Full Description

Nonesuch

"Triumphantly good…Georgette Heyer is unbeatable." — India Knight, Sunday Telegraph

An impetuous flight...
Tiffany Wield's bad behavior is a serious trial to her chaperone. "On the shelf " at twenty-eight, Ancilla Trent strives to be a calming influence on her tempestuous charge, but then Tiffany runs off to London alone and Ancilla is faced with a devastating scandal.

A gallant rescue...
Sir Waldo Hawkridge, confirmed bachelor and one of the wealthiest men in London, comes instantly to the aid of the intrepid Ancilla to stop Tiffany's flight, and in the process discovers that it's never too late for the first bloom of love.

"A writer of great wit and style… I've read her books to ragged shreds."
Kate Fenton, Daily Telegraph

WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT THE NONESUCH:

"A lovely, entertaining read, full of deliciously entertaining character studies, witty dialogue, a gentle secondary romance and, of course, the main love story. This is another of Heyer's 'older heroine' novels, subtle, romantic, and very enjoyable. Highly recommended!"

"One of the wittiest stories Heyer has concocted, that will have you chuckling to yourself."

"The same flashes of wit, the wonderful dialogue, and the ridiculous intrigue that are all the ingredients of a first-rate Georgette Heyer."

"No other novelist recreates the manners, dress, behaviour, and language of the Regency period as well as [Georgette Heyer] did."

"Heyer moves into Austen territory—delightfully!"

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Excerpt

Excerpt

Excerpt from Chapter One

There was a twinkle in the Nonesuch's eye as he scanned the countenances of his assembled relations, but his voice was perfectly grave, even a trifle apologetic. 'I am afraid it is quite true, ma'am,' he said, addressing himself to his Aunt Sophia. 'I am the heir.'

Since the question, so indignantly posed by Lady Lindeth, had been rhetorical, this very frank and manly confession surprised no one. They all knew that old Cousin Joseph Calver had left his fortune to Waldo; and when Lady Lindeth had summoned him to account for himself she had acted on the impulse of the moment, and with no expectation of hearing the news denied. Nor had she had any very real expectation of Waldo's renouncing the bequest in favour of her only child. She naturally felt that no worthier heir to eccentric Cousin Joseph's estate existed than Julian; and she had done her best to introduce the noble orphan to him, even enduring the rigours of a week spent at Harrogate, when Julian had been an engaging child in nankeens and a frilled shirt, and she had tried (quite unavailingly) to gain entrance to Broom Hall. Three times had she driven out from Harrogate, the bored but docile little boy beside her, only to be told, twice, by Cousin Joseph's butler, that the Master was not feeling clever enough to receive
visitors; and, once, that the Master would thank her not to come pestering him, because he didn't want to see her, nor her son, nor anyone else. Enquiry had elicited the information that the only visitor ever admitted into the house was the doctor. Local opinion was divided, charitable persons maintaining that a disappointment suffered in his youth was responsible for this churlishness; others asserting that he was a muckworm who grudged every groat he was obliged to spend. Having had the opportunity to perceive the neglected condition of the grounds of Broom Hall, Lady Lindeth had ranged herself with the majority. A suspicion that Cousin Joseph might not be as plump in the pocket as was supposed had occurred only to be dismissed: Broom Hall, though greatly inferior in style and size to young Lord Lindeth's seat in the Midlands, was a very respectable house, with probably as many as thirty bedrooms. It did not stand in a park, but its gardens appeared to be extensive; and she was credibly informed that most of the surrounding land belonged to the estate. She had left Harrogate much inclined to think that Cousin Joseph's fortune was considerably larger than had previously been supposed. She did not grudge it to him, but she would have thought herself a very unnatural parent had she not made a push to secure it for her son. So she had swallowed her resentment at the treatment she had received, and had continued, throughout the succeeding years, to send Joseph small Christmas gifts, and periodical letters, affectionately enquiring after the state of his health, and regaling him with accounts of Julian's virtues, beauty, and scholastic progress. And after all her pains he had left his entire estate to Waldo, who was neither the most senior of his relations nor the one who bore his name!

