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wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This is a reread of the first Georgette Heyer book I ever picked up to see why I devoured much of her backlist as a teen.
The Masqueraders is absolutely unhinged. There is the period typical sexism and violence, though how it is orchestrated is so whacky. The father acts like a villain stuck in perpetual monologue status with how brilliant and great he is which is comical and now as I am older, quite sad what he dragged his kids into.
The Masqueraders is absolutely unhinged. There is the period typical sexism and violence, though how it is orchestrated is so whacky. The father acts like a villain stuck in perpetual monologue status with how brilliant and great he is which is comical and now as I am older, quite sad what he dragged his kids into.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Death, Drug abuse, Sexism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Cursing, Kidnapping, Murder, and Outing
debralewi's review against another edition
adventurous
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
5.0
maplessence's review against another edition
4.0
I think this particular Heyer improves on rereading.
My earlier reads found it confused & confusing. This time I remembered enough of the plot from previous reads to keep up with the fast pace & all the twists & turns. GH has a lot of balls in the air with this one - & she doesn't drop a single one.
I find GH's Georgians a lot more romantic than her Regencies - certainly in their language & declarations of love;
What can one do but swoon!
However, there is still her trademark humour;
But as much as I did enjoy this read, this book will never be a 5★ Heyer for me, as there is an important plot point I can't get past.
But an engaging romp & The Old Gentleman is one of Heyer's great characters. This is one of the Heyer's that is just begging to be filmed.
Just be careful reading the descriptions on GR. I've edited a couple of the worst, but quite a few give away plot points I would rather be surprised about if I was a first time reader!
My earlier reads found it confused & confusing. This time I remembered enough of the plot from previous reads to keep up with the fast pace & all the twists & turns. GH has a lot of balls in the air with this one - & she doesn't drop a single one.
I find GH's Georgians a lot more romantic than her Regencies - certainly in their language & declarations of love;
"I am to wait then! You deny me the right to protect you now?"
"You have me at your feet, sir," she said unsteadily,"but I do deny you. I must."
What can one do but swoon!
However, there is still her trademark humour;
Sir Anthony had risen at his entrance, and bowed now. "You stand in no danger from me, sir."
My lord surveyed him haughtily. "I stand in no danger from anyone, my dear Sir Anthony. You have no knowledge of me. You are to be pitied."
"Envied, more like," said his undutiful son.
But as much as I did enjoy this read, this book will never be a 5★ Heyer for me, as there is an important plot point I can't get past.
Spoiler
Call me a Female Chauvinist Sow, but I can't enjoy even a secondary male romantic lead in a dress & the scene where Robin is pacing in his skirts makes me want to giggle. I can swallow the idea of a male with a smooth enough chest to wear the low cut dresses of the mid eighteenth century, because my own son at 24 (Robin's probable age) has no chest hair. I find it harder to believe that a male voice & the arms of a physically active male could keep up such a sustained ruse.But an engaging romp & The Old Gentleman is one of Heyer's great characters. This is one of the Heyer's that is just begging to be filmed.
Spoiler
The Old Gentleman's big scene would be awesome on film!Just be careful reading the descriptions on GR. I've edited a couple of the worst, but quite a few give away plot points I would rather be surprised about if I was a first time reader!
ielerol's review against another edition
3.0
Still enjoyable, but not quite as much to my taste as the other Heyer I've read so far. I don't know if the earlier time period made a difference, or just the fact that I listened to it on audio and kept getting confused at first about whether the narrator was saying "Mister Merriott" or "Miss de Merriott," but it took a couple chapters for me to really get into it and fully understand who was who. The way Prudence and Robin seem only to use nicknames to refer to other people didn't help, I think. Still, once I got into it I was enjoying it a lot.
Until a major plot point involves someone dying in a duel. At first I thought maybe it would be a minor plot point and was ready to be very annoyed at a death being treated so casually, but then it was a big deal and I was only slightly happier because honestly people dying in duels is not what I am reading Georgette Heyer for! I am here for chance remarks at over-the-top parties making or breaking someone's social reputation, and serious discussion of how many capes are the right number of capes to have on one's driving-coat.
On the other hand, for once a couple confess their love to each other before the last 5 pages of the book and then they interact substantially more while pretending not to be in love, and I am always here for romantic longing where people are in love, and know it, and yet circumstances are keeping them apart. 100% my favorite romantic trope.
Until a major plot point involves someone dying in a duel. At first I thought maybe it would be a minor plot point and was ready to be very annoyed at a death being treated so casually, but then it was a big deal and I was only slightly happier because honestly people dying in duels is not what I am reading Georgette Heyer for! I am here for chance remarks at over-the-top parties making or breaking someone's social reputation, and serious discussion of how many capes are the right number of capes to have on one's driving-coat.
On the other hand, for once a couple confess their love to each other before the last 5 pages of the book and then they interact substantially more while pretending not to be in love, and I am always here for romantic longing where people are in love, and know it, and yet circumstances are keeping them apart. 100% my favorite romantic trope.
drippingchiffon's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Body shaming
reading_historical_romance's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
4.0
redjackfrost2376's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
whippycleric's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was my first full heyer book, having only read some of her short stories before, and it was a lot of fun. Very funny, e easy to read and engaging. All the characters are quite simple as expected from the store of book, not a book for deep contemplation but a joy to read.