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Eugenia
Clare Darcy is the Regency novelist whose wit, sparkle and storytelling ability have qualified her as heiress to the mantle of the late Georgette Heyer.
Eugenia is her latest heroine, fresh out of the schoolroom, but more than ready for her first London Season and determined to inveigle her cousin Tom into marriage so that she can live near her old home in Kent. Her plan hits only one snag. It is the dark, enigmatic person of Mr Richard Liddiard, wanted by the Runners for murder.
Eugenia is her latest heroine, fresh out of the schoolroom, but more than ready for her first London Season and determined to inveigle her cousin Tom into marriage so that she can live near her old home in Kent. Her plan hits only one snag. It is the dark, enigmatic person of Mr Richard Liddiard, wanted by the Runners for murder.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
128 people are currently reading
219 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 - 29 of 35 reviews
October 29, 2022
Deliciously enjoyable. Wit, charm, a bit of action, and plot twists. Also, a heroine and a hero were perfect for such kind of romance.
[4-4.5 stars]
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/below is a review after first reading/
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It was one of the best books of Clare Darcy that I have read by now. It was really funny, the plot was sometime predictable, but not always. A love story was as I like. There were also good secondary characters.
This book is very near to Heyer's narration from her witty Regency romances.
[Again, I don't know why my reviews of some book disappeared from goodreads.com. Until recently, I haven't made a copy, so I write what I remember.]
[4-4.5 stars]
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/below is a review after first reading/
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It was one of the best books of Clare Darcy that I have read by now. It was really funny, the plot was sometime predictable, but not always. A love story was as I like. There were also good secondary characters.
She gazed triumphantly at Richard and Gerald, who, in the manner of men, were both looking extremely skeptical about a plan they had not thought of themselves.
This book is very near to Heyer's narration from her witty Regency romances.
[Again, I don't know why my reviews of some book disappeared from goodreads.com. Until recently, I haven't made a copy, so I write what I remember.]
February 1, 2014
Eugenia has just finished school in Bath and is on her way to her guardian's estate when she is forced to stop at an inn due to bad weather. She discovers a young man she believes is her cousin Gerald also staying at the inn. He denies knowing her and then collapses. He is suffering from the after effects of a fever and Eugenia feels it's her duty to nurse him. The young man reveals he is her cousin but not Gerald. This cousin is Richard, the son of Eugenia's Uncle Charles. To the family's knowledge, Uncle Charles never married. Richard is unsure whether he's illegitimate or not, his parents having died when he was a baby and their papers being lost in the chaos of the French Revolution. He's been living by his wits since he was 15 and is seeking work with horses. The doctor prescribes rest, but Richard is eager to leave. Eugenia has the perfect solution: Richard will come home with her and pretend to be Gerald until he's recovered. The family groom will keep Richard's secret and help him find a job. Richard reluctantly agrees but then comes to regret his decision when two Bow Street Runners arrive, along with Cousin Cecil, looking for Gerald who is wanted for highway robbery and murder! No amount of protesting from Eugenia can convince them Richard is not Gerald. Richard heads out into the world while Eugenia is taken to London for her Season. She becomes the toast of the ton but she wants nothing to do with young men. She wishes to marry her best friend's brother and settle down in the country together, just the three of them, forever. Eugenia concocts a plan that will help Richard and achieve her goal. Then Gerald turns up to complicate matters further. Eugenia is also determined to prove Richard's legitimacy so he can inherit her childhood home. Through the adventures that follow, Eugenia is sure she hasn't lost sight of her goal but when push comes to shove, can she really go through with her plan?
This book is a fun romp in the manner of Georgette Heyer. The plot is a lot of fun. There's suspense but obviously you know in this sort of story what's going to happen at the end. It's predictable yet fresh and fun. I enjoyed following along on Eugenia's journey. The dialogue is witty and amusing. There's a lack of romance in the plot that may not appeal to everyone. Eugenia only understands her feelings at the end and I doubted the hero's feelings for her. They aren't alone together much to develop that relationship. I worry a bit about their future happiness. The kiss happens "off screen" so to speak, with the narrator turning away. It's implied what has just happened and how Eugenia feels. Though I had read this story before, I remembered very little of it and enjoyed discovering it again almost like it was the first time.
Eugenia is very young and silly but she's not stupid. She was raised like a boy and has no idea how to act like a lady. The plans she makes and adventures she has are things a young man might do. She doesn't really know any better and that makes her a charming and appealing heroine. She's a minx and will lead her husband a merry dance but she's a lot of fun. The only thing I didn't like was how she dealt with her feelings at the end but that's understandable given her age and lack of female companionship. I liked Richard but he's a bit too silent and brooding for me. There's hints of a deeper nature to his character but he's never fully allowed to show who he is. His character is a bit underdeveloped. Gerald is not at all appealing. He's an idiot and a care for nobody who is bound to disgrace himself and his family sooner than later. The secondary characters are all original and add more humor to the story. I especially like Lady B.
I highly recommend this book to Georgette Heyer fans and those who like light, fun adventure novels with a dash of romance.
This book is a fun romp in the manner of Georgette Heyer. The plot is a lot of fun. There's suspense but obviously you know in this sort of story what's going to happen at the end. It's predictable yet fresh and fun. I enjoyed following along on Eugenia's journey. The dialogue is witty and amusing. There's a lack of romance in the plot that may not appeal to everyone. Eugenia only understands her feelings at the end and I doubted the hero's feelings for her. They aren't alone together much to develop that relationship. I worry a bit about their future happiness. The kiss happens "off screen" so to speak, with the narrator turning away. It's implied what has just happened and how Eugenia feels. Though I had read this story before, I remembered very little of it and enjoyed discovering it again almost like it was the first time.
Eugenia is very young and silly but she's not stupid. She was raised like a boy and has no idea how to act like a lady. The plans she makes and adventures she has are things a young man might do. She doesn't really know any better and that makes her a charming and appealing heroine. She's a minx and will lead her husband a merry dance but she's a lot of fun. The only thing I didn't like was how she dealt with her feelings at the end but that's understandable given her age and lack of female companionship. I liked Richard but he's a bit too silent and brooding for me. There's hints of a deeper nature to his character but he's never fully allowed to show who he is. His character is a bit underdeveloped. Gerald is not at all appealing. He's an idiot and a care for nobody who is bound to disgrace himself and his family sooner than later. The secondary characters are all original and add more humor to the story. I especially like Lady B.
I highly recommend this book to Georgette Heyer fans and those who like light, fun adventure novels with a dash of romance.
August 16, 2021
Richard, Richard, don’t say that to her!” said Lady Brassborough, horrified; but Richard was already out of the room. “Men!” said Lady Brassborough, regarding her empty cup with dark, disillusioned eyes. “If they can’t make a mull of a love scene one way, they’ll do it another!” She poured herself out another cup of chocolate.I remember Clare Darcy from my youth as the next best thing to Georgette Heyer. Every time I went to the library I would check the shelf on every visit in hopes of a new title magically appearing on the shelf. In those days, before the internet, that’s what you did. I know I read all of her books back then, but strangely I only remember Elyza and Lady Pamela, which I remember were excellent. So I thought I’d give her another try.
On her way to London with her best friend, Muffet, to have her first season and snare a husband, Eugenia comes across a young man in an Inn who is being pursued by Bow Street Runners. She mistakes him for her wild and irresponsible cousin Gerald, but she learns he is really Richard, her cousin and the illegitimate son of the dead heir to a nice property in the country. Gerald is thought to have murdered a coachman while pretending to be a highwayman. Eugenia sets out to prove Richard, and eventually, Gerald is not guilty of the crime by catching the real murderer. At the same time, she is on a mission to prove that Richard's parents were really married making Richard the true heir and thus a man of means. She is lively, redoubtable, and very “managing.”
The romance between Eugenia and Richard is definitely on the back burner and really only exists to provide a happy ending and a hopeful future for them both at the end of the adventure. There is just too many other things going on to spend much time on it: Mistaken identity, impersonation, murder, wrongful accusation, an accidental engagement to the wrong man, family squabbles, and later in the book the introduction of Lady B, an eccentric old tart who is luckily on the side of our heroes and heroines.
The book is engagingly written despite Clare Darcy’s very long run-on sentences. It is not a social comedy as most regencies are, but a romp and an adventure. It is light and fluffy with likable characters and I’ll probably try another one down the road.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
August 13, 2021
I’ve been hearing for so long that Clare Darcy was one of the best of the old-school Regency authors, but finally a bunch of her books are out on Kindle, and I can say it myself - yep, she’s definitely one of the best. This is very much in the Georgette Heyer style of a romp, the pages filled with wildly eccentric (but very funny) characters, an over-the-top (but very funny) plot and a great deal of stylish (but very funny) writing. Did I like it? I loved it!
