What do you think?
Rate this book
The Unknown Heart (Barbara Cartland
Fiction, Romance, Historical, Regency, England
176 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1973
About the author
Barbara Cartland
1,287 books868 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 30, 2019
Virginia is forced by her mother to marry a Duke.
My mom and I used to read Barbara Cartland a lot - probably more than fifty (which is a small drop in the bucket in the Cartland oeuvre). I liked them for their simplistic, romantic storylines. Even more so than most romances, you knew nothing bad would happen to our main character and that she would end up in a very happy situation. Even back then, we used to laugh about Cartland's idea of impassioned conversation. In this book, we get "I think you are proud...autocratic and sometimes overbearing and … masterful," she whispered, "but... very much... a man." Try saying that out loud - we used to read the dialogue to each other for fun.
There seemed to be an awfully large number of dukes, viscounts, earls floating around in these books, always young, desirable, and ready to marry. I think the amount of them actually exceeded how many existed in this time period. It was through Barbara Cartlands books, though, that I learned the orders of the ranks of duke, marquis, viscount, earl, baron.
I re-read this one, the only Cartland book I still have, because I remembered the plot (there was more of one than usual). Virginia begins as an extremely overweight girl, marries the Duke without having seen him before (because her mother will stick her in a convent, of course, if she refuses), then immediately passes out with brain fever and is in a semi-coma for a year. During that time, the two live separate and Virginia loses a bunch of weight. So then the practical thing to do (!) is sneak onto her husband's estate as a guest and decide if she likes him. He doesn't recognize her because she's changed so much physically. And then there's also the duke's mother, who has a gambling problem, and her old beau, who is mentally unbalanced, and two attempts to kill the Duke. Very dangerous business, being a duke.
I'm giving this a four for mostly sentimental reasons but it is one of the best Barbara Cartland, before she got too carried away with '...' in her dialogue. It was a nice trip back in time to my teenage reading self. Now please excuse me, I have to decide between the duke and the earl who are lining up at my door.
My mom and I used to read Barbara Cartland a lot - probably more than fifty (which is a small drop in the bucket in the Cartland oeuvre). I liked them for their simplistic, romantic storylines. Even more so than most romances, you knew nothing bad would happen to our main character and that she would end up in a very happy situation. Even back then, we used to laugh about Cartland's idea of impassioned conversation. In this book, we get "I think you are proud...autocratic and sometimes overbearing and … masterful," she whispered, "but... very much... a man." Try saying that out loud - we used to read the dialogue to each other for fun.
There seemed to be an awfully large number of dukes, viscounts, earls floating around in these books, always young, desirable, and ready to marry. I think the amount of them actually exceeded how many existed in this time period. It was through Barbara Cartlands books, though, that I learned the orders of the ranks of duke, marquis, viscount, earl, baron.
I re-read this one, the only Cartland book I still have, because I remembered the plot (there was more of one than usual). Virginia begins as an extremely overweight girl, marries the Duke without having seen him before (because her mother will stick her in a convent, of course, if she refuses), then immediately passes out with brain fever and is in a semi-coma for a year. During that time, the two live separate and Virginia loses a bunch of weight. So then the practical thing to do (!) is sneak onto her husband's estate as a guest and decide if she likes him. He doesn't recognize her because she's changed so much physically. And then there's also the duke's mother, who has a gambling problem, and her old beau, who is mentally unbalanced, and two attempts to kill the Duke. Very dangerous business, being a duke.
I'm giving this a four for mostly sentimental reasons but it is one of the best Barbara Cartland, before she got too carried away with '...' in her dialogue. It was a nice trip back in time to my teenage reading self. Now please excuse me, I have to decide between the duke and the earl who are lining up at my door.
April 3, 2015
I feel like my eyes have been book raped by reading this beauty. The innuendos. The overt fat shaming. I can't have enough and this book contains all in spades. Thank you for such a literary treasure.
May 9, 2021
This was an indulgent read from remembering the past when my mum read Barbara Cartland books. They could be read in a few hours. I'd remembered this story for years; an overweight American with a fortune is bullied by her mother into marrying a penniless English Duke. She passes out after the wedding vows and is ill for months. Thinner, but still rich, she travels to the UK to find her husband who she despises for marrying her for her money. But things are never that simple in a good old romantic novel. I'd tried to track this book down for years, never knowing the title. Thank you Amazon.
April 29, 2022
I liked the plot of this book: girl unwillingly gets married to a Duke who she believes is a fortune hunter, collapses at the wedding and wakes a year later completely changed in her appearance. She wants a divorce but goes to England as a guest of the Duke to spy on him but ends up falling in love whilst he is none the wiser that she is his wife. Plus a subplot of violence, gambling and murder. A thoroughly good Barbara Cartland novel.
July 24, 2026
Liked this a lot more than I expected to. Plot was crazy lowkey… and the premise/setup totally paid off. It’s always nice to read a historical that truly loves and understands the period. Felt very specific and lived in.
But relied on instalove, my archnemesis. And ridiculous “testing” at the end, which also I find incredibly obnoxious. Also began with crazy levels of body shaming, poor Virginia.
But relied on instalove, my archnemesis. And ridiculous “testing” at the end, which also I find incredibly obnoxious. Also began with crazy levels of body shaming, poor Virginia.
August 18, 2017
This book was my first read when I was growing up and I loved every bit of it, great book
January 27, 2022
Personajes muy odiosos
March 19, 2023
Virginia, plump and dominated by her mother, is forced to wed the penniless heir to a Dukedom. She collapses from the strain, recovering a year later to find herself slim and stunning. Hoping to obtain a divorce from the man she barely knows but despises for wanting her money, she travels incognito to his ancestral home -- only to discover that the man she wed is not what she expected him to be.
March 16, 2025
I can read his book over nd over again without getting bored.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews