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Daughters of England #10
Knave of Hearts
Lottie finds romance, intrigue, passion, danger, and treachery at the glittering court of Louis XV in Paris, when she journeys from England to her father's home in France
311 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
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329 people want to read
About the author
Philippa Carr
101 books246 followersEleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow, Anna Percival and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 12, 2012
How anyone can make the French Revolution boring is beyond me, but trust Carr/Plaidy to do it.
December 12, 2016
A Story of Growing Up in France Before the Revolution and Finding a Love Thought Lost
Philippa Carr is the historical romance author you may know as Victoria Holt (also a pen name). This is #10 in her 20-book “Daughters of England” series but can be read as a stand alone.
Set in the late 18th century, beginning in England in 1767, it tells of beautiful Charlotte d'Aubigne (“Lottie”) who, when she was twelve, learned her real father was a French comte and her home was to be in France. She does not want to leave her beloved English home nor does she want to leave “Dickon”, the boy she has always adored and wanted to marry. But she is young and her English mother and French father decide Dickon is not the best choice. So they take her away to Louis XV's France and to her father’s great estate.
As the years pass, Lottie forgets her youth and becomes emerged in all things French and the tumultuous times that follow the American War. New love comes to her in the person of Charles de Tourville, a man who, though inconstant, loves Lottie. But he wants to fight for America’s liberty, so encouraged by Dickon (who has been a constant guest), Charles leaves Lottie in France with their two children and goes off to fight. Lottie is consoled by her family and her friend, Lisette, a bastard like herself.
This is a story steeped in the tumultuous history of the times and provides a tale of jealousy and betrayal on many levels. Lottie has a very practical nature that allows her to change from her idealistic youth to a mature acceptance of the weaknesses in others. And coming full circle, she returns to England for a visit where Dickon still remembers her.
If you like Victoria Holt’s mysteries, this might appeal. It did to me. Told from the first person, you are always only in Lottie’s mind but you know the thoughts of others as they reveal them. I liked the detail and the complicated relationships but the romance was a bit disappointing, possibly because neither Charles nor Dickon was a compelling hero. (It seemed both were knaves.) And the passion seemed to be more on their part than Lottie’s. A more compelling figure was her father, the comte. Still, it’s a very good read and there are some exciting scenes as the country moves toward the Revolution.
Philippa Carr is the historical romance author you may know as Victoria Holt (also a pen name). This is #10 in her 20-book “Daughters of England” series but can be read as a stand alone.
Set in the late 18th century, beginning in England in 1767, it tells of beautiful Charlotte d'Aubigne (“Lottie”) who, when she was twelve, learned her real father was a French comte and her home was to be in France. She does not want to leave her beloved English home nor does she want to leave “Dickon”, the boy she has always adored and wanted to marry. But she is young and her English mother and French father decide Dickon is not the best choice. So they take her away to Louis XV's France and to her father’s great estate.
As the years pass, Lottie forgets her youth and becomes emerged in all things French and the tumultuous times that follow the American War. New love comes to her in the person of Charles de Tourville, a man who, though inconstant, loves Lottie. But he wants to fight for America’s liberty, so encouraged by Dickon (who has been a constant guest), Charles leaves Lottie in France with their two children and goes off to fight. Lottie is consoled by her family and her friend, Lisette, a bastard like herself.
This is a story steeped in the tumultuous history of the times and provides a tale of jealousy and betrayal on many levels. Lottie has a very practical nature that allows her to change from her idealistic youth to a mature acceptance of the weaknesses in others. And coming full circle, she returns to England for a visit where Dickon still remembers her.
If you like Victoria Holt’s mysteries, this might appeal. It did to me. Told from the first person, you are always only in Lottie’s mind but you know the thoughts of others as they reveal them. I liked the detail and the complicated relationships but the romance was a bit disappointing, possibly because neither Charles nor Dickon was a compelling hero. (It seemed both were knaves.) And the passion seemed to be more on their part than Lottie’s. A more compelling figure was her father, the comte. Still, it’s a very good read and there are some exciting scenes as the country moves toward the Revolution.
December 5, 2018
This has none of the previous book’s fast-paced originality or compelling storyline. Instead, we have a plodding narrative that builds to the first outbreaks of the French Revolution in 1789.
Some quality scenes emerge in places, though too often the first-person narrative rambles on to no great effect.
This author – under all her pseudonyms – is guilty of several annoying traits. One is repetition, another is using the passive voice, and the worst is “telling” instead of “showing”.
In many works, be it as Philippa Carr or Victoria Holt, there’s one male character who’s invariably referred to by both his names. In this case, it’s Léon Blanchard. Why she can’t use one name or the other I don’t know, but the continual use of both names soon grows annoying, as well as sounding unnatural at times.
Another annoying trait is the author’s lack of pinpointing time. In most of her books I’m picturing certain characters at a specific age, only to suddenly learn that someone who was twenty during the previous dozen or so pages is suddenly forty-five.
It’s worse still with child characters. For example, the character Claudine is a toddler for quite some time, therefore I had a “What the hell?” moment when – still thinking Claudine was about three – I read this:
“The children are growing up. Claudine is nearly thirteen years old.”
Thirteen! I had to pause, readjust, and digest this unexpected info. It’s a bit like forcing someone running a marathon to leap a few hurdles halfway through their run.
If the author chaptered her novels properly instead of cramming what should be ten or more chapters together as one, maybe the reader would gain a better sense of time. She seldom mentions what year we’re in, which doesn’t help matters.
Despite the above criticisms, this novel is not without merits. As mentioned, certain scenes are quality reading. Some plot lines were predictable, but more than once the author surprised me, which is a good thing. Elements in the last chapter are very good, though in places the “telling” instead of “showing” trait spoils the mood.
Of the characters, I rate Dickon as the strongest creation. He stars in the previous book, and like with that story, he adds a lot of colour to this one. He’s also more likeable in this novel.
In short, this isn’t the best in the Daughters of England series, but it’s not the worst, either.
Some quality scenes emerge in places, though too often the first-person narrative rambles on to no great effect.
This author – under all her pseudonyms – is guilty of several annoying traits. One is repetition, another is using the passive voice, and the worst is “telling” instead of “showing”.
In many works, be it as Philippa Carr or Victoria Holt, there’s one male character who’s invariably referred to by both his names. In this case, it’s Léon Blanchard. Why she can’t use one name or the other I don’t know, but the continual use of both names soon grows annoying, as well as sounding unnatural at times.
Another annoying trait is the author’s lack of pinpointing time. In most of her books I’m picturing certain characters at a specific age, only to suddenly learn that someone who was twenty during the previous dozen or so pages is suddenly forty-five.
It’s worse still with child characters. For example, the character Claudine is a toddler for quite some time, therefore I had a “What the hell?” moment when – still thinking Claudine was about three – I read this:
“The children are growing up. Claudine is nearly thirteen years old.”
Thirteen! I had to pause, readjust, and digest this unexpected info. It’s a bit like forcing someone running a marathon to leap a few hurdles halfway through their run.
If the author chaptered her novels properly instead of cramming what should be ten or more chapters together as one, maybe the reader would gain a better sense of time. She seldom mentions what year we’re in, which doesn’t help matters.
Despite the above criticisms, this novel is not without merits. As mentioned, certain scenes are quality reading. Some plot lines were predictable, but more than once the author surprised me, which is a good thing. Elements in the last chapter are very good, though in places the “telling” instead of “showing” trait spoils the mood.
Of the characters, I rate Dickon as the strongest creation. He stars in the previous book, and like with that story, he adds a lot of colour to this one. He’s also more likeable in this novel.
In short, this isn’t the best in the Daughters of England series, but it’s not the worst, either.
June 3, 2020
Original title: Zipporah's Daughter. (It has since been re-published with that title restored.)
This is high on my list of favorites in the series. One of the reasons is likely that it doesn't stay centered around Eversleigh Manor, and instead moves right into the heart of the action and history. I feel Hibbert's Carr books were at their best when she took her stories in that direction and brought on the drama and suspense. I couldn't put this one down. (In fact the next book looked like it wasn't going to live up to the greatness of this one so I put off reading it for 3 and a half years, LOL)
August 16, 2016
Good entry in the Daughters of England series. Dickon was much more tolerable in this one. Again though I hate the bad boys.
October 9, 2016
Another good book from this series!
February 15, 2014
I liked this book but the characters were a little weak. Or maybe I was trying to compare Lottie to Carlotta. Philippa Carr tries to introduce another Carlotta by Lottie's looks incarnated, but there will never be another Carlotta Main. Also, Dickon's change of character was kind of sudden and without a gradual dawning except a one or two paragraphs at the end of the book. Also, these books are so precise as far as dates, ages of people, and financial standing. I was kind of bugged that Lottie was "penniless" at the end of the book. Excuse me, but didn't she have a ton of money handed down to her from her grandmother Clarissa?(remember the South Sea Bubble in Will You Love Me In September?) Eversleigh was something handed down to that branch of the family that they never expected.
February 8, 2013
The cover on this particular version of this book makes it seem like it's one of those steamy cheap romance novels, but that is not the case. This is one of Philippa Carr's DAUGHTER OF ENGLAND BOOKS (10 books in her series). I really enjoyed this book and one reason is that it is a historical novel and you get to learn a bit about history as you enjoy the book.
June 22, 2011
book 10
June 21, 2013
The royalty feeling is just their. It is a book of love and hatred, jealousy, confusion, hesitation, forgiveness and revelation.
Some of the turn arounds aren't just of my liking.
Some of the turn arounds aren't just of my liking.
April 13, 2014
This was not one of the Daughters of England series but a separate release of the same story.
November 24, 2014
A bit slower than the others in the series. Still don't like Dickon from the previous book and the role he plays in this one.
February 17, 2015
plodding romance
December 13, 2025
Taking the action of "Daughters of England" from England to France, "Knave of Hearts" (the American title of the novel) follows Zipporah Ransome, heroine of the previous novel and her daughter Charlotte (Lottie) as they are reunited with Lottie's biological father. As Lottie matures, she will inadvertently set in motion family rivalries that culminate at the same time as the outbreak of the French Revolution. Carr's sure sense of pacing keeps the novel moving along as she introduces a new cast of characters, and the novel's climax is gripping.
June 10, 2017
Couldn't put it down - and this was the first of the Daughters of England series that had a likeable main character! Looking forward to the next in the series.
May 25, 2018
my least favourite of the series so far
March 20, 2022
The characters are as morally bankrupt (male) and/or naive (female) as always in Carr's novels, however this is one of the more enjoyable installments of the series.
August 26, 2022
The politics of this book (and the entire series, really) are buck wild.
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February 4, 2025Victoria holt
October 21, 2018
Lottie is now an adult living in France during the French Revolution. She meets her French half-sister and finds love in France. She always thought she would marry her cousin Dickon there in England, so she didn't expect to find love and other trouble there in France. I am not a huge fan of Lottie, but I like the plot.
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September 7, 2017Also goes by the title 'Zipporah's Daughter'.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews