Moments of Love

Moments of Love is #156 in the Bantam series and was published in May 1982. Simonetta travels to France with her ducal father, who is also a painter. She meets a fellow painter named Pierre Valery, who is kind and protects her from a lecherous Comte! However, can the daughter of a Duke marry a poor French painter?

I like this cover that it shows our couple in a relaxed pose where it's evident that they are in love. We see an easel in the background and the stark rocky cliffs of the countryside. There is an illustrators signature in the lower left corner that I can't read: Swimburne, maybe.

Love Rules

Love Rules is # 155 in the Bantam series and was published in April 1982. Paulina is the daughter of the ambassador to Altauss and best friend to the Princess Margarita. When Margarita's marriage is arranged to a Russian Grand Duke, Paulina travels with her as her Lady in Waiting and finally meets Prince Maximus, Margarita's brother, and finds her own Prince Charming!

This is a pretty cover by an unknown illustrator of our couple. They realize that they love one another as they stand in a beautiful garden near a waterfall. This book is undated, but I'd put it around 1820 or 30 by the regency style of dress.

Lies for Love

Lies for Love is #154 in the Bantam series and was published in March 1982. Carmela Lyndon is working as an unpaid nursery maid for the vicar when she is rescued by her best friend, Lady Felicity Gale. Lady Felicity wants her to stay and impersonate her when her cousin, the new Earl of Galeston arrives, so that Felicity can run off and marry the man of her dreams! The Earl wants to marry Carmela off to a prince, but becomes horrified that he has feelings for his young "cousin"!

This cover is done by an unknown illustrator and is a scene in the book where the Earl rescues Carmela from some kidnappers holding her for ransom. At this point, they realize that they are in love with one another!

These latest Barbara Cartland stories are just wonderful. Great stories with tight plots and set in realistic historic times. I hope that you can find some of them in your local used bookstore or online.

The Vibrations of Love

The Vibrations of Love is #153 in the Bantam series and was published in March 1982. The Duke of Ilminster is sent away from Queen Victoria's court for a dalliance and returns to his home Queen's Hoo where he finds the lovely Fabia, who has been living there since the death of her parents. He finds what he's been looking for right at home!

This is a pretty cover of the introduction of our couple. She has fallen asleep after picking flowers for the birthday of Queen's Hoo! Our hero comes upon her as a Sleeping Beauty. It's a pretty gazebo and the grounds around it are fragrant with flowers.

Looking for Love

Looking for Love is #152 in the Bantam series and was published in February 1982. Gilda is living alone since her father died and is wondering how to make ends meet when her spoiled sister visits from London. Her sister is determined to make the Marquis of Staverton marry her, but she ends up taking an overdose of laudanum and dies! Gilda decides to impersonate her sister in order to escape her poverty filled life when she meets the Marquis!

This is an interesting cover since our heroine knows that she's not the girl who the Marquis thinks she is! I like her blue regency gown and the lilies that she is carrying. Note the other touches in this very elegant room. Another great story by Barbara Cartland!

Secret Harbour

Secret Harbour is #151 in the Bantam series and was published in January 1982. Grania lives on the island of Grenada and her father, the Earl of Kilkerry, has arranged a marriage for her. Meanwhile, a rebellion takes over the island and she flees with a childhood servant to he home at Secret Harbour where she meets the Comte de Vence, a refugee from Martinique!

This is a very bold cover for this book with the deep blues and green palm branches. I like the ship in the harbor, and our couple seem to be waiting for it to land. Cartland's books set in the tropics were full of interesting historical tidbits!

Love Wins

Love Wins is #150 in the Bantam series and was published in January 1982. Lord Heywood returns from the Napoleonic Wars to find that he has inherited an estate, but no money. When he visits the estate, he finds Lalita living there, having run away from home. While there, she is determined to help him find a valuable item that is not part of the estate to sell, but they happen to also find love along the way!

The scene on the cover is where the hero and heroine meet for the first time! Our heroine has been living in the rooms of his late mother and he is determined to find out who she is and why she is living in his vacant house! I like the turquoise color of the bed clothes and our heroine, looking warily at the hero! This is one of my favorite Cartland plots!

A Shaft of Sunlight

A Shaft of Sunlight is #149 in the Bantam series and was published in December 1981. Giona meets the Duke of Alverstode when he visits her uncle's house in order to look over her cousin as a potential mate for his cousin and ward. He rescues Giona, who is abused by her uncle, and takes her to his grandmother thinking that she might be a suitable wife for his cousin!

The scene on this cover is when Giona is being presented to the Duke after staying with his grandmother. She is healthy and wears a pretty regency gown decorated with flowers. We see the sunset in the window behind them which illuminates Giona. It's a colorful picture.

An Innocent in Russia

An Innocent in Russia is #148 in the Bantam series and was published in November 1981. Zelina Tiverton lives with her aunt and uncle, but her aunt wishes her out of the way, so she sends her to Russia to stay with an important family. On the way she meets the elusive Lord Charnock, who saves her from a Russian Prince's unwanted advances!

I think this is such a sweet cover! Our hero greets the pretty heroine, who is wearing a pink gown typical of the 1830's. You can tell that they like each other and maybe it's deeper than that!

I always liked Cartland's books set in Russia because it was a exotic place of mystery and fear growing up in the 1970's when Russia was the enemy of the USA.

Gift of the Gods

Gift of the Gods is #147 in the Bantam series and was published in November 1981. Alisa and her sister, Penelope, dream up a plan to get them into London's high society. They earn money by selling homemade face creams, which bring Alisa to the attention of the Earl of Keswick!

This cover shows our two heroines and the Earl, who is escorting them to a ball. They are both dressed in white, but dresses with different ornamentation. Both are typical of the regency dress of the time. Again, a signature is on the bottom left corner of the illustrator.

The River of Love

The River of Love is #146 in the Bantam series and was published in October 1981. The Duke of Darleston decides to travel in his yacht to Egypt after his mistress decides to marry another. He meets Irisa in the tomb of the Kings and finds a love that is timeless!

This book cover shows our couple in Egypt among the pyramids. Our couple look like they are about to be wed. The heroine's probably wearing her best dress, while the hero wears a light suit, practical for the climate. There is a signature at the bottom left corner of the artist.

A Portrait of Love

A Portrait of Love is #145 in the Bantam series and was published in September 1981. Fedora is looking for a way to obtain money when a letter arrives from the Earl of Heversham asking her father, who is talented in restoring paintings, to come and inspect his for needed repairs. She doesn't realize that she will find her future husband there!

This cover shows our couple outside his estate. Our heroine wears a blue gown that was fashionable during the 1840's when Queen Victoria began her reign. She is very pretty! Our hero is very dashing. I don't really like the yellow background; otherwise, it's a great cover!

Winged Magic

Winged Magic is #144 in the Bantam series and was published in September 1981. Mina takes the place of her friend Christine and travels to Vent Royal, where Christine's stepmother is trying to marry her lover, the Marquis, to her step-daughter!! Christine ends up stopping the marriage and finds a love of her own!

This is a very elegant cover with our heroine, very pretty in a green bustle gown, playing with the doves in front of the dovecote. Our hero stands behind, as if he's just happened upon her. It's another cover where the heroine's gown is the focal point of the picture.

Enchanted

Enchanted is #143 in the Bantam series and was published in August 1981. Lady Elfa Allerton finds a way to keep her sister from marrying the Duke of Lynchester, who wishes to marry into their family to gain the 10.000 acres that a past duke sold to her relatives. She asks him to marry her, instead!

This is a very risque cover for a Barbara Cartland book! It depicts a scene where our heroine goes for a swim in a nearby lake after she and the hero are married. There is a signature, but I can't read the name of the illustrator. I wonder what Barbara thought of this cover?? There are a few others, done around 1985, that were also questionable.