This is going to be slightly unfair as a book review, because I cannot talk about A Hazard of Hearts without talking about the 1987 adaptation too. For me, the two have become almost inseparable. I watched the movie first, and this is one of those very rare cases where I can honestly say that the adaptation is as good as the book.
The story follows Serena Staverley, whose father has gambled away the family fortune. In one final disastrous wager against Lord Harry Wrotham, he loses Staverley Court and effectively Serena’s future as well. Yup, the bugger wagered his own daughter thinking he could overturn his bad luck and win back everything. Lord Justin Vulcan then challenges Wrotham and wins everything from him. It is an outrageous setup even by old-fashioned historical-romance standards, but it also means that Vulcan, in a very strange way, has actually helped Serena. He has taken her out of Wrotham’s hands rather than being the man who engineered her father’s ruin.
Serena naturally has every reason to be wary of Vulcan. He has a formidable reputation: serious, reserved, not particularly talkative, and apparently blessed with the luck of the devil at the gaming table. He seems like the sort of man who simply does not lose. Looking back, he has rather strong Mr Darcy vibes. The interesting part, though, is that his behaviour keeps contradicting the frightening reputation. He does not treat Serena as though she is part of his winnings, he does not take advantage of the situation, and little by little he proves himself respectable, dependable and trustworthy.
That is what makes the romance work for me. Serena does not suddenly fall for him simply because he is handsome (though Marcus Gilbert was handsome in the movie 😍) , mysterious or powerful. He earns her trust first. So while the story definitely has enemies-to-lovers vibes, I would probably describe it more accurately as distrust-to-love: wariness, observation, trust and then attraction.
And then, of course, there is the movie. Because I watched it before reading the book, Helena Bonham Carter became Serena in my imagination and Marcus Gilbert became Lord Vulcan. Their chemistry was the bomb. There really is no more sophisticated way for me to put it. 😂 Helena Bonham Carter gave Serena exactly the right combination of youthfulness, pride and innocence, while Marcus Gilbert had the serious, controlled presence Vulcan needed. Together, they just worked.
And when Vulcan says, “Shall I make you fall in love with me, Serena?” I said: YESS!!!
The supporting characters were excellent too. Diana Rigg was wonderfully memorable as Vulcan’s mother, Lady Harriet, who is a real character in her own right: dramatic, controlling and very much a force to be reckoned with. Edward Fox was also excellent as Lord Wrotham. The whole production felt much richer than a simple television romance, and one of the reasons it works so well for me is that, as I remember it, the adaptation stayed quite true to the book. The characters, atmosphere and even memorable lines carried across to the screen.
I finally found a copy of the novel in 2008 through eBay, from a secondhand bookseller in the US. I had already been looking for it for quite a while, so actually getting hold of it felt like finding something I had been chasing for years. And thankfully, the book lived up to the movie.
In fact, watching the adaptation first helped my reading experience. I already had Serena and Vulcan clearly formed in my imagination, and instead of finding that limiting, I enjoyed having Helena Bonham Carter and Marcus Gilbert accompanying me through the story. The novel itself is wonderfully dramatic: gambling, family intrigue, danger, secrets, villains and plenty of romantic tension. It is exactly the sort of unapologetically old-fashioned romantic adventure that Barbara Cartland did so well.
For once, I do not feel the need to choose between the book and the adaptation. I love both. The movie made me want to find the novel, and the novel gave me more of a story I had already fallen for.