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    Arabella: A classic, sparkling love story from the Queen of Regency Romance
    Unavailable
    Arabella: A classic, sparkling love story from the Queen of Regency Romance
    Unavailable
    Arabella: A classic, sparkling love story from the Queen of Regency Romance
    Ebook349 pages5 hours

    Arabella: A classic, sparkling love story from the Queen of Regency Romance

    By Georgette Heyer

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer

    A fiery debutante. An ill-tempered bachelor. A romance for the ages.

    Arabella, the daughter of an impoverished country parson, dreams of a new life in London. But her beauty and charm will only get her so far—and when Arabella embarks on her first London season armed with nothing but a benevolent godmother and her own notoriously short temper, she quickly runs afoul of Robert Beaumaris.

    He's the most eligible bachelor of the day, with a personality as strong and combative as hers—and Arabella cannot abide him thinking of her as just another pretty girl after his wealth. So she allows herself to be provoked into a game of deception—one that could have unexpected consequences...

    "[My] generation's Julia Quinn"—Adjoa Andoh on Georgette Heyer, stars as Lady Danbury in Bridgerton, in Red Magazine

    "Absolutely delicious tales of Regency heroes . . . Utter, immersive escapism"—Sophie Kinsella

    "If you want to fully immerse yourself in the era I would urge you to start with the all-time queen of Regency romance…the peerless Georgette Heyer"—The Guardian, "Loved Bridgerton? The best historical novels to escape into another world"

    "Utterly timeless charm"—Nora Roberts on Georgette Heyer, #1 New York Times best-selling author

    Georgette Heyer is known as the "Queen of Regency Romance," and you won't want to wait to find out why! You'll fall in love with Arabella Tallant, one of the most memorable and delightfully exuberant heroines you've ever met.

    #1 on BookRiot's 15 MUST-READ REGENCY ROMANCE NOVELS

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSourcebooks
    Release dateAug 1, 2009
    ISBN9781402228186
    Unavailable
    Arabella: A classic, sparkling love story from the Queen of Regency Romance
    Author

    Georgette Heyer

    Georgette Heyer (1902-1974) was an English writer of historical romance and detective fiction. Born in London, Heyer was raised as the eldest of three children by a distinguished British Army officer and a mother who excelled as a cellist and pianist at the Royal College of Music. Encouraged to read from a young age, she began writing stories at 17 to entertain her brother Boris, who suffered from hemophilia. Impressed by her natural talent, Heyer’s father sought publication for her work, eventually helping her to release The Black Moth (1921), a detective novel. Heyer then began publishing her stories in various magazines, establishing herself as a promising young voice in English literature. Following her father’s death, Heyer became responsible for the care of her brothers and shortly thereafter married mining engineer George Ronald Rougier. In 1926, Heyer publisher her second novel, These Old Shades, a work of historical romance. Over the next several decades, she published consistently and frequently, excelling with romance and detective stories and establishing herself as a bestselling author.

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    Reviews for Arabella

    4/5

    594 ratings44 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Fun but so many descriptions of fashion that I wanted some illustrations to give me an idea what she was talking about.
    • 3/5
      A Regency romance from Georgette Heyer.
    • 4/5
       A typical Heyer, with a naive heroine who has a mind of her own; well-paced in the development of a romance. I gave 3-1/2 stars instead of 4 because I found the character Bertram (Arabella's brother) a tedious interlude. Although he was young and immature in a big city, the extent of his high-jinks often derailed the main plot.
    • 4/5
      Adorable, adorable, adorable! I think Arabella is my favorite heroine of all the Georgette Heyer books I've read thus far. She is spunky and impetuous, and the way she comports herself throughout the book is refreshing! The story, too, between her and Robert Beaumaris (Again, I giggled at the name. Beaumaris? I think I preferred Ravenscar...) was unique and charming, and kept me engaged until the very end. It definitely threw me for a loop once or twice (the hero proposing marriage a little more than halfway through the book? What?), but the dialogue sparkled and Arabella as a character definitely kept me coming back for more. To be fair, I wasn't the hugest fan of the Bertram plotline, and there were moments where I felt Beaumaris was being particularly unfeeling towards the whole thing (which made it a tiny bit difficult for me to accept that he'd come around at the end), but nonetheless this is a charming and sweet story, and definitely one of my favorites.
    • 3/5
      Not a favorite. Not as bad as I thought it would be near the start, but Arabella is an utter idiot on several levels, and Beaumaris is an entirely different sort of idiot (why _should_ she confide in him, when her last declaration got spread around? He may have blamed Fleetwood, but...). Bertram is also an idiot. Fleetwood and Scunthorpe are just stupid (as distinct from idiots - the idiots are at least theoretically intelligent people). In fact, I can't think of a single person I really liked in the entire book. I don't think I'll reread this, though I'm glad I did - if only for completeness.
    • 4/5
      Does every young lady secretly long to marry an English gentleman? Does it really matter? Such is the skill of Georgette Heyer, that be a girl's sentiments on the topic ever-so republican, these charming tales of Georgian hi-jinks and Regency romps will win her round, at least for the duration of the book...Heyer, who is credited with inventing the "Regency Romance" genre, here spins a tale of the impulsive Arabella Tallant, a poor vicar's daughter, whose one "white" lie - provoked by the arrogance of a certain Mr. Beaumaris - leads to an unexpectedly brilliant London season. Will it also lead to disaster?Always one of my favorite Heyer novels (along with The Convenient Marriage), Arabella displays the author at her best. Here the reader will encounter a delightful heroine, spirited and high-principled, and a world-weary hero - intelligent, honorable, and surprised by love. Here also are the slightly befuddled but well-meaning friends, the prosy bores, and the nauseating toad-eaters. If these sound like stock characters, it is only because Ms. Heyer's imitators have been legion. But no effort on their part has ever recaptured the magic of the original, and no better example of that enchantment can be found than this story of "Papa's daughter," and how she found love...
    • 4/5
      I'm on a spree when it comes to Heyer: I went by the library today and picked up five new-to-me Heyer novels. Happyfuntimes. I particularly needed something light yesterday, so Arabella was perfect. I'll confess I wasn't too impressed by the start, and there was a whiff of Pride and Prejudice-ness about it that put me off a bit, but both protagonists grew on me.I had major embarrassment squick at first, with the silly trick Arabella pulls, but as the novel developed and her kindly nature became clearer, I was ready to forgive her -- and her silly mistake was, of course, pretty justified. I took an instant dislike to Robert Beaumaris, but his behaviour over Jemmy and especially Ulysses won me over. Some of the best giggly bits were Robert's 'conversations' with Ulysses.In the end, having fallen for both protagonists, I was more than satisfied by the end. Especially because Robert doesn't quite melt into a puddle of goo! I'm a little disappointed Arabella doesn't convince him to do something about Leaky Peg, though... That would make for an amusing scene.Why I ever disdained reading Georgette Heyer's work, I don't know.
    • 3/5
      A slightly silly and naive heroine, but the hero's relationship with the dog he rescues on the heroine's behalf is cute.
    • 5/5
