I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
The Corinthian
by
Georgette Heyer
historical romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on June 1, 2009 and has 275 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
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, Sprig Muslin, Sylvester or the Wicked Uncle, The Grand Sophy, These Old Shades, Arabella, Powder and Patch, The Reluctant Widow, The Nonesuch, False Colours, April Lady
A standalone Regency romance revolving around a young lady desperate to escape an arranged marriage.
My Take
It’s a sad expectation that the head of the family absolutely must marry and have an heir. Fortunately (??) one isn’t expected to actually love the girl. Which is where the unexpected romance comes in.
Heyer uses third person global subjective point-of-view from Penelope’s, Sir Richard’s, and the family’s perspectives. It provides views into Richard’s interview with Melissa at the start. Hearing her views gives Richard a start on his wayward tumble, lol. Well, it does help to be drunk.
It’s too funny to ride along with Pen and Sir Richard as they both embrace a temporary lifestyle with each on the run from their futures. The two of them keep inventing new identities and background stories as they lurch from one disaster to the next, experiencing so many daily events for which neither of them are prepared. It’s a stagecoach breakdown to escaping thieves and a Bow Street runner, another thief with murderous intent, betrayals, blackmail, the manners and cant on many sides of the social scale, and more.
Penelope hasn’t a clue how many of society’s expectations she’s breaking, and she is so interested in everything! Sir Richard’s reactions are not at all what I would have expected, so it does make this a bit unreal but still a lot of fun.
It’s a great story on Sir Richard’s and Pen’s side, and then we get to hear the other side when all those clues in Sir Richard’s house are discovered. Phew, the stories the family comes up with! Okay, yeah, there is a third side. The Brandon side which will keep you laughing (and moaning) as well. For all the issues Cedric has, I still do like him. He’s at least realistic unlike his brother Brandon.
Sir Richard’s mother and sister are too typical. Nagging away at the poor boy and then claiming that if they had only known he wasn’t interested, they’d have left him alone. Yep, that’s a good laugh right there.
It’s a fun story of the culture, mores, issues, and fashions of the Regency period. Oh, and the slang. It’s rather easy to get lost in all the harmans, flats, Adam Tilers, flash culls, and more.
It’s a madcap, hilarious, and truly splendid adventure!
The Story
Poor Sir Richard! He’s beset by family nagging him to get married. Besides, poor Melissa has been waiting for his proposal for years!
In another family, Aunt Almeria is expecting a yes to Penelope’s marriage to Frederick . . . all that lovely lolly must be kept in the family!
The Characters
Penelope Creed (Mr Brown is just one of her aliases) is a wealthy heiress . . . and orphaned. The fish-faced Frederick and Geoffrey are Penelope’s cousins. Almeria Griffin is the greedy aunt with whom Penelope must live. Pug is Aunt Almeria’s dreadful pug. Uncle Griffin and the Creed family lawyer are Penelope’s trustees. The odious cousin Jane might be a bolt hole for Pen.
The very fashionable and admired Sir Richard ”Beau” Wyndham is a noted Corinthian. Jeffries/Porson is his London butler. Biddle is Sir Richard’s abandoned valet. The widowed “delicate” Lady Wyndham is their mother; Sir Edward has been dead for the past ten years. Louisa is Sir Richard’s sister married to the henpecked George, Lord Trevor, who really doesn’t want to be there. The single uncle Lucius is Sir Richard’s heir.
Queen Charlton, Somerset is . . .
. . . where Penelope’s home is located. It’s also where Piers Luttrell, Pen’s childhood friend who pledged his troth with Pen all those years ago, lives. Sir Jasper and Lady Luttrell are Piers’ parents who live at Crome Hall. The poor-spirited Lydia Daubenay is a manipulative chit. Lucy is Lydia’s abigail. Major Daubenay is her apoplectic father. Lydia’s great-aunt Augusta lives in Bath.
The unfeeling Melissa Brandon has been affianced to Sir Richard from the cradle. Lord Saar is Melissa’s desperate father. Emily, Lady Saar, is her mother. Melissa’s sisters are Sophia, Augusta, and Amelia while Beverley and Cedric are her profligate brothers. Saar Court is their family estate.
Jimmy Yarde and Cap’n Horace Trimble are in a shaky partnership. Weston is a tailor. Hoby creates custom boots. A Tiger is a liveried groom. Jim is the landlady’s boy at the inn near Wroxham. Freddie Fotheringham is a friend of Beverley’s who lives in Bath. Mrs Hopkins owns the George in Queen Charlton. John Philips of Whitchurch is the nearest available magistrate. Nat Gudgeon is a mean Bow Street Runner. The Peninsula refers to the war with Napoleon.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a dark background with a teal green sky gradating down to a soft peach sunset. There’s a tall tree on the left with a blurry skyline on the right. In the forefront is a properly dressed Penelope in profile, her head turned toward us, with her curly brown hair, wearing a lilac gown. All the text is in white starting with the author’s name at the top. To the right of Pen’s shoulder is a testimonial. Crossing just below her waist with a partial purple banner behind it is the title.
The title is Pen’s rescuer, The Corinthian.
