Austenesque Lovers TBR Challenge 2020 discussion

I know there's a goodly number of my friends here who love the writing of Georgette Heyer and I may have mentioned in passing in other topics that I've never read any of her books. Where would be a good place to start? Is there any particular order that anyone would recommend, or can I just plunge in at random?

One of the reasons I'm asking is that some of her books keep appearing in Audible UK's 2 for 1 sales and as I still have a number of this year's credits left (my particular membership gives me 24 each June), thought it might be a good way to spend some of them.

So, what are your particular favourites, friends?

How I envy you, Anji, having Georgette Heyer novels to read for the first time! I don't do audiobooks so I can't help you on that front, but here are my favorite Heyers:

The Unknown Ajax. In this one, the romance takes a back seat to the adventure (Heyer romances are more about meetings of minds and compatibility than physical passion in any case). It's set in the smuggling country of Sussex, within a dysfunctional family that is upended when a relation from an expelled branch of the family becomes the heir. Hugo is an absolutely delightful hero from your neck of the woods, and I think you'd enjoy him!

Frederica You've recently read my review of this one. An older, wiser heroine (she's 24). It is set entirely in London and is full of delightful characters. Many people enjoy Heyer's depictions of young boys and dogs, and this has both.

Arabella Like the previous, this book features a bored, sophisticated hero whose life is upended by the heroine. Arabella is dear to my heart because of the heroine's passion for the unfortunate: she's a born rescuer!

Sylvester or The Wicked Uncle The heroine is an unimpressive young lady who failed to make an impression during her first season in London. But she has written a ridiculous romance that sends up many of the famous figures of London society, and it becomes a hit. Her father is trying to arrange a marriage for her, but it turns out that the man he has picked is the very person who figures as the villain in her story! Both hero and heroine are passionate people and they clash quite a bit, and there are delightful secondary characters and a lot of twists and changes of scene.

These Old Shades / Devil's Cub I am not so fond of the first book in this pair though others like it a lot, but it should be read before my fav, Devil's Cub. These are set a little earlier than her Regency romances, in the second half of the eighteenth century.

Fan favorites that are not favorites of mine:

The Grand Sophy Sophy is an unusual heroine in that she has lived abroad and is more sophisticated than the other characters. She is ruthless about arranging their lives for them but so loving and charming that you forgive her. I'm not particularly fond of the hero, who seems grumpy and would-be dictatorial, but others don't have a problem with him.

Venetia This is perhaps the most passionate of Heyer's stories and that may account for its popularity. Venetia is an older heroine but has never seen a London season, being stuck at home in the country running things for her absentee brother. Then a notorious rake comes to stay next door . . .

I could go on but there's a start!

I would avoid Cousin Kate, which is more like a gothic romance, not Heyer's wheelhouse.

My favorite Georgette Heyer is called The Talisman Ring.
It's been a few years since I read it, but I remembering laughing out loud while reading this one! I hope you enjoy her as an author as much as I have! Happy Reading!

That is a very funny one!

Anji wrote: "I know there's a goodly number of my friends here who love the writing of Georgette Heyer and I may have mentioned in passing in other topics that I've never read any of her books. Where would be a..."

Anji, I don't know if you sped off and used up your credits, but I have a couple of suggestions. First, always listen to a sample of the voice. I think my all time favorite for a long time was Frederica. But I was so disappointed in the audio version of F., and so I suggest you read that one, not buy.
Secondly, there are a few Heyers that are available with Richard Armitage as the narrator, which I can not recommend Highly Enough!! Some of them are available with other narrators, but Armitage beats them hands down.

I also loved some of the ones Abigail and Dawn mentioned. I haven't listened to all of them on audible, but I have did enjoy Venetia, Sylvester, both available with Armitage narrating, plus The Convenient Marriage. How I wish 'they' could've gotten him to do more.

I'm very very fond of Cotillion, The Corinthian, Faro's Daughter, and Black Sheep. Good luck. Start with Armitage (you know, Mr Thornton, and Thorn Oakenshield.)

Many thanks for the recommendations, friends. Michelle, I always check a narrator out via the sample if I'm not familiar with them and I've avoided a few horrors that way. I was looking at the reviews for These Old Shades last night and they all loved the story but mostly disliked the voice performance. Hadn't realised that RA had done some Heyer. I'd happily listen to him read the phone book on my commutes. Will have to check Audible UK to see if any of his Heyers are available.

Great author. I would definitely recommend Venetia, The grand Sophy, Black sheep, Arabella and Frederica. These old shades and Devil's cub are also very good books. The heroines in all these books are great but the hero is better in These old shades. Actually, it improves on the second read. Regency buck and Masqueraders are also good choices.

I love Heyer- my mom started reading her books outloud to me when I was ten - I'm excited to start reading them to my own daughter. They were a big influence on my own writing. My favorites are Venetia, The Grand Sophy, Frederica, Sylvester, and An Infamous Army. An Infamous Army is set in Brussels before, during, and after the Battle of Waterloo and includes a wonderful account of the battle and of life in Brussels during it. The heroine is the granddaughter of the couple from Devil's Cub, and the hero of Devil's Cub is the son of the couple in These Old Shades. Those three are all great to read.