The most senior of the three cousins gathered together in Lady Lindeth's drawing-room was George Wingham, the son of her ladyship's eldest sister. He was a very worthy man, however prosy; she was not particularly fond of him, but she thought she could have borne it better had Cousin Joseph made him his heir, for she was obliged to acknowledge that his seniority gave him a certain amount of right to the bequest. Not, of course, so good a right as Laurence Calver. Lady Lindeth held Laurence, the youngest of her nephews, in contempt and dislike, but she hoped she was a just woman, and she felt she could have supported with equanimity his succession to a fortune which he would have lost no time in dissipating.

But that Cousin Joseph, ignoring the claims of George, and Laurence, and her beloved Julian, should have named Waldo Hawkridge as his heir was so intolerable that had she been of a nervous disposition she thought she must have succumbed to Spasms when she had first heard the incredible news. As it was, she had been unable to speak for a full minute; and when she did she had merely uttered Waldo's name, in a voice so vibrant with loathing that Julian, the bearer of the tidings, had been startled. 'But, Mama—!' he had expostulated. 'You like Waldo!'

That was perfectly true, but quite beside the point, as she crossly told her son. She was, in fact, much attached to Waldo, but neither her fondness for him nor her gratitude for his unfailing kindness to Julian prevented her from feeling positively unwell whenever she thought of his enormous wealth. To learn that Cousin Joseph's estate was to be added to an already indecently large fortune did make her feel for a few minutes that so far from liking him she detested him.

She said now, in a peevish tone: 'I can't conceive what should have induced that disagreeable old man to choose you for his heir!'

'There is no understanding it at all,' Sir Waldo replied sympathetically.

'I don't believe you ever so much as saw him, either!'

'No, I never did.'

'Well, I must own,' said George, 'that it was an odd sort of a thing to do. One would have thought — However, none of us had the least claim on the old fellow, and I'm sure he had a perfect right to leave his money where he chose!'

At this, Laurence Calver, who had been lounging on the sofa, and moodily playing with an ornate quizzing-glass, let the glass fall on the end of its ribbon, and jerked himself up, saying angrily: 'You had no claim to it — or Waldo — or Lindeth! But I'm a Calver! I — I think it damnable!'

'Very possibly!' snapped his aunt. 'But you will be good enough not to use such language in my presence, if you please!'

He coloured, and mumbled an apology, but the reproof did nothing to improve his temper, and he embarked on a long and incoherent diatribe, which ranged stammeringly over a wide ground, embracing all the real and fancied causes of his sense of ill-usage, the malevolence of Joseph Calver, and the suspected duplicity of Waldo Hawkridge.

Until George Wingham intervened, he was heard in unresponsive silence. His oblique animadversions on Sir Waldo's character did indeed bring a flash into Lord Lindeth's eyes, but he folded his lips tightly on a retort. Laurence had always been jealous of Waldo: everyone knew that; and very ludicrous it was to watch his attempts to outshine his cousin. He was several years younger than Waldo, and he possessed none of the attributes which Nature had so generously bestowed on the Nonesuch. Failing to excel in any of the sports which had won for Waldo his title, he had lately turned towards the dandy-set, abandoning the sporting attire of the Corinthian for all the extravagances of fashion popular amongst the young dandies. Julian, three years his junior, thought that he looked ridiculous in any guise; and instinctively turned his eyes towards Waldo. They warmed as they looked, for to Julian Sir Waldo was at once a magnificent personage in whose company it was an honour to be seen, the big cousin who had taught him to ride, drive, shoot, fish, and box; a fount of wisdom; and the surest refuge in times of stress. He had even taught him something of his own way with the starched folds of a neckcloth: not the intricacies of the Mathematical or the Oriental Tie, but an elegant fashion of his own, as unobtrusive as it was exquisite. Laurence would do well to imitate the quiet neatness of Waldo's dress, Julian thought, not realizing that the plain, close-fitting coats which so admirably became Waldo could only be worn to advantage by men of splendid physique. Less fortunate aspirants to high fashion were obliged to adopt a more florid style, with padding to disguise sloping shoulders, and huge, laid-back lapels to widen a narrow chest.

Reviews

Reviews

Night Owl Romance Danya
As always, Georgette Heyer has proven herself to be queen of the Regency romance with her book The Nonesuch.

At twenty-eight, Ancilla Trent is definitely “on the shelf” but is content to be chaperone/governess to the badly-behaved but beautiful heiress Tiffany Wield. Sir Waldo Hawkridge, top of the Tulips of the London Ton is known as The Nonesuch due to athletic ability, fashion sense, horsemanship, wealth and all around ability. He quickly comes to discover the myriad attractions of Ancilla and discovers that love can be found even in the wilds of English countryside. Unfortunately, Ancilla isn’t looking for romance. When Tiffany flees to London, Ancilla must turn to Sir Waldo if she has any hopes of averting scandal. Throw in a sweet secondary romance, and The Nonesuch is a book that will leave you smiling and laughing all at once.

Georgette Heyer is a highly gifted writer who creates amazing characters, witty dialogue, and fabulous intrigue that is combined with well-researched Regency cant, dress, food and behavior as no one else can. For any fan of Jane Austen’s wonderful writing, Georgette Heyer is a wonderful continuation.

The Burton Review Marie Burton
Georgette Heyer is a well known author for her Regency England novels. She had written over 50 books by the time of her death in 1974. Luckily for the new generation, many of her books are being reissued through Sourcebooks. The novel, "The Nonesuch" is one such historical romance, and it is set somewhere in the mid 1800’s. While the text is somewhat dated, it is done so that we truly feel we are reading something written in that time period. It reminds me of reading Margaret Mitchell and Louisa May Alcott. There were a few words that were ’new’ to me.. although the words I am sure were quite old. Such as sennight, which I looked up: a week. And the line "O my God! thought Sir Waldo. Now we are in the basket!" I also have seen the phrase "on the shelf" for those unmarried girls past their prime (at 26?!)

This novel has a simple storyline: The nonesuch (a talented, popular guy) is Sir Waldo who comes to town to settle an estate he has inherited. We are introduced to those he crosses paths with. Miss Ancilla Trent is a governess to Tiffany Wield within that circle, and the Nonesuch and Ancilla fall in love from afar. Of course there are obstacles to that inevitable path, and we chuckle along the way as the younger set in the story supplies enough antics to keep up occupied. The characters are well-defined and I often found myself wishing I was watching a black and white movie instead of reading it. There was a lot of dialogue going back and forth and it would have played really well on the Silver Screen.

The storyline itself is not a far-reaching plot, therefore it was slightly slow at times, but how it all goes about it is so charming with the style of writing it becomes amusing and witty. However predictable the plot may have seemed, I did enjoy this novel and I look forward to her other books. The book made me smile and I enjoyed the way the writing took me back to that period.

From what I can tell, there are some of her other books that are more widely coveted, and I am glad that this was my first Heyer knowing that it can only get better.

The Book Girl Carrie Zimmerman
Another great read from Georgette Heyer. I love Heyer’s voice and style of writing. Her characters a lovely and the situations they find themselves in are hilarious.

In The Nonesuch, Sir Waldo is considered the man to be. Men want to be just like him and women want to marry him. Miss Trent is a companion to a foolish girl who thinks that every man should fall in love with her and no one else. Sir Waldo and Miss Trent fit together perfectly and their relationship evolves at such an understated rate, that even they don’t know it’s happening at first.

The only thing that I have noticed about the books by Georgette Heyer is the lack of interaction between the two main characters. Throughout the book they meet on occasion, but don’t spend a lot of time together. In most modern romances they main couple tends to spend all of their time in each other’s pockets.

Maymay’s Memos Shawn Remfry
Tiffany has men falling at her feet. Of course she knows she’s beautiful and any man would be lucky to have her. Her favorite pastime is playing with their affections. When she finds that The Nonesuch has inherited a house close by, she decides it’s time for a new challenge. Even Ms. Trent, the woman in charge of her, is going to have a hard time reigning her in.

The Nonesuch, Sir Waldo Hawkridge, plans to fix up the estate and turn it into an orphanage. When he can’t get Tiffany to leave him alone, however, he decides to have a little fun at her expense. What ensues is scandalous chaos of the utmost sort.

This is by far the most humorous of all the books I read. The characters are fun and alive. Of course some of them you want to smack silly, but that only adds to the light-heartedness of the book. Tiffany is so far out there, but we all know people just like her and it’s really fun to see what happens to her. The best part for me was finally finding out exactly what a Nonesuch is! Of course I’ve read the term several times, but never bothered to pick up a dictionary or google it. Now I know! And you can too!

