Georgina

by Clare Darcy

A dead bore! Miss Georgina Powers concluded after shutting the door in the face of her latest suitor, announcing to one and all that spinsterhood was preferable to a life with a dimwit twice her age. She longed for a love match, not the humdrum offers that came her way. But as the granddaughter of Lady Mercer, Georgina was expected to make a shrewd alliance of the first order. And now after refusing this most eligible suitor she was being shipped off to distant relations in the wilds of Ireland, where sheer boredom would force her to reflect on her folly.

To the surprise of both Georgina and her disapproving grandmama, the Emerald Isle yielded the roguish Mr. Shannon, a handsome Irishman with a most scandalous past. Georgina was sure to set the ton on its ear with her choice of a groom, but for all the wrong reasons!

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

253 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Born 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

Reviews

[Carol, She's so Novel ꧁꧂ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Clare Darcy is supposed to be the best of Georgette Heyer's copyists.

This bar is set very low.

I read a couple of Darcy's books many years ago (can't remember which ones) & I remember them being poorly plotted. This is Darcy's first novel (the name Georgina possibly a misguided tribute to Georgette Heyer?) & that is certainly on display here.

From one of my updates;

Reads like someone has collected some random Georgette Heyer sentences & put them together to make a book.

This became less evident as the story progressed but;

"...still the handsome Florizel of her youth..."

is late in the book & is lifted from Regency Buck

The Heyer copying becomes even more laughable as the book is predominantly set in Ireland. Maybe the aristocrats would all speak like English Heyer characters, but surely not the servants, etc. & there was no sense of place at all. Wouldn't you think there would be one scene extolling the beauties of the Kerry countryside???

& if you like romantic scenes I suppose I had better spoiler this. Other than Georgina ends up in Mark's arms on the final page, there aren't any. Weirdest romance ever. The book goes from one muddled scene to the next. By the last four chapters I was skimming - & only did that because it is a short book & I had entered it into a group challenge I'm doing.

The copy I read was actually Tepid reviews on this trio indicate that Lydia is the best of the three - but given this read & my unfavourable memories of some of Ms Darcy's books, I'm not going to find out.

I need to take my own advice - when I feel like a Georgette Heyer, I should read a Georgette Heyer. There is no substitute.

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

[Mela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it the second time too, but not as much as the first time around (when I gave it 5 stars).

I still appreciated the thread about Mr. Shannon's past. The idea for a plot was interesting and with great potential. It was a charming Regency romance.

Yet, I hoped for more. Something went wrong with putting the idea into the story, and scenes. I am not as discontent as Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂, but the book had many flaws.

It was the author's first novel, so I can understand and forgive the shortcomings.

-------------------

My review after the first reading:

-------------------

And that's what I am always hoping to find: Amusing, believable, charming (and also sparking) Regency romance with something new.

The plot differed a little from typical romances (I think of hero's past) and it was really refreshing.

The characters were interesting and various, e.g. Lady Eliza, Mrs. Quinlevan, Betsy. So, although it was rather a short novel, Clare Darcy created and used the characters to do the plot more enjoyable.

The pace was really fast, but not too fast.

What I Iiked the most, was the way it showed the society, its prejudice and so on.

It would have been perfect if it had been longer (it had a really good potential) and there was more humor. But still, in my opinion, it was one of the best of Clare Darcy.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

eorgina has been raised by her grandfather in a most unladylike fashion. She was the grandson he never had. Life was more fun back then. Now Georgie is ready to come out but her grandfather's death has the women in retreat in Bath where Georgie's grandmother is trying to marry her off to someone or another. Georgie isn't the least bit interested in marrying. To punish her for failing to do her duty, Grandmama sends Georgie off to distant relatives in Ireland. In Ireland she finds everything all helter-skelter with her silly aunt in hysterics because the household must move posthaste ere the heir moves on. The heir, Mr. Shannon, inherited The Place of the Oaks from Georgie's late cousin Nuala. Shannon is the illegitimate son of a Scottish Earl and said to have married Nuala for her money. When her aunt is injured in a fall, it's up to Georgie and her cousin Brandon to keep the household running smoothly, which they are unable to do until the appearance of the autocratic Mr. Shannon. Georgie decides to hate Shannon from the beginning because he is rude and unsympathetic to the family's plight. The traitor Brandon adores having adult male company for a change. When the family finally removes to their new home, Georgina's aunt hopes a romance between Georgie and Brandon will bloom, but soon Georgie is the belle of the neighborhood and has more suitable suitors than her impoverished and lame cousin. Georgie doesn't seem to care much about her suitors though, but she does begin to revise her opinion of Mr. Shannon when Georgina's aunt and most of the neighbors snub him. The only one who will receive Mr. Shannon is Lady Eliza, a wicked flirt. Georgie decides to take it upon herself to help Shannon, with very unexpected consequences.

I seemed to like this book a lot the first time I read it but I have a revised opinion. I admire Georgie for standing up to her grandmother and she's an appealing heroine for her spirit but she's very young and very naive. Her innocence is both charming and annoying at the same time. Her behavior towards Shannon is pretty dreadful even when she means well. She behaves a lot less stupidly than most other teenage heroines in Regency novels. Shannon is not a very appealing hero. Shannon was shaped by life experiences which have made him proud. He's also stubborn with just enough sense of humor to find Georgina mildly interesting and mildly irritating at the same time. He's a bit too authoritative for my tastes but maybe he would come around and loosen up a bit. The story has it's funny moments and there's chemistry between the hero and heroine that becomes apparent in a realistic and romantic way. It's almost a rewrite of Georgette Heyer's Venetia with a younger heroine. If you're a fan of Clare Darcy's other books or want Georgette Heyer light, then read this book.

[Lesr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sooooo well done.

I just couldn’t pay attention to the age difference because that part always makes me yuck. lol.

otherwise i remembered why I used to like the slow burn of a regency.

[Sasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the summary isn't wrong, it is a tad misleading. I thought Shannon was going to be some neighborhood fellow and not her dead cousin's widowed husband. Georgiana reminded me of Emma in some ways, in a headstrong woman, mostly trying to do right but their own ego gets in the way. I like Emma more but that might be due to the Clueless adaptation.

I also very clearly felt Georgiana's age and being a good decade older than her myself wanted to yell some sense into her, in the ways her cousin, Brandon, couldn't get through to her. I wanted to yell at a good many of the people in the story. I'm sure The Place is lovely but the neighbors are pains.

I read a review that read it was insta-love and as I was reading, I thought to myself, but this seems like a nice progression of initial misunderstanding to getting to understand each other better but then at the end it's insta-love. Even at the end when the author could tell and not show us that he loves her, (which I don't feel like there was a lot of showing of live on either side) we get nothing.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgina is sent to Ireland in disgrace, after refusing an offer of marriage. There she meets someone else.. and a fast-paced book results. I never quite figured out all the complex relationships between the various characters, but it didn't much matter. Georgina herself is feisty and somewhat rebellious, and makes some poor decisions at times.

It's not as well-written or amusing as the regency romances by Georgette Heyer, although it's in a similar style and feels authentic. The outcome is predictable from early in the book, but there are quite a few interesting twists which kept me reading. But on the whole I liked it, and would recommend it as a pleasant light read.

Latest longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to thank Goodreads Traditional Regency Romance Group for suggesting this writer as an heir to Georgette Heyer. It does follow the usual plot line of a romance boy meets girl; they dislike each other excessively; they eventually fall in love with each other--happy ending. I'm not going to write a reviews for the other two I've read,--EUGENIA, and GWENDOLYN, but all were wonderful--delightful comedies of manner, remarkable heroines, handsome dashing heroes.
Darcy has done her research of the period, writes beautifully. I have ordered three more from Alibris.

[Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great disappointment. Touted as being the new Georgette Hyer, Darcy has neither the humor or the wonderful dialogue so plentiful in Hyer’ books I’m hoping that the rest of her books that I bought will be more interesting. I did not like any of the characters in this book especially the heroine. What an unattractive personality.

