Sylvester or The Wicked Uncle

by Georgette Heyer, Joan Wolf (Introduction)

Sylvester, Duke of Salford, has exacting requirements for a bride. Then he meets Phoebe Marlow, a young lady with literary aspirations, and suddenly life becomes very complicated. She meets none of his criteria, and even worse, she has written a novel that is sweeping through the ton and causing all kinds of gossip... and he's the main character!

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

410 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

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]

Final update: upping my rating from 3 stars to 4 stars on reread. Definitely worth the extra star, if only for Sylvester’s little nephew totally cracking me up several times. He’s a scene-stealer!

Update: Rereading in May 2019 with the GH group. I'm hoping that this will be one of those GH books that I find much more charming on reread! (It does happen!)

Take one somewhat arrogant, self-assured duke with very distinctive slanted eyebrows:

(I'm thinking Zachary Quinto as Spock, minus the ears. And the odd haircut.)*

*Some of my GR friends objected to Spock as Sylvester. Comment #22 contains perhaps a better visual image. :)

and one intelligent, awkward, impulsive, average-looking girl with unfashionably tanned skin, a wicked wit and a habit of putting recognizable members of the ton in her novels:

(her skin isn't tanned enough here but I like that she's holding a book.)

Add a great platonic guy friend, a spoiled nephew with a penchant for incorporating into his vocabulary any bad words that he hears, and various irascible relatives. Mix well.

Georgette Heyer fans will find a lot to love here. The proposal scene toward the end was notable for its echoes of the first Darcy proposal in Pride and Prejudice, except even more awkward, hard as that may be to believe. I thought it was a little slow in parts, but overall it was a traditional good Regency read.

[Christmas Carol ꧁꧂ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confession: I needed a little pick-me-up, so I had finished this novel before the Georgette Fans Group started their reread.

A lot of really interesting things struck me this time & reminded me why this is still a 5★ read for me.

♥ Original plot idea.
♥ Great secondary characters. Even if they only appear briefly in the story, I remember them.
♥ The hero shows character development, but doesn't turn into a completely different person. Total reformation of the man you love is never a healthy aspiration.
♥ Some of GH's most romantic scenes. I've reread them twice since finishing this book.
♥ Thomas Orde is one of Gh's best secondary characters. I just love him.


If you are a not a fan of ingenue heroines, Phoebe is the final one GH wrote. Cressy from False Colours is only 20, but an extremely mature personality.

I know in previous reads other members have found Sylvester's nephew Edmund a very young six, but he probably wasn't both for the time he was written, when GH wrote this (1950s) & the lack of socialisation with his peers. I quite enjoyed Edmund this time around.

I realise these are more like notes than a proper review, but this is my second review on Goodreads & I have read this particular title between 30-50 times.

I'm cutting myself some slack. 😍

7/7/22

My third reread since being on GR! Still love this book!

https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sylvester was just not...?
I guess he just wasn't whatever it takes to make a romantic lead for me.
He started off very unlikable and haughty, but that was fine because I love those stories where you can't stand the guy at first, so there's this anticipation while you wait for the author to flip the tables and make you fall for him. You know, all of a sudden, you're seeing everything from a different angle and you realize things weren't what they seemed, or maybe he has a come-to-Jesus experience and changes his naughty ways.
Either way, I'm here for it because there's just nothing like an enemies-to-lovers romance, in my book.
Sadly, Sylvester never really achieved true redemption. Or at least, he didn't cross that finish line sufficiently enough for me.



On the bright side, the plot was wacky enough for me to be sufficiently entertained all the way through this rather short rom-com.
The skinny gist is that Sylvester decides it's time to find a wife, has no real preference one way or another for any of the cool chicks he knows, and gets talked into going to meet his godmother's awkward & plain granddaughter.
Phoebe, said awkward & plain young lady, while admittedly very unhappy at home with her father & stepmother, has zero interest in marrying an eligible duke.
Why?
Because she's secretly a novelist who is planning to leave home and live with her elderly governess.
She don't need a man.



Due to a series of bungled communications, she's also under the impression that Sylvester is definitely going to make her an offer of marriage and that she will be forced to marry him.
So she convinces her oldest friend (a young man named Thomas) to sneak her out of the house and deliver her to her grandmother's doorstep.
To spice it up, her first novel is just about to be (anonymously) published, and she based the villain off Sylvester in a very obvious way. Ouch!
And to add an extra special layer of crazy on top, Sylvester is in charge of his little nephew now that his twin brother is dead, and he's fighting with the boy's mother over custody.
What? Yeah, that's a whole thing, but you don't feel bad for the mother because she's kind of terrible at her job.



Anyway.
The story is nuts and really kind of goes off the rails at the end. But in a somewhat enjoyable way, if you know what I mean?
At the end of the day, even though I never really liked Sylvester, I'd still recommend it to Georgette Heyer fans just for the batshit plot.

[Rebecca May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the third novel of Georgette Heyer’s that I found, again under the guise of an audio-book narrated by Richard Armitage. I have extolled all of Richard Armitage’s many virtues as a narrator in previous reviews, and I shall continue to do so until someone gets sick of it and tells me to shut the hell up… and maybe not even then. As usual his reading was perfectly paced, pleasant to listen to, and his vocal range deeply impressive. What I particularly enjoyed in this one was the fact that some of his accents seemed slightly more… countrified, than in his other narrations. Those voices that he did “countrify” were appropriate, and conversely his depiction of Sylvester was perfectly aristocratic. I absolutely loved it.

Now then, I have seen Sylvester occasionally compared to Pride and Prejudice, which I think is frankly rather absurd. Aside from Phoebe’s original and incidentally mostly well-founded prejudice against the Duke of Salford, there is almost nothing in the plot to allow for an adequate comparison of the two. However, I do believe it to be perfectly reasonable to compare the character of Sylvester, Duke of Salford, to that of Mr Darcy. To that end, I’m going to try and keep going through the review what I’m going to call – very pretentiously, I might add, but I can’t help myself - “The Darcy Simile”.

The first few chapters of the novel I found to be very entertaining, and also very well placed. Without these chapters at the start which gave the reader an opportunity to get to know Sylvester, and some of the reasons behind his arrogance, I am sure I would have found him to be quite a stuck up, unsatisfactory hero until these things were explained. In terms of “The Darcy Simile”, the Duke of Salford does have more actual pride and arrogance than Mr Darcy, but while Darcy’s seeming coldness stemmed from shyness, Sylvester’s arrogance stemmed from his devastation over the death of his brother. Even after four years he still hasn’t entirely recovered, and as such has become a little uncaring, more from a habit of keeping people at an emotional arms-length than anything else. But Salford, like Darcy, is not arrogant in the usual sense of the word.

