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Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer
Jan. 16th, 2012 10:45 pmThis is, I think one of the more popular Heyers, and I can see why. I'm not sure it'll end up one of my favorites simply because I didn't like Vidal a lot of the time. I mean, I did at some times and didn't at others, but he was mean to his mother early in the book (but nice to her later) and I feel there have been far, far too many Vidal's in my fictional life over the years, even if there were far, far fewer in fiction when Heyer wrote this.
Anyway!
The Marquis of Vidal is mad, bad, and has every vice you can think of and drives everyone bonkers with his sinning. After one duel too many, his father (apparently far worse in his own youth) decides to exile him to France. Vidal decides that it will be a bit lonely to go alone and sends a note to Sophia Challoner, who he has been planning to run away with, to meet him before he leaves. Sophia's super-practical older sister, Mary (I love Mary), accidentally intercepts the letter and realizes that Vidal wants Sophia to be his mistress, while Sophia thinks they'll be eloping. Mary goes in Sophia's place to make Vidal think Sophia has only been playing with him, and gets abducted and dragged to France for her troubles.
I decided to like it when Mary gets a gun that may or may not be loaded and use it to defend her honor, then shoots Vidal when he tells her to. At which point, he decides that Mary is an honorable young lady and he should marry her, while Mary decides she should stay in France and become a governess. Then Vidal's flamboyant cousin, Julianna, and her staid fiance and their romantic troubles show up and further complicate things, and there are many misunderstandings and chasing people around France.
The abduction aspect works better than it should and it's lots of fun, but think I needed to read it many romance novels earlier to love it the way others do, though I did like iot overall a lot.
Anyway!
The Marquis of Vidal is mad, bad, and has every vice you can think of and drives everyone bonkers with his sinning. After one duel too many, his father (apparently far worse in his own youth) decides to exile him to France. Vidal decides that it will be a bit lonely to go alone and sends a note to Sophia Challoner, who he has been planning to run away with, to meet him before he leaves. Sophia's super-practical older sister, Mary (I love Mary), accidentally intercepts the letter and realizes that Vidal wants Sophia to be his mistress, while Sophia thinks they'll be eloping. Mary goes in Sophia's place to make Vidal think Sophia has only been playing with him, and gets abducted and dragged to France for her troubles.
I decided to like it when Mary gets a gun that may or may not be loaded and use it to defend her honor, then shoots Vidal when he tells her to. At which point, he decides that Mary is an honorable young lady and he should marry her, while Mary decides she should stay in France and become a governess. Then Vidal's flamboyant cousin, Julianna, and her staid fiance and their romantic troubles show up and further complicate things, and there are many misunderstandings and chasing people around France.
The abduction aspect works better than it should and it's lots of fun, but think I needed to read it many romance novels earlier to love it the way others do, though I did like iot overall a lot.