Customer Reviews

Beauvallet

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a whole different Heyer to what I am used to. One of her earlier books it is very reminiscent of the silent films of Douglas Fairbanks, and in fact I always imagine Errol Flynn in the lead role of Beauvallet, flashing his teeth and being full of derring-do.

I have to say that I much prefer her georgian and Regency books, but this book isn't unsuccessful - just a bit different. For instance, it is set in Elizabethan times and the slang is a bit jarring at times. But it is full of adventure as Nicholas Beauvallet, a privateer for England, falls in love with one of the Spanish women on a ship he robs, and she falls for him. He must then travel to Spain and kidnap her under the roof of her protective father, and run away with her back to England.

It is definitely a sparkling love story, and quite a long read to. Interestingly it is one of the only novels she wrote as a continuation of a previous one - as Nicholas Beauvallet is a descendant of "Simon the Coldheart"

I would not recommend this book as a first Heyer novel for anyone. I would definitely recommend that historical romance fans read this though. There is no sex or bodice ripping, it is very tame by today's standards, but it is a really nice romantic novel.

I thought I read all of Georgette Heyers books with the exception of a few of her mysteries but I was wrong. Somehow I missed this one. It is a gem that is not to be missed.

My mom turned me onto Georgette Heyer when I was a teenager and I gobbled up all of the books at the library and used-books stores. I'm delighted to see so many of them reissued with forewards by popular authors. Although I'm offended my some of the authors chosen to write the forewards because their writing in no way can be compared to the deft and light touch of Georgette Heyer, I think it's wonderful that they are being republished and brought to the attention of a new generation of readers.

Beauvallet is set in Elizabethan times. I'm not aware of any other Georgette Heyer book that is set in this time, so that makes it a treasure in itself. Nick Beauvallet is a rugged charmer with an eye for a pretty lady--so different from the other Heyer books where the heros are more intellectual and less down to earth. He's a self-made entrepeneur who also happens to be a pirate for England. It's wonderful how Drake and other famous historical characters are mentioned casually as contempories of Nick. Secondary characters steal the show very much like Heyer novels set in Georgian and Regency times. Joshua, Nick's sidekick is delightful. Nick's lady love is a feisty Spanish beauty who is worth the risk that Nick takes to rescue her from an arranged marriage in Spain during the time of the Inquistion. King Philip is a baddie as are his minions who are determined to impose their un-Christian version of Christianity on the general populace (or else!) The outrageous Nick Beauvallet outwits King Philip and his posse in an exciting narrative. You'll enjoy every minute of this old-fashioned but fun book.

It's a rowdy and earthy book, very different than her Georgian/Regency books, which is not a bad thing. If I were to compare it with her other books, I would say it is most like The Talisman Ring in down-to-earth tone. I was surprised and delighted to discover it.

A dashing gentleman of 16th Century England might dare to break the rules, especially if, as tensions rose with Spain, he found his heart lost to a Spanish lady. So Nick Beauvallet, knight and sailor, who dares much, and whose manservant Joshua is himself worth the book. The author's keen eye for history, and neat writing, make her work delightful.

If you've ever secretly thrilled to swashbuckling films with The Great Swashbuckler Himself, Errol Flynn, you will LOVE Beauvallet!

If you enjoy the language of Shakespearean times, the color, the pagentry, you LOVE Beauvallet!

If you love a great romance, you will LOVE Beauvallet!

One of Ms. Heyers earliest published works, it is thrilling to see it newly published in paperback yet again. Heyer is the best of the historical romance novelists; her research makes all her romances ring true, no matter what the period.

Rather than the Drawing Room and Comedy of Manners of many of her Regency romances, Beauvallet moves. The story is in constant motion and thus makes it a good starter for a teenaged reader (which is when I first read it).

Don't miss it, I truly think you'll absolutely love it! In my opinion, the Best of the Best from the Best.

" `And so we came off[]. You say a miracle? Ho, we do not count such trifles as miracles in the master's service!'" says one Joshua Dimmock of the end of the adventure that is Georgette Heyer's BEAUVALLET. The `master' is Sir Nicholas Beauvallet, English noble and pirate, a personage whose feats have built him up to truly mythic proportions in the eyes of both friend and foe. The `miracle' is `Mad Beauvallet's' most recent exploit--that is, stealing away a noble daughter of England's sworn enemy Spain, Dona Dominica de Rada y Sylva, not by any circuitous route, but by coming right to her home in Madrid.

Even though she herself has declared him to be the "enemy of all Spaniards," from the moment that Dominica sets eyes on the dashing Beauvallet, she begins to become infected with his `madness'. And says he: "But I have it in mind, sweetheart, to make an Englishwoman of you". And so begins this wonderful tale of a man who either has nine lives or just believes he does and in the believing makes it so.

BEAUVALLET is full of twists and turns, witty repartee (sharp writing, so much so that you will want to dog-ear the pages and highlight the best lines), vivid characters and a hero like no other! I have to say that you'll find that a solid slang dictionary really comes in handy.

And while Heyer may be more well-known for her work in the Regency Romance genre, BEAUVALLET isn't Regency, but Elizabethan.

Heyer's great with period detail and accuracy, so if you don't know the period vocabulary very well (and maybe a little Spanish and French as well) then you will find that there is a learning curve to get over before the story can really just sink in and carry you away. But carry you away it will!

A True Romance.

For me, it is not just the romance, it is the hilarious situations and the way the characters handle them, with a great sense of humour that makes the book entertaining and which is why I read Georgette Heyer.
Beauvallet is well-written, good plot, a lot of adventure but nothing quite as hilarious like the 'outrageous highway holdup' in 'Convenient Marriage', or the 'burgalry to look for the missing ring' in 'talisman Ring'.

I've read most of Georgette Heyer's books and this is not as good as her other romances. The problem is that there is no real connection drawn between the characters. The heroine's father alludes to the fact that the heroine was attracted to Beauvallet even before she met him, but it is not really expanded upon. Things are more on the surface and you really don't get any insight into the characters. I guess the problem is that they are more superficial - more card board-like characters.

I have long been reading reviews of books written by Georgette Heyer and have been very intrigued. Ms. Heyer, although she has written many books, was unknown to me and I don't know how that happened. I read and have read a lot of books, particularly historical novels. I can now say that I am thrilled to have been introduced to such a delightful writer.

Beauvallet opens with a battle upon the sea and we meet our hero, Sir Nicholas Beauvallet or "Mad Nicholas" as he is sometimes called. He is daring, bold and of course, handsome. Also charming, witty, and brave. He wins his battle with the Spanish galleon and meets Dona Dominica de Rada y Sylvan a young, beautiful Spanish spitfire. Instead of kidnapping her and her father he returns them to Spain.

Sir Nicholas knows that Dona Dominica is the perfect woman for him so in spite of the fact that all of Spain is out to kill him for his relentless attacks upon Her ships he vows to return to claim her as his own; braving a journey to the center of Spain. Dona Dominica waits fighting off a greedy family anxious to marry her to gain her property.

I have to say that I was taken by this book from the first sentence. It was rather like watching an old movie from the 40ies - I could so picture Erroll Flynn as Beauvallet - the big smile with that mischevious twinkle in the eyes. The writing is crisp and fun, the dialog is exceptional. Better yet, this is a true romance - lots of longing and you feel the passion without blatant examples. The adventure scenes are well written; you really feel like you are in the midst of battle or fleeing on the sea.

I cannot wait to read more of Ms. Heyer's work. You get drawn into the story, you root for the characters and you don't want to put the book down. That to me is the best you can get in a book.

I found this to be a very intriguing book and enjoyed it quite a bit. I was surprised that the romance of it was almost entirely at the beginning of the book. But the romance was enjoyable, and so was the adventure. I think that the principal characters are fun to read about. Nicholas Beauvallet is a very self-confident English privateer and is very daring. Dominica keeps her private opinions to herself when it's convenient to her, and often says misleading things to hide her feelings. Both characters are both bold and brave, which is fun.

It looks like some reviewers think Dominica dislikes Beauvallet and does not really have a chance to grow to love him. My impression is that she is fascinated by and attracted to him, and she does not want to accept it, nor for it to be evident to others around her. I think that Beauvallet and Dominica mutually admired each other's personalities, and that the attraction was not only outward.

The vocabulary was challenging, and there were many words that I didn't have a clue about. My dictionary didn't have the words, and I wasn't motivated to see if I could find some kind of a vocabulary guide. I read Regency all the time, and this book set in the Elizabethan era was much more challenging on the vocabulary front. I now wish I had been prepared with a some kind of vocabulary guide. It didn't detract from the book, but I would have liked to know precisely what each word/phrase meant.

Sir Nicholas Beauvallet is my hero! A dashing pirate who saves the life of his heroine Donna Dominica and her father to return them to their homeland- how could I possibly resist such gallantry, courage, strenth and charm?
Heyer outdid herself once again with this fantastic novel filled with history, intrigue, excitement...and yes, this one too is filled with incomparable wittiness. And- the dialogue is superb!

Surprisingly, being more used to her regency novels, I was thrilled that this one takes place during the reign of Elizabeth I and the Spanish Armada. I absolutely loved the history and detail, let alone that the characters completely came to life. The story captivated me from the very beginning with that first scene involving Don Juan himself.

This book is reminiscent of a time when heroes were heroes and damsels were breathtaking not only physically but even more so due to their clever and gustsy ways. I reveled in the times, and the historical accuracy for me was more than a treat. Delightful from beginning to end, BEAUVALLET has become my number one Heyer read- so much so, that I plan on re-eading this one for sure. It's truly a classic.

Fantastic!