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Too Precious to Lose
Norina est heureuse.
Elle a dix-huit ans et s'apprête à faire ses débuts dans la haute société londonienne. Tout irait pour le mieux, sans son horrible marâtre. C'est bien simple, lady Sedgewyn hait Norina. Jalousie parce que lord Sedgewyn adore sa fille ? Non, cupidité. Norina est l'héritière de la fortune de sa mère. Si son père disparaît, c'est à elle que reviendront tous les biens tant convoités par lady Sedgewyn... Quoique jeune et naïve, Norina ne tarde pas à s'apercevoir que sa belle-mère est prête à tout, et même au pire.
Il ne lui reste qu'une solution : fuir, pour rester en vie. En désespoir de cause, elle s'engage au service du marquis de Chalamont et l'accompagne à Paris...
Elle a dix-huit ans et s'apprête à faire ses débuts dans la haute société londonienne. Tout irait pour le mieux, sans son horrible marâtre. C'est bien simple, lady Sedgewyn hait Norina. Jalousie parce que lord Sedgewyn adore sa fille ? Non, cupidité. Norina est l'héritière de la fortune de sa mère. Si son père disparaît, c'est à elle que reviendront tous les biens tant convoités par lady Sedgewyn... Quoique jeune et naïve, Norina ne tarde pas à s'apercevoir que sa belle-mère est prête à tout, et même au pire.
Il ne lui reste qu'une solution : fuir, pour rester en vie. En désespoir de cause, elle s'engage au service du marquis de Chalamont et l'accompagne à Paris...
165 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published May 1, 1991
About the author
Barbara Cartland
1,282 books872 followersBorn 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 28, 2019
Okay this one has the hero blinded by his married lovers husband prior to the story. He needs a secretary. Then we meet the heroine whose evil stepmother is trying to poison her so all her money will go to the Father and then she will kill him and get the money. The h finds out her food is poisoned, and Boogenhagen stop reading right here please because it's horrible. She finds out it is poisoned because she gives it to the poor kitchen cat, a a ginger tabbie, and gulp, he, I just can't say that word, he..... goes over the Rainbow Bridge!!! 😭 why didn't she give it to a servant instead??? (I hate when animals die.) And then they take the poor cat down to the dustbin wrapped in rags!! 😱 Not even a proper funeral. It was awful. Poor tabbie! 🙀 and the worst part, it was a he and they named it Ginger!! The poor gender confused cat!!!!!
Okay I am better now. The heroine gets the job with the blind marques and he takes her to Paris. She is pretending to be an older widow lady but it is an epic fail because she is beautiful. The marques is falling in love and so is she but then the dastardly stepmother sends a French ferret looking evil monk to go kidnap her and kill her. But of course the hero saves the day. Curses foiled again!!! 👿
Okay I really was upset because towards the end of the book the butler goes into the Stepmother's room and puts the same poison that killed the cat in her tisane next to the bed! But we don't get to see her die and put in the dustbin. I really wanted that. For Ginger....😹
Okay I am better now. The heroine gets the job with the blind marques and he takes her to Paris. She is pretending to be an older widow lady but it is an epic fail because she is beautiful. The marques is falling in love and so is she but then the dastardly stepmother sends a French ferret looking evil monk to go kidnap her and kill her. But of course the hero saves the day. Curses foiled again!!! 👿
Okay I really was upset because towards the end of the book the butler goes into the Stepmother's room and puts the same poison that killed the cat in her tisane next to the bed! But we don't get to see her die and put in the dustbin. I really wanted that. For Ginger....😹
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 10, 2025> Manwhore H who sleeps with married women
> H is temporarily blind cause he was shot by the husband of a woman he was sleeping with lol
> virgin h
> h is shocked and disgusted by how other women betray their husbands by having affairs, but doesn't blame H for being part of it at all
> Early 1900s
> H is temporarily blind cause he was shot by the husband of a woman he was sleeping with lol
> virgin h
> h is shocked and disgusted by how other women betray their husbands by having affairs, but doesn't blame H for being part of it at all
> Early 1900s
September 28, 2019
I'm reading this as a part of The Eternal Collection: 51-60. This is number 57.