“Sylvester, who did not arrive at parties very late, take his bored leave within half an hour of his arrival, leave invitations unanswered, stare unrecognizingly at one of his tenants, or fail to exchange a few words with every one of his guests on public days at Chance, was not very likely to believe that a charge of arrogance levelled against him was anything but a calumny.”

Needless to say, Sylvester’s character is vastly intriguing – arrogant, yet not in the usual style, and unable to realize that arrogance goes a little deeper than the above description. Sylvester clearly needs to learn, as he does over the course of the novel, that nobility is more than skin-deep; it is more than simply acting in order to sustain the view that others have of your supposedly noble character. He was a little uncaring, but still able to joke and sometimes act kindly on an impulse. In other words, he was temperamental, a quality which I actually quite like. There were three other things that endeared him to me, in these first chapters. First was his easy, very loving relationship with his Mama, about whom I shall speak later. Secondly, I liked his clear intelligence, and his consequent ability to deliver very amusing, very witty retorts. And thirdly was his affection for his little nephew, Edmund, which becomes even more apparent later on in the story.

Here again I found a strong resemblance to Mr Darcy: even when Darcy still seemed a bit proud, I’m sure many readers – not just me – are very much touched by the way he loves and dotes upon his sister Georgiana. The same was true of Sylvester, and remembering his attitude towards his nephew was something I had to make myself remember, later in the novel, during times when it seemed that Sylvester did not have very many qualities about him that I could like.

Where the “Darcy Simile” falls down rather heavily is in the character of Sylvester’s mother, Elizabeth, the Duchess of Salford. The only character she could really be compared to in Pride and Prejudice is Lady Catherine, and while I despise Lady Catherine, I don’t think I’ve ever felt such affection for a character as I have for the Duchess of Salford. Oh, of course I have fallen in love with a great many heroes, and felt for many heroines as I would for a sister, but there have not, I believe, been any secondary characters which I hold in more affection and esteem that this lovely woman.

Sylvester’s Mama is kept in relative seclusion due to an arthritic complaint, and yet unlike so many other Regency ladies, she does not ask anyone to pity her, and actually contrives to exist in perfect happiness, with her relatives and her novels to occupy her. Aside from her admirable strength, her love for her son is so very clear, she is well-informed with a sharp intellect, and perhaps one of the kindest women I have ever read about. I felt sorry for her, being so disquieted by the suspicion that her son had become arrogant. And it brought tears to my eyes when at one point in the novel – I shan’t say when – she addresses young Phoebe Marlowe with such tender affection that Phoebe, never having encountered such affection before, falls to her knees next to Sylvester’s mama, and cries her poor little heart out.

In any case, after those first few chapters of the book involving Sylvester and his mother, the story moves to focus upon the heroine, Miss Phoebe Marlowe. There was a period of time upon first encountering the heroine that I found the novel to be almost dull. It was for, shall we say, a period of about twenty minutes to half an hour in audiobook terms, and not even Richard Armitage’s dulcet tones could keep me from becoming just the slightest bit bored. Though undoubtedly a lovely girl with a pleasant talent for writing and an unfortunate tendency to allow herself to be oppressed by her family, there was – at least to begin with - very little in Phoebe Marlowe’s character to recommend her to me. And upon the Duke of Salford arriving to visit her, and seeing his behaviour, I came to the uncomfortable conclusion that I did not – for the moment – very much like either of the main characters in the novel, though both had redeeming features which gave me some hope.

One character I did really like was Tom, Phoebe’s childhood friend. He was an honourable, blunt young man, with an incredibly loyal heart, and not afraid of plain speaking, even when it would get him into trouble. He made me laugh, especially when he told Phoebe that they must run away, as a Gretna Green marriage was the only thing that could save her, and then asked her what in the world she was laughing at. Of course, what Phoebe is trying to escape from is the threat of being married to the Duke of Salford, as her foolish father and overbearing stepmother have told her that this evidently insufferably proud man came to visit them in order to propose to her. But her plan is rather more sensible than Tom’s; she decides to go to her grandmother – also, incidentally, Sylvester’s godmother – in London. So off they go, and accidentally overturn Tom’s fathers’ curricle, breaking poor Tom’s leg in the process. And of course, who should find them trapped at a country inn? Yes, awkwardly enough, it is the Duke of Salford.

I shan’t give too much away about the plot from there, but suffice it to say that Phoebe and Tom come to know and like Sylvester, during the time they are trapped at the inn, due to the snow. Sylvester’s brand of arrogance becomes very clearly defined during his stay at the country inn, but so too does his wonderful sense of humour, his charm, and the kindness that he does indeed possess, brought out a little more than usual by Miss Phoebe Marlowe. I really came to like Sylvester – and Phoebe – in this part of the book. However, there was one particular part - after Tom tells Sylvester that Phoebe was running away from the actually non-existent threat of an offer from the Duke – where I truly wanted to slap Sylvester, I was so angry at his despicable, vengeful thought;

“He became possessed of a strong desire to teach Miss Marlowe a lesson. What was it Tom had said? Nothing would induce her to marry you? A little too cocksure, Miss Marlowe. The opportunity will not be granted you. But let us see if you can be made to feel sorry.”

Oh, how that made my blood boil. What a despicable, unworthy, cruel thought! But in all other respects Sylvester’s behaviour is perfectly amiable, teasing and amusing, so I was eventually able to forgive him his transgression in that area. One woman whose attitude I find very hard to forgive or even to tolerate, was the character of Lady Ianthe Rayne. Ianthe was the wife of Sylvester’s twin brother, who died right after his son Edmund was born. At first I was indignant about the idea that Sylvester should expect such a young lady never to go out into society or marry again.

I was even more indignant at the thought of her being separated from her young child; Sylvester being Edmund’s guardian and insisting he be raised at Chance, even if Ianthe should remarry and move away. However, upon learning who she wanted to marry, and learning of how little real, unselfish affection she had for her child, I found it very hard to retain any sympathy for her. In all fairness I must say there was very little harm in her, in that she doesn’t mean to hurt others, but she’s one of those typical, weak, silly Regency ladies I find it hard not to despise. Again though, in all fairness, there was no real malice in her, so I could like her… just a little.

Anyway, eventually Phoebe arrives in London, and out of the way of her despicable, cruel stepmother, Phoebe’s character really begins to flower. She is smart, precocious, unfailingly kind, and a very honourable little thing. I loved reading of her and of Sylvester in London, but unfortunately Phoebe manages to get herself into such a scrape that I was alternately holding my breath in anxiety for her, and trying not to cry for her pain. I will say – trying not to give anything away – that there is a time, in London, when Sylvester is unspeakably and deliberately cruel to poor Miss Marlowe. I felt very much for both of them, understanding his anger and her true regret and sorrow, but deliberate cruelty is one of the few things I find it very, very hard to forgive. What he says to her has me in tears every single time. The combination of Georgette’s flawless writing and the brilliant way in which Richard reads the scene is perfectly calculated to shatter my poor heart with sympathy and sorrow; mostly for Phoebe, but also for Sylvester.

Well now, that’s all I can really say without spoiling anything major, but I cannot resist talking about the final events of the novel, especially as they give me such a lovely opportunity to further my “Darcy Simile”. So, without further ado…

Imagine - imagine! Lady Ianthe and her new idiot husband actually carried poor Phoebe and Tom off on a ship! I couldn’t help laughing, but I was also biting my nails with anxiety, wondering how in the world this was going to be fixed. Really, for a book that got a little dull near beginning, it truly became amazing. Especially when Sylvester finally discovers Phoebe, Tom and little Edmund – whom Ianthe was effectively kidnapping, though she was his mother – in France. Here, I think, Ianthe reaches her worst point in the entire novel, in accusing Sylvester of never caring so much for his twin brother, Harry. Sylvester’s reaction easily smashed my poor heart into pieces all over again, and I felt the overwhelming need to pull him out of the story and give him a hug. Needless to say, the Duke had again endeared himself to me at this point, especially as he is almost unbelievably sweet with his young nephew, but then… the proposal scene, back in the port at London.

Honestly, both Mr Darcy and the Duke of Salford need to learn that it really, really isn’t a good idea to piss off or insult your heroine in some way before proposing to her. Men, how foolish they can sometimes be! The accusations that Sylvester throws at Phoebe are nothing short of cruel, when she is already so obviously distressed. I felt so badly for both of them – Sylvester truly in love and having no idea how he managed to screw up so badly, and Phoebe trying not to be in love because she believes it’s only Sylvester's pride that drives him to offer for her. I dare not spoil how the novel ends, as it is too precious to spoil, but as with almost all of Georgette Heyer’s novels, it is utterly perfect.

I think I have now said all I need to say about Sylvester; well, you would have to hope so, wouldn’t you, after I've carried on so? So I will finish simply by saying that the perfect elegance of Georgette Heyer’s writing never fails to amaze me, her characters are so well drawn that you cannot help but feel something towards all of them, and there is nothing so beautiful as the emotion that comes pouring through these pages. Richard Armitage reads extremely well, as always, and listening to him read Sylvester was very pleasant. Anyone who loves Georgette Heyer’s work – or indeed, Regency romances – would do well to read Sylvester. I won’t deny it has its low points, but in the end, it is just as worthy of praise as any other of Heyer’s beautiful novels.

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

After many, many years of reading her books I still cannot fault Georgette Heyer as the best writer of Regency fiction. Some of her books are marginally better than others but they are all good and I always read (reread) them when I feel that I need a treat!
Sylvester is one of my favourites. It actually starts off rather slowly but once our main characters arrive at the inn (most of Miss Heyer's best action takes place in wayside inns) the pace picks up. I actually sat and read from this point right through to the end because I was enjoying it so much.
Now I feel very much like picking up another one.........

[Kim Kaso · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a special place in my heart as it always reminds me of my mother's laughter. I remember coming up the stairs listening to her laugh while she was reading in bed. I lent her Sylvester to read, I had read many GH novels with my best friend, but we did not think to lend them to our mothers until we got older. For a time, they were ours, no adults welcome. But by HS, my mom and I were trading books back and forth, & Sylvester was her first. How it made her laugh, and now that she is gone and I am older than she was then, it is a gift to have the memory of her laughter and delight in the antics of "Sparrow" her "Dook" and the precocious Edmund, his feather-brained and self-involved mother, as well as the natty nabob, and the many others who filled this book and made it a rollicking ride. Very highly recommended, especially if you need a cure for the blues, as I did while re-reading it.

Reread May 2019 with GH Fans group: It still makes me laugh & smile, it still brightens my mood in these often dark times. Am sending a copy to my daughter to spread the cheer.

[Hana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars, rounded up. I had mixed feelings about Sylvester. I thought the plot dragged a bit in some spots and got a bit overwrought in others, but the two lead characters carried the book for me, and on balance I've begun to think this might be one of Heyer's most psychologically astute romances.

While I normally find it hard to warm up to Heyer's arrogant nobleman protagonists, I actually started to like Sylvester right from the moment on page three when he sees the 'small scampering figure' of his young nephew escaping from his nurse and tutor. Sylvester's internal debate about whether to lean out the window to wish Edmund success in his adventure is full of humor, sensitivity and an acute understanding of the family dynamics. But he's not easy for people to get close to, and we gradually learn why as the book progresses. I particularly enjoyed Sylvester's relationship with his mother, the Duchess; she plays a role in three pivotal scenes and her gentle wisdom makes all the difference for our hero and heroine.

Phoebe, the heroine, reminded me a bit of Catherine Moreland in Northanger Abbey--she has such a vivid imagination and it sometimes runs away with her. But while Catherine Moreland spends her time reading trashy romantic novels (and getting into trouble because of them), Phoebe has spent her time writing one and the novel-within-a-novel theme is so much fun!

Phoebe fascinated me. She has clearly been suffering all her life from verbal abuse and neglect and yet she has retained (or probably better, restrained) a wicked sense of humor, quick understanding, more than a bit of a temper, and a sharp tongue.

Had she had a wiser, more understanding family, those traits might have been gently guided and softened. As it is, her step-mother simply clamped a lid on Phoebe and sealed her shut like a pressure cooker, and poor Phoebe really has only her BFF young Tom Orde with whom to let off steam. I suppose Miss Battery is of some help, but she seems rather emotionally undeveloped. One more thing about Phoebe that rather amazed me: she is still capable of real compassion and kindness, despite everything that the adults in her life have done--and failed to do for her.

I would have liked a little more sweetness and light, but I think Sylvester and Phoebe are both really wounded and the bickering is part of the way they fight through their blocks: Sylvester is naturally reserved and has a protective shell he's worn since his brother died and Phoebe has all the accumulated hurts and hypersensitivity and awkwardness of years of isolation. Love and trust can't possibly come easily for either of them.

Sylvester's scene with his mother towards the end of the book is wonderful, and I loved the intelligent and sensitive way that she intervenes to set Phoebe and Sylvester on the right course. The Duchess is the wisest person that Phoebe has ever had in her life and I think that if this marriage succeeds it will be in no small way due to her.

Content Rating G: A clean read.

Read with the Georgette Heyer Fans group, which added so much to my appreciation! https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this many years ago and do not remember it at all. My tastes have changed so much that when I reread an author I adored as a youth, now I find many of the books to be just ok. This is one of them. I give the book a 3.5 and round up to 4 for nostalgia. Some dialogue was the witty repartee that I remember. Other was just a bit plodding. My favorite character was a secondary one, the neighbor. I totally enjoyed his no nonsense approach to the minor dramas that make up much of the book.

[Piyangie · Rating 3 out of 5]

With each read of Georgette Heyer, I'm more and more drawn towards her. I believe she brings out the best in this genre. As was said in a previous review of mine, Heyer well understands what is expected of this genre. She keeps her story light with her excellent writing, creates interesting characters, and works well on the chemistry and romance between the main duo. Sylvester, with its minor blemishes, is another fine product of these combined effects.

The interest in the story was mostly held by the two leading characters, Phoebe and Sylvester, the Duke of Salford. And where they blundered, Thomas, Phoebe's childhood friend, filled in admirably. The antics of Phoebe and Tom made the reading a humourous experience. The story was good and quite well written. Except for my wish for some editing in certain parts and a bit more drawn-out romance between Pheobe and Sylvester, I found no complaints. The subplot, I found to be equally interesting. The bond between uncle "Vester" and his little nephew, Edmund, was very touching. And Edmund's mother and stepfather added additional comic relief to the already fun read.

The light entertaining style of Heyer is greatly enjoyable. I find it very soothing. And her stories flow smoothly without jerky twists and turns. That itself is quite comforting. I'm a reader who reads multiple books simultaneously, and Heyer's novels make my overtaxed brain feel relaxed. Some contemporary authors made me so tired of this genre, but Heyer is already regenerating my interest.

More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Latest re-read (listen) with my daughter on our commutes. Still a favorite and the scene when he goes to his mother in the end? Yeah, that's my favorite Heyer scene, ever. He's just so broken and lost and humbled. And he needed all those things and they could only be fixed by Phoebe. The last third still drags a bit for me, but that's because I'm so familiar with the story now that I can't wait to get to that favorite scene...

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've listened to this one probably about ten million times, it's one of my favourite go-to's during long studio hours and I just LOVE it ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT IT'S ABRIDGED.

How dare they cut even a sentence of this wonderful story?!

Richard Armitage does a stellar job as usual, his impersonation of Sylvester was per-fection and I just can't tire of listening to it.

IT'S SO GOOD. <3

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person · Rating 5 out of 5]

This time, I listened to the eAudio from Hoopla. I own the Sourcebooks dead tree edition and later bought the kindle edition at a steep price reduction.

Pre-GR, I discovered Georgette Heyer and this was the very first of her books that I read. I reamember that breathily hyperventilated, panted and was extraordinarily exhilarated as I read this. It was THAT good the first time I read this book and the pages turned themselves. This book, unlike others of Georgette Heyer's that are my favorites, I have read comparatively few times. I think this is perhaps only the fifth time I've read this. This time around I listened to the eAudio edition.

I admit that I missed some things on that first reading. I missed what would be in my top 4 most romantic and moving expressions of feeling in my romance reading. Two others that moved me in this way are in M/M Romance books. The other in Wuthering Heights. Here it is folks, tympani please:

1) The hero, upon acknowledgement of her fine seat on a horse as one of the best (the heroine would rather stay in the stable hobnobbing with stable hands than attending a ball), asking the heroine if she would do the honor of allowing him to mount her (provide her with a horse to ride, because the one provided by her relatives is a spiritless shuffling creature). The heroine refuses (probably for reasons of propriety). The hero has a special mare of playfulness and spirit, and promply has it bought to London and asks his married cousin Georgiana to offer to let the heroine ride her (Georgiana's) "spare" horse.

That's it y'all, it's in my top four of the most romantic things I've ever read in the totality of my romance reading.

The hero's mother is simply the loveliest mother to be found in any of Georgette Heyer's romances. If the mother is alive at all, they are often contemptibly silly creatures. But the Duchess of Salford, the hero's mother is just lovely, classy, gracious and loving. The hero has some character flaws (that the heroine is always pointing out!) but has a beautiful relationship with his mother.

This is possibly the very first romance to use what we would today call the Pride and Prejudice trope. Georgette Heyer was possibly the first HR author to borrow/find inspiration from P/P.

2) The heroine's invitation from the hero's mother and their meeting/discussion at the end of the book was so lovely to listen to in this audiobook that I cried through it.

[Woman Reading (is away exploring) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ☆

I'm holding the minority opinion in regards to Sylvester or The Wicked Uncle. Although Georgette Heyer deserves bonus points for the originality of this Regency-era plot, which was published in 1957, I couldn't get into this one at all. Because previous Heyer stories hadn't been predictable, I kept reading this and hoping for improvement. I wouldn't be surprised if Julia Quinn had drawn inspiration from Sylvester for her Lady Whistledown character. I found Quinn's version to be far funnier than this novel despite the presence of Heyer's wry wit.

In Sylvester, Phoebe Marlow, didn't have a successful debut into the ton the previous Season. Although a hoydenish ingénue, Phoebe wasn't entirely to blame as her stepmother hadn't dressed her in a flattering way and had suppressed any reflection of Phoebe's true personality once out in public. But Phoebe has a satirical eye and aspirations of writing. Indeed, Phoebe's very first novel will be anonymously published in the upcoming spring to coincide with the start of the London season. Her freshman book skewers many well-known persons from the self-important patronesses of Almack's to the august Duke of Salford.

Sylvester the Duke of Salford, age 28, has decided that it's time to marry and to secure the succession. He's assessed the available ladies and has whittled them down to five possibilities that would be in keeping with his social rank and responsibilities. He's close to his mother, a published poet, who encourages a more romantic, less pragmatic and cold-blooded approach. She suggests that he consider the daughter of a friend, long decreased, and who is also the granddaughter of his godmother -- Phoebe Marlow.

Sylvester has a storyline in which reality mimics fiction. This felt unique and props to Heyer for that. Heyer had written this novel as a romance because the very unlikely Phoebe caught the very proper and eligible Duke, even though he discovered Phoebe's role in his public embarrassment. This is the part I didn't care for because this novel wasn't funny enough to carry off this improbable pairing. As the Duke observed to his dear mother,

“Oh, yes, she's unusual!" he said bitterly. "She blurts out whatever may come into her head; she tumbles from one outrageous escapade into another; she's happier grooming horses and hobnobbing with stable-hands than going to parties; she's impertinent; you daren't catch her eye for fear she should start to giggle; she hasn't any accomplishments; I never saw anyone with less dignity; she's abominable, and damnably hot at hand, frank to a fault, and – a darling!”

I agree with all but the last; Phoebe is not a "darling." While I could empathize with her feelings of isolation with her father and despotic step-mom, Phoebe just didn't win me over. She's a damaged soul due to her family circumstances. Consequently she has many faults, one of which most notably is a sharp tongue. And it truly annoyed me that Phoebe is someone who can dish out the vitriol but not take it.

Heyer repeatedly tried to redeem Phoebe's character. One key strategy was a very likeable secondary character, Thomas, as Phoebe's best and oldest friend. But Phoebe didn't even hesitate to snap at him. Also in her favor, Phoebe was contrite about her novel's impact upon Salford's reputation. If only her remorse could have gained control over her quick tongue, which showed off her emotional immaturity more so than her wit.

It is just implausible to me that the Duke falls in love with Phoebe. Yes, he is arrogant but the social humiliation and notoriety he felt were completely disproportionate to the snub Phoebe had perceived. Maybe other readers find Sylvester romantic because the two do become a couple by the novel's end even though this would be preposterous in real life. I might have enjoyed this more if it had been slanted more toward comedy than melodrama like Arabella. Sylvester reminds me of Arabella as the heroine also faced social ruination for something she had done (one enormous lie for an insult that she wasn't meant to hear). But given the tone Heyer had adopted for Sylvester, I would have preferred a scenario in which Phoebe redeems her character, becomes a successful novelist, and finds somebody else. I am just not keen on Heyer's ingénue heroines.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have read this before, love the fact that she is a secret authoress whose very first book has landed her in trouble. Love Sylvester, his devotion to his mother, and his aloofness.

Just listened to it as an audiobook because it was narrated by RICHARD ARMITAGE. YES, MR. THORNTON! And he was great, and I want him to do more!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite Heyer by any means.

When I read this before I wasn't over keen on it but this time round I upped it to 4*'s from 3. I tried to understand Sylvester a bit more and I think I actually did. I didn't find him quite as obnoxious.
The side characters helped a lot. Especially Tom, I really loved Tom! He was great fun as well as putting Phoebe in her place when she was being too starchy and too over the top.
Edmund was hilarious! Especially when he was spouting cant and Sylvester was outraged. The Duchess, Sylvester's mother was another wonderful character. Her part was small but very significant.
I dropped one star because Phoebe became a bit of ninny towards the end and got very annoying.
All in all an enjoyable read.

[Melissa McShane · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATE 3/21/23: Still my favorite. This time I noticed that not everyone is unsupportive of Phoebe's dilemma; her friend Thomas Orde makes some good points. I like their brother/sister relationship, down to Thomas's frustration with both Phoebe and Sylvester when the two of them blow up at each other.

UPDATE 7/15/17: Listened to this as an audiobook read by Nicholas Rowe and thoroughly enjoyed it. His interpretation of Sir Nugent Fotherby is hilarious.

UPDATE 3/13/14: I really do like Sylvester as a character and love that the book really is about him and his growth as a person. It fascinates me that he can be arrogant without realizing he is, because he's been taught arrogance means behaving with hauteur toward people lesser than him. His ultimate realization that he loves Phoebe and may have ruined the possibility of finding happiness with her, that desperation, gets me every time.

9/11/12: This remains my favorite Heyer romance--I've found that my affection for others grows or diminishes over time, but Sylvester continues to hold a place in my heart. I think it's because the two main characters, Sylvester and Phoebe, make not only a good romantic pairing but also make such a dynamic pairing, playing off one another's strengths and weaknesses. Sylvester seems to me one of Heyer's most human characters; his arrogance isn't typical, he's got an overwhelming personality but is humble enough to admit when he's done something wrong, and while his arrogance is one of his worst character flaws, he also puts it to service in doing some very generous acts. Phoebe, on the other hand, with her combination of shyness and quick wit, is a more common character type, and it's her situation that makes her appealing. Though to the world it's astounding that someone like Sylvester should lose his heart to someone like Phoebe, they really are perfectly matched.

I am outraged, every time, at how Sylvester blows up at Phoebe in public because of her unflattering (and accurate) portrayal of him in her novel, but not so much about his rage. What I hate is that Phoebe spends weeks asking people she respects for advice on what to do about the book, and knows she really ought to warn Sylvester so he isn't blindsided, but everyone she talks to insists she shouldn't tell him. And then, when it's all come to a head every one of them says something like "oh, wow, you really should have told him, why didn't you tell him, you are so dumb." That poor kid. Fortunately, when Phoebe and Sylvester come together in the end, it makes everything better.

[Sistermagpie · Rating 3 out of 5]

::sigh:: I feel like I'm probably in the minority on this book. I started out loving it and wound up really hating it, so I gave it a three.

The problem, I guess was that it just felt too one-sided to me. Okay, Sylvester's snobby and indifferent to people he doesn't care about so it's good for him to get smacked in the face with his flaws. Either from the mouth of the originally (to me) likable heroine or from her pen as the anonymous author of a trashy novel that casts him as the villain.

Unfortunately, for all his indifference, Sylvester wound up being the character who seemed to feel the most things, and while people criticized him for being cold they also criticized him whenever he openly felt something. Basically I spent a lot of the book sure that it would eventually be satisfying, because after many pages of Sylvester having to face his own flaws surely Phoebe would get her own slap in the face awakening, if only in a short scene. But no, Phoebe was just adorable and her personality was all the best for Sylvester as long as she had the patience to deal with him.

I think the turning point for me was the scene at a ball where Phoebe sees Sylvester for the first time after he's read her novel, knowing that she wrote it. Rather than openly cutting her (and letting everyone know that she was indeed the author) he dances with her, telling her off through a pleasant smile, and promising to keep her secret. But Phoebe can only dish it out and not take it, so Sylvester's just rude for showing actual feelings in response to her book. When she runs off and blows her own cover it's really Sylvester's fault. (No one ever suggests that writing a novel full of caricatures anonymously could also be showing indifference, or be mean, or cowardly.)

So I wound up sick of Phoebe and embarrassed for Sylvester, especially when even the revelation that the specific coldness in him that turned Phoebe off was a by-product of grief didn't make a difference. Like I said, maybe if I read the book again it would come across totally different, but as of now I just found it depressing as a love story between a flawed guy everyone joins in cutting down to size and a flawed girl everyone protects and fusses over. I know that Sylvester himself makes a remark about it, and Tom also does, but there's no scene where she actually has a moment of her own soul-searching. People have compared it to Pride and Prejudice, but it's more like P&P where Lizzie's original picture of Darcy was funny instead of a character flaw.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. What a wonderful writer Georgette Heyer was. This book was first published in 1957, but is still fresh, amusing and moving. It doesn't feel dated, except I suppose that many HRs these days are a lot more explicit in the sensuality level and the inclusion of sex scenes. But you don't even notice the lack of this as you read this lively and charming book.

The story centres around Sylvester, Duke of Salford, who appears to have everything. One of society's most desirable bachelors. He is slightly aloof in manner, but always well-mannered and well-bred in his behaviour. And he is looking for a suitable wife, in a fairly cold-blooded manner.

Phoebe is not considered beautiful, but she is very clever, with a quick wit and a lively mind. But she is also easily overborne by stronger personalities, like her stepmother who bullies her mercilessly, in the name of raising Phoebe to have 'good ton'.

It seems an unlikely match.

The plot moves quickly, and several secondary characters play key roles, including Phoebe's (brotherly) friend Tom, who is a delightful young man. There is also Ianthe, the beautiful but self-centred sister of Sylvester's deceased twin Harry. There is Ianthe and Harry's little son (and Sylvester's nephew) Edmund. There is Sylvester's sensitive and sweet mother, who is confined to a chair by a disability. And there is the wonderful caricature, Sir Nugent Fotherby. Nugent is seeking to marry Ianthe, and as readers see more of him, his splendour and ridiculousness shine through. Heyer depicts these kinds of character so well. They are hilariously exaggerated, but also believable.

Phoebe and Sylvester do fall deeply in love with each other, but it is a rocky and adventurous path to their HEA. There is a comedy of errors over a book written secretly by Phoebe, an enforced stay at an inn during a snowstorm, a broken leg, road trips, boat trips, a dramatic scene at a ball, and and a wonderful finale when the confusion is finally over and Phoebe and Sylvester are together.

Heyer does not spend a lot of time on flowery descriptions. Her plots move along quickly and carry you with them, wanting to know what will happen next! She quickly sketches her characters with a light touch, but it's done so effectively. Sylvester's grief over the loss of his loved twin brother is only touched on lightly a few times, but it's so moving, and you feel his pain and grief. Then there's the anguish felt by both Phoebe and Sylvester at that dramatic moment when they argue at a ball, which really hits home to the reader. You feel their anger and pain. And when Phoebe finally admits all to the Duke's mother, again it's quite moving.

This was a book I loved as a teenager, and I hadn't read it for quite a while, so it felt fresh all over again. Whilst it's not my top favourite Heyer HR, it's still a wonderful read. Don't let its age put you off. Masterful writing, a lovely love story, great secondary characters and the amusing Nugent Fotherby. Very enjoyable.

[Jaima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sylvester reminded me again why I consider Georgette Heyer's novels the high water mark in regency romance. If I wasn't lost in the story, I would be taking notes!
Heyer gives us Sylvester, a handsome, self-important duke and Phoebe, a wispy girl oppressed by a martinet step mother, who 'didn't take'. It's a vastly enjoyable pairing, though not especially unusual. It's the writing and the characterization that lift these two above the rest.
Unlike so many contemporary romance writers, Heyer doesn't allow Phoebe or Sylvester to marinate in issues and emotive stupidity. Their stoicism is more effective in revealing their dispositions and depth of feeling than paragraphs of anguished soul-searching and tortured laments. Brusque Sylvester can hardly speak of his dead twin brother and only indulges in one or two memories (happy ones, I'm glad to say), but I understood his cynicism and scathing critiques and liked him. He's got strong appeal: hot-tempered and hasty with insults, he makes more enemies than friends, but he is honorable, hiding a tender heart beneath the scowls. He reads novels--any that come in his way--so he can talk them over with his invalid mother. And it comes off understated and sincere, not as a trite device.
Phoebe, a coltish hoyden, doesn't speak of her sufferings either. We don't see her get slapped by her stepmother (though the woman is physically abusive). The cold, unfeeling dialogue gets the feeling across, as does Phoebe's determination to keep her freedom once she makes her escape. But Phoebe isn't a martyr. She considers herself fortunate in her friendships, likes her stepsisters, and never once appeared a figure of persecuted virtue At the end, I was cheering for her when she told Sylvester what was what. . She never minces words and it makes her immensely likeable. She says clever and funny things that really are clever and funny, not just mediocrities applauded by a cast of secondary characters. Also, she is secretly a lady novelist, and might have just modeled her villain after Sylvester.
Of course, by the time she is halfway in love with him, her book has been accepted for publication and already printed.

And that's not even the half of it. Throw in one fatuous dandy, Sir Nugent Fotherby, Sylvester's gorgeous, helpless, and self-obsessed sister-in-law, a conniving god-mother, some horses, Sylvester's young nephew, who happens to be his heir and ward, Pheobe's trusty friend (the young squire, naturally), a claque of society gossips, a kidnapping and a flight to France. It's a winner.

I read the print book and also listened to the Naxos audiobook performed by Richard Armitage. The audiobook is abridged, but Armitage's performance makes up for the delicious absurdities that were trimmed away. I'm definitely going to listen to his other ones!

