April Lady (Regency Romances Book 16)

I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY why so many here "hate" Romance books.....just awful writing, for almost all of them, as well as truly unbelievable plots and characters.Especially for those books set in the past, its just inconceivable, frankly, that any woman of that time could have / would have/ been allowed to (by law!) act as they do in these books!BUT having said that, I still love the Georgette Heyer books, set (most of them) in Regency era England, BEFORE the Victorian era, a much freer era for women. Still, by our standards, the women are hedged around by laws and social customs that don't allow anywhere near the freedom we have now.Heyer really researched her books, studying old diaries, letters, etc.....she "invented" the genre of "Regency Romance" but is so much superior to all the rest of it!I would recommend a low key, subtle book of Heyer's called " ACivil Contract" about an arranged marriage, very highly.I'd also recommend very much Heyer's An Infamous Army: A Novel of Wellington, Waterloo, Love and War (Alastair-Audley Book 4) It does continue the story of two families, but much time is spent on a description of the Battle of Waterloo that really makes it come alive...For one example: you don't stop to realize, if you've ever even thought about it at all, that there was NO WAY for various parts of an army or any command to communicate with one another, for orders to be sent, or current situations known, in that time, which was long before telegraph, telephone or any of the means that exist now. Instead, "Riders", usually staff officers, had to ride through the battle to take out orders and updates and then go back again to give out the responses, updates, and needs of the men too far away to be seen.....they risked their lives for every message.Other Regency era books of Heyer's I'd recommend include "Sylvester: or The Wicked Uncle", "Frederica", "Arabella", and most of the other Regency era novels.....I don't like her detective stories set in the then "modern" era of the 1920's or so, and her books set in Medieval times are not up to her usual standard.

Georgette Heyer combines a fast moving story with a lot of humor. She was an authority on the Regency period in England and as she describes the clothes, the clubs, the manners of the ton, the readers are introduced to the real life of England's wealthy. I read the book many years ago and loved it, so now purchased the mp3 disc to listen to in the car. If you love Georgette Heyer you will love this book and if you have not read one of her books, this is a good book to start with. Listening to the different characters adds to the characters and their humorous problems.A story of a misunderstanding of a married couple, a sister of the husband and a brother of the wife who all managed to get everything mixed up and finally everyone straightened out. Like Jane Austen's book, this one will leave a smile on your face.

I read this right after Honoria's book which was a mistake as they are quite a bit similar.A married couple in difficulty from a failure to trust and communicate that grows out of control, and a wild brother with a penchant for gaming in the mix.Well written as always but the angst of the heroine caught in a worsening situation does wear a bit thin. There is also a tangle at the end of that I think could have been done better somehow as the pursuit is good for filling in the remaining plotholes but not too interesting in itself.A good read as usual but not one of my Go To Heyer books.

Lovely Nell, or Lady Cardross, is a naïve but well-intentioned bride who suffers under the illusion that her marriage to Lord Giles Cardross is a cover-up for his affair with a lady his own age. The fact that Cardross is genuinely in love with her is apparent to the reader throughout the novel, but Nell has accepted her secondary lot in life. The book is a comedy of errors, with an additional plot involving the young, bratty and headstrong Letty (Giles' sister), who is determined to marry a penniless but well-mannered fellow leaving for foreign service. Yet another concurrent plot is Dysart, Nell's hell-raising rake of a brother, who tries to help her out of her financial distress (she has bought one too many expensive gowns). The drunken scene near the end is priceless, and Dysart shines like a jewel despite his intoxication. This is a fun comedy of errors, a good example of Heyer's lighter, more farcical novels. Recommended.

It was a shock to learn many years ago when I was a student that my secret love for the historical romances of Georgette Heyer was shared by a professor of literature whose PhD was from Harvard. Over the years I have met lawyers, teachers and professionals from all walks of life who share my enthusiasm for Ms. Heyer’s writing. She is a master of her craft. Not only is her work meticulously researched for accurate historical detail, but her skill with both plot and characterization makes her a literary force. She tops this all with a sense of humor and a verve that’s make her as incomparable as her best heroines. She is the Grand Georgette of the form!

You can’t go wrong with Georgette Heyer. I’ve been reading her books since the 70s, I think, and while I love and adore some more than others, all of them are keepers. Well written and intricately plotted, these are the kind of books that are as satisfying as a five course meal. Instead of plowing through, you want to slow down and savor every word.

I love Recency books but this one was so hard to get through, had to force myself to finish it. No development of characters. Very disappointing in view of it was my first Georgette Heyer, I wanted to love it. Definitely not worth the $10+ I paid for it. Should be on the free books list.

