Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
my opinion: the best Regency-era romance novel ever written, 16 Jun 2005
The second Georgette Heyer romance novel I read when I first started devouring her novels a few decades ago, (the first was "Black Sheep"), "Sprig Muslin" is, to this day, my favourite Regency-era romance novel of all time. It's novel that can proudly boast of possessing everything from a nice, gently paced romance subplot, to an adventure (of a small sort), with some hysterically funny scenes, and written with just the right touch of gentle humour, so that you're left with a satisfied smile (and feeling) on your face long after you've finished the book.Sir Gareth Ludlow has decided to do his duty and marry. And because he's a much sought after bachelor, and a good-looking and amiable man to boot, finding a wife shouldn't be too difficult a task. But because he is still very much affected by the death, seven years ago, of his true love (the beautiful but headstrong Clarissa) Gareth has decided to marry for suitability and convenience. Not for him some young debutante who would, no doubt, expect him to shower her with affection and dance to her tune; and Gareth has decided to ask his good friend, Lady Hester Theale, to marry him. Labeled an old maid, quiet, self effacing and practical Lady Hester surely would not look to make a love matchat this stage in her life, and would, naturally, see all the advantages of making a marriage based on mutual respect and admiration. Except that along the way to propose to Hester, Gareth meets a very young lady, all alone (no chaperone or servants) who calls herself "Amanda Smith." Beautiful, willful and with a highly imaginative mind, Amanda has runaway from home because she has a PLAN (you'll have to read the book to discover what this PLAN entails). Naturally Gareth cannot leave such a young girl by herself, and he decides to rescue Amanda for her own good. But little did Gareth imagine that when he set out to rescue Amanda that she would embroil him in an adventure of a lifetime, and that it would make him look at a certain lady with new eyes and with hope in his heart... I had exactly the same reaction to "Sprig Muslin" that I had with Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" -- an overwhelming sense of relief and satisfaction that it had ended in exactly the way I had wanted it to. The basic plot-line is very spare, but where Heyer's genius lies is in the manner in which she quickly engages the reader's interest in the characters portrayed, making you care for them and devoutly hoping that each and every one of them gets the resolution they deserve. For myself, I've always had a soft spot for quiet, overlooked heroines, especially when most of my friends preferred heroines with more hair than wit and who exhibited a lot of resolution but practically no common sense. So that reading "Sprig Muslin" was like a tonic for me -- "watching" the gentle romance between the hero and heroine unfold quietly, esp as this contrasted superbly with each outrageous new story that Amanda would concoct and unleash -- it was just so excellently done and such fun! To this day, I've yet to come across another novel that satisfies and entertains me as much as "Sprig Muslin," and I'm beginning to doubt that I ever will. If you haven't read it yet, don't hesitate: PICK THIS BOOK UP TODAY, you won't regret it.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Heyer! You must read this one, 16 Nov 2007
Having given up hope of ever finding a lady to replace his lost love, Clarissa, Gareth has resigned himself to a marriage of convenience. He plans a union based on mutual liking certainly, but nothing more as he is unable to offer love. He has decided to ask his old friend Lady Hesther to marry him, as he likes her and knows that her family do not value her as they should. Hesther is gentle, quiet, shy, myopic, and every day of 29!!! Her father is stunned by this unlooked-for good fortune as she has been on the shelf for years. But after hearing the news, Hesther cries herself to sleep. Why would she do that? Then Amanda bursts onto the scene. In many ways she resembles the lovely Clarissa in her impulsiveness, independence and beauty. She proceeds to wreak havoc in Sir Gareth's plans, and is she the new love he is looking for? Gareth certainly comes to see things rather more clearly by the end of this charming and funny story. I promise you wil love this novel, really it is one of her very best.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Winner from Heyer, 19 Nov 2007
This is the usual Heyer fare, yet saying that does her no disservice. Heyer's writing is consistently the best historical romance on offer and all her books are top notch. They are reliable, wonderful and a total pleasure to read. They are for romance what P.G. Wodehouse and Jeeves do for comic writing. You truly can do no better.
Here Gareth Ludlow needs a wife to take his mind off the loss of his true love. He knows he is never going to match the feelings he has for Clarissa, so he decides to settle for an old family friend, Hesther. Hesther seems less than enthusiastic, and things are not going well when a gorgeous young woman bursts upon the scene to stir up endless mischief. Gareth and Hesther become entangled in her affairs and it is sure that the path of true love does not run smooth. It is always delightful nevertheless.
The characters are finely drawn, lovingly brought to life and sympathetic. The dialogue is great and the story, though much the same as every other book by Heyer, is still crisp, funny and wonderful to read.
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