Review: Venetia by Georgette Heyer
I’ve been making an effort to read more deliberately. By which I mean I’m trying to savor the books I read and not power through them. I got that opportunity last week when I visited relatives in New Mexico. (I’d gone to spend time with the two-month-old nephew, who of course is adorable and deserves a post of his own at some point.)
Anyway, the book I took on my plane was the audio version of venetia by Georgette Heyer. For those of you not up on your romance novel history, Georgette Heyer was basically the creator of the Regency romance as we know them today. She wrote from 1926 until her death in 1972 and in addition to historical romances she wrote mysteries as well. I would argue that there isn’t a historical romance author who isn’t a little bit influenced by Heyer. If they’ve never read Heyer, then they’ve certainly read other authors who have.
I have read a couple of Heyer’s other romances, and quite enjoyed them, but Venetia was the first Heyer book I loved. And I loved everything about it–the characters, the plot, Heyer’s writing. I’m afraid I am not capable of reading another historical romance for a little while, since I don’t want to be drawing comparisons between whatever unfortunate bookI choose to read and this one.
The plot is nothing romance readers haven’t seen before. We have Venetia, the young and inexperienced country girl living in impoverished gentility at her fammily estate, managing it and taking care of her scholarly and crippled brother, Aubrey. Venetia is vaguely discontented with her life, but she doesn’t really see any way out of it. At least not until her older brother Conway returns home, which he’s not inclined to do. However, her life changes rather abruptly when Lord Damerel, a notorious rake, moves into the estate next door, which has belonged to his family but remained unoccupied for years. Even though people have warned Venetia about what a horrible reputation Damerel has, she falls in love with him anyway. And then, like all good drawing room comedies, a series of circumstances contrive to keep them apart until the inevitable end.
The characters are absolutely wonderful. Venetia is unconventional in a way that other romance heroines wish they were. I liked her, because she was guileless and flirty and full of laughter. She doesn’t take the world all that seriously, nor does she expect the world to take her seriously in return. She’s not a whiny martyr, either, and she doesn’t view the world through rose-colored glasses. She is also perfect for Damerel, who she can laugh with and who finds the world absurd. Damerel’s cynicism is an excellent compliment to Venetia’s unworldliness. And then there’s Aubrey. Y’all know how squeamish I am about reading about disabled characters in my books. But Aubrey was wonderful. He wasn’t the moral center of Venetia’s life, and he was as flawed as any other character, despite his disability. And, of course, the thing that endears Damerel to Venetia is how Damerel treats him.
The plot is perfect for a Regency romance. There are the requisite drawing room visits, the look at London’s fashionable set, and in the end everyone gets what they deserve. But here again Heyer surprises me. Venetia doesn’t need to be rescued from wild scrapes. When she decides to go after Damerel, she does so with a vengeance and she gets him in a way that was perfect.
As for the romance, despite the fact that there are no bedroom scenes, it was hot. I very much felt the chemistry between the two of them. Of course, it might have helped matters that I was a little bit in love with Damerel myself. I loved his passion, and I loved his vulnerability, which was evident in his self-mocking attitude. I also liked that he was as ruthless as Venetia turned out to be. And the best part about the romance? Heyer lets us see their developing friendship. She contrasts Venetia’s friendship with Damerel to the other men who’ve sought her hand, and leaves the reader in no doubt whatsoever as to her suitability with Damerel.
I don’t know how much more I can squee about this book before y’all get sick and tired of hearing about it. Just go forth and read it. You will not be sorry that you did, especially if you like a well-written romance with excellent characters. I did not want this book to end, and I took a lot longer to read it because I was so much in love with these characters that I didn’t want their story to be over. Obviously, this one rates an A.