Here’s the premise: Miss Eugenia Liddiard is leaving Miss Bascom’s Select Academy for Young Ladies in Bath to return to her guardian’s estate. The Earl of Chandross inherited her three years earlier when her father died, whereupon she became just another indigent relation dependent on his lordship, and living at Mere. But now Eugenia is old enough to be fired off into society, to marry and no longer be a charge on her guardian. She has a much more comfortable plan of her own, however. She will marry the neighbour from her old home in Kent, Tom Rowntree, since he’s a childhood playmate, they get on like a house on fire and he’s the brother of her best friend. But on the journey from Bath, she has an unexpected encounter with a previously unsuspected cousin, Richard Liddiard, who’s too ill to resist being scooped up in one of Eugenia’s daring schemes - he’s the spitting image of another cousin, Gerry, so she’ll take him to Mere to recuperate, where he’ll pretend to be Gerry. Which plan goes along swimmingly until Bow Street Runners arrive, looking for Gerry to arrest him for killing a man in a highway robbery gone wrong.
Eugenia is delightfully creative, however, so she devises one plan after another to keep Richard safe from the law, and Gerry, too, when he turns up, not hesitating to involve her friend (Tom’s sister, Muffet), her old nurse and coachman, Tom and his family, and the glorious Lady Brassborough, an actress and all-round strumpet gone more or less respectable, having married one of her many admirers. Here’s a glimpse of her style: ‘Upstairs in her bedchamber Lady Brassborough, […]was being assisted by Hortense, her ancient dresser, into a toilette that was warranted to astound all beholders, consisting of a crimson brocade gown, a turban of crimson satin shot with gold and embellished with a plume of curled ostrich feathers, a tinsel shawl, spangled Spanish slippers, and the Pontowski emeralds, which mounted her majestic bosom in heavy splendour to fall in an unbelievable cascade to her non-existent waist.’
The finale to these shenanigans is so wonderful, I’m not going to spoil it by revealing any of the details. Suffice it to say that Heyer herself could not have concocted anything more perfect. Or perfectly absurd, perhaps. Now, a great many reviews lament that Clare Darcy is not Georgette Heyer, despite some similarities, which is obviously true. Like Jane Austen, Heyer is incomparable and anyone who reads this book expecting to find a faithful imitation of Heyer will be disappointed. But Darcy has her own magnificent style, and although she was clearly influenced by Heyer (as many authors were), she very much puts her own stamp on her own creation.
The romance suffers, as many of the era do, from subservience to the needs of the over-active plot, and from the lack of the hero’s perspective. Nevertheless, the hero is not the overbearing, domineering sort (and all the better for it), and their final denouement is managed with determination, if not a great deal of finesse on his side. But thank heavens for a couple who know their own minds and don’t have to be cajoled into a betrothal, or, which is worse, have their own feelings pointed out to them.
I really enjoyed this, and will be looking out for more by Clare Darcy. Highly recommended for traditionalists. Five stars.
Here’s the premise: Miss Eugenia Liddiard is leaving Miss Bascom’s Select Academy for Young Ladies in Bath to return to her guardian’s estate. The Earl of Chandross inherited her three years earlier when her father died, whereupon she became just another indigent relation dependent on his lordship, and living at Mere. But now Eugenia is old enough to be fired off into society, to marry and no longer be a charge on her guardian. She has a much more comfortable plan of her own, however. She will marry the neighbour from her old home in Kent, Tom Rowntree, since he’s a childhood playmate, they get on like a house on fire and he’s the brother of her best friend. But on the journey from Bath, she has an unexpected encounter with a previously unsuspected cousin, Richard Liddiard, who’s too ill to resist being scooped up in one of Eugenia’s daring schemes - he’s the spitting image of another cousin, Gerry, so she’ll take him to Mere to recuperate, where he’ll pretend to be Gerry. Which plan goes along swimmingly until Bow Street Runners arrive, looking for Gerry to arrest him for killing a man in a highway robbery gone wrong.
Eugenia is delightfully creative, however, so she devises one plan after another to keep Richard safe from the law, and Gerry, too, when he turns up, not hesitating to involve her friend (Tom’s sister, Muffet), her old nurse and coachman, Tom and his family, and the glorious Lady Brassborough, an actress and all-round strumpet gone more or less respectable, having married one of her many admirers. Here’s a glimpse of her style: ‘Upstairs in her bedchamber Lady Brassborough, […]was being assisted by Hortense, her ancient dresser, into a toilette that was warranted to astound all beholders, consisting of a crimson brocade gown, a turban of crimson satin shot with gold and embellished with a plume of curled ostrich feathers, a tinsel shawl, spangled Spanish slippers, and the Pontowski emeralds, which mounted her majestic bosom in heavy splendour to fall in an unbelievable cascade to her non-existent waist.’
The finale to these shenanigans is so wonderful, I’m not going to spoil it by revealing any of the details. Suffice it to say that Heyer herself could not have concocted anything more perfect. Or perfectly absurd, perhaps. Now, a great many reviews lament that Clare Darcy is not Georgette Heyer, despite some similarities, which is obviously true. Like Jane Austen, Heyer is incomparable and anyone who reads this book expecting to find a faithful imitation of Heyer will be disappointed. But Darcy has her own magnificent style, and although she was clearly influenced by Heyer (as many authors were), she very much puts her own stamp on her own creation.
The romance suffers, as many of the era do, from subservience to the needs of the over-active plot, and from the lack of the hero’s perspective. Nevertheless, the hero is not the overbearing, domineering sort (and all the better for it), and their final denouement is managed with determination, if not a great deal of finesse on his side. But thank heavens for a couple who know their own minds and don’t have to be cajoled into a betrothal, or, which is worse, have their own feelings pointed out to them.
I really enjoyed this, and will be looking out for more by Clare Darcy. Highly recommended for traditionalists. Five stars.
March 11, 2017
After Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, Clare Darcy is my next favourite author of Regency romances, and Eugenia is one of her best.
We're used to seeing inside characters' heads, but the opacity of CD's male leads is one of the intriguing things that makes me reread her novels once she reveals that they were smitten from the start and only acted coolly because they were undeserving. Then the nuances of their behaviour, so deftly captured, make me wring out the imagery from every word. I love that I have to work at it a little to understand the hero's behaviour and then the depth is revealed, like a magic eye puzzle.
This story is both delightful and insightful in capturing the indomitable spirit of a young lady determined to set a wrong to rights, together with the limiting realities of being a dependent relation. Although there are far-fetched elements to this yarn, it evokes the period - and aspects we rarely see in other RRs - quite beautifully. I am completely in love with Richard Liddiard - tall, dark, handsome, strong, silent ... and proud in the best sense. He is one of my favourite RR heroes, because he feels like such a good reflection of the real Regency gentleman living on his wits - with an innate code but with no self-pity or tortured passions.
I cherish my battered copy of this book - its pages so yellowed that it's tricky to read.
We're used to seeing inside characters' heads, but the opacity of CD's male leads is one of the intriguing things that makes me reread her novels once she reveals that they were smitten from the start and only acted coolly because they were undeserving. Then the nuances of their behaviour, so deftly captured, make me wring out the imagery from every word. I love that I have to work at it a little to understand the hero's behaviour and then the depth is revealed, like a magic eye puzzle.
This story is both delightful and insightful in capturing the indomitable spirit of a young lady determined to set a wrong to rights, together with the limiting realities of being a dependent relation. Although there are far-fetched elements to this yarn, it evokes the period - and aspects we rarely see in other RRs - quite beautifully. I am completely in love with Richard Liddiard - tall, dark, handsome, strong, silent ... and proud in the best sense. He is one of my favourite RR heroes, because he feels like such a good reflection of the real Regency gentleman living on his wits - with an innate code but with no self-pity or tortured passions.
I cherish my battered copy of this book - its pages so yellowed that it's tricky to read.
May 12, 2020
Good, clean fun. Should I have liked a little more time between Eugenia and Richard? Yes. But I knew Ms. Darcy wasn't going to let me down when the declaration of love finally came and I gotta say, if I could mix this book's plot with the end of maybe, Cressida, or one of the others, I'd have a perfect regency romance novel. I just enjoy Ms. Darcy's leading men. Tall, handsome, that dangerous kind of languid, and properly built. It's like being trash for Hallmark movies. I just am and no apologies.
September 17, 2022
What a charming read!! The storytelling, the pacing, the characters and the scenes were perfect.
Eugenia’s character was absolutely wonderful, I just wish there had been more romance.
This is one of Darcy’s best.
4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Eugenia’s character was absolutely wonderful, I just wish there had been more romance.
This is one of Darcy’s best.
4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
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November 24, 2023I absolutely loved this! Eugenia I'd a fantastic heroine, and Richard adorably serious yet good-natured. The confusion and "twin" mix up and false criminal charges were fun to read. It was a light story not too heavy on the romance at all. (Love is assumed on one side and hit suddenly like a lightening bolt on the other)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2010
I thought for a few dozen pages that this book was going to commit the sin of consigning the Dear Best Friend to the Wastrel Cousin, but I was wrong. I do wonder, though, why Miss Darcy saddled poor Amelia (the Dear Best Friend) with the nickname "Muffet", used throughout the entire book. Come to think of it, Dear Muffet didn't end up engaged, either, but I suppose we may hope she will be.
The male lead was actually appealing this time. He had no glaring character flaws (gambling debts, mistresses, etc.), and he had professed no horror of the matrimonial state. In fact, I think he is Miss Darcy's youngest hero, at about 25. The female lead? Eh, she was OK. I have one more serious quibble, and that is that I believe a Town (London) Season would not be during the summer, based on my idea that anyone who could got out of cities in the summers back then, but I'm sure Miss Darcy's research of the time period is more extensive than my own, since she did some and I have not.
I leave you with this excerpt, which is Eugenia, speaking to her Wastrel Cousin, about their uncle/guardian's current opinion of said Wastrel Cousin: "And when I said if we could find you he might be able to help you to leave the country, he said he would do nothing of the sort, because if he did you would only come back and do something worse -- though what could be worse than murder I really can't think."
The male lead was actually appealing this time. He had no glaring character flaws (gambling debts, mistresses, etc.), and he had professed no horror of the matrimonial state. In fact, I think he is Miss Darcy's youngest hero, at about 25. The female lead? Eh, she was OK. I have one more serious quibble, and that is that I believe a Town (London) Season would not be during the summer, based on my idea that anyone who could got out of cities in the summers back then, but I'm sure Miss Darcy's research of the time period is more extensive than my own, since she did some and I have not.
I leave you with this excerpt, which is Eugenia, speaking to her Wastrel Cousin, about their uncle/guardian's current opinion of said Wastrel Cousin: "And when I said if we could find you he might be able to help you to leave the country, he said he would do nothing of the sort, because if he did you would only come back and do something worse -- though what could be worse than murder I really can't think."
November 9, 2020
I quite enjoyed this fun regency era read. Clare Darcy’s books are very similar to Georgette Heyer’s. But one of the things I love about Heyer’s books is the variety in personality and characteristics among her plethora of heroines and heroes and I haven’t read enough books by Darcy yet to know if she also has that variety.
FYI, Clare Darcy’s books are hard to find as in none of my library systems carry her books and I belong to 4 separate library systems! BUT they are available with a Kindle Unlimited membership at Amazon. And I just got a deal (Nov 2020) on a Kindle Unlimited membership $5 for 2 months.
FYI, Clare Darcy’s books are hard to find as in none of my library systems carry her books and I belong to 4 separate library systems! BUT they are available with a Kindle Unlimited membership at Amazon. And I just got a deal (Nov 2020) on a Kindle Unlimited membership $5 for 2 months.
December 25, 2022
4-4.5 stars, with this kind of plot a longer book would’ve been much nicer I think, especially the ending felt a bit rushed to wrap things up and hero and heroine didn’t get too much time together because of circumstances. But still a very enjoyable book with some great witty one-liners!
May 5, 2021
I love me a book that has a spunky heroine. This book wasn't merely a cute romance, it's main focus was on the predicament that Eugenia and her new-found cousin Richard find themselves in because Richard is a look-alike to Eugenia's other cousin Gerry - who is a rascal and all-around naughty boy. Naughty Cousin is accused of really bad naughtiness, and - of course - Richard is being chased by the Bow Runners because he looks like Naughty Cousin and they think Richard is Gerry. But everything works out in the end with the help of (my favorite character in the book) Lady B.
Quite liked this one. Super clean and quite engaging.
Recommend.
Quite liked this one. Super clean and quite engaging.
Recommend.
February 20, 2021
Not Georgette Heyer, but a remarkable facsimile. I was amazed to discover that the author was American. She has the Regency period and language down to a nicety, as one of the characters might say. The plotting was good, I enjoyed the characters, and if I hadn’t been a Heyer aficionado, I would have given this five stars. But 4.5 is still excellent
January 2, 2020
Clare Darcy was a decent writer in the traditional, clean regency romance genre. Sadly, she was no Georgette Heyer.
July 7, 2024
Clare Darcy's heroines have a penchant for harebrained schemes that usually end up working out, despite there being about a thousand sketchy things about the plan. Sometimes these plots work and other times they don't. The basis for success in these types of stories is whether or not the main pairing work together and connect organically with the conflict. The ones that work involve characters that we might believe would jump into danger, and conflicts that - while not entirely organic - serve the characters path to romance. I don't think the character-conflict cycle works at all in Victoire, but it does in Lady Pamela and here in Eugenia.
Eugenia is a pretty typical impetuous Darcy heroine who is young, naive, unreasonable but pragmatic, and willing to put herself in harm's way (often unnecessarily) for the sake of an impulse and the benefit of the downcast. Richard, though a bit under-characterized by comparison, is a solid and serious man who's down on his luck and rolls the dice on Eugenia's crazy schemes because his prospects seem shaky at best anyway.
The romance develops convincingly, with Eugenia and Richard both having to overcome internal and external obstacles to get to the finish line. I thought the ending of the book had all the plot-lines dovetail in a very satisfying way like in a Shakespearean comedy (I'm thinking specifically of A Comedy of Errors and plays like that); there are no loose ends and no unnecessary epilogue. I think the tropes here are ones that work more often than not, including confused identity, pretending to be someone else, and the ingenue's jumble of lies. Some other tropes involved here include: framed for murder, her first London season, bad weather inciting incident, Bow Street runner investigation, previously sexy woman of the Stage who married about her station, and the recalcitrant ward. Some of these work better than others, but overall, I enjoyed this short book quite a lot and have it marked for reread.
Darcy's books don't reinvent the wheel or offer anything incredible by way of plotting, but the way she writes her heroines definitely leads to a lot of laughs. I think her books could've benefited from being a bit longer, but they're quick and pleasant for what they are.
Eugenia is a pretty typical impetuous Darcy heroine who is young, naive, unreasonable but pragmatic, and willing to put herself in harm's way (often unnecessarily) for the sake of an impulse and the benefit of the downcast. Richard, though a bit under-characterized by comparison, is a solid and serious man who's down on his luck and rolls the dice on Eugenia's crazy schemes because his prospects seem shaky at best anyway.
The romance develops convincingly, with Eugenia and Richard both having to overcome internal and external obstacles to get to the finish line. I thought the ending of the book had all the plot-lines dovetail in a very satisfying way like in a Shakespearean comedy (I'm thinking specifically of A Comedy of Errors and plays like that); there are no loose ends and no unnecessary epilogue. I think the tropes here are ones that work more often than not, including confused identity, pretending to be someone else, and the ingenue's jumble of lies. Some other tropes involved here include: framed for murder, her first London season, bad weather inciting incident, Bow Street runner investigation, previously sexy woman of the Stage who married about her station, and the recalcitrant ward. Some of these work better than others, but overall, I enjoyed this short book quite a lot and have it marked for reread.
Darcy's books don't reinvent the wheel or offer anything incredible by way of plotting, but the way she writes her heroines definitely leads to a lot of laughs. I think her books could've benefited from being a bit longer, but they're quick and pleasant for what they are.
April 23, 2025
I read this novel in Italian.
Here is my review in Italian.
________
Mentre lo si legge si ha netta la sensazione che sia stato tagliato (io odio le versione ridotte dei libri!) e navigando per Internet scopro che la versione originale è lunga 219 pagine, contro le 175 di quella italiana. Il dubbio cresce!
I personaggi principali sembrano troppo superficiali, a partire da Eugenia, una tipetta tutto pepe, che non ferma mai la lingua e che si butta in mille avventure senza pensare troppo. Ma, conoscendo la penna della Darcy, credo che questa mancanza di approfondimento sia dovuta ai tagli nella traduzione.
Ho trovato molto interessante il richiamo all’Irlanda, non raro nei libri della Darcy, con il personaggio di Richard (il personaggio sicuramente più approfondito e che entra maggiormente nel cuore dei lettori) che racconta il suo passato in questa terra verde e il ruolo dei sacerdoti cattolici nell’aiutarlo quando era rimasto orfano molto giovane.
Molto divertente il personaggio di Lady Brassborough, una matura gentildonna di dubbia reputazione ma di mente assai fine e brillante, capace di architettare piani assurdi ma realizzabili e di intuire l’animo umano con pochi sguardi.
Complessivamente la lettura è piacevole (la scena più bella è quella dell’incontro nella locanda), la descrizione dei due ragazzi uguali ma diversi è stuzzicante (la Darcy cerca di farli distinguere al lettore in base a come si vestono, a come si siedono, a come parlano) e quando si chiude il libro si rimane con la voglia di conoscere meglio questi personaggi, che con il passare delle pagine sono diventati quasi degli amici (come in ogni libro che si rispetti).
Here is my review in Italian.
________
Mentre lo si legge si ha netta la sensazione che sia stato tagliato (io odio le versione ridotte dei libri!) e navigando per Internet scopro che la versione originale è lunga 219 pagine, contro le 175 di quella italiana. Il dubbio cresce!
I personaggi principali sembrano troppo superficiali, a partire da Eugenia, una tipetta tutto pepe, che non ferma mai la lingua e che si butta in mille avventure senza pensare troppo. Ma, conoscendo la penna della Darcy, credo che questa mancanza di approfondimento sia dovuta ai tagli nella traduzione.
Ho trovato molto interessante il richiamo all’Irlanda, non raro nei libri della Darcy, con il personaggio di Richard (il personaggio sicuramente più approfondito e che entra maggiormente nel cuore dei lettori) che racconta il suo passato in questa terra verde e il ruolo dei sacerdoti cattolici nell’aiutarlo quando era rimasto orfano molto giovane.
Molto divertente il personaggio di Lady Brassborough, una matura gentildonna di dubbia reputazione ma di mente assai fine e brillante, capace di architettare piani assurdi ma realizzabili e di intuire l’animo umano con pochi sguardi.
Complessivamente la lettura è piacevole (la scena più bella è quella dell’incontro nella locanda), la descrizione dei due ragazzi uguali ma diversi è stuzzicante (la Darcy cerca di farli distinguere al lettore in base a come si vestono, a come si siedono, a come parlano) e quando si chiude il libro si rimane con la voglia di conoscere meglio questi personaggi, che con il passare delle pagine sono diventati quasi degli amici (come in ogni libro che si rispetti).
October 14, 2021
It’s been a long time since I read any book by Clare Darcy. I vaguely remembered enjoying them, so when I saw her books were now available in ebook form, I took a chance.
I’m very glad that I did. Eugenia is a very fun and funny read. Eugenia is a heroine and she seems to get involved in schemes fairly easily. She drags her best friend Muffet along with her which makes it easier for her but a tad more difficult for Muffet.
In this story, Eugenia is heading to Mere, the country seat of her uncle who is also her guardian. She has finished school and is about to make her come-out in London. Her aunt wants her out of her hair immediately and will find a husband for her, one way or another.
Eugenia gets side-tracked when she comes across someone she knows but then things go topsy-turvy. Reading about the hi-jinks was not conducive to sleep, so I ended up reading this as day time fare rather than go to sleep fare. I didn’t want to put it down.
I’ll be reading more of her books in the near future.
I’m very glad that I did. Eugenia is a very fun and funny read. Eugenia is a heroine and she seems to get involved in schemes fairly easily. She drags her best friend Muffet along with her which makes it easier for her but a tad more difficult for Muffet.
In this story, Eugenia is heading to Mere, the country seat of her uncle who is also her guardian. She has finished school and is about to make her come-out in London. Her aunt wants her out of her hair immediately and will find a husband for her, one way or another.
Eugenia gets side-tracked when she comes across someone she knows but then things go topsy-turvy. Reading about the hi-jinks was not conducive to sleep, so I ended up reading this as day time fare rather than go to sleep fare. I didn’t want to put it down.
I’ll be reading more of her books in the near future.
February 28, 2018
Along the lines of Georgette Heyer, this book was humorous and a fun read. Nothing too serious and quite predictable. But I feel like knowing the plot didn't matter. What mattered was enjoying the ride. A lot of descriptive detail in the book. At times I found myself skipping it. But you have to be careful doing that because the author puts in a few pertinent information in the middle of the descriptions. 3-3.5
Read
March 21, 2020This seems to be the last of Clare Darcy's Regency romances published as ebooks at this time. It's a pleasant book starring a lovely heroine, Eugenia. She decides she will marry her childhood friend, Tom, thus ensuring that she will not be a burden to her family. On her travel to advise him she meets Richard Liddiard, a cousin from America, who is wanted for murder and mixes up all her future plans. Not especially fun or bubbling, but pleasant.
November 14, 2021
I've been positively ploughing through Clare Darcy's Regency novels and this adorable romance is absolutely my favourite of the lot so far. The blurbs are totally accurate - she is the closest to Heyer I've ever read and trust me I've read them all. How that horrible Bridgerton got made when there are so many indescribably better regency romances around is a complete mystery to me but thank got I don't have to read that bilge to satisfy my Regency cravings.
July 4, 2020
Loved the story
Eugenia was a very engaging and I loved how her character drove the story ( which was great fun to read). What I learned of Richard I liked, but UNlike our heroine, it was more difficult to get a firm grasp of his character & personality. Otherwise this would have been 5 ⭐️
Eugenia was a very engaging and I loved how her character drove the story ( which was great fun to read). What I learned of Richard I liked, but UNlike our heroine, it was more difficult to get a firm grasp of his character & personality. Otherwise this would have been 5 ⭐️
July 9, 2021
I love the main characters, the side one and the story. I love every bit of the story. She really writes adventurous characters like Heyer does!
August 1, 2022
Darling book.
August 16, 2023
I liked it
I may have found another good author. I'll try a few more of her books and see. This one was fun with some adventure and comedy and good relationships and characters.
I may have found another good author. I'll try a few more of her books and see. This one was fun with some adventure and comedy and good relationships and characters.
December 10, 2025
Closest to Heyer!
December 8, 2020
I’d heard great things about Darcy’s work and that she is comparable to Heyer. I found this Regency romp a bit boring and ended up skimming through passages.
July 2, 2015
There seems to be some snobbery in the comparisons between Georgette Heyer and Clare Darcy, but I find Ms Darcy's voice and style really excellent.
One difference they share with many Regency romances of more recent years, is that they give almost no explicit insight as to what the hero is thinking or feeling. It has to be deduced from their words and actions, which are often rather cryptic, influenced as they are by the dictates of gentlemanly conduct.
Personally, I think Richard Liddiard is one of my favorite regency heroes of all time. He's not a tortured duke or a rampant rake. He's a young gentleman forced to live off his wits and with his possible birthright tantalizingly dangled before him. The comparison between him and his 'twin' cousin brings the differences in their upbringing very subtly and beautifully to life.
His early tension with the enterprising Eugenia tells of his feelings, as does his decision(against his better judgement) to fall in with her schemes.
The denouement left a little to be desired (with the fat lady almost singing), but this remains one of my most treasured keepers ... as does Julia and Caroline.
One difference they share with many Regency romances of more recent years, is that they give almost no explicit insight as to what the hero is thinking or feeling. It has to be deduced from their words and actions, which are often rather cryptic, influenced as they are by the dictates of gentlemanly conduct.
Personally, I think Richard Liddiard is one of my favorite regency heroes of all time. He's not a tortured duke or a rampant rake. He's a young gentleman forced to live off his wits and with his possible birthright tantalizingly dangled before him. The comparison between him and his 'twin' cousin brings the differences in their upbringing very subtly and beautifully to life.
His early tension with the enterprising Eugenia tells of his feelings, as does his decision(against his better judgement) to fall in with her schemes.
The denouement left a little to be desired (with the fat lady almost singing), but this remains one of my most treasured keepers ... as does Julia and Caroline.
April 30, 2016
Miss Eugenia Liddiard was utterly charmed with her solution to the marriage muddle. Since she must find a husband in her first season (to wait longer would be to disoblige her guardians), she made the practical choice of Tom, her childhood country playmate and her best friend's brother. She and Tom would suit famously and live amicably ever after...
But on her way to proposing to the unsuspecting intended, Eugenia was waylaid by the predicament of one Richard Liddiard, a newly discovered and darkly handsome cousin. Richard was earnestly sought by the Bow Street Runners for murder--a case of mistaken identity the enterprising Eugenia could not resist trying to put right. Soon she was one step ahead of the law--and one perilous step behind the real culprit. Bt the true danger lay in the bold, smoldering gazes the captivating Richard!
Definitely a better read than the first I tried (Elyza), nearer to a Georgette Heyer story but still lacking GH's humour. But an easy, relaxing read which is what I was looking for.
But on her way to proposing to the unsuspecting intended, Eugenia was waylaid by the predicament of one Richard Liddiard, a newly discovered and darkly handsome cousin. Richard was earnestly sought by the Bow Street Runners for murder--a case of mistaken identity the enterprising Eugenia could not resist trying to put right. Soon she was one step ahead of the law--and one perilous step behind the real culprit. Bt the true danger lay in the bold, smoldering gazes the captivating Richard!
Definitely a better read than the first I tried (Elyza), nearer to a Georgette Heyer story but still lacking GH's humour. But an easy, relaxing read which is what I was looking for.
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