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lindsaymay92's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
sop17hie's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
Cute short book.
I like the heroine!
I like the heroine!
alievz's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
kraley's review against another edition
3.0
I actually quite enjoyed this Regency romance. I laughed at quite a few parts and it was just what I needed on the heels of two fairly heavy tombs. This was a nice, clean romance.
cmx's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
1st of 4, free to me with audible, a light rump with a moderate romance, a quick, fun read
rosemarieshort's review against another edition
3.0
One of the reasons I enjoy Pride and Prejudice so much is the tone of the writing. Anyone could write the story of Lizzie and Darcy in the present day, but the style of writing Jane Austen possessed was solely of her time. Here, in The Miser of Mayfair, M.C Beaton goes some way to replicating the tonal elements of the time she writes of into her prose, to make the reading of this novel charming, even when the plot falls a little thin or the characters become a little lacklustre.
Her work reminds me a little of Georgette Heyer, who wrote of Regency Romance from the nineteen twenties until her death. The similarities with Beaton, in terms of phrasing and style, struck me quickly upon beginning to read. Yes, this book is thin on plot. The characters, unfortunately, fall prey to their period's constraints, with the lead (seemingly headstrong and independent) female character descending to the point of being needed to be rescued by...you guessed it, a man. A man who is, I must say, just about the best of a bad bunch, come to that, encompassing the qualities of brute strength, snobbery and brusque personality which many novels of the time seemed to idolise in their male heroes.
What saves this, apart from the servants who are interesting in their diverse characterisations, is the writing, which is charming throughout and reads as a piece written close to the period it was set, as opposed to a modern retrospection.
I can recommend The Miser of Mayfair for light entertainment but cannot promise anything ground breaking. Read for the writing style and let the events, true to their time whilst also perhaps a little bitter for modern female audiences, transport you to a past which, whilst vibrant, is perhaps best left where it is - behind us.
Her work reminds me a little of Georgette Heyer, who wrote of Regency Romance from the nineteen twenties until her death. The similarities with Beaton, in terms of phrasing and style, struck me quickly upon beginning to read. Yes, this book is thin on plot. The characters, unfortunately, fall prey to their period's constraints, with the lead (seemingly headstrong and independent) female character descending to the point of being needed to be rescued by...you guessed it, a man. A man who is, I must say, just about the best of a bad bunch, come to that, encompassing the qualities of brute strength, snobbery and brusque personality which many novels of the time seemed to idolise in their male heroes.
What saves this, apart from the servants who are interesting in their diverse characterisations, is the writing, which is charming throughout and reads as a piece written close to the period it was set, as opposed to a modern retrospection.
I can recommend The Miser of Mayfair for light entertainment but cannot promise anything ground breaking. Read for the writing style and let the events, true to their time whilst also perhaps a little bitter for modern female audiences, transport you to a past which, whilst vibrant, is perhaps best left where it is - behind us.