Reviews

Before I even continue my review, I just want to say the cousin-love thing made it weird. I get it's supposed to be a Regency romance, but I just felt like what was supposed to be the cute banter of future lovers was really just familial bickering. Plus, this book was written in the 1950s, so it's not really a Regency. The cousin-thing was weird.
Such a bland book. If I had to describe it as a color I would say this book is beige. The characters lacked any substance and I was hard-pressed to sympathize with them. I was expecting a Regency romance, but from what I read it's just about a bunch of wealthy white people wasting away their lives. The "grand" Sophy was a boring character and the main male character (I've forgotten his name, he's so boring!) seemed to just be a controlling jerk. If there ended up even being romance (which wasn't even STARTING to kindle even after the first few chapters!!) I wouldn't be intrigued.
This was compared to the likes of Pride & Prejudice, but I can definitely say it isn't at all like P&P (which is one of my favorite books!).
It was just a crusty, old, dry book.

geekberry's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

sashapasha's review against another edition

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5.0

A quick read and hilarious, though a bit dated.

Reading soundtrack:
- Dawn - Dario Marianelli, Pride and Prejudice soundtrack
- The Living Sculptures of Pemberley - "
- Darcy's Letter - "
- Your Hands Are Cold - "
- Symphony No. 7 in A Major - Ludwig van Beethoven
- Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor - Johannes Brahms
- 21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1 - Johannes Brahms
- other waltzes

emy22's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

gossamerwingedgazelle's review against another edition

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5.0

That was absolutely fantastic! I was a bit put off my the miserableness of the setup, but it was all worth it. What a wonderful job the author does of pulling all the threads of the plot together at the end. So much fun!

pilateschick's review against another edition

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2.0

Trying to keep all the gossip straight was exhausting, and the Regency style was tricky. Add to that a boring leading man, and there isn't much left that shined for me but the grand Sophy. She might be worth the read. Most readers gave this a higher rating, so chances are you'll enjoy it more than I did.

bhnmt61's review against another edition

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3.0

This was a re-read for me, after having read it and disliked it thoroughly four or five years ago. I kept hearing people say it is their favorite Heyer, their favorite historical romance, their favorite beach read, etc so I decided maybe I should try it again. I did like it much better this time--it is probably the best written of all the Heyers I've read, and it is beautifully plotted and hangs together perfectly. But I dinged it one star for the gratuitously awful Jewish moneylender in the middle (typical of her time, but that doesn't mean I have to like it), and another star because I'm not a fan of farce, and this novel--as well-written and perfectly conceived as it is--never really moves out of the realm of farce. We do get to see Sophy as more than just a mischievous manipulator during the long section where she cares for her seriously ill younger cousin, but other than that, we never see her with her guard lowered in the entire novel. Does she love Charles? Did she just think it would be a lark to marry him? Did she agree to marry him just because she knows she would make a better wife than the odious Eugenia? who knows? Lord knows the Rivenhalls needed their world shaken up, and Sophy is just the person to do it. If you don't mind slapstick/farce, it works just fine--it is fun to read and there are several laugh out loud moments. If it had ended with Sophy just being the crazy cousin who is going to visit for three months every year and throw the house into chaos, it would have been a perfectly valid light-hearted summer read. But in order to really believe these two had fallen in love, I would have needed a bit more vulnerability and honesty between the main characters. Since that seems to be exactly what everyone else loves about this novel, don't mind me, I'm just the curmudgeon in the corner.

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