She is indeed: The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

I have read and reread Jane Austen’s novels with great enjoyment. I have never gone on to read Regency romances, however, until now. I knew that Georgette Heyer was the doyenne of the genre so I wanted to give one of her books a try. I was not disappointed.

Simply put, this is a fun, relaxing, enjoyable, escapist read. Sophy is funny, exuberant, daring and a bit unconventional. She is a delightful heroine. One thing that is clear is that she touches and changes the lives of many with whom she comes in contact.

The story begins with Sophie’s father wanting to put his daughter in the care of his sister. This sister has a wayward husband, perhaps too many children and an eldest son who has become the head of the family. He is somewhat humorless and engaged to a very conventional young woman as the novel opens. Cecilia is another of the children. She is set to marry a rather unappealing gentleman who has come down ill. Will this give her the chance to marry the poet with whom she has fallen in love? These are only two of the plot strands in this fairly long book.

When Sophie arrives, along with a horse, a monkey and more, the household is put in in a bit of an uproar. From this beginning, readers spend time with Sophy and those around her. They will smile at Sophy’s way of doing things, her adventures and her time on the marriage market. They will also watch how life works out for those whose lives she touches.

This book is highly recommended for when an escape is needed. I see why the author is so popular. One caution though-the author’s views in some instances are, of course, not modern given when the book was written. If it were written today, it might well be different.

Also note that if this book is one that you want to read, others by the author are also being reissued.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this title All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 23 May 2023