Virtual Heyer Tea Party! (And contest)
Welcome to the virtual Heyer tea party! Since we could only fit so many around the table in Scottsdale– and there are pesky little things like geographical constraints– I wanted to expand the party so everyone could attend.
The tea leaves are steeping, the silver strainer is placed carefully over the cup…. Mmm. Smell that steam. Milk? Sugar?
We’re all ready now, yes? It’s time to play the Pick that Heyer game. Take a restorative sip of tea, snatch a quick bite of scone (mind the clotted cream! it’s slipping!), and now here’s the question, just as it will be on Friday:
Which is your favorite Georgette Heyer novel?
You may quote lines or refer to specific characters and scenes to support your choices.
To make this more fun, I’ll be choosing two people at random (no reflection on your Heyer choices, I promise) to receive advance copies of The Mischief of the Mistletoe. Winners will be announced on Monday– although I imagine the tea will have gone cold by then. You might want to refresh the pot.
Me? Ooops, sorry, just taking a quick sip there. I’d have to go with Arabella, Regency Buck, or The Nonesuch.
The Nonesuch won my heart, not just because it was my very first Heyer (although who doesn’t have a special place for her first?), but for the brilliant line where the sensible Ancilla, having vowed to think no more about Sir Waldo, proceeds to spend the night doing just that.
As for Regency Buck, Lord Worth’s masterful control of every situation he encounters– until he meets Judith Taverner–makes him one of my favorite Heyer heroes.
And then there’s Arabella. Oh, Ulysses. Need I say more?
My personal favorites will always be The Masqueraders (the delightful mixups and the strong personalities of the characters), These Old Shades (Léonie is just one of my favorite Heyer heroines-how can you not love a duchess who calls people imbecile?), and Devil’s Cub (I’m a sucker for reformed rake types, and besides, he’s Léonie’s!).
My first Heyer was These Old Shades. LOVE IT. Then of course I had to read Devils Cub, it was so fun. The best part about Heyer right now, is that I have my 10 year old daughter interested and listening to the Reluctant Widow.
These Old Shades, Leonie is one of my favorites..
i also really enjoyed The Grand Sophie. It was just a wonderful read and so are most of her books.
I do not even know if quotes are necessary Leonie’s character is just such an impulsive young girl that it makes you laugh and shake your head because she really is a sweet person. i am that way very impulsive and sometimes childlike in my faith and actions. I just had a really good connection.. now if only i had red hair..
Arabella was my first Heyer on the suggestion of Lauren Willigs reading list. I couldn’t put it down and have since read about 20 more.
i have the Nonesuch, Lady of Quality, and the Toll Gate on my bedside table.
In general, I think whatever Heyer I’ve read last is my favorite. A couple that have been my favorites recently are Cotillion (Freddy is such an unexpected hero!) and the Reluctant Widow. Devil’s Cub is often a favorite! And I’m sure in a day or two The Unknown Ajax will be my favorite–I’m currently reading it.
The Reluctant Widow!
I’m not sure what’s wrong with me, since I’m a huge regency romance buff, but I simply haven’t been able to get into any of the Heyers I’ve tried. She gets so many raves that I hate to give up on her, though.
Maybe I’m just not trying the right ones – I haven’t tried any of the ones people are listing here. I shall add them to my library list.
I’ve never even seen one of her books. I’m so embarrassed.
I have loved everyone that I could get my hands on. Even her mysteries.
My first Heyer novel was Frederica, and as it usually goes for me, the first one I read is always my favorite. Frederica was a delightful, cheery heroine, and I adored the interactions between Alverstoke and Felix & Jessamy.
Alas, I’m still very much a newbie, only having read one, The Grand Sophy. Rather liked it, but it was funny because I kept looking at the copyright date where it constantly said some date in the 50s. I just kept thinking that Sophy was like a heroine I read today, but just wouldn’t think would show up in a book from that long ago! Still have to move on from that one, so many choices.
Lois
I’ll have to go with Cotillion because it’s the only one I’ve read! I enjoyed it and have been meaning to read more, but my reading list grows by 3 about every day!
At the moment by favorite would be The Unknown Ajax. I love the hero Hugh, he’s so sweet and I love how he calls Anthea ‘lass’ and who doesn’t love a smuggling sub plot? But Devil’s Cub would be a close second with one of my all time favorite quotes ” “I feel an almost overwhelming interest in the methods of daylight abduction employed by the modern youth.” Priceless.
I love them all!!! My first was a library audiobook of Behold, Here’s Poison. I loved it when the elderly victim’s sister Harriet (upon learning that the autopsy had proved that her brother’s death was actually murder) says that it is “a judgement” on her sister Gertrude for “demanding port-mortems right and left”. (I was hooked!) I adore Cotillion, A Blunt Instrument (dueling bible-quotations), and The Unfinished Clue. But my favorite right now is The Foundling … just full of “nice gentlemen” willing to offer purple gowns & golden rings to the lovely Belinda.
If I have to choose just one favorite it would probably by Frederica. One of my favorite parts is the incident in the park with Lufra, the “Barcelona collie”…correction, the “Baluchistan hound.” Thank you, Lord Alverstoke, for making that clear and dealing with the situation so admirably!
No need to be embarrased, Christine.
I was forced to read one of her books. Just one. It was not bad, but not my favorite.
I had to read The Spanish Bride. It wasn’t bad! I should check out more of her stuff.
Harry Smith bugged me, but I kind of liked him.
I haven’t read anything by Heyer, either 🙁 Even though my mom always encourages me to because I love historical romance! I want to read Cotillion first because I’ve heard the hero is my kind of guy!!
I started reading Georgette Heyer almost two years ago. She wrote many good ones. My favorites are:These Old Shades, Devil’s Cub (which I read prior to these Old Shades because of Geoff Pinchingdale and Letty Alsworthy), Lady of Quality, Cotillion (These last tow are the first I ever read. My favorite not mentioned yet is Venetia. I recommend all.
My favorite Heyer mystery is No Wind of Blame. I don’t always love her mysteries as much, but this one is awesome.
This week I read two of her books: The Talisman Ring and Black Sheep. They were both very good. I am having trouble with quotes off the top my head.
The quotes above are good.
The Black Moth because, let’s be honest, who dosn’t love a good highwayman and a few sword fights never hurt anything either 🙂
First & Forever: These Old Shades. I even named my son Justin..
Second: Everything else she wrote, except for The Spanish Bride because Harry and Juana were too stuck on themselves, and it was really a historical fiction, not a romance. However, I was inspired to look up their subsequent lives, somewhat disappointing on several levels.
I love Heyer, I even have some of my old 60’s paperbacks…costing all of 35 cents. The new editions are beautiful and easier to read however. I am very glad so many readers are discovering Heyer.
Oh this is such a hard question! I’ll attempt to narrow it down to three…
1) Lady of Quality. This was in my first ‘batch’ of Heyer novels that I read (I bought 3 books of hers since I had heard such good things about them, and read them all in 3 days). A strong heroine, a reformed-rake hero, two impulse young friends and a neurotic companion. What more could you ask for?
2) Sylvester. I think that this is one of the funniest Heyer novels – it certainly made me laugh. Poor Phoebe gets in so many scrapes, but always manages to make things right in the end (with a bit of help from her invaluble friend Tom). I love how her relationship with Sylvester develops (and the nickname he gives her – Sparrow – is so touching). Ianthe is pretty hilarious too.
3) The Masqueraders. Two romances for the price of one with an absolutely mad father thrown into the mix – pure genius.
One of my favorites, that has yet to me mentioned, is Faro’s Daughtor. Deb’s scenes with her aunt remind me of the scenes with Aunt Pitty-Pat in Gone with the Wind. I can’t help but smile. Max, of course, is perfect, and I love how both he and Deb are so stubbornm and take so long to realize that they have the same goal: rescuing Adrian from his own folly.
My favorite is Arabella. Mostly because it was my first Heyer.
