Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer

by Georgette Heyer

When the very eligible Viscount Sheringham, or ‘Sherryâ€, proposes to Hero Wantage, she is overjoyed. Saved from life as a governess, she begins social climbing, but so naively that Sherry fears drastic action is required, or she will ruin them both.

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Regency, Historical, Fiction, Regency Romance

Paperback

First published January 1, 1944

About the author

Georgette Heyer was a prolific historical romance and detective fiction novelist. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth.

In 1925 she married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer. Rougier later became a barrister and he often provided basic plot outlines for her thrillers. Beginning in 1932, Heyer released one romance novel and one thriller each year.

Heyer was an intensely private person who remained a best selling author all her life without the aid of publicity. She made no appearances, never gave an interview and only answered fan letters herself if they made an interesting historical point. She wrote one novel using the pseudonym Stella Martin.

Her Georgian and Regencies romances were inspired by Jane Austen. While some critics thought her novels were too detailed, others considered the level of detail to be Heyer's greatest asset.

Heyer remains a popular and much-loved author, known for essentially establishing the historical romance genre and its subgenre Regency romance.

Reviews

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

$1.99 Kindle sale, April 9, 2021. Another of Georgette Heyer’s Regency romantic comedies!

I've seen the error of my ways after re-reading this book, and I'm changing my rating from two stars to four. It's not your typical romance, and Sherry will never be on my list of book boyfriends. But it is a very witty and insightful story of two young people who get married too soon, for the wrong reasons, and need to gain some insight and maturity.

We begin with the young Lord Sheringham (Sherry to his friends) proposing to the lovely Isabella Milborne ... or at least trying to propose, because she shuts him down before he can really get the words out of his mouth. With his pride hurt, and with the need to marry in order to control his fortune, Sherry swears he's going to go to London and he's going to marry the first woman he sees. As luck would have it, on the way back to London he meets up with his childhood friend, Hero Wantage, an orphan, not quite 17 years old, whose aunt has told her she needs to become a governess (an occupation for which Hero is sadly unsuited). She's always adored Sherry and followed him around, and Sherry decides that marrying her, in a clearly platonic, marriage-of-convenience kind of way, will solve both their problems! So off they go, hanging with Sherry's friends and having a good time, while running up debt and getting into various scrapes.

The rest of this story tells about the gradual evolving of their maturity levels (especially Sherry's) and their relationship. Hero is a generous-hearted but very naïve young girl, aptly called "Kitten" by Sherry and his friends, with really no idea of what is acceptable socially, so she makes all kinds of mistakes in London society; Sherry thinks he can be married to her and continue living his carefree life in pretty much the same way he did before as a single man, and it takes him quite a while to realize that's not workable. Hero tends to take everything Sherry says literally, as the gospel truth, and that comes back to bite Sherry repeatedly. For example, she reminds him after a disastrous couple of evening's gambling that he's said that the only thing to do when you're having a run of bad luck at gaming is "to continue playing, because a run of bad luck could not last for ever" - hah! It serves him right when that gets put back in his face, even though that wasn't Hero's intent when she reminded him of it.

Sherry's not a bad guy, just self-centered and thoughtless, and Hero's as unsophisticated as they get, if a very sweet kitten kid ("Friday's child is loving and giving..."). She's willing to do almost anything for Sherry, and he (initially) thoughtlessly accepts any sacrifice she makes for him. I love this cover on the edition that I read; it's exactly how I imagine Kitten:



This isn't one of those romances you read because you want to imagine yourself in love with the hero or being in the place of the heroine. *shudders at the thought* But once I put aside that notion, I was free to appreciate the characters' development, rather like Sherry's older and wiser aunt, and just enjoy the witty dialogue and the hilarious interactions of Hero and Sherry with their group of friends -- especially Mr Ringwood, whose dialogue is a crack-up and who saves the day in more ways than one.

So I strongly recommend that you don't think of this as a romance (except in loose terms) or as a novel where you admire or lust after or identify with the characters. Just sit back and enjoy how it all plays out and how deliciously witty Heyer can be in skewering people's foibles.

Initial review: This Heyer Regency novel (not really much of a romance for my money) left me cold when I first read it about 15 years ago. The hero and heroine are young and very foolish; I prefer them older and wiser. But the Georgette Heyer group has chosen it for their latest group read, and a lot of Heyer fans love this one. So I'm giving it another shot and I'm going to be open-minded here...

[Carol, She's so Novel ꧁꧂ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read this title in a very long time & I'm glad I still love it,as this particular title often gets a bad rap. So let's get a couple of things out of the way.

It's light & fluffy. Well of course. This is a criticism often levelled at one of GH's other romances written during WW2, I think most of GH's fans would be wanting to escape a grim reality, not be even more depressed than they were in real life!

It isn't a spoiler to say that the hero, Sherry is extremely selfish & immature - but the plot wouldn't have worked any other way.

& Hero (what a name!) is young & silly. Duh! At the start of the book she is only sixteen. In more modern times she would be fangirling over;



or



But instead, the subject of her dreams is her impetuous neighbour, Sherry. Desperate to overturn the terms of his father's will (for some strange reason his dad thought he wouldn't be responsible enough to manage his own affairs!) & spurned by this season's Success he proposes to Hero. What follows is a series of madcap scrapes by both characters & their eventual maturing

Part of this novel's great charm is the caste of secondary characters. In my younger years I adored the histrionic & romantic George, but Now I love Gil.(Mr Responsibility.) Isabella, unlike the second female in many romances, in spite of having her head turned by so much adoration, still a goodhearted young woman. The villain is suitably villainous. But I do feel very sorry for Mr Tarleton & wish GH had given him his own romance. (although I recall him being similar to the hero in one of GH's short stories A Husband For Fanny)

Everyone gets the ending they deserve!

Read & enjoy.

Footnote; This edition is full of typos. (although one expression "dead as a house" also appears in my old Pan. I wish Arrow would get their editions proofread against some first editions.. They must surely be making enough money off GH's works to be able to do that.

Edit; Reread 2/4/18 & I still love this book!

A favourite quote

Ferdy choked.It took a great deal of back-slapping to restore him, and when he was at last able to catch his breath again, his eyes were watering and his countenance was alarmingly flushed.
'Well, what the deuce!' exclaimed Sherry, eyeing him in surprise.
'Crumb' gasped Ferdy.
'Crumb? You weren't eating anything!'
'Must have been,' said Ferdy feebly.

Ferdy was the prototype for Freddy in Cotillion. Was Kitty (Cotillion) a homage to Kitten? (Friday's Child)

The Georgette Heyer Fans group will be reading Cotillion later this year & it will be good to compare notes!

31/05/23 I still love this book - some of GH's wittiest lines.

Sherry is selfish, extravagant & immature at the start, but improves greatly by the end & I believe both lovers deserve their happy ending.

[chan ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

this one starts so fun but is painfully repetitive. and i get that this was written in the 40s but the nickname kitten is unforgivable lmao

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: Just finished listening to the audiobook narrated by Eve Matheson and LOVED IT!! She read so well and the tone of voices she chose for all the characters were simply perfect. The characters sounded exactly how I imagined them!! :)

Friendly warning: spoilers & lots of silly schoolgirl blabbing throughout :P

Picking a favourite Georgette Heyer novel often feels like trying to pick a favourite star in the sky. There are so many to choose from and they are all wonderful. I don't know how she was ever able to decide which story she liked best, but apparently Heyer's personal favourite was this one, Friday's Child. I don't doubt for a second that she must have had a tremendous amount of fun writing it, because it is one of the funniest, most hilarious and light-hearted books I have ever read. In addition, it was incredibly cute and I have lost count of all the utterly adorable moments between the hero and heroine. This is Regency romance at its best: a big screw-ball comedy of fun and hilarity, complete with shopping in London, fancy dinners, unexpected callers, evenings at Almack's, jealous lovers and Heyer's signature abrupt-but-funny-ending.




Meet the characters!

Anthony Vereslt, Viscount Sheringham - "Sherry": Young, impetuous and irresponsible, Sherry has lived all his life squandering money left and right and pleasing himself only. He shall come into his inheritance when he reaches 25, or if he marries before that date. The opening chapter of the book finds him proposing to his childhood friend Isabella, and being quite dramatically rejected. Beneath his wild ways though, the Viscount is truly a kind-hearted man who takes his friends's best interests at heart, and who would never consciously let harm come to those he loves.
Expressions said most often: "Dash it Kitten! No! Not the thing at all!", "Oh God Kitten! You can't do that!", "Stop copying me Kitten!! Argh! Don't repeat what I said!", "I'll be damned if I have to go through another stuffy evening at Almack's!", "My wife did WHAT?!", "SHUT UP, annoying canary!!".

Mr. Gilbert Ringwood - "Gil": Gil is the reliable, loyal friend that people turn to for help and a sympathetic ear. He's kind, helpful and just happy to hang out and help his friends. Gil is also single & free and not interested in marriage, and when Sherry and George keep having relationship problems, he's all "If you're having girl problems, I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but a b*tch ain't one!" woo!
Expression said most often: "Shh. Quiet you guys. I'm thinking.", "Ok, wait, so...what happened?", "I know, I know, I'm thinking!", "Sherry, do you love your wife?", "Of course I'll help you!".

The Honourable Ferdinand Fakenham - "Ferdy": Also super kind, nice and wanting to help his friends, only Ferdy is a bit more slow and not as helpful as George. :P He's not the most intelligent man, and often doesn't know what to do, but his intentions are always good, and he is a really good friend. Ferdy is also a Pink of the Ton, and always well-dressed and bowing impeccably.
Expressions said most often: "But Sherry is my cousin!", "Dashed if I'm not going to help him; friend of mine!", "It's probably that fellow creeping up behind you again...", "Not the thing at all!", "I'll think about the name in a minute, but you know, that Greek thing?! Creeps up behind people?!".

George, Lord Wrotham - "George": Best buds with Sherry, Gil and Ferdy, George is the romantic, passionate man who is always looking extremely handsome in his dishevelled state, with his brilliant brown eyes and black locks falling on his brow. He can usually be found pining away for the Incomparable Isabella, with whom he is madly in love, or trying to call someone out. Quick-tempered and very moody, George is nevertheless a most faithful friend who would readily bring back the moon for them if he could.
Expressions said most often: "Isabella!! I MUST SEE ISABELLA!!", "Isabella was not there!", "DO YOU WANT TO FIGHT?!", "Isabella would never do this to me, right??", "What, Kitten, WHAT?! Tell me again, WHAT happened with Sherry??", "Dashed if I don't call him out!", "What's the point of living if Isabella is not there?".

Miss Hero Wantage - "Kitten": One of my absolute favourite heroines!! Kitten is adorable, very young, and very sweet. She doesn't really know how to go on about in the fashionable world, and with only Sherry to rely upon, it's no wonder she makes mistakes! Kitten is desperately in love with Sherry and has been so all her life. He is her Idol, and she would never ever do anything she knew he wouldn't like, but unfortunately she keeps getting into one scrape after another. She is not silly or dumb, simply ignorant and kind-hearted. She quickly becomes really good friends with Sherry's buddies, but lacking female companionship and guidance, doesn't not appear quite "up to snuff".
Expressions most often said: "But Sherry said that -", "Oh really?? THANK YOU, Sherry!!", "But Sherry did it!", "Sherry, you said you would - ", "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to do that!", "I will never do it again if you don't want me to, Sherry!", "This was all my fault!".

The Incomparable Miss Isabella Milborne - "Bella": The spoiled Beauty who can't make up her mind who she means to marry because she enjoys having all the attention all the time. She's not wicked at heart, but she was a major eye-roller. She loves George but doesn't want to admit it to herself or to anyone, and consequently, theirs is a relationship of misunderstanding upon misunderstanding. Oh and obviously, Bella is suuuuuuper beautiful!
Expressions said most often: "George, I do not wish to see you!", "Wait, that guy wants to marry me????!!", "Kitten is stealing all my beaux!", "I would NEVER marry HIM!", "Where is George??!".

The Friday's Child crew is overall just brilliant. These guys are SO.MUCH.FUN!!

So. After Sherry is spurned by Bella, he vows to marry to marry the next female he encounters (thus obviously demonstrating that he didn't really love Bella). It happens to be Miss Hero Wantage, the poor penniless orphan who lives with her mean cousins the Bagshots, and who plan on having her become a governess or marry the local curate. Sherry and Hero are childhood friends, and as kids, Hero was always the one doing Sherry's every bidding, and was even a little "bullied" by him. She is madly in love with him nevertheless and would do anything for him. Thus, when he impetuously proposes to marry her almost immediately, she is d-e-l-I-g-h-t-e-d and off they go in his curricle in direction of London.



But wait a minute there, my darlings. Hero can't be seen driving with Sherry if they mean to keep their eloped marriage a secret until they are actually married, right? So Sherry, thinking it over, commands Hero to spend the journey on the floor of the vehicle with a rug covering her. And what's her reaction? She's never been accustomed to luxury, and she gets to hug Sherry's legs during the whole journey?! Aw, she's only to happy to comply! :) =) :D When Sherry finally deems they are safe enough, he tells her to stop giving him cramps in his legs, and then gets out a comb, brushes her hair and ties her bonnet!!! It's those little things like that throughout the book that really brought out a silly grin on my face (and in fact I'm smiling right now while writing this!) and made me want to just hug my copy of the book. They are SO CUTE!!!

And then, as if that ^^ hadn't been cute enough, Sherry, while looking Hero over, makes a discovery.

"You look just like a kitten!"

Just spontaneous like that! "You look like a kitten!" AWWWWWWWW!!!!! <3 <3



"'I think it's your silly little nose,' said the Viscount flicking it with a careless forefinger. 'That, or the trick you have of staring at a fellow with your eyes wide open. I think I shall call you Kitten.'"

Kitten!! He is going to call her Kitten!! Here is a book where the hero nicknames the heroine "kitten". If you don't think that is cute, I don't know what to tell you, but me, I find it most adorable!

Arrived in London, the young couple set about arranging their marriage (and by that I mean a hilarious scene where Sherry consults his friends as to how to get a special license, what do to with Hero in the meantime, etc...), all the while attracting as little attention as possible. Then more cuteness happens when Sherry has to give Kitten his signet-ring as a marriage ring since he forgot to buy one, and Kitten being in ecstasy and hugging Sherry in public when he buys her a beautiful gown she really wanted, and then gives her beautiful diamond earrings as a wedding-present, which he attaches with silk for her since her ears aren't pierced.



Thus begins life as a married couple for Sherry and Kitten. Being both young, rich and inexperienced, then spend money as if it grew on trees, getting a new house, furniture, horses, and plenty of new things for Kitten. Sherry doesn't want to give up his old mode of free-care-for-nothing-bachelor life, and so naturally Kitten is considerably neglected, and because she is so innocent and doesn't know how to behave like a fashionable lady of quality, she makes a lot of mistakes. Furthermore, Sherry doesn't guard his vocabulary or certain actions in front of his new wife, and Kitten, lacking feminine guidance, thinks it's ok to behave like Sherry because it's Sherry and Sherry is awesome and she loves him. When he gets mad, she thinks it's her fault for being so troublesome, and once his anger has abated, it's his turn to say it's all his fault, and then they make up and start being completely adorable again.



Meanwhile, Sherry's friends are being priceless as they all try to help now Sherry, now Kitten, and their different approaches just make it all hilarious. Gil eventually even gives Kitten a canary she had wanted (and which drives Sherry nuts), and George solicits her advice on a love note he wants to write to Isabella. Little by little, Sherry becomes aware of all the male attention Kitten is getting, and while he is undeniably falling for her, he doesn't realize it even though his temper gets the better of him when he sees George casually kissing his Hero, and agrees to meet him in a duel (a grave mistake since George is deadly with the pistols!!). George, who has been greatly suffering the pangs of disappointed love because Isabella keeps on behaving like a blithering fool, is more than ready to comply and meet him out.