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

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five stars -

This is one of my all-time favorite books. It’s also a top five of mine on my personal Heyer list. In fact, it’s currently at number four on my Heyer list (my list includes all her Regencies as well as a few other random books of hers).

I just adore this story. I’m reviewing it now because I feel that’s it’s due for yet another reread. This may be about the fifteenth time I’ve read it since my first read of it back in the 80’s - could be more than fifteen, I don’t even remember. Every reread is like the first time all over again. It’s just that fulfilling.

This story by the Great Dame Heyer is one of her all-encompassing romances. It’s a longer story of hers that completes both character arcs for our heroine and Hero to the immense satisfaction of this reader.

The supporting cast is also more than competently drawn, and each one contributes a significant portion of growth to the story, as well as to the overall romance.

I feel that this tale of Heyer’s displays the romance more openly than some of her other books. Any romance reader will be satisfied with the romantic tale that is spun here. You get enemies-to-lovers, angst, unrequited love for a spell, dramatic storming off the page, passion, and a hugely romantic coming together at the finish. I just love, love, love this story! I can never reread it enough, and could never get sick of it.

Phoebe is a fantastic heroine. The growth her character experiences over the course of the story is highly fulfilling to this reader. She’s one of my favorite Heyer heroines, in fact. She’s an animal lover, an accomplished equestrian, intelligent, daring, and is compassionate. I just love her. She makes the story one of my favorite reads due to her competent character.

Sylvester is all the Hero any romance reader could want. He’s a Duke, for one; the epitome of successful matching for nearly every Heyer heroine lol. He’s described as strong-willed (I just love that - *le sigh), masculine, an accomplished horseman, and perfect for our Phoebe! He may not realize how perfect he and our heroine are suited at first, and she’s not even on his radar during his hunt for a wife, but it is time for him to settle down, after all, and he somewhat reluctantly begins to fall in love with her.

These two are just a joy to read. Everything you expect in a Heyer Regency, but times ten. This is one complete story with complete world building. An absolute pleasure to read. I may even have to upgrade this on my Heyer List to a higher place than fourth 🤔 but we will see where I end up on my next reread…

Highly recommend to any lover of romance. Heyer is an amazing storyteller. An updated Austen, in my own humble opinion.

Five glorious, brightly shining stars in a clear, country sky. Grab your own permanent copy, and enjoy! ♥️📚

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living La Vida Loca.

Alrighty, so this starts off with the trapped heroine Phoebe and then proceeds...some of it's reasonable and some is just a ride on the crazy train. Boy does she meet some interesting people on this ride.

Phoebe is headstrong and rather indiscreet while communicating (lacks a filter) is rightfully chaffing at the bit and when it all looks horrible she flees. Trust me, I've been in the chew your leg off to get away situation and I'm sympathetic. All for the idea. Alas, the execution of her plan lacked thought.



Tom, sensibility and patience are his key attributes as he deals with the immature and idiotic. Frankly, the best character in the story. I liked Tom.

Sylvester, the Ice Duke, starts off fine and the character seems to stay true until the end when he turns and smashes straight into a tree. I had a really hard time making the change of heart leap with him.

And the ending...



Seemed like a lesser Cotillon to me. Freddy is a better Tom and Kitty is less flighty/ridiculous/impetuous than Phoebe. But! I came away with a winter beverage idea, so overall, good. 3.5 stars rounded up because it was a fast and fun read.

Keighley, fortified by a potation of gin, beer, nutmeg and sugar, which he called hot flannel, raised no objection; so the horses were put to again.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is SUCH fun! And the CHARACTERS! Lots of authors do a great job of defining the hero and heroine and maybe a few other major characters, but Georgette Heyer pays attention to all the secondary and minor characters, too.

So we have the aloof, serious Duke of Salford, Sylvester Rayne, a fair-minded man who lost a part of himself when his twin brother Harry died. And we have the unconventional, impulsive Phoebe Marlowe, daughter of Lord Marlowe and barely tolerated stepdaughter of his second wife, the current Lady Marlowe. Phoebe writes a novel (anonymously) that's loosely based on members of London society that she observed in her one season, including the aforementioned Sylvester (mostly because his eyebrows have a villanous cant to them). Without knowing that Sylvester is guardian to his young nephew Edmund, Phoebe has given her villain a saintly nephew who is cruely imprisoned and separated from his mother.

Among the other well-developed characters, there's Tom Orde, Phoebe's best friend, with whom she has a sisterly relationship despite the gap in their social status, as his father is a mere Squire. There's Sylvester's mother, the Duchess, who understands her son much better than he understands himself. And Phoebe's grandmother, Lady Ingham, who appreciates Phoebe far more than the girl's parents and also happens to be Sylvester's godmother. Ianthe is the narcissistic widow of Sylvester's brother, and the over-the-top stupid fop, Sir Nugent Fotherby, is Ianthe's suitor. Sylvester has made it clear that, if she marries that idiot, young Edmund will remain with his uncle. Edmund himself is recognizable as an energetic, sometimes-cranky child whose speech indicates he's picked up inappropriate language from the stablehands he's been allowed to spend too much time with.

There are too many other characters to mention in a review, with various speech patterns and distinguishing traits. The author even incorporates subtle dashes of personality in the various servants.

The plot is wild. Sylvester takes a rather cold-blooded approach to finding a wife, asking his mother to choose one for him. Phoebe, unhappy at home and determined NOT to agree to an unwanted marriage, runs away and heads to her sympathetic grandmother in London. But her escape doesn't go smoothly. She learns more about Sylvester that both confirms and disproves her initial impression of him. The two argue heatedly and repeatedly throughout the book, to the delight of the reader.

When Phoebe is re-introduced to London society, this time with her grandmother's active support rather than the stifling Lady Marlowe, things go better than her first season. She and Sylvester actually seem to be getting along well. But now her titillating book is set to be released. Can she halt its publication?

That barely gets you to halfway through this rollicking plot.

From beginning to end, I loved this.

[Ellery Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quick and charming read! Sylvester is a loveable rake and it's such fun to watch Phoebe come into her own. Richard Armitage narrated the audiobook and was absolutely charming.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021 Review
The "button" scene has got to be one of my favorite Heyer moments. I laugh out loud every time.