The Grand Sophy for the humor, the subtle romance (I love rereading the Sophy/Charles scenes to watch them fall in love between the lines), the unconventional heroine and the non-rake hero. Venetia for the wonderful ,sexy (if non-explicit romance), the wonderfully done rakish, tormented hero (one of my favorites ever, along with Lauren’s Lord Vaughn, and the wonderful sense of the hero and heroine finding a friend and soul mate in each other. And An Infamous Army for the historical sweep and richness, and the fascinating romance between a rakish heroine and a nurturing hero.
I have a whole bunch of “second tier” favorites too, including These Old Shades, Frederica, Sylvester…
and Arabella – I had a Madame Alexander doll I named Arabella when I was ten :-).
My favorite is The Foundling, because Gilly is the perfect hero. I love how he grows up and takes a stand for himself over the course of the book.
I adore all of Georgette Heyer’s novels. I ran across one in an old garage sale, and after promptly falling in love with her writing, went on EBay to buy all of them – I ended up with a lot of them shipped all the way from GB – and ever since they have their own special bookshelf. I think to this day Arabella is still my favorite, shortly followed by Powder and Patch.
I just recently read my first—I can’t believe I went all these years without her! It was Frederica, and I loved it. I adored Frederica herself, her unassuming self-awareness and her naive intelligence. And Alverstoke…he made me think of Henry Higgins in his bachelor-itude and his quick wit, but also a handsome, matured rake…possibly still dangerous to your virtue if he put his mind to it but he doesn’t really feel like it…
Oh my gosh, how to choose? I have about 7 that rotate as my favorites… well I think Lord Worth is my favorite guy, because he’s just awesome, and Sophie’s my favorite heroine but my favorite book right now is… Venetia – I just love the story – and it’s so beautifully written… but really, it’s choosing between dulce de leche and rocky road to pick my favorite 🙂
Georgette Heyer almost makes it worth getting the flu so you can read more! (They are the ultimate Sick Books.) Devil’s Cub is awesome, but I will always have a soft spot for The Grand Sophy. She’s like Flora Poste (Cold Comfort Farm) except in a corset.
I am so envious of your tea party…
Loved These Old Shades & Devil’s Cub- 2nd favorites would be the Grand Sophy and The Black Sheep. Favorite character of all time would be Leonie- in both ‘Shades’ and ‘Cub’ she is delightfully straightforward, impulsive and adventurous. The part where Alastar recites his fable gives me the chills!
My favorite isn’t actually a regency at all- its Simon the Coldheart! Just something about castles…
The Black Moth- alter egos make for the best kind of shenanigans
Sadly, I have not read any of them, but I as soon as I leave this page I am heading to the library page to look them up! I love finding new books and I can’t wait for your new book!
I discovered Georgette Heyer late last year thanks to the mention of it on this website. Needless to say, I’ve been hooked ever since. My favorites at this point are Arabella, Black Sheep, and Sylvester. My mom gets a kick out of me (a 25 year old) loving books that my great-grandmother was apparently obsessed with. I loved reading everyone’s favorites as it gave me some ideas of what to read next (currently on The Reluctant Widow).
My favorite Heyer book I think has to be ‘The Grand Sophy’. The characters are so superbly drawn and eccentric that I find myself laughing out loud at many of the scenes. Cecilia’s poet is my favorite, he is just so oblivious.
What a hard question! I have different “favorites” for different reasons. Cotillion is sweet, These Old Shades is exciting, The Talisman Ring is funny, Bath Tangle was my first, Devil’s Cub is romantic…
I *think* I’ll have to go with The Grand Sophy. The first time I read it (in my teens) I didn’t like it. But, as with many of her books, my tastes have changed as I’ve matured and I’ve come to really like the books I didn’t like in my teens. I just recently re-read The Grand Sophy and was completely charmed by it.
Regency Buck- I don’t know why I’m always a sucker for moody, brooding gentlemen in novels!
[…] authority as Queen of this Website, I am unilaterally extending the virtual Heyer Tea Party (and Mini-Contest) to Wednesday, to give more people a chance to partake. Winners will be announced on July […]
I Love the Reluctant Widow.
arabella! 🙂 thx for extending it, i have been out of town!!
The Reluctant Widow!!
My first Heyer, believe it or not, was _Simon the Coldheart_, and I didn’t know it was a “Heyer”–was surprised when I tracked it down years later. My favorites in the romance Heyers are _The Masqueraders_, another early read, and _The Grand Sophy_ and _Venetia_, which still make me laugh every time I read them. She had such a light touch in those, just lovely. Last year I taught a seminar in the evolution of the romance genre and taught _Sylvester_ in company with _Pride and Prejudice_ so that we could look at how Heyer played with genre conventions. (That’s also when I learned she pronounced it ‘Hair’…] I’m glad that so many of the Heyers are back in print now; I have all of them, thanks to a lot of digging in UK used book shops over the years, and am glad so many more readers are discovering this wonderful writer.
I’ve only read a few and so far my favorite would probably have to be Behold, Here’s Poison.
How to choose, how to choose? I have read so many and loved them all. I would have to say my favorite Heyer romance would be either Venetia or The Masqueraders. Venetia simply because she was such a wonderful character. The Masqueraders because it was so fun and the sibling interaction was excellent. My favorite Heyer mystery is probably They Found Him Dead. Such a dignified little house party, such a delightful murder.
I’ve read 4 or 5 of her books – loved them all, but I can’t remember any of the titles or plots! :/
Sadly, I have not gotten around to reading any Heyer…I really can’t decide which one to read first.
My great grandmother had two loves. Sadly for my great grandfather they were Georgette Heyer and Dorothy Sayers novels. Around middle school I read my way through boxes of her old copies. “The Grand Sophy” was always my favorite, probably because of the monkey and parrot, and also because I, like Heyer, enjoy heroines who meddle and fix the other characters like. Recently I’ve really enjoyed rereading “False Colors” perhaps because of the fun of disguise.
Cotillion is my favorite Heyer novel. I love how Freddy’s social acumen wins the day ( and the girl) over Jack’s Corinthianism! I’ve read almost all of her books though, and I love them all.
I have only read two of her books (thus this is no expert opinion), but of the two I believe I enjoyed Regency Buck better. Thank you for extending the mini-contest deadline!
Must give a shout out to Sylvester, or The Wicked Uncle. Phoebe and Sylvester’s romance is slow to begin–she despises him, and he doesn’t know she’s alive–but once it starts, look out! Filled with memorable secondary characters (arthritic mama Duchess, precocious nephew Edmund, BFF Tom Orde, flighty Lady Ianthe, breathtakingly foppish Nugent Fotherby…) Sylvester ranks as an all time favorite!
My favorite Heyer is one about which I cannot remember the title or many details, but I think it was called The Convenient Marriage. The main character was a younger, less beautiful sister who marries her older sister’s (undesirable) titled & wealthy suitor and the younger sister takes London society (& his heart) by storm. I loved her pluck & the fact that it was her personality, not her physical attributes, that made her attractive. It was the first Heyer I ever read–back when I was in my adolescence which was lo, these many years ago–& I had reread it many times until I moved out of my childhood home. The book was subsequently lost in my father’s purge of the attic. I second the previous mentions of the non-regency Simon the Coldheart, which is also a favorite, & luckily for me, one of the few Heyers my library carries.
Addendum: I found this helpful list of Georgette Heyer’s books & publication information. There is a brief plot synopsis for each as well. The book I loved indeed was The Convenient Marriage. It seems most of the books I preferred were among her early ones.
duh, here’s the link:
http://www.fictiondb.com/author/georgette-heyer~3464.htm
sorry for the multiple posts
The Unknown Ajax. I picked it up for its name, loving the reference, and upon perusal adored Hugo and Anthea. Hugo just for being lovable, and for lasping into the Yorkshire dialect with the slightest provocation, and Anthea for her scolding,affectionate remarks and wit- it was the first one I read, and will always be my favorite.
The Unknown Ajax. I picked it up for its name, loving the reference, and upon perusal adored Hugo and Anthea. Hugo just for being lovable, and for lapsing into the Yorkshire dialect with the slightest provocation, and Anthea for her scolding,affectionate remarks and wit- it was the first one I read, and will always be my favorite.
Devil’s Cub! Even the title is exciting!
