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The Disgraceful Duke
Shimona was face to face with the notorious Duke. She had imagined an older man with slanting eyes, arched eyebrows, a long thin nose and pointed ears.
But as she looked across the room she saw not the devil she had anticipated, but a surprisingly young, extremely good-looking man.
He looked at her with an expression that made her body tremble and her heart pound wildly.
Appalled by her own ecstasy, she blushed and turned from the Duke's penetrating gaze.
But as she looked across the room she saw not the devil she had anticipated, but a surprisingly young, extremely good-looking man.
He looked at her with an expression that made her body tremble and her heart pound wildly.
Appalled by her own ecstasy, she blushed and turned from the Duke's penetrating gaze.
153 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1977
About the author
Barbara Cartland
1,349 books874 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 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 28, 2021
4.5 stars
The GOOD:
Good character development with 18yo sheltered homeschool actor's daughter h showing her knowledge/inner strength/openness to experience/wisdom/self-sacrifice as she goes through trials of her father's grave sickness/being orphaned & alone & jobless/the relationship complication of H being a Duke & her being a mere actor's daughter and especially 30s Duke H being transformed from being an infamous womanizer & libertine into a man who's:
1. self-sacrificial (i.e.,H willingly took the pain of the fire on the back of his body to save h &
the baby h was rescuing from being burned from the fire instead)
2. loving & dedicated (i.e., H lost his desire for orgy parties & willing women per his usual
night because he could only think of h since meeting her, he persistently searched for weeks for
h's whereabouts when she suddenly left after her 2-day pretend stint was done, H willing to
forego his social city-life parties to live a quiet country life with h) &
3.self-controlled (i.e. H had to repeatedly keep a physical distance from h to not give in to his
desire for her) for h.
Sexual tension was good, although not physically-focused. Their sexual chemistry aided more by H&h's emotional chemistry. Good emotionality with some angst (I got a bit teary eyed) at the end when H told h he couldn't marry her.
MEH or the BAD:
Pacing was a little slow at 1st due to info about Drury Lane there & h's theatre-actor dad's acting history. Pacing got better when H&h met. No sex scenes per Cartland's usual but the 3 sweet but passionate kissing scenes somehow elevated their sexual & emotional chemistry.
The GOOD:
Good character development with 18yo sheltered homeschool actor's daughter h showing her knowledge/inner strength/openness to experience/wisdom/self-sacrifice as she goes through trials of her father's grave sickness/being orphaned & alone & jobless/the relationship complication of H being a Duke & her being a mere actor's daughter and especially 30s Duke H being transformed from being an infamous womanizer & libertine into a man who's:
1. self-sacrificial (i.e.,H willingly took the pain of the fire on the back of his body to save h &
the baby h was rescuing from being burned from the fire instead)
2. loving & dedicated (i.e., H lost his desire for orgy parties & willing women per his usual
night because he could only think of h since meeting her, he persistently searched for weeks for
h's whereabouts when she suddenly left after her 2-day pretend stint was done, H willing to
forego his social city-life parties to live a quiet country life with h) &
3.self-controlled (i.e. H had to repeatedly keep a physical distance from h to not give in to his
desire for her) for h.
Sexual tension was good, although not physically-focused. Their sexual chemistry aided more by H&h's emotional chemistry. Good emotionality with some angst (I got a bit teary eyed) at the end when H told h he couldn't marry her.
MEH or the BAD:
Pacing was a little slow at 1st due to info about Drury Lane there & h's theatre-actor dad's acting history. Pacing got better when H&h met. No sex scenes per Cartland's usual but the 3 sweet but passionate kissing scenes somehow elevated their sexual & emotional chemistry.
May 12, 2019
Another faintly ridiculous and OTT romance by Ms. Cartland, this delivers on all the tropes you would expect. If you go in thinking you will get something different you will be disappointed. Since I am very well aware of what I get when I pick up a Barbara Cartland romance I ended up enjoying this - all the tropes which has made her one of my brain-dead favourites are here. The lovely, naïve stammering heroine and the perfect hero.
Our heroine is named Shimona and she is the daughter of an obviously negligent father who is a theatre actor. Ms. Cartland, once again, somehow manages to find the worst names for her heroine. Who names their kids this? In England no less.