      (25 February 2012 – Bookcrossing)One of the best and most rich Heyers. Impoverished Arabella is sent off to her godmother’s in London to hunt for a husband. On the way she meets Robert Beaumaris, the Nonpareil, who has the power to make or break someone’s launch into society. Jousting with him verbally, an unfortunate untruth escapes her, which is spread by the usual faithful sidekick; she then has a bewilderingly good reception in the capital. But personality will out, and Beaumaris is charmed by Arabella’s kindness to people and animals and … well, you know everything will come out for the best, but we have a lovely time getting there. Lots of great cant and argot, and a very good dog: a real tour de force, showing off the immense amount of research the author did and her facility with inserting it into the text quite naturally.My copy currently in an omnibus
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed Arabella by Georgette Heyer, it was the perfect light read for my busy life right now. Rather than the heroine of the piece, this time it was the male main character that raised this book up a few notches. Robert Beaumaris is one of Heyer’s most swoon-worthy heroes. His kindness, humor and intelligence put him heads and shoulders above all the other London gentlemen and his conversations with his dog, Ulysses, were my favorite part of the book.The story is about Arabella a vicar’s daughter who is given a season in London with the objective of snaring herself a rich husband in order to help launch her brothers and sisters. Through a misunderstanding she allows herself to be taken as an heiress and soon she is besieged with men. Of course she only has eyes for Beaumaris but as she feels guilty about the lie she is living as well as having been warned off of him by her godmother, she holds herself at a distance. When Arabella’s brother comes to London and gets in trouble financially, Arabella finally turns to Beaumaris for help.With perfect period detail, witty and engaging writing and wonderful characters, Arabella was another Georgette Heyer masterpiece.
    • 4/5
      Took a little while to get into this, what with the exclamation points every few sentences! Turns out, everyone was always exclaiming! Became somewhat exhausting! But after the first few pages it either settled down, or I became acclimated to the punctuation. Nice little regency romance, well written and full of historical detail.
    • 4/5
      Perfect comfort reading when ill. Arabella is one of my favourite Georgette Heyer Regency Romances - the story plays nicely with the standard romantic formula but Georgette Heyer's knowledge of the Regency world provides a great deal of the charm of this book - try Googling bit-players such as "Poodle" Byng - and much of the rest of the charm comes from the heroine's family background. If you haven't read any Georgette Heyer I'd recommend Arabella as a lovely place to begin.
    • 3/5
      So many people love this one, but I just thought it was enjoyable and pretty good. It's probably the most classically Cinderella-y of the Heyers I've read. I liked Arabella, and liked Beaumaris pretty well, too, but didn't feel a powerful connection between them. I think what I experienced here was mainly a failure of expectations. Beaumaris's grandmother was a favorite. 3.5 stars.
    • 3/5
      Not bad but she's done better. The first part of the novel was great with all the excitement about the season but she addresses important themes (mainly money) very awkwardly. Her most honest book, probably, since the heroine's sole reason for marriage is financial stability. Arabella's a decent heroine but her suitor's characterization is really lacking.
    • 4/5
      This is a charming book. While a bit slow in the beginning, once it gets going, it introduces utterly fascinating characters and a lively and engaging plot. Arabella is a wonderful heroine - very much a lady, but not so held down by the dictates of society that she is afraid to stand up to society's dictates. Robert is a fantastic character as well - some of my favorite scenes in the book were the ones with him and Ulysses. I really enjoyed this book!
    • 4/5
      Another very pleasant Heyer novel. Arabella is very sweet. I liked her brothers and sisters and her love interest was dashing and intelligent. I do like a happy ending.
    • 4/5
      The daughter of a well bred but impoverished clergyman, with many brothers & sisters, Arabella goes to London to marry money. While traveling she has a carriage accident & meets Richard Beaumaris. She overhears him assuming she has manufactured the meeting because she is after his money so she lies about being a very well off heiress. This lie follows her to London & problems ensue. It’s a sweet story & entertaining.
    • 4/5
      Reread of an old favourite.
      Arabellla, the oldest in a large family, sets off to London to find and marry an eligible man.
      On the way there, she is led to exaggerate the extent of her fortune, which leads to her being courted by all the eligible and ineligible suitors in the city.
