I’d heard that Venetia (1958) by Georgette Heyer is a classic of the romance genre, as well as reminiscent of Jane Austen. I wasn’t sure it could live up to that kind of hype, but I was willing to give it a try. One thing that made me nervous about this novel is that it was written in the 1950’s–not exactly a banner decade for women. I was afraid the old-fashioned mindset would be reflected in the novel. Fortunately, for the most part, this was not true, […]
A Family Affair
This is one of Heyer’s later books (1965) so it is avoids some of the pitfalls of rampant sexism and casual racism of some of her early stuff. Per Amazon: Determined to secure a brilliant marriage for her beautiful sister, Frederica seeks out their distant cousin the Marquis of Alverstoke. Lovely, competent, and refreshingly straightforward, Frederica makes such a strong impression that to his own amazement, the Marquis agrees to help launch them all into society. Normally wary of his family, which includes two […]
Kissable Jerk
Per Amazon: After their father’s death, Miss Judith Taverner and her brother Peregrine travel to London to meet their guardian, Lord Worth, expecting an elderly gentleman. To their surprise and utter disgust, their guardian is not much older than they are, doesn’t want the office of guardian any more than they want him, and is determined to thwart all their interests and return them to the country. So I am going to tackle a few Heyer reviews and to sort out my feelings I […]
Don’t trust generous relatives living in creepy houses
Kate is broke and too young and pretty to work (that was thing). She is an orphan with no siblings and only her old nurse Sarah to turn to. Kate starts to think her only hope is to become a dresser or a seamstress. Sarah decides to write to Kate’s aunt (her father’s estranged half-sister Kate has never met). The aunt instantly appears and declares Kate the daughter she never had. Kate’s problems are over, right? She is whisked away to an old mansion and […]
This seems like a fun movie to dreamcast
After the darkness of Deadhouse Gates, I needed something a bit lighter. Many of my much trusted and admired fellow Cannonballers enjoy romance novels, and this review of Heyer’s Twin Swap seemed to suggest this author would fit the bill. There were only a few Heyer books at the library, so randomly picked Black Sheep. It took me a few minutes to get into the style and language, but once I was used to it, it was just the thing. This Regency romance focuses on […]
Twin Swap
Coming home on vacation Kit Fancot finds his twin is missing. Evelyn Fancot has arranged a marriage of convenience and is expected at his future-in-laws for dinner. To avoid embarrassment, Kit decides to take his brother’s place for the evening. Of course it is not just for one night, as Evelyn does not return and Kit is trapped by his lies. This results in the expected shenanigans and embarrassments. Kit is forced to spend an extended stay with the fiancee in his brother’s country house […]