Scan barcode
kathydavie's review against another edition
3.0
First published in 1923, this standalone historical romance is set in the late seventeenth century. The couple focus is on Philip Jettan and Cleone Charteris.
My Take
It’s a slow introduction providing us with back history on the Jettans, and Sir Maurice’s need to marry, but not to Lucy Farmer, Marianne Tempest (Castlehill’s daughter), or Jane Butterfield. Tthe Jettans only marry for love.
Heyer uses a third person global subjective point-of-view with perspectives from Philip, Sir Maurice, Thomas, Cleone, Aunt Sally, Henry Bancroft, and a few others.
It is a funny story with Sir Maurice and Cleone plotting to force Philip off to get some town polish with others joining in as the story continues. It is amazing how quickly Philip does “polish up” in only six months. Certainly Tom and other friends of the Jettan brothers are having fun.
Only, Sir Maurice and Cleone have begun to regret banishing him. Until they get to London where they find Philip is quite popular. It seems that Cleone thought the grass would be greener, only . . . it’s not what she truly expected. She’s young, so I reckon, maybe, we need to cut her a break when she gets all hypocritical . . .
The negative to Powder and Patch is today's rejection of the man being masterful and telling the woman what to do, how to feel . . . keep in mind that this idea of masterly was the norm in that time period.
The minor characters are there to fill in around the major ones, who range from fun, decent, caring, and smart to pompous, mean, and mischievous. Their action . . . hmmm . . . it ranges from flirtatious, poetry, duels, gaming, conversation . . . yeah, not much in the way of active action and not one of Heyer's best, but again, it is funny and an easy read.
The Story
An unpolished cub who is boorish with no interest beyond the countryside is not the man Cleone would marry. She wants someone who pays pretty compliments and dresses well. That man is not Philip, though she loves him well.
It’s a rejection that sends Philip off in a huff. He’ll show her!
The Characters
In Little Fittledean
Philip Jettan is the son of the house, Jettan’s Pride, in Little Fittledean, between Midhurst and Brighthelmstone in Sussex. Sir Maurice is his father. Maria Marchant was Philip’s mother. Thomas is Maurice’s brother who lives in Half Moon Street with Moggat as his valet-footman and Moggat’s wife as cook. Sir Thomas Jettan, Philip’s grandfather, built the house.
Their neighbors include Mr Winton and his two children, James and Jennifer. Mr and Mrs Charteris live in Sharley House with their daughter, the beauteous Cleone. Sir Harold has a painted puppy of a son, Henry Bancroft.
In Paris . . .
. . . Philip is known as Phillipe, le petit anglais. Françoise becomes Philip’s valet. Jacques is his groom and homme à tout faire.
Jean, Le Marquis de Château-Banvau is a family friend. Other friends include Louis, Comte de Saint-Dantin; Jules De Bergeret; De Salmy; Paul de Vangrisse; De Graune; Charles, Vicomte De Ravel; De Farraud; Saint-Clamond; M le Duc de Vally-Martin; De Flaubert; M de Richelieu; and, Henri De Chatelin. Madame de Foli-Martin; La Pompadour; la Salévier; Julie, Mademoiselle de Marcherand; Jeanne de Fontenay; and, Clothilde, Mademoiselle de Chaucheron are some of the French beauties of Society. Duchesse de Maugry. Bancroft’s friends include M de Chambert and Le Vallon. Armand de Sedlamont lost in a duel.
In London
Philip hires Sir Humphrey Grandcourt’s house on Curzon Street. Marie-Guillaume, Françoisecousin, becomes Philip’s cook. Sally, Lady Malmerstoke, is Cleone’s aunt.
Those we encounter in London include the Duchess of Queensberry; Lord Charles Fairfax; Mistress Florence Farmer; Mistress Ann Nutley is one of the beauties of the Season; Sir Derek Brenderby is somewhat ardent; Gregory; and, Lady Dering. Satterwaite is a friend of Sir Harold Bancroft’s.
Harry Besham. Sir Matthew Trelawney wears wonderful, clocked stockings while Frederick King’s coat fits him well. A duel was fought over Dolly, Lady Marchand. Jenkins is a man of business in London.
The Cover and Title
The top inch of the cover is a cream background for the dull burgundy title. Below that is a burgundy band serving as background for the author’s name in white with a white colophon with a speech bubble made up of various sizes of black and gray dots. The remainder of the cover is totally wrong for this tale. Don’t get me wrong, I like Sir Maurice — for it’s an older man slightly off-center, wearing a black hat with what looks like a nest of rags on top. He has gray hair and is wearing a pale gray cravat and white shirt under what appears to be two waistcoats (one in burgundy and the other in a figured gray) with his navy coat (with puffy white shirt cuffs emerging) and frogged brown buttons, and golden yellow pantaloons. He’s holding a cane in his right hand. The background on the left is dark and likely a building wall. On the right is a limewashed house wall with a steeple on its roof and windowboxes of greenery.
The title is what Cleone thinks she wants, a man comfortable with Powder and Patch.
My Take
It’s a slow introduction providing us with back history on the Jettans, and Sir Maurice’s need to marry, but not to Lucy Farmer, Marianne Tempest (Castlehill’s daughter), or Jane Butterfield. Tthe Jettans only marry for love.
Heyer uses a third person global subjective point-of-view with perspectives from Philip, Sir Maurice, Thomas, Cleone, Aunt Sally, Henry Bancroft, and a few others.
It is a funny story with Sir Maurice and Cleone plotting to force Philip off to get some town polish with others joining in as the story continues. It is amazing how quickly Philip does “polish up” in only six months. Certainly Tom and other friends of the Jettan brothers are having fun.
Only, Sir Maurice and Cleone have begun to regret banishing him. Until they get to London where they find Philip is quite popular. It seems that Cleone thought the grass would be greener, only . . . it’s not what she truly expected. She’s young, so I reckon, maybe, we need to cut her a break when she gets all hypocritical . . .
The negative to Powder and Patch is today's rejection of the man being masterful and telling the woman what to do, how to feel . . . keep in mind that this idea of masterly was the norm in that time period.
The minor characters are there to fill in around the major ones, who range from fun, decent, caring, and smart to pompous, mean, and mischievous. Their action . . . hmmm . . . it ranges from flirtatious, poetry, duels, gaming, conversation . . . yeah, not much in the way of active action and not one of Heyer's best, but again, it is funny and an easy read.
The Story
An unpolished cub who is boorish with no interest beyond the countryside is not the man Cleone would marry. She wants someone who pays pretty compliments and dresses well. That man is not Philip, though she loves him well.
It’s a rejection that sends Philip off in a huff. He’ll show her!
The Characters
In Little Fittledean
Philip Jettan is the son of the house, Jettan’s Pride, in Little Fittledean, between Midhurst and Brighthelmstone in Sussex. Sir Maurice is his father. Maria Marchant was Philip’s mother. Thomas is Maurice’s brother who lives in Half Moon Street with Moggat as his valet-footman and Moggat’s wife as cook. Sir Thomas Jettan, Philip’s grandfather, built the house.
Their neighbors include Mr Winton and his two children, James and Jennifer. Mr and Mrs Charteris live in Sharley House with their daughter, the beauteous Cleone. Sir Harold has a painted puppy of a son, Henry Bancroft.
In Paris . . .
. . . Philip is known as Phillipe, le petit anglais. Françoise becomes Philip’s valet. Jacques is his groom and homme à tout faire.
Jean, Le Marquis de Château-Banvau is a family friend. Other friends include Louis, Comte de Saint-Dantin; Jules De Bergeret; De Salmy; Paul de Vangrisse; De Graune; Charles, Vicomte De Ravel; De Farraud; Saint-Clamond; M le Duc de Vally-Martin; De Flaubert; M de Richelieu; and, Henri De Chatelin. Madame de Foli-Martin; La Pompadour; la Salévier; Julie, Mademoiselle de Marcherand; Jeanne de Fontenay; and, Clothilde, Mademoiselle de Chaucheron are some of the French beauties of Society. Duchesse de Maugry. Bancroft’s friends include M de Chambert and Le Vallon. Armand de Sedlamont lost in a duel.
In London
Philip hires Sir Humphrey Grandcourt’s house on Curzon Street. Marie-Guillaume, Françoisecousin, becomes Philip’s cook. Sally, Lady Malmerstoke, is Cleone’s aunt.
Those we encounter in London include the Duchess of Queensberry; Lord Charles Fairfax; Mistress Florence Farmer; Mistress Ann Nutley is one of the beauties of the Season; Sir Derek Brenderby is somewhat ardent; Gregory; and, Lady Dering. Satterwaite is a friend of Sir Harold Bancroft’s.
Harry Besham. Sir Matthew Trelawney wears wonderful, clocked stockings while Frederick King’s coat fits him well. A duel was fought over Dolly, Lady Marchand. Jenkins is a man of business in London.
The Cover and Title
The top inch of the cover is a cream background for the dull burgundy title. Below that is a burgundy band serving as background for the author’s name in white with a white colophon with a speech bubble made up of various sizes of black and gray dots. The remainder of the cover is totally wrong for this tale. Don’t get me wrong, I like Sir Maurice — for it’s an older man slightly off-center, wearing a black hat with what looks like a nest of rags on top. He has gray hair and is wearing a pale gray cravat and white shirt under what appears to be two waistcoats (one in burgundy and the other in a figured gray) with his navy coat (with puffy white shirt cuffs emerging) and frogged brown buttons, and golden yellow pantaloons. He’s holding a cane in his right hand. The background on the left is dark and likely a building wall. On the right is a limewashed house wall with a steeple on its roof and windowboxes of greenery.
The title is what Cleone thinks she wants, a man comfortable with Powder and Patch.
julieclair's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was not my favorite Heyer. It was a bit too silly at times. And I have learned that I want to like the female protagonist in a Heyer novel - I want to root for her and see her happy - and I just wasn’t a fan of Cleone.
jennysjw's review against another edition
If this had been my first Heyer novel, I would never have read another one. I know Heyer was young and this was one of her earliest novels, but the writing is stilted, the dialogue is unbelievable, the characters are annoying, and the romance is not romantic.
My favorite part of this novel was a comedic moment when Cloreceives 3 proposals and finds herself engaged to 2 men in one evening.
There are 2 endings. I disliked the ending of Powder and Patch and hated the ending of The Transformation of Philip Jettan.
My favorite part of this novel was a comedic moment when Clo
There are 2 endings. I disliked the ending of Powder and Patch and hated the ending of The Transformation of Philip Jettan.
papidoc's review
3.0
Light gothic romance fiction, among my Mom's favorites. Considerably better than the average gothic romance. Some of them are more like historical fiction, such as Simon the Coldheart. I read them from time to time when I was growing up.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
3.0
A great deal fluffier than most of Heyer's writing, but none the less enjoyable for that. I certainly won't re-read it as often as I do many of her other books, which have heart and solid characters in a way which this doesn't, but I'll probably still re-read it occasionally, it does make an awfully good lunch break read!
jeet_the_maiden's review against another edition
3.0
I had read this earlier as Powder and Patch and it's a fine enough story. I don't like the heroine much, there's nothing to recommend her and the hero too acts from an agency of rebuke and revenge, so doesn't quite land as well as Heyer's other stories. Her knowledge and detailed descriptions of the customs and the dress of that era remains authoritative and firm as always.
eastofthesunwestofthemoon's review
2.0
(I am rereading the Georgette Heyer books I loved as a teen). This one did not hold up over time - a second reading just bored me. None of the characters ever really engaged me and I couldn't care less what happened to them.