She also glosses over the autocratic and hypocritical nature of her father who has basically isolated his daughter and kept her naïve and clueless. The heroine has no idea “her life was different .., [and that she] might as well have been living on a desert island for all the contact the had with people”. Of course, this is all to keep her pure and untainted! Or something equally ridiculous.
Ah well - I expected as much.
Her hero was much better and he did a beautiful job grovelling near the end so I gave this a three stars as I did smile through the book. I thought he was going to be an ass as he was trying to trick his relative, but I didn't let things like morals bother me in the end.
All in all, a pleasant time pass. Don't expect huge innovation but lovers of tropes (or tripes) will enjoy this.
Ps. There were 8 pages of theatre history in this slim book. I guess putting history in a historical is probably a good thing?!! Maybe?
Our heroine is named Shimona and she is the daughter of an obviously negligent father who is a theatre actor. Ms. Cartland, once again, somehow manages to find the worst names for her heroine. Who names their kids this? In England no less.
She also glosses over the autocratic and hypocritical nature of her father who has basically isolated his daughter and kept her naïve and clueless. The heroine has no idea “her life was different .., [and that she] might as well have been living on a desert island for all the contact the had with people”. Of course, this is all to keep her pure and untainted! Or something equally ridiculous.
Ah well - I expected as much.
Her hero was much better and he did a beautiful job grovelling near the end so I gave this a three stars as I did smile through the book. I thought he was going to be an ass as he was trying to trick his relative, but I didn't let things like morals bother me in the end.
All in all, a pleasant time pass. Don't expect huge innovation but lovers of tropes (or tripes) will enjoy this.
Ps. There were 8 pages of theatre history in this slim book. I guess putting history in a historical is probably a good thing?!! Maybe?
May 26, 2017
Well, the duke certainly was disgraceful. He came up with a dastardly plot to con the chief-tan of a Scottish clan into leaving his money to his friend who had an unsuitable wife. He hires the heroine for the job, who joins in the plot with a few "Oh this is so wrong"s, but she follows along none the less. Add in a trusty maidservant, drunken retainers, a fire which almost kills the hero and the discovery the unsuitable wife was already married and we are entertained with standard BC nonsense. All that is left is for the heroine to cure the hero with nothing but a jar of honey and the happily ever after ending. What more could you ask for?
June 11, 2023
Was okay.
The Duke is truly does have a disgraceful reputation but in fairness, he always treats the heroine well, with utmost respect.
Also unusual for a Barbara Cartland book, there is no Other Woman involved! 😳
Also, i think the only one I’ve read where the Hero claims he is not good enough for the heroine!
The Duke is truly does have a disgraceful reputation but in fairness, he always treats the heroine well, with utmost respect.
Also unusual for a Barbara Cartland book, there is no Other Woman involved! 😳
Also, i think the only one I’ve read where the Hero claims he is not good enough for the heroine!
October 21, 2013
This is one of the first Barbara Cartland's novels that I read in high school as a part of my exploration of the historical romance genre. It was quite exciting for my teenager self. I love history lesson at school, and so, I felt educated by her novels. Since reading her novels, my daydreams changed setting, usually to a British countryside set in Victorian era or, during the Napoleonic war.
However, after reading 3 of her novels, I recognized a recurring pattern that Dame Barbara used in, probably, all of her novels. After reading 7, I was sure.
It's always about a vanilla heroine met a more colorful, and usually, more socially powerful hero. The story may set in a different time and place (few occasion, it happens in a made-up east-European country). But the plot is always the same. The climax is always followed by having the heroine misunderstood something that makes her ran away. SO then, the last chapter was dedicated to describe the devastation that the girl experienced for loosing her true love. Some promised herself that to never marry. At last, suddenly said true love came knocking her door. Then they kiss a blissful kiss that made her hallucinate about angels, paradise, the light of heaven etc. Then, the end.
Well, though it's fun to read one of her, I'd say, if you're an adult, don't expand your reading list with her books. Nowadays we have writers as funny and smart as Julia Quinn, as eloquent with words as Sherry Thomas, and so many others who in the presence of cliched romantic scene, still try to innovate their works. Though, of course, having several explicit scenes made their works are not appropriate for children below the consent age, or say, your book club at church.