In Regency London, not quite nineteen-year-old Nell is desperate to obtain the sum needed to pay the bill for an expensive dress which she had forgotten when assuring her husband Cardross that she has no further outstanding debts. She is also consumed with guilt over lying to him about the use of her generous allowance to finance her brother’s losses at the gaming table, which her husband has forbidden her to do. Instead, she lets him think that she has foolishly taken up gambling herself and incurred losses of her own. All this is making Cardross regret having ignored the advice of friends who advised against his marrying the daughter of an inveterate gambler who has ruined his aristocratic family with his addiction. The situation is aggravated by Nell’s concealment of her genuine love for her husband, as she follows her mother’s advice to be compliant at all times but not to appear too needy, and certainly not show any resentment over his mistress. Cardross also has to deal with a spoilt, capricious young half-sister, who is determined to marry a respectable if dull but poor young man who is not her social equal. As matters reach a head, how will they be resolved?Georgette Heyer was a prolific author, admired from the 1930s to her death in 1974 for her immensely detailed knowledge of Georgian culture, even down to the upper class slang in vogue (now quite hard to follow and frankly the most irritating aspect of the novel). Reading this out of curiosity and expecting to find vacuous froth, I was surprised how much it engaged me., Tightly plotted, it rattled along at a lively pace with well-developed characters.I believe that Georgette Heyer was influenced strongly by Jane Austen, and sacrilegious as it may sound, she holds her own in comparison. There is a clear parallel in the wry wit, although Heyer is actually much funnier. She provides more detail of, for instance, customs which Jane Austen had no need to explain at the time, also tending to focus on upper class families, some even accustomed to socialising with the Prince Regent, whereas Austen’s theme was more often the lives of the country gentry.Although I am not sure to what extent it is intentional, I like the way the author reveals the flaws in the aristocratic Regency world: despite an obsession with conforming to expected norms and not lowering “the ton”, the idle rich fritter away their time gambling and flirting, particularly at masked balls. Even a “good”, generous and loving husband thinks nothing of dominating and infantilising his young wife – also, he does not apply his high moral standards to himself. A young man wastes his time on silly pranks because he is not expected to work at some activity which would employ his energy and ability, and so on.If all Heyer’s books are like this, reading them could pall quite quickly like too much cream meringue, but I would not regret reading her from time to time.

A thoroughly delightful book. All the right characteristics for a lighthearted romance . The perfect loving husband trying to woo his very young wife. A love smitten bride who has been told not to mind her husbands mistress, but to expect good manner and courtesy from him. Then all the misunderstandings coming from this. Bring in a flighty sister who dares to do anything she believes OK to get her own way and it adds to the mix. The scene where the Brides brother and his inebriated friend try to steal her hackney carriage had me laughing for ages. I have now read this book so often I know it by heart and I still laugh! Excellent.

I couldn't possibly dislike any of Georgette Heyers books.....I am a complete fan. I have read all her books, and have all but two of them , April lady and Lady of Quality. April Lady is her usual delightful story with a happy ending (essential). What is different abouther books is her depth of knowledge of the customs, language , costumes and even the slang if the period. She never puts a foot wrong. No one has remotely come up to her standards. What a pity that there are no more of her stories left to come.

Although I enjoyed this , reading the synopsis mislead me a little, I understood that both were secretly in love with each other, but bed she married for money he for convenience.I found it a little noisy in parts to much going on too many other people's problems to sort out. A bit of a mishmash, found myself slipping pages to find out if they sorted out their own problem.This happens at the end of the story.

If you are looking for a holiday read that won't tax the brain but will hold your attention , then this romance may be for you. There are moral dilemmas which tax our cast through out and a feeling of continued existence for our cast following the conclusion of this book . A simple book of love controlled by the social rules of urgency times

Just a very ordinary regency romance, similar to many authors with none of the usual depth of a GH novel . OK for the type of story it is but nothing to write home about.

I have been reading Georgette Heyer for over 50 years and have all her titles, including the detective stories, on my shelves. She s the absolute expert on the Regency period. While April Lady is not one of my top favourites, it is still a lovely story which will not disappoint and will leave the reader looking for more Georgette Heyer.

Georgette Heyer has wit, romance and comedy all but uni together in this beautiful period drama. The language takes some getter no used to but what fun!

Georgette Heyer wrote with style and humour and is unsurpassed in this field.

Georgette Heyer wrote many novels better than this, but it still contains more wit than anything published by any other author in the past twenty or thirty years. Men tend to avoid Heyer's books because they think they're only about romance, but nothing could be further from the truth. The period details is excellent - the research is superb (Heyer's 'An Infamous Army' is the best novel about the Battle of Waterloo that there is and, yes, of course I've read Vanity Fair). The occasional abuse of the present participle niggles (Miss Heyer confuses it with the simple past, much like BBC presenters today), but otherwise her use of language is very good. Give it go, guys. You'll be surprised.

Miss Heyer writes with her usual aplomb, something a little different, witty and classical Heyer. Thorough escapism with the extra added dictionary.

Georgette Heyer , excellent writer, Happy.

I have always loved Georgette Heyer and now I have the opportunity to read some of her books again.

I really enjoyed this story,a very entertaining plot,I love all of her characters, and there is so much historical information which I really like

Georgette Heyer historical books are among the best and set high standards which not many authors of today achieve.