Clean Romances discussion

Okay... I'm new to the group (hi!) and keep hearing about Georgette Heyer. There are so many I don't know where to start! Favorites??

Arabella and The Corinthian are my favourites :) though I haven't read that many as yet! Arabella was my favourite of those two. :)

I love when there is someone new to GH! Because I began with Arabella, I always recommend it first. However, The Talisman Ring may also a good way to start, because it is shorter and it does not have so many descriptions about clothes.

Thanks you! I will try Arabella first!

Good choice. I've read 13 GH books. The only ones I rated at 5 stars were Arabella and The Talisman Ring. I haven't yet read The Corinthian.

Alegnab wrote: "Good choice. I've read 13 GH books. The only ones I rated at 5 stars were Arabella and The Talisman Ring. I haven't yet read The Corinthian."

Have you read The Grand Sophy and The Unknown Ajax? They both have fantastically funny final chapters.

No. I decided not to read through her books quickly but to spread them out, since there won't be any more written. My local library has The Grand Sophy but not The Unknown Ajax. I'll eventually ask my library to purchase each GH book that it doesn't have. It's now getting some of her books in ebook format.

Have you read any of her mysteries? I've read two, I think, but I prefer the regency romances.

Alegnab wrote: "No. I decided not to read through her books quickly but to spread them out, since there won't be any more written. My local library has The Grand Sophy but not The Unknown Ajax. I'll eventually ask..."

I actually did start on one of her mysteries once but it just didn't grab me. The Regencies are definitely her best work.

I've read about 6 Georgette Heyer books and generally love her take on the Regency genre. So far my favorite is "Devil's Cub" because I love the practical heroine and it has such funny final chapters. "I feel an almost overwhelming interest in the methods of daylight abduction employed by the modern youth."

A couple of hers have kind of fallen flat for me, though. Friday's Child was forgettable and I didn't love The Grand Sophy nearly as much as a lot of readers do.

Heyer did have some funny ones. :-)

Alegnab wrote: "No. I decided not to read through her books quickly but to spread them out, since there won't be any more written. My local library has The Grand Sophy but not The Unknown Ajax. I'll eventually ask..."

I love Sophy and Ajax--both exciting. In fact The GRAND SOPHY is my all time favorite--wish someone would make it a movie--so funny.

Also love the sweet love in A CIVIL CONTRACT and the humor in COTILLION!

Tadiana wrote: "I've read about 6 Georgette Heyer books and generally love her take on the Regency genre. So far my favorite is "Devil's Cub" because I love the practical heroine and it has such funny final chapte..."

Not every book is for every reader. We bring so much of our selves into the reading.

Maybe I need to try giving Sophy another read. :)

Cotillion,Sprig Muslin,Frederica,The Grand Sophy,The Nonesuch,are some of my favorites.

It feels ugly when sex is overplayed in a story. But it is denied when underplayed and ignored in a Romance novel. The camera should nt follow the couple into the bedroom, but leave them at the door.

I am personally obsessed with These Old Shades and Devil's Cub, but I am really excited to read Arabella and The Grand Sophy, for I've heard so many times that they are really good! The Masqueraders is another really good one by Heyer!

Reba wrote: "Okay... I'm new to the group (hi!) and keep hearing about Georgette Heyer. There are so many I don't know where to start! Favorites??"

Reba, I've read everyone of her books! Stay away from The Conquerer, which is not a Regency but a history book written in fiction form. That said, I'd pick up any of them and start down the list. I loved them all! You're in for a treat! ENJOY!

I LOVE Cotillion, Friday's Child and The Unknown Ajax. They have some of the funniest scenes I have EVER read!

My first was The Convenient Marriage, and I was completely hooked! I just LOVED Pel and Pom! I know a lot of people have trouble reading the heroines stutter, though.

I also love Simon The Coldheart, it's a medieval setting rather than regency. One of my all time favourites.

One of the things I love most about Georgie, is the friendships she depicts between her hero and his friends. All of the books I've mention have great friendships at the centre of the story.

I love her action/adventure stories - 'Beauvallet', 'The Maqueraders' and 'The Black Moth'. Her farces are also good - 'Cotillion' and 'False Colours'. Actually, I've only ever read one of her books that I didn't like, so there's a wide range of sub-genres to choose from :)

The first Georgette Heyer I read was "These Old Shades". I was hooked. I followed that with Devil's Cub. I went on to read the others available at my library. Then I started to collect them so I could read all of her books again and again.

I am also a GH fan. and ive got my mom hooked (which shows just how great GH is - my mom doesn't like to sit still and read at all) I read my first GH book at 12 years old- Spanish bride. I am just now re-reading it. though there is charm to it - this book is one of her war histories - not the sweet romances that we all love. right now I am looking back at my 12 year old self and scratching my head. until yesterday - I would have claimed it as my favorite of all time. how time changes perspective.

Ljb wrote: "I am also a GH fan. and ive got my mom hooked (which shows just how great GH is - my mom doesn't like to sit still and read at all) I read my first GH book at 12 years old- Spanish bride. I am j..."

Lol!

My favourite at 12 was Regency Buck, I don't really like either the hero or the heroine any more!!!

We're all different with different tastes. I personally re-read G.H. entirely, except for the medievals and crime stories, every five or ten years. She has the capacity as an author always to seem fresh, even when I think I know the stories by heart.

I've read all GH's Regencies and mysteries and love each one for different reasons. If you're in the mood for something light-hearted, her Regencies are definitely the way to go. I recommend my favorites: The Grand Sophy and Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle. (But there's also Fredericka and Faro's Daughter. And The Masqueraders. Wow is it hard to decide.). Of her mysteries, my favorites are They found Him Dead and Envious Casca. Give us an update and let us know which of GH's books you decided to read and how you liked it. Enjoy!

Thanks for starting this discussion Reba. I too have been curious about Georgette Heyer but felt overwhelmed by all of her many books. Now I have many wonderful opinions, recommendations and suggestions to consider.

The first Heyer I read was Frederica and it is still a favorite. Cotillion, these Old Shades, Sprig Muslin, The Reluctant Widow, and Talisman Ring are also great. So many more as well but it is late and I can think of the titles. There are a couple I don 't like. Fridays Child, and the one about an arranged marriage with a young girl...I can't think of the name of that one ... I don 't love the mysteries much but as another person commented, I read the romances over every 10 years or so.

I'm a major Jane Austen fan, but I have trouble getting into GH books. I just started reading The Black Moth and I'm actually getting into it. I was afraid there was something wrong with me! lol

The Black Moth was my first Heyer novel and I had trouble getting into it also...but it definitely grew on me as soon as it picked up! I hope you like it :)

I'm just starting my first G.H. as well. I chose "Arabella". It seemed to be a favorite of a lot of readers of hers. So far it reminds me of Little Women (I've only read a couple of chapters)

I haven't read Arabella yet, but I've heard so much good of it! I think you're right, it does seem to be a favourite.

Anne wrote: "The Black Moth was my first Heyer novel and I had trouble getting into it also...but it definitely grew on me as soon as it picked up! I hope you like it :)"

G.H. was only seventeen when she wrote it. So, not sophisticated, but still her first book.

I read The Black Moth in Feb of last year. I gave it a 3-star rating, which for me means that it was okay. So, if you aren't too impressed with that book, you should still try a later Regency romance by GH.

Monya wrote: "Anne wrote: "The Black Moth was my first Heyer novel and I had trouble getting into it also...but it definitely grew on me as soon as it picked up! I hope you like it :)"

G.H. was only seventeen w..."

Yes, and for that age, it's pretty amazing :) I really liked The Black Moth, but the beginning was dragging a little bit...

Soph wrote: "Arabella and The Corinthian are my favourites :) though I haven't read that many as yet! Arabella was my favourite of those two. :)"

Arabella will be my choice for my tbr list.

My favorites are Venetia and Frederica followed by Black Sheep and Lady of Quality.

I liked both Arabella and Venetia, but it's a qualified kind of like. Venetia has a little bit of "boys will be boys" kind of attitude that troubled me, and some half-joking talk about orgies at the end that still makes me shake my head. In Arabella I found the subplot about her brother and his troubles with gambling kind of cringe-worthy. The hero in Arabella is one of my favorites, though.

Venetia is the first i read of GH. Most are good..The Grand Sophy was fun.