Rating: 
Summary: The best book of the creator of the Regency Romance genre
Review: Firstly, please ignore the above synopsis; it bears little resemblance to the book.
It is no exaggeration to say that Georgette Heyer is one of this century's best writers. She may not write about deep metaphysical issues but her use of the English language is impeccable. Her vocabulary is extensive, Her novels are tightly plotted and her dialogue fast-paced and entertaining. If you read her biography you will find that Georgette Heyer did extensive research but this is never forced down our throats. Authentic background details are casually mentioned but not so they need lengthy explanations. The characters use the slang of the period but not so in such a way as to make it impossible to understand what they mean. Georgette Heyer has had innumerable imitators but sadly no equals. Nearly all of Georgette Heyer's books are excellent but in my personal opinion "Sylvester" is one of the best.
Comparisons to Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" are inevitable. In both novels the hero's pride makes the heroine dislike him. This animosity in turn leads the heroine into difficulties. There is even a very similar marriage proposal scene with the hero explaining how hard he has fought his feelings as the heroine would make an unsuitable wife. However Sylvester, unlike Darcy, is not transformed into a misunderstood hero. Instead Phoebe comes to love him despite his faults, which is much more realistic. In this book Georgette Heyer creates realistic characters who behave in a believable manner but still it makes an entertaining read. If you want long sweaty sex scenes with every grunt and groan detailed this is not the book for you. Instead you will get an intelligent story, realistic characters, witty dialogues, some hilarious scenes (especially involving Edmund and Sir. Nugent) and plenty of romantic tension. Mrs. N.Pickard
Rating: 
Summary: Imperfect lovers find a perfect match
Review: A lively-paced romance concentrating on the character flaws of both the hero and the heroine, and how they find love together. One of the best by the Queen of the regency romance.
Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: As Mrs. N. Pickard says in her review, the plot has little to do with the synopsis listed by the publisher. Of all Miss Heyer's books, this is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE.
Rating:
Summary: Certainly one of Heyer's best
Review: Georgette Heyer brought the Regency period into the 20th century. Her characters are reminiscent of Jane Austin, but relate more to our time. Sylvester has charm, humor and likeable characters, it is also fast paced. It is most certainly my favorite, followed closely by Venetia and Arabella, another witty novel. Sadly, this book is out of print. Many younger readers are going to miss out on the fun.
Rating: 
Summary: Funny and well-written,
Review: I enjoyed this story. I thought it was well-written and funny, very entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and well-written,
Review: I enjoyed this story. I thought it was well-written and funny, very entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: 4 & 1/2 stars; my favorite Heyer to date
Review: I really liked this book by Heyer. The only reason for not giving it 5 stars is the lack of romantic feeling by the heroine until the end of the book. Sylvester is witty, well-paced, and evocative of the age. Obvious (and delightful) parallels to Jane Austin, especially Pride and Prejudice, abound. Sylvester is a great hero, flawed but teachable. Phoebe is slightly less compelling as the heroine, coming across as a bit immature, but she can certainly hold her own with Sylvester and many others (her step-mother being the odd exception). Secondary characters, especially Thomas, are delightful and add greatly to the story. Witty & charming, with a certain poignancy to Phoebe's self-esteem issues. It's nice to have a heroine who isn't a beauty, too. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: Not my favorite Heyer
Review: I've just discovered Georgette Heyer's books recently, and this is probably among my least favorite of her novels, alongside "Venetia." If you've read the blurb on the back of the book, you'll know that this is about Phoebe, a plain looking girl who pens a novel anonymously. She draws inspiration for her characters from the members of the "ton," and bases the villain of her book heavily on Sylvester, the Duke of Salford. Meanwhile, Sylvester is on the look-out for a potential bride, and Phoebe is one of the candidates. Characterized as proud and arrogant in Phoebe's book, he feels insulted, humiliated and betrayed when he finds out about the novel.
Now, this seems like a promising plot, but after reading several other Heyer novels in a row, I felt that "Sylvester" lacked the momentum of some of Heyer's other books such as "Arabella" or "Frederica." "Sylvester" seemed to drag because the two main characters didn't share a lot of dialogue with one another. A majority of the novel was introspective and reflective, with either Phoebe worrying about her situation, Sylvester, her family or the ton; and Sylvester angered over Phoebe's foolishness. Conversations that they did have with each other rarely resolved anything, and constantly resulted with the both of them bickering over something trivial.
"Sylvester" also seemed to lack the wit of "Frederica." I enjoyed the rapid-fire witty dialogue of the characters in "Frederica," whereas in "Sylvester" I felt that the two main characters were always too angry with one another. The characters seemed to be too tightly wound, and instances where humor relieved the tension were greatly appreciated by me, but were too few and too far between. Phoebe didn't endear herself to me; she seemed to enjoy provoking Sylvester constantly, or did so unconsciously. Honestly, I empathized with Sylvester and understood his anger and frustration with her. Based on their volatile relationship in the first 3/4 of the book, I found their relationship in the last 1/4 of the book to be a rather odd and unlikely event.
Another thing I felt was missing in "Sylvester" was the presence of interesting secondary characters that I felt invested in. "Arabella" and "Frederica" were chock-full of eccentric and/or amusing characters, that often rivalled the main characters for my attention and interest. Aside from the character Tom Orde and, perhaps, Edmund to a smaller degree, there didn't seem to be anyone that really endeared themselves to me. Instead, all the other characters seemed to be caricatures. They were way over-the-top, and extremely annoying. A brief appearance by Sylvester's cousin Georgiana looked promising, but she didn't really appear again in the novel until the very end.
In terms of the characters' attitudes and personalities, obvious comparisons between "Sylvester" and Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" can be made but in my opinion, Austen's book is far better. Overall, "Sylvester" is an okay book, but I've come to expect a lot from a Heyer book, and this seems to fall short. It ranks at the bottom of my favorite Heyers, next to "Venetia," a very contrived romance, which I also found disappointing. Check out Heyer's "Frederica."
Rating:
Summary: A wicked romantic comedy
Review: It's difficult to choose a favorite Heyer novel--but Sylvester would certainly be in the Top 5. The plot centers on the heroine Phoebe and the gradual humanizing of the dashing, but proud, Sylvetser, a Duke with wicked eyebrows. This story has it all : an elopement (with the wrong suitor), a roman a clef, a cynical London Season, and a hilarious abduction. When the wicked uncle's nephew cries for his "Button" I cried--with laughter. And of course, Heyer doesn't forget the romance. When Sylvester finally admits his love for Phoebe to his mother (no, this isn't a spoiler--it's a Georgette Heyer Regency Romance, after all) the romantic thrill is all any reader could want.
Rating:
Summary: Nice Romance
Review: Sylvester, the Duke of Salford, has decided it's time to take a wife, and has made a list of suitable candidates. When he runs the list by his Godmother, she asks him to add her granddaughter, Phoebe Marlow, to the list. When he meets Phoebe, he realizes she doesn't meet his requirements that she be well-born, intelligent, elegant and attractive. Phoebe isn't thrilled at the idea of marrying Sylvester either, she had met him before and disliked him enough to portray him as a villain in a novel she has written. She runs away to her godmother, rather than have to marry him. But circumstances bring her and Sylvester together more than once, and they slowly find themselves falling in love.
This was an enjoyable and funny read. Some compare it to Pride and Prejudice, I noticed the likeness especially in Sylvester's proposal to Phoebe. I enjoyed the characters of Tom Orde and Edmund. I would have liked to see more of Phoebe's sisters, however. Sir Nugent made me laugh out loud at times with his foolishness.
Sylvester is the perfect book for fans of Regency romances.
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