Book Review: Georgette Heyer’s Sprig Muslin

Posted March 20, 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 Sprig Muslin

Sprig Muslin


by

Georgette Heyer


historical romance in a paperback edition and has 268 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, The Unknown Ajax, Black Sheep, Sylvester or the Wicked Uncle, The Grand Sophy, These Old Shades, Arabella, Powder and Patch, The Reluctant Widow

A standalone Regency historical romance with the focus on Sir Gareth Ludlow, Lady Hester Theale, and the wayward Amanda Smith.

My Take

A Regency romance with all the pathos and comedy that Heyer provides. In this, it’s a comedy of errors with Sir Gareth a nice guy — and quite goodlooking — but he’s so caught up in his own eligibility and so singleminded in his intentions that he doesn’t consider the appearance he makes when he shows up with the gorgeous Amanda.

Duh.

Lady Hester may have been on the shelf for years, but she does have her pride

As for Amanda…yep, she isn’t thinking either and is spoiled enough to think she can do as she likes.

The Story

Having come to terms with his losses, Sir Gareth Ludlow does care for Lady Hester Theale and so he sets out to honor her with his proposal.

Sir Gareth is considered a prize in the Marriage Mart so he doesn’t consider that he may meet with rejection. After all Hester has been on the shelf for years now. How can she not see this as a rescue?

Even when Gareth does some rescuing of a beautiful damsel in what he thinks is distress and brings this diamond along.

The Characters

Sir Gareth Ludlow is a paragon and a prize on the Marriage Mart. Arthur had been his older brother and the heir until he was killed.

Lady Hester Theale has been on the shelf for some years. She lives at Brancaster Park with the earl and his family. Uncle Fabian.

Amanda Smith is a lively runaway with an active mind. Neil is the soldier of whom grandfather disapproves.

The Cover and Title

The cover of the version I own is stupid. Yes, it’s very pretty with a thinking lady and gentleman reflected in a mirror that’s set on what appears to be a tabletop with a lovely floral cachepot of blooming flowers against a backdrop of a periwinkle and cream brocade drapery. But what the cover has to do with the story, I don’t know. I’m not too impressed with the cover above either…

I suspect Sprig Muslin is intended to refer to the innocence of young Amanda.