January 23rd, 2010 — 3 Stars, Book Review, Children, Comedy of Manners, Dukes and Earls, France, Georgette Heyer, Great Britain, Kidnapping, Regency, Runaway, Snowed-in, Virgin Heroine, Writer
Sylvester was recommended to me by Laura Kinsale because he botches his proposal to Phoebe and his character is like that of Mr. Darcy.
Now, I have read Pride and Prejudice by Austen (and find the movies easier to follow and love) and as a whole the novel of Sylvester was easier to read and twice as engaging. However, like Pride and Prejudice, I think a movie/film version of the novel would make it more endearing.
I sympathized from the beginning with Sylvester. I really saw nothing overtly wrong with him despite him being repeatedly labeled extremely arrogant and was only polite because of inborn pride in his dukedom and that is what he expected of himself and others of similar wealth. Sylvester hands down makes the novel. He's truly the character you fall a little bit in love with and root for even if his choice of a heroine is terrible.
Honestly, I had a hard time liking Phoebe let alone accepting her as Sylvester's heroine. She is grossly irritating and ill mannered. Repeatedly she declares that whatever incorrect and presumptuous thing she says or does must have done Sylvester some good. Her best friend, Thomas Orde is clearly horrified by some of what she does and it’s no wonder! Phoebe is clearly in need of a set down and deserves one. When getting it she breaks into tears and runs away leaving Sylvester clearly rebuffed and humiliated in public.
Ianthe is hilarious in how vapid, insipid, and vain she is. She's a terrible mother, obviously doesn't want to be a mother, and continuously tries to push how wonderful a mother she is. Ianthe latches onto the Lost Heir, a novel Phoebe secretly publishes because it so clearly puts Sylvester in a bad light and herself in a good one. While the ton gossips over this novel and try to decide how much is accurate, Ianthe marries on the sly and kidnaps her son (he’s officially left in Sylvester’s care) following the plans Phoebe laid out in the story.
Rating: 3 Stars
Buy: Sylvester
, Sylvester (audio book with Richard Armitage narrating)
Find and buy more Georgette Heyer novels.
 |
|
US $4.52 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $4.50 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $3.77 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $5.99 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $4.99 |
Sale |
March 22nd, 2009 — 3 Stars, Book Review, Great Britain, Historical Romance, J-L
Lady Phoebe Fairchild is in a pickle. Mrs. Ramsey is blackmailing her. The awful woman has guessed her biggest secret-- that she is Madame Dupree, the French modiste, whose fashion creations are the talk of the ton. In exchange for not exposing her secret and ruining her reputation Phoebe must go to Wentworth Hall. Immediately.
The fantastical experience she had imagined for herself was not living up to the reality. Ladies Alice and Jane are the most ill behaved women of quality Phoebe has ever met. They constantly bickered and goaded one another. Neither one of them listened to her and treated her as the very lowest of servants.
William Darby, was the one bright spot. Lord Summerfield intrigued her. This man who had traveled the world, bore a tattoo from India, and could tame wild horses thrilled her beyond imaginings. Here was a man that evoked fever in her blood, the very fever her mother had talked about, but Phoebe feared would never find her. The more she came to know him, the harder it was to tell the truth. Why he had said lies and those who purposefully deceived were the only things he could not abide or tolerate! She could not bear it if he hated her.
Will hated being home. If it was not one thing with his family, it was another; Alice fantasized herself in love with a smithy, his brother thieved and whored about, and his father was mute and parallelized from a seizure. He knew he had come home too late and despite the chafing of the polite society, Will was determined to do his father proud and uphold the family honor. He would do his duties as heir and older brother to the best of his abilities. That unfortunately included finding a bride.
The bummer crop of women that paraded by him day and night, he found not one woman that stirred his passion. Madame Phoebe Dupree, the seamstress he had hired on to outfit his sisters stirred his blood in a way no woman abroad or at home had ever done. He found utterly enchanting. His thought constantly pulled in her direction. The troubles of his family could not distract him for long, not even Joshua’s insolent ways and fierce determination to ruin the family name.
But how could he marry Phoebe, even if he loved her, when Caroline Fitzherbert was more the wife that he needed? It would all be so different if Phoebe were of quality. Why if she were, all of his problems would be solved.
In the end I found The Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount by Julia London was a sweet and engaging romance story. I found the love scenes lacking however. They were too short and not overly descriptive. Not the worse I’ve encountered by far, but in the middle of such a tender story it’s a little too lukewarm for the passion I was expecting… craving.
Rating: 3 Stars
Originally posted 2008-11-22 18:18:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Online Stores
