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happylilkt's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book annually. It is one of my favorite [a:Georgette Heyer|18067|Georgette Heyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1336748892p2/18067.jpg] novels.
As usual, Heyer demonstrates witty dialogue, a tangled and entertaining plot, and a charming (and clean) romance. As sometimes happens with Heyer she has a few novels with similar plot / characterization elements. The poor man's version of this novel is [b:Lady Of Quality|32103|Lady Of Quality|Georgette Heyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388443985s/32103.jpg|2475001]. If you're not planning to read all of Heyer's novels, choose this one over Lady of Quality.
As usual, Heyer demonstrates witty dialogue, a tangled and entertaining plot, and a charming (and clean) romance. As sometimes happens with Heyer she has a few novels with similar plot / characterization elements. The poor man's version of this novel is [b:Lady Of Quality|32103|Lady Of Quality|Georgette Heyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388443985s/32103.jpg|2475001]. If you're not planning to read all of Heyer's novels, choose this one over Lady of Quality.
libraryofdreaming's review against another edition
2.0
This book wasn't really bad, but it made me realize I just don't like Heyer's trope of 'older, morally-gray man falls in love with older woman and basically bullies her into marrying him'. The characterization was interesting, the plot fairly decent, it was just the type of relationship that didn't appeal to me. But as I have a goal to read all of Georgette Heyer's books, I would have gotten around to reading this sooner or later. It's just not going on a list of my favorites.
whippycleric's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
You can always count on Georgette Heyer to give you a nice light fun read, even if it's a bit of fluff sometimes. It's not my favourite that I've read so far but the characters were nicely varied and and well written. Miles was brilliant and I'd quite enjoy a book covering his times in India but that wouldn't quite fit Heyers genre. There wasn't any major character development for the main characters, but alot of the secondary characters went on a journey. I actually didn't see everything comming either which was a nice surprise. I'll continue working my way through her books each time I want something light.
runetari's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bhnmt61's review against another edition
4.0
Abigail Wendover is an intelligent, strong-willed, slightly bored woman in her late twenties living with her older sister and a teenaged niece in Bath. As with all Heyer novels, it starts slowly as you get to understand the complex lives of Abby’s family and friends. There is a dastardly young man who wants to marry the niece for her money, an elderly bore who patiently continues to court Abby In spite of her obvious dislike of him, and most of all, there is Miles Calverleigh, whose abrupt and barely passable manners both disturb Abby and make her feel she’s met a kindred soul. You know where it’s going from the start, but it’s still a fun journey.
This was a re-read for me. I was looking for something absorbing but not stressful to read, and I thought Heyer might fill the need. She does, as I knew she would. This actually isn’t one of my favorites of hers, but I’ve read all those so many times that I thought I’d try one I didn’t remember very well instead. The ending is way too abrupt, but otherwise this held my interest and made me smile.
p.s. if you’ve never read Heyer before, this probably isn’t a good one to start with. She has an irritating habit of over-using exclamation points, and using sometimes impenetrable period slang. Both of those faults are highly evident in Black Sheep. You just have to stay with the story long enough that you get absorbed and don’t care about punctuation.
This was a re-read for me. I was looking for something absorbing but not stressful to read, and I thought Heyer might fill the need. She does, as I knew she would. This actually isn’t one of my favorites of hers, but I’ve read all those so many times that I thought I’d try one I didn’t remember very well instead. The ending is way too abrupt, but otherwise this held my interest and made me smile.
p.s. if you’ve never read Heyer before, this probably isn’t a good one to start with. She has an irritating habit of over-using exclamation points, and using sometimes impenetrable period slang. Both of those faults are highly evident in Black Sheep. You just have to stay with the story long enough that you get absorbed and don’t care about punctuation.
kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
A very enjoyable Regency romance which takes place in Bath. Abigail Wendover finally returns to the home she shares with her older sister, Selina, and their niece, Fanny, after an exhausting five weeks of helping their sister, Jane, care for her brood of measled children with Jane expecting hourly to add another to the group---and Nurse with a broken leg! Abby has treated herself to a week of shopping in London with another sister, Mary, but is so looking forward to the peace and quiet of her own home. Alas, it is not to be, as it seems there is a fortune hunter after the heiress, Fanny. Those in Bath who don’t know Stacy Calverleigh’s reputation consider him a charming, well-mannered young man. Those who do know his reputation, well…
Selina has fallen for his charm but when Abby meets him, she sees the calculation underlying his exterior poise and is at her wit’s end trying to figure out how to detach him when she meets his uncle, Miles Calverleigh, the black sheep of the Calverleigh family. Unfortunately for Abby, Miles has absolutely no thought of interfering---he does have some very interesting ideas on family loyalty; very sensible ones too! What Miles does think of is seducing Abby, an event which brother James is absolutely horrified by as it is just a little too close to Wendover history.
It’s a bit of a trip to the circus watching everyone perform while attempting to persuade interested parties to their way of thinking. A lovely bit of insight to Regency mores, culture, and attitudes.
Selina has fallen for his charm but when Abby meets him, she sees the calculation underlying his exterior poise and is at her wit’s end trying to figure out how to detach him when she meets his uncle, Miles Calverleigh, the black sheep of the Calverleigh family. Unfortunately for Abby, Miles has absolutely no thought of interfering---he does have some very interesting ideas on family loyalty; very sensible ones too! What Miles does think of is seducing Abby, an event which brother James is absolutely horrified by as it is just a little too close to Wendover history.
It’s a bit of a trip to the circus watching everyone perform while attempting to persuade interested parties to their way of thinking. A lovely bit of insight to Regency mores, culture, and attitudes.
whimsicalmeerkat's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely fabulous and just the distraction I needed.
halynah's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty delightful, but not so good as many others of her books.
saranies's review against another edition
3.0
I almost always want more novels like Jane Austen's Persuasion, set in Bath and telling the tale of an older unmarried woman. Glad I picked this up (on Jasmine Guillory's recommendation, either from a podcast or through her newsletter). It was light and fluffy. There was a rake, a reformed rake, some busybodies, a Nice Young Man, an ingenue, and a 28 year old who read more than her family would have liked. Also the book actually referenced people drinking the water at Bath, which lead me on a merry internet search to find out the different ways that people ingested the therapeutic nature of the water. Not just for sitting in!
mary00's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 stars! I had heard Georgette Heyer's compared to Jane Austen's, so I obviously had to give them a try. Although this was an enjoyable read with an Austen-like ambiance and setting, it was not in the same tier as Austen's works. Still, it was an enchanting diversion (especially the ending; the middle dragged a bit) and I will be reading more of Heyer's works in the future.