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Sweet's Folly: A novel
"...considerably more wit and pizazz than the legendary Georgette [Heyer] herself.” —Kirkus Reviews
To sweet Honoria Newcombe, the news that she was a burden to her maiden aunts came as a shock, and she resolved at once to relieve her beloved aunts of the financial strain she had unwittingly become. Honoria confers with her friend Emily Blackwood, who realizes Honoria's only hope is marriage. And so Honoria enters into a marriage of convenience with Alexander, Emily's own brother. This begins a comedy of errors so involved that nearly a year is required to unravel its tangled intricacies. Our heroine starts her life at Sweet's Folly, the Blackwood family home, and must learn to deal with the machinations of her spurned suitor, Claude Kemp, and the hilarious antics of her aunts. And, when a stroke of great good fortune sends Emily, Alexander, and Honoria to London, there is also a most extraordinary transformation to be reckoned with: shy, scholarly Alexander has become a perfect devil with the ladies!
To sweet Honoria Newcombe, the news that she was a burden to her maiden aunts came as a shock, and she resolved at once to relieve her beloved aunts of the financial strain she had unwittingly become. Honoria confers with her friend Emily Blackwood, who realizes Honoria's only hope is marriage. And so Honoria enters into a marriage of convenience with Alexander, Emily's own brother. This begins a comedy of errors so involved that nearly a year is required to unravel its tangled intricacies. Our heroine starts her life at Sweet's Folly, the Blackwood family home, and must learn to deal with the machinations of her spurned suitor, Claude Kemp, and the hilarious antics of her aunts. And, when a stroke of great good fortune sends Emily, Alexander, and Honoria to London, there is also a most extraordinary transformation to be reckoned with: shy, scholarly Alexander has become a perfect devil with the ladies!
215 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
8 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Hill
34 books24 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This name is a pseudonym for Ellen Pall (also known as Ellen Jane Pall).
She chose Fiona Hill when she wrote Regency romance novels. She has since published mysteries and literary novels under her own name.
This name is a pseudonym for Ellen Pall (also known as Ellen Jane Pall).
She chose Fiona Hill when she wrote Regency romance novels. She has since published mysteries and literary novels under her own name.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 4, 2016
I read five Fiona Hill books in December (purchased the anthology as holiday reading), and this one was the most disappointing. It started well, with the arranged marriage of an indigent sweet-tempered heroine to an uncommunicative hero, who seemed to suffer from some kind of autism-spectrum disorder. The hero's disability was an authentic barrier to romance, and I was interested in seeing how it could be overcome.
Instead, the traditional MISUNDERSTANDING occurs between the two protagonists. A misunderstanding which they are unable, of course, to discuss, although it turns out that the hero can talk very well (wittily even), but, somehow, only in the city, not in the country (??!!). He treats the heroine horribly, she forgives him much too readily, and, ugh, none of it makes much sense.
There's a side plot about the hero's artist sister, and another about the heroine's kooky pet-infatuated spinster aunts. The latter didn't grab me, and its wrap-up felt like a cumbersome add-on to the book's natural ending.
Instead, the traditional MISUNDERSTANDING occurs between the two protagonists. A misunderstanding which they are unable, of course, to discuss, although it turns out that the hero can talk very well (wittily even), but, somehow, only in the city, not in the country (??!!). He treats the heroine horribly, she forgives him much too readily, and, ugh, none of it makes much sense.
There's a side plot about the hero's artist sister, and another about the heroine's kooky pet-infatuated spinster aunts. The latter didn't grab me, and its wrap-up felt like a cumbersome add-on to the book's natural ending.
June 7, 2019
It was so enjoyable at many parts and almost unbearable at others.
The aunts foolishness was just too much at times. i just couldn’t take them for long. They were overly stupid.
The misunderstandings seemed pointlessly drawn out between the main characters.
not a fave.
The aunts foolishness was just too much at times. i just couldn’t take them for long. They were overly stupid.
The misunderstandings seemed pointlessly drawn out between the main characters.
not a fave.
April 30, 2021
What a delightful book!
I didn't expect to like this book very much. I figured surely I could get through 200 pages with no problem and move on to another book within my genre: historical fiction.
But I found myself becoming emotionally involved with almost all of the characters and fighting for or against their endeavors! And I loved author Fiona Hill's writing style. She's hysterically funny and can turn out some very enlightened sentences.
My favorite character was Mercy Deverell. I was hoping that she and Sir Proctor Kemp would marry and live happily ever after. And, who knows, in another book they may.
I didn't expect to like this book very much. I figured surely I could get through 200 pages with no problem and move on to another book within my genre: historical fiction.
But I found myself becoming emotionally involved with almost all of the characters and fighting for or against their endeavors! And I loved author Fiona Hill's writing style. She's hysterically funny and can turn out some very enlightened sentences.
My favorite character was Mercy Deverell. I was hoping that she and Sir Proctor Kemp would marry and live happily ever after. And, who knows, in another book they may.
November 19, 2022
An okay read, but the supporting characters are more interesting than the main characters. The aunts, while amusing, seemed a bit too much. There were a few incongruences too that bothered me. First, the sudden attraction was totally incomprehensible. What makes her suddenly fall for someone she's never felt for who totally ignores her? And how is it that the two sisters of the mother of a 17 year old are 64 and 68?!? They sound more like grandmothers, or at least great aunts. Lots of little things...
May 2, 2021
The hero and heroine were pretty tiresome, but the rest of the cast of characters were more amusing. At least there was a happy ending.
November 29, 2021
C. fiction, Victorian, silly, from stash, discard
July 7, 2008
Hmmm...I really do enjoy Fiona Hill's writing style, I was just bored with one storyline and frustrated by the other, I just hate it when characters can't get their act together...you know, the drama feels totally fake instead of flowing and you don't feel like there is this fake tension that could have been avoided...blah, blah...hence the 3 stars.
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December 4, 2008YA Hil
March 1, 2015
Review to come
May 31, 2015
read at lynchburg thousand trails in Gladys, Virginia
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews