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The Horizons of Love
Lucy, Lady Wymonde, reluctantly agrees to her husband’s request that she would chaperone his innocent orphaned young niece, Ina, for her first Season as a debutante. It was infuriating to have to take another guest with her to Chale Hall, the Marquis of Chale’s majestic stately home in the country, but that it should be a lovely young girl made it worse. It was not a question of her being a rival, that was not what Lucy feared. It was that Ina would be completely out of place in what was to be her party given her by the Marquis, whom Lucy has become infatuated with and it is only a matter of time before they begin an affaire-de-coeur. Little does she know what an innocent threat the beautiful Ina will soon become! Having reluctantly left her Bohemian background and a family friend’s villa near Nice with her devoted lady’s maid, Ina is bewildered by the sophisticated Society world of London and rather in awe of the handsome Marquis. But soon, to Lucy’s fury, the Marquis is smitten by Ina’s untainted beauty and the almost clairvoyant perceptiveness by which she seems to see deep into his soul. Ina too is entranced and, despite her aunt’s attempts to pair her off with over-eager and unattractive suitors, she too is falling in love.
- GenresRomance
181 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
7 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Cartland
1,053 books838 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 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 5, 2023
Was going on 4⭐️ for the first 70% of the book…then it all went to h**l😡
This book is different in that a lot of it is told from the OW’s point of view. It is in fact, just as the blurb is written.
Lady Lucy (OW) has been an acclaimed beauty of the ton for several years, and though she likes to flirt w a lot of men and make them fall in love w her, this is the first time she herself has fallen in love, and its with the elusive Marquise of Chale. He has been resisting her, but lately she thinks he is about to fall. Also he has invited her and her husband the earl to his stately home.
Lady Lucy has a strong feeling that this is where she and the Marquis will finally consummate their feelings for each other. The only fly in the ointment is the orphaned niece of her husband who is about to arrive. Since she cannot leave the young girl alone in London, they bring her w them to the house party of he Marquis.
This is the good part, because despite the allure of Lady Lucy, the Marquis does pay some attention to the young niece (heroine) and he seems intrigued by her.
Then this is the bad part. Despite finding himself reluctantly attracted to the heroine… He still sets off to seduce Lady Lucy one night when her husband has to leave! Unfortunately the husband comes back unexpectedly so they rush off to the nearest room, the one of the heroine and concoct a scenario where the Marquis just had to come to the room of Lady Lucy late at night, to ask for the hand in marriage of the heroine.
The heroine is a total innocent, so she believes that this is exactly what has happened and looks radiantly happy! The uncle is no fool, he knows exactly what has been about to happen. But when he sees the happiness on the face of his niece. He does not call them out on it.
Instead, the next morning, he goes to the Marquis and tells him that he will hold him to his promise to marry the heroine and demands that he make sure that the young girl is happy!
The heroine is still in 7th heaven even if everyone around her knows the true lay of the land. Its only when she is confronted by one of the other guests, and he tells her that she has been used as a cover up for her aunt and the Marquis that she slowly comes to realize the truth.
She is heartbroken and cries to her governess/companion. The heroine is in fact quite wealthy because an old friend left her all her money. So the governess and the heroine run off to Nice, France and get a house.
They have been living there quietly for a few weeks when the Marquis finds them and does a decent enough grovel to the heroine. His excuse, he was afraid of the emotions she stirred in him and he tried to fight against it.
I dont know why I was so disappointed in this Hero, when this is a common trope for Barbara Cartland that I’ve read countless times before. Books where the Hero is actively in love with, or having an affair with the aunt/step-mom and they plot his marriage to the heroine so that they can be together.
But yes, unlike the others, it was his fall from grace that made me sad for the heroine. Unlike the other books where a fallen Hero is then uplifted by the heroine, in this one, its like he had already started a connection w the heroine, which makes it more of a betrayal somehow.
Of course its BC there will always be a HEA at the end.
This book is different in that a lot of it is told from the OW’s point of view. It is in fact, just as the blurb is written.
Lady Lucy (OW) has been an acclaimed beauty of the ton for several years, and though she likes to flirt w a lot of men and make them fall in love w her, this is the first time she herself has fallen in love, and its with the elusive Marquise of Chale. He has been resisting her, but lately she thinks he is about to fall. Also he has invited her and her husband the earl to his stately home.
Lady Lucy has a strong feeling that this is where she and the Marquis will finally consummate their feelings for each other. The only fly in the ointment is the orphaned niece of her husband who is about to arrive. Since she cannot leave the young girl alone in London, they bring her w them to the house party of he Marquis.
This is the good part, because despite the allure of Lady Lucy, the Marquis does pay some attention to the young niece (heroine) and he seems intrigued by her.
Then this is the bad part. Despite finding himself reluctantly attracted to the heroine… He still sets off to seduce Lady Lucy one night when her husband has to leave! Unfortunately the husband comes back unexpectedly so they rush off to the nearest room, the one of the heroine and concoct a scenario where the Marquis just had to come to the room of Lady Lucy late at night, to ask for the hand in marriage of the heroine.
The heroine is a total innocent, so she believes that this is exactly what has happened and looks radiantly happy! The uncle is no fool, he knows exactly what has been about to happen. But when he sees the happiness on the face of his niece. He does not call them out on it.
Instead, the next morning, he goes to the Marquis and tells him that he will hold him to his promise to marry the heroine and demands that he make sure that the young girl is happy!
The heroine is still in 7th heaven even if everyone around her knows the true lay of the land. Its only when she is confronted by one of the other guests, and he tells her that she has been used as a cover up for her aunt and the Marquis that she slowly comes to realize the truth.
She is heartbroken and cries to her governess/companion. The heroine is in fact quite wealthy because an old friend left her all her money. So the governess and the heroine run off to Nice, France and get a house.
They have been living there quietly for a few weeks when the Marquis finds them and does a decent enough grovel to the heroine. His excuse, he was afraid of the emotions she stirred in him and he tried to fight against it.
I dont know why I was so disappointed in this Hero, when this is a common trope for Barbara Cartland that I’ve read countless times before. Books where the Hero is actively in love with, or having an affair with the aunt/step-mom and they plot his marriage to the heroine so that they can be together.
But yes, unlike the others, it was his fall from grace that made me sad for the heroine. Unlike the other books where a fallen Hero is then uplifted by the heroine, in this one, its like he had already started a connection w the heroine, which makes it more of a betrayal somehow.
Of course its BC there will always be a HEA at the end.
February 17, 2025
Lucy, Lady Wymonde, reluctantly agrees to her husband’s request that she would chaperone his innocent orphaned young niece, Ina, for her first Season as a debutante. It was infuriating to have to take another guest with her to Chale Hall, the Marquis of Chale’s majestic stately home in the country, but that it should be a lovely young girl made it worse. It was not a question of her being a rival, that was not what Lucy feared. It was that Ina would be completely out of place in what was to be her party given her by the Marquis, whom Lucy has become infatuated with and it is only a matter of time before they begin an affaire-de-coeur. Little does she know what an innocent threat the beautiful Ina will soon become! Having reluctantly left her Bohemian background and a family friend’s villa near Nice with her devoted lady’s maid, Ina is bewildered by the sophisticated Society world of London and rather in awe of the handsome Marquis. But soon, to Lucy’s fury, the Marquis is smitten by Ina’s untainted beauty and the almost clairvoyant perceptiveness by which she seems to see deep into his soul. Ina too is entranced and, despite her aunt’s attempts to pair her off with over-eager and unattractive suitors, she too is falling in love.
November 15, 2025
Conniving Aunt Lucy kept me reading. For mych of it, it seemee to be her story and of the imposition her niece, Ina, causes her life when she moves in with them. The twist it took is still so unbelievable it angered me for making me think(!), to try to figure out how it happened and just how plausible it would be. Apparently it's something of the way such an event can unfold(?!) - the Prince seemed to figure it out, but I can't see it.
Not knowing what consequences befell Aunt Lucy after all this is a bother. Lord Wymonde, Ina's uncle, was such a dear, I hope he finds happiness as Aunt Lucy's looks eventually go away. (Maybe those are the consequences [?].)
We know the Marquis and Ina have become quite close, he sees in her the depths of a woman and a worldly life he never experienced and could with her. I get that. It's the way his betrayal with Lucy against her unfolded that I can't figure out and I hope their year away from the estate will be honorable and that he never sees Lucy again.
Not knowing what consequences befell Aunt Lucy after all this is a bother. Lord Wymonde, Ina's uncle, was such a dear, I hope he finds happiness as Aunt Lucy's looks eventually go away. (Maybe those are the consequences [?].)
We know the Marquis and Ina have become quite close, he sees in her the depths of a woman and a worldly life he never experienced and could with her. I get that. It's the way his betrayal with Lucy against her unfolded that I can't figure out and I hope their year away from the estate will be honorable and that he never sees Lucy again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2024
Pure fantasy, yet kind of enjoyable, especially in the beginning. Brought back memories of Cartland books that I read as a teenager. Started out good, but was disappointed in the hero when, in spite of starting to make a sweet connection with Ina, he goes to Lucy's bedroom. They were thwarted by the unexpected return of Lucy's husband, but the damage to the hero's image was done by then. I expect more from my fictional heroes, even in Cartland books.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews