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The Golden Illusion
Linetta was alone in the world. Her dying governess instructed her to go to Paris and seek the help of her niece, Marie. Had that good lady known what had happened to simple, good-hearted Marie -- now the toast of the Paris demi-monde, paramour of men twice her age -- it would have been the last place she'd have sent Linetta! But her instructions were carried out, and innocent, inexperienced Linetta found herself caught up in a life that dazzled and bewildered her. And most puzzling of all was Marie's plan for her future: accepting the "protection" of a wealthy, generous older man. Linetta was sure the plan would have displeased her mother. But what alternatives were there? She was alone and penniless. Was there no one to help her decide what to do?
155 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1976
About the author
Barbara Cartland
1,279 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
October 18, 2023
3.5 Oh no the heroine almost becomes a gran cocotte!😱
The heroine had been living very quietly with her mother and French governess in a country town near oxford. When her mother passes away, unbeknownst to her, the funds supporting them were also terminated and it was the kind governess supporting both of them.
Now the governess is on her deathbed and she tells the heroine that there is no more money. She makes the heroine go to her niece in Paris who has a good job and can look out for the heroine.
Unbeknownst to her..(yup, heroine is forever left in the dark by people around her 🤦🏻♀️) the niece is one of the leading courtesans of the period. And, Dame Cartland really did base her character on an actual person.
The heroine meets the Hero on her trip to France, he helps her escape the clutches of a persistent man. Then he helps her get a seat in the ladies section of the train and even provides her w food. The Hero is very concerned about someone so young and lovely traveling on her own.
However, when they arrive in Paris and he checks on her she has already left the train and he assumes she was met by some friends.
The heroine actually shared a cab with another lady who drops her at the niece’s house. The courtesan niece is very nice and kind to the heroine. She brings her around and even provides her with nice gowns, courtesy of her “protector” the heroine is very embarrassed by this, but doesn’t want to complain. She is further distressed when she observes the behavior of her hostess and the company she keeps.
The heroine tries to tell her hostess that she wants a job, she thinks she can teach English to French kids, but the courtesan dissuades her and instead she convinces the heroine, in a very nice way, that the only option to her is to be a “cher Ami” the heroine knows this is somehow wrong, but, in her innocence she doesn’t quite realize exactly what it means and agrees.
At the theater one day, the heroine is introduced to an older man. The heroine is very young and when the old man insists on taking her to dinner, she agrees. At the restaurant she sees the Hero eating w some friends. But she is taken to a private room w the old man. It is only after dinner when the old man tries to kiss her that she gets the courage to flee from him.
Once again she asks the Hero to protect. Which he does. He takes her away from the restaurant. They talk and the Hero makes her tell him everything. He seems appalled at the idea that the heroine should be a courtesan.
Later as they are walking in a romantic garden setting, suddenly they kiss each other and realize they are in love. The Hero promises to protect the heroine forever to the happiness of the heroine. He will look for a house where they can be together.
When he is arranging this the heroine returns to the courtesan to get her things and even the courtesan is impressed and happy for her as the Hero is a Marquis.
That evening, the courtesan’s protector unexpectedly comes home and catches her w another man. He screams insults att her in his anger. The heroine finally realizes how insulting and degrading the position of a “cher ami” is. She goes to church to pray and asks the vicar to help her find an honest job as a teacher.
When the Hero arrives, she breaks w him because she can never be a courtesan. She goes to the church but the Hero follows. He tells her he loves her so much and he was an idiot not to offer marriage immediately. He wants her to marry him now.
The heroine still refuses, because he is a Marquis and she doesn’t know the name of her father. Another thing her mother and governess kept secret from her. She only has the letter from a Mr. Clegg, postmarked The Castle, telling them that the funds have been terminated. She shows it to him and the Hero looks to be in shock.
The Hero tells her he will help her find who her father is, and they go to England together. Although out the long trip the Hero acts cold and distant to the heroine, barely speaking to her, so she thinks he has fallen out of love w her.
When they arrive at The Castle, the Hero tells the heroine to wait in the coach while he goes inside alone. It turns out it is his castle and Mr Clegg is his secretary. He asks for an explanation but Mr Clegg said the letter was on instructions of the dowager Marchioness, his step mother!
Of course he confronts her immediately, thinking that his father had been supporting a mistress and that the heroine is his half sister!! 😱 but fortunately, the stepmother clears it all up.
She is the daughter of a cousin, who married the mother secretly when they were both teenagers, but was afraid to confess it to his father. He made the Hero’s father promise to support her for the time being, but then he died before he could clear everything up. The father just continued to support the wife and daughter of his cousin, but when the mother of the heroine passed away, the step mom decided to terminate the support!
The Hero is now happy to call the heroine and tell her that they are actually distantly related and so she is eminently suitable to be his wife.
HEA!!❤️❤️❤️
The heroine had been living very quietly with her mother and French governess in a country town near oxford. When her mother passes away, unbeknownst to her, the funds supporting them were also terminated and it was the kind governess supporting both of them.
Now the governess is on her deathbed and she tells the heroine that there is no more money. She makes the heroine go to her niece in Paris who has a good job and can look out for the heroine.
Unbeknownst to her..(yup, heroine is forever left in the dark by people around her 🤦🏻♀️) the niece is one of the leading courtesans of the period. And, Dame Cartland really did base her character on an actual person.
The heroine meets the Hero on her trip to France, he helps her escape the clutches of a persistent man. Then he helps her get a seat in the ladies section of the train and even provides her w food. The Hero is very concerned about someone so young and lovely traveling on her own.
However, when they arrive in Paris and he checks on her she has already left the train and he assumes she was met by some friends.
The heroine actually shared a cab with another lady who drops her at the niece’s house. The courtesan niece is very nice and kind to the heroine. She brings her around and even provides her with nice gowns, courtesy of her “protector” the heroine is very embarrassed by this, but doesn’t want to complain. She is further distressed when she observes the behavior of her hostess and the company she keeps.
The heroine tries to tell her hostess that she wants a job, she thinks she can teach English to French kids, but the courtesan dissuades her and instead she convinces the heroine, in a very nice way, that the only option to her is to be a “cher Ami” the heroine knows this is somehow wrong, but, in her innocence she doesn’t quite realize exactly what it means and agrees.
At the theater one day, the heroine is introduced to an older man. The heroine is very young and when the old man insists on taking her to dinner, she agrees. At the restaurant she sees the Hero eating w some friends. But she is taken to a private room w the old man. It is only after dinner when the old man tries to kiss her that she gets the courage to flee from him.
Once again she asks the Hero to protect. Which he does. He takes her away from the restaurant. They talk and the Hero makes her tell him everything. He seems appalled at the idea that the heroine should be a courtesan.
Later as they are walking in a romantic garden setting, suddenly they kiss each other and realize they are in love. The Hero promises to protect the heroine forever to the happiness of the heroine. He will look for a house where they can be together.
When he is arranging this the heroine returns to the courtesan to get her things and even the courtesan is impressed and happy for her as the Hero is a Marquis.
That evening, the courtesan’s protector unexpectedly comes home and catches her w another man. He screams insults att her in his anger. The heroine finally realizes how insulting and degrading the position of a “cher ami” is. She goes to church to pray and asks the vicar to help her find an honest job as a teacher.
When the Hero arrives, she breaks w him because she can never be a courtesan. She goes to the church but the Hero follows. He tells her he loves her so much and he was an idiot not to offer marriage immediately. He wants her to marry him now.
The heroine still refuses, because he is a Marquis and she doesn’t know the name of her father. Another thing her mother and governess kept secret from her. She only has the letter from a Mr. Clegg, postmarked The Castle, telling them that the funds have been terminated. She shows it to him and the Hero looks to be in shock.
The Hero tells her he will help her find who her father is, and they go to England together. Although out the long trip the Hero acts cold and distant to the heroine, barely speaking to her, so she thinks he has fallen out of love w her.
When they arrive at The Castle, the Hero tells the heroine to wait in the coach while he goes inside alone. It turns out it is his castle and Mr Clegg is his secretary. He asks for an explanation but Mr Clegg said the letter was on instructions of the dowager Marchioness, his step mother!
Of course he confronts her immediately, thinking that his father had been supporting a mistress and that the heroine is his half sister!! 😱 but fortunately, the stepmother clears it all up.
She is the daughter of a cousin, who married the mother secretly when they were both teenagers, but was afraid to confess it to his father. He made the Hero’s father promise to support her for the time being, but then he died before he could clear everything up. The father just continued to support the wife and daughter of his cousin, but when the mother of the heroine passed away, the step mom decided to terminate the support!
The Hero is now happy to call the heroine and tell her that they are actually distantly related and so she is eminently suitable to be his wife.
HEA!!❤️❤️❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2016
Seguindo a mesma linha de enredo, a mocinha do livro, jovem demais e inocente, encontra-se numa situação aterradora para ela e busca num cavalheiro a ajuda para livrar-se de outro que a importunava.
Separaram-se quando chegaram em Paris, mas ele deixou uma forte impressão na jovem Linetta, enquanto que Salvin Darle, o Marquês de Darleston, ficou intrigado ao ver uma jovem tão linda viajando sozinha.
Encontram-se em outro momento de situação difícil para ela, quando ele decide "resgatá-la" de uma vez por todas.
Linetta, órfã, e agora completamente sozinha com a morte de sua governanta, não tem a quem recorrer. Vai a Paris à procura da sobrinha de sua governanta achando que iria encontrar uma serviçal que pudesse ajudá-la a encontrar um trabalho de preceptora de crianças.
Qual foi sua surpresa ao descobrir que Marie não era nenhum serviçal, mas a patroa, morando numa casa ricamente decorada, usando vestidos caríssimos e joias que ofuscavam a vista!
Mas o mais chocante para a jovem foi descobrir que tudo isso vinha a custa de maridos que traíam suas esposas e exibiam suas amantes pela cidade como se fossem trofeus.
Na época em que os livros da grande dama dos romances de época foram escritos, os enredos em sua maioria mostravam mulheres frágeis à procura de proteção na figura de um marido.
Talvez este aqui seja um dos que a mocinha se mostra mais vulnerável, e talvez por isso, não agrade a todas as leitoras.
4 estrelas
Separaram-se quando chegaram em Paris, mas ele deixou uma forte impressão na jovem Linetta, enquanto que Salvin Darle, o Marquês de Darleston, ficou intrigado ao ver uma jovem tão linda viajando sozinha.
Encontram-se em outro momento de situação difícil para ela, quando ele decide "resgatá-la" de uma vez por todas.
Linetta, órfã, e agora completamente sozinha com a morte de sua governanta, não tem a quem recorrer. Vai a Paris à procura da sobrinha de sua governanta achando que iria encontrar uma serviçal que pudesse ajudá-la a encontrar um trabalho de preceptora de crianças.
Qual foi sua surpresa ao descobrir que Marie não era nenhum serviçal, mas a patroa, morando numa casa ricamente decorada, usando vestidos caríssimos e joias que ofuscavam a vista!
Mas o mais chocante para a jovem foi descobrir que tudo isso vinha a custa de maridos que traíam suas esposas e exibiam suas amantes pela cidade como se fossem trofeus.
Na época em que os livros da grande dama dos romances de época foram escritos, os enredos em sua maioria mostravam mulheres frágeis à procura de proteção na figura de um marido.
Talvez este aqui seja um dos que a mocinha se mostra mais vulnerável, e talvez por isso, não agrade a todas as leitoras.
4 estrelas
April 10, 2014
Barbara Cartland, I must say, has got an 'eagle's eye' for writing. Anyone who's reading this review should definitely understand the figurative language of using this phrase. Just as an eagle is able to see even the minute objects on the ground, Barbara too does not miss out on a single detail. While reading the book, I wondered whether she visited every nook and corner of Paris before writing it.
Barbara has "KISS"-ed (Keep It Short & Simple) The Golden Illusion. This is my first book of hers and I liked it. Well, it is better if you're acquainted with few French words as that would make it more interesting. I don't know French and that hindered with my reading. That's why I have to take away its rating stars. But all in all, The Golden Illusion is a sweet, refreshing love story. Well, I wish I could see the Marquis though as she has described him to be so handsome. (sigh) ;)
Barbara has "KISS"-ed (Keep It Short & Simple) The Golden Illusion. This is my first book of hers and I liked it. Well, it is better if you're acquainted with few French words as that would make it more interesting. I don't know French and that hindered with my reading. That's why I have to take away its rating stars. But all in all, The Golden Illusion is a sweet, refreshing love story. Well, I wish I could see the Marquis though as she has described him to be so handsome. (sigh) ;)
September 21, 2014
Loved our Heroine Linetta...and our dashing Marques.A sweet and simple love story and yet effective.
A few moments/lines that touched my heart:
"I will spend my whole life trying to make him happy,"she said."But help him,God,to love me as I love him,with all my heart and with my whole being."
Linetta knelt down in the first pew she came to ,and as she bent her head to pray she felt as if her mother was besides her.It was a feeling she had not had when her mother died......"....(the bonds never die really do they? NO. And i loved the treatment)
She had only to look at him to feel her love was an agonizing pain in her breast,she had only to hear him speak to feel a little tremor run through her.(WOW)
LOVED THE WORK THOROUGHLY....
A few moments/lines that touched my heart:
"I will spend my whole life trying to make him happy,"she said."But help him,God,to love me as I love him,with all my heart and with my whole being."
Linetta knelt down in the first pew she came to ,and as she bent her head to pray she felt as if her mother was besides her.It was a feeling she had not had when her mother died......"....(the bonds never die really do they? NO. And i loved the treatment)
She had only to look at him to feel her love was an agonizing pain in her breast,she had only to hear him speak to feel a little tremor run through her.(WOW)
LOVED THE WORK THOROUGHLY....
October 8, 2015
Generalmente en las novelas de Barbara Cartland el romance se produce de inmediato, como "mágico y diferente" según lo describen sus protagonistas. Y eso es algo que odio, puesto a que pienso que para llegar a un amor tan "apasionado y mágico" la pareja debe conocerse mejor, que exista esa trama que atrape y cautive, que enamore. No sólo cosa de unas horas.
Esta historia me decepcionó, no me tragué la ridícula relación entre el Marqués y Linetta, nadie ve a alguien y ya piensa en que es el amor de su vida y que lo ama con locura.
Y la personalidad de Linetta tuvo mucha falta de carácter y opinión propia, más que jovencita de más de 17, o 18, parecía de 10.
En fin, no lo recomiendo nada.
Esta historia me decepcionó, no me tragué la ridícula relación entre el Marqués y Linetta, nadie ve a alguien y ya piensa en que es el amor de su vida y que lo ama con locura.
Y la personalidad de Linetta tuvo mucha falta de carácter y opinión propia, más que jovencita de más de 17, o 18, parecía de 10.
En fin, no lo recomiendo nada.
July 23, 2015
Its not a good one by Barbara Cartland. Because we have enjoyed so much enchantment in the past from her and we don't get it in this book the things we expect so we feel a bit disappointed. A few paragraphs are repeated in this book from her previous book so it felt like am I reading the previous book again. Example-- When Linetta and marquis kiss each other then a whole paragraph about "she felt thrill like quicksilver ran through her" is also repeated in 'The Bored Bridegroom' and many others by her.
June 6, 2014
Moc velká limonáda :o)
March 8, 2025
A young girl gets send to Paris after her caretaker dies. Here, she stumbles into a decadent life of luxury, but after a while, she finds that which truly matters: love…
It is a run-off-the-mill Harlequin published romance book, very swoony, slightly objectional in places. However, I completely get the hype around Barbara Cartland. She writes with so much extravagence and so much flair, I could glide through the pages. Truly a romance cornerstone!
It is a run-off-the-mill Harlequin published romance book, very swoony, slightly objectional in places. However, I completely get the hype around Barbara Cartland. She writes with so much extravagence and so much flair, I could glide through the pages. Truly a romance cornerstone!
December 14, 2020
This book really got me! Poor Linetta becomes the sweetest one with her beloved Marquis. I have this book for almost 10 years and sometimes I did a re-read of this amazing work by the one and only Barbara Cartland. This is one of the best romance-fiction books.
January 30, 2023
True to Barbara Cartland
January 29, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews