Sprig Muslin (Regency Romances Book 15)

Sprig Muslin is enchanting, as enchanting as every Georgette Heyer I've yet read has been. That's about sixteen of them now, I think. If you enjoy an actual visit to the Regency, as if you had a time machine, you'll find it enchanting, too. I hate to take her down one star, but on this I must. Georgette Heyer is a master of history, period dialog, and the quick character sketch. As a rule, she doesn't wallow in the dynamics of a love story, with love scenes or endless romantic dialog. However, in my favorite Heyer books, like Venetia, she gives you a deep love story and rich characters, backed by wonderful sketch characters to round things out. But principles shouldn't be sketched. On very rare occasions she has main characters who aren't fully-formed. And the story suffers for it.Sprig Muslin follows a story structure that modern romances rarely use. In a modern historical romance, you know precisely who's going to end up with whom. It's tattooed on their foreheads. This story leaves you in more suspense on that score, far more. I love that. We meet Sir Gareth Ludlow at the open, the beloved Uncle Gary to his tribe of nieces and nephews he adores. He is that rare, rare creature in romance heroes - a nice guy. He was deeply in love with his fiancé, who was killed seven years before. He's never gotten over it. Now, believing he never really will love again, not that way, he's decided to bow to pressure and marry, this time to a friend. I do wish we had seen a bit more of that friendship. Strike one. His sister has an absolute fit when she discovers that her handsome and highborn brother is going to throw himself away on a dowd like Lady Hester Theale. Sir Gareth isn't exactly outraged over the somewhat cruel things she says about Lady Hester. Strike two. He also says, sort of touching, that at least he wants to marry someone he can help, and that Hester is too fine a person to be living so intolerably, in the sort of uncomfortable spinster situation common then, with a family that marginalizes her.And so it kicks off, and moves pretty quickly. Sir Gareth sets off to ask Lady Hester's hand, and on the way encounters a runaway young lady of obvious birth named, well, at least named Amanda. She won't tell him much, and what she does tell him is one whopper of a lie after another. Amanda would say she was improving reality. The tangle of events Ms. Heyer does so well unfolds, when Gareth ends up taking Amanda with him to Lady Hester's family home, unable to abandon a very young and pretty girl clearly set on mischief. Yes, Amanda is an absolute flake, and a real handful. It's far more believable than it sounds here. She's been fed on romance, is more than a little flighty, and ready for adventure. She's stubbornly set on marrying her childhood sweetheart, an officer on the Peninsula who's been sent home to recover from a wound. She does seem to adore him, while Gareth seems at least drawn to her, since she reminds him of Clarissa, the headstrong girl he was engaged to. Poor Hester is left to do what she does best, which is remaining kind and gracious in a lousy situation. Gareth does find a private moment to propose. The scene is rather brief, and Hester refuses. The reader is really left wondering whether it's because she loves Gareth and believes he doesn't love her, or because she herself is more drawn to another character, the vicar who obviously adores her. As Heyer leads you back and forth, implying one potential outcome, then perhaps another, you're not quite certain who to root for, and for me, Amanda has all the color and life. This is my strike three. Hester really needed to be a great character too. Subtle is not boring. Spinster is not undesirable. Shy is not stupid. Hester badly needed to be fleshed out, with more wit and wisdom. Perhaps a second reading would change my mind about this, but it won't about the ending.I'm dangerously close to a spoiler alert, and I won't go there. Suffice it to say the end shifts and shifts again, and at the close, it's not satisfying, not because it's a surprise, but because too much is left unspoken, unexpressed. How I wanted to know more! I wanted the ending I got and was still disappointed. This is a very, VERY abrupt ending on that account. One love story gets its fair amount of attention. The other leaves you hungry for more. It's maddening when I think of the terrific characters she's done, for Venetia, which I mentioned, Faro's Daughter and Devil's Cub and so many others. For me, the ending was a let-down to a really sweet and fun story. It's worth taking the ride, but I wouldn't make it my first Georgette Heyer.