2019 Review
Absolutely delightful! This book is rapidly making its way up my favorite Heyer list. Though I have to pause and wonder why. I do not love Sylvester, and Phoebe can be a bit of a wet noodle. But the plot itself is funny, romantic, and full of quirky, memorable character. Very charming.

2018 Review
I forgot about this book!! Not forgot in that I forgot it existed, but forgot about the plot and the characters. It was quite delightful re-reading it with almost no memory of what happens next.
This book beautifully contrasts with the dramatic literature of the Regency era. Wicked uncles, hapless orphans, and distressed ladies populate the pages, but only in the imagination of the characters as they go about their otherwise ordinary lives.
Not my favorite Heyer book but one I definitely need to buy and add to my annual re-reads.

2012 Review
While I wasn't entirely thrilled with the ending, the book is classic Heyer and simply wonderful!

[Tweety · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful…

For some reason my brain isn't functioning well enough to give a synopsis, thankfully others have already done so, so I needn't.

Phoebe is one of my favorite heroines, she's just as charming as Arabella, (who's shy too), Sophy, with her incorrigible ways, and Heyer's laugh-out-loud whit. Sylvester could not have found his match better in Phoebe, who he endearingly called "Sparrow". I like the secondary characters, Tom especially because he is similar to Freddy in Cotillion only we get to see his smarts a bit more. However I found Sylvester's sister in law irritating, I know she was supposed to be funny, but she wasn't. At least she wasn't a Tiffany Wield!

I liked seeing how Sylvester grows throughout the book. I had moments where I didn't like him because of his attitude, but then I remembered that I'd probably do nearly the same as him if I didn't think first. His reaction to Phoebe's novel is a bit if a twist on P&P, and I loved it. If you love regency, definitely read this, if you're like me and don't care particularly for regency still give it a go if you like humor and colorful characters.


This my favorite Heyer regency, besides The Toll-Gate, Black Sheep, The Grand Sophy, Arabella & Frederica. A mild PG for the suggestion of mistresses and "bits of muslin".

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but not a great Heyer book

For me, the problem was that
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came for Armitage. That man's voice makes me...






..an idiot.

erm... so yeah, Armitage was a win. The man's got skillz.

This story, though cute, didn't WOW me. This was my first Heyer and I'll just confess that usually I have a hard time getting invested in MF historical romance. How did men and women find love back then? Constantly supervised. Constraining societal expectations. Seems like everyone was prone to the vapors if anyone stepped a toe out of line. Yet, oddly, when it's MM all of this works GRRRRRRRRRRRRReat!! for me so... #weirdo #grainofsaltreview

In this case Phoebe has written a book which is loosely based on Sylvester and cast him as the villain! Well, you can imagine the ton is scandalized. He's Fussy McFusserstan. She's aflutter that the ton have read her book at all positively bursting with remorse for how she's cast and possibly disparaged Sylvester's character.

Naturally, her being the author is the worst kept secret since forever.

And then somehow they fall in love. They do snipe at each other quite a bit then sort of become frenemies who, I guess, decided arguing with each other til the end of their days was preferable to... not.

*shrugs*

What I did find simultaneously jarring and quaint was the random classical music at the end of some of the chapters. Not all. Just some. I reminded me of those PBS or maybe BBC mini series movies. Weird but kind of cute too.

I guess I'll go with 3.5 Stars.

Thanks again to Armitage for the eargasms.

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sylvester, the Duke of Salford, was an oh-so-proper gentleman. Snooty, condescending and proud. Yet there was a kernel of strong feelings buried deep within him. The few people he loved -his mother, his brother, Harry, and his nephew, Edward- he loved fiercely.

Phoebe Marlow was my kind of heroine. With no beauty to take advantage, she had nineteen years that molded her. She was a kind individual and plain-spoken. She rooted for the underdog and I found her personality refreshing.

While listening, I thought of myself as a fly on the wall. I was receptive to everyone’s chatter. I felt Phoebe’s anguish with her published book and silently cheered her on when Sylvester -and others- took her to task. I heard the duke’s despair when he faltered because of misconceptions.

Many others have written the ups and downs of the storyline. I am happy I chose to listen to the abridged CDs with Richard Armitage as the narrator. His accent with all of the vocal quirks expressed emotion and made my experience so much the richer.

4.5 stars

[Sherwood Smith]

Up until about the two-thirds mark, this was a favorite among the Heyers: the novel-writing heroine, a bit of a geek, Sylvester who looks wicked but isn't, and a host of great side characters.

But it tips over the line (for me) with too much humiliation of the heroine, and too much bitter bickering, something I can get fed up with real fast in what is supposed to be a light romance.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread March 2021 (4 stars)
I don't exactly know why but upon rereading I enjoyed this one A LOT more than the first time around. I was even tempted to give it 5 stars, but the pacing is still an issue and I don't think it quite measures up to some of GH's other marbles. There's some really cute moments between the main characters and I feel like they actually spend more time together (especially towards the end) than some other couples in my favourite Heyer novels.

Read October 2019 (2.5/3 stars)

This isn't a bad book because Georgette Heyer wrote it and Georgette Heyer doesn't write bad books. But it's also not my favourite.
The language is fun and sarcastic as ever ("don't make a cake of yourself" will forever be my favourite phrase that I'll contrive to use whenever I can) but the rest of the elements that usually make GH novels so amazing just weren't quite up to par in this one.

The characters seemed to lack a certain chemistry between them as well as personality themselves. Sylvester is only "arrogant" with hidden pain and Phoebe is "insolent". That's about it. They also never really had any crucial moments together that changed their relationship in any way. They barely spent time alone together and even by the end don't believably like each other. This is a point of criticism I have in general with GH books, that it sometimes seems like the woman is basically kind of "bullied" into liking the man, or at least "worn out" until she does. Phrasing it like this makes it sound worse than it actually is, I admit, but still, that's the overall vibe I sometimes get and I do not approve.

Also the pacing of this novel is horrendous. The plot mainly hinges on Phoebe having written a book that contains a not so charitable likeness of Sylvester based on their fist encounter when he essentially ignored her entirely. This does cause tension but it's so haphazard and all over the place that it never seems to gain much traction. One moment he's insanely mad at this, then he isn't, then he's mad at that same thing again. The plot also includes an unlikely kidnapping and some characters with very questionable motives and overall just never really hits its stride.

The bottom line: So far my least favourite GH, you'd probably not miss out on very much if you skipped this one.