The really neat part of this book was reading it and realizing that I’d read parts of it before! It turns out that some of my favorite authors (no! I’m not telling names!) must be Georgette fans because they’ve ’borrowed’ some of the situations in the book! At first I was frustrated by this, but then I realized that it just goes to show how far of a reach Ms. Heyer’s books really have.

Want to win this book???? Leave me a comment with a way to contact you. A winner will be drawn on Saturday!

Bookfoolery and Babble Nancy Horner
What led you to pick up this book? I read and reviewed my first Georgette Heyer book, Cotillion, for Estella’s Revenge last year. It was a hard read because I’d never encountered that level of Regency lingo, but it was a great story and I’ve planned to read more. When Danielle at Sourcebooks offered up several titles for review, I snatched The Nonesuch (and a couple of others, which I’ll get to in the coming weeks or months).

Describe the plot without giving anything away.

Ancilla Trent is in her late twenties and unlikely ever to marry. As the hired chaperone of strikingly beautiful young Tiffany Wield, she’s got her work cut out for her. Tiffany has no sense of tact and is tremendously selfish, but thanks to her beauty she usually has a bevy of young admirers to toy with. When she goes too far and humiliation becomes her likely fate, she runs away to London. Will Ancilla be able to stop her?

Sir Waldo Hawkridge is wealthy, philanthropic and stylish. He’s also a confirmed bachelor. When he inherits a run-down estate and travels to Yorkshire with his cousin, Lord Julian Lindeth, to supervise the repairs to Broom Hall, it’s only natural that such dashing men should be invited into the social whirl. Sir Waldo plans to turn Broom Hall into an orphanage and leave as soon as he’s able. But, he quickly finds himself falling for Ancilla Trent. Ancilla knows she’s not in Sir Waldo’s class and a romance would be scandalous. Is he playing games with her, or is it possible that such a charming man returns her affections?

Describe a favorite scene. Honestly, I loved absolutely every scene in the book. So much happens that I think I’d have trouble singling out any particular scene, but I do love it when Julian offers to teach Patience Chartley (the rector’s daughter) the waltz. The waltz is all the rage in London, but in the country people are iffy about it and Julian is trying to explain that the dance is harmless to Patience’s mother when this happens:
The Rector, coming into the room and learning what was the subject under discussion, said that since the world began each generation had condemned the manners and customs of the next.

Ha! So true!

What did you think about the characters? Georgette Heyer had a knack for creating beautifully three-dimensional characters. The Nonesuch (Sir Waldo) and Ancilla Trent are charming and witty, and there are some nosy, haughty women and gallant young men. Sir Waldo’s cousin Lawrence eventually shows up and he’s suitably paired with the uncontrollable Tiffany, for a time. I’d say the characterization is darn near perfect, although I had a little trouble distinguishing some of the secondary characters, for a time, because there are so many.

What did you like most about the book? I love the witty dialogue, the characters, the storyline, the setting, the action. A great deal happens in this book. It was a tremendously fun, light-hearted read.

Was there anything you didn’t like about the book? That Regency lingo is rough. Fortunately, there are some helpful sites online (I printed out some of the slang and expressions and kept them with me when I read) and eventually you become accustomed to the mode of speech. Heyer is a little like Shakespeare, in that way. Once you become involved and get into the rhythm and style, most everything makes sense in context — even if you’re too lazy to get up and look up a few expressions online (yeah, sometimes I didn’t bother). The ending is also a little odd, but nothing to complain about.

Recommended? Absolutely. I’ve enjoyed both of the Heyer books I read so much that I’d love to read everything she’s ever written, at this point. This is a very romantic story, but so much happens that I’d encourage people who just like a good story to snatch up this book and give Heyer a try.

Cover thoughts: I like the cover. I don’t love the cover, but I really like it. I find it a little difficult imagining the way people dressed in that time period without a little visual help and I occasionally closed the book to remind myself of how Sir Waldo was probably dressed.
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Ex Libris Sharon Goforth
Rating: 4/5

Georgette Heyer must have had a wonderful sense of humor. Her Regency novels are often filled with slang, which does much to embellish the personalities of her characters and makes them appear either very witty or almost silly. Heyer takes this to the next level in her Regency romance, The Nonesuch. The title itself is slang for a man who stands well above everyone else in terms of accomplishments such as driving/riding horses, shooting firearms, sports, manners of dress, and of course wealth.

