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Vote for Love
"How could I have been so foolish? How could this have happened to me?" Viola asked herself desperately as she looked at the grim prison walls surrounding her.
Her only chance for release lay with the man she loved. Surely his influence could free her.
But suppose Rayburn decided to leave her there, she wondered in panic? Her suffragette activities and now her scandalous arrest could ruin his political career.
"He might never forgive me!" she cried, as tears flooded her eyes.
Even confinement in prison was preferable to the loss of Rayburn's love!
Her only chance for release lay with the man she loved. Surely his influence could free her.
But suppose Rayburn decided to leave her there, she wondered in panic? Her suffragette activities and now her scandalous arrest could ruin his political career.
"He might never forgive me!" she cried, as tears flooded her eyes.
Even confinement in prison was preferable to the loss of Rayburn's love!
151 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
26 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Cartland
1,063 books846 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 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 4, 2023
Available on Open Library.
For some strange reason, i liked this. Not many others would, because the heroine is one of the helpless, clinging vine types. The cover art for this one is pretty accurate! 😁
Her step mother is a rabid supporter of the suffragists, which should be commendable, but Dame Cartland portrays her as a kind of villain. Her step-daughter is not really into the cause, but she forces her to participate in very dangerous ways. In fact, the heroine is told to plant a bomb in the Hero’s house and that is how they meet.
The heroine is actually cowering beside a lit bomb when the hero comes in and pulls her to shelter w him behind a sofa. Thankfully the bomb does not explode. The Hero finds out that the very young and easily bullied heroine is being coerced into all the suffragist activities because of her step mother.
He is actually very kind and caring towards her and he sends her home. Then he encounters her again when he sees her being led into prison with other suffragists. Her step mom shoved her into the middle of a demonstration. The hero manages to rescue her by just paying a fine, and sending her home again.
The Hero is actually having an affair w a very beautiful but jealous married lady. The affair is over for him, but jealous lady cant let go. When the Hero finds out that jealous lady’s husband has suddenly passed away, he immediately accepts the invitation of an Earl to visit his country estate.
He is pleasantly surprised to find the heroine at the country party. She confides in him that the old Earl is pursuing her, and she fears her step mother will force her to marry him. The Hero comes up w a solution so save both their skins by announcing, at the party, that they are engaged to each other. The Old Earl is very put off and angry that he was ‘piped at the post.’ Later, the Hero again has to rescue the heroine when the old lascivious Earl tries to assault her.
I count 3 rescues so far.
When they get back to London, the Hero and heroine start acting like an engaged couple and go out together. The heroine is ecstatic since she is already in love w the Hero, though she knows he does not love her. And then she gets a note from jealous lady asking her to tea. Purportedly to discuss what wedding present she can give them. The heroine is afraid but doesn’t want to be rude.
Of course she goes to jealous lady’s house, only for jealous lady to say mean passive aggressive things to her and imply that she will be an unsuitable wife to the Hero (heroine’s secret fears). The heroine leaves but soon after 2 policemen arrive. She has been accused by jealous lady. Supposedly she lit a fire in one of the rooms and left a lot of suffragette flyers. The police bring her to jail. Thanksfully she is able to send a message to the Hero.
The Hero immediately bails her out (rescue #4) and brings her home. He tells her to trust him and he will handle it. He goes to jealous lady, she is determined to press charges and have everything reported in the newspapers. The Hero threatens her w social ostracism for the rest of her life if she does not recant her accusation against the heroine. He has incriminating letters from her.
The Hero returns to the house of the heroine to tell her that all charges have been dropped. They confess their love for each other and decide to marry immediately!
❤️❤️❤️
I liked hat th characters stayed true to form. The Hero was, of course, a strong alpha male and the heroine was a classic submissive 😄 so yes, they are perfect for each other.
Also, unlike many of her later books… this one did not mention any “vibrations” between the Hero and heroine, which becomes one of her hallmark repetitive indicators that her main characters are soul mates.
For some strange reason, i liked this. Not many others would, because the heroine is one of the helpless, clinging vine types. The cover art for this one is pretty accurate! 😁
Her step mother is a rabid supporter of the suffragists, which should be commendable, but Dame Cartland portrays her as a kind of villain. Her step-daughter is not really into the cause, but she forces her to participate in very dangerous ways. In fact, the heroine is told to plant a bomb in the Hero’s house and that is how they meet.
The heroine is actually cowering beside a lit bomb when the hero comes in and pulls her to shelter w him behind a sofa. Thankfully the bomb does not explode. The Hero finds out that the very young and easily bullied heroine is being coerced into all the suffragist activities because of her step mother.
He is actually very kind and caring towards her and he sends her home. Then he encounters her again when he sees her being led into prison with other suffragists. Her step mom shoved her into the middle of a demonstration. The hero manages to rescue her by just paying a fine, and sending her home again.
The Hero is actually having an affair w a very beautiful but jealous married lady. The affair is over for him, but jealous lady cant let go. When the Hero finds out that jealous lady’s husband has suddenly passed away, he immediately accepts the invitation of an Earl to visit his country estate.
He is pleasantly surprised to find the heroine at the country party. She confides in him that the old Earl is pursuing her, and she fears her step mother will force her to marry him. The Hero comes up w a solution so save both their skins by announcing, at the party, that they are engaged to each other. The Old Earl is very put off and angry that he was ‘piped at the post.’ Later, the Hero again has to rescue the heroine when the old lascivious Earl tries to assault her.
I count 3 rescues so far.
When they get back to London, the Hero and heroine start acting like an engaged couple and go out together. The heroine is ecstatic since she is already in love w the Hero, though she knows he does not love her. And then she gets a note from jealous lady asking her to tea. Purportedly to discuss what wedding present she can give them. The heroine is afraid but doesn’t want to be rude.
Of course she goes to jealous lady’s house, only for jealous lady to say mean passive aggressive things to her and imply that she will be an unsuitable wife to the Hero (heroine’s secret fears). The heroine leaves but soon after 2 policemen arrive. She has been accused by jealous lady. Supposedly she lit a fire in one of the rooms and left a lot of suffragette flyers. The police bring her to jail. Thanksfully she is able to send a message to the Hero.
The Hero immediately bails her out (rescue #4) and brings her home. He tells her to trust him and he will handle it. He goes to jealous lady, she is determined to press charges and have everything reported in the newspapers. The Hero threatens her w social ostracism for the rest of her life if she does not recant her accusation against the heroine. He has incriminating letters from her.
The Hero returns to the house of the heroine to tell her that all charges have been dropped. They confess their love for each other and decide to marry immediately!
❤️❤️❤️
I liked hat th characters stayed true to form. The Hero was, of course, a strong alpha male and the heroine was a classic submissive 😄 so yes, they are perfect for each other.
Also, unlike many of her later books… this one did not mention any “vibrations” between the Hero and heroine, which becomes one of her hallmark repetitive indicators that her main characters are soul mates.
Read
March 15, 2016It was impossible to choose between one and five stars for this! On the one hand, it was absolutely terrible, derivative, and disempowering. I really wanted to take a highlighter to it. (Not my book, or I would have.) On the other hand, it was fascinating in an anthropological way, a disturbing view of the status of women before feminism. (It was written in 1977, but not everyone had been infected by then.)
(Spoiler alert - in case you wanted to read it...) From the intro page, I had discovered that it was a romance about a woman jailed for suffragist activities. Imagine my surprise to find that, true though that was, she had been jailed only because her evil man-hating stepmother forced her to attempt a suicide bombing, or else she would be beaten and psychologically abused. Damn women's-libbers! Our heroine, on the other hand, was the opposite, a woman who understood that her goal in life should be to have a man to make decisions for her. The rest was pretty true to form.
(Spoiler alert - in case you wanted to read it...) From the intro page, I had discovered that it was a romance about a woman jailed for suffragist activities. Imagine my surprise to find that, true though that was, she had been jailed only because her evil man-hating stepmother forced her to attempt a suicide bombing, or else she would be beaten and psychologically abused. Damn women's-libbers! Our heroine, on the other hand, was the opposite, a woman who understood that her goal in life should be to have a man to make decisions for her. The rest was pretty true to form.
January 18, 2026
I love to relax and read a book where I just get to veg and not have to think... I just love a good love story. I love it clean. I love reading romance novels from the 1800's and I read them, understanding that the rules of society were different then. I enjoy reading it with that understanding. Some people get upset when they read these kinds of novels because they don't 'like' the rules of that society. It bothers them that men did not have equal rights with women (I absolutely don't like that either) or, for example, as in this novel, that women do not have the vote. I love to read them because I have studied enough of history to understand the social issues and challenges. I love reading a book where the characters in the story navigate through their challenges, needs and wants, while having to deal with the current framework of the society they live in. I love reading it because that is what it was REALLY like for them! I see their strength, how their beliefs change and grow, and how they learn to achieve within the parameters they know. I don't apply presentism to how I feel when I read, because I know they grew up in a different time, and a different social structure. Of course, I am so grateful that social structure has changed and we live in a different time with more equal rights.
I usually really enjoy Barbara Cartland. But this one really bugged me! Because the heroine is so afraid and anxious and will never stand up for herself. She is a coward the entire time and she never changes. She doesn't learn anything from her experiences (except little tiny things in the narrative - but not enough to even grow her character.)and she doesn't ever grow as a character. She is a good person and there are a few times where the text implies she is intelligent, but she never acts like it, she never does anything that I can admire. She just does nothing, doesn't stand up for anything, hasn't thought anything through, and just waits around to be saved. I love that she has belief in God and prays, that is an evidence of strong character, but I have never read a Barbara Cartland novel where the heroine has nothing to recommend her strength. THAT, I did not like.
I usually really enjoy Barbara Cartland. But this one really bugged me! Because the heroine is so afraid and anxious and will never stand up for herself. She is a coward the entire time and she never changes. She doesn't learn anything from her experiences (except little tiny things in the narrative - but not enough to even grow her character.)and she doesn't ever grow as a character. She is a good person and there are a few times where the text implies she is intelligent, but she never acts like it, she never does anything that I can admire. She just does nothing, doesn't stand up for anything, hasn't thought anything through, and just waits around to be saved. I love that she has belief in God and prays, that is an evidence of strong character, but I have never read a Barbara Cartland novel where the heroine has nothing to recommend her strength. THAT, I did not like.
July 8, 2016
Well, I've decided to give this two stars, because, despite the fact that Cartland has her hero recommend that the heroine is better off without a political vote, he is forced to concede that education for women is a good thing ... also Cartland gives the reader a certain amount of interesting information about the Votes For Women campaign, deploring its violent methods, but admiring the fortitude of the Pankhursts. Set in 1907, it's a bit schizophrenic and not Cartland at her best, in my view, but let's give her some credit for her research (she also mentions electric broughams)!
October 11, 2025
Been 20 years since I read this one. It left an impression cause it was the only romance novel I had. Will re-rate when I re-read it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews