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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
One of my top Heyers—I love how the romance builds and both Sylvester and Phoebe grow as people. One star off because Edmund is annoying.
I love a Georgette Heyer novel. Truly, I do. But this one is far from my favorite of hers.
First, the age gap - yes, it was a different time, in the novel and also when it was written, but it's obvious that Sylvester is much, much older than Phoebe. Her immaturity shows (as does Sylvester's, honestly), and she has much more and better chemistry with her best friend and son of the local squire, sweet and practical Tom Orde (the younger, it must be said).
Second, the hero and heroine themselves - I didn't particularly care for either of them at first, and it isn't until the last third or quarter of the story that I started to enjoy reading about Phoebe. While I appreciate her tenacity and modern ideals of writing the plot to her own story (figuratively and literally), she was so grating for the majority of the story that I just couldn't grow to fully like or care about her. Sylvester was the same, just arrogant and prideful instead of grating, sinister eyebrows and all. The way he handled talking to Phoebe after discovering through Town gossip that she'd used him for villain fodder was embarrassing to read, despite his contrition in the last act. He's the adult in this situation, and boy did he fuck it up.
The book really hits its stride in the last quarter of the story, when Tom and Phoebe get themselves mixed up with a kidnapping plot involving Sylvester's nephew, trapped on a boat to France, with Sylvester in hot pursuit. Heyer always shines in these moments in her books, when the silliness is as far as it can go without going overboard (ha), and I found myself wishing the entire story could have just been that part. After the adventure, it dragged to the point that I started skimming just to get it over with - which, honestly, I never do with a Heyer, because I love her writing so much.
If you're a Heyer fan and completionist (like me), I say read it to have read it. But this is no Cotillion, or Friday's Child, or The Talisman Ring, or Devil's Cub, so temper your expectations, I guess.
First, the age gap - yes, it was a different time, in the novel and also when it was written, but it's obvious that Sylvester is much, much older than Phoebe. Her immaturity shows (as does Sylvester's, honestly), and she has much more and better chemistry with her best friend and son of the local squire, sweet and practical Tom Orde (the younger, it must be said).
Second, the hero and heroine themselves - I didn't particularly care for either of them at first, and it isn't until the last third or quarter of the story that I started to enjoy reading about Phoebe. While I appreciate her tenacity and modern ideals of writing the plot to her own story (figuratively and literally), she was so grating for the majority of the story that I just couldn't grow to fully like or care about her. Sylvester was the same, just arrogant and prideful instead of grating, sinister eyebrows and all. The way he handled talking to Phoebe after discovering through Town gossip that she'd used him for villain fodder was embarrassing to read, despite his contrition in the last act. He's the adult in this situation, and boy did he fuck it up.
The book really hits its stride in the last quarter of the story, when Tom and Phoebe get themselves mixed up with a kidnapping plot involving Sylvester's nephew, trapped on a boat to France, with Sylvester in hot pursuit. Heyer always shines in these moments in her books, when the silliness is as far as it can go without going overboard (ha), and I found myself wishing the entire story could have just been that part. After the adventure, it dragged to the point that I started skimming just to get it over with - which, honestly, I never do with a Heyer, because I love her writing so much.
If you're a Heyer fan and completionist (like me), I say read it to have read it. But this is no Cotillion, or Friday's Child, or The Talisman Ring, or Devil's Cub, so temper your expectations, I guess.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed it, though I ended up listening to the latter half.
.
Well I finally popped my Georgette Heyer cherry with this one.
There was a lot to like and I enjoyed it, but wasn't blown away by the romance. What I found was; a slow burn, with imperfect MCs, and an unpredictable path to their HEA.
This I loved, but the MC's themselves made the ending awkward and a bit of a fizzle. It was like the tables were turned when I would have rather had to Sylvester make attempts to prove his love.
It's basically a 'Pride and Prejudice' type tale, complete with a proposal from hell, except Phoebe is more timid than Elizabeth.
Her escapades didn't seem so foolish to me. She acted out of her heart, not holding back. And I admired that of her.
Sylvester WAS a prig, and DID deserve someone holding a mirror to his air of entitlement. Of course the satire the she wrote was mean spirited, but it didn't overshadow the romance as much as I feared it would.
A clean romance with only kisses and avowals of love at the end.
Hints at Sylvester's falling in love are super subtle;
"The role of Deus ex machina, which he appeared to have undertaken, sounded most unlike him"
I will definitely read more by this author as I like her style.
Safety is good
Well I finally popped my Georgette Heyer cherry with this one.
There was a lot to like and I enjoyed it, but wasn't blown away by the romance. What I found was; a slow burn, with imperfect MCs, and an unpredictable path to their HEA.
This I loved, but the MC's themselves made the ending awkward and a bit of a fizzle. It was like the tables were turned when I would have rather had to Sylvester make attempts to prove his love.
It's basically a 'Pride and Prejudice' type tale, complete with a proposal from hell, except Phoebe is more timid than Elizabeth.
Her escapades didn't seem so foolish to me. She acted out of her heart, not holding back. And I admired that of her.
Sylvester WAS a prig, and DID deserve someone holding a mirror to his air of entitlement. Of course the satire the she wrote was mean spirited, but it didn't overshadow the romance as much as I feared it would.
A clean romance with only kisses and avowals of love at the end.
Hints at Sylvester's falling in love are super subtle;
"The role of Deus ex machina, which he appeared to have undertaken, sounded most unlike him"
I will definitely read more by this author as I like her style.
Safety is good
Spoiler
He isn't a virgin, but it isn't mentioned if he had mistresses or widows or prostitutes. He certainly isn't a manho. He has been dancing attendance on several girls in the ton knowing he needed to marry, but scrupulously avoiding gossip. Pheobe is of course a virgin. No sex scenes.
I have enjoyed quite a few of Georgette Heyer's works already, but I'd put this one up as one of my favorites with Frederica so far.
I think the part that I loved the most about this book is that we got to enjoy such a large amount of interacting between the two main characters. It felt so natural with their bantering, bickering, teasing, joking, laughing together that they would fall in love. I loved that the situations in this book put them in each other's company so frequently so that I could read so much about them together. The other supporting characters were fun too, and even the vexing ones like the male lead's brother's widow gave an interesting variation to the mix.
I think the part that I loved the most about this book is that we got to enjoy such a large amount of interacting between the two main characters. It felt so natural with their bantering, bickering, teasing, joking, laughing together that they would fall in love. I loved that the situations in this book put them in each other's company so frequently so that I could read so much about them together. The other supporting characters were fun too, and even the vexing ones like the male lead's brother's widow gave an interesting variation to the mix.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-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
This is probably the 10th time I’ve read this book? I read this book when I need to feel something. I love Phoebe and Sylvester. This story means so much to me. Please read it. Tell your friends to read it. Make it into a well-produced tv show, I beg you.