The Grand Sophy

 Heyer, Georgette. (2009 reprint). The Grand Sophy. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Casablanca.
ISBN: 9781402218941
Pages: 372
genre: Regency romance

annotation: Sophy repays her cousin’s hospitality by reordering his household.

summary: Sophy comes to London to stay with family while her father is on assignment in