Venetia
Georgette Heyer
This week was Heyer week, so I'm going to top today off with a nod to Venetia, a fine Heyer romance, and a brief mention about other of Heyer's works. Heyer wrote a number of Gothic stories (such as My Cousin Kate and The Quiet Gentleman), several romances set in the Georgian period (Masqueraders, Powder and Patch and The Convenient Marriage, among others), her Regencies; she also wrote historical novels that aren't quite romances (William the Conquerer, The Spanish Lady, and Royal Escape) and a number of mysteries. Many of her books are out of print, though the ones I have reviewed and others are coming back into print; and scouring a second-hand bookstore is always a way to scare up others. Books not yet back in print, but which I highly recommend, include Black Sheep, Masqueraders, The Grand Sophy, and The Unknown Ajax. Hopefully these will come back in print soon. The Black Moth was the first of Ms. Heyer's books, written when she was a teenager; My Lord John was her last.
Venetia, the one I am reviewing today, is a charmingly countrified little story about a bookish young woman who manages to capture the heart of a reformed rake. Venetia lives a retired life with her younger brother, until Lord Dameral sweeps into her life. Venetia is quite the opposite of the usual demure country lady, and proves a challenge to Lord Dameral. Of course, her family must intrude, but when a secret that ought to be a scandal is revealed to Venetia, she knows what course her heart will follow. Venetia isn't as witty as other Heyer books, and I don't recommend this book as an initial pick purely because I don't feel it shows Heyer off to as great an advantage as other of her books. It is somewhat more mechanical, but the story picks up after Venetia goes to London and learns the truth about her mother. Fans who have not read it ought to; those looking for a good introduction to Heyer would be better to read Cotillion or False Colours first and then give this one a go.
3.5 out of 5.
Get it:
Venetia
Also, stop by the Georgette Heyer website if you want to know more; it's on my list.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Review: Lady of Quality
Lady of Quality
Georgette Heyer
The careful reader will by now have discerned a trend in the direction of our romance reviews; today's review is Georgette Heyer's Lady of Quality. This is the diverting tale of a woman past the marrying age and her suitor, a hardened rake. A chance carriage accident lands Miss Annis Wynchwood in the role of temporary guardian to young Lucy Carleton, a rich heiress. Sparks fly when Oliver Carleton, Lucy's uncle, arrives to investigate this unorthodox situation.
Sparkling with the clever dialogue for which Heyer was famous and brimming with well-sketched secondary characters, Lady of Quality is a welcome addition to any romance library. Heyer fans will note strong similarities between this work and Black Sheep, both of which are set in bath and enjoy similar story lines, but Heyer is fully able to take two similar plots and vary them widely. Heyer is here dealing with the Little Season and Bath society, not London, but Regency fans will enjoy her meticulous attention to detail.
I give it a 4.5 out of 5.
Get it
Lady of Quality
Other Heyer books in reprint, recommended by this reviewer:
These Old Shades
Friday's Child
Black Moth
Georgette Heyer
The careful reader will by now have discerned a trend in the direction of our romance reviews; today's review is Georgette Heyer's Lady of Quality. This is the diverting tale of a woman past the marrying age and her suitor, a hardened rake. A chance carriage accident lands Miss Annis Wynchwood in the role of temporary guardian to young Lucy Carleton, a rich heiress. Sparks fly when Oliver Carleton, Lucy's uncle, arrives to investigate this unorthodox situation.
Sparkling with the clever dialogue for which Heyer was famous and brimming with well-sketched secondary characters, Lady of Quality is a welcome addition to any romance library. Heyer fans will note strong similarities between this work and Black Sheep, both of which are set in bath and enjoy similar story lines, but Heyer is fully able to take two similar plots and vary them widely. Heyer is here dealing with the Little Season and Bath society, not London, but Regency fans will enjoy her meticulous attention to detail.
I give it a 4.5 out of 5.
Get it
Lady of Quality
Other Heyer books in reprint, recommended by this reviewer:
These Old Shades
Friday's Child
Black Moth
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Review: False Colours
False Colours
Georgette Heyer
False Colours is another of Heyer's wonderful Regencies, involving a pair of twins and an intricate deception. Christopher (Kit) Fancot comes home from his work in the diplomatic service to find that his brother Evelyn has disappeared just shy of his upcoming engagement to a personable and rich Cressy Stavely. To save the family fortune, Kit reluctantly agrees to impersonate his brother for one night so that the engagement will go as planned. Of course, the case is not so simple, and Kit finds himself impersonating Evelyn for far longer than he'd anticipated. Heyer's characterization of the twins is brilliant; even-tempered and personable Kit, bold, impetuous Evelyn, strong-minded and clever Cressy, and of course the darling but incorrigible Lady Fancot - the twins' mother - and her grotesquely fat, charmingly dandified beau Lord Bonami all bloom off the page as the reader delves into this world. Heyer's attention to detail and her understanding of the flaws of her characters make them realistic, and while the reader is of necessity drawn foremost to the twins' situation and Kit's plight as he realizes he's come to love Cressy, Heyer handles the situations of her secondary characters with similar aplomb.
This was not Heyer's only foray into the world of siblings changing roles, but unlike The Masqueraders there is not the sense of high adventure about False Colours. And, just as Cotillion showed that Heyer truly understood the London social scene, False Colours reinforces the realization that she was equally adept at the smaller home-society story. This book is a pleasure to read and a wonderful introduction to Heyer's body of literature.
4 out of 5.
Get it:
False Colours
Georgette Heyer
False Colours is another of Heyer's wonderful Regencies, involving a pair of twins and an intricate deception. Christopher (Kit) Fancot comes home from his work in the diplomatic service to find that his brother Evelyn has disappeared just shy of his upcoming engagement to a personable and rich Cressy Stavely. To save the family fortune, Kit reluctantly agrees to impersonate his brother for one night so that the engagement will go as planned. Of course, the case is not so simple, and Kit finds himself impersonating Evelyn for far longer than he'd anticipated. Heyer's characterization of the twins is brilliant; even-tempered and personable Kit, bold, impetuous Evelyn, strong-minded and clever Cressy, and of course the darling but incorrigible Lady Fancot - the twins' mother - and her grotesquely fat, charmingly dandified beau Lord Bonami all bloom off the page as the reader delves into this world. Heyer's attention to detail and her understanding of the flaws of her characters make them realistic, and while the reader is of necessity drawn foremost to the twins' situation and Kit's plight as he realizes he's come to love Cressy, Heyer handles the situations of her secondary characters with similar aplomb.
This was not Heyer's only foray into the world of siblings changing roles, but unlike The Masqueraders there is not the sense of high adventure about False Colours. And, just as Cotillion showed that Heyer truly understood the London social scene, False Colours reinforces the realization that she was equally adept at the smaller home-society story. This book is a pleasure to read and a wonderful introduction to Heyer's body of literature.
4 out of 5.
Get it:
False Colours
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Review: The Third Circle
Third Circle
Amanda Quick
Amanda Quick is the pen named used by author Jayne Ann Krentz for her Victorian romances, and with the Arcane Society stories, she created a series that leaps from Victorian England, to modern times, and back again. This is the fourth effort in the series, and fans of her other Victorian works won't be disappointed. Third Circle seeks to answer questions raised in the second book (set in the present), White Lies.
The Arcane Society is comprised of men and women with unusual - some would say dangerous - abilities. In Third Circle, these include a powerful hypnotist and a woman who can use crystals to control others. Quick's use of pacing and her imaginative use of paranormal abilities are evident here, and have stood her well in other books; but while her main characters are realistic and intriguing, the romance is not nearly as believable. Other books by Quick, including The River Knows and The Paid Companion strike a better cord with the reader. Quick's books are racier than other historical romances, and while those looking for attention to detail in settings will not be disappointed, some aspects of Victorian-era life are glossed over. To her credit, Quick does not make the usual historical (generally Regency) romance mistake of making all her characters lords or ladies; and while her female characters are strong and well-defined, they do not veer into the category of "shrewish" that can be used to describe other heroines. Overall, Third Circle is a satisfactory read and fans of Quick will enjoy revisiting the Society in the past.
I give it a 3.5.
Get it:
Third Circle
Amanda Quick
Amanda Quick is the pen named used by author Jayne Ann Krentz for her Victorian romances, and with the Arcane Society stories, she created a series that leaps from Victorian England, to modern times, and back again. This is the fourth effort in the series, and fans of her other Victorian works won't be disappointed. Third Circle seeks to answer questions raised in the second book (set in the present), White Lies.
The Arcane Society is comprised of men and women with unusual - some would say dangerous - abilities. In Third Circle, these include a powerful hypnotist and a woman who can use crystals to control others. Quick's use of pacing and her imaginative use of paranormal abilities are evident here, and have stood her well in other books; but while her main characters are realistic and intriguing, the romance is not nearly as believable. Other books by Quick, including The River Knows and The Paid Companion strike a better cord with the reader. Quick's books are racier than other historical romances, and while those looking for attention to detail in settings will not be disappointed, some aspects of Victorian-era life are glossed over. To her credit, Quick does not make the usual historical (generally Regency) romance mistake of making all her characters lords or ladies; and while her female characters are strong and well-defined, they do not veer into the category of "shrewish" that can be used to describe other heroines. Overall, Third Circle is a satisfactory read and fans of Quick will enjoy revisiting the Society in the past.
I give it a 3.5.
Get it:
Third Circle
Monday, July 7, 2008
Review: Cotillion
Cotillion
Georgette Heyer
Georgette Heyer can be remembered as one of the best Regency romance writers, comparable to Jane Austen in her knowledge of the time, her deft characterizations, and her use of illustrative touches that set her apart from most of the genre. Cotillion is one of her best-written books. It centers around the mock-betrothal of Kitty Channing and Freddy Standen, but the plot is larger than these two misguided lovers. Kitty's innocence and her lack of knowledge of the London social scene make her a charming ingenue, and Freddy's artless and stammering ways hide the fact that, though he has never been responsible for anyone in his life, he must now guide Kitty through this strange and not-entirely-safe world. There are balls, of course, a rakish young man, a witless but caring sister, and a cast of other innocents whom Kitty takes to heart and whom, predictably, Freddy must save from themselves. While there is no one place in which the reader recognizes the deepening of Kitty and Freddy's relationship, the conclusion is eminently satisfying.
This book is recommended for readers of Regency romances and other period romances, as well as the general romance audience, for readers who want a book with substance instead of sex, for younger readers or for anyone who loves Jane Austen. This book scores a perfect 5 on the Spyglass Index.
Get it:
Cotillion
Georgette Heyer
Georgette Heyer can be remembered as one of the best Regency romance writers, comparable to Jane Austen in her knowledge of the time, her deft characterizations, and her use of illustrative touches that set her apart from most of the genre. Cotillion is one of her best-written books. It centers around the mock-betrothal of Kitty Channing and Freddy Standen, but the plot is larger than these two misguided lovers. Kitty's innocence and her lack of knowledge of the London social scene make her a charming ingenue, and Freddy's artless and stammering ways hide the fact that, though he has never been responsible for anyone in his life, he must now guide Kitty through this strange and not-entirely-safe world. There are balls, of course, a rakish young man, a witless but caring sister, and a cast of other innocents whom Kitty takes to heart and whom, predictably, Freddy must save from themselves. While there is no one place in which the reader recognizes the deepening of Kitty and Freddy's relationship, the conclusion is eminently satisfying.
This book is recommended for readers of Regency romances and other period romances, as well as the general romance audience, for readers who want a book with substance instead of sex, for younger readers or for anyone who loves Jane Austen. This book scores a perfect 5 on the Spyglass Index.
Get it:
Cotillion
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Review: Bitter With Baggage Seeks Same
Bitter With Baggage Seeks Same
Sloane Tanen
Bitter with Baggage and the follow-up, Going For The Bronze: Still Bitter, More Baggage, are an exercise in snarky good times. Using doll-house style dioramas and the little yellow pipe-cleaner chickens people give in Easter baskets (I can only imagine what her local craft store thinks), this author creates delightful, ironic, and, yes, bitter vignettes. The cumulative effect of the books make you laugh, even if not every scene catches the reader's particular funny bone. Fans of Gary Larson's way of capturing an image's meaning with a pithy caption in The Far Side, those who enjoy Post Secret's blend of funny and painful true insights, and fans of the Bad Dog and Bad Cat books will enjoy these efforts profusely. Shoe fetishes, shopping extravaganzas, children plotting revenge on their unsuspecting parents - everything becomes fodder for the humor mill in these books.
Tanen also has a series of children's books featuring one particular, slightly neurotic chick called Coco; a maternity book - Hatched - that deals with the intricacies of pregnancy, labor, and motherhood; and her forthcoming project is geared towards teenagers: Appetite for Detention.
I give it a 4 out of 5.
Get Them:
Bitter With Baggage Seeks Same
Going For The Bronze
Sloane Tanen
Bitter with Baggage and the follow-up, Going For The Bronze: Still Bitter, More Baggage, are an exercise in snarky good times. Using doll-house style dioramas and the little yellow pipe-cleaner chickens people give in Easter baskets (I can only imagine what her local craft store thinks), this author creates delightful, ironic, and, yes, bitter vignettes. The cumulative effect of the books make you laugh, even if not every scene catches the reader's particular funny bone. Fans of Gary Larson's way of capturing an image's meaning with a pithy caption in The Far Side, those who enjoy Post Secret's blend of funny and painful true insights, and fans of the Bad Dog and Bad Cat books will enjoy these efforts profusely. Shoe fetishes, shopping extravaganzas, children plotting revenge on their unsuspecting parents - everything becomes fodder for the humor mill in these books.
Tanen also has a series of children's books featuring one particular, slightly neurotic chick called Coco; a maternity book - Hatched - that deals with the intricacies of pregnancy, labor, and motherhood; and her forthcoming project is geared towards teenagers: Appetite for Detention.
I give it a 4 out of 5.
Get Them:
Bitter With Baggage Seeks Same
Going For The Bronze
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