Convenient Marriage [Kindle Edition]

Georgette Heyer (Author)

Book Description

"A writer of great wit and style... I've read her books to ragged shreds." —Kate Fenton, Daily Telegraph

Horatia Winwood is simply helping her family
When the Earl of Rule proposes marriage to her sister Lizzie, Horatia offers herself instead. Her sister is already in love with someone else, and Horatia is willing to sacrifice herself for her family's happiness. Everyone knows she's no beauty, but she'll do her best to keep out of the Earl's way and make him a good wife. And then the Earl's archenemy, Sir Robert, sets out to ruin her reputation...

The Earl of Rule has found just the wife he wants
Unbeknownst to Horatia, the Earl is enchanted by her. There's simply no way he's going to let her get into trouble. Overcoming some misguided help from Horatia's harebrained brother and a hired highwayman, the Earl routs his old enemy, and wins over his young wife, gifting her with a love that she never thought she could expect.

"Reading Georgette Heyer is the next best thing to reading Jane Austen."—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

WHAT READERS SAY:
"I couldn't put it down, and I couldn't stop laughing!"

"The story is brilliant, and the characters are easy to fall in love with."

"I've read every novel by Georgette Heyer... this is definitely one of her best... very original and funny."

"One of Georgette Heyer's more intriguing tales."

"Horry is an adorable imp while Rule in the best 'Heyerian' tradition is a rogue turned lovely and you don't know whether to hit him or kiss him! This is a wonderful book and is one that will be read over and over again."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"My favourite historical novelist - stylish, romantic, sharp, and witty. Her sense of period is superb, her heroines are enterprising, and her heroes dashing. I owe her many happy hours" -- Margaret Drabble "Wonderful characters, elegant, witty writing, perfect period detail, and rapturously romantic. Georgette Heyer achieves what the rest of us only aspire to" -- Katie Fforde "A writer of great wit and style ... I've read her books to ragged shreds" -- Kate Fenton Daily Telegraph

About the Author

Georgette Heyer, who wrote over fifty novels died in 1974.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 486 KB
• Print Length: 320 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (February 1, 2009)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B002WWKZJK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,168 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

108 of 111 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars H-h-humour, H-H-Heyer, and h-h-high spirits April 4, 2000

By Daniel

Format:Mass Market Paperback

and a stammering heroine! As always, Heyer's dialogue is spot on, her characterisation warm and powerful, and her characters very strongly drawn. The Convenient Marriage is considered in some circles to be one of the finest ever examples of a romance that portrays a flawed and unorthodox heroine, with its portrayal of the stammering, plain Horatia, and her marriage of convenience to the extremely handsome Earl of Rule, thus releasing her sister from any obligation to marry Rule. How Rule discovers the truth of his heart, and that he loves his funny, extravagant little wife, makes for moving reading, whilst Heyer gives us abundant humour in her portrayal of the mincing, petulant dandiprat Crosby Drelincourt; and in the escapades of Horatia. It is all the greatest of great good fun, and one of Heyer's most easily accessible books - its readability, exuberance and humour make it an excellent book for a potential introduction to the world of Georgette Heyer. However, this book is NOT a Regency Romance, but a Georgian Romance, and if you don't think it's as historically accurate as she usually is, consider that it is set in 1770 - about 50 years earlier than usual! It's still a lot of fun.

68 of 70 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Georgian Romp with great secondary characters January 28, 2001

By A. Woodley

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Before Georgette Heyer found the Regency period she wrote Georgians - and this is one of them. The Conveninent Marriage is set in the last couple of decades of the eighteenth century - when coach roads were still muddy morasses, highwaymen lurked on the outskirts of London, and men and women were corseted, laced, fringed, feathered, bewigged, powdered and patched to within in inch of their lives.

The book starts right into the thick of things - The Earl of Rule is looking for a wife and it looks as though he will offer for society beauty, Lizzie Winwood. Lizzie is not enamoured of this idea - she wants to marry some worthy suitor whom she actually loves. Luckily it is her practical, straight talking younger sister, Horatia (better known as Horry) who steps into the fray instead. The interview in which Horry presents the revised plan to the Earl of Rule is hysterical.

Horry is still rather young, and the Earl (who I instantly fell in love with) finds that he needs to rouse himself out of his usual langour to save her from herself. In the midst of all this there is a fiendish plot afoot to break up the marriage, Horry's well-meaning brother Pelham attempting to help Horry, a spare highwayman or two and some good old fashioned romping.

