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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
One of my slowest reads this year, but Armitage's voice is everything. Sylvester has some similiar traits as Darcy and I liked his relationship with his mother. He was the only character I felt that was really developed. I didn't connect much with Phoebe.
reading this author's books is like reading the same book over and over again which is why they're the perfect audiobooks to listen to at this time. maybe i should give up on my reading challenge if it forces me to listen to books like this during finals but i am stubborn for literally no reason.
Grabbed this off the shelf at the library when I was looking for something quick and light to amuse myself with over the Thanksgiving break. This ended up being the perfect book for my mood, especially in light of the recent resurgence of my Pride and Prejudice obsession. Although the plot is very different, this book obviously took some inspiration from that one. I'll definitely be reading more Georgette Heyer when I'm in the mood for some fun period romance.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
I love anything that Heyer writes; this one was no exception. Her writing is just such a delight to read. As usual I was laughing out loud and sad for it to come to an end. Sylvester wasn’t my favorite of her novels, but definitely a strong middle of the pack. The characters of this book were what really made it shine. I loved imagining the farcical, over-the-top, dandy, Sir Nugent Featherby’s face turning purple when he discovered his Hessian boot’s golden tassles had been snipped off. Or when Phoebe must have felt like dying of mortification when everyone discovered she was the one who wrote all of the silly, satirical descriptions of the well-off people of the Ton in her novel.
Confession: I needed a little pick-me-up, so I had finished this novel before the Georgette Fans Group started their reread.
A lot of really interesting things struck me this time & reminded me why this is still a 5★ read for me.
♥ Original plot idea.
♥ Great secondary characters. Even if they only appear briefly in the story, I remember them.
♥ The hero shows character development, but doesn't turn into a completely different person. Total reformation of the man you love is never a healthy aspiration.
♥ Some of GH's most romantic scenes. I've reread them twice since finishing this book.
♥ Thomas Orde is one of Gh's best secondary characters. I just love him.
If you are a not a fan of ingenue heroines, Phoebe is the final one GH wrote. Cressy from False Colours is only 20, but an extremely mature personality.
I know in previous reads other members have found Sylvester's nephew Edmund a very young six, but he probably wasn't both for the time he was written, when GH wrote this (1950s) & the lack of socialisation with his peers. I quite enjoyed Edmund this time around.
I realise these are more like notes than a proper review, but this is my second review on Goodreads & I have read this particular title between 30-50 times.
I'm cutting myself some slack.
A lot of really interesting things struck me this time & reminded me why this is still a 5★ read for me.
♥ Original plot idea.
♥ Great secondary characters. Even if they only appear briefly in the story, I remember them.
♥ The hero shows character development, but doesn't turn into a completely different person. Total reformation of the man you love is never a healthy aspiration.
♥ Some of GH's most romantic scenes. I've reread them twice since finishing this book.
♥ Thomas Orde is one of Gh's best secondary characters. I just love him.
If you are a not a fan of ingenue heroines, Phoebe is the final one GH wrote. Cressy from False Colours is only 20, but an extremely mature personality.
I know in previous reads other members have found Sylvester's nephew Edmund a very young six, but he probably wasn't both for the time he was written, when GH wrote this (1950s) & the lack of socialisation with his peers. I quite enjoyed Edmund this time around.
I realise these are more like notes than a proper review, but this is my second review on Goodreads & I have read this particular title between 30-50 times.
I'm cutting myself some slack.
"I made the villain of my popular novel look like you" might actually be the most relatable obstacle keeping a couple apart in any regency romance. Fortunately the rest of the book fully delivers what I want from Georgette Heyer, which is over-the-top rich people nonsense totally divorced from reality. Yes, tell me more about how many capes are on everybody's greatcoats, give me grown men throwing tantrums over boot tassels, especially while Tom Orde is around, the only character in the book (aside maybe from Sylvester's mother) with any real sense.
Phoebe suffers a little more than I prefer, and I wish there were a little more of a transition out of the acrimonious bickering between Phoebe and Sylvester at the end, but overall pretty fun and satisfying.
Phoebe suffers a little more than I prefer, and I wish there were a little more of a transition out of the acrimonious bickering between Phoebe and Sylvester at the end, but overall pretty fun and satisfying.
Had to read the full book immediately right after finishing the abridged audio. The abridgment was done cleverly, cutting out part of sentences, whole characters, whole paragraphs, even whole sequences, but didn't lose the essence of the story. However, it was much more fun to read every single word Georgette Heyer had deemed necessary, and willingly fell into the confusion state of not knowing if I like or not like both Sylvester and Phoebe. I don't think there's much changes in their characters from start to finish, they would still have their faults, him being an arrogant duke, her being a silly reckless mish, but there's no help in wishing them a happy ending. Because that's the point of reading Georgette Heyer I've realised, to see how 2 very unlikely persons coming together and laughing along with all the absurdities on the journey.
I love it that Sylvester and Phoebe had such easy friendship for most of the book. And here's the most shocking thing that should fly a whole heap of sparks in modern romances:
Sylvester: "Will you let me mount you while you are in town?’
Alas, they were only talking about horses.
I love it that Sylvester and Phoebe had such easy friendship for most of the book. And here's the most shocking thing that should fly a whole heap of sparks in modern romances:
Sylvester: "Will you let me mount you while you are in town?’
Alas, they were only talking about horses.
An instant favorite and a binge-read — you don't even want to know how many hours of sleep I lost over this, but I don't regret it a whit.
Another Heyer re-read that still charms the third time around.
We first meet Sylvester, Duke of Salford, watching through a window as his very young nephew and ward escapes his minders for adventure in the home woods. This Sylvester has humor, warmth, caring for those he loves, aloof courtesy towards staff, and a touch of arrogant disdain towards all others, including his widowed sister-in-law Ianthe (a shallow silly ninny). Sylvester has decided it is time to marry, and asks his mother to pick his bride for him from 5 candidates from the latest crop of available misses introduced during the season. Needless to say, mom is appalled. She manages to send him off the a hunting weekend after refusing to make the decision for him, not realizing she planted a possible candidate in his mind.
Only now do we meet Phoebe, granddaughter to Sylvester's godmother, daughter of his mom's best friend (sadly, deceased leaving Phoebe with essentially a wicked stepmother). Phoebe did not have a good London season socially, but it did give her fodder for a novel filled with caricatures of society that is being published anonymously...the typical gothic style of the era featuring a villian as a wicked uncle who is unmistakably based on Sylvester, and not just because of his distinctive eyebrows! Phoebe, intrepid and courageous except when dealing with her step-mother, has plans to use her book profits to set up independently...when she is of age.
Of course, Sylvester and Phoebe are fated to make a love match.
Along the way, there are memorable adventures for the two of them with a colorful assortment of side characters, adventures designed to let Sylvester and Phoebe get to know each other outside the constrictions of society and in environments unfamiliar to both. Lots of humor, and I am determined to add words like farouche, betwattled, and gut-foundered to my everyday conversations.
We first meet Sylvester, Duke of Salford, watching through a window as his very young nephew and ward escapes his minders for adventure in the home woods. This Sylvester has humor, warmth, caring for those he loves, aloof courtesy towards staff, and a touch of arrogant disdain towards all others, including his widowed sister-in-law Ianthe (a shallow silly ninny). Sylvester has decided it is time to marry, and asks his mother to pick his bride for him from 5 candidates from the latest crop of available misses introduced during the season. Needless to say, mom is appalled. She manages to send him off the a hunting weekend after refusing to make the decision for him, not realizing she planted a possible candidate in his mind.
Only now do we meet Phoebe, granddaughter to Sylvester's godmother, daughter of his mom's best friend (sadly, deceased leaving Phoebe with essentially a wicked stepmother). Phoebe did not have a good London season socially, but it did give her fodder for a novel filled with caricatures of society that is being published anonymously...the typical gothic style of the era featuring a villian as a wicked uncle who is unmistakably based on Sylvester, and not just because of his distinctive eyebrows! Phoebe, intrepid and courageous except when dealing with her step-mother, has plans to use her book profits to set up independently...when she is of age.
Of course, Sylvester and Phoebe are fated to make a love match.
Along the way, there are memorable adventures for the two of them with a colorful assortment of side characters, adventures designed to let Sylvester and Phoebe get to know each other outside the constrictions of society and in environments unfamiliar to both. Lots of humor, and I am determined to add words like farouche, betwattled, and gut-foundered to my everyday conversations.