King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: The Reluctant Widow

author: Georgette Heyer


genre: historical fiction

pages: 316

first line: It was dusk when the London to Little Hampton stage-coach lurched into the village of Billingshurst, and a cold mist was beginning to creep knee-high over the dimly seen countryside.

published: 1946

rated: 4 out of 5






A sparkling Regency romance with intrigue and excitement, from the queen of the genre. Elinor Rochdale finds herself married and widowed within 24 hours, and embroiled in an international spy ring, housebreakers, and murder.




Elinor Rochdale accidentally finds herself at the home of Eustace Cheviot. She was hired to be governess for woman's children, instead her coach dropped her off at the wrong house. There Elinor meets Ned Carlyon, Eustace's cousin and heir.
Carlyon was actually waiting for a woman to answer his ad in the paper, for a woman willing to marry his sick cousin.

She found herself in a library. It was quite as untidy as the hall, but a variety of candles in tarnished wall-brackets threw a warm light over it, and a log fire burned in the grate at the far end of it. Before this fire, one hand resting on the mantlepiece, one booted foot on the fender, stood a gentleman in buckskin breeches and a mulberry coat, staring down at the leaping flames. As the door closed behind Miss Rochdale, he looked up, and across at her, in a measuring way that might have disconcerted one less accustomed to being weighed up like so much merchandize offered for sale.

By the time Elinor realizes she is at the wrong house, she is mortified and inisists on being taken to the right house. Carlyon explains to her that his cousin is very sick, he has a drinking problem and is near death. He doesn't want to inherit his estate when he dies, he has his own estate and wants nothing more to do with Eustace, so he makes Elinor an offer. That she marry Eustace. She is tempted to, since she is twenty six and unwed and has a scandal in her family, this is a good opportunity for her. Carlyon promises her that Eustace will not touch her once they are married. Eustace is actually an evil man, and hates Carlyon and does not want to leave him his estate when he dies.


Soon enough, Eustace is accidentally stabbed. Elinor marries him on his deathbed and she becomes his widow shortly after.


She goes to live in her new home, and before she knows it, in the middle of the night there is an intruder in her house. With the help of Nicky, Carlyon's younger brother, Elinor tries to figure out the indentity of the intruder and the reason for the break-ins. There's twists and turns to the plot. This book takes off and keeps on going.

He was gone, and she was left in some lowness of spirits, wondering how she should contrive, and what would be the end of this strange adventure. A period of quite reflection helped to calm the natural agitation of her mind; since she had consented to take up residence in this mouldering house she must do as best she might.

This was a fun read. I didn't expect a mystery in the plot. It's my first time reading Georgette Heyer, and I did enjoy it. The characters are likeable, the plot well written and interesting. The main characters were good as were the supporting characters. I liked Elinor and Nicky the most. You can't help liking Nicky, he's kind of this goofy guy who just wants to help out. He made me laugh at times. Elinor was smart and a sweet character, who is kind of thrust into this mess and you hope everything works out for her in the end.

'I'm in the hall', his voice answered her, a trifle faintly, but reassuringly cheerful. 'The devil's in it that I missed the fellow!'

She hurried down the stairs, holding the lamp up, and saw him rather unsteadily picking himself up. 'Nicky! Good God, do not tell me indeed he did come back?'

'Come back? Of course he did!' Nicky said, cautiously feeling his shoulder. 'Whats more, I should have had him if you would not keep a damned suit of armour in the stupidest place anyone ever thought of! Oh I beg pardon! But indeed it is enough to try the patience of a saint!'

If you are looking for good historical fiction with mystery and a dash of romance, pick up a copy of The Reluctant Widow .







About the author:

Author of over fifty books, Georgette Heyer is the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, who made the Regency period her own. Her first novel, The Black Moth, published in 1921, was written at the age of fifteen to amuse her convalescent brother; her last was My Lord John. Although most famous for her historical novels, she also wrote eleven detective stories. Georgette Heyer died in 1974 at the age of seventy-one.

related links: http://www.georgette-heyer.com/



this book has also been reviewed by:

becky

joanne



Special thanks to Danielle from Source Books for sending me this book.