Customer Reviews

Reluctant Widow, The

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have been reading and collecting Georgette Heyer novels since I was 18. I actually discovered them by accident in a used bookstore where my older brother had a job. (One must patronize establishments where family members are employed.)

I have loved her novels right from the start. I have read all of them more than once. Some I have read many times. The Reluctant Widow is one of the special ones that I have read so often I have lost count of how many times I have read it.

I have noticed with the passing years that the novels that I first liked the most, the really romantic ones, have palled some over the years and that it is the funnier ones that I read over more and more. Maybe it is because I was lacking romance in my life when I started reading Georgette Heyer but now I have had more than enough romance and I appreciate humor more.

It's true that there is not much romance in this novel, or not much outward signs of romance. It really is more of a comic mystery than a romance. Yet having read it so many times, I can now detect the subtle signs of developing love between Elinor and Ned, especially Ned. It seems that time after time Ned comes up with reasons why Elinor cannot leave and get on with her life. After reading it so many times, I think that Ned may very well have fallen in love with Elinor at first sight but is reticient to do anything about it for quite a while.

To be truthful, the romance in all of Georgette Heyers novels is always secondary to the plot. In many of her novels, the hero does not make clear his intentions until the last chapter, sometimes even as late as the last 2 pages of the novel. If you are a romance addict, this can be very tiresome, having to wait so long for the romantic part.

This Georgette Heyer novel is definitely one of her 5 star novels when considered as a novel and not necessarily as a romance. The comic elements in it never fail to amuse, no matter how many times it is read. It is a funny historical novel set in the regency period of England with just a tad of romance in the end.

The Reluctant Widow is exactly what a book of this type should be: delightful and purely entertaining. The secondary characters in Heyer's best books leap off the page, vivid and hilarious. The plot involves comedy, intrigue, espionage, cloaks & daggers, and things going bump in the night - - served with a sauce of witty repartee that is the Heyer Hallmark. Unforgettable.

This was the quote on the back of the book. The story itself begins in a decidedly Gothic fashion, with a seemingly dark, irascible hero, a heroine swept along by fate and a malevolent drunkard who plays her short-lived husband. The stage is set; some papers are missing that must not be allowed to fall into Bonaparte's hands and of course, they're probably secreted in the heroine's new home.

Some familiar personalities make their appearance in this novel; the hero's younger brother is modelled along most younger brothers/cousins, such as Ludovic of The Talisman Ring and Richmond of The Unknown Ajax. Basil, the sneaking and probably up-to-no-good fop is practically the twin of the evil Beau from The Talisman Ring. In fact, this story is a lot like the Talisman Ring, only without the guffaw-inducing nature of that worthy book and with a tamer ending. All in all, a good mystery infused with a lot of humour.

Amazon review is a little bit misleading. Elinor is persuaded to help a man she's just met by marrying his profligate cousin. Witty and cleaver and full of twists and turns. This is a great read. Nicky is one of the best characters Heyer ever created.

As a long term, well as long as possible at 16, fan of Heyer regency novels, I love the Reluctant Widow. Admittedly the romance between Eleanor and Edward is not nearly as fleshed out as in her other novels because of the focus on the mystery, but I enjoy it anyway. This is mainly because of Nicky. Nicky is a wonderful character and one of the funniest Georgette ever created, along with Rupert in These Old Shades. The book is a delightfully funny and mysterious romp and I heartily recommend it to any Regency lover.

I've read several Heyers, many of which are some of my all-time favorite books, but even so I had some misguivings about reading "The Reluctant Widow" since reading the comments here and finding out that it was more focused on mystery than on romance. I decided to read it anyway, not wanting to pass on anything written by Heyer, and I am happy to say I was greatly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book!

I loved both the story and the characters, and found myself constantly chuckling over the bizarre situations poor Elinor finds herself every day. The suspense in this book never ceases to keep the reader interested, the humor is always present (keep an eye out for Nicky and his dog, it nearly always kept me in stitches), and the relationship between Carlyon and Elinor is always engaging to read, despite their many differences and her obvious (and understandable) initial dislike of him. The resolution to the mystery was also unexpected... the villian was somebody that certainly commanded my respect, evil and merciless at he was, he was a great character.

