Book Review: Recent Reads #9

Title: Frederica
Author: Georgette Heyer
Genre: Historical (Regency) Romance

Why I Picked It Up: I read "Devil's Cub," fell in love with Georgette Heyer, and scoured the internet for reviews of her works so that I could figure out which ones to read next. And it seemed that a serious fan favorite was the one involving a quiet and sensible young woman who strikes up an unlikely friendship with her scandalous new neighbor in the countryside.

So, I put it on hold from the library, picked it up, sat down in the papazon chair in my bedroom, and dug in. Then I read the intro, and got a little confused. I didn't recall any young brothers or big rambunctious dogs from the synopsis I had read. And then I read some more, and the book was set in London, and the male lead wasn't notorious in the slightest... and then I realized that while "Frederica" and "Venetia" are both female names, they are not the same damn Georgette Heyer novel. One day, I will read "Venetia" but that day has not happened yet.

Review: Yeah, I pretty much loved it. I especially loved the male lead in this one.

The Marquis D'Alverstroke: is not a particularly rougish fella. He's mostly just an overly-wealthy, self-centered aristocrat with nothing to do who easily becomes bored with everything and everyone around him.

Frederica: is a self proclaimed "old maid" despite being attractive, intelligent, and only 24 years old. She's also the unofficial guardian of her three younger siblings and she pretty much runs the affairs of the whole family because she's responsible and sensible and her similarly-aged brother (who is officially responsible for them all) would rather horse around and get drunk and get his ass temporarily suspended from college.

Eventually, Frederica gets around to asking the Marquis, who she only knows because her late father once mentioned that he knew and liked him, to help introduce her extremely lovely (and rather docile and a bit naive) sister into society and Alverstroke agrees mostly because he's bored and it'll piss off his bitchiest sister. And of course, the Marquis ends up finding a family he was never looking for in the first place and Frederica ends up finding a husband she wasn't looking for either. Happy ending! Woo.


Final Note: I'm really starting to love the awesome middle-aged women (usually sisters) who walk around pointing and laughing at the male leads. They're all "Hah! I've got it! You're acting strangely because you've finally fallen in love with a woman! Hah! Serves you right. And you're absolutely fuckin terrified that she doesn't love you back! Hah! Excellent! Turn-around's a bitch!"

Also, I'm pretty sure Frederica and the Marquis are the best matched couple I've read in a romance novel in quite a while. They're just immensely compatible and it's not a leap at all to assume they lived happily ever after.