Reviews

The Foundling by Georgette Heyer

asma_aj's review against another edition

5.0

Orphaned at a young age, the Duke of Sale, or Gilly as everyone calls him, led a sheltered life thanks to his guardian and uncle, and the servants of his household. Nearing the age of when he'll handle complete control of his estate, he doubts his abilities to stand his ground against many who want his best interest. When he finds that his cousin is being blackmailed by Belinda, a mysterious beautiful girl, Gilly takes this opportunity to escape his stifling life and straighten the misunderstanding. However, instead of a short and easy trip, the Duke is hurdled through complicated events and into the heart of adventure.

I loved this book. I love it so much, I'm sad right now, because I'm leaving my crush behind (and no, it's not Gilly). Heyer is wonderful at building her characters and their environments, and this one is no different. Amazing, amazing characters, both the major and supportive ones. I wasn't convinced with Gilly as the main character because he lacked a bit of assertiveness, but his growth at the end of the book is admirable. The events itself are hilarious. Even when I was in a bad mood, Heyer managed to pull me into her story and crack me up with her characters.

I wished there was a little more focus on the romance, but I was still satisfied with how things turned out. Amazing read.

blueshadow's review against another edition

3.0

The beginning was okay, the middle was downright tedious. I set this book down so many times, and even skipped a few chapters. The ending was fairly amusing, but I have mixed feelings whether it was worth the effort it took to slog through the set-up for all the ridiculousness at the end.

qwelling4's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

whippycleric's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is my fourth Georgette Heyer novel, and it's one of my favourites. It's much more of an adventure story rather than romance, and maybe that appeals to me more. The writing style is classic Heyer, aka brilliant. Characters are beautifully written though there isn't a huge amount of development of them. The protagonist is exactly what you would expect, a noble person but with a good soul, in this case trying to discover what life is like for those beneath him. What really makes this book great is the plot, pacing perfect, conclusion both satisfying and humorous. As can be the case with Heyer I find the ending is very fast and lacks detail, an epilogue would go a long way to making this 5 stars. It has inspired me to keep reading her work though and I'll continue to pick up the books wherever I find them. 

kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition

4.0

This one was more about the Duke than anyone and it felt a lot more Gothic and sensational than other Heyer books that are more straight social comedy and romance. The social comedy is undoubtedly there in this; there is also a beautiful maiden who is so empty-headed you kind of want to smack her, a duke who is tired of having his life ordered for him, and a youth who has run away from home to seek adventure. Gilly, the Duke, is a quiet, charming man who wants to take charge of his own life. He does this by seeking to remove his somewhat feckless cousin from an unwanted romantic entanglement. He ends up traveling about with the youth and the maiden, and finding his own place in the world. This was a lot of fun and the first Heyer novel I have read that has a male protagonist.

foreverday's review against another edition

4.0

I love Gilly - he is my absolute favourite of all the Heyer heroes I have read so far.
The book itself is far more a coming-of-age than a romance, which I sort of wish I had known at the start to correctly set my expectations. It was still very enjoyable however- there was a lot of dry humour from Gilly and a rollicking plot (which requires a significant suspension of disbelief but, partially because of this, is a lot of fun) This is my third Heyer of the year and the previous two were a bit same-y, but this one felt like it stood out (even if it contained a lot of familiar elements).
There could have been a bit more development in the romance - there's not quite enough to fully convince me of the reasons his feelings changed (but at the same time I was convinced that they would be very happy together).
Overall, very enjoyable.



(random extra:
I do really enjoy the way children are actual characters in Heyer and play such a big role
Also, I think this is the first book I've read to mention my hometown, so automatic bonus points)

maplessence's review against another edition

5.0

Sometimes rereads are A Very Good Thing.

I was very young when I originally read this & I didn't much care for it. The hero came across as a bit of a wuss & it was far more an adventure than a romance. Also the teenage me found Gideon more appealing than Gilly.

On rereading I now think this is one of GH's best Regencies. The story line is skillfully done & for anyone who feels the romance was perfunctionally done I would say

Spoiler

that the engagement between Harriet & Gilly was necessary as a motive for why Gideon should be in a hurry to supposedly murder his cousin

& subtly at the end both the reader & Gilly realise that

Spoiler

he can't
manage on his own he needs the sweet & capable Harriet. Similarly, Harriet needs to escape her tyrannical mother.

The host of minor characters make this a real laugh - Liversedge is one of GH's best villains. & a very satisfying finale.

I often wish Gideon had been given his own romance - but given how poorly some of her characters fared in An Infamous Army, maybe its just as well Gideon has been left to my dreams! :)

Edit 19/6/18; My previous review still stands - this is one incredible book with a large caste of magnificent characters. The scene where

Spoiler

Liversedge comes to Gideon's house

is one of the best GH ever wrote.

Edit: 2/2/22 Every time I read this book I love it more. GH turns a lot of romance tropes on their head with this actionpacked novel - for example

Spoiler

The Beauty is not the heroine and the heroic Gideon (who I adore) is not the hero.

sbarolo's review against another edition

3.0

Not bad, but my least favorite Heyer romance so far. In fact it’s not a romance. 

jog2020's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

cooperc879's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75