The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer

A DARING ESCAPE

Penelope Creed will do anything to avoid marrying her repulsive cousin. Dressed in boy’s clothing, she’s fleeing from London when she’s discovered by Sir Richard Wyndham, himself on the verge of the most momentous decision of his life.

AND A HEROIC RESCUE

When Sir Richard encounters the lovely young fugitive, he knows he can’t allow her to travel to the countryside all alone, so he offers himself as her protector. As it happens, at the very moment Sir Richard could use an escape of his own…(from the back of the book)

Title: The Corinthian, Author: Georgette Heyer, ISBN: 978-1-4022-1769-2, Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca, Format: Trade Paperback, $13.99, Source: Personal book collection, Rating: 4.5 Crowns

My thoughts:

Penelope Creed will not marry her fish-faced cousin. She has decided that she will make her way to her childhood friend who she believes will marry her. Escaping out the window, she unexpectedly lands in the arms of a Corinthian.

Sir Richard Wyndham is a true Corinthian who gives Beau Brummell a run for his money. Inebriated and in need of an escape from a forced marriage he discovers what he believes to be a young boy dangling from a sheet making his escape from a window. However, he soon discovers that Pen is no boy but a very intriguing woman and he is determined to aid her on her journey.

Throughout their journey they endure a carriage wreck, Pen befriends a thief, they discover a missing diamond necklace, and find that someone they know has been murdered.

Filled with wicked wit and delivered in a cunning style, The Corinthian has become my favorite Heyer novel. While Pen is a bit young and naïve, I found her to be endearing and quite entertaining. She was so eager to have an adventure that it became infectious. Richard was an amazingly portrayed Corinthian, he fit the bill right down to boxing at Gentleman Jacksons. Charming and sophisticated with just the right amount of rogue, Richard was a fun read. And I loved the way his character came off.

The only problem I had with this novel was that it ended way too soon. It truly was one of those novels I did not want to see end. Fans of Jane Austen will delight in Heyer’s Regeny romps.

The Sunday Salon…Winter Reading

 There is nothing better than a hot cuppa tea and good book (and a pair of fingerless gloves) on a cold winters day. And I must say, I am tired of the snow and ice and more ice although it has offered the perfect opportunity to curl up with a few good books and catch up on my reading. (It wasn’t like I was going anywhere)
I finally finished The Phantom of Pemberley by Regina Jeffers (review to come) as well as a rereading of Darcy and Fitzwilliam by Karen V. Wasylowski. Both books were definitely unique takes on P&P and I had immense fun exploring the worlds they created. I had intended to start Sons and Daughters, the follow up to Darcy and Fitzwilliam, although I forgot to pack the book. (They need to make a suitcase just for books, if they already have one I need to find it.)
I did manage to bring along The Journey by Jane Hahn (review to come), which quickly became one of my favorite P&P retellings. The Watsons has finally been checked off my tbr list as I read it for  a Jane Austen course a dear friend is teaching. Sadly, that was all the Austen-inspired novels that were in my bag.
However, I did manage to make a dent in my Georgette Heyer books. I started and finished The  Convenient Marriage, The Corinthian, and a rereading of Sylvester (I also listened to the audiobook read by Richard Armitage for the tenth time). And I am currently reading Cotillion. (reviews to come)
I am hoping to read through the rest of my Georgette Heyer books (I have 5 left to read as well as a biography of the author) then start North and South. I also have a few new Austen-inspired books that I received in a book gift basket.

Have you caught up on your tbr list?

Happy Christmas!!!

Happy Christmas from my family to yours! 

Pemberley Leaking…Mr. Darcy Temporarily Evicted and a Giveaway

I have a closet that my friends call Pemberley. Inside is a treasure trove of all things Jane Austen. On the floor I have two three-tiered bookshelves that holds my personal Jane Austen Library as well as the collection of goodies I have picked up for giveaways. On the top shelf, I keep large boxes of watercolor pots, watercolor pencils, compressed pastels, stacks of paper, and rolls of canvas.

A little over a week ago, Pemberley (my closet) sprung a leak. Okay leak doesn’t really describe what occurred, it was more of a torrential downpour that brought with it huge chunks of the plaster ceiling and turned my watercolors into something that resembled a melted rainbow that streamed down the walls and puddled on the floor.

Thankfully, the top of bookshelves extended over the shelves which means that the cascaded over most of my books and giveaway goodies. However, Mr. Darcy (as well as the rest of Jane Austen’s heroes and heroines) were temporarily evicted.

Most of the books that did receive an impromptu shower were paperback duplicates. I am hoping that I can salvage the pages and turn them into some kind of artwork.

However, I do have some good news to report; the blocks of paper that I ordered for printmaking finally came in and I have once again started putting them to good use. This is where the giveaway comes in.

 

I have 1 8x10 print of Darcy’s Proposal to giveaway.

Giveaway is international

To enter, please leave your name and a valid email address.

Giveaway ends November 26

Prints are printed upon 140 LB Cold Press Acid Free Archival Print board Paper

If you are interested, I am selling the prints as well.

The Price is $10 for residents of the US  shipping charges included.

If you would like to order a print please email me at ars45123 at yahoo dot com

Until We Meet Again,

Angela

50 Shades of Mr Darcy? And a Giveaway

 

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good riding crop must be in want of a pair of bare buttocks to thrash. At least that is how it seemed to Elizabeth Bennet. -50 Shades of Mr. Darcy: A Parody by William Codpiece Thwackery

A hilarious parody of an erotic bestseller and a romantic classic—those wanting a little naughtiness in their lives should prepare themselves for Mr. Darcy's Blue Broom-Cupboard of Seriously Kinky Sh*t

Lizzy Steele had been brought up to be a proper lady with perfect manners, skilled in conversation, and well respected in the community. But when Mr. Elliot Bingley comes to court Lizzy's sister, she is given the opportunity to learn a somewhat different skill set upon her introduction to his friend, a Mr. Christian Darcy. It only takes one chance meeting with this tall, dark stranger for Lizzy to be lured into Darcy's secret world of lascivious practices and lusty urges. Drawn like a moth to his flame, Lizzy is the mistress of her own undoing, for Darcy has made no protestations of love; indeed, his intentions were made plain from the outset. But even the most innocent and well brought-up of young ladies have urges, and as Lizzy learns that a riding crop isn't just used for going for a canter on her pony, a whole new world is revealed to her—shaded black and leather-clad. (from Amazon)

Heaven and earth, are the shades of Pemberley to be polluted by 50 Shades?

Indeed, it seems so and I have to admit that I was a bit (okay I was a lot) disturbed by this.

One never knows what they will find while searching the internet and today I found something that I am not likely to forget. I discovered the existence of 50 Shades of Mr. Darcy: A Parody by William Codpiece Thwackery.

I have to say this is one P&P adaptation I am not rushing out to buy. While I have read—and enjoyed—several steamy versions of P&P, I have to say that I draw the line at kinky. It is just not for me. The story of Darcy and Elizabeth is supposed to be a sweet love story that does not involve blue broom cupboard where kinky things happen with riding crops.

I want to hear your thoughts on the subject. Have you read it? If so, did you like it? If not, are you going to give it a gander or avoid it like the plague?

Tell me your thoughts and be entered to win the complete Jane Austen Collection and a charming little Blue & White teacup and saucer.

Giveaway is international

Ends November 30

Please leave your name and a valid email address.

Friday’s Film: Northanger Abbey

A tale of intrigue, adventure and romance, this enchanting, remastered dramatization captures the romance of Jane Austen’s classic novel Northanger Abbey.

The setting is eighteenth-century Bath, a society of decadence and deceit, into which Catherine Moreland arrives bursting with freshness, integrity, and a passion for macabre gothic novels. In a time when materialism, not love, governs marriage, Catherine’s head is full of fantasy and fiction, of maidens being abducted to sinister castles and heroes riding to the rescue on white horses. When romantic Henry Tilney invites her to his ancestral home, Northanger Abbey, a dark mystery starts to unfold that makes her blood run cold. Are her fantasies coming true? What does the brooding General Tilney want from her and will the truth destroy her chance for love…?

One cannot do a Jane Austen—inspired chills and thrills week without having Northanger Abbey as the Friday Film.

I have been a bit hesitant to watch the movie adaptations of Northanger as I have heard poor reviews of both adaptations. When BBC America Shop offered me a review copy of the 1987 edition, I jumped at the chance to review it.

Remastered in 2004, this adaptation of Northanger Abbey originally aired on Masterpiece Theatre. I will admit the producers and the screenwriters failed to understand and convey the satire that Northanger is known for but the authentic Bath locations and brilliantly done costumes were spot on.

That aside, I found that I really enjoyed watching this adaptation. The characters—even though I felt that actors portraying them were a bit too old—truly made the film believable. And the authentic settings of Bath gave the movie a truer feeling. However, I wished they would have found a different setting for Northanger Abbey that had more of the feel of a gothic abbey.

Overall I would watch this film again.

Fun Facts:

Bodiam Castle, Bodiam, East Sussex severed as Northanger Abbey

Number One, Royal Crescent, Bath served as the Allens’ bath lodgings

Mrs. Morland wears a striped muslin dress, which was worn in the 1996 adaptation of Emma by Harrit Smith, by Susan Price in the 1999 Mansfield Park, and by Marianne in the 2008 Sense and Sensibility.

You may purchase a copy from BBC America Shop HERE

 

Movie Details: Starring: Peter Firth and Katherine Schlesinger, Release Date: 1987 rereleased in 2004, Run Time: 90 minutes, Source: BBC Shop America

Until We Meet Again,

Mr. Darcy’s Bite by Mary Lydon Simsonsen

MR. DARCY HAS A SECRET…

Darcy is acting rather oddly. After months of courting Elizabeth Bennet, no offer of marriage is forthcoming and Elizabeth is first impatient, the increasingly frightened. For there is no denying that the full moon seems to be affecting his behavior, and Elizabeth’s love is going to be tested in ways she never dreamed…

Darcy has more than family pride to protect: others of his kind are being hunted all over England and a member of Darcy’s pack is facing a crisis in Scotland. It will take all of Elizabeth’s faith, courage, and ingenuity to over come her prejudice and join Darcy in a Regency world she never knew existed. (from the back of the arc)

 FYI: Book review appeared on Royal Reviews

My first thought after reading the blurb:

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley a werewolf…this could be interesting! Although the blurb on the back of the arc is a bit misleading as I thought that the novel would be about someone hunting down werewolves.

My Thoughts:

I love adaptations of Pride & Prejudice, although when it comes to paranormal versions of the novel I am a bit hesitant. The storyline needs to be believable, one misstep in the believability and the novel goes down the drain, and I am happy to report that Mr. Darcy’s Bite was believable. What I am about to say may sound a bit odd, but I can truly see Mr. Darcy as a werewolf. That would explain his character traits, so I believe that this type of paranormal fits better than the others that I have read.

I had previously read and enjoyed A Wife for Mr. Darcy so when I started reading Mr. Darcy’s Bite, I was happy to see that the characters of Darcy and Elizabeth remained the same, other than the whole I’m-a-werewolf-can-you-still-love-me aspect of it.

I do have one complaint about this book-it could have been longer, although I may just be saying that because I never wanted this novel to end.

Overall, Mr. Darcy’s Bite was an adorable paranormal take on the love story that is Darcy and Elizabeth. If you want an amazing addition to your P&P collection, then you definitely need to give this book a go.

Until We Meet Again,