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Rolande
GIRL -- Lovely young copper-haired Rolande Henry was forced onto the stage at an early age to survive in a cruel world of designing men.
INTO BOY -- She was cunningly trained to act out the role of a missing lad who stood to inherit the most fabulous fortune in England.
INTO BEAUTY -- She was just as capable of donning a wig and a revealing gown to play the part of a devastating society seductress.
INTO BATTLE -- But nothing had prepared Rolande to face the charm of a captivating, conscienceless aristocrat on one hand, and the danger of an unknown assailant of the other...as suddenly she had her fair hands full in a fight for life and love that she dared not lose...
INTO BOY -- She was cunningly trained to act out the role of a missing lad who stood to inherit the most fabulous fortune in England.
INTO BEAUTY -- She was just as capable of donning a wig and a revealing gown to play the part of a devastating society seductress.
INTO BATTLE -- But nothing had prepared Rolande to face the charm of a captivating, conscienceless aristocrat on one hand, and the danger of an unknown assailant of the other...as suddenly she had her fair hands full in a fight for life and love that she dared not lose...
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
72 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Clare Darcy
28 books57 followersBorn in Ohio.
Widely considered the best of those inspired by Georgette Heyer, Darcy wrote a number of regency romances with intelligent, sparkling heroines.
A pseudonym for Mary Deasy
Information for place of birth from the jacket of one of Ms Darcy's books
Widely considered the best of those inspired by Georgette Heyer, Darcy wrote a number of regency romances with intelligent, sparkling heroines.
A pseudonym for Mary Deasy
Information for place of birth from the jacket of one of Ms Darcy's books
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 23, 2018
Another enjoyable, witty Regency romance by Clare Darcy.
What always Darcy's book differs from Heyer's is the length and the consequences of this difference. For example, here I would love to read more talks (quarrels) between Rolande and Jasper.
Clare Darcy's novels are (to me) often as Heyer's in the accelerated version. When Heyer's plot walks, Darcy's runs. So, at some level, it is sometimes a bit unsatisfying, that some scenes I must imagine by myself.
Nonetheless, it had a perfect atmosphere of Regency romance. And I have a great, fun time as always with Darcy's story.
What always Darcy's book differs from Heyer's is the length and the consequences of this difference. For example, here I would love to read more talks (quarrels) between Rolande and Jasper.
Clare Darcy's novels are (to me) often as Heyer's in the accelerated version. When Heyer's plot walks, Darcy's runs. So, at some level, it is sometimes a bit unsatisfying, that some scenes I must imagine by myself.
Nonetheless, it had a perfect atmosphere of Regency romance. And I have a great, fun time as always with Darcy's story.
January 9, 2022
I was recommended by goodreads and a couple websites to try Clare Darcy to fill that Georgette Heyer hole in my soul. So, over the years I had found some of her books (and also discovered some of them are for free on kindleunlimited). I chose this one because I liked the blurb and I love this trope of crossdressing females. So into it I went, and relatively fast I finished the book.
Well. I will say that Clare Darcy knows how to tell a plot... but I don't think she writes 'romance' all that well. With Georgette Heyer, there was a layer to her writing where you can tell or figure out that the romantic interest was starting to fall for the lead or the lead was starting to fall for the romantic interest. In this book, I had no idea where or when the feelings for both of them came about but, obviously, they get together.
I also like to point out that seeing this book was written in the 1970's, and I know that the writer was trying to appropriate the times of Jane Austen (a lot like Heyer)... did we really need a scene where Rolande disguises herself as a Hungarian Countess? She bronzes her skin, slants her eyes a bit and puts on a dark wig. The whole point was that after pretending to be a male for the romantic interest, she got in over her head, so the romantic interest's mother dresses her up as a Hungarian countess. Only to find out the people who they were trying to fool found her features to be quite similar to the likeness of the guise she was pretending to be as a male. ... What is worse is after all that, it is never quite explained why her face bears a likeness to the family or if she is related to the family? Guess it's one of those things. But still, the racist bit was unneeded. She probably could have pretended to be a female with different hair coloring and dresses differently... just no bronzing.
So, while I *didn't* dislike the book, I was entertained enough to read another.
