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shropgirl's review against another edition
3.0
It has been a long time since I last read this Georgette Heyer novel. For me it is not one of my favourites but re-reading it this time I realise that perhaps there is a little more substance to it that I had previously thought. It certainly cannot deemed light and frothy like many of her enjoyable Regency books.
Kate, the heroine, was a well travelled young lady whose father served in the Peninsular War and Kate and her mother had followed the drum. Kate's mother dies, Kate continues to live with her father who although loving and caring is a spendthrift. When he too dies, Kate is left to defend herself with very little money to support herself. As the book starts Kate has just left her job as a governess and is living in hostelry with her old nanny and husband. Although the couple own the inn it is not really an ideal place for Kate, as a 'gentlewoman'. The nanny secretly writes to the sister of Kate's father, a lady who fell out with the family and who Kate has been led to believe is extremely proud and very ambitious.
The aunt provides a home for Kate and her Kate meets her cousin Torquil. Several years younger than her, Torquil has been deemed as delicate and consequently has been protected and sheltered all of his life.
This book demonstrates the difficulty that a well bred but peniless lady has in supporting herself. Society does not support ladies being independent but it does not tolerate those in trade no matter how respectable their birth was.
There are also themes of madness, how Georgian and Regency society dealt with such matters, the stigma, the options for treatment or lack of and the incarceration of the insane. There is a happy ending but this is a darker Regency novel than many written by the author.
Kate, the heroine, was a well travelled young lady whose father served in the Peninsular War and Kate and her mother had followed the drum. Kate's mother dies, Kate continues to live with her father who although loving and caring is a spendthrift. When he too dies, Kate is left to defend herself with very little money to support herself. As the book starts Kate has just left her job as a governess and is living in hostelry with her old nanny and husband. Although the couple own the inn it is not really an ideal place for Kate, as a 'gentlewoman'. The nanny secretly writes to the sister of Kate's father, a lady who fell out with the family and who Kate has been led to believe is extremely proud and very ambitious.
The aunt provides a home for Kate and her Kate meets her cousin Torquil. Several years younger than her, Torquil has been deemed as delicate and consequently has been protected and sheltered all of his life.
This book demonstrates the difficulty that a well bred but peniless lady has in supporting herself. Society does not support ladies being independent but it does not tolerate those in trade no matter how respectable their birth was.
There are also themes of madness, how Georgian and Regency society dealt with such matters, the stigma, the options for treatment or lack of and the incarceration of the insane. There is a happy ending but this is a darker Regency novel than many written by the author.
the_color_of_the_wheat_fields's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
miselenaeous's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The romance is a subplot of Kate trying to figure out what’s going on in the house; very little flirting or banter at all (and none of it lighthearted).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Mental illness
booksnug's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, and Death
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Miscarriage and Death of parent
krobart's review against another edition
4.0
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2017/10/30/day-1143-cousin-kate/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2017/10/30/day-1143-cousin-kate/
soniapage's review against another edition
3.0
There's a very gothic element to this one and I wouldn't call it a romance or light reading. The ending is ghastly.
lauriestein's review against another edition
1.0
I was expecting romance but instead got a really weird mystery.