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The Odious Duke
Book by Cartland, Barbara
332 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1989
22 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Cartland
1,084 books835 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 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 5, 2021
Well! This is definitely one of Barbara Cartland’s better books. It still has many of her cookie cutter elements but what stands out are the personalities of the main characters and their repartee.
The Duke in this one is pretty cookie cutter. A perfect Corinthian who excels , not only as a physical specimen of manhood but at everything else, blah blah... we’ve read it all before. However, what makes this Hero different is that he possessed a good sense of humor. He was able to laugh at himself and with his friend about his perceived utter perfection.
He needs to find a wife, but before he can reach his destination his horse loses a shoe and he encounters the heroine, who agrees to help him. Without knowing his identity she reveals that she is looking out for the carriage of the duke who is expected at her neighbors estate, but has not arrived. She confesses that her impression of the duke is that he is an odious and conceited blockhead. This is actually one of the most hilarious parts of the book, when she is utterly flaying his character without knowing who he is. She has several more choice adjectives as she insults him to his face, and he cannot do anything about it. The heroine in this one is delightful. She’s spunky, irreverent and outspoken. They get into a lengthy conversation and the duke finds out about the heroine’s background. Her grandfather, whom she lives with is a very respected general in the army. Since the duke had also served during the war, he only reveals to her that he is a soldier.
The heroine, knowing he is a soldier, confides in him that she suspects the old priory on the estate is being used as a drop off point for the loot stolen by highwaymen. As they go to inspect, the duke gets bashed on his head by one of the villains, but the heroine is able to hide. They don’t kill him so she is able to bring him to her home to recover. This gives them a lot of time together to interact and get to know one another. I liked their relationship, they often laughed together and the duke would often tease the heroine.
The old grandfather dies and in his will he asks the heroine to go to London, stay with her Godmother and have a season. The heroine confided to the duke that she is to marry a distant cousin who is also in the army, but her grandfather objected to this association. Sending her to london is his way of giving her a chance to find someone more suitable.
It’s in London that the duke reveals his true identity. It makes for some pages where the heroine is hating him since she feels betrayed. It’s cute because he tries to jolly her out of her bad mood by teasing her. This was really a charming hero.
There are a few twists and coincidences that are too unbelievable as to the identities of the villains, but suffice it to say they get caught and are handily disposed off as only Barbara Cartland can...sometimes.
All in all a very good read (for a Dame Cartland book) I truly enjoyed the interactions of the main characters.
The Duke in this one is pretty cookie cutter. A perfect Corinthian who excels , not only as a physical specimen of manhood but at everything else, blah blah... we’ve read it all before. However, what makes this Hero different is that he possessed a good sense of humor. He was able to laugh at himself and with his friend about his perceived utter perfection.
He needs to find a wife, but before he can reach his destination his horse loses a shoe and he encounters the heroine, who agrees to help him. Without knowing his identity she reveals that she is looking out for the carriage of the duke who is expected at her neighbors estate, but has not arrived. She confesses that her impression of the duke is that he is an odious and conceited blockhead. This is actually one of the most hilarious parts of the book, when she is utterly flaying his character without knowing who he is. She has several more choice adjectives as she insults him to his face, and he cannot do anything about it. The heroine in this one is delightful. She’s spunky, irreverent and outspoken. They get into a lengthy conversation and the duke finds out about the heroine’s background. Her grandfather, whom she lives with is a very respected general in the army. Since the duke had also served during the war, he only reveals to her that he is a soldier.
The heroine, knowing he is a soldier, confides in him that she suspects the old priory on the estate is being used as a drop off point for the loot stolen by highwaymen. As they go to inspect, the duke gets bashed on his head by one of the villains, but the heroine is able to hide. They don’t kill him so she is able to bring him to her home to recover. This gives them a lot of time together to interact and get to know one another. I liked their relationship, they often laughed together and the duke would often tease the heroine.
The old grandfather dies and in his will he asks the heroine to go to London, stay with her Godmother and have a season. The heroine confided to the duke that she is to marry a distant cousin who is also in the army, but her grandfather objected to this association. Sending her to london is his way of giving her a chance to find someone more suitable.
It’s in London that the duke reveals his true identity. It makes for some pages where the heroine is hating him since she feels betrayed. It’s cute because he tries to jolly her out of her bad mood by teasing her. This was really a charming hero.
There are a few twists and coincidences that are too unbelievable as to the identities of the villains, but suffice it to say they get caught and are handily disposed off as only Barbara Cartland can...sometimes.
All in all a very good read (for a Dame Cartland book) I truly enjoyed the interactions of the main characters.
October 1, 2010
I used to read these BC's like candy. They were almost as good as chocolate. I just couldn't get enough.
August 5, 2012
It is one of the few books of Barbara Cartland (Of those few that I read) where the female protagonist is a strong character and resourceful, witty and charming.
June 20, 2013
I like the novel as it has a good plot.Set in the nineteenth centuary England it has many historical happeneing well intricated in the story line.
Rest is same-immensly rich hero having great time in the social world,having love affairs with married women.All of sudden finds the right type of girl which he had never hoped to find waiting for her in the countryside.This time the only difference is that she has military background.She has the charms to entice the odious Duke.
a good read for those who are bored of reading serious stuff.Imaginary romantic world with equally romantic and far from reality characters.However the villains of the novels show us the face of real englishmen.cunning,crimnal,ruthless and devious.
Rest is same-immensly rich hero having great time in the social world,having love affairs with married women.All of sudden finds the right type of girl which he had never hoped to find waiting for her in the countryside.This time the only difference is that she has military background.She has the charms to entice the odious Duke.
a good read for those who are bored of reading serious stuff.Imaginary romantic world with equally romantic and far from reality characters.However the villains of the novels show us the face of real englishmen.cunning,crimnal,ruthless and devious.
March 2, 2023
"His Most Noble Perfection," the London Bucks called him. The elegant Duke of Selchester was indeed perfection--with his handsomely garbed figure and his devastatingly good looks. Now he wanted the perfect wife, well-bred and obedient, who would present him with an heir to his fortune and leave him untouched by love. But a chance meeting with a winsome young beauty altered all his well-laid plans. And he was plunged into a mysterious intrigue with a woman Venetia, who called him odious! Would she listen to her rebellious heart and offer him perfection of love?
June 13, 2013
It's been so hard lately for me to find good "clean romances" for me to read, so I've been giving Cartland another try. So far, this is the best of the lot: long enough to develop characters and a plausible relationship; strong heroine; hint of danger.
January 28, 2016
As popcorn reads go, this was pretty charming. There were some failings but the characters were pretty solid and I could buy the romance.
September 30, 2025
I read this book more than a decade ago and have given away the book since then. If I remember correctly, Barbara Cartland dedicated this book to a friend of hers who complained that her heroines were all blue-eyed blondes, so she wrote Verena as a brunette.
I've never liked the way Cartland writes her heroes as immoral yet dashing conquerors of equally immoral women, mostly married women, and depicts her heroines as innocent virginal air-heads who fall in love with the heroes at first sight.
This is the only Cartland book where I liked the heroine and the hero, but I wished that Cartland hadn't written in the duke's affair with that Hungarian nasty bit of goods, Zelda whats-her-face.
I've never liked the way Cartland writes her heroes as immoral yet dashing conquerors of equally immoral women, mostly married women, and depicts her heroines as innocent virginal air-heads who fall in love with the heroes at first sight.
This is the only Cartland book where I liked the heroine and the hero, but I wished that Cartland hadn't written in the duke's affair with that Hungarian nasty bit of goods, Zelda whats-her-face.
February 2, 2019
Charming and quick read. It follows the usual formula insofar as there is a young pretty heroine and an older, very rich gentleman of nobility. However, the plot is a little more involved and adventurous than some of the later novels by Ms Cartland - and there are some "bad guys". The heroine was charming and more spirited than most Cartland heroines, who are sometimes of the simpering damsel in distress type; the dashing hero was rather likeable too. A book I will keep for re-reading.
November 23, 2020
Different....
Different than her other books and very good. I really liked the heroine, though a bit disappointed in the hero as he fails to save himself even once but stupidly puts himself right in the path of death without helping himself. Oh well, that's what the heroine always does, saves the hero! Good story.
Different than her other books and very good. I really liked the heroine, though a bit disappointed in the hero as he fails to save himself even once but stupidly puts himself right in the path of death without helping himself. Oh well, that's what the heroine always does, saves the hero! Good story.
January 10, 2024
Good and funny
A delectable plot with everything mixed up: spying, murders, robbers, emotions and love.
It's a real surprise finding a Cartland's novel not repetitive as many of others in her two collections.
Monica Beltrami, Montevideo, Uruguay.
A delectable plot with everything mixed up: spying, murders, robbers, emotions and love.
It's a real surprise finding a Cartland's novel not repetitive as many of others in her two collections.
Monica Beltrami, Montevideo, Uruguay.
August 13, 2020
A great read
She continues to find new things to write about. I enjoyed this book. Romance always ends happily so I can expect a good ending.
She continues to find new things to write about. I enjoyed this book. Romance always ends happily so I can expect a good ending.
July 31, 2025
Fino a pochi anni fa mi sarei vergognata di leggere un romanzo di Barbara Cartland; ma i tempi cambiano, e ora sembra quasi che mi dovrei vergognare perché questo è il secondo romanzo nella mia libreria.
Forse, se non conoscessi menadito la produzione della sua acerrima rivale, la grande Georgette Heyer, l'avrei apprezzato di più... ma ai miei occhi era ben chiara la distanza tra l'originale e l'imitazione. Non voglio soffermarmi sulla disparità nella conoscenza del periodo storico, su cui GH aveva fatto minuziose ricerche; mi basta rilevare, invece, la seriosità con cui è condotta la narrazione, che fa rimpiangere lo scintillio della prosa heyeriana.
Forse, se non conoscessi menadito la produzione della sua acerrima rivale, la grande Georgette Heyer, l'avrei apprezzato di più... ma ai miei occhi era ben chiara la distanza tra l'originale e l'imitazione. Non voglio soffermarmi sulla disparità nella conoscenza del periodo storico, su cui GH aveva fatto minuziose ricerche; mi basta rilevare, invece, la seriosità con cui è condotta la narrazione, che fa rimpiangere lo scintillio della prosa heyeriana.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews