Books › Desire of the Heart
Desire of the Heart
First published 1966 · 256 pages
A glittering Edwardian masquerade where heartbreak fuels a daring transformation in the name of love.
What it feels like
Stepping into this Edwardian romance feels like entering a glittering, high-stakes ballroom where every glance is loaded with dramatic tension. The narrative moves at a brisk, theatrical pace, sweeping the reader through the opulent but treacherous world of London high society. It is a story steeped in the glamorous yet tense mood of romantic rivalry, where dowdy beginnings give way to thrilling, reckless reinvention. The prose leans into the breathless melodrama of the era, capturing the desperate heartbreak of a young woman pushed to the edge and the intoxicating thrill of a dangerous masquerade. It will delight readers who crave classic, swoony historical romances filled with scheming socialites, secret identities, and the ultimate triumph of true love.
- Mood
- glamorous
- tense
- swoony
- theatrical
- Tone
- melodramatic
- romantic
- earnest
- dramatic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- hidden identities · romantic rivalry · social maneuvering · transformation and reinvention · forbidden desires
- The writing
- Sweeping and emotionally heightened, focusing on the glittering surfaces of high society and the breathless intensity of romantic longing.
- The arc
- Moves from awkward heartbreak and social marginalization to daring reinvention and the thrilling pursuit of true love.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love classic, dramatic historical romances featuring glamorous settings, scheming rivals, and dramatic makeovers.
Content notes
- infidelity (suspected)
- deception
About the book
DANGEROUS MASQUERADE
Lady Lily Bedlington, the most beautiful woman at the Court of Edward VII, is terrified when her husband suspects her of having a love affair with the handsome young Duke of Roehampton. She is also furious when she learns that she has to act as chaperone to her husband's niece, an unknown girl from Ireland who has recently come into an immense fortune from an American godmother.
When Cornelia arrived to take her place in London society she was dressed in dowdy country clothes and hiding awkwardly behind glasses. Immediately, Lady Bedlington knew that her husband's niece posed no threat to her intentions and began to weave the plan that would make the young Duke hers alone.
Heartbroken and desperate, Cornelia created another identity for herself--that of the intriguing coquette Desiree--and vanished from London. With that one reckless deception Cornelia risked everything to win the Duke's love....
Description from Open Library.
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