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Georgette Heyer: The Regency Queen
Like many people, I love a good love story, and there is something about the “Regency romance,” first popularized by Jane Austen, that continues to delight. But though Jane Austen deserves full praise for her wonderful novels, where does a reader turn when they have read them all? For anyone looking for more charming stories from this wonderful era, Georgette Heyer to me is the obvious choice. The author of more than twenty books, populated by sparklingly witty heroines and dashingly chivalrous heroes, Heyer, referred to even still among her ardent admirers as “The Regency Queen”, is truly a more than worthy successor to Austen’s throne. Though every Heyer fan no doubt will have their own unique taste, I chose my top three to share with you today. I hope that one or all of these may prove to be a new favorite read for you!
Arabella
This book was actually the very first Heyer I ever read, and I fell hard for this story! Arabella Tallant, the sheltered and fresh-faced young daughter of a retiring clergyman, is a debutante fresh to the London season. So when she meets the imperious Nonpareil, Mr. Beaumaris, who rankles her pride with his misplaced chides and mistakes her for a wealthy heiress, she does nothing to disavow him of this notion. But when Mr. Beaumaris is revealed to be less frigid than he initially seemed, Arabella must grapple with having deceived the man she has grown to respect, and maybe even love...
The characters in this story are truly the highlights of the book. Arabella is a charming heroine with enough innocence to make her endearing but plenty of pluck to make her anything but naive, and, though Mr. Beaumaris starts out as rather buttoned-up, he evolves into a very lovable hero. Though this book is definitely similar to Pride and Prejudice, I actually feel that Arabella is more like winsome Catherine from Northanger Abbey than Lizzy Bennet, making for an interesting mashup. The banter between Mr. Beaumaris and Arabella is also really lively and fun, as is Mr. Beaumaris’s hilarious bond with the adorable dog, Ulysses. I found myself smiling often as I turned the pages of this charming novel. This book has truly everything in it that you could possibly want from a sweet Regency romance. I highly recommend it if you are setting out on your first foray into Heyer’s writing.
The Grand Sophy
This novel is another fantastic romp, and the best word to describe it is simply delightful. The Napoleonic Wars are still raging in Europe when Sophy, the pampered daughter of the honorable Sir Horace, is taken in by her aunt when her father must relocate to his new post in South Africa. But Lady Ombersley soon finds out that caring for her niece is more work than she bargained for. Free-spirited and used to getting her own way, Sophy’s confidence and spirit both shocks and somewhat horrifies her aunt. But what can she do when Sophy manages not only to take London by storm but also captures the heart of her own son, Charles?
One of Heyer’s most modern heroines, Sophy swoops into every scene like a whirlwind, completely unconcerned by what others may think and ready to take the reins (quite literally in some cases!). I loved how independent Sophy was. This book also reminded me a lot of Emma while reading it. I felt like Charles and she shared a similar relationship to that of Mr. Knightley and Emma since Charles views Sophy at first as like a sister, but, as the story progresses, his feelings change and evolve from platonic to romantic love. The scenes in which Charles and Sophy go driving, along with their accompanying banter, are some of the most memorable and hilarious for me. Seeing their complementary and also contrasting personalities interact was really humorous. This is definitely a Heyer novel that is not to be missed.
Venetia
If you love romances where a gentle young lady sets out to reform a handsome rake, you will love this story! At twenty-five years of age, beautiful Venetia has never once left the place of her birth. Having spent much of her youth tending her aged and strict father until his death, as well as her invalid brother Aubrey, she has resigned herself to a life without excitement or romance until the dashing and worldly bachelor, Lord Damerel, becomes her neighbor. But when he begins to show signs of being as enchanted with her as she is with him, Venetia, for the first time, begins to dream of a life beyond the reach of her garden wall…
This book has everything that makes the Regency romance genre so terribly fun to read. I really empathized with Venetia and was really cheering her on throughout the book as she sets her cap for Damerel. While the many young, charming misses that populate Heyer’s novels are so engaging to read about, I appreciated Venetia’s more mature and subtle character. In a few ways, she resembled Anne from Persuasion in the way that she has invested so much of her life in her family’s happiness that she has neglected her own. I like seeing characters like this find their own well-deserved paths to fulfillment. This book also had a really interesting twist near the end that I definitely did not see coming, which was a fun surprise! This book is definitely a real winner in every way.
I hope that this article has given you a new author or some new reading material to explore! I have been a passionate fan of Georgette Heyer for many years now, and I never hesitate to share her wonderful books whenever I encounter someone who I think would enjoy them. Georgette Heyer truly deserves all the praise she receives.
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