I have to say, Ive heard a lot of interesting titles here so im off to the library to pick up some more 😀
The Grand Sophy, without question (though Arabella runs a close second). Sophy is strong and determined, able to get her way with a minimum of fuss and without (most) people realising how well they’ve been manipulated (in the best possible way, of course).
THE GRAND SOPHIE —– AND THESE OLD SHADES…..
I haven’t read any! But will go order a few from the library…
The Conqueror!!
See, that’s no fair. I’ve only just joined the Heyer Tea Party…five novels down.
I’m going to go with Cotillion. It has to be one of the craziest weddings ever!
These Old Shades. Based on the rave reviews above, I know what I’ll be reading until the new LW book comes out in October! A most gracious thanks for the (virtual) tea.
I just love Venetia. Witty dialogue, and a smart, strong heroine. Enough said.
And on behalf of my 82 year old grandmother, I must also make a shout out to Sylvester, or The Wicked Uncle. It’s her favorite! She periodically complains to me because the e-book isn’t available on her B&N Nook yet. She’s the best (and a huge Pink fan!)
Do we have to name one to win? Can we just post to be entered? Please!
It’s so hard to choose! I’ll pick Venetia.
I first heard about Heyer’s historical romances by seeing modern day Regency romance writers’ recommendations. So I figured she must be good. I printed out her whole bibliography and mean to read them all, eventually.
I’ve read three or four so far and my favorite of those is “The Corinthian”. I love how the cynical hero’s heart was captured by the exuberant young heroine.
I wish I could give a proper vote, but I haven’t actually read any yet. I’ve read many good reviews on several of them, and am looking forward to reading some of her work.
Any recommendations on which one(s) to start with?
My favorite Heyer has always been These Old Shades. I love the heroine and the way she is able to captivate the Duke. He too is an iconic romance character. So many romances have the guardian fall for the ward, but this has the spin of her being his page and him knowing she is female even though she does not know he knows– worthy of Shakespeare. The Devil’s Cub brings back the characters, but it is not the same.
I love ‘The Tollgate’. The plot is very strong and the characters just lovely – not very complicated maybe, but very soothing!
Reluctant Widow – my first so it has to be my favorite.
Such a hard choice, but I think my favorite Heyer novel is Cotillion. Freddy is such a great romantic hero because he’s so atypical; he’s the type of character usually relegated to a sidekick or other secondary character. It’s a lighthearted read I will gladly revisit over and over again.
Fredrica is my favorite…although Black Sheep comes in a close second
I can’t believe I haven’t read any of her novels! At least I see a few posts to indicate I am not the only one… Because of this “tea party”, though, I looked her up online and read some excerpts (darn them, excerpts always stop just in the right spot to leave me hanging and impatient to read more) and I think I would really enjoy her books. Somehow stumbled upon a free version of The Black Moth online, and I think that is where I will start. Always glad to find good recommendations!
I have to admit I have never read any Heyer novels. I find it hard to pick “skinny books” because they read too fast. Maybe I will pick up one just so I can say I have read one of them. Any suggesstions?
Hi, Debra! I’d suggest “Arabella” as a starter, with “Regency Buck” as my back-up suggestion, although I know others feel very strongly about “The Grand Sophy”.
Frederica is always a great choice!
Has to be Arabella!
Venetia 🙂
I haven’t read anything of hers, but I am SO glad that you had this mini-contest just so that I can learn about her because I’ve been looking for some good summer reading!
I’ve read about 5 so far. My favorite is probably Frederica, with Devil’s Cub as a close second.
I love them all and constantly re-read, but I think I’d go with The Grand Sophy.
I have never read a Heyer, but apparently will have to!
Cotillion for me! I have *such* a thing for vacuous, bumbling, well-meaning anti-heroes who end up having a bit more steel in them than expected (Peter Wimsey, John Smythe, Psmith, for example). Hence I have high hopes for Turnip. I think Cotillion is Freddy’s book far more than Kitty’s, since so much of the plot progression is about his growth, whereas she just seems to learn to love shopping (can’t really blame her, with those lovely Regency outfits).
My second place is The Grand Sophy. The scene at the end gets me every time.