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Venetia

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 4,043 ratings · 395 reviews

Reading Georgette Heyer is the next best thing to reading Jane Austen." -Publishers Weekly
A young lady of beauty and intelligence facing an unbearable choice...
Venetia Lanyon is one of Georgette Heyer's most memorable heroines. Beautiful, capable, and independent minded, her life on the family's estate in the countryside is somewhat circumscribed. Then a chance encounter...more

Paperback, 375 pages

Published May 1st 2011 by Sourcebooks Casablanca (first published 1958)

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Jun 26, 2008 Abigail rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Jane Austen Lovers / Georgette Heyer Fans / Regency Romance Readers

Shelves: georgette-heyer, romance

Review Temporarily Removed.

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Oct 03, 2011 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, all-time-favourites

I started reading Georgette Heyer when I was a teenager, some thirty five years ago, when my mother gave me Friday's Child and told me she thought I would enjoy it. Since then I have read all the romances, a number of them countless times. They have long been the books I turn to when I'm feeling unwell, a bit fragile, or when it's cold and wet and I need a comfort read!

Just recently I have started listening to audiobook versions of Heyer novels. I did not think that I would enjoy listening to b...more I started reading Georgette Heyer when I was a teenager, some thirty five years ago, when my mother gave me Friday's Child and told me she thought I would enjoy it. Since then I have read all the romances, a number of them countless times. They have long been the books I turn to when I'm feeling unwell, a bit fragile, or when it's cold and wet and I need a comfort read!

Just recently I have started listening to audiobook versions of Heyer novels. I did not think that I would enjoy listening to book readings, but I have been acquiring audiobooks to give to my mother, who has lost her sight and have greatly enjoyed listening to them myself. This brings me to Venetia. I still have my first copy of Venetia, a 1971 paperback edition, now showing signs of multiple re-reads. I am currently listening to the unabridged audiobook read by Sian Phillips. (There is an abridged version available and as much as I appreciate the narrator, Richard Armitage, I am sure I would get annoyed listening to an abridged version of such a well-loved book.)

I realized this afternoon, as I listened, that I always feel tears come to my eyes at exactly the same place in the narrative. Feeling weepy is not my usual reaction to reading Heyer. Indeed, off the top of my head, I think that the only other one of her books to have that effect on me is Sylvester, in which a scene towards the end of the book never fails to bring a lump to my throat. Venetia may not be great literature, but in my view it has quiet emotional power, great sweetness and an engaging narrative. It is a book that I have probably read upwards of a dozen times over the years. I am sure that I will read it (or listen to it) many more times in years to come. Venetia is one of Heyer's most likeable heroines and Damerel is one of her most attractive heroes. The minor characters are interesting and even Flurry the dog is beautifully realized! Venetia is definitely on my Top Five Heyer list. Today it's my absolute favourite, but I suspect that's only because it's the one that's engaging me right now!

Update: 5 October 2011. I have just finished a re-read of this novel, as a buddy read with my friend Jemidar. This time I read it on kindle, to save my 1971 paperback edition from further wear and tear. It remains as special to me as ever, my pavlovian response of tearing up in the middle of chapter 15 quite unchanged. (less)

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Mar 26, 2012 Dawn (& Ron) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Jane Austen and Regency fans

Shelves: buddy-read, historical-fiction, regency, library, kindle-read, stretching-reading-horizon, tbr-challenge

I am one of those who steered clear of Georgette Heyer for years, even though I heard the comparisons to Jane Austen, I was afraid they were formulaic romances. To my surprise it wasn't what I feared all those years and proved that breaking out of one's reading comfort zone can be quite rewarding. This was made more enjoyable getting to read this along with Sabrina, who also had some of the same feelings regarding Heyer, and both of us ended up enjoying it.

I was aware Heyer was famous, or some...more

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Feb 06, 2009 Bibliophile rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, own-kindle, fiction, heyer

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A few years ago, I read an enormous number of Georgette Heyer novels, and I must confess that I don’t actually remember much about any of the individual novels, beyond thinking they were loads of fun and had unusually well-developed secondary characters. In fact, one of the main reasons I enjoy Heyer as much as I do is that she even develops the dogs really well (and there are always dogs in her stories!). Take, for example, “Flurry” a spaniel who makes a brief but memorable appearance in Veneti...more A few years ago, I read an enormous number of Georgette Heyer novels, and I must confess that I don’t actually remember much about any of the individual novels, beyond thinking they were loads of fun and had unusually well-developed secondary characters. In fact, one of the main reasons I enjoy Heyer as much as I do is that she even develops the dogs really well (and there are always dogs in her stories!). Take, for example, “Flurry” a spaniel who makes a brief but memorable appearance in Venetia:

“Her sole companion on this expedition was an amiable, if vacuous spaniel, bestowed on her by Aubrey, when he had discovered that besides being of an excitable disposition the pup was incurably gunshy. As escort to a lady on her solitary walks he was by no means ideal, for, his unfortunate weakness notwithstanding, he was much addicted to sport, and after impeding her progress for a few hundred yards by gamboling around her, jumping up at her with hysterical yelps, and in general enacting the role of a dog rarely released from his chain, he would dash off, deaf to all remonstrance, and reappear only at intervals, with his tongue hanging out, and an air of having snatched a moment from urgent private affairs to assure himself that all was well with her.”

In just that one short paragraph, I TOTALLY know the dog she’s talking about and I’ve met him several times in real life!

OK, so onto the human characters: Buried in the countryside looking after a disabled younger brother, Venetia is an old maid at 25, despite her beauty and independent wealth, which would make her an eligible match on the London marriage market. Enter Jasper Damerel, a notorious rake who owns the property adjoining Venetia’s family estate. Jasper is captivated at first by Venetia’s beauty and slowly comes to recognize her wit and charm as equally potent claims to his attention; Venetia realizes that the qualities she’s looking for in a husband include most prominently the ability to laugh alongside her. Inevitably, they fall in love and although the course of true love is disrupted by a untimely fit of conscience on Damerel’s part as well as by the interference of a well-meaning uncle, a pompous suitor, the mother-in-law from hell, and assorted others, of course they are eventually reunited in happiness. (And for the Amazon.com reviewer who was convinced that Damerel and Venetia were going to have an open marriage because Venetia says she’s going to preside over Damerel’s orgies? Um, NO! That was a joke!) In addition to the dog, I think my favorite character in the novel was Venetia's brilliant and self-absorbed (but not completely so!) younger brother Aubrey. He was a delight and I'd love it if he appeared in another novel somewhere!

There are two things that annoy me: one specific to this book, the other more generally applicable to Heyer's writing. The part that's specific to this book is the way that Jasper forces a kiss on Venetia the first time they meet, and far from being really angry, this is what gets Venetia started thinking about him. In fact, that moment seems so very different from how Jasper is in the rest of the novel that it strikes a jarring note to me. (And I hate the implication that the only reason he doesn't continue the sexual assault is only because she's a girl of a good family and if she had just been one of the farmer's lasses, he would have continued to do whatever he wanted to with her. Ugh!) So I can't think too hard about how Jasper and Venetia meet - because I do really like that they form a steadfast friendship afterwards because of the injury to Venetia's brother Aubrey, and that's the basis for their love and eventual marriage.

The other thing that does tend to annoy me about Heyer is the way that she tries a bit too hard to lend verisimilitude to her stories by having everyone CONSTANTLY use outlandish, though no doubt accurate, vocabulary (like “making a cake of oneself”) – I guess Jane Austen never felt the need to throw in all this stuff, because she was basically writing contemporary – rather than historical – fiction, and Heyer would have done well to follow her fictional model in that regard, I feel. But otherwise, Venetia is a delightful little romp, as light and airy as a macaroon!
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Jun 06, 2008 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, brit-lit, romantical, regency, owned, its-the-quiet-ones

Its said that Georgette Heyer created the Regency romance genre, and future authors used her books as their model. It is my opinion that they used this specific book as a model. At least, the good ones did. This particular book felt much more modern than the other ones, in the sense that I've seen other authors try to rip off this story and its tone in more recent books many many times. But that's because its very well done and very enjoyable. The romance centers on a friendship rather than a re...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Hazel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

This is a particularly well-crafted romance novel, even by Heyer's high standards. I wonder if it was one of her later works. Her characters are credible and well-rounded, none of that cardboard stuff you usually get in romance. And I was tickled by her portrayal of adolescence. I'm not too proud to admit that I recognised myself. She litters the story with literary allusions, too, that are great fun, even if I don't recognise half of them.

I read it quickly, crossing the Atlantic one night, but...more

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May 15, 2011 Jackie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reread May 2011

So far, my favorite of the non-comic Heyer books. Unlike the majority of her other books, the hero is not simply the empty embodiment of the Regency ideal, but a far more complex creature. So, too, is Venetia, one of the few heroines who doesn't end up simply letting the man solve all her problems. Good delineation of secondary characters, too.

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Mar 26, 2010 Maria Grazia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010

An inescapable wish for escapism has characterized this latest period of my life. A recurrent attempt to find a virtual place to forget my stressful days. I've turned to delightful , amusing readings /listenings and I’m so glad I did! I read Heyer’s Venetia and listened to an abridged audiobook just released by Naxos narrated by a brilliant Richard Armitage.

Georgette Heyer with her Regency romances full of witty comedy can be a perfect remedy to stress and distress. And an intelligent one. Her...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Jeannette rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, bibs, 2011-read, heyer

Probably more like 2.5 stars.

Well, I wish I could have enjoyed this more than I did. The "lovers" had a very modern feel to them. Venetia was forthright, and free-spirited. It's no surprise that Damerel would fall hard for her. The plot was a bit convoluted at the end, but it made it more enjoyable than a "typical" romance between an innocent young woman, and a rake. Venetia was definitely a young woman ahead of her time.

I did have trouble with Heyer's writing style. She tended to run-on sente...more

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Jan 07, 2008 Wealhtheow rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, regency

I squealed with increasing frequency as I read further and further into this book. Venetia Lanyon is beautiful, insightful, and sensible, but her selfish family members made it impossible for her to "come out" as a young lady. Now she's 25, a practically unmarriagable age, and still trapped in the same country house she grew up in. Her beloved younger brother, the self-absorbed and brilliant scholar Aubrey, is going to leave for Cambridge soon, leaving her alone. Just then, the rakish Lord Damer...more

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Apr 08, 2009 Andryl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epl

As with any Georgette Heyer novel, my inner militant feminist found some things to complain about. But I loved that the main characters had a good sense of the ridiculous, and even more I loved the way that Venetia's plans won out in the end. All too often Heyer's heroines marry people they only just now realized they were attracted to, are totally dependent on the men to arrange things, or lay out lots of plans which are foiled, forcing them (again) to go along with the men arranging their live...more

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May 03, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who enjoys Jane Austen

I love Georgette Heyer, but I think this will be a new favorite - I love Venetia's two very different, wannabe suitors, I love Venetia's smart-aleck little brother, Aubrey, who we get to know very well, I love Venetia's dumb-ass, never-present-but-in-typical-Heyer-style PERFECTLY described older brother Conway, I love Venetia's TRULY awful relatives (the absent, cowardly Conway's new bride and Tartar of a mother-in-law that he rids himself of by dumping them on Venetia!), I love the dialogue, an...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Minh rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

Venetia killed me this week. I adore Georgette Heyer's novels, but every single one that I've read, it's taken me at least a day to get into the novels. Her prose and language take me out of modern writing and it's a shock to the mind to have to adjust and read more than every 3rd or 4th word of each paragraph.

That said, this was strange. I thought the premise was a bit silly, and the reviews misleading in, 'Ms Heyer's greatest book!' Venetia, is a country lass. She's not overly rich or poor for...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One thing I've been appreciating during my recent Heyer craze is that, though on one level all her novels are about the same thing, she doesn't tell the same story over and over again. Some of the books are Austen-ish, some Scarlet Pimpernel-esque, and this one--well--it's rather Gaskell-y.

In other words...Georgette Heyer, you're singing my tune today.

I think Venetia has the most emotional depth of all the ones I've read so far. I mean, it still has the light, witty prose that you'd expect, but...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Ann Herendeen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-recently

Venetia is one of Heyer's later works, originally published in 1958, and Heyer is clearly at the top of her game, writing well-developed characters in a mature and emotionally satisfying love story. Venetia Lanyon is "on the shelf without ever having been off," as she puts it. At twenty-five, she's close to being an old maid, and without having enjoyed so much as one London season. The hero, the rakish Lord Damerel, is quite a bit older--thirty-eight--tall and athletic, but not especially handso...more Venetia is one of Heyer's later works, originally published in 1958, and Heyer is clearly at the top of her game, writing well-developed characters in a mature and emotionally satisfying love story. Venetia Lanyon is "on the shelf without ever having been off," as she puts it. At twenty-five, she's close to being an old maid, and without having enjoyed so much as one London season. The hero, the rakish Lord Damerel, is quite a bit older--thirty-eight--tall and athletic, but not especially handsome, his face lined from years of dissipation.

Unlike many of Heyer's (and other author's) romances, which use the "hate at first sight" plot to create ongoing sexual tension through misunderstandings and verbal fights, only to be resolved on the last page, in Venetia the couple enjoy a genuine friendship almost from the start. After the obligatory forced kiss has been gotten out of the way, the two recognize in each other kindred spirits: intelligent, well-read people who get each other's jokes. For the first time in her life, Venetia has found someone besides her younger brother who isn't shocked or baffled by her tendency to speak honestly. What Venetia most treasures in her new-found friend is that he's someone she can laugh with.

Another appealing aspect of the story is the heroine's independence. With both parents dead and her adult brother overseas in the aftermath of Napoleaon's defeat, Venetia has been running the household for years. At her "advanced" age and living in the country among a small group of families that all know each other, she enjoys an unusual degree of freedom. True, Venetia's situation is atypical for her time and place, but it makes the story more enjoyable for modern readers. Venetia may regret her lost London seasons and wish for a larger circle of acquaintance from which to choose a husband, but she does have choices, and she's not poor, either in money or in spirit.

A recurring theme in Heyer's works is the uncomfortable fact of men's inability to adhere to strict, literal monogamy. Many of her novels show middle-aged couples in enduring, happy or at least comfortable marriages, in which the husband has been known to "stray" but remains emotionally faithful to his wife. Rarely is this idea applied so explicitly to the couple at the center of a romance novel, and it makes for a somewhat different kind of love story. The "ick factor" that the only one-star review on Amazon mentions is not quite as "icky" as the reviewer states, but it *is* there. If you read Heyer expecting twenty-first century gender equality you will be outraged or disappointed; if you read her romances for their unique mood, witty dialog and brilliant comedy, Venetia will provide all that plus something a little "off" that, to me and, I think, other sophisticated readers, gives what could be an overly sweet confection a much-welcome edge.

Not wanting to spoil the story, I will say that the facts of women's as well as men's difficulties with monogamy are acknowledged without tears in Venetia. Heyer treats female "rakes" with refreshing sympathy and understanding. Her attitude seems to be that all sexy, intelligent men are potential rakes, while only some women are. The problem, of course, is that Venetia, as an intelligent, beautiful woman, requires a superior man for her husband, and he will therefore necessarily be a rake. Reformation is possible; changing human, masculine nature is not. Venetia, the heroine, resolves this problem with her usual honest, humorous acceptance.

I recommend this book enthusiastically to all Heyer fans and potential fans, and especially to those readers who like a romance that makes you want to argue with the author and her characters, not in anger but with love. "Yes, but..." I want to say, and wish I could hear Heyer's answers, expressed through Damerel's and Venetia's words. Read it and create your own mental Q&A.(less)

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Oct 04, 2011 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A tip from a Goodreads member brought me to the work of Georgette Heyer, and I'm grateful. I'd probably never have found her on my own. Heyer practically invented the Signet Regency Romance, I have learned, and while I have read quite a few of these in my day, they have been written by a friend of my wife's, and I found them entertaining diversions if not fully absorbing. Heyer, however, is the original, another order of magnitude entirely. She was British and born in the early 20th. c., researc...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Lightreads rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, historical

You know . . . I respect the hell out of Georgette Heyer.

