Cousin Kate

Rating:
Summary: Georgette Heyer Has Gone Gothic!
Review: "Cousin Kate" is a dark, gothic novel, different from most of Georgette Heyer's other works. I have nothing against dark or gothic, but there is a lack of originality in this predictable plot and the characters lack the usual "Heyer spark." I believe that the author wrote this novel while she was ill. This is apparent as her delightful verve is very much missing here.

Kate Malvern, 24, orphaned and penniless, has been fired from her job as a governess through no fault of her own. She is surprised by an invitation to stay with her father's half sister, (whom she has never met), at the sumptuous estate Staplewood. There she meets the elderly lord of the manor, her aunt's husband Sir Timothy, their strange and ailing son, Torquil, and a cast of characters right out of the Addam's Family scrapbook. Why has this distant relation made Kate an honored guest and gifted her with beautiful clothing, jewelry and almost cloying kindness? Kate thinks she has the answers....but...?

I would say that to discover the secrets behind this strange tale you will have to read the book. However, as a major Georgette Heyer fan, I don't mind reading her most mediocre novels...and there aren't many. You, on the other hand, may want to save yourself the time. There isn't very much to surprise, enlighten or horrify here. This one is not a keeper.
JANA

Rating:
Summary: The last of the truly classic Heyers
Review: .................................... Her writing style is always exquisite, and her ear for dialogue is parallelled by none. Even in a book where she was not at her utmost greatest, she is still very readable; and Cousin Kate is one of those books. It is not Heyer at her best, however. The characters are just a shade under-developed, veering dangerously towards the two-dimensional, which is very unusual for Heyer, and the story is not as elegantly plotted as we expect from Heyer. Having said this, it remains to be said that "Cousin Kate" shows Heyer at the last height of her talent. Her last historical romances after "Cousin Kate" were "Charity Girl" and "Lady of Quality", both proving a sad disappointment on the whole. So "Cousin Kate" is Heyer's last wholly successful and well-written novel. This gives the book a pathos to the Heyer fan, as does the fact that it was written during a serious illness on Heyer's part. If you read the book, you can sense the author's illness-induced depression underneath the surface comedy, and more obviously, in the dark twists and turns of the Gothic plot. However, Cousin Kate remains a classic Heyer study of character and Regency attitudes, and boasts a wonderfully warm and generous heroine who it is impossible not to dislike, and one of Heyer's most pleasant and agreeable heroes. (If you're expecting the bared teeth and masterful machoism of a Regency Buck, you will be disappointed, but if you like a man who you can talk to, who is warm and considerate and dependant, here is a book that will satisfy you as regards romance) It was written in response to the popularity of the Gothic romance as exemplified in Victoria Holt, so inevitably, such a departure from the "Heyer mould" of gentle and pleasant romance with a strongly realistic and sensible basis could disappoint some fans. But having said all this, I highly recommend the book "Cousin Kate." to anyone who wants to see how competently Heyer handled what is an essentially different type of historical novel.

Rating:
Summary: Pass on this one.
Review: I've just started reading Georgette Heyer and of the 8 books I have read, I've loved them all until I got to this one. The heroine is annoying and because I could not sympathize with the characters, I found the plot boring and tedious. I'm jealously guarding all my Georgette Heyers for re-reading, but with this book, I could not toss it quickly enough.