andipants's review against another edition
4.0
I still feel like a relative newcomer to the romance genre, but I know enough to know that Georgette Heyer is one of the OGs of regency, even if I'd never read her before, so when a stack of ARCs appeared at the library where I work, including new editions of three of her novels, I figured I should give them a shot. (Plus, I'm pretty sure nobody else at my library reads romances, and I hate to see a book go unloved.)
This is the first of the three, and it was a very entertaining read. The plot, of course, is paper-thin - pure fluff of the fluffiest sort. It's not entirely clear why the leads are attracted to one another, but it says they are, so we'll go with it. The characters are mostly stock, but they're unobjectionable. Arabella is the ingenue extraordinaire, naive but sharp enough to work her situation to her advantage, and good-hearted to a fault. Her wide-eyed innocence gets a little irritating and occasionally stretches believability, but not too badly. Mr. Beaumaris is clearly the star of the show: aloof and a little cynical, but with a sharp wit and ultimately a kind disposition.
Where this book really shines is the writing itself. The prose and dialogue are deliciously old-fashioned, with tons of period slang and a ridiculously wonderful degree of historical detail. The dialogue is genuinely witty - not the sort of "wit" you sometimes find when the author doesn't trust the reader to understand what's happening and so over-explains every joke, but genuinely sharp and fast-paced conversation, to the point where I occasionally had to re-read exchanges to make sure I was catching the gist. It's not a book you should expect to enjoy while only half-paying attention. The style won't be for everyone, and even for myself, it's not something I want to read every day, but in the right mood, this is delightful.
This is the first of the three, and it was a very entertaining read. The plot, of course, is paper-thin - pure fluff of the fluffiest sort. It's not entirely clear why the leads are attracted to one another, but it says they are, so we'll go with it. The characters are mostly stock, but they're unobjectionable. Arabella is the ingenue extraordinaire, naive but sharp enough to work her situation to her advantage, and good-hearted to a fault. Her wide-eyed innocence gets a little irritating and occasionally stretches believability, but not too badly. Mr. Beaumaris is clearly the star of the show: aloof and a little cynical, but with a sharp wit and ultimately a kind disposition.
Where this book really shines is the writing itself. The prose and dialogue are deliciously old-fashioned, with tons of period slang and a ridiculously wonderful degree of historical detail. The dialogue is genuinely witty - not the sort of "wit" you sometimes find when the author doesn't trust the reader to understand what's happening and so over-explains every joke, but genuinely sharp and fast-paced conversation, to the point where I occasionally had to re-read exchanges to make sure I was catching the gist. It's not a book you should expect to enjoy while only half-paying attention. The style won't be for everyone, and even for myself, it's not something I want to read every day, but in the right mood, this is delightful.
saradavcamp's review against another edition
4.0
The only reason it's 4 and not 5 is that I apparently don't read enough regency stories to know what was going on most of the time.
The language was a bit difficult for me, but the story was excellent and I enjoyed it.
The language was a bit difficult for me, but the story was excellent and I enjoyed it.
annestef1a's review against another edition
4.0
The rich heiress hoax should've been resolved in the middle. Prolonging it until the end gave an awkward and unsatisfying finish in the story. Nonetheless, the hero made this book. Mr Beaumaris was one funny fella, and his interaction with his dog and butler were top notch.
mckeanja's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
diaryofthebookdragon's review against another edition
4.0
I love reading Georgette Heyer for accuracy and because I always learn more interesting facts about the time period. Plus, her heroines are always fun personalities.
I loved Arabella, the naive and thoughtful heroine. That is, until she gets excited and then all bets are off. xD
I loved Arabella, the naive and thoughtful heroine. That is, until she gets excited and then all bets are off. xD
icapturethecastle's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
__meg's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-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
5.0