Anyway, Dame Barbara Cartland did matter greatly in this genre. Well, I think she was the one who create and used up all of the cliches in her hundreds penned novels.
However, after reading 3 of her novels, I recognized a recurring pattern that Dame Barbara used in, probably, all of her novels. After reading 7, I was sure.
It's always about a vanilla heroine met a more colorful, and usually, more socially powerful hero. The story may set in a different time and place (few occasion, it happens in a made-up east-European country). But the plot is always the same. The climax is always followed by having the heroine misunderstood something that makes her ran away. SO then, the last chapter was dedicated to describe the devastation that the girl experienced for loosing her true love. Some promised herself that to never marry. At last, suddenly said true love came knocking her door. Then they kiss a blissful kiss that made her hallucinate about angels, paradise, the light of heaven etc. Then, the end.
Well, though it's fun to read one of her, I'd say, if you're an adult, don't expand your reading list with her books. Nowadays we have writers as funny and smart as Julia Quinn, as eloquent with words as Sherry Thomas, and so many others who in the presence of cliched romantic scene, still try to innovate their works. Though, of course, having several explicit scenes made their works are not appropriate for children below the consent age, or say, your book club at church.
Anyway, Dame Barbara Cartland did matter greatly in this genre. Well, I think she was the one who create and used up all of the cliches in her hundreds penned novels.
February 1, 2015
Shimona was face to face with the notorious Duke. She had imagined an older man with slanting eyes, arched eyebrows, a long thin nose and pointed ears.
But as she looked across the room she saw not the devil she had anticipated, but a surprisingly young, extremely good-looking man.
He looked at her with an expression that made her body tremble and her heart pound wildly.
Appalled by her own ecstasy, she blushed and turned from the Duke's penetrating gaze.
But as she looked across the room she saw not the devil she had anticipated, but a surprisingly young, extremely good-looking man.
He looked at her with an expression that made her body tremble and her heart pound wildly.
Appalled by her own ecstasy, she blushed and turned from the Duke's penetrating gaze.
May 29, 2018
This book isn't as problematic as her other books, but it isn't that great anyway.
It seems like the author has managed to do some research before writing it.
The plot is underwhelming, to say the least.
Everything conveniently falls into place - all the time.
The protagonist is, as always, a Mary Sue. Her love interest is, as always, a handsome, wealthy, slightly older and man.
Every side character is either killed off in the most predictable way, or simply forgotten about once they've played their part.
I also found it a bit concerning that the protagonist spent so much time thinking about how hot her father was. It's one thing to look up to your dad and acknowledge that he's a handsome man - but to repeatedly describe him as the epitome of beauty is to take things one step too far. At least in my opinion.
It seems like the author has managed to do some research before writing it.
The plot is underwhelming, to say the least.
Everything conveniently falls into place - all the time.
The protagonist is, as always, a Mary Sue. Her love interest is, as always, a handsome, wealthy, slightly older and man.
Every side character is either killed off in the most predictable way, or simply forgotten about once they've played their part.
I also found it a bit concerning that the protagonist spent so much time thinking about how hot her father was. It's one thing to look up to your dad and acknowledge that he's a handsome man - but to repeatedly describe him as the epitome of beauty is to take things one step too far. At least in my opinion.
May 25, 2018
This romantic historical novel still held some of the same magic as the numerous novels of Barbara Cartland I read as a teenager. The novel was a sweet and fast read, not especially challenging or original. But nonetheless I still somehow liked it, maybe I am a hopeless sucker for sweet romance.
September 25, 2020
Barbara Cartland really could write romance novels :-D
I mean, it's no wonder she wrote several "novels" in a year. It's a wonder no-one has invented Barbara Cartland Romance Novel machine already :-D
I mean, it's no wonder she wrote several "novels" in a year. It's a wonder no-one has invented Barbara Cartland Romance Novel machine already :-D
April 17, 2023
BC books never disappoint me! I had a good time reading this one, it was not my favorite one but it was very good. I read it in 2 days.
Read
July 25, 2023This one is beautiful.
I always pontificate about the repetitive plots that Dame Cartland used to write.
Not so this one.
This is well developed, original and beautiful.
I always pontificate about the repetitive plots that Dame Cartland used to write.
Not so this one.
This is well developed, original and beautiful.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews