First Published: Heinemann 1949
Pages: 312
Format: Paperback
Genre: Historical Romance - Regency.
Summary from Goodreads.
Arabella, daughter of a modest country clergyman is on her way to London, when her carriage breaks down outside the hunting lodge of the wealthy Mr. Robert Beaumaris. Her pride stung when she overhears a remark of her host, Arabella pretends to be an heiress, a pretense that amuses the jaded Beaumaris. To counter her lie, launches her into high society and thereby subjects her to all kinds of fortune hunters and other embarrassments.My thoughts:
When compassionate Arabella rescues a mistreated chimney sweep and an ill treated dog, she foists them on Beaumaris.....
This month the challenge option was to choose a classic from our book shelves. A few years ago I picked up a few Georgette Heyer books at a book fair, out of nostalgia really. I hadn't read Georgette Heyer since my teen years - when romance novels were scarce and I read whatever I could lay my hands on. I have no idea which ones they were! I have figured that these are about the most classic books adorning my shelves!
I'm not a big regency historical reader but I did enjoy this book. Some of the words I met were strange and are no longer used - or they mean something different now. I found the story a little slow to begin with, but once Arabella was on the road the pace picked up. I enjoyed Arabella's fresh country approach to the affected ways of the city people, and her outrage at some of the injustices she met.
Mr. Robert Beaumaris was a little too controlling for my liking, however that's the way the characters and plot worked back then and as such characters go, to be honest he was rather likeable and really all said and done Arabella actually had him tied around her little finger.
Witty and dramatic in many ways. I began to picture this story as a TV drama or even a well dramatised audiobook. I have decided that in the future I will listen to another of the Heyer audiobooks on Audible and find out whether it lives up to my hopes.
what fun plot twists this one seems to include - thanks for introducing it ..
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed this one. Heyer is one of my favourite authors when it comes to the regency period. My current favourites are Sylvester and The Devil's Cub but I still have much of her back list to explore.
ReplyDeleteI've never read a book by Georgette Heyer. I don't know.. they just never called out to me. I should try one at least.. so many people do love her books.
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