The Wrong Duchess

by Barbara Cartland

The illegitimate child of runaway lovers, lovely young Areta is condemned after her parents’ to life in the shadow of her beloved and equally beautiful cousin Lady Millicent… Despised by her aunt and uncle as a “bastard child”, she’s fated never to be a débutante like Millicent, never to attend glamorous Society balls… and never to marry…
Unless it’s as part of her plan to save Millicent from a cynically arranged marriage to the Duke of Kerncliffe! After all, the two girls have always looked so very much alike – how hard can it be? But even she weaves her web of deceit, Areta dreads what will happen when the Duke discovers he’s married the Wrong Duchess.

153 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2023

About the author

Born 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

Reviews

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illegitimate child of runaway lovers, lovely young Areta is condemned after her parents’ to life in the shadow of her beloved and equally beautiful cousin Lady Millicent… Despised by her aunt and uncle as a “bastard child”, she’s fated never to be a débutante like Millicent, never to attend glamorous Society balls… and never to marry…
Unless it’s as part of her plan to save Millicent from a cynically arranged marriage to the Duke of Kerncliffe! After all, the two girls have always looked so very much alike – how hard can it be? But even she weaves her web of deceit, Areta dreads what will happen when the Duke discovers he’s married the Wrong Duchess.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a book by a prolific author for a 2024 book challenge and Barbara Cartland is right on the list of the top 21 prolific authors having written 732 books. This was a very quick but well written and cleverly paced read. Areta Hurst is considered illegitimate because she was born one month before her parent’s wedding. At their death she is taken in - very begrudgingly- by her father’s brother where she lives in silence and obscurity but in great friendship with her cousin, Millicent. When the Duke of Kernilsworth is in need of a bride, he finds Millicent who is in love with someone else. A clever switch is performed wherein Areta marries the Duke and Millicent elopes. The story goes on as to how the two become friends and lovers (this is a very PG read) - starting in Paris on their honeymoon. This is my first Barbara Cartland book and I see why she is beloved among romance readers. This is a sweet, endearing and clever book.