A frantic and concerned Hero begs him not to, since he is sure to kill Sherry, and that scene ends up being just another one of many that really show you how united the characters all are, and how they all want what's best for one another, as well as just how hilarious the book really is, when during the meeting George delopes and Sherry aims for a tree, and they both wish the other wasn't so noble!! Hahaha!!

By the way, just a note: I wouldn't call this book violent at all, but there was quite a lot of talking of tearing people limb from limb and frying their livers or some such things!! All usually due to Sherry and George's tempers! :P

But for Sherry to realize just how important Kitten is in his life and how much he loves her, she will have to leave him, sweet disposition, loving attitude, shocking scrapes, tears of repentance, canary and all. ): After they have a big argument, poor heartbroken Kitten turns to his friends, and literally bursts in on them all one evening, arriving with her wedding-presents and her canary and crying her heart and it is just all SO SAD and you just want to cry along with her, and like Sherry's friends, feel an overwhelming urge to call him out for his tyranny and tell him to wake up already and start treasuring his poor little adorable kitten!



(Isn't his just so Kitten? Hahaha!! <3<3)

The last half of the book is full of misunderstandings, assumptions, exhausting chases, failed elopements and there is this hilarious scene about Ferdy trying to explain karma to his friends, and when I tell you it's hilarious, I mean it was so funny that I laughed until I had tears rolling down my cheeks, and my brothers threatening to throw me out of the room if I didn't stop. Yes, it was that funny.

Georgette Heyer must have been so fun at parties!!! And it comes back again and Ferdy tries to tell an exasperated Sherry about it, but he claims that he doesn't know any Greeks nor has any wish to!



(Ok I know Karma and Nemesis aren't exactly the same, but it comes back to the same idea :P)

Sherry's quest brings him all the way to Bath, a place he swears he will never set foot in again, and he even has to go through a tea at the Pump Rooms, which is apparently even stuffier than an evening at Almack's, and he's all "Dammit this is so boring and I just want my Kitten, why can't I just snag her off and be gone?! Ah! And there is only this curst tea to drink!" and it's just sooo funny and it's one of those scenes where the reader is technically supposed to be worrying & all, hoping everything will be better, and it's not a time to laugh but it's funny nevertheless because Heyer makes everything funny, and just aaaahhhhh it's so enjoyable!!

Finally, just before things get in a sure way of ending catastrophically, Mr. Ringwood, Lady Saltash, Mr. Tarleton and last but not least, Fate, join forces to bring back together the separated and misguided lovers, and the ending is both so heart-warming and funny that you just want to go back to the beginning and start reading it again (which is what I would have done if my TBR weren't so huge!).



Yes, yes, yes Sherry, she is coming home with you, and will never leave your side again, and neither will you desert her, and there's a carriage waiting for you outside, so take your Cinderella to her well-deserved HEA and I am going to MISS YOU ALL INSANELY!!! I can't wait to do a re-read and laugh and cry with you guys all over again, it was so much fun meeting you!

"'How could I dislike you? I have loved you all my life!'
'Kitten, Kitten!' he said, folding her in his arms again. 'I wish I could say the same! But it wasn't until after I had married you that I grew to love you so! What a fellow I am! But I found out when you ran away from me how dearly I loved you!'" <3 <3

Awwwwwww!!!

And by the way Kitten wants a dog now, in addition to her canary, since she enjoys dog-sitting Lady Saltash's dog.



And also, Kitten would like to have a baby, but let's discuss that later without any third parties present, shall we? ;)



Guys, I know my review is ridiculously long, silly, all over the place and probably doesn't make much sense, but just do yourself a huge favour and pick up Friday's Child if ever you are feeling down, because it will cheer you up like no other book could. This novel is all fun, cuteness, laughter, warmness, goodness and awesomeness. Definitely a top favourite!! :D

"'No man who had lived with Kitten would look twice at the Beauty!'"

*happy tears!*

Buddy read with Becca--> I'll never thank you enough! :)

[ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 reread:
I liked this SO much better on the second reading, but I have found that to be true for me in general with GH novels. When I first discovered her, I didn't always click with her writing style. But now that I'm so familiar with it, I am able to more fully appreciate the novels on reread.

This time around, I didn't find Hero so tiresome, and placed the blame for her problems most squarely on Sherry's shoulders. He knew she was very young and needed guidance. If he hadn't abandoned her to her own devices and basically pretended that he was still a bachelor, a lot of Hero's silly debacles that annoyed me on the first read could have been avoided. But of course, Hero and Sherry learn and grow from these incidents, which is integral to the plot. In addition, the supporting characters and humorous dialogue are really delightful, so I'm upping this another star.
------------------------------------------------------------
2015 Review
The main character is nicknamed "Kitten" by Lord "Sherry" Sherington and his friends and for the most part they look on indulgently at her antics. Since according to the story she grew up in a genteel household, it's hard to account for some of the really stupid things she does. It's not as if she was raised by wolves. The repeated story element of Kitten does something stupid and Sherry rescues and forgives her became somewhat tiresome.

[Crazy About Love &#x1f495; · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five stars -

This outstanding five-star Heyer read is one of my absolute favorite books. I just love to re-read this book, and it’s most definitely a comfort read for me at this point. I’ve read it so many times over the years, and I currently own a permanent digital copy that resides on my beloved Kindle.

I’m writing this review for this favorite book today since I was looking at my Heyer shelf, and I couldn’t believe I never wrote anything for this favored title! How did I miss out on this opportunity? I love this book so much, I really want to convince others to read it, so here goes ✍️…

Heyer published this in 1944, and it’s one of her longer Regencies. I looked up a few of my other favorites from her, which I know are also about this length, but “Friday’s Child” is the longest. For me, this is one of the points in its favor. You get so immersed in this story by all of the wonderful characters, the well-drawn secondary characters, the exciting plot, and its sweet romance.

This is such a fun story! Our Hero, Sherry, is one of my favorite Heyer Heroes. I just love how kind and patient he is with our sweet heroine, Hero. It’s the childhood connection trope (one of my favorite tropes 👌) that makes this such a wonderful read for me. The character arcs are more than complete, and I am sad each and every time the book starts to draw to a close; and we get closer to the good-bye portion of our reading adventure. Saying good-bye to Kitten (Hero’s newly assigned nickname that will most likely stick with her for life) and Anthony is hard! I am overwhelmed with curiosity as to how they get on in the next chapter of their lives. Good-byes are hard when you have to close the book on favorite characters 😢.

I’m not going to review too much of the plot since others reviewers and fellow Heyer lovers here on Goodreads do a much better job of that than I ever could, but I will say that this is a must-read for any lover of romance - whether you’re new to Heyer’s Regency World, or not.

I can leave you with a few of my favorite things that I feel have compelled me to re-read this throughout my lifetime (I’ve probably read it at least ten times by now, and maybe more than that 💁‍♀️).

Here’s some of my favorite scenes from “Friday’s Child”:

1- when Sherry stops on his journey to London and encounters Hero. It’s their childhood connection and Anthony’s kindness of spirit that bring them together, and it’s this action that gets the story going out of the gate.

2- when Sherry gives Hero earrings to commemorate their engagement. Her ears aren’t pierced, and he fashions a ribbon for her to wear them - since she was upset that she couldn’t immediately wear his special gift to her. He is such a generous spirit; he really makes the story for me ❤️.

3- their honeymoon is spent with Sherry’s cronies at his hunting lodge. Antics abound with these young men at leisure, and Kitten embraces her new role as one of the gang. This is budding young love that’s on display here. Even though this is a setting of the nineteenth century, I could still relate to the actions of young people having a good time together. It makes me reminiscent for my younger days every time I read it. This part always makes me smile.

4- Sherry and Kitten spend an afternoon together at a local county fair in London. Such a sweet scene. It was sheer perfection (Heyer is a master storyteller) and besides the world building, the innocent romance factor is always a pleasure for this somewhat older lady to read ❤️.

5- when Kitten leaves Anthony - the main catalyst for moving the plot along toward our final hea; and she brings her caged bird with her out into the London nighttime.

6- the scene when Sherry spots Kitten in Bath. He’s so upset by what he sees that he gets into a carriage accident with an innocent gentlemen; but Sherry’s such a good-natured man’s man, and he ends up making a new friend out of the inconvenient episode.

7- the friends that Kitten and Anthony make and the friendships that they cement as they build their new life together, and discover that they have a love that will last. This is the basis for any good marriage, and it’s just pleasant to read about a young couple finding their special someone that that they’ll spend the rest of their life with. It’s nice seeing a bit of reality as to what makes a marriage. I just love this aspect and fully appreciate Heyer’s observations on marriage.

8- the final scene where Kitten ask Anthony for a baby of her own in front of their friends. Definitely not the thing to ask in public company, Kitten! I just love the humor here; yes, it’s always still funny 😀.

And, I could go on an on. There’s so many scenes I just adore throughout the entire story.

I hope that I’ve convinced you to pick this book up. Get ready to settle into your favorite chair along with a cuppa for this one.

I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do!

Five glorious, very shiny, solid gold stars.

[Sherwood Smith]

In Jane Aiken Hodge's rather hagiographic bio that one of the few fan letters Heyer ever cared about was from a woman who had been a political prisoner in Roumania. She along with a number of other women were locked in a cell for some years. They kept themselves sane by retelling the story of this novel over and over again. I think of that every time I reread it--I hear the whisper of women's voices at the back of my imagination, talking over every turn in the story, every flash of wit.

The basic story is how the hero and the heroine grow up--after they get married on whim. Their friends are some of Heyer's best secondary characters, and there are many terrific scenes; Heyer was at her best when writing this one, with one of her most engaging heroines. The more conventional hero and heroine, George, Lord Wrotham, and Miss Isabella Milbanke, being secondary, opposite the inimitable Freddy Fakenham, who so strongly reminds me of Bertie Wooster I wonder if there was some influence there. (Heyer did admit once to stealing a plot wholesale from Ethel M. Dale, so she wasn't entirely immune from borrowings.)

[Suzannah Rowntree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hold onto your hats: I'm about to rave about a Georgette Heyer novel.

This one has quite a large cast for your typical Heyer novel - let's see, we've got an alpha couple, a beta couple, three sidekicks and a villain. These eight people share approximately one (1) brain cell between them all, and it's rather like the arrangement those ladies in Greek myth had, where they have to pass it around between themselves. Hilarity, of course, Ensues. And yet somehow, despite this ridiculous set-up, this book struck me as being a bit smarter than the average Heyer story.

One of the dissatisfactions I have with vintage romances like Heyer's is the way inequality and feminine immaturity is often baked hard into the plot, and this story, about a lovably idiotic teenager getting married to an older and richer man who then has to spend the entire novel running around after her to prevent her from ruining herself forever, intially looked like more of the same. Marriage was never designed to be a parent-and-idiot-child situation, amirite?

But this book won my respect anyway, because Heyer does two very unusual things with this whole setup. First, the older and richer man who the lovably idiotic teenager marries is also a lovable idiot only slightly older and slightly more worldly-wise than she is. Sherry's immaturity is presented to the audience without disguise, and the whole point of the book is that Hero's immaturity only reflects his own immaturity back at himself, but with more dire consequences because of the double standards entrenched in Regency society.

That whole thing about double standards is my second point, which is that the book uses its comedic situation to explore all the ways in which Regency double standards penalised women for behaviour which it rewarded in men. And, it criticises these double standards in the right way, that is, by driving it home in comic episode after comic episode that if something is truly foolish or immoral for a woman, then it is truly foolish and immoral for a man as well. This is reinforced by the scene, which shows much more of a social conscience in Heyer than I've ever noticed before, in which the villain is confronted by the girl he's seduced, impregnated, and condemned to ruin. Because she's ignorant of the rules of Polite Society, Hero lacks double standards and thankfully is able to appeal to Sherry's sense of honesty in getting him to confront them, too. And it's a beautiful thing to watch.

FRIDAY'S CHILD isn't completely free of problems, but I was so impressed to read a story that confronted some of the problems deeply entrenched in Regency society, that did so with honesty and clarity, and yet managed to remain frothy, light-hearted, madcap fun the whole way through. I usually shelve my Heyer novels firmly under "Guilty Pleasure", but this book was so much more. I actually highly recommend it.

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com

Another re-release from Georgette Heyer that was first published in 1944, “Friday’s Child” seemed to answer a public outcry for more light-hearted regency fair. As Ms Heyer herself wrote about this novel, “I think myself I ought to be shot for writing such nonsense, but it's questionably good escapist literature and I think I should rather like it if I were sitting in an air-raid shelter, or recovering from flu. Its period detail is good; my husband says it's witty---and without going to these lengths, I will say that it is very good fun.” (From the book “The Private World of Georgette Heyer” by Jane Aiken Hodge; Random House, APR06)

This was written during a time of deprivation and war in London and Ms Heyer’s fans were looking for a way to escape from their tense situation. The humor and comedic banter in her novels provided them a way to retreat (at least mentally) to a happier place and enjoy the antics and bumble broths of her well-written characters.

Friday’s Child is the story of Sherry, Lord Sherington, and Kitten, Hero Wantage, who marry at what seems to be the drop of a hat. Sherry needs a wife to gain control of his inheritance. The orphaned Hero needs someone to help her or she’s about to be sent off by her cousins to work as a governess. Since Sherry’s first choice refuses him, when he happens along and sees Kitten so down-hearted, he coerces the story out of her and then decides if he must be married, might as well be to Kitten! As she is not yet ‘of age’, they elope to London.

Both characters are really not mature enough to manage themselves, much less marry; but as this will solve both their problems, onward they go. This is only the beginning of chapters of mayhem, scrapes, and misadventures. With each problem revealed and eventually solved, the reader watches these two grow up and learn to recognize and accept responsibility. They say the devil is in the details and so it is with Ms Heyer’s novel. Her detailed descriptions and dialogue evoke the regency period with all its attendant restrictions and limits. The secondary cast will leave you in stitches as each tries to help or hinder the couple as appropriate for their motives.

This is an enjoyable, G-rated novel as there are only a handful of passionate kisses towards the end of the novel; so this would be appropriate for any age reader. It would, I think, be difficult to read this book without a smile on your face. The antics of the happy couple and their supporters and detractors seem delightfully silly compared with most romance fare today. If you are in need of a few hours of escape, I heartily recommend “Friday’s Child” by Georgette Heyer.

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

If there weren't so many apologies (the number of times someone apologizes is staggering; I believe Hero missed to apologize she was born), I would love this book a bit more. Everything is so exaggerated that I wouldn't be able not to.
I like the basic premise: after his marriage offer to the Incomparable (yes, capital I) Miss Isabella Milborne is refused, Viscount Sheringham decides he would marry the first woman he sees. Enter another childhood friend, Hero Wantage. I would have loved her if not for all the damn apologies.

Anyway, they do marry and basically you get this comedy of errors. There are so many misunderstandings, it's no wonder neither the two main characters nor their friends could do anything without making a mess of things.

I hated Viscount's mother (she never does redeem herself) and I was both annoyed and felt sorry for Isabella. She managed not to make up her mind for the whole book. And it's not even her book. At least her choice is the right one. I loved George not only because of his loyalty to his friends, his love of Isabella, but also for the way he treated Hero.

The best part is when their friends juggle between Hero and Sherry. They want to help them both, but sometimes their wishes simply clash. The point of the book is for the Viscount to see how much he fell in love with his wife. Plus some gambling, duels, kidnapping (sort of), lots of talk of tearing people's limbs off, a knife fight. You know, the usual.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 5 out of 5]

⤅ Heyer said this was her favourite book that she'd written, and it's mine too.

In fact, if I'm remembering my second-year dissertation research correctly, she wrote this book in a drug/drink-fuelled haze over just a couple of weeks. Things you wouldn't have thought a historical romance novelist had in common with Stephen King...

The book starts out with 21-year-old Anthony, Lord Sheringham - better known as Sherry - proposing to his best friend Isabella. It's borne more out of a youthful desire to be married to 'the Beauty' than out of any real love, but when she rejects him, he goes stomping off and proposes to the next woman he sees - who happens to be not a woman but a girl: 17-year-old Hero Wantage, a childhood friend who's long hero-worshipped Sherry. (Yes, pun intended).

Desperate to save herself from a life of drudgery, Hero agrees. The young pair dash off to get married and promptly set themselves upon the town, living lives of gay abandon. But Sherry quickly discovers that having a wife can force a man to grow up, in quite unexpected ways. And Hero realises that maybe Sherry isn't all he's cracked up to be.

EVERYTHING about this book is perfect, and I don't say that lightly. The romance, the characters, the humour, the dialogue... one of my favourite things is that Sherry has a host of friends who are richly developed individuals in their own right, and I'm thrilled they play such a large role in the book. Unlike in many romances nowadays, they aren't just sequel bait (tragically, this book is a standalone, though there's not much I wouldn't have parted with to get George and Isabella's book).

Interestingly, we also know a bit more about the characters' sex lives than usual. 100% clean, of course; Heyer is well known for that. But it's implied very heavily - so heavily that by Heyer terms, it's practically yelled through a foghorn - that Hero and Sherry never consummated their marriage initially, and that they will at the end of the book. It actually gives rise to one of my favourite Heyer endings - characteristically abrupt, but utterly on point.

Also, for those of you who love to see a hero suffering after the heroine has deservedly left him, this is absolutely the one for you. Hero puts Sherry through the absolute wringer, and all without the shrieky 'feistiness' of some heroines nowadays who purport to be strong independent women but fold at the hero's slightest touch. Hero shows them that you don't need to be strident in order to have a true backbone.

[Mela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this Heyer's novel for its comedy.

“Know what I think, Gil?” Ferdy asked portentously.
“No,” replied Mr Ringwood. “Damned if I know what I think!”
“Just what I was going to say!” said Ferdy. “Damned if I know what I think!”
Pleased to find themselves in such harmonious agreement, they linked arms in a friendly fashion, and proceeded down the road in the direction of Conduit Street.

Gil, Ferdy and George were unstoppable with making me laugh. Ferdy's "Greek guy" (at the end of the book) was simply marvelous. This novel, I think, would be one of the best to make into a movie. It reminded me strongly of P.G. Wodehouse's humour.

I also appreciate the transformation of Sherry. I totally bought it. From a charming young man (...), but the most selfish and careless imaginable into a more (although perhaps not completely) mature man. It was a slow process, but very believable.

The third brilliant topic was Hero's struggles with what society allowed and what not. A reader can learn the absurdities of the social rules of that time.

It is very uncomfortable to behave as other people do not: you can have no notion!

The love story of Hero and Sherry isn't one of my favourite amongst GR romances, but it is one of the winners in the comedy department.

[4.5 stars]

------

Older review [from 2018]:

I have listened a marvelous broadcast produced by BBC. (It will be available only for the next 25 days.) It showed wonderfully why Georgette Heyer was such a great writer.

These ninety minutes were fantastic. It was so funny, so... heyer-ish. I loved it. Thank's for this broadcast I like the book more. Really, 5 stars for the broadcast. As for the book, I must read it again!

And it showed why I wish so much to see movie adaptations of Heyer's novels.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I think I actually like Heyer's murder mysteries better, there is no denying how fun her regency romance novels are.

Friday's Child centers around the slapdash and feckless Arthur Verelst, Viscount Sherington (aka "Sherry") and his impulsive marriage to childhood friend Hero Wantage. Hero has always adored Sherry, but knows she has no chance with him in the marriage mart due to his adoration of "The Beauty", Isabella Milborne. When Isabella turns down Sherry's proposal of marriage, he determines to marry the first woman he sees in order to gain control of his gynormous inheritance. Enter Hero, sitting atop a stone wall, feeling extremely sorry for her circumstances. Her cousin has decided that poor relation Hero must be put into service as a governess in far away Bath. Hero doesn't want to be a governess, but knows she must do whatever her relations tell her to do.

Sherry scoops up Hero and takes her to London, where they marry in haste. Sherry isn't about to let marriage change his harum-scarum lifestyle, and Hero (renamed "Kitten" by Sherry) adores him too much to make a fuss about his often neglectful treatment of her. The silly young couple blast through Sherry's money, enjoy partying with Sherry's friends (Gil, George and Ferdy) and generally romp through Regency England without a care in the world. Kitten gets into one scrape after another, and slowly Sherry realizes that the young girl he married on the quick and without truely loving her is becoming more and more important in his life. It's only after Kitten's final, reckless scrape that the couple face their biggest crisis, and finally learn the meaning of a more mature, responsible love.

Heyer did a fantastic job with this offering. It was fun, bubbly, silly and I loved, loved all the major characters. Sherry's best buds Gil, George and Ferdy were well characterized. It would have been great if Heyer had afforded them books of their own, especially Ferdy (perhaps she did and I just don't know it...) However, the last 2 pages were the icing on the cake, and sent me howling with laughter. Heyer has a way of wrapping up most of her regency romances with a brilliant send off. Who knew the term, "Nemesis", could be so funny??

A definite gem in the Heyer canon, and heartedly recommended.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read one of Heyer's extremely enjoyable novels I can't help but think, "Why on earth has this book not been made into a film? BBC, where are you? This is perfect material for your audience!" This book is particularly suited for film... I can well imagine it as a delightful and extremely popular "Masterpiece" mini-series.

I don't know how she managed to do it, but though every one of her novels is set in similar circumstances and setting, they are all quite unique in plot and character development. As in the other Heyer novels I have read, I found myself frequently sighing, grinning, or laughing out loud. Even though I knew all would end well, I found myself on the edge of seat, eager to find out what would happen next, never quite sure who would end up with whom, or how the author could possibly bring it all around to the inevitable "happily ever after." What can I say? It's just pure fun!

None of Georgette Heyer's books contain anything offense other than an occasional mild swear word or reference to a dishonorable man who has taken advantage of some naive damsel.

Recommended for.... anyone who loves to read and be entertained!

[Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Spectacular Romp of Good Friends and Bad Scrapes!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Source: Purchased

After years of growing up together as children, a young Regency buck, Anthony Verelst, Viscount Sheringham proposes marriage to the beautiful and Incomparable, Miss Isabella Milborne. But since she doubts his characters and motives (and because she has a scores of many other suitors), she gives him a firm rejection. Thrown into a temper and desperate to marry (to release the funds from his inheritance, Viscount Sheringham finds himself determined to marry the very next eligible girl he encounters…

Well, the next girl he encounters happens to be his other childhood playmate, Hero Wantage, a genteel orphan dependent on the kindness of her relations. Hero has always admired Anthony, or “Sherry” as he is known to his friends, and would always do anything he asks of her. In this instance, what he is asking of her suits her perfectly well. Even though she knows Sherry isn’t in love with her, marrying him saves her from being forced to become a governess or marry the curate! To Sherry and Hero, their runaway marriage is a brilliant solution to all their dilemmas… But will it not create some more, you ask? A hasty marriage with a heedless young bachelor promises to be anything but boring!

Oh what a fun frolic this story is – a selfish, spendthrift hero marrying to achieve his own means, and a green girl, aiming to please but who is as naïve and innocent as a kitten! As you might expect, this story is a hilarious series of hijinks, scrapes, and flaring tempers! Sherry fully expects that his taking a wife should not materially change his lifestyle. Boy, does he have a lot to learn! Between the excessive spending, gambling losses, and a wife who constantly needs to be told what a lady of quality would or would not do, Sherry discovers that marriage intrudes upon one’s way of life in the most forceful of fashions!

While I sympathize a little for Sherry and his dilemmas, I must admit he wasn’t my favorite of heroes. His selfishness and slowness to understand his own heart didn’t encourage me much to fall in love with him. However, I adored Hero. She is artless and unaffected in the most charming of ways. She has a big heart and is ready to sacrifice her own happiness before Sherry’s. I also loved that she was unconventional and a bit daring – with wanting to learn how to drive and boldly asking so many questions she shouldn’t! You cannot help but become endeared to such a character!

Joining our sweet Hero and the beleaguered Sherry in this adventure are Sherry’s three closest friends – Moe, Larry, and Curly (just kidding, but these three and their antics put one in mind of the Three Stooges!) After Hero, these three cut-ups were my favorite part of the story! I loved how each friend had his own personality and proclivities – Gil is the smart one, “very knowing,” also calm and tender-hearted. Ferdy isn’t always as quick to be helpful, but he always does duty for those he is “fond of.” And George (possibly my favorite!) is hotheaded, romantic, and always trying to call people out! The exchanges between these three are comedic gold, and it warms your heart to see these three bachelors do all in their power to help poor Hero and her dunderhead of a husband!

Filled with entertaining entanglements and endearing characters, this Regency romance by Georgette Heyer is quite a diverting lark! I thoroughly adored this madcap adventure with Hero, Sherry, and company! Another fabulous Heyer read to add to your list (if you haven’t already!)

Austenesque Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wouldn't be one of my favorite Heyer's but I did enjoy it. I laughed out loud at parts of it. I thought it was a bit over long. By the time I got to the end I was sick of Sherry and his outrage. He caused most of the problems himself. George also got on my nerves. I'd love to have 'boxed his ears' as they were so fond of doing in the book.
It was a novel of silliness from start to finish and Hero was so naive. I mean even after she had been in London for some time she still hadn't come to grips with the ways of the ton. I know this was suppose to make her endearing but after a while it just became annoying.
So while I enjoyed it in parts, I won't be rushing to reread it.

I'm keeping this at 4*'s because of the comedy involved. When I laugh out loud it's always a good sign for me. The original review still stands. Didn't really care if Sherry and Hero were happy or not. This time round I loved Gil and Ferdy.

[Kim Kaso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a romp of a book, I dearly love it. This was at least my fifth time reading it, more likely sixth or seventh. I read it more than once in junior high & HS, & I return to it when I need to smile. Time spent with Sherry, Hero (Kitten), Ferdy, Gil, George, & the Incomparable is time well spent.

I had a few quibbles with Sherry this time through, behavior which seemed common enough in teen-age boys when I first read it seemed less tolerable now that I have daughters of my own. But it was not bothersome enough to remove a star.

This is one of my top 3 Georgette Heyer books. Highly recommended to anyone who loves Jane Austen and has run out of new books of hers to read, lovers of Regency books, people in need of a smile.

Rumor has it several of her books are being made into either movies or tv productions. Read them before the rest of the world! ;-)

[Lizzy]

On my recent Georgette Heyer reading spree, Friday's Child was the first of her books that could not hold my attention, a pity since she wrote such wonderful stories. And I so hate not finishing a book once I started reading it. So, on to the next one.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just adore Kitten and Sherry! And I had forgotten how hilarious Sherry's group of friends were, and how endearingly fond of Kitten they all were! One of Heyer's most charming romances, in my opinion!

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘A marriage of convenience, that’s what it will be! Dash it, it may not be as romantic as I dare say you’d have liked, but you can’t deny it will be more amusing than being a governess!’

Enraged after his hasty proposal of marriage is rejected by Miss Isabella Millborne, renowned as the Incomparable in London circles for her beauty and her dowry, young Viscount Sheringham, Sherry to his friends, vows to marry the first woman that crosses his path. He needs to be hitched in order to access his inheritance and to pay his substantial gambling debts. Currently his inheritance is held in trust by his mother and her brother.
Luckily for the young blood, Sherry soon meets by the side of the road a childhood friend in need of a saviour herself. Miss Hero Wantage is an orphan raised by distant relatives, who want to send her to Bath to earn her keep. His wild and unorthodox proposal is instantly accepted and the two co-conspirators elope to London.

‘Was it very dull and disagreeable in your cousin’s house, Cinderella?’

‘You’re out of Shakespeare too,’ said Hero, helping herself liberally from a dish of green peas.
‘If you don’t take care, Kitten, you’ll have people saying you’re bookish.’

This Regency romance, the author’s undisputed field of expertise, borrows both from fable and from Shakespeare, but cooks its own screwball recipe for fun in a high society setting obsessed with fashion, formal dances, gossip, social etiquette and gambling. The underage Cinderella is foolishly thrown to the lions by her clueless new husband, her expected faux-pas cause for scandal and consternation among the older, starched-collar generation.

A young lady, reared in the heart of Kent and uninstructed in the niceties of social etiquette, was to be depended on to make mistakes, and to get into all the minor scrapes which lurked in the path of any high-spirited damsel bent on cutting a dash in the world.

As with the novels of P G Wodehouse, a lot of the charm of the story relies on the posh locations and wealthy characters, who do not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. Also similar to Wodehouse is the delightful and colourful use of slang, typical of the Regency period. Heyer puts to good use her extensive reference library and the sparkling dialogue is one of the main attractions for me.
For example, a Tiger is a sort of specialized footman, who rides in the coach with his master and can intervene in a scrap when needed. Jason, Viscount Sheringham’s Tiger is of particular interest in the plot for his Cockney accent and for his pickpocket addiction.
Similarly, a cicisbeo is a sort of companion for married women, who attends to all their wishes with the husband’s tacit approval. Sherry is in theory keen on the idea of a marriage of convenience with Kitten, as his young wife is soon called among his circle of friends, but when the theory is put to the test, he quickly develops more traditional [jealous] views.

Finally, it was decided that a cook, a butler, two abigails, and a page-boy or footman should, in addition to his lordship’s personal maid, a coachman, two grooms, and the Tiger, be sufficient to ensure the young couple a moderate degree of comfort.

For most of the fist half of the novel, I was a little underwhelmed by the long and slow development of the young couple’s establishment in London, with the numerous descriptions of fashion and of social events starting to feel kind of too escapist for my taste.
Luckily, things pick up considerably in the second half, as Hero starts making a splash in society with her enthusiasm for racing horses, her naive and loud commentaries on her peers and for visiting the wrong kind of places for a young lady. Sherry tries to discipline her, with the result of the young wife running away from him to Bath, where a spectacular finale is brewing.

Just such a situation as her mischievous nature delighted in appeared to be brewing.

... resolved upon a course of action fantastic enough to have appealed to the silliest damsel ever discovered between the marbled covers of a circulating library novel.

One can read the last quote as a subtle metafictional commentary on her own material from Heyer, who declared in an interview that the story of Sherry and Hero is her favorite among her own novels.
For me, the story shines in the interesting and well deployed cast of secondary characters, like Sherry’s trio of young bucks: Ferdy Fakenham, Gilbert Ringwood and especially the fiery George, Lord Wrotham who would duel anybody at very short notice. The tribulations of the Incomparable Miss Isabella Millborne in the marriage market and a subplot involving a knave named Sir Montagu Revesby add meat to the bare bones of the Cinderella story and numerous chances for extra mischief.

I’ve been taking a longish break from the novels of Georgette Heyer, and maybe the distance added a certain freshness to the setting, but I would still rate Friday’s Child as one of the best in her catalogue.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Friday’s Child may be one of Heyer’s best Regency Romances – judging by the positive reviews, I dare say, it is very well liked – but I didn’t find myself loving it nearly like other GH books I’ve read.

It’s a marriage-of-convenience trope where the couple marries early in the book then proceeds with reading the other wrongly which leads to misconceptions and hurt feelings. It takes most of the book for the couple to realize the other’s worth.

If you like a story where the husband acts like a meathead for most of the book, and right near the end, he finally “sees the light” so to speak, then you may enjoy this book more than me. I kept waiting for him to show character growth or maturity or something… On the other hand, early on, I started rooting for Hero (the wife, whom he calls Kitten) because she was young, sincere, and kind, but her naiveté grew more tiresome as the novel progressed. Another element that was missing was the wry humor usually found in GH romance books. So, to sum it up, you have a self-centered, postering man and a simpering, apologizing woman together in a story line with dialogue lacking the sharp wit it needed.

