The Grand Sophy

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

On the library stacks: Adult fiction
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sophy is a 20-year old girl who has had an eccentric upbringing, being raised by her father on the Continent. When he heads to Brazil for a few months, she is left in the care of her aunt in England, whom she barely knows. She immediately makes waves with her arrival, bringing a dog, a monkey and a parrot with her to entertain her many cousins.

Sophy realizes that the quiet household she has come to needs to be shaken up. Her cousin Cece is in love with a dreamy poet who is NOT the right man for her. She sees her serious cousin Charles headed into a loveless, but respectable and practical marriage. And she senses that Hubert is hiding something from everyone. Using a keen wit and charm, unforgettable Sophy uses her unorthodox methods to set it all to rights.

I would love to see what would happen if Sophy moved in with me! This book was hilarious and contains some of the funniest arguments I have ever read. This was a book I couldn't wait to get back to reading each time I had to put it down. My only complaint is that things ended a little too tidily for someone as unpredictable as Sophy. But I did think the ending would play out much better as a movie than it did in written form. I know I just said Venetia was my favorite, but this has quickly supplanted that one as my new favorite Heyer novel.

Venetia

Venetia by Georgette Heyer

On the library stacks: Adult fiction
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This book is an absolutely rollicking Regency romp. I loved it from the first page.

Venetia is a 25-year old woman living in Yorkshire living with her crippled younger brother Aubrey. Her recently deceased father never let her leave the small country village where their estate was located and she felt her loyalty lay with her brother, especially since the elder brother and heir named Conway was serving in the military in France.

Venetia has a quick wit and liberal ideals, but she has never known any excitement outside of what she has read. She has two devoted suitors, but all of her attempts to be rid of them seem to backfire.

But things change when the "Wicked Baron" comes to town. Lord Damerel, known for being a rake of the highest order, stops into his neighboring estate, meets Venetia and decides to prolong his visit. What starts out as mere flirting develops into a deep friendship that neither has ever known. But to pursue the relationship could cost Venetia her reputation.

This is the perfect book for those in the mood for a delightful period romance. The dialogue is sharp and all of the characters are sketched with just the right accouterments. I thought this book was funny, charming, and a delight to read. This is my favorite Heyer yet.