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amyjowrites's review against another edition
3.75
First Georgette Heyer. Had a great time. And listening to Richard Armitage rumble, simpler, stutter, squeal, gabble, and growl his way through it was probably the most fun.
english_lady03's review against another edition
3.0
My first ever Georgette Heyer audiobook done and finished! I have several titles by Heyer on my Kindle and bookshelf including this one, so I thought it was about time I started reading- or rather listening- to one of them.
Its Narrated by Richard Armitage. Which is a real treat. He does a great job on the different character's voices, including some of the women.
As the title suggests, there is a marriage of convienience trope, but the story starts with a marriage instead of ending in one, and follows the character's relationship through several months afterwards. Wit and humour also abound: especially with Rule's cousin Drelincourt, who is just such an absurd, exaggerated foppish coward. Armitage has his character to a 'T' even down the the high-pitched voice.
So why the lower rating? Well, I didn't really warm to Horatia, or find her a particularly well-drawn character. Rather silly really, but aside from that I did like this story.
(Some fans may wish to note that all of Heyer's titles are General Market fiction. Whilst this is technically a 'clean read' it does not fulfill the requirements of the Inspirational Genre. So there are references to a character having a mistress, and well as a number of swear words which were fairly common at the time.)
Its Narrated by Richard Armitage. Which is a real treat. He does a great job on the different character's voices, including some of the women.
As the title suggests, there is a marriage of convienience trope, but the story starts with a marriage instead of ending in one, and follows the character's relationship through several months afterwards. Wit and humour also abound: especially with Rule's cousin Drelincourt, who is just such an absurd, exaggerated foppish coward. Armitage has his character to a 'T' even down the the high-pitched voice.
So why the lower rating? Well, I didn't really warm to Horatia, or find her a particularly well-drawn character. Rather silly really, but aside from that I did like this story.
(Some fans may wish to note that all of Heyer's titles are General Market fiction. Whilst this is technically a 'clean read' it does not fulfill the requirements of the Inspirational Genre. So there are references to a character having a mistress, and well as a number of swear words which were fairly common at the time.)
nfairley's review
I could not get passed the age gap. I kept expecting the twist to be that he married one of the other sisters or something like that.
caitlancole's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Not my favorite Georgette Heyer book, but still the lighthearted, comic escape I was looking for. I wish we had more romance between Horry and Rule, and less of the tedious comedy of errors among the side characters.
aishoka's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
clittleford3's review against another edition
adventurous
3.75
Well, well… Horatia had a surprising spirit. Lots of drama and adventure in this one.
aggressive_nostalgia's review against another edition
2.0
I'm tempted to give a bonus star for Richard Armitage's superb narration, but I can't in good faith award even a reasonably high rating to this book. The heroine, Horatia, is an absolute child (and I'm not referring to the slightly squicky 18-year age gap between her and Rule, though that certainly highlights her immaturity very well). She is rash and incredibly naïve in the least endearing way possible, resorts to schoolgirlish pranks to make her husband jealous, doesn't learn from her mistakes, gambles and spends money like water (then insists she can't be held accountable for her recklessness because "it's in her blood"), has neither the intuition to grasp the maneuverings of society nor the patience to learn about it—and is nearly impossible to sympathize with after the first chapter. The romance (except, ironically, the adorable proposal scene when they first meet) is rather flat: the hero and heroine spend almost no time together; when, exactly, did they get around to falling in love? Rule is an intriguing character and would have been a compelling one paired with almost anyone else. I did like most the supporting cast—the comedy of Pelham and Sir Roland in the last act is mildly entertaining—and Heyer's dialogue captures a unique voice for every character. But on the whole this was a disappointment, especially on the heels of my thoroughly enjoyable romp through The Masqueraders.
ladymarigold's review against another edition
4.0
I love books read by Richard Armitage. He does such a good job !!!!!