Well. I will say that Clare Darcy knows how to tell a plot... but I don't think she writes 'romance' all that well. With Georgette Heyer, there was a layer to her writing where you can tell or figure out that the romantic interest was starting to fall for the lead or the lead was starting to fall for the romantic interest. In this book, I had no idea where or when the feelings for both of them came about but, obviously, they get together.
I also like to point out that seeing this book was written in the 1970's, and I know that the writer was trying to appropriate the times of Jane Austen (a lot like Heyer)... did we really need a scene where Rolande disguises herself as a Hungarian Countess? She bronzes her skin, slants her eyes a bit and puts on a dark wig. The whole point was that after pretending to be a male for the romantic interest, she got in over her head, so the romantic interest's mother dresses her up as a Hungarian countess. Only to find out the people who they were trying to fool found her features to be quite similar to the likeness of the guise she was pretending to be as a male. ... What is worse is after all that, it is never quite explained why her face bears a likeness to the family or if she is related to the family? Guess it's one of those things. But still, the racist bit was unneeded. She probably could have pretended to be a female with different hair coloring and dresses differently... just no bronzing.
So, while I *didn't* dislike the book, I was entertained enough to read another.
January 26, 2021
This author was recommended to me as being on a par with Georgette Heyer, and indeed this is a Regency romance reminiscent of Heyer's, with a lighthearted, chaste love story, a little humor, as well as adventure and intrigue. I enjoyed it quite a lot.
Jasper Carrington stands to inherit the great fortune that has passed down through his family but belonged to no one really for 150 years or so because of a strange will enacted by one of his forebears. The will stipulated that the fortune would be held in trust for that length of time, and whoever was the living heir once that time elapsed would inherit. Jasper's cousin, Giles Arcourt, who would have been the direct heir by now, instead is believed to have perished somewhere in Austria, as a young child, shortly after his parents smuggled him out of France. So for most of his adult life, Jasper has expected to inherit and has borrowed heavily against his expected fortune in order to maintain his lifestyle as a nonpareil of the ton. He has traveled extensively in the meantime.
As the story opens, Jasper has learned that his aunt, Lady Prest, has somehow contrived to produce Giles Arcourt, or at least an imposter, and his cousin, Baroness Lebanoff, has written to hasten him home. Jasper has in his travels discovered a French actress who resembles very closely his Arcourt ancestress whose portrait hangs in his home, and he has hired her to come to England to pretend to be a boy, namely his cousin Giles Arcourt, to enable him to challenge Lady Prest's imposter.
This is a complicated plot, which I can't possibly do justice here, but so well-written that it flows organically, and makes perfect sense as one reads it. In fact, it's a lot of fun to puzzle along with the characters how to get Jasper out of his scrape so he can inherit his fortune. The actress, Rolande Henry, is more trouble than Jasper bargained for, with a mind of her own about how they should go about their plan, and the Baroness is just as determined to do things her way. Rolande finds that she enjoys pretending to be a boy, because of the freedom it allows her. But she also finds herself falling in love. Meanwhile someone has learned there is another claimant to the identity of Giles Arcourt, and they make attempts on Rolande's life.
I highly recommend this fun romp of a tale.
Jasper Carrington stands to inherit the great fortune that has passed down through his family but belonged to no one really for 150 years or so because of a strange will enacted by one of his forebears. The will stipulated that the fortune would be held in trust for that length of time, and whoever was the living heir once that time elapsed would inherit. Jasper's cousin, Giles Arcourt, who would have been the direct heir by now, instead is believed to have perished somewhere in Austria, as a young child, shortly after his parents smuggled him out of France. So for most of his adult life, Jasper has expected to inherit and has borrowed heavily against his expected fortune in order to maintain his lifestyle as a nonpareil of the ton. He has traveled extensively in the meantime.
As the story opens, Jasper has learned that his aunt, Lady Prest, has somehow contrived to produce Giles Arcourt, or at least an imposter, and his cousin, Baroness Lebanoff, has written to hasten him home. Jasper has in his travels discovered a French actress who resembles very closely his Arcourt ancestress whose portrait hangs in his home, and he has hired her to come to England to pretend to be a boy, namely his cousin Giles Arcourt, to enable him to challenge Lady Prest's imposter.
This is a complicated plot, which I can't possibly do justice here, but so well-written that it flows organically, and makes perfect sense as one reads it. In fact, it's a lot of fun to puzzle along with the characters how to get Jasper out of his scrape so he can inherit his fortune. The actress, Rolande Henry, is more trouble than Jasper bargained for, with a mind of her own about how they should go about their plan, and the Baroness is just as determined to do things her way. Rolande finds that she enjoys pretending to be a boy, because of the freedom it allows her. But she also finds herself falling in love. Meanwhile someone has learned there is another claimant to the identity of Giles Arcourt, and they make attempts on Rolande's life.
I highly recommend this fun romp of a tale.
January 16, 2019
Again with the heroes who spend the entire novel being unpleasant to the heroine and yet are somehow supposed to be their dream guy... I don't understand the attraction and that just ruins the love story for me.
Other than that, Clare Darcy writes well and there are no glaring historical inaccuracies, but it is hard to be enthusiastic about a romance when you dislike one half of the couple involved, which is perhaps why this one took me so long to finish as I kept putting it down and reading other things.
Other than that, Clare Darcy writes well and there are no glaring historical inaccuracies, but it is hard to be enthusiastic about a romance when you dislike one half of the couple involved, which is perhaps why this one took me so long to finish as I kept putting it down and reading other things.
November 20, 2019
Bene, ho scoperto con piacere che, lentamente ma inesorabilmente, i romanzi 'Regency' di Clare Darcy (pseudonimo di Mary Deasy, scrittrice americana attiva intorno alla metà del secolo scorso) vedono pian piano la luce come e-book: il che vuol dire che mi è possibile comprarli per poco prezzo, e senza ingombrare scaffali già vacillanti sotto il peso dei libri 'cartacei'. E se sono tutti così rilassanti, divertenti, ben scritti, non vedo perché dovrei privarmene: costano quanto una tazza di cioccolata calda al bar, riscaldano più a lungo e non fanno salire la glicemia.
March 19, 2020
Another of Clare Darcy's intelligent, witty, complicated Regency romances. Rolande is hired by Jasper Carrington to help him foil his Aunt Honoria's plans to finagle him out of an 8 million pound inheritance by planting an imposter heir instead. Rolande leads everyone in a frothy dance of dressing as a boy, then a countess. Lovely.
March 4, 2023
Fun Regency Romance in the style of Georgette Heyer, with a cross-dressing heroine and some pretty good banter between the main characters. And considering the author is an American, her grasp of the language and setting and customs of the Regency period are amazing.
March 17, 2024
Very enjoyable
It reminded me somehow of georgette heyer's the talisman ring, even though the plots were different. Romance and adventure, a spunky heroine, and a whole lot of fun. Loved it.
It reminded me somehow of georgette heyer's the talisman ring, even though the plots were different. Romance and adventure, a spunky heroine, and a whole lot of fun. Loved it.
July 21, 2019
An afternoon read, romcom in book format. Don't judge
March 31, 2020
Madcap
The characters are well developed as is the story, lead couple at loggerheads throughout but not by misunderstandings , it's their natures, enjoyed!
The characters are well developed as is the story, lead couple at loggerheads throughout but not by misunderstandings , it's their natures, enjoyed!
November 18, 2020
Enjoyable, but Kindle version I read had distracting editing errors in places
August 6, 2023
Clare Darcy is good at this genre.
September 8, 2023
Really 3-2/2 stars. An enjoyable way to spend a screamingly hot weekend. The plot was completely far-fetched, but i don’t require plausibility in my regencies necessarily.
October 4, 2023
This book had too many twists and turns for me.
April 28, 2025
Entertaining Regency romance. I didn't feel that there was sufficient motivation for the main characters to fall in love. I wish the story had been fleshed out a little more.
September 2, 2025
Cute story but the ending seemed rushed. However, I am glad I read it!
November 29, 2014
Another historical romance. Not as funny as some of her other ones, it still has humor. Rolande is hired to portray a long-lost relative in order to encourage the Courts to look more carefully at a bogus long-lost relative.
February 27, 2010
Darcy's books are short and sweet. What more can you ask for? Although, she does seem to have a thing with her heroines being actresses.
August 30, 2011
So this is why I don't read romances...
Pure weightless fluff. Great reading if you're coming down from surgery drugs.
Pure weightless fluff. Great reading if you're coming down from surgery drugs.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews