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
The masterful highwayman stood in the moonlight waiting for Galatea to relinquish her last jewel to his rakish, mocking command.
"But you can not take this!" she protested. "It was my mother's and it is all I have left to remember her."
Then he said in a different tone:
"If I let you keep the ring, you must give me something of equal value."
"I have...nothing else with me..." she began.
Then as she saw the smile lon his lips she was very still. He moved towards her and gently turned her face up to his. Softly his arms went around her and his lips were on hers in surprising, sweet ecstasy.
In a dizzy wave of rapture she realized he had stolen her heart!
What’s not to like? Galatea our heroine is delightfully strong-willed and up for adventure - to the point where she’s not even mad when she’s robbed by a Highwayman. A Highwayman who dresses like a gentleman and gives her back the jewels he stole from her! I appreciate that Cartland avoids the cliche of the masked mystery man being someone the MC (and reader) has already met.
There’s also a great women-supporting-women subplot involving Galatea helping her friend escape destitution with the aid of your friendly neighborhood Highwayman. Double points for Galatea saving Sir Just’s life. As usual in Cartland books, she loses some of her backbone after getting married (and so does Sir Just, oddly enough), but the journey there was fun.
The masterful highwayman stood in the moonlight waiting for Galatea to relinquish her last jewel to his rakish, mocking command.
"But you can not take this!" she protested. "It was my mother's and it is all I have left to remember her."
Then he said in a different tone:
"If I let you keep the ring, you must give me something of equal value."
"I have . . . nothing else with me . . ." she began.
Then as she saw the smile on his lips she was very still. He moved towards her and gently turned her face up to his. Softly his arms went around her and his lips were on hers in surprising, sweet ecstasy.
In a dizzy wave of rapture she realized he had stolen her heart!