Book Review: Georgette Heyer’s The Unknown Ajax

Posted March 18, 2011 by Kathy Davie in Book Reviews

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Book Review: Georgette Heyer’s The Unknown Ajax

The Unknown Ajax


by

Georgette Heyer


historical romance in a paperback edition and has 352 pages.

Explore it on Goodreads or AmazonAudibles.


Other books by this author which I have reviewed include These Old Shades, Bath Tangle, Lady of Quality, The Black Moth, Venetia, The Spanish Bride, Simon the Coldheart, Beauvallet, A Civil Contract, Regency Buck, An Infamous Army, Frederica, Black Sheep, Sprig Muslin, Sylvester or the Wicked Uncle, The Grand Sophy, These Old Shades, Arabella, Powder and Patch, The Reluctant Widow

A Regency romance through which you can’t help but laugh when Lord Darracott meets his heir for the first time.

My Take

When his second son off and marries the daughter of a weaver, Darracott wrote that son out of his will. Unfortunately, he can’t write his grandson out of the inheritance and since his firstborn and that son’s heir drowned, the weaver’s brat is in line when milord kicks the bucket. Well, he can’t have some backwoods country bumpkin step into his shoes, so young Hugo Darracott is “invited” to Darracott Place to be schooled and married off to his cousin.

When all six-foot-four-inches of Major Hugh Darracott steps across the threshold, the family is stunned by that lumbering Ajax and automatically assumes he is as stupid as he is big. It doesn’t take Hugo long to play up to his family’s expectations using a broad Yorkshire accent to make everyone’s day. Nor does he hop to it when his Grandfather demands his presence, which sets the servants and family a’tremble.

Hugo’s courtship of Anthea is too funny with an interesting twist on how to approach an unwilling female. Then there’s Richmond. Coming from outside, Hugo realizes that young Richmond is ripe for scandal so when Richmond does stagger into the kitchens, Hugo is ready to take charge.

The Cover and Title

It’s a lovely, funny romance that shows you just can’t judge a book by its cover.

The title is a crack-up, for the giant Hugh is The Unknown Ajax.