      A young woman of a warm heart and strong convictions, she attracts someone who has been immune to all the match-makers for years, as these Regency heroes always are.
      Fun, light read.
    • 4/5
      Arabella is the daughter of an impoverished country parson in the Yorkshire area. With three sisters and three brothers, it is her mother's wish to see her married with a respectable and wealthy man. Arabella is lucky enough to have a rich Godmother in London, who, with no daughter of her own, willingly takes Arabella under her protective wings as a débutante among London's finest social elite.On Arabella's way to London, her carriage breaks down outside the hunting cabin of London's Nonpareil, Robert Beaumaris. Arabella and her escort, is invited in to wait for a new carriage, but as soon as Arabella is out of the Nonpareils eye shot, he accuses her of planning the stop and being just another girl after his wealth. Arabella finds herself provoked in such a degree, that she chooses to tell Mr. Beaumaris and his company a lie to prove him wrong. And so the story unfolds, with parties, fancy dresses and misunderstandings, all is set for a little drama, but also love.This was my first encounter with Georgette Heyer’s writing, and definitely not the last. This book had every aspect of a good historical romance. Supposedly Heyer established the historical romance genre and the subgenre Regency romance. The fact that Georgette Heyer was deeply inspired by Jane Austen did shine through in Arabella. I registered several similarities to, especially Pride and Prejudice, but not in a degree that I found it problematic. Quite the contrary I found the story sweet, entertaining and charming. I caught myself thinking of Arabella and the book several days after I finished it. I take that as a good sign and I can heartily say that I enjoyed the book very much.
    • 4/5
      First I thought that there were so many tropes of Regency Romance in this story and then I realised that this is the source of several of them. The rescued pet, the little lie that grows beyond all recognition, the slow growing romance between the two main characters where they suddenly look up and realise that romance has blossomed despite the two leads trying to resist. Overall it's a sweet story of the daughter of an impoverished parson, Arabella and Robert Beaumaris, the most eligible man about town.It did take me a while to get into it but once I got in I found it hard to put it down.
    • 5/5
      One of Heyer's best. Full of period detail,especially of the London fashions, but also really funny. It's rare that a book makes me laugh out loud, but this one did.The thing I like best about Heyer's characters is their lack of self-deception. In so many romance novels, there are endless variations of characters who fail to spot the obvious: namely that they love the other person and that the other person loves them.Heyer sensibly uses other means to keep her potential lovers separated. A tall story of wealth, created on the spur of the moment to insult a rich man who is well used to women using all kinds of fake accidents and excuses to make his acquaintance, comes back to haunt Arabella when she realises that she could love this man, but will have to confess to her lack of money after the 'heiress' story has spread all around London.The real joy of this tale lies in the fact that Mr Beaumaris spots the lie right from the start, but enjoys playing along with it. It's Araballa's principles, a result of her upbringing in a vicarage that really draw her to Beaumaris's attention. If she believes something to be right, she will do it regardless of what society thinks. To a man who is so rich that he can ignore society himself, but also suffers from everyone always trying to imitate and flatter him, this is entertaining and a big point in her favour.
    • 3/5
      Arabella is a high-spirited beauty who has been kept in the country thanks to her family’s poverty. When she suddenly gets the chance for a Season in London, she is thrilled. But an early encounter with Mr. Beaumaris, an arrogant leader of fashion in London, leads her to proclaim herself a heiress. She is swamped with suitors who want her money, but Arabella is miserable, knowing that she herself must marry money. She also begins to realize that she has far too kind a heart and thrifty a spirit to fit in with London Society. Beaumaris realizes this as well, and is captivated. Beaumaris is one of my favorite Heyer love interests, particularly after he starts confiding, in highly sardonic tones, to the mangy mutt Arabella foists upon him. Heyer runs out of plot half-way through and pops in Arabella’s scapegrace older brother to complicate matters, but all is right in the end.
    • 5/5
      I feel like every time I finish a Heyer my reaction is "NEW FAVORITE HEYER", and I guess I should just conclude that Heyer is awesome. But I really adored Arabella, perhaps because Mr. Beaumaris is my favorite Heyer hero so far, the only one I've actually fallen in love with. Not to mention Arabella is super charming. A MUST read.
    • 4/5
      For those who enjoy light regency fiction, Georgette Heyer is a staple of the genre. Arabella is an excellent example of the author's renowned skill with creating charming characters and ridiculous scenes that make for a silly read, perfect for when it's either raining or you happen to be sick. (Or if you're recovering from reading a violent novel and there are no kittens on hand to comfort you.) One always knows what to expect from Heyer's endings (and, indeed, most of the middle, too), but if a light romp is what you want, then look no further.Arabella's titular heroine is the eldest daughter in a vicar's family of eight children. Blessed with a wealthy and socially significant godmother (who has no daughters of her own to fuss over), Arabella Tallant is going to London so that her godmother, Lady Bridlington might present her to society and oversee the girl's first season... which will hopefully be her *only* season, as she needs to make a good match if there's any hope for her younger siblings and the money to get a girl through a London season doesn't grow on trees. No one seems too concerned that Arabella will make a good match, for she's a beautiful young woman and smart enough, with her only real flaw being a bit of an impetuous streak that often results in her acting before she's thoroughly thought on the matter. Unsurprisingly, for the daughter of a clergyman with eight children, she has very little dowry to speak of, but she does at least have a smart mother who has saved for this very occasion, setting by money and keeping her own old items from her youth so that they might be made up new for her daughter. No one need be in any doubt that everything ends well... and that Arabella not only makes a suitable match with a decently established fellow, but that it will be a matter of love, too, and not just acceptability... but at least the road to get to this happily ever after is entertaining.While traveling to London in her uncle's coach, an accident drives Arabella and her companion to seek shelter at a nearby home... which turns out to belong to the most fashionable man in London, Mr. Beaumaris. Elegant and wealthy, he is tired of women hunting after him and so when this pretty young girl shows up at his door, he is not inclined to think favorably of her. When Arabella hears him saying just as much to his friend, implying that Arabella might be some girl who has traveled just to disturb his peace and create a sham impromptu meeting, Arabella is furious and acts on impulse. She lies and "lets it slip" that she is an heiress, also tired of being hunted for her enormous fortune, and she makes it clear with her demeanor that she has no interest in Mr. Beaumaris whatsoever.Well, Mr. Beaumaris's friend might have been taken in by Arabella's heiress claims, but the man himself is not... and yet he decides that to set the girl up as the toast of society would be quite amusing. He allows his friend to spread word of the new heiress come to town and Mr. Beaumaris pays special attention to Arabella upon meeting her. With the approval of the most fashionable man in London and the gossip quickly spreading about the enormous Tallant fortune, Arabella quickly becomes the most sought-after girl in town... and she is just as quickly mortified when she realizes that it's all to do with her lie about having a fortune. Mr. Beaumaris continues to spend time with Arabella, realizing that he's never met a girl quite like her, while Arabella keeps her emotional distance, aware that he's probably just trifling with her, but she can use his attention to her advantage in society. Of course, with news about that she's an heiress, she doesn't feel right accepting any proposals of marriage... not even should Mr. Beaumaris himself offer. Of course, what Mr. Beaumaris wants is for Arabella to trust him enough to tell him the truth so that he can find out her true feelings about him and assure her that his feelings are in no way linked to her mythical fortune.Before we can settle all this, Arabella's younger brother Bertram appears in town and quickly gets in over his head with gambling debts and bills... which provides Mr. Beaumaris the perfect opportunity to swoop in and attempt to settle everything, but not before Arabella contrives of her own ill-conceived plan to get her brother out of debt. It's all quite ridiculous, yes, but when does one read Georgette Heyer for something commonplace? Mr. Beaumaris is a charming leading man, cut from the same cloth as many Heyer heroes... a bit older, a bit wiser, and under the impression that he's immune to the charms of a fresh young woman. The twist in this relationship is Arabella's tendency to speak her mind, thus saddling with Mr. Beaumaris with the results. First it's an orphan boy who falls through Arabella's chimney that she refuses to hand back over to his "master" -- Mr. Beaumaris surprises even himself when he offers to take charge of the boy and make him useful. Then it's a dog that Arabella sees being beaten and she swoops in to rescue him... only to realize that her godmother probably won't want him in the house so wouldn't Mr. Beaumaris please keep him? The mongrel dog becomes Mr. Beaumaris's bosom companion (much to his dismay) and some of Mr. Beaumaris's funniest moments come as a result of his single-sided conversation with the dog that he names Ulysses as he scolds the worshipful dog for being a "toad-eater" and muses aloud as to what he can do to get Arabella to confide in him. Arabella, meanwhile, can be a bit soppy as she frets about what he father might think of her if he knew all the wicked lie she has told... but her flashes of fury are amusing enough to absolve her of the soppier moments. Plus, it's nice to see a girl who knows how to play the society game, consciously working the innocent angle from time to time to her own advantage. She blatantly uses Mr. Beaumaris for his society connections and doesn't have any scruples in telling him so. As for Bertram and his storyline of debt, I found myself incredibly bored. It was terribly obvious where everything was going and I didn't particularly care for him, but he must be endured so that everything can turn out right in the end... I should have much rather preferred more scenes with Ulysses, though, rather than Arabella's brother.In the end, Mr. Beaumaris is quite too good a man all of a sudden, but such is the case with this style of novel. A quick and charming read, Arabella is, at least, a feisty young heroine who has quite a conscience (a vicar's daughter could not escape it) and one can sympathize with poor Mr. Beaumaris, who has visions of his future comfort and happiness being constantly disturbed by Arabella's causes... but of course, that is all part of her charm.
    • 4/5
      Dash it all! I typically open up my Heyer reviews with snarky comments about pink covers and how said covers may or may not reflect on my manliness. But SourceBooks’ presentation of Arabella is tasteful and conservative, with only a thin band of pink running behind the title. So I suppose I’ll have to save the snark for some other time.It has actually been three months since I read this Heyer, and I’m afraid it hasn’t stuck in my mind as clearly as some of her others. This may be an indictment of the novel itself, or it may be simply due to the fact that I didn’t write a review at the time.Either way, rather than writing a detailed summary and review, I’m just going to list the things that stuck out to me while reading.First and foremost, I have to mention how very cozy this book is. Most Heyer novels would qualify as “comfort reads,” and indeed I can see myself turning to any number of them when I just need to relax, but Arabella in particular seems this way to me. Maybe it’s the homespun quality of the heroine’s domestic life, maybe it’s the fact that there’s no one truly evil who comes in and tries to botch up the proceedings, maybe it’s just the leading couple’s charm; for whatever reason, it reminded me of a thick, quilted blanket to snuggle up under on a chilly night.And then there’s the matter of our heroine herself. I actually think that of all the Heyeroines I’ve encountered, Arabella may be my favorite so far (the only real competition coming from Kitty Charing, of Cotillion fame). Due to her upbringing as a parson’s daughter, she has a stronger moral grounding than the typical Heyeroine, and when she makes a mistake her conscience haunts her. But she is also incredibly impulsive, which means that she has plenty to feel guilty about by the time she’s half-way through, I’m afraid. A delightful character.One could also talk about the brilliantly acerbic and deadpan hero, but I have to say that after the heroine and the downright coziness of the book, the thing that most impressed me was the way Heyer depicted the larger social scene in which Arabella and Mr. Beaumaris move. She has a clever way here, before or after a major scene involving the main characters, of showing minor characters going about their various activities, and reflecting upon what our twosome’s intentions and motivations might be. It was something I did not remember from her other novels, and very much enjoyed.Is Arabella my favorite Heyer? Probably not. Will I be revisiting it? Most assuredly. And do I recommend it? Yes, yes, yes.
    • 4/5
      Arabella is delightful heroine, whose temper and impetuosity lead her to try and put the wealthy Robert Beaumaris in his place by masquerading as a rich heiress. But Mr Beaumaris spots the deception and, amused, plays along and soon all of London is playing court the wealthy Miss Tallant. Along the way Arabella manages to convince Mr Beaumaris to shelter Jemmy, a young chimney sweep, and adopt an adoring mongrel, Ulysses, who manages to charm even Alfonse, Mr Beaumaris's temperamental chef. Another sparkling Regency romp from Heyer.
    • 5/5
      Impetuosity is Arabella’s only fault. That and being young and naive. At the same time she has very strong convictions about right and wrong and follows through on them, again to a fault. She is not a push over, nor is she vapid or overly frivolous. Being young and naive ends up being only endearing, and her convictions are admirable considering the time and place she is in. Her impetuosity though is what got her into trouble in the first place.Arabella is one of eight children in a large family living in a country parish. Her father, the Vicar, is a strict man who raises his children to love, respect and care for all of their fellow creatures. She is from a respectable family, but her fortune is very, very small. Through a happy circumstance her godmother writes and says that she is willing to bring Arabella under her wing in London and sponsor her for a London Season!On her way to London, traveling with a family friend, her carriage breaks down and she goes to a near by house seeking shelter. The man inside, Robert Beaumaris, is at first unwilling to entertain her and finally admits to his friend, inadvertently in her hearing, that he assumes that she was a fortune hunter and, hearing that he was home, made up this story to throw herself in his way. Arabella's impetuosity comes to life and she immediately puts on airs that in fact she is a "great heiress" of "large fortune" and attempts to put Mr. Beaumaris in his place. Soon this news is all over London, and Arabella finds herself the target of every fortune hunter of the Season. Now she somehow has to contrive finding a man that will love her for herself and not her money, and manage to avoid the biggest scandal of the Season on top of it!This book reminded me a lot of the story Cinderella. The fairy godmother, the journey to the ball Season in a carriage, the poor girl elevated to rich circumstances and falling into the lap of a prince, well not literally a prince, more like a prince of fashion. There the similarities end. I enjoyed this book of Georgette Heyer's because, for the first time, it addressed the concerns of the lower classes. It depicted slums, orphans, abusive masters, and the very real and very harsh lives lead in the underside of London. Throughout the book Arabella tried to help these people even though it was considered scandalous, unbefitting, or beneath a young girl of her class to do so. She may have been considered a great heiress, but she was not a stranger to hard work, dedication to a cause, or to being truly concerned for people other than herself, regardless of their station in life.I enjoyed reading the witty banter, the well constructed characters, and the engaging plot of this regency era take on the story of Cinderella. If you are all into stories of the regency than I think you will love it too.
    • 3/5
      While this is not the first of Heyer's novels that I've read, it was the one I was most interested in reading, because it seemed to promise the most repartee, and while it did deliver, most of it was between the lead male, Beaumaris, and the stray dog he picks up. While Arabella has her passion and purity, she sadly lacks the wit I was expecting. I really hate to think that all Heyer leads will be the mice in their feline husbands games. This may be precipitate since this is only my second Heyer novel (the first having been The Convenient Marriage), but I'm suspecting a Heyer "template": Rich bored aristocrat goes all out to win the "enchanting" and impudent female and wins her over by aiding the pockets and reputations of her brother and family. I nearly called Beaumaris "Rule" and Bertram "Pelham". They had not the same character but fit the same mold. While I loved Rule for his irreverence, I think I enjoyed Beaumaris better since he is more the cynic and less the rake. And I have to say that I really dislike how Heyer describes the women, her relations and her toillettes so well and with so much detail but almost entirely neglects the hero's description. I know its supposed to be vague to allow your imagination to run but there's something wrong when I can envision a smart blue coat with lapels and pantaloons, but no real body inhabiting it nor face and head seated above it.
    • 4/5
       Ahh, Arabella is a girl after my own heart. She's outspoken, hot headed, not always wise in the way of others. She gets sent to London for a season, sponsored by her godmother. She's a country lass, from somewhere in the vicinity of Knaresborough & Harrogate - which was where I was while reading this! It didn't take us a week to get down the Great North Road (we came down the A1 in a few hours), and we didn't have our carriage break north of Grantham. At that point she meets Robert Beaumaris, who will play an important role in her story. She overhears him sets her down and she takes umbrage. This causes an unwise boast that she spends the rest of the book trying to sort out. Her heart and her loyalty to her family come into conflict and it nearly ends in tears - but not quite. Thoroughly satisfying.
    • 5/5
      One of the funnier Georgette Heyers. Listened to the Audible version, which was well done.