However, of course this is when the couple declare their love for each other and have a happy ever after. ❤️❤️❤️
An exercise in the reader's patience more than a demonstration of the author's skill. This is just the thing for you if you're interested in plotless nonsense with the most cringe-inducing dialogue imaginable (along the lines of: "Oh! Oh! My love, how could I ever without you!"). I do enjoy a good piece of plotless nonsense, but this was a little.... much.
HOWEVER. I would recommend reading this! It made me belly laugh like I hadn't in a long time. Not Dame Barbara's intention, I'm sure, but it was hilarious. I kept running to my dad to read out lines. For example, Dame Barbara apparently thinks that roses grow on trees. She literally talks about how the lovebirds stood "under a rose tree." What??? Anyways, read it, laugh at it, but for the love of God don't buy it.
I love these when I need to veg. I'm so intense in my work and I like to go 100 miles an hour when I'm accomplishing, so for me, when I want some down time, I just love to read a love story that keeps it clean and let's my mind stop working. Plus, I've always loved this time period. It's intriguing to learn little details throughout the stories.
It was a light page turner. Sort of like swimming through treacle or very thick maple syrup. The regency soap opera of swords. I liked it though. It was the first book by Barbara Cartland that I have ever finished.
Dashing, handsome and much in demand with Society ladies, the Duke of Oswestry is trapped by the beautiful but duplicitous Lady Marlene with whom he has just finished an ill-advised love affair. Claiming that she is with child and, falsely, that he is the father, she demands that he marries her or she will cause a great Society scandal, something that the Duke in his worst nightmares would never tolerate. He has previously vowed never to marry, but it seems that now there is no escape for him until a beautiful young girl appears at his front door begging him to save her from two men who are relentlessly pursuing her. Suddenly the Duke has an idea. He can save them both from their own pursuers simply by pretending that he is engaged to this lovely young waif, Udela Hayward. Little does he suspect, however, the violent passions that his pretence betrothal provokes. When there is a diabolical attempt on his life by his jealous younger brother, Lord Julius and a band of cutthroats, it is the innocent Udela who bravely saves his life. And to whom he finally loses his heart and she is carried to the stars when he kisses her for the first time.