A Saga of Hearts

Series · 2 books · 1949-1950

By Barbara Cartland

Books in series

A Hazard of Hearts

1950

After her mother died when Serena Staverley was just nine, her father, Sir Giles, indulged his deep passion for gambling, leaving his only child in charge of an impoverished household. Now a stunningly beautiful young woman, Serena is mortified to hear that her father has been killed in a duel. Worse still, it seems that he went willingly, even deliberately to his death. But why? The appalling answer is presented by her much-loved cousin Nicholas who suddenly proposes marriage - to save Serena from a terrible fate - Sir Giles has not only lost the Staverley estate on the turn of a card, but he has also gambled away the hand in marriage of his lovely daughter, along with her eighty thousand pounds inheritance all in a last desperate bet to try and best his arch-rival at the tables, Lord Vulcan. Serena has little alternative but to marry a man whose wicked ways have contributed to her family's downfall. And Lord Vulcan takes her away from her beloved Staverley to his majestic ancestral home, Mandrake, which is close to the sea and where Serena finds its welcome to be strange and sinister. Abducted by a lecherous guest at Mandrake, threatened by a smuggler Marchioness, rescued by a gentleman highwayman and, resisting the marriage of convenience, Serena slowly realises that she has lost her heart to a man she thought she despised.

A Duel of Hearts

1949

Lord Vulcans datter, Caroline, er med sine sytten år ikke bare smuk og intelligent, hun er også en stædig og temperamentsfuld lille vildkat, der er vant til at få sin vilje, og som ikke ved, hvad frygt vil sige. Men da hun på en højst usædvanlig måde møder Vane Brecon, bliver hun bange – for hans skyld og for de lumske anslag, der gang på gang rettes mod hans liv. Selv nægter han at tage truslen alvorligt, og da Caroline forstår, at hun elsker ham og ikke kan leve uden ham, må hun selv tage kampen op med hans fjender... Barbara Cartland (1901-2000) var en engelsk forfatter til romantiske romaner, der er blevet solgt i adskillige millioner eksemplarer. Cartland udgav sin første roman i 1922 og har skrevet i alt 723 bøger, der er blevet oversat til 36 forskellige sprog. På grund af sin effektivitet i sin forfattergerning, er hun nævnt i Guinness rekordbog for flest udgivne bøger i løbet af et enkelt år. Barbara Cartland blev i 1991 hædret af dronning Elizabeth II som Dame Commander of the order of the British Empire til ære for Cartlands sociale og politiske bidrag, foruden sit forfattervirke, i næsten 70 år.

Author

Barbara Cartland

Author · 511 books

Dame Mary Barbara Hamilton Cartland was a English writer, during her long career, she wrote over 700 books, making her one of the most prolific authors of the 20th century. She sold over 1,000 million copies throughout the world, earning her a place in the Guinness Book of Records. The world's most famous romantic novelist, she also wrote autobiographies, biographies, health and cookery books, and stage plays and recorded an album of love songs. She was often billed as the Queen of Romance, and became one of the United Kingdom's most popular media personalities, appearing often at public events and on television, dressed in her trademark pink and discoursing on love, health and social issues. She started her writing career as a gossip columnist for the Daily Express. She published her first novel, Jigsaw, a society thriller, in 1923. It was a bestseller. She went on to write myriad novels and earn legions of fans, she also wrote under her married name Barbara McCorquodale. Some of her books were made into films. Ever the romantic, during WWII, she served as the Chief Lady Welfare Officer in Bedfordshire. She gathered as many wedding dresses as she could so that service brides would have a white gown to wear on their wedding day. She also campaigns for the rights of Gypsies, midwives and nurses. Barbara Cartland McCorquodale passed away on 21 May 2000, with 160 still unpublished manuscripts, that are being published posthumously.