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A Halo for the Devil
Vintage paperback
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published September 1, 1973
About the author
Barbara Cartland
1,285 books873 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 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 11, 2025
Eine etwas altmodisch wirkende Geschichte über ein Mädchen, einen Herzog und einen Marquis, alte Feindschaften und ein Geheimnis. Liest sich grundsätzlich nicht schlecht, und wenn man Adelsgeschichten aus vergangenen Zeiten mag, ist es ein gutes Buch.
Mich hat es auch durchaus gut unterhalten können, wenn es auch hin und wieder seine Längen hatte.
Mich hat es auch durchaus gut unterhalten können, wenn es auch hin und wieder seine Längen hatte.
February 1, 2015
The Marquis gazed in amazement at Fortuna's gold-white hair and enchanting little face. "She's unlike anyone I've seen before."
But that was not true, he realized. She was like someone! Who was it? Who could it be?
When the Marquis learned an astonishing truth about her, he knew he could use this adorable young beauty as a weapon against his enemy. So he laid elaborate and cynical plans to avenge an old wrong. But he did not count on Fortuna’s spirit and courage. Nor did he understand the strange stirrings in his worldly heart. Had he plotted revenge too well, only to lose his true love?
But that was not true, he realized. She was like someone! Who was it? Who could it be?
When the Marquis learned an astonishing truth about her, he knew he could use this adorable young beauty as a weapon against his enemy. So he laid elaborate and cynical plans to avenge an old wrong. But he did not count on Fortuna’s spirit and courage. Nor did he understand the strange stirrings in his worldly heart. Had he plotted revenge too well, only to lose his true love?
November 15, 2014
SHE IS LOVELY
The Marquis gazed in amazement at Fortuna's gold-white hair and enchanting little face. "She's unlike anyone I've seen before:"
But that was not true, he realized. She was like someone! Who was it? Who could it be?
When the Marquis learned an astonishing truth about her, he knew he could use this adorable young beauty as a weapon against his enemy. So he laid elaborate and purposeful plans to avenge an old wrong. But he did not count on Fortuna's spirit and courage. Nor did he under-stand the strange stirrings in his worldly heart. Had he plotted revenge too well, only to lose his true love?
The Marquis gazed in amazement at Fortuna's gold-white hair and enchanting little face. "She's unlike anyone I've seen before:"
But that was not true, he realized. She was like someone! Who was it? Who could it be?
When the Marquis learned an astonishing truth about her, he knew he could use this adorable young beauty as a weapon against his enemy. So he laid elaborate and purposeful plans to avenge an old wrong. But he did not count on Fortuna's spirit and courage. Nor did he under-stand the strange stirrings in his worldly heart. Had he plotted revenge too well, only to lose his true love?
March 24, 2021
Sylvanus, the Marquis of Thane, lost his lands and money thanks to the Duke of Accrington’s grudge against Sylvanus’s father (he tricked Sylvanus’s father on his death bed into signing over all his things to the Duke). When everything was taken from him, Sylvanus decided to win it all back and devoted his life to becoming a gambling expert—while in the process destroying his former personality. And so the Young Devil and Old Devil gamble their land back and forth. It goes on until Fortuna shows up at Sylvanus doorstep (raised by his old nanny who just passed).
When Fortuna is revealed to be the Duke’s eighth daughter who was traded with a peasant’s son so the Duke would have an heir, Sylvanus finally has a means to defeat the Duke for good and get back his land and money. However, he doesn’t plan on falling in love.
Okay so this one really fell flat for me. I’ve seen this plot before in her other books, and while I’ve enjoyed them, this novel felt like it dragged. The first issue is that it’s 270 pages. That’s at least twice the length of her books. But there wasn’t anything remarkable in the plot or the characters to warrant the extra length of the story. Details of note include Fortuna nicknaming Sylvanus “Apollo” which is kind of cute if he wasn’t such a horrible love interest. Fortuna playing with Dalmatians and, dressed as a nun, climbing over the nunnery wall and trust-falling into her arms (she’d been kidnapped and left there so). Fortuna I think is the first Cartland MC I have come across with white-blond hair and dark eyes. Much was made of the description since it connected her with the Duke genetically.
When Fortuna is revealed to be the Duke’s eighth daughter who was traded with a peasant’s son so the Duke would have an heir, Sylvanus finally has a means to defeat the Duke for good and get back his land and money. However, he doesn’t plan on falling in love.
Okay so this one really fell flat for me. I’ve seen this plot before in her other books, and while I’ve enjoyed them, this novel felt like it dragged. The first issue is that it’s 270 pages. That’s at least twice the length of her books. But there wasn’t anything remarkable in the plot or the characters to warrant the extra length of the story. Details of note include Fortuna nicknaming Sylvanus “Apollo” which is kind of cute if he wasn’t such a horrible love interest. Fortuna playing with Dalmatians and, dressed as a nun, climbing over the nunnery wall and trust-falling into her arms (she’d been kidnapped and left there so). Fortuna I think is the first Cartland MC I have come across with white-blond hair and dark eyes. Much was made of the description since it connected her with the Duke genetically.
May 27, 2024
This book, of Cartland's over 700 novels, is one of her best. She obviously was inspired by other novels I've read with the baby-swapping or baby-stealing tropes. All authors are! The first one I read was written in the 1700's. This was a common enough event throughout history, so much so, that there was an official secretary present for all royal births until the mid-20th century to ensure there were no baby swapping. The Marquis has allowed the unredeemable evil to influence and control his life. As is common, has lived his life allowing revenge to dictate it. Of course, he is eventually saved by an innocent. The rises and falls of this story are good, and Cartland did not rush this story as she does with many of her hundreds of books. This one flows well and doesn't abruptly change course and end a bit prematurely, as so many of hers do. But when you write as many as she did every year, it's understandable. This one is a keeper and one I will read again.
December 5, 2023
A halo for the devil is a very interesting novel for many reasons , the primary one being it's pretty much a rip- off of ' These old shades' by Georgette Heyer . Interestingly , Heyer's hero, the Duke of Avon is called "Satanas" too. Cartland was my first ever introduction to Regency novels , I was to discover Heyer much later which is when I came to realise that this novel and ' Love me forever' were both her take on 'These old shades' . The very young me loved this book (until I discovered her perfidy) , so 3 stars it is !
May 28, 2023
I had a lovely time reading this one! I always enjoy when the main characters spend a lot of time together on BC's romances and that was one of those cases.
December 6, 2023
I have heard that Barbara cartland’s sons disputed Georgette heyer’s estate’ claim that this one was a copy of the latter’s most famous book.
And as much as tropes get recycled in the romance genre over and over and over again, I can’t think of many books where the first thing the hero thinks upon meeting the heroine is her resemblance to his nemesis and how she must be said enemy’s real child switched at birth with a common born boy to pose as a dupe heir. All I’m saying is that dame cartland’s sons must have had excellent attorneys.
But, having loved “these old shades” for decades I too can agree that the resemblance is very superficial. As much as I’m fond of Barbara Cartland, she simply never managed to come even close to the perfection that Georgette heyer created in her characters, the story, the almost esoteric command that his grace the Duke of Avon seemed to have on what some people call the flow of life. His most magnificent gamble was what he accomplished in the end, outing his reviled enemy in front of their peers in that uniquely theatrical way. Also, to my uneducated eyes it seemed as if GH managed to capture the essence of that elusive spirit of the 18th century which we all associate to romance and fairytales, with Paris in its ancienne régime glory as a back drop. Actually I think that’s exactly it, that hint of a pre-revolution France with all the enchanting charm of a time gone by. The glimpses she shows of how noble blood was perceived at that time, how they believed it remained true, I forget the exact phrase? How it showed in the end? I think it was masterfully done.
This one was a pale copy, better than many others, but still not close enough.
And as much as tropes get recycled in the romance genre over and over and over again, I can’t think of many books where the first thing the hero thinks upon meeting the heroine is her resemblance to his nemesis and how she must be said enemy’s real child switched at birth with a common born boy to pose as a dupe heir. All I’m saying is that dame cartland’s sons must have had excellent attorneys.
But, having loved “these old shades” for decades I too can agree that the resemblance is very superficial. As much as I’m fond of Barbara Cartland, she simply never managed to come even close to the perfection that Georgette heyer created in her characters, the story, the almost esoteric command that his grace the Duke of Avon seemed to have on what some people call the flow of life. His most magnificent gamble was what he accomplished in the end, outing his reviled enemy in front of their peers in that uniquely theatrical way. Also, to my uneducated eyes it seemed as if GH managed to capture the essence of that elusive spirit of the 18th century which we all associate to romance and fairytales, with Paris in its ancienne régime glory as a back drop. Actually I think that’s exactly it, that hint of a pre-revolution France with all the enchanting charm of a time gone by. The glimpses she shows of how noble blood was perceived at that time, how they believed it remained true, I forget the exact phrase? How it showed in the end? I think it was masterfully done.
This one was a pale copy, better than many others, but still not close enough.
March 14, 2015
Extremely formulaic but just the thing for a teen on a Friday night stuck in a town of less than a thousand. I read these by the half-dozen!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews