Scan barcode
joanne_is_from_canada's review against another edition
3.0
Cute little book, my first by Georgette Heyer, which I've heard praised on a blog I follow. I enjoyed it, although dunno if I'd say I loved it. It had many misunderstandings and scheming and bad ideas, and ended with the MC and her husband realizing that they did love each other. Good to pass the time
kah's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
salreads's review against another edition
3.0
I discovered Georgette Heyer when I was a student, Her regency romances were an absolute delight and the best distraction from academic texts.. This was my first return to her work since those days and I found the same lovely comedy - a bit like a less serious Jane Austen. This is the story of Nell, a young and beautiful young woman who is married to Cardross in what she perceives to be a marriage of convenience. It is also the story of Nell's brother Dysart who is a bit of a lad, and Cardross' sister Letty who will do anything to achieve her desires. The story is funny, full of mishap/ missed chances. and misapprehensions! I greatly enjoyed my return to Georgette Heyer. The narrator had a lovely clear voice, however I found it much harder to listen to a Heyer novel than to read it and this surprised me. I could not get into the swing of it to start with and found it a little fast. I wasn't sure about the voicing of the male characters and I think that this was in part due to the very archaic language the male characters seemed to use - this sounded particularly awkward. However, I did really enjoy my return to Heyer and will definitely be revisiting some of my favourites. With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK Audio for a digital copy of this lovely book.
kentcryptid's review against another edition
2.0
Not one of GH's strongest. I genuinely like Nell, and I feel for her being married so young and behaving pretty well in a bad situation. There are also flashes of shared humour between her and Cardross where you see how they could be really compatible, if only they'd talk to each other. However, they spend the whole book misunderstanding one another and being accidentally cruel before it all wraps up far too quickly, and with too much unconvincing broad humour right at the end.
a_chickletz's review against another edition
3.0
I decided to tread back into Georgette Heyer's works. This time selecting books that are not her best but her second place winners.
This one had a simple plot, one that you go 'WELL, if you just would have...' over and over in your head while face-palming. So I knock it down a star for that.
The other reason I knock it down a star is that they call a moneylender 'Jew King' over and over. Maybe it was the racist ass time period and Heyer was trying to keep to that in her book... but honestly, I don't like it and growing up in a time period where we are told that shit is racist, well, when reading racist things in a fictional world, that displays real-life reactions and or phrases used, it's just sickening and took me out of the book a lot. I would have preferred it not to be mentioned at all, but, Georgette wanted to be authentic as fuck. So we're saddled with racist phrases and xenophobic shit.
If they ever do film adaptations of her stuff, please, for the love of god, get people of color in the roles and leave out all the nasty words said by characters that doesn't really add anything to the story?
This one had a simple plot, one that you go 'WELL, if you just would have...' over and over in your head while face-palming. So I knock it down a star for that.
The other reason I knock it down a star is that they call a moneylender 'Jew King' over and over. Maybe it was the racist ass time period and Heyer was trying to keep to that in her book... but honestly, I don't like it and growing up in a time period where we are told that shit is racist, well, when reading racist things in a fictional world, that displays real-life reactions and or phrases used, it's just sickening and took me out of the book a lot. I would have preferred it not to be mentioned at all, but, Georgette wanted to be authentic as fuck. So we're saddled with racist phrases and xenophobic shit.
If they ever do film adaptations of her stuff, please, for the love of god, get people of color in the roles and leave out all the nasty words said by characters that doesn't really add anything to the story?
egelantier's review against another edition
3.0
apparently i had an unread heyer book! a retread of convenient marriage with a more convenient (ha) heroine and more human (as in, less omnipotent sarcastic alpha male) hero, which canceled each other nicely, and nearly identical cast of supporting characters. again, i have no complaints, as it was adorable, but you can literally see the serial numbers being filed off as you read. ah well, who's entitled to that if not heyer? nobody, that's who.
bookstuff's review against another edition
3.0
Amusing, shallow novel. The bride's brother and the groom's sister are the most diverting characters.
aleena123's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
attytheresa's review against another edition
2.0
Tis the wee hours and I just finished my re-read of this romp from a favorite author, and have to say was severely disappointed. I found it incredibly irritating in so very many ways - especially Giles and Nell. For heaven's sake, how do you expect your extremely young inexperienced wife to behave when suddenly endowed with money and freedom? And since when is it a good idea to dress her down as you do your young sister, whom you have installed in your household and expect your equally young and naive wife to chaperone?
And the whole ridiculous mess of the dress bill... utterly preposturous, even for this genre.
Plus at the end suddenly caving in and agreeing to Letty's immediate marriage..absurd!
Definitely to my mind one of Heyer's weaker entries, saved only by a couple of set pieces (the cockroach business was inspired) and side characters (Corny is a hoot). Even Heyer's usual deft use of cant to bring you into the scene irritated rather than charmed me.
What was also odd for me at least was that this read as if I had never read it before. I know I did because I read all of them 40 or so years ago. Then again, it's very likely I have not read it since I remember absolutely nothing, zip, nada.
I was constantly impatient reading this one, finding it hard to settle into. Or maybe I am still too immersed in the intense drama of the final season of HBO's Game of Thrones to be reading something so frivolous. 😁
And the whole ridiculous mess of the dress bill... utterly preposturous, even for this genre.
Plus at the end suddenly caving in and agreeing to Letty's immediate marriage..absurd!
Definitely to my mind one of Heyer's weaker entries, saved only by a couple of set pieces (the cockroach business was inspired) and side characters (Corny is a hoot). Even Heyer's usual deft use of cant to bring you into the scene irritated rather than charmed me.
What was also odd for me at least was that this read as if I had never read it before. I know I did because I read all of them 40 or so years ago. Then again, it's very likely I have not read it since I remember absolutely nothing, zip, nada.
I was constantly impatient reading this one, finding it hard to settle into. Or maybe I am still too immersed in the intense drama of the final season of HBO's Game of Thrones to be reading something so frivolous. 😁