Barbara Cartland was (is) an interesting phenomenon.

If you can find her first novel, read it. It was a real novel. A good novel even. There was a plot—a romance plot to be sure—but it was an actual plot. There was character development. Nobody had a little heart-shaped face. The events made sense, in a romance book kind of way. It's clear she was trying to emulate Georgette Heyer, but she didn't do a bad job of it.

Cartland's second book was not as good as the first.

And somewhere between book two and book three… she found the formula and nothing was ever the same again in terms of quality. Older experienced man, young virginal feisty sweet girl with a heart-shaped face… some historic event that goes wrong forcing man to rescue girl... they get married… and on to the next novel!

Diana Princess of Wales read Cartland.

I must admit I have done so myself (hence my knowledge of her format). The books are like valium. Brain numbing.

Except… Cartland came up with the WEIRDEST historical events to use as settings. Like the Luddite riots and the Crimean whore boats. (I think there were three whore boat novels.) Her historical research was reasonably accurate even. Maybe she had a whole staff like James Michener did?

But one really has to give the woman credit for having her finger on the popular pulse. She died rich. Which isn't the same thing as saying she was a "good" writer.