The characters are generally so likeable and fun. The only problem I had is that Horry has a stutter - and they just don't make good reading (I think). A fun, quick read.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Georgette Heyer: an amazing discovery! November 13, 2005

By CoffeeGurl HALL OF FAME

Format:Paperback

I heard wonderful things about Georgette Heyer and decided to give one of her novels a whirl. I heard Heyer wrote mostly Regency romances, so I was surprised to see that this one is actually a Georgian romance. I am not a big fan of the Georgian period because I don't like the elaborate clothing and I have a difficult time picturing men wearing powdered wigs, tights and corsets, but The Convenient Marriage is one of the most endearing and most hilarious period pieces I have ever read! Heyer had me in stitches during some scenes. The Earl of Rule feels it is time to get married and asks for society darling Lizzie Winwood's hand in marriage. Lizzie isn't interested in Lord Rule. She does want to marry a wealthy man, but she also wants to be in love with whoever she decides to marry. So her sister Horatia (Horry) takes her place. Horry isn't your typical heroine. She has a very bad stutter, is plain in appearance and has a rather particular sense of humor. Will those qualities endear her to Lord Rule or will he run a mile? There are many hilarious twists throughout the novel.

I have never laughed so much reading a period novel. Since most authors have to keep with the times, attempts at humor in historicals aren't as funny as contemporary efforts. This isn't the case here. There are so many funny moments that I still smile when I think of them. Horry is such a wonderful heroine. Her sense of humor is compelling and she is remarkable in spite of her plainness. It is always refreshing to read about a plain heroine instead of a drop-dead gorgeous one. Her stuttering was difficult to follow at times and became annoying after a while though. Lord Rule is also great. I fell in love with him. He's my idea of the perfect man. Crosby Drelincourt is an awesome character as well.... He made me laugh during various scenes. The language of the novel is quite interesting. Even though it is set during the 1770s, the novel reads more like a Regency romance instead of a Georgian one, something I found odd. I wouldn't say the historical references aren't accurate, more like she made the period sound a little too festive, not unlike Regency England. All in all, this is a wonderful historical romp and I am glad I gave this wonderful author a whirl. I heard Georgette Heyer was an author during the 1930s and was born around the turn of the twentieth century. I had no idea about this until I read her bio. So, I suppose her novels are probably considered classics then. I shall give all of her books a whirl. Read more ›

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A funny, and surprisingly tender, love story. October 9, 2004

By a-wish-upon-a-star

Format:Hardcover

If you have skipped Georgette Heyer because you find her hard reading, I beg you to read "Convenient Marriage". This is a fun book in every sense of the word; a romp in Regency era (I'm sorry, I stand corrected, it's Georgian). There is not alot of major plot twists or deep character analysis, but plenty of just plain fun that is really very, very funny.

There is the signature Heyer's extreme meticulousness of detail, down to the exact fashion of the year, and there is also her signature dialogue, and humor. But what I loved most of all was the love story between Hory and Lord Rule. It is hard to do seventeen and thirty-two - there is such a disparacy of age, seventeen is really SO young - and most authors who do have this age gap in their protaganists usually simply gloss over it. In the "Convenient Marriage", the age gap is one of the underlying problems which keep husband and wife apart - in a "Convenient Marriage", and it is with great skill, tact and humor that Ms. Heyer brings them together, at last. Everything is done exactly right - Hory (Horatia) acts within character, Lord Rule acts within character - at least the way I think it is realistic, I have never actually seen that kind of marriage up close.

Some reviewers didn't like Horry - give it a break! She's only seventeen! And very spirited for seventeen, too.

But the highlight of the book for me was definitely Lord Rule. He did and said everything just so perfectly, he treats Horry - who is leading him for a merry dance, but is also young enough to be his daughter - exactly the way a hero should! He deals with her gently, but deal with her he does.... Although it may seem at times that Horry is coming across the winner in their battle of wits, Lord Rule is always a few steps ahead of her, but, oh, so gently, so cleverly, does he outsmart her! I could not have imagined their interactions any better, at all. Simply, simply perfect.

For all those who complain about all those alpha males in other novels - here is your hero! He is about as un-alpha-male as you can get, yet he does not sacrifice his masculinity in the least! Just for the character of Lord Rule alone it is worth rating this book ten stars!

If you are a romance reader, and have not yet read Georgette Heyer, read this book, you will NOT regret it! Read more ›

More About the Author

Author of over fifty books, Georgette Heyer is the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, making 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.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#40 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

#60 in Books > Romance > Historical

#66 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Historical

#85 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Historical

#100 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

#40 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

#60 in Books > Romance > Historical

#66 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Historical

#85 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Historical

#100 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary