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Beauvallet: Gossip, scandal and an unforgettable Regency romance

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Malvallet's son Geoffrey becomes the third member of a devoted trio and like another Heyer male friendship and loyalty is a very strong theme. Though I enjoyed the plot well enough, Margaret/Simon annoyed me excessively. I liked the secondary characters and plot, that is what made this book for me. If you can get over the "historical accuracy" misogyny, Simon is an interesting character study. He's determined to the detriment of all else. Seeing him exceed is like watching the outcome of the movable object meeting the unstoppable force. It's hard to turn away, knowing he faces dire odds and yet perseveres. It's very heroic. In the early 15th century, during the middle of the Hundred Years' War, England and France were fighting for sovereignty over France. It was a time of hand-to-hand combat, the invention of the longbow, and real knights in armor. Curb ambition, child,' Beauvallet said. ‘Here, Daw, Russet, Curlew! Overpower me this springald. Softly, lads, softly!'

Lady Margaret is a strong character indeed. She does match Simon in many of her attributes, which is always the way in Georgette Heyer books, that the hero and the heroine have to share common values and tastes. But still she is not my favourite Georgette Heyer heroine.This left Beauvallet to be read as a standalone for generations & I don't think that really worked.

There’s many an episode where we mention Georgette Heyer, but we talk particularly about The Grand Sophy and our other favourites in this Bookshelf episode. Beauvallet indicated Don Manuel and his daughter with a comprehensive sweep of his hand. ‘Convey Don Manuel de Rada y Sylva and his daughter aboard the Venture,' he said, in Spanish. She came up alongside, discharging her fire into the galleon's waist, and passed on unscathed. Drawing a little ahead of the Spaniard she wore suddenly, came sailing across the galleon's bows, and raked her cruelly fore and aft.She was carried down the companion into the waist, where the men were busy with the treasure – China silks, and linen-cloths, ingots of gold, bars of silver, and spices from the islands. ‘Robber!' said Dominica softly.

It was frustrating from a feminist perspective because even though both Simon and Margaret have overpowering feelings for each other, Margaret's passion led her to happily compromise all her most important goals and priorities, while it only led Simon to commit a single tactical error he later regretted. But in the end, this was a novel written in the 1920's about a couple in the 1420's. I suppose bringing a woman to heel was the happy ending everyone was looking for. A nicely old fashioned historical novel of the English-French conflicts of the early 1400s. Written in 1925 the language and the dialog might sound stilted to modern ears, but the story is exciting and enjoyable. Heyer fans take note--all the romance happens in the last third of the book. On one hand, it is written lightly, with many adventures and interesting (and of course a little funny) characters. On the other hand, Heyer made a great job as a historian. She used even old English (it could be a little difficult to read for some people but for me it was next level/side of the book). There are so good description of the people, how they probably lived and thought that you can feel that you are with them.My favourite heroines: Ancilla Trent, Venetia Lanyon, Abigail Wendover, Sarah Thane. Intelligent, believable, witty. I love the young heroines, too – who wouldn’t love Kitten???, but the heroines with a touch more life experience are more interesting.

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