bethr's profile picture

bethr 's review for:

Arabella by Georgette Heyer
4.5
emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Reviewing this audiobook of one of Heyer’s best. Establishes a charming family for our heroine before sending her off on London season adventures and misadventures with a tall, dark, and handsome hero who (for once) has no aristocratic title, though his grandmother is a duchess. The subplot of Arabella’s hapless brother adds drama. The only flaw is the narrator’s pronunciation of our English hero Mr. Beaumaris as French “Bow-marie” (occasionally “beaumarais”), which makes him seem effete and throws off the rhythm. I endured this and enjoyed the book anyway, which I have read and reread in print.