I find the characterization in GH novels, even the side characters, to be well drawn and engaging. Here, I just didn’t find a connection with any of the husband’s friends that try to help the couple. Nor was I fond of the second couple in the book.

In the end, I wanted to like this book more than I did. It is probably due to my personal romance trope preferences more than anything else. I like the conflict to be something outside of the couple’s relationship, while here the whole point of the plot is conflict between the couple.

[Tijana]

Istorijski ljubić 1/1, nema laži, nema prevare. Dvoje blentave ali simpatične dece se venča da bi mogli da rajtaju unaokolo i troše pare, uz sporazum da je to samo prividni brak. I onda ih mi (i zgroženi hor rodbine, prijatelja i poznanika) lagano pratimo kroz proces spoznaje da besomučno trošenje, kockanje i glupiranje imaju i mana, a da brak ima i prednosti. Negde na poslednjoj strani junakinji padne na pamet da tu spadaju i bebe i po užasnutoj reakciji svih prisutnih (mnogo prisutnih) jasno je da u prethodnih par stotina stranica i više meseci braka nije pao ni razgovor o pticama&pčelama a kamoli nešto konkretnije. Cela knjiga je takva: vesela i neozbiljna.

[Seema Khan Peerzada · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Caution: Loads of Fan girl babbling ahead***

A couple of chapters down, I was sure the book in hand is a 5* book, and very happily so it was! It made me fall in love with Georgette Heyer books all over again and reminded me why I was so fascinated by them. For me this book is perfect to the last letter. The intricacies within the story, the characters, the plot and play all are very perfectly and vividly synchronized and leave me with no cause for complaint. Impeccable and signature Georgette Heyer for you here.

To begin with, the story is dynamic. There is a lot happening in a short space of time and we can observe the quick succession of events. The story basically journeys through the growth of a young couple's relationship after hastily getting into marriage. There is a great deal of kindness, many mistakes, understandings and misunderstandings, fun and a lot of love.


'Friday's child is loving and giving' very well suits Hero Wantage and if I have to describe her in just one word, it will have to be 'Naïve'. She is totally artless, very innocent and helplessly unsophisticated. But even with all these facets to herself, she is a very kind, helpful, forgiving, unassuming poor little soul! The way she rises in defence of Sherry when anyone is reproaching him, is just sweetly adorable. And the faith she has in Sherry and his views and decisions, and how she blindly trusts him and never questions him is something that marks her guileless character, I found it really cute. She tries Sherry's patience to the limit but is also refreshingly docile, malleable and gullible. She very truly and earnestly loves him, but never does she want him to dance attendance on her or expect him to love her back, or even if she does she never expresses it to him in anyway. The way she says "only a little..." to George when asked whether she feels bad when Sherry is dancing with Miss Millborne is so touching! Also the scene when she comes to Gil after running from home and carries the canary and the clock is so naively cute! There are many strong Georgette Heyer heroines but Kitten is the one heroine who though is very naïve and ignorant, I absolutely, without a second thought, loved. She actually brightens up the scene and it does seem desolate when she goes away. She reminded me of the childhood innocence we all possess, but start loosing it as we grow old. It was really refreshing and reminded me that this innocence is so pure and to be cherished. This is what I love about Georgette Heyer, her writing just makes you fall in love with the fictional characters!


Lord Anthony Sheringham! Oh Lord! What do I say about him? He was annoyingly endearing to me. Though at many places I just wanted to box his ears! Initially and through most part of the book he is careless, thoughtless and unknowingly selfish. But at the same time he is very kind, good natured, patient and caring. The way he cares for Kitten is just so cute. (I loved the scene when they are eloping and he decides after looking at her that he will call her Kitten!) He is infatuated with Miss Milborne but after his marriage to Kitten he many a time even forgets her existence. The story very smoothly draws his transition from a careless young man to a responsible married person. It can be marked initially that he has to remind himself that he is married, and towards the later half he reminds others that he is married! He falls in love with Kitten much early into his married life, but never given to reflection neither does he realise it nor acknowledge it even to himself. Even when he very touchingly misses Kitten he does not realize that he actually loves her. I really wanted to box his ears when his patience is lost and he heartlessly forces Kitten to go to his mother, that scene was the most intense scene for me in the book and at the same time a game changer. Also very touching was his reaction on realising she is gone. He has a surge of emotions throughout the story, and he stabilises a great deal towards the end of the book. I absolutely loved the scene where he is thinking that is there some insanity in his family when he realises he had suggested Kitten to be discreet in her affairs and also when he says to George (or was it Gil?) when he is searching Kitten: 'I want my Kitten', I was like 'awwwww'! I was in splits while reading the last few lines of the book, when Kitten is about to ask Sherry if they can have babies but before she even completes her sentence he cuts her off realising what she is about to ask! A very different character from the other Georgette Heyer heroes I have so far read, and he does make it to my favourite's list.

This is one book in which I also loved the secondary characters a great deal. Mr. Ringwood, Lord George Wrathom and Mr Ferdy Fakenham are really very entertaining and enjoyable characters. They are such good friends and so eager to help Sherry. The way they gel with Kitten and the friendship they form with her is one aspect of the book I really enjoyed. Gil's understanding, George's readiness to call people to duels and Ferdy's lack of common sense make the trio unique and very interesting. One thing in common to the three is how they care for Kitten. Miss Milborne does bear a significant parallel part throughout the book and impacts the story a great deal.


I could just not keep the book down once I started. It held me captivated and my room in a mess, so engrossed I was in it! Friday's Child has entered and straight away escalated to one of my top five Georgette Heyer books for sure! If you haven't read it yet, you've missed the pleasure of a perfectly awesome story and must do so without losing any time! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful and funny romp through Regency era England

After years of hearing the praises of author Georgette Heyer, I could no longer resist the temptation and dove in head first on the recommendation of Heyer enthusiast Vic (Ms. Place) of Jane Austen's World, selecting the author's favorite book Friday's Child. Since Heyer published 56 books over 53 years, she had a few to choose from and I was confident that this neophyte would have one of the better novels to begin my indoctrination. I now see what all the fuss is about. Georgette Heyer is a treasure.

Spendthrift Anthony Verelst, Viscount Sheringham doesn't give a fig about his finances until his creditors do. Selfish, impetuous and deeply in debt, he is unable to access his inheritance until he reaches 25 or marries and sets out to acquire a wife proposing to his neighbor and lifelong friend Isabella Milborne, an 'Incomparable', whose beauty and elegance are renown. She doesn't think much of the idea or of Lord Sheringham's dissipated lifestyle and rebuffs the offer. Indignant, he swears to marry the next girl he sees who happens to be seventeen year old Hero Wantage, the neighborhood orphan Cinderella living with cousins who want to farm her out to be a governess. By no means a scholar, Hero is miffed by the work plan just wanting to have a bit of fun and enjoy the charms of society in London. Seizing the opportunity, Hero accepts Sherry's proposal and they run away to London to be married. It is here we are introduced to the real heart of the story, Sherry's three male friends: his two cousins steady Gilbert (Gil) Ringwood and the foppish Hon. Ferdinand (Ferdy) Fakenham, and his hot headed friend George, Lord Wrotham who form sort of a bumbling bachelors club of Regency society dandies. Their influence drives the story as they help Hero (nicknamed Kitten) unschooled in the nuances of social etiquette and a bit lacking in common sense out of all sorts of scrapes that threaten her reputation and infuriate her husband who in turn is as equally clueless about his own responsibilities as a newly married man.

Heyer gives us a delightful view of Regency era London with its social outlets for the rich: fashion, dancing, parties, gambling, romantic intrigues, and the gambit of other frivolous extravagances that entertain the high society 'ton' world. Her characters are each distinctive in personality and well drawn out. The three bachelor friends were especially enjoyable as their priceless dialogue humorously captures that uniquely British drawing room chatter of "I dare says" and "dash it alls" that at times from other authors seems trite, but in this case just lifted the colloquial credibility and ambience. Even though this novel was written over sixty years ago, it is surprisingly superior in style and creativity to many being produced today. Friday's Child reads like an expertly paced stage play, and I felt the influence of Heyer's contemporaries in playwrights Noel Coward and George Bernard Shaw in the satirical social commentary and humorous biting dialogues. There were a few holes in the plot such as Sherry's concerns over his uncle's abuse of the trusteeship of his estate not materializing or Hero's continual naïveté among others, but they were very minor and did not spoil my enjoyment. The gradual maturity and transition by both protagonists gave for a rewarding end. It is easy to see why so many Jane Austen fans adore Georgette Heyer as they share in the sisterhood of the 'Gentle Reprove Society' of comedic social satire. Friday's Child matched it's namesake from the old nursery rhyme as loving and giving, and critics marginalizing Heyer's works as mere romances take heed. Like Austen's novels, this is so much more than Chicklit.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

“You know what I think? Fate! That's what it is fate!
There's a thing that comes after a fellow: got a name, but I forgot what it is. Creeps up behind him, and puts him in the basket when he ain't expecting it.”

Well I do believe that I am getting quite addicted to these Heyer books. Absolutely delightful. The banter between these characters is just fantastic. I loved the whole premise for this story, and I found the characters irresistible. I don't know what I'm going to do when I run out of GH books to read. On to the next!

[cloudyskye · Rating 5 out of 5]

No. 5 on my Heyer top ten list.
How does she do it? There could be so much in this story to annoy me, but thanks to Georgette Heyer's genius, her wonderfully funny and elegant turn of phrase, I enjoyed each and every page. I loved and felt with the rather immature/silly main characters, Hero and Sherry, but it is Sherry's three friends who hold a special place in my reader's heart.
Heyer at her best, as far as I'm concerned.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Thought the world of you, did Kitten. Wouldn't hear a word against you; wouldn't even admit you can't drive well enough for the F.H.C. That shows you! Always seemed to me she only thought of pleasing you. If she took a fancy to do something she shouldn't, only had to tell her you wouldn't like it, and she'd abandon it on the instant. Used to put me in mind of that rhyme, or whatever it was, I learned when I was a youngster. Something about loving and giving: that was Kitten!”

I have read this comic masterpiece many times and I have always enjoyed it. And I have listened to the almost 25-year-old reading by Eve Matheson. Again, very enjoyable. But this new version read by Owen Findley was just too too funny. His interpretations of all the characters were “bang up to the mark.” Hilarious, thoughtful, and touching. My only quibble was that he spoke too quickly but that was easily remedied by turning the speed down to 85%.

I always kind of wondered why Georgette considered this her best work as almost all of them are pretty brilliant, but after listening to this one again, I can’t argue. It had never struck me as particularly romantic, but at the end, when Sherry and Kitten are finally reunited….Well. It was as romantic and tender a scene as she ever wrote made even more so by Owen Findley’s subtle and sensitive reading.

Young Lord Sheringham, “Sherry”, has to get married right away because he’s overextended due to gambling debts and is properly "in the basket.” He is very wealthy but won’t come into his inheritance until he is 25 or married, whichever comes first. When his childhood friend, now a great beauty, refuses his offer he vows to marry the first girl he sees. That would be Hero Wantage whom he happens upon sitting on the side of the road. She is another childhood friend, but more of a tag-along or mascot being 5 or so years younger. An orphan, she has run away from the family who took her in. Their generosity has come to an end and they have given her an ultimatum of either becoming a governess or marrying the very dull and sober curate. Clearly in need of rescuing, she is the perfect candidate! It is a Win-Win! Sherry had always been carelessly fond of her but she has always worshiped the ground he walks on. He takes the sweet and naive girl to London and the fun begins. Sherry doesn’t see any reason why he should alter his bachelor lifestyle for a marriage of convenience. And Hero, who he calls “Kitten” is the last person who would make demands or criticize him in any way. In her eyes, he can do no wrong, much to the bemusement of his loyal best friends simple-minded Ferdy Fakenham, the more knowing Gil Ringwood, and the Byronic George Wrotham, who have a more clear-eyed view of their friend Sherry.

As he is driven to distraction rescuing Kitten from one scrape after another, Sherry grows from a spoiled irresponsible young man about town to embrace his adulthood and responsibilities. He realizes that most of the trouble she gets in is because she is following his example. His crew of friends provide more than their fair share of the humor as they come to embrace Kitten as one of the gang and often take a dim view of Sherry’s affectionate but cavalier treatment of her. But when Kitten runs away (long story) Sherry realizes how much he loves and values her. It all culminates in a comic farce at a posting inn involving an elopement, an abduction, and a punch in the nose. It's a perfect ending.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this over the weekend. Not one of Heyer's best. I didn't particularly like the hero of this book until about halfway through. And then he made me hate him again. The heroine seriously needed a good shake and a spoonful of good sense. Just a spoonful, it would've been fine. I will say this though: most of their flaws were pretty realistic for a 17 year old girl who married a man she's worshipped all her life and a 20 something spoiled, hot, aristocratic boy who's been encouraged to think of nobody but himself his entire life.

Usual cast of amusing supporting characters, but I feel like I've seen them all before, and many of them only pop up as plot devices this time, rather than full fledged characters. I did like Gil Ringwood, though.

The whole book really feels like it was a prototype for another of her books, The Conveinent Marriage, which is written along sort of the same lines, but is much better done and with much more likeable characters and funnier situations.

[Heidi (MinxyD14) · Rating 4 out of 5]

(June 2023 - Second read/listen - Audible version Narrated by Owen Findlay - 1 April 2021)
I did enjoy this version. It lands a bit better with a male narrator, especially given the dominance of all the male characters. Still not my favourite Heyer, but a thoroughly enjoyable listen.
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(October 2019 - First read/listen - Audible version Narrated by Eve Matheson - 1 Oct 1999)
Delightful read ... could not stop laughing from start to finish!

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

On the positive side, this story kept my attention right up until the end (which was again abrupt) but I did not like the main characters in this book. Spendthrift Anthony Verelst, Viscount Sheringham, aka Sherry, is a gambler, has a mistress, and wants to gain control of his wealth but must be 25 or marry. On the rebound from a rejection from a long-time neighbor and the toast of London society, Isabella, he promises to, and does, marry the first girl he sees, Hero Wantage. She is an orphan who has been reared by an aunt with 3 plain daughters, and whose fate seems to be that of becoming a governess.

In planning this marriage Sherry states that, as it is only so he can gain his fortune, Hero (whom he calls Kitten) can spend what she wants for her wardrobe and in furnishing and decorating their newly purchased house. He and his 3 best friends, Gil, Ferdy and George, treat Kitten as if she is a pet, not minding their language nor their discussions of their lifestyles while she is present. Thus Kitten commits many a faux pas and becomes, at one point, entangled in gambling while Sherry is out of town. I HATE that he seems to think nothing of boxing her ears! And she is a wimp who doesn't seem to have an ounce of sense. He is 23, she is 17 but she grovels every time he reprimands her. He gives her a list of acceptable people with whom she is allowed to associate but in that the list is incomplete she again falls prey to shysters. His 3 friends seem to offer her more guidance than he does.

George's pursuit of Isabella is a secondary story and intertwines with Sherry's and Hero's/Kitten's. And there are several other suitors for Isabella hand, as she is beautiful and has a fortune of her own. One of her beau turns out to be the bad egg in this story. I was really horrified when Kitten became involved in gambling on her own and used the excuse that Sherry stated the only way out was to keep gambling until you won back your losses and then she goes to a money lender to get money to pay back the losses. Hated that part.

These actors were not my cup of tea and I do know that in stating that I am sticking my neck out. But I like men of strong upright character and women with moral fiber who have a mind of their own. (Think Elizabeth and Darcy of P&P.)

The best part was when she was guided to act as if she didn't care about Sherry to make him jealous and to help him realize he did love her and that he had to change his life style to that of a married man. Heyer's books end too suddenly for my tastes but they have unique plots which keep a reader interested and turning the pages.