Mention Books To A Civil Contract
| Original Title: | A Civil Contract |
| ISBN: | 0099474441 (ISBN13: 9780099474449) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | Adam Deveril, Viscount Lynton, Jenny Chawleigh |
Georgette Heyer
Paperback | Pages: 375 pages Rating: 3.79 | 6534 Users | 636 Reviews
Identify Containing Books A Civil Contract
| Title | : | A Civil Contract |
| Author | : | Georgette Heyer |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 375 pages |
| Published | : | June 2nd 2005 by Arrow (first published 1961) |
| Categories | : | Romance. Historical. Historical Fiction. Regency. Historical Romance. Fiction. Regency Romance |
Chronicle As Books A Civil Contract
Adam Deveril, is one of the Duke of Wellington's captains, and a hero at Salamanca. When his father, a crony of the Prince Regent, is killed in the hunting field, Adam became the 6th Viscount Lynton of Fontley Priory, Lincolnshire. But he retuns from the Peninsula War to find his magnificent home in disrepair and his family on the brink of ruin and the broad acres of his ancestral home mortgaged to the hilt. He is madly in love with the beautiful Julia Oversley, but he soon realises that the drastic measure of a marriage of convenience is the only answer. It is Lord Oversley, father of Adam's first love, who tactfully introduces him to Mr Jonathan Chaleigh, a City man of apparently unlimited wealth with no social ambitions for himself, but with his eyes firmly fixed on a suitable match for his one and only daughter, the quiet and decidedly plain Jenny Chawleigh. Although Jenny Chawleigh was bright, well-mannered, and an heiress, she was no match for beautiful Julia Oversley, the love of handsome Adam Deveril's life. But Adam desperately needed money to keep his fatherless family together, and a marriage to Jenny would solve all his problems. And Jenny's father, a man of great wealth and ambition for his daughter, was only too happy to arrange a suitable match with a title for her. Adam chafes under Mr. Chawleigh's generosity, and Julia's jealous behavior upon hearing of the betrothal nearly brings them all into a scandal. But Adam didn't reckon with the Jenny nobody knew, or the unknown quality that lay hidden behind her demure and plain facade, who bring him comfort and eventually more....Rating Containing Books A Civil Contract
Ratings: 3.79 From 6534 Users | 636 ReviewsEvaluate Containing Books A Civil Contract
A Civil Contract is quite unlike Heyers other novels, because the romance is understated and, indeed, there isnt much romance at all, at least not in the same sense. Its a much more practical novel, dealing with the realities of life: more or less arranged marriages, marriages of convenience, unsuitable matches The most entertaining thing about it is the clash between the aristocratic main character and his father-in-law, Mr Chawleigh. In fact, Mr Chawleigh quite steals the show on a number of3.5 stars, rounding up: this is an unusual story that has grown on me. A Civil Contract is a marriage of convenience tale, very different from Georgette Heyer's other Regency novels that I've read. There is a romance at the heart of it, as usual, but it's practical-minded and a little bit heartbreaking, as well as heartwarming. Its much more like real life than your typical romance novel.Captain Adam Deveril, now Lord Lynton, returns to his ancestral home from the Napoleonic wars when his father
This review contains some spoilersI know from reading Jennifer Kloesters excellent biography of Georgette Heyer* that A Civil Contract was not an easy novel for Heyer to write. Before starting work on it, Heyer wrote to a friend that she wanted to write a new kind of novel that would be neither farcical nor adventurous. Heyer wrote that the novel would depend for its success on whether she could make the hero as charming as she believed him to be and also on whether she could make a quiet story
Having just read a god awful Pride and Prejudice sequel, I wanted to read a bona fide Regency romance, and picked one by no one less than Georgette Heyer, the originator of the genre, and perhaps the only romance novelist who comes with glowing recommendations from A.S. Byatt. Not being a romance reader, I didnt know what to expect, but I thought that this book is one decidedly odd romance. Imagine pitching it as a rom com/costume drama script to a Hollywood studio executive:Studio Executive
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] I've read quite a few of Heyer's novels and this one struck me as particularly interesting. Heyer is a legend among romance readers--her characters have depth, the events make sense, and while these are books with more talk than action, that talk is lively and always well written. Heyer's novels fall into a few categories: silly, young heroine marries worldly hero and the two agree to a "French" marriage, only to discover they are in love; older, independent,
Heyer's other masterpiece (I've already called An Infamous Army Heyer's masterpiece, but I hadn't re-read this one in several decades when I said that). Amazingly good characters, lots of interior dialogue and character development, lots of humour (and the Dowager character totally reminded me of my mother). Probably her most "realistic" book in that many of the scenes are not just from an imaginary Regency England fairyland.
0 Comments