The Reluctant Widow (Chivers Sound Library)

Rating:
Summary: One of my (many) favorites
Review: As a long term, well as long as possible at 16, fan of Heyer regency novels, I love the Reluctant Widow. Admittedly the romance between Eleanor and Edward is not nearly as fleshed out as in her other novels because of the focus on the mystery, but I enjoy it anyway. This is mainly because of Nicky. Nicky is a wonderful character and one of the funniest Georgette ever created, along with Rupert in These Old Shades. The book is a delightfully funny and mysterious romp and I heartily recommend it to any Regency lover.

Rating:
Summary: Romance?
Review: I love Georgette Heyer, and this book just didn't do it for me. The writing is still great, that can't be denied, utterly charming descriptions and dialogue. I think what got to me was the utter lack of romance here. There weren't even hints to suggest that a romance might be brewing, and I really felt that I was just going on faith that this was indeed a romance novel and I would be rewarded in the end for my perseverence. And I was, I suppose, but I really didn't get any warm and fuzzy feeling out of it. I wasn't reading it because I wanted to read a mystery novel, so by the time she got to the denouement, I was so starved for romance that I couldn't have cared less about the resolution of that part of the plot.

In short, unless you are a die-hard fan of her style, I wouldn't go out of my way to obtain this one.

Rating:
Summary: "Married to a fast-dying rake, a widow overnight..."
Review: This was the quote on the back of the book. The story itself begins in a decidedly Gothic fashion, with a seemingly dark, irascible hero, a heroine swept along by fate and a malevolent drunkard who plays her short-lived husband. The stage is set; some papers are missing that must not be allowed to fall into Bonaparte's hands and of course, they're probably secreted in the heroine's new home.

Some familiar personalities make their appearance in this novel; the hero's younger brother is modelled along most younger brothers/cousins, such as Ludovic of The Talisman Ring and Richmond of The Unknown Ajax. Basil, the sneaking and probably up-to-no-good fop is practically the twin of the evil Beau from The Talisman Ring. In fact, this story is a lot like the Talisman Ring, only without the guffaw-inducing nature of that worthy book and with a tamer ending. All in all, a good mystery infused with a lot of humour.