I also have to say that I disagree with the reviewer who said there was no romance here. It is subtle, but it is always there, I at least had no difficulty in deciphering the reasons behind Carlyon's interest in Elinor's welfare, however intent he was in hiding his sentiments from her. I think he might have fallen in love with her at first sight too, though perhaps he wasn't aware of that until much later... in any case, I greatly enjoyed his bantering with Elinor, perhaps the only female who didn't treat him with the respect and almost reverence he was accustomed to. His declaration of love certainly was no surprise to me, and it was very satisfying.

All in all, a definite keeper!

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

I really enjoyed this one and read it straight through, which I haven't done with a book since "Gone with the Wind." Am a little disappointed we didn't learn more about the Macclesfields LOL but otherwise this was a lark of a book. The hero and heroine, indeed the entire family exhibited the "unbearable lightness of being" the English are so famous for. Loved the humor and that Brit ability to carry on bravely, no matter what life hurls at you. Alas, the home remodeler in me would love to have a go at that house! But no matter read this book and curl up with some hot chocolate and bread and butter. (or burgundy!) A pity BBC doesn't make a mini series from this one.

By the way, in a nod to the other reviewers here: I think it is clearly a case of love at first sight for Ned and the widow-to-be!

This book has one of her better dog characters, as well as the terrific younger brother. The sister was also delightful and I have to say I even liked the villain. He had a certain style as well.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
I liked it. The dialogue and characters are richer than I'm used to. The plot was good. It's not a common story. She reluctantly got married for Ned's purpose of making her the widow. Their interactions felt fresh (even though this was written a long time ago). Elinor is annoyed that so many bad things are happening to her and she is at risk. Yet Ned calmly assures her that she is not in danger. She frequently calls Ned odious and refers to his lack of concern about her imminent death. Nick was a fun character, Ned's 19 year old younger brother. Nick loved the excitement of danger around the house.

This is a mystery, NOT A ROMANCE. If you want romance, you don't want this. There was no romantic relationship development. But the couple did develop respect and friendship for each other through the ordeal. Then at the very tail end, a romantic conversation happens that felt odd to me. It didn't fit. This was too soon in their relationship. But it didn't ruin the book for me. It was happy ending. This is fiction. I felt good.

As a mystery it was pretty good. But I wanted more details about the illegal activities and why Eustace was involved. It's not a must read, but it was a satisfying escape as an audiobook, while I was doing other things. The narrator Cornelius Garrett was excellent.

STORY BRIEF:
Penniless Elinor travels to Sussex to begin work as a governess. Due to a case of mistaken identity the carriage driver takes her to the wrong house. Ned was the guardian of Eustace for several years. Ned stands to inherit Eustace's property. Eustace is a dissolute and a drunkard. While Elinor talks to Ned, Nick arrives saying he accidentally stabbed Eustace who is now on his deathbed. Ned talks Elinor into marrying Eustace before he dies so she will inherit Eustace's property. Reluctantly Elinor somehow goes along with this. Eustace readily agrees to marry this unknown woman because he hates Ned and doesn't want Ned to get his property. The plan is for Elinor to oversee the cleanup of Eustace's home so it can be sold. However, Eustace was involved in illegal activities and a number of visitors start coming to his home while Elinor is there. Nick stays there as well and thinks this is fun. He finds a hidden passageway.

DATA:
Unabridged audiobook length: 9 ½ hours. Narrator: Cornelius Garrett. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: none. Setting: 1813 Sussex, England. Book Published: 1946. Genre: regency mystery.

In case there's any confusion, Jane Austen lived in the Regency and wrote romances, but Georgette Heyer invented the Regency as a genre. This is one of my favorites; romantic--almost Gothic--and funny by turns, and also a reminder that Heyer was a mystery writer in the Golden Age of the detective novel. (If you haven't read A BLUNT INSTRUMENT, order it and then finish reading this review.) Without giving the plot away, the confession scene alone is worth the price of admission.
As always with Heyer, if you know something of the period you have a clearer notion of appearances, why the missing papers are so important and why having the Prince Regent as an architectural advisor is a bad idea. But she's perfectly intelligible to the novice.
The book itself is a "trade paper" professionally done with no glaring typos. Given how fast the paper is aging on some of the old hardcovers, this may be the best edition you can buy regardless of price.