Review by laerkefugl - Den formidable Sophy

laerkefugl 's review for:

Den formidable Sophy by Georgette Heyer

3.0

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer was…alright. I’ve had it on my TBR for quite a while and finally got around to reading it. Just from the blurb I read when I first bought the book, I immediately got major Pippi Longstocking vibes from Sophy. A protagonist with a dead mother and a father conveniently overseas for an unspecified amount of time. She rolls into town with a magnificent horse and a monkey, doesn't care much for social conventions, and has a wild solution for every problem thrown her way. I was excited to see a character like that in a historical romance novel set in the 1800s, and Sophy didn’t disappoint. She was easily one of the best parts of the book, and for good reason.

That said, the book isn’t without its faults. I enjoyed the second half far more than the beginning. My main issue with the first 100 pages or so is that they were overly focused on transportation—carriages, horses, and endless rides in the park or through the streets of London. It dragged the pace down for me quickly, especially since I'm neither knowledgeable about nor interested in those details. Honestly, if the second half hadn’t picked up the way it did, I probably would’ve rated this a star lower.

I was also a bit conflicted on whether or not this even qualifies as a romance novel. There really isn’t much actual romance in it. The most romantic subplot involves the love triangle between Cecilia, Lord Charlbury, and Mr. Fawnhope—but even that leans more toward drama than romance, and most of it happens off the page. Still, I’m counting it as a romance since, technically, it is one.

On the topic of romance, though, I’m not a huge fan of the pairing between Charles and Sophy, who are cousins. They barely share any romantic moments, and while I’m not necessarily complaining about that, the two do end up engaged on one of the last pages. I suspected that would be the outcome based on how much time the narrative gives them, but it still doesn’t sit entirely right with me.

I also found the ending a bit abrupt. I would’ve liked to see Sophy reunite with her father, though I suppose it’s easy enough to imagine how that scene might have gone.

Overall, I’m giving The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer 3 stars. It had its moments, especially thanks to Sophy’s lively character, but it also had its fair share of issues. It’s worth mentioning that the book includes some racism and antisemitism, which, while unfortunately not surprising for something published in 1950, definitely detracted from the experience.

|—TL;DR—|

Focus Genre: Historical Romance

Nostalgia: Disqualified

Personal Enjoyment: 3⭐

Plot: 3⭐

Characters: 4⭐

Historical Accuracy/Immersion: 4,5⭐

Writing: 3⭐

Romance: 2⭐

Chemistry: 3⭐
Fluff: 1,5⭐
Steam: Disqualified

World-Building/Setting: 3,75⭐
Pacing: 3⭐
Ending: 3⭐

=Overall=
3,07-stars⭐ ≈ 3-stars⭐

~09/07/25~

Content Warnings