[Abi Demina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely.
My favourite Clare Darcy book so far. Some of the characters were very reminiscent of my favourites from Georgette Heyer's novels, and the ending was sublime and amusing and romantic.
Fab stuff, beautifully written and historically accurate.

[Anne Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely traditional Regency with all the warmth and humour of a Heyer, and a touch of the gothic mystery/melodrama to spice it up.

For my full review: http://wp.me/p2FybJ-bIM

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yawn

Yawn. I couldn't even finish this. I like this author's book titled Lydia, but this book felt like something a teenager threw together

[Carole Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up at the annual Flint Library book sale a million years ago. I haven't gone in a long while but it is a lot of fun. They give you a huge paper bag for $5 and you can take as many books as you want so as long as they fit in the bag. It is a chaotic fun time! There were some books I literally just took because of the title and the cover. No time to read the summary. Thus is the case with this one. It is finally time to dust his bad boy off.

Here we follow Miss Georgina Powers. She is done with suitors. She would rather be a spinster than marry a bore, idiot, or someone twice her age. She wants love, but there is none to be had with the list of suitors calling her. After refusing the prize of a suitor, she is sent off to live with distant relations in the wilds of Ireland. Enter in Mr Shannon....a handsome Irishman with the most roguish and scandalous past.

Okay. I am going to be 100% honest here. When I shoved this book in my paper bag...I assumed this was going to be a P&P variation. Georgina is the title and the author's name is Darcy.........lo' and behold I was wrong. LOL.

To quote Georgina....what a bore! The beginning had me nodding off while attempting to read this. Things spiced up a bit when Mr Shannon entered in but that fizzled out after a few.

I just could not care about anyone in this. I just couldn't connect. I did finish this though but I'll admit I skimmed here and there just to move things along.

Oh. The ending wasn't too shabby. It seemed very organic and fit.

Sadly, this wasn't for me. There was that one golden section and the ending wasn't too bad, but other than that? Eh. I will give this 2 stars. I'm feeling generous today.

[Martin Rinehart · Rating 4 out of 5]

My library lent me a 1972 trilogy of Darcys, Cecily, Georgina and Lydia, in one well-bound volume. I love libraries! (This one is really too fat for bedtime reading, though.)

In each Darcy writes of the ton (the upper reaches of the Regency aristocracy) where the young men seek wives of grace, beauty and substantial dowry and the young ladies seek gentlemen of good breeding, respectable titles, strong physiques and large fortunes, even without a lady's dowry.

In each, Darcy writes classic romances with suitable heroines and heroes, one or the other starting altar shy until, near the end, awakening to the call of love. Always, her writing is almost as graceful as the dancing at Almack's. The dialog is rooted in the idioms of the day, seldom as formal as the characters in her novels. (She sounds inspired by Heyer.)

Let's try one example Darcy sentence. Our heroine has just seen our hero (about whom she has decidedly mixed emotions). "Knowing that [our hero] had certainly not put in an appearance to oblige Lady Eliza, she could not help reverting to the disquieting notion which had previously entered her mind--that if he accepted Lady Eliza's invitation it would be for the sake of seeing her [our heroine]."

If that sort of tease makes you want more, you'll love this Regency romance.

[Bree Lewandowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really a 3.7. Darn close to four. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The main character was a delight and I really enjoyed the human relationship she had with her cousin. A lot of times, relationships in this genre of book can feel fake. Would I have liked to have a little more time with Georgina and Mr. Shannon at the end? Yes, frankly. Which is why this book isn't four stars. Should you skip it because of that? No. This was fun. And it's interesting to me when I read other reviews seeming to claim how Ms. Darcy isn't as good as the author she is a protege of. I think she's better than Heyer. Does that have anything to do with my review of this book? No. Regency romance is guilty pleasure reading for me. I'm not looking for realism. I'm looking for fun. This book was quite enjoyable.

[Judith Hale Everett · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.
Someone called this Georgette Heyer lite, and I agree. I really wanted more from Shannon, who is so mysterious and rough, but you hardly see enough of him to get to know him—and you never really find out what happened with him and Nuala! The chemistry between Shannon and Georgina just wasn’t quite satisfying. It was there, but they hardly saw each other and then they were in love? I mean, I just couldn’t believe the love at first sight thing here. The plot was more unique than most, and the cast of characters interesting, and the last few chapters really drew me in. Pretty good read, but hard to get excited about after Georgette.

[Celia King · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I didn't care for Georgina early mostly because her negative opinions on Shannon are based in nothing, she grew on me when she turns the corner in her thinking about him. She is embarrassing and immature for most of the book, but damn if she doesn't stick to her guns, for right or wrong. I liked the plotting here, even if there were several sensationalist happenings. I absolutely loved the ending and how things came together. For one of CD's early books, this turned out pretty well. Definitely got better after about 25%.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was in middle school, I found Clare Darcy on the library shelves and went on a tear through them. Recently, I found this one in my kindle unlimited options and thought I would give it a retry. I read it as a falling asleep book -- no stress, no big dramas to keep me awake -- and it did its job nicely.

[Gabi Coatsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost as good as Georgette Heyer

This is the only author of Regency romances who comes close to Georgette Heyer’s style and knowledge of the period.
The fact that she’s an American makes it even more impressive, since mastering the language of the time has proved beyond most other writers of Regencies

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable

A little too much on the main character constantly having to get her negative emotions under control and a little too much of a fighting relationship between the 2 main characters. Other than that it was enjoyable, and i liked the characters.

[karinocapipoca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another poor Georgette Heyer imitation but it passed an hour or two...

[bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young and impetuous h and very reserved older H, but a rather endearing romance. With distinct shades of Venetia at the end (though nothing compares with Heyer of course).

[Marya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fewer typos in this book, compared to the other Kindle editions I've read by this author.

[Ummeyusuf · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.85/5

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Getting warmer. Darcy feels more contrived than Heyer...the situations that characters find themselves in don't feel inevitable. The characters are a little better rounded and more entertaining than in Cecily.

It's interesting, I think she might have taken the structure of Heyer's Venetia and tried to make another book out of it. It has many of the same elements--crippled brother figure, persistent unsuitable suitor, cynical outcast neighbor/love interest, hero rescuing heroine from unwanted affections by throwing the aggressor across the room, reckless flight back to the hero at the end--yet sadly not the same delicious Venetia feel overall.

And I really do not understand the nature of the entail on The Place (other than that is convenient for the plot). Am I an expert at this, no, but it seems unlikely.

[Flo · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading a few of Joan Smith's Regency romances and being disappointed I decided to look up another of the writers I enjoyed reading many years ago whenever I chanced upon one of her books, which did not happen too often, Clare Darcy. She died in 1971 when digital ebooks were still a dream. Now I discovered, Amazon has published many of her books in ebook format and is publishing them under Kindle Unlimited, of which I am a member. So I started with Georgina and was pleasantly surprised. Georgina is an impulsive girl who refuses the offer of marriage from a wealthy man who she concludes is a dead bore. She is shipped off to relations in Ireland and meets the widower of her cousin, who has inherited the rights to her estate there, Mr Shannon. Quite a bubbly, frothy, delightful read. Now for the next one: Lydia.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same as Cecily...cute and clean! By the second book around for this author I'm feeling there is a little too much bouncing around going on...you know the inevitable drama to keep the hero and heroine apart...it happens for the most part pretty naturally, as a result of the storylines, but it is a little annoying.

[Lady Salford · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

The ending saved it from being a boring book. I can't stand illegitimate offsprings as main characters. The author then tends to focus a lot on their struggles to get accepted by society and whatnot.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give this 3 and 1/2 stars. I liked the heroine and hero and found the story entertaining. BUT - I found the romance between them not believable. There just wasn't enough time for them to interact with each other so they could fall in love.

Clean.

[Georgi]

can someone comment on this telling me what age group this book is for?
I'd like to read it but I'm not sure if it is worth it if it is too young or old for me.