It took me a long time to finish this mainly because I got distracted by real life. This is another of Heyer’s novels which less romance and more historical mystery and characters. The romance is established early on, and in a rare bit, I was satisfied with it that I didn’t care to know more. The tone of the book is interesting, and none of the characters are particularly wealthy. They are all interesting though. Not one of my favourites, but not bad.

Read on the Kindle August 25th – September 7th 2013.

Once I start with Heyer, I find it hard to stop. Her world is distinct and comforting. The novels are often predictable, but the characters are fun and sometimes sweet. I liked this novel’s lead as well. The idea of a slight, quiet soldier who comes home to become an Earl. He seems almost like an everyman in some ways. I also liked the female lead and again, my frequent complaint was that there was not enough of her.

Similar to other Heyer novels I’ve been reading lately, this was mostly mystery with some romance. Still, the little there was of the romance was rather nice. There was better build up in this one and the heroine is brave in her own way. She rescues and aids the hero several times. Heyer demonstrates how compatible they are. I always like how Heyer brings the couple together.

Heyer’s villains are always sent away or forgiven which is ludicrous because sometimes they are really dangerous and sociopathic. It makes reading these books even more funny and unrealistic.

One other reason I am reading the Heyer books is that they are really easy to read. The pacing is usually quick without being break neck and she has lovely archaic diction in it. The safe atmosphere makes them easy to pick up. I read this one on a trip to and from Montreal for the weekend. I have also been reading a lot of Heyer lately because work has been slow in the beginning.

Read on Kindle August 24-25th 2013

This title was a bit misleading. It is about an orphan though. It’s about the Duke of Sale who decides to pretend being normal and has some fun adventures along the way.

There is a romance, but like in some other Heyer novels, it’s an afterthought. The main “foundling” in the novel is a simplistic but beautiful young girl. Thankfully, unlike in Sprig Muslin, this silly female is not featured heavily.

Overall, I liked the main character, but the females in the novel could be developed much more. Lady Harriet seems very good, but a bit one dimensional. Once again, the lack of screen time on the romance makes the reader feel less inclined. Belinda the foundling is too ridiculous.

Better than the last two Heyer novels I’ve read. I should take a break from Heyer, but her books are always addictive. It’s a fun and innocent world. They are pure escapism because nothing really bad happens to them. Sometimes, that’s all you want to read about.

Read on Kindle August 22-23 2013.

The Reluctant Widow

This was more mystery than romantic comedy. The lead male was a bit too smooth through the whole thing. It was enjoyable to read most of the time, but I feel like I wanted more of his interactions with the female lead. The romance seemed to be an afterthought in the whole thing. It was amusing mostly.

Read on Kindle August 18th 2013.

Sprig Muslin

Gosh, this book had an annoying young female character. I had a feeling that about the ending early on, but I still had to endure Amanda’s ridiculous schemes. It’s a lot like another Heyer novel, but I can’t remember which one since they all blur together after I’ve read about a dozen of them. The ending was nice, but again, not enough of the main couple. Not one of the better Heyer books.

Read on Kindle August 19-21 2013.

We all know the beauty of reading a really wonderful book for the first time—when everything about the story and the writing and the timing click to make a reader’s perfect storm … but it’s fleeting, because you can never read that book for the first time again.
So … if you could magically reset things so that you had the chance to read a favorite book/series again for the first time … which would you choose? And why?
And then, since tastes change … Do you think it would have the same affect on you, reading it now, as it did when you read it the first time? Would you love it just as much? Would you risk it? – BTT

I try not to go back in time since what’s happened has happened. I believe the books I read came into my life for a reason. I’d love to experience the newness of Narnia, Harry Potter, or his His Dark Materials again; however, I was young and that was part of the impact. I think most of the books I read I would still like. I like rereading the classics years after and I probably forget some details. In many ways, you never read a book the same way. The change in yourself changes perception.

Another cross-dressing romantic romp in the Regency era.

Georgette Heyer’s heroines generally fall into two categories:

1) Young, spirited and childlike girl who sometimes cross dresses (These Old Shades, this book, Masqueraders)
2) Mature and more sensible lady (Lady of Quality, A Civil Contract, Arabella)

There is some overlap and all are usually rebellious or headstrong. Still, can you guess which one I prefer? Not to say the more ingenues are bad, but they sometimes lack sense. I find myself less patient with them. On the other hand, they are usually balanced out by a very good lead as was the case in this book.

As I’ve said before, there are only a few instances when I like the romantic leads equally in Heyer books. It’s only happened about three or four out of the 19 Heyer books I’ve read so far. This one is one of the latter.

This book was very much like These Old Shades. It had a lot of twists and complications including disguises, thievery, elopement and murder. It ran the gambit. It was amusing to watch Sir Richard in it all, but not my favourite Heyer really.

I still love Heyer books and they are perfect for summer. Now, I’ve started up with her novels again, I loaded about eight more of her books onto the Kindle.

Read on the Kindle August 17-18th 2013.

This was a really, really good novel.

I gave it five stars on GoodReads. That’s a rare for me; it’s only the fourth out of 49 books I’ve done that for in this year so far. I usually give five stars to books that I really want to reread or own, but this is not one that I necessarily feel for that yet. I do feel that it touched me in a strange way. Maybe it was the timing. More so, it was the use of so many things I like or could relate to: books, friendship, being a twentysomething in this age, and more.

This is a book for people who love books. It’s a novel that celebrates the beauty of books, and those who create and interact with them. It’s about books as knowledge through time. It’s about humanity’s relationship with knowledge, creativity, growth, and immortality. It’s not a non-fiction or philosophical book. It’s a novel with these features.

It’s a rather simple and short novel too. It isn’t written in any fancy way, and the prose is not literary or extraordinary beautiful. It’s rather cheeky actually, but it has heart. It’s a bibliophile’s kind of novel.

A lovely read.

Read August 17th 2013.

This book helped me get out of my nonfiction bubble. It was almost too obvious to me when I started it in a waiting room at a walk-in clinic. Heyer is light, breezy and has a world of her own! Good for summer, distractions and for just a touch of romance.

Miss Tavener is wealthy heiress from Yorkshire going to set up house in London with her brother Perry. Miss Tavener is one of the classic Heyer protagonists: forthright, intelligent, and a true bookworm. She exclaims happily when she realizes Hatchard’s is near her new home. I love Hatchard’s of London. One of my top five bookstores in that city.

Jane Austen gets a couple of references in this one too which is mighty amusing.

This is a classic tale of girl meets man, girl hates man, and girl realizes that man is actually her guardian. Ok, not so much the last bit, but there is considerable animosity on her part about Lord Worth. I’m not crazy about him either all the time. Not of the worse Heyer leads, but definitely on the rougher and bad boy end. He’s just a little too arrogant and unpleasant at times to make me feel fictional swoon. It works out though, and I’m glad for the happily ever after.

Read August 6th 2013.