With all the Regency novels I've read over the past few years, I'm embarrassed to admit this is my first by Georgette Heyer. I don't know how characteristic of her other books this one is, but it's pretty far off the chart as far as believability is concerned. Having said that, I quickly add that it's a rollicking good time, with the most annoying and yet endearing young lady you'll find in the pages of a book.Miss Amanda Summercourt has run away from her grandfather, who will not allow her to marry the man she loves because he is not wealthy or well-connected enough. But Amanda, being quite young, spoiled and headstrong, and having read far too many romance novels, is determined to make him sorry. The avuncular Sir Gareth Ludlow runs across her at an inn and immediately recognizes her naivety and vulnerability. He attempts to help her, although Amanda stubbornly refuses to give him her real name or that of her grandfather. Once she realizes he is trying to return her to her family, she plots to get away from him, keeping Sir Gareth chasing her across the countryside in order to protect her and her reputation.His well-meaning assistance brings the family of Lady Hester Theale into the fray. Sir Gareth has offered marriage to Lady Hester and been declined despite the fact that she's generally considered quite dull and also on the shelf now that she's almost 30. It isn't a love match on his part and so, although surprised and a little disappointed, he takes it much better than her family, and he continues to hold her in high esteem- much higher than his opinion of her awful father, brother and sister-in-law.Much of the fun in this story is reading the farfetched lies Amanda thinks up and Sir Gareth's unflappable ability to see through all her nonsense. Her beauty and charm also leads poor young swains to believe whatever tale of woe she spins and they unwisely attempt to assist her.Amanda's exploits eventually plop Lady Hester in the middle of this crazy adventure. By the story's end, Amanda and Hildebrand Ross (one of the aforementioned young swains) are pretending to be nephew and niece to Lady Hester and Sir Gareth (supposedly brother and sister), addressing them affectionately as "Aunt Hester" and "Uncle Gary." This leads to a climax with a diverse gathering of folks, some looking for Amanda and others looking for Lady Hester.Ms. Heyer gives all her characters, both primary and secondary, wonderfully well-rounded personalities. She also works the absurdity of the situations she creates for all they're worth. There isn't a whole lot of romance here, but the level of humor and string of coincidences are worthy of a Shakespearean comedy.

I read this G. Heyer book when in Junior high school- I recall it was from either the local library or from my grandmother lending it; she was an avid paperback book reader, and had copies of a lot of suspense authors, including Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, and Charlotte Armstrong. But regency romances were being reprinted then too. That's when I also became familiar with Georgette Heyer : her funny, fabulous, heavy-on-the-dialog and plot, very detailed regency novels. I enjoy a book with good characterizations- she is super in this area.For "Sprig Muslin ", I recalled the title immediately when searching through the Heyer titles.I did not remember the intricate plot from reading it years before. But I recalled the fun I'd had reading it at the time. So, I added it to my Kindle, and OH. Yes, it is just as good reading it now.I have read some of the other reviewers thoughts, and it seems some gave up on the novel, not very far into reading it. I suppose it is not everyone's cup of tea, madeira, or sherry, but she does have her audience, and her books are still enjoyed. 5 stars for this one.

I love Georgette Heyer's novels and take pleasure in re-reading them over and over. She has unforgettable characters, witty conversations, and a gift for the ridiculous.

This is one of Georgette Heyer’s witty novels, as entertaining as ‘Friday’s Child’. It centres around a crazy road trip that races through the English countryside, collecting more and more characters along the way.At the centre is Sir Gareth Ludlow, grieving over the death of his glamorous fiancé. Several years later he decides to propose to a friend Lady Hester, a dowdy spinster. But his courtship is hijacked by a beautiful teenager in distress, Amanda.Amanda and the other teens are the funniest characters with all the best lines. Amanda is an amazing liar who is good at sulking and manipulating teenage boys. Her tall tales are hilarious, as are her sidekicks.The characters feel like people from your own life. They are drawn with affection and a touch of caricature. Moody teenagers, dubious uncles, interfering in-laws. I like that the servants get their own personalities as well. Actually I like everything about this light hearted romance, especially the wit which is better even than Tessa Dare and Amanda Quick. The only way you can tell this was written half a century ago is there are no rude bits in it.

I liked the plot twists and turns. The characterization of the two principals was well done.

As always, the author delights with witty characterization so, great place settings twisty plot turns and humour. I read them again and again

I simply enjoy Georgette Heyerdahl novels that evoke a different time and place and manners. A delightful romp for all.