This book had a couple strikes against it going in:

1. The narrator of my audiobook was a deeply unfortunate choice, and her British accents sounded like Eliza Doolittle, the before version. Hilarious for all these “people of quality,” and really distracting.

2. It’s one of those romances where the dude grabs the girl and kisses her within 30 seconds of meeting to establish his rakish bona fides. Not my thing.

But this won me over. It’s not...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Corinne rated it 4 of 5 stars

A master of romantic historical fiction, Heyer has done it again. Venetia is an orphaned daughter and the acting head of a Yorkshire estate, living with her studious younger brother. At five and twenty she knows that spinsterhood is a distinct possibility, but she has embraced that fact with all the joviality and common sense that could be hoped for. However, when Lord Damerel, a near neighbor with a horribly rakish reputation, takes up residence again, all bets are off. They hit it off splendid...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Rosanne Lortz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Venetia Lanyon has never been out in London society, and at twenty-five years of age she is almost on the shelf. After the death of her mother, her reclusive father kept the family tethered to the country estate, and after the death of her father, the role of managing the estate fell upon Venetia–at least, until her brother Conway can come home from his stint in the army and take his place as master of the house. Her scholarly brother Aubrey, a cripple determined to overcome his disability, prov...more Venetia Lanyon has never been out in London society, and at twenty-five years of age she is almost on the shelf. After the death of her mother, her reclusive father kept the family tethered to the country estate, and after the death of her father, the role of managing the estate fell upon Venetia–at least, until her brother Conway can come home from his stint in the army and take his place as master of the house. Her scholarly brother Aubrey, a cripple determined to overcome his disability, provides her some company, and the golden-haired beauty has two country beaux besieging her peace day in and day out–but she still longs for the time when she can navigate the mysteries of the ton and see the world for herself.

Lord Damerel, a rake so notorious that even his title fails to make him a good catch, owns an estate nearby the Lanyon home. He rarely visits, and when he does, virtuous maidens like Venetia are careful to stay indoors. But when Damerel enters the neighborhood unannounced, he surprises Venetia out berry-picking alone and–being an unprincipled rake–steals a kiss from the beautiful damsel. Although Venetia is enraged by his audacity (and perhaps, slightly intrigued) circumstances conspire to throw the two together again. Aubrey is thrown from his horse on Damerel’s land, and Venetia rushes to Damerel’s home to tend her injured brother without any thought for her reputation.

Damerel, however, does take thought for it, and with Aubrey’s nurse to safely chaperone them, Venetia and the ineligible lord spend hours in rapt conversation, finding each other kindred spirits and becoming fast friends. Although Damerel has darker intentions in mind at first, he soon discovers that he has fallen desperately in love with Venetia. But when his checkered past keeps him from proposing to such an innocent, it is up to Venetia to convince him that she could do far worse than marry a reformed rake.

As always, Georgette Heyer’s regency romances provide an evening’s entertainment that rivals the best chick flicks. This is my second time reading Venetia, and although it still does not rank in the my top three Heyer faves, I must say that I enjoyed it even more than the first time I read it.(less)

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Apr 26, 2011 J. Rosemary Moss rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, favorites, georgette-heyer, historical-romance, regency, romance

Venetia Lanyon may be resigned to the life of a spinster, but striking up a friendship with Jasper Damarel, the local bad boy, changes her mind. This friendship is warm and genuine, as is the romance that grows from it--and that accounts for the exceptional charm of this book. The brotherly friendship between Venetia's younger brother and Jasper only adds to that charm.

Venetia herself, meanwhile, is my favorite Heyer heroine. She also seems the most real to me; however much I adore Sophy from T...more

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Mar 18, 2011 Kathy Davie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, romance

One of my absolute favorites in the Regency romances. Due to the tragic death of his wife, Sir Francis Lanyon becomes a recluse on his Yorkshire estate with his three children growing up with no exposure to the outside world. The middle child, Conway, goes off to school and then into the Army while the youngest, Aubrey, intellectually gifted but suffering from a diseased hip joint, takes the scholarly road. While the lovely and intelligent Venetia, the eldest, continues to mark time: running the...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Jane Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: regency-romance

The paperback was not good for me, but I liked the audiobook. I loved the narrator’s sexy voice for the hero.

STORY BRIEF:
Venetia’s parents have died. Her older brother Conway has been away in the military for a few years. Venetia lives with her younger brother Aubrey in the family home Undershaw Manor. She has lived her life in the country. Her father never gave her a proper coming out. Damerel has been away and recently returned to his home near Venetia’s. He becomes good friends with Venetia a...more The paperback was not good for me, but I liked the audiobook. I loved the narrator’s sexy voice for the hero.

STORY BRIEF:
Venetia’s parents have died. Her older brother Conway has been away in the military for a few years. Venetia lives with her younger brother Aubrey in the family home Undershaw Manor. She has lived her life in the country. Her father never gave her a proper coming out. Damerel has been away and recently returned to his home near Venetia’s. He becomes good friends with Venetia and Aubrey. He and Venetia begin to fall in love. Soon Venetia is unhappy because Charlotte and Charlotte’s mother arrive to live in Undershaw Manor. Charlotte recently married Conway and is pregnant. Conway has not yet come home from the military but sent his bride to live in his home. Venetia’s uncle invites Venetia to live in London with his family.

Venetia is 25, beautiful, easy going, clear sighted, and an energetic walker. Damerel is 38, tall, dark, with a harsh countenance marked by lines of dissipation and cynically bored eyes. He is loose-limbed and has a good figure, bearing himself with easy carelessness and a faint suggestion of swashbuckling arrogance. At the age of 22 he fell in love and eloped with an older married lady who soon abandoned him for a more mature, sophisticated rival. He has since led an adventurous, rakehell life. He has a well-informed mind and a great deal of kindness. Aubrey has a pronounced and ugly limp due to a congenital disease of the hip with a shortening of one leg. Aubrey has a powerful intellect and prefers books to people.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This was the first Heyer book I read, and I didn’t like it at that time. She wrote many books prior to 1976. I was used to contemporary authors who had more romantic relationship development and passionate sex scenes. This book had none of that. Also, I felt the conversations were long and boring. Her writing style seemed wordy. Three years later, I began “listening” to Heyer audiobooks. I saw her in a new light, and I enjoyed her work – but I preferred them as audiobooks while I was doing other things. I’m not sure how much I’d like just reading them. As an audiobook this was ok, but not her best. My favorite books of hers have a collection of interesting and different types of characters. There was less of that in this book. This was abridged, shorter than the book. Maybe that’s why I liked it better. With the book, I wanted it to be over, but I didn’t feel that way with the audiobook. In most of Heyer’s books, there is not much romantic relationship development, and the couple declares their love for each other on the last page of the book. That happened here as well. I would have preferred more.

One thing I loved, was the narrator’s voice for Damerel. It was a low, soft, sexy, somewhat arrogant tone when he spoke to Venetia. That was emotionally moving. It might be worth buying the audiobook just for the Damerel voice.

DATA:
Abridged audiobook length: 4 hours, 51 minutes. Narrator: Richard Armitage. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: none. Setting: 1818 York and London, England. Book Published: 1958. Genre: regency romance.

CAUTION SPOILER:
Damerel rejects Venetia for her own good. He thinks she would be better off without him. I don’t think I have ever liked that plot device. I’d prefer a different source of conflict.(less)

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Jan 08, 2011 Nora rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I admit I had never heard of Georgette Heyer till a few years ago when I noticed there was a reading group specifically focusing on her novels. I Googled her and decided I wasn't interested enough to try and find the books and discipline myself to join the group read. Then a couple of years ago Richard Armitage read an abridged version of 'Sylvester' on audio book, so of course, I had to have it. I enjoyed it enough to buy the next Georgette Heyer book he read which was 'Venetia' which I enjoye...more

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Dec 29, 2010 Marcie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have been asked many times in the last few years if I have ever read anything by Georgette Heyer. The answer to that question was no. Georgette Heyer has come recommended highly by several different people. My awesome mom bought me the audio book, Venetia. I don't listen to audio books very much but I think I will in the future. I don't get to read as much as I'd like to because life and laundry get in the way. So, I would put on the CD whenever I was folding laundry or busy cleaning and liste...more

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Sep 19, 2010 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When flying across the Pacific Ocean, weary from jetlag and the frenzied pace of modern life, I find the perfect reading to be a book where a character complains about the stress and strain of having to travel a whole hundred and fifty miles. Georgette Heyer's works are perfect little images of a time and place where horizons were vastly limited, and "Venetia" features a heroine more limited than even most of hers!

When Venetia was a little girl, her father went into virtual seclusion, mewing his...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Claire Sinden rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, romance

As such a great fan of Georgette Heyer and her writing style, I found Venetia to be a rather saddening let down. I owe much of my dismay to my own situation, highly stressed and in need of better time management, as to why I found myself sighing and checking how many pages until the next chapter. The dialogue is as entertaining as ever; however, it's sparse and serves a welcome relief from the dragged out descriptions of country and the inner workings of the minds of young men. The dashing Lord...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Maggie by: Noelle

Shelves: 2011, i-ve-just-read-you-and-i-love-you, crushworthy-guys, reviewed, hot-sex-on-a-platter

Georgette Heyer is the first author I've read who makes Jane Austen seem emo. Don't get me wrong, I adore Austen and consider WWJD to stand for "What Would Jane Do?", but I really enjoyed this charming and angst-free Regency tale of Venetia and her Wicked Baron, the rake Damerel. Oh Damerel... Imagine Sense and Sensibility's Willoughby and Jane Eyre's Rochester without their respective issues -- or wives. Damerel is charming, mischievous, and funny. The same could also be said of Venetia, who is...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Nanci rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Venetia is classic Georgette Heyer. She is a strong character despite living in a family of males who are fairly selfish and take advantage of her good nature. She has never been out of her county because of a recluse father but despite her family and circumstance, she is happy and intelligent and interesting. The wicked Lord Dameril who owns the property next-door has come to rusticate and is intrigued by Venetia. No one wants the two to be friends because of the damage it would be to her reput...more

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Mar 15, 2011 Eggletina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I like this one so much better than "These Old Shades" which I tried last year. There is a better balance of what Heyer does so well without it becoming too absurd or obnoxious (which partly ruined TOS for me). I suppose also that I just happen to like these characters better. Some of Heyer's more light-hearted romances approach full-scale parody and the characters come across as too childish or petulant for my tastes. I like the chemistry between Venetia and Damerel. The serious threads of the...more

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Feb 09, 2010 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who loves Jane Austen and didn't get enough.

Shelves: historical-romance, georgette-heyer-re-reads

Georgette Heyer writes delightful Regencies, as close to a later day Jane Austen as I have been able to find. Although she took a lot of criticism for writing "light" books (She had published four serious novels prior to switching to Regencies), she was the first to write in this genre (other than Ms Austen) as far as I have been able to tell, so I am very grateful she persevered. I am also happy that her books are finally being reprinted since I had to order most of the ones I have from England...more

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About Georgette Heyer

Georgette Heyer was an amazingly prolific writer who created the Regency England genre of romance novels.

Georgette Heyer was an intensely private person. A best-seller all her life without the aid of publicity, she made no appearances, never gave an interview, and only answered fan letters herself if they made an interesting historical point. Heyer wrote very well-researched historical fiction, fu...more

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Quotes from Venetia

“There is nothing so mortifying as to fall in love with someone who does not share one's sentiments.” — 38 people liked it

“As soon as one promises not to do something, it becomes the one thing above all others that one most wishes to do.” — 31 people liked it

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