The character owning the title of "The Nonesuch" is Sir Waldo Hawkridge, a wealthy man in his own right who has just inherited another estate in Yorkshire. Sir Waldo decides to visit the estate to oversee the necessary repairs to make the building habitable and convert it into a children’s home.

The arrival of The Nonesuch causes quite a stir in the small community. Dances and outings ensue, as the young women (and especially their mothers) try their best to interest Sir Waldo and his cousin Julian into leaving bachelorhood behind. No one tries harder (with less effort) than the young, beautiful and self-proclaimed social diva Tiffany Wield. Tiffany has been sent to the country from London by despairing relatives unable to control her behavior. In the household of the Underhills, she is kept company by a slightly older companion, Ancilla Trent. Tiffany is accustomed to getting her own way without any regard for the feelings of others. Ancilla does her best to soothe Tiffany’s tantrums while minimizing her damage.

This scenario provides the backdrop for romance and some interesting character studies. Sir Waldo is a confirmed bachelor, yet he is attracted to Ancilla’s calming personality and sharp intellect. Ancilla, thinking herself too old at 28 for either love or marriage, is less than impressed with Sir Waldo’s money and personage as The Nonesuch, but she is attracted to his strong, quiet nature and ability to separate himself from his reputation. Tiffany, who expects all men to love her madly, has difficulty understanding how Julian could have the slightest interest in anyone else.

I really enjoyed this book and Heyer’s characterizations, especially that of Tiffany’s. She seemed to me to be very much like Scarlett O’Hara at the beginning of Gone With the Wind - in fact, I kept waiting for her to say "fiddle-dee-dee" or "butter won’t melt in my mouth." But Heyer wrote of a different era with its own set of slang. And speaking of Regency slang, check out this site for a list of words and expressions and their meanings. It will come in handy!

Thanks to Danielle Jackson and the folks at Sourcebooks, who are doing a remarkable job in bringing back the magic that is Georgette Heyer’s Regency novels.

Jane Austen’s World Lady Anne
A ‘nonesuch’ is something unrivalled, a paragon, or something like nothing else. The hero in Georgette Heyer’s romance entitled The Nonesuch is indeed all of the above. Sir Waldo Hawkridge has been nicknamed Nonesuch by those of the Corinthian set, because he could do it all: drive, ride, shoot, fish, box, dress elegantly in an unobtrusive fashion suiting his splendid physique. The book begins as Sir Waldo has been named the heir to an elderly and eccentric cousin; others in the Family had attended the reading of the Will in vain hope, where we meet also the two younger cousins who have looked up to and been assisted by Waldo – one well, and one poorly –as they have grown from grubby schoolboys to young men about Town. And we discover another attribute of Sir Waldo’s that truly makes him a paragon.

Many of the heroes in Heyer’s frothy Regency romances are jaded with society and its predictable lifestyles. Over-burdened with family members wanting something from them, or chased by match-making mamas more interested in the money and pedigree attached to their names, knowing that they must marry for the sake of the family, they are bored with life as only idle rich can afford to be. Sir Waldo, however, has followed his parents’ examples and precepts: “My father and my grandfather before him,” he tells a character in the book, “were considerable philanthropists, and my mother was used to be very friendly with Lady Spencer – the one that died a couple of years ago, and was mad after educating the poor. So you may say that I grew up amongst charities! This was the one that seemed to me more worth the doing than any other: collecting as many of the homeless waifs you may find in any city as I could, and rearing them to become respectable citizens….”

Here for once is a wealthy man who is interested not only in his own amusements, but also actively considers his responsibilities and pursues good works: the epitome of noblesse oblige.
Waldo plans to house some 50 orphans in his new legacy, but before he has made the renovations to the house and made the contacts with the people in Leeds, he doesn’t want it widely known.

The Nonesuch takes place in Jane Austen’s England, with the village society, country house parties, and gossip. There is a broader range of society here than in London where they would stay stratified within the ton; some of the families here are definitely below the salt. It is another example of the changing times. But like any Austen neighborhood when a new bachelor finds his way there, parties abound. And romance flourishes.

The Nonesuch also tends to his philanthropic business, first by seeking out the vicar to get his assistance in getting his business done in Leeds. The town appears in the book as a nearby shopping mecca for the young ladies, but its interest to our hero is that it was one of the fast-growing factory towns that thrust England into the forefront of the world as the Industrial Revolution changed the way all the classes interacted. The Enclosure Acts of the late 18th and early 19th Century took away the wherewithal of many of the poorest classes to earn their living from the land by assigning the use of previous open land to the local lord. The poor flocked to the cities and the factories to sustain themselves, not always to the best effect for their health. Illness, malnutrition, and drunkenness took their toll, and the Nonesuch found plenty of the ‘brats’ under the auspices of the parish, for whom he could do a great deal.

Which is not to say that we actually see Sir Waldo meeting with the good people of Leeds; his work is alluded to obliquely in several different situations throughout the book, moving the plot along.

More to our immediate interest, Sir Waldo also finds in the neighborhood one Ancilla Trent, a young lady of impeccable breeding, currently working as a companion to a beautiful and amazingly spoiled young minx. Like Sir Waldo, Ancilla is serious-minded person. Not one to become a financial drain on her family, she gives up her chance in the Marriage Mart to work first as a teacher and then to keep the lovely and headstrong Tiffany Weld from destroying her own chances at a good marriage; Tiffany is wealthy, but she is mercantile rather than gentry, barely seeing the point of basic courtesy, and much too sure of her position as most beautiful heiress in the area. With all the young men of the neighborhood, Sir Waldo’s two young cousins, the young ladies of the neighborhood, as well as Tiffany, we have all the ingredients for plenty of delightful parties and outings, an abundance of amusing chatter, and one of the very best last scenes any book could ask for.

The Nonesuch looks like a typical Regency romance, but as Georgette Heyer always provides, there is much more between the covers.

The Tome Traveller’s Weblog Carey Andereson
When Waldo Hawkridge comes to inspect his newly inherited country estate, he causes quite a stir with the local gentry. Sir Waldo has an immense fortune and excels at sporting pursuits, he is well known to be the best driver in the country. Hence his nickname, the Nonesuch:

"It means being the greatest Go among all the Goers!’ stated Courtenay. ’Particularly on the roads - though they say the Nonesuch is a clipping rider to hounds too...in harness and out no man can do more with a horse than the Nonesuch."

An admired and respected man who, at thirty five years old, is a great catch for all those country mamas with daughters to marry off. Accompanying him is his young cousin, Julian, a Lord whose love of the countryside and country life means that he is completely happy to fish and ride while Sir Waldo is seeing to his business.

Julian’s eye is caught almost immediately by the beautiful Tiffany Wield, who lives with her aunt, Mrs. Underwood, her cousins, and her governess, Miss Ancilla Trent. Tiffany is the most beautiful girl around, easily eclipsing every other girl in the county. Too bad she doesn’t have a disposition to match her lovely face. Miss Trent is constantly trying to gently make Tiffany aware that her scheming and her selfish, boorish behavior are unbecoming, but to little avail.

It surprises everyone that Sir Waldo seems to be interested in the penniless but lovely and levelheaded Ancilla. He has been known to be something of a flirt in the past, mostly turning his attentions to married ladies, which hasn’t helped his reputation. But he sees, much to his own surprise, something special in Miss Trent. She, in turn, is irritated by her own inability to control her emotions as she falls deeply in love for the first time in her twenty six years with a man whom she knows will never be hers.

There is no doubt that Georgette Heyer is the queen of witty banter and sparkling repartee. Her wonderful use of language leads to a light and frothy novel that is so enjoyable that it is impossible to read it without smiling. The convoluted romantic entanglements are delightful and the use of period slang is nothing but pure fun:

"A very good sort of boy: nothing of the rum ’un about him! But as for Laurence -! Upon my word, Waldo, I wonder that you should bear with him as you do! Well, I was used to think him more flash than foolish, but after listening to his damned insolence today I think him the most buffleheaded clunch I ever saw in my life! If there’s one person anybody but a sapskull would have taken precious care not to rub against, it’s you! Good God, where does he think he’d be, if you was to abandon him? Don’t you tell me he hasn’t cost you a small fortune, because I’m not a gapeseed!"

Delightful and so, so enjoyable! If you haven’t tried Georgette Heyer yet, you are missing out! She wrote fantastic romances, historical fiction novels and mysteries, over fifty books in her lifetime! Sourcebooks is reissuing these classics in lovely trade paperbacks. Thank you Sourcebooks, and to Danielle for sending me The Nonesuch for review!

Devourer of Books Jen Karbeak
“The Nonesuch” is one of quite a few Georgette Heyer books being released this summer. It now seems strange to say, but three or four months ago I had never heard of Georgette Heyer, who writes historicals, historical mysteries, and Regency romances. Then, suddenly, her name was EVERYWHERE. I saw reviews, I saw people in just about every group on LibraryThing referencing her, I saw her in bookstores, and I heard people talking about her in real life. Evidently she was this absolutely beloved author and I had no idea why I had never heard of her or read any of her work.

When I was contacted with the opportunity to review some of her work, I decided to remedy that. I chose one of her books (I didn’t want to take more than one then hate her and have to get through all of them) more or less at random and settled in with it. Because of everyone who LOVES Heyer I had high expectations and was originally a bit disappointed, but changed my mind by the end of the book.

The title character of “The Nonesuch” is Sir Waldo Hawkridge, who earned his nickname by being an unparalleled sportsman. He has recently inherited an estate from a now-deceased cousin and traipses across the English countryside to a small village in Yorkshire with his younger cousin to view said estate. The arrival of two such prestigious men as The Nonesuch and his cousin Julian, Lord Lindeth cause a great deal of commotion in the town, particularly among the young ladies.

The first thing that made me think I would NOT like this book was the simpering of the ladies when they discovered that The Nonesuch was coming to their small town. Yes, simpering. No other word would describe it. “I cannot go on,” I thought, “if the rest of the book is anything like this!”

Luckily, it wasn’t. It took me until almost the midway point to get into “The Nonesuch,” but I’m glad I gave it a chance. I can definitely see why Heyer would be on the top of so many lists for a comfort read. The works are a bit reminiscent of Jane Austen, since she basically wrote Regency romances as well. They are fluffy, but not as fluffy as something like “Shopaholic” or other modern day chick lit. They are romances without sex and nudity, no gratitous love scenes, and everyone gets what they deserve in the end.

It took me a bit, but I enjoyed my first foray into Heyer’s work, and I would definitely like to have a few of her books in reserve, ready for when I need a comfort read.

A Blog of Bokos Nicole Heffernan
What can I say - Waldo is just such a nice man. The story is traditional Georgette Heyer - a touch of Jane Austen and a romance that will keep you entertained. Her charecters are so fun loving and have the most interesting debacles and adventures. It makes you want to keep reading more.

Mind you I don’t know if these books are for the average quick historical romance reader. Think of this as a book closer to a Pride and Prejudice then a juicy and hot romance. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it - just that you have the correct expectations.

The details in Georgette Heyer’s books are amazing. They make you feel like you are really there in that time and location. A great read for those that just can’t get enough of those sorts of details.

Books 4 Moms Christine Plaisted
My Opinion:
Maybe it is the overload of Georgette Heyer books that I’ve been reading, or maybe this one is just not her best. I liked the fact that the hero and Heroine were older, more mature, but other than that I felt that this book fell flat. I was annoyed at the prudishness of the Heroine when it came to the "younger" woman (can you be considered a "young girl if you’re 28?). The biggest delight is the picturesque way that Georgette Heyer describes the period. You definitely feel like you’re getting a feel for the time.

If you like period romance novels that have more mature characters, then this would be for you. If you like Georgette Heyer’s quirky sense of humor during her novels, then this one might disappoint. All in all, it’s not a horrible book, just not one I liked as much as the other two I’ve reviewed this month.

My rating: 3.0 stars

Customer Reviews:

Specs / Support

Trade Paper Specfications

• Length: 8.00 in
• Width: 5.25 in
• Height: 0.00 in
• Weight: 27.00 oz
• Page Count: 352 pages