Ugh. Yet another one where the H has at least one affair with a married woman. He finds it cute that the h is so scandalised by it. It also annoys me that the h finds the married woman repulsive to be cheating on her husband but assigns no blame or disgust to the H. What.the.heck. However I am curious to see what happens to the h so I will finish this. :(
The h has to read the letters that the H’s amours have written to him. He’s called the Wicked Marquis and tries to get the h to pretend to be something more than just his secretary. He doesn’t want to be seen because he’s embarrassed that someone’s
husband finally injured him for sleeping with the guy’s wife. Can we confidently say that he hasn’t changed at all? He feels no shame for any of his actions.
Rushed resolution. Declarations of love from both MCs. She asks him to teach her how to not bore him. I can’t even with this story.
Ugh. Yet another one where the H has at least one affair with a married woman. He finds it cute that the h is so scandalised by it. It also annoys me that the h finds the married woman repulsive to be cheating on her husband but assigns no blame or disgust to the H. What.the.heck. However I am curious to see what happens to the h so I will finish this. :(
The h has to read the letters that the H’s amours have written to him. He’s called the Wicked Marquis and tries to get the h to pretend to be something more than just his secretary. He doesn’t want to be seen because he’s embarrassed that someone’s
husband finally injured him for sleeping with the guy’s wife. Can we confidently say that he hasn’t changed at all? He feels no shame for any of his actions.
Rushed resolution. Declarations of love from both MCs. She asks him to teach her how to not bore him. I can’t even with this story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2017
This was a sweet, fast read. Clean romance. Norina is a sweet girl who is all too aware her stepmother hates her. Hates her and wants her fortune that her father has made her heir of. Reminded me a lot of Snow White. Just no dwarves. And the prince is a member of court who has been and cannot see.
Very simple in story. Norina is smart and independent. But it ends a bit too smoothly if you ask me. But then again, if it is like Snow White, I guess that fits too. Although not stated as a retelling, it sort of read like one. Hence the reference.
Very simple in story. Norina is smart and independent. But it ends a bit too smoothly if you ask me. But then again, if it is like Snow White, I guess that fits too. Although not stated as a retelling, it sort of read like one. Hence the reference.
Want to Read
October 18, 2013
November 18, 2025
Was okay 3 ⭐️ on the Cartland scale.
After reading tons of her books, one realizes she always repeats her tropes. I guess she churned them out for a quick buck as she was so prolific, and lazy readers like myself gobbled them up like popcorn 😝
So yes, the heroine needs to escape and hide from an evil step mother who tries to poison her so she can steal the heroine’s fortune for herself. With the help of a trusted servant, the heroine manages to find a secretarial post with the Hero who is temporarily blinded.
They travel to France all the while having meaningful conversations and falling in love 🙄❤️ But the step monster is desperate, so she hires a detective and an evil monk to find the heroine. She promises to pay them half the heroine’s fortune. Apparently this is the evil MO for the monk even as regards to other heiresses.
The villains successfully kidnap the heroine, but just in the nick of time, the Hero (who has conveniently recovered from his blindness) manages to sneak into the convent/fortress and rescue the heroine. Thus the dramatic cover of this book which depicts their daring escape!
Across the sea in England, the loyal servant decides to use the same poison on the evil step monster, as she tried to use on the heroine at the start. So we assume her demise, but Dame Cartland denies us the satisfaction of seeing it on paper.
The happy couple are in love and decide to marry and have an extended honeymoon. Thankfully for other heiresses they report the criminal activitiesof the evil monks to the police who are also making their move to rescue the other victims.
Of course they are
After reading tons of her books, one realizes she always repeats her tropes. I guess she churned them out for a quick buck as she was so prolific, and lazy readers like myself gobbled them up like popcorn 😝
So yes, the heroine needs to escape and hide from an evil step mother who tries to poison her so she can steal the heroine’s fortune for herself. With the help of a trusted servant, the heroine manages to find a secretarial post with the Hero who is temporarily blinded.
They travel to France all the while having meaningful conversations and falling in love 🙄❤️ But the step monster is desperate, so she hires a detective and an evil monk to find the heroine. She promises to pay them half the heroine’s fortune. Apparently this is the evil MO for the monk even as regards to other heiresses.
The villains successfully kidnap the heroine, but just in the nick of time, the Hero (who has conveniently recovered from his blindness) manages to sneak into the convent/fortress and rescue the heroine. Thus the dramatic cover of this book which depicts their daring escape!
Across the sea in England, the loyal servant decides to use the same poison on the evil step monster, as she tried to use on the heroine at the start. So we assume her demise, but Dame Cartland denies us the satisfaction of seeing it on paper.
The happy couple are in love and decide to marry and have an extended honeymoon. Thankfully for other heiresses they report the criminal activitiesof the evil monks to the police who are also making their move to rescue the other victims.
Of course they are
April 24, 2023
Exquisitely lovely Norina Wyn had fled her home, for her stepmother, greedy for the young heiress's fortune, had tried to poison her. Now Norina, posing as a widow, was Secretary to a French Marquis who was travelling to Paris to seek solitude. Entangling herself in a second Masquerade, Norina agreed to accompany him. But she could not disguise her feelings... she was falling in love with "The Wicked Marquis"! In the South of France, Norina's stepmother struck once more... in an attempt so ruthless it threatened to keep Norina from her Marquis... forever!
Beautiful eighteen-year-old Norina is dismayed when her widowed father Lord Sedgewyn quickly remarries to society beauty Violet – and even more so when she discovers her new stepmother’s wicked plot to poison her and inherit a fortune held in trust for Norina.
In fear for her life, she flees in disguise, securing a position as secretary to a temporarily blinded French Nobleman who whisks her away to Paris and then to his opulent South of France villa.
Just as her rakish new employer’s eyes begin to heal and are opened to Norina’s innocent loveliness, the evil Violet’s henchmen kidnap her.
Facing certain death in a monastic cell, Norina realises that her employer, Le Marquis de Charlamont, will never know that she has given him her heart –
Beautiful eighteen-year-old Norina is dismayed when her widowed father Lord Sedgewyn quickly remarries to society beauty Violet – and even more so when she discovers her new stepmother’s wicked plot to poison her and inherit a fortune held in trust for Norina.
In fear for her life, she flees in disguise, securing a position as secretary to a temporarily blinded French Nobleman who whisks her away to Paris and then to his opulent South of France villa.
Just as her rakish new employer’s eyes begin to heal and are opened to Norina’s innocent loveliness, the evil Violet’s henchmen kidnap her.
Facing certain death in a monastic cell, Norina realises that her employer, Le Marquis de Charlamont, will never know that she has given him her heart –
April 23, 2022
Some of the story elements are similar to some of Cartland's other titles, but still fun to read. It was nice to see Dawes the butler as such an active character in this story since more frequently it is the nanny who helps out. What Dawes does near the end to save Norina and her father was a surprise. I wonder if the eventual death of the stepmother will just be attributed to luminal overdose, and would anyone become a suspect such as Miss Jones the maid or Dawes himself. Unfortunately we do not get an epilogue to the story but I would like to think that Norina will contact her father after her marriage and the stepmother's death will just be considered an unfortunate accident.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2010
3 stars
June 22, 2011
The first one I'v read.
November 4, 2011
It was a very good story and I did really enjoy it, but it was just a little bit predictable..
July 15, 2012
Very enjoyable! A clean, beautiful and enchanting novel.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews