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A review by maplessence
Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer
2.0
2.5★
I have a theory about this title.
If it's one of the first Heyer's for a reader they often love it, as even a lousy Heyer is superior to most historical romances on the market. If you have already read & loved some of Heyer's finest works it is likely you will be disappointed.
& I fall into the later category.
My father gave me this beautiful edition [bc:Lady of Quality|1391299|Lady of Quality|Georgette Heyer|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1213998805s/1391299.jpg|2475001](brand new at the time) for my sixteenth birthday! How eagerly I fell on it & started reading, only to soon realise it was nearly as bad as her previous book, Charity Girl! If those two were the first Heyer's I'd read, I would never have read another!
On previous reads I didn't like Oliver. This time it was the heroine Annis I didn't like. I found her arrogant & judgemental. Quite easily the most unappealing heroine in any of GH's historical romances. Oliver is just a less well drawn edition of two of Heyer's heroes Charles (The Grand Sophy) & Max (Faro's Daughter) In fact I could find the original of most of the characters in this book in other Heyer novels. I might as well say the two from The Black Sheep. This book is an inferior copy of it. Lucilla = Fanny, Miss Farley = Selina. Believe me, not a spoiler.
Really the only incident is how Annis meets Ninian (what a name!) & Lucilla (another pearler!) other than that it is one set piece after another. The hero & heroine spend very little time together as I really don't think Heyer (elderly, unwell & probably sick of Regencies) knew what to do with them.
Only positives. In showing a more independent heroine I think GH was trying to move with the times.
Unless you are a Heyer completist I would skip this one. Sad that it was her final completed novel.
I have a theory about this title.
If it's one of the first Heyer's for a reader they often love it, as even a lousy Heyer is superior to most historical romances on the market. If you have already read & loved some of Heyer's finest works it is likely you will be disappointed.
& I fall into the later category.
My father gave me this beautiful edition [bc:Lady of Quality|1391299|Lady of Quality|Georgette Heyer|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1213998805s/1391299.jpg|2475001](brand new at the time) for my sixteenth birthday! How eagerly I fell on it & started reading, only to soon realise it was nearly as bad as her previous book, Charity Girl! If those two were the first Heyer's I'd read, I would never have read another!
On previous reads I didn't like Oliver. This time it was the heroine Annis I didn't like. I found her arrogant & judgemental. Quite easily the most unappealing heroine in any of GH's historical romances. Oliver is just a less well drawn edition of two of Heyer's heroes Charles (The Grand Sophy) & Max (Faro's Daughter) In fact I could find the original of most of the characters in this book in other Heyer novels. I might as well say the two from The Black Sheep. This book is an inferior copy of it. Lucilla = Fanny, Miss Farley = Selina. Believe me, not a spoiler.
Really the only incident is how Annis meets Ninian (what a name!) & Lucilla (another pearler!) other than that it is one set piece after another. The hero & heroine spend very little time together as I really don't think Heyer (elderly, unwell & probably sick of Regencies) knew what to do with them.
Only positives. In showing a more independent heroine I think GH was trying to move with the times.
Spoiler
The solution to what was going to become of Miss Farley was brilliant! Not so the solution for Lucilla.Unless you are a Heyer completist I would skip this one. Sad that it was her final completed novel.