The Convenient Marriage

By Georgette Heyer

Book Overview

The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer released on Mar 25, 2000 is available now for purchase.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373834454
• ISBN13: 9780373834457
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: Harlequin
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 0.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.3" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

A funny, and surprisingly tender, love story.

If you have skipped Georgette Heyer because you find her hard reading, I beg you to read "Convenient Marriage". This is a fun book in every sense of the word; a romp in Regency era (I'm sorry, I stand corrected, it's Georgian). There is not alot of major plot twists or deep character analysis, but plenty of just plain fun that is really very, very funny. There is the signature Heyer's extreme meticulousness of detail, down to the exact fashion of the year, and there is also her signature dialogue, and humor. But what I loved most of all was the love story between Hory and Lord Rule. It is hard to do seventeen and thirty-two - there is such a disparacy of age, seventeen is really SO young - and most authors who do have this age gap in their protaganists usually simply gloss over it. In the "Convenient Marriage", the age gap is one of the underlying problems which keep husband and wife apart - in a "Convenient Marriage", and it is with great skill, tact and humor that Ms. Heyer brings them together, at last. Everything is done exactly right - Hory (Horatia) acts within character, Lord Rule acts within character - at least the way I think it is realistic, I have never actually seen that kind of marriage up close. Some reviewers didn't like Horry - give it a break! She's only seventeen! And very spirited for seventeen, too. But the highlight of the book for me was definitely Lord Rule. He did and said everything just so perfectly, he treats Horry - who is leading him for a merry dance, but is also young enough to be his daughter - exactly the way a hero should! He deals with her gently, but deal with her he does. Although it may seem at times that Horry is coming across the winner in their battle of wits, Lord Rule is always a few steps ahead of her, but, oh, so gently, so cleverly, does he outsmart her! I could not have imagined their interactions any better, at all. Simply, simply perfect. For all those who complain about all those alpha males in other novels - here is your hero! He is about as un-alpha-male as you can get, yet he does not sacrifice his masculinity in the least! Just for the character of Lord Rule alone it is worth rating this book ten stars! If you are a romance reader, and have not yet read Georgette Heyer, read this book, you will NOT regret it!

Georgian Romp with great secondary characters

Before Georgette Heyer found the Regency period she wrote Georgians - and this is one of them. The Conveninent Marriage is set in the last couple of decades of the eighteenth century - when coach roads were still muddy morasses, highwaymen lurked on the outskirts of London, and men and women were corseted, laced, fringed, feathered, bewigged, powdered and patched to within in inch of their lives. The book starts right into the thick of things - The Earl of Rule is looking for a wife and it looks as though he will offer for society beauty, Lizzie Winwood. Lizzie is not enamoured of this idea - she wants to marry some worthy suitor whom she actually loves. Luckily it is her practical, straight talking younger sister, Horatia (better known as Horry) who steps into the fray instead. The interview in which Horry presents the revised plan to the Earl of Rule is hysterical. Horry is still rather young, and the Earl (who I instantly fell in love with) finds that he needs to rouse himself out of his usual langour to save her from herself. In the midst of all this there is a fiendish plot afoot to break up the marriage, Horry's well-meaning brother Pelham attempting to help Horry, a spare highwayman or two and some good old fashioned romping. The characters are generally so likeable and fun. The only problem I had is that Horry has a stutter - and they just don't make good reading (I think). A fun, quick read.

H-h-humour, H-H-Heyer, and h-h-high spirits

and a stammering heroine! As always, Heyer's dialogue is spot on, her characterisation warm and powerful, and her characters very strongly drawn. The Convenient Marriage is considered in some circles to be one of the finest ever examples of a romance that portrays a flawed and unorthodox heroine, with its portrayal of the stammering, plain Horatia, and her marriage of convenience to the extremely handsome Earl of Rule, thus releasing her sister from any obligation to marry Rule. How Rule discovers the truth of his heart, and that he loves his funny, extravagant little wife, makes for moving reading, whilst Heyer gives us abundant humour in her portrayal of the mincing, petulant dandiprat Crosby Drelincourt; and in the escapades of Horatia. It is all the greatest of great good fun, and one of Heyer's most easily accessible books - its readability, exuberance and humour make it an excellent book for a potential introduction to the world of Georgette Heyer. However, this book is NOT a Regency Romance, but a Georgian Romance, and if you don't think it's as historically accurate as she usually is, consider that it is set in 1770 - about 50 years earlier than usual! It's still a lot of fun.