Venetia Lanyon has never made it further than York and Harrogate. Her father refused to let her come out at Court, she has, since his death and her elder brother’s enrolment in the army, been keeping house with her younger brother and managing the affairs of Undershaw, the family home. And then into her life gallops Jasper Damerel, lord of the nearby Priory. With a reputation as a ne’er do well and cad, he is rumoured to have squandered his fortune and left a trail of broken hearts, and broken women behind him. In him Venetia sees the future has possibilities. But will that future be hers? Chapter 5, in which it is noted that the Scoundrel is but hidden twin to the Good Man: each male contains both sides; the Sensible Woman is best served by accepting that reality. Ooooh if only Aubrey hadn’t come in at that moment! And if Venetia’s uncle had never come to Yorkshire! How things would have been different! Aubrey was certainly not intended as a hero, but in some inexplicable way I found myself falling in love with him almost as much as I was falling for Damarel. Aubrey is seventeen, wonderfully intelligent, entertainingly precocious, and rather touchy about the fact that he walks with a limp, due to a disease that affected his hip joint when he was younger. He enjoys the company of books more than he does most people – save Lord Damarel - and though he can be egotistical and unwittingly selfish, Aubrey will often surprise you by showing the depth of genuine feeling he has for his sister, which is truly touching. He's a difficult character to describe, but anyone who has read about him should understand my fondness for him.

But her arrival is also a catalyst that strikes up a series of unforeseen twists and turns, and the second half of the book is definitely more fast-paced and surprising than the first.He even made her laugh, for when she was talking about the delights of shopping in Paris he said: "And for hats of the first style of elegance, Phanie!" which surprised a little trill of mirth out of her. "Yes! How did you know?" she asked, looking innocently up at him.

This may have been a reasonable sentiment in Regency England. But Georgette Heyer published Venetia in 1958, and it pleasingly reflected a modern sensibility regarding female independence. It does seem a pity,” she agreed. “I have been thinking so myself, for I always wished for a friend to laugh with.” I’m really sorry, but I didn’t liked it… I suppose the story could have been interesting, but the writing style was too confusing for me.

User Reviews:

What I truly liked about Heyer in this novel is the lightness of the story, without any ambitious plot twists and forced suspensions that sometimes ruin the smooth flow of these novels. I've seen this too often in many contemporarily written historical romances. So many authors try to be too clever with the plot, forgetting that it is the simplicity of the plot, the historical setting, the chemistry, and the budding romance of the hero and heroine that attracts most readers to this genre. Light entertainment is certainly what I seek in them. And I'm truly glad to have found an author who has understood this. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author. Damerel: Alright, so, I have an idea, since you refuse to leave, I'LL leave and go to the inn, that way proprieties will be respected, and isn't that nice? I love proprieties :) And I love how you do your hair now! Very pretty! I loved both the humor and the literary allusions and references in this book. I think it's the most intelligently written of the Heyer books I've read. I can feel my brain cells multiplying while I read it. Or expanding. Whatever it is they do.

All this as the tides of individualism, Romanticism, the common good and the rights of man were swelling on the horizon and threatening to sweep all away in a tsunami of reform, emancipation, suffrage, universal education and other distressing horrors. I love Venetia as a main character since she is extremely resourceful, determined in pursuit of her goals and bewilderingly patient with the ignorant, meddling and condescending men in her life while still never missing an opportunity to give them a good "set-down", as they say.Venetia is a Regency romance novel by Georgette Heyer set in England in 1818. [2] Plot summary [ edit ] I think what I love about these two characters is that Venetia and Damarel are on very even terms with each other, more so than in any other Heyer novel I’ve ever read. There is no feeling that one, by virtue of experience or age or intelligence, is superior to the other. Of course Lord Damarel has seen a great deal more of the world than Venetia, but as their intellects are equally sharp, this circumstance gives rise to more amusement between them than trouble. Their relationship is certainly one of my favourite romances. With every passing moment that they talk and laugh and discuss things together, you feel more and more certain that these two people were simply made for each other. It’s a lovely thing to behold. Of course you don’t, love – and I must own I wish Oswald had found himself unable to do so. I wonder what excuse Edward will offer us for this visit? Surely there cannot have been another Royal marriage, or General Election?’ So you were – and have let your coffee grow cold, besides abandoning that slice of bread-and-butter. Do eat it up! I’m persuaded I ought not to permit you to read at table.’ Mr Aubrey Lanyon - Venetia's scholarly brother, has a diseased hip, studying for a fellowship to Cambridge, 16

If only they knew how alike they are, and what good jokes they share. “OMG YOU’VE JUST HAD THE MOST DIVERTING THOUGHT??!!?!” Oh, the banter. Be still my heart <3 These two are truly equals, if not in education or anything else, but when it comes to wit and humor. They love teasing one another, try to find the most obscure poetry reference to quote and see if the other one recognizes it... I love every moment of it! As a result, I was reading this book for a month and in the end I could finish it by skimming to the finale. ht speak his name a dozen times and still win no response. It did not occur to him that such absorption made him a poor companion. It occurred forcibly to Venetia, but since she had long since recognised that he was quite as selfish as his father or his brother she was able to accept his odd ways with perfect equanimity, and to go on holding him in affection without suffering any of the pangs of disillusionment.

Fair Fatality, you are the most unusual female I have ever encountered in all my thirty-eight years!" "You can't think how deeply flattered I am!" she assured him. "I daresay my head would be quite turned if I didn't suspect that amongst so many a dozen or so may have slipped from your memory." "More like a hundred. Am I never to learn your name?" I could go on and on about this book for ages, but this review is already almost two months late, and no one probably even remembers that I read it. I am so sorry I took ages to write this review (again)! You can blame my addled brain. ;) Before she realises it, Venetia is encouraging a man whose way of life has scandalised the North Riding for years. And no one understands. No one gets it. They all think Venetia is going to have her heart broken, that she doesn’t understand what Damerel is up to, that she’s too good and innocent to be with him. They warn her and counsel her and beg her to stay away from him, yet they never once ask her what she feels or what she thinks about him. Yes, love,’ responded his sister cheerfully, ‘but it wasn’t of the least consequence, and in any event I answered for you. You would be astonished, I daresay, if you knew what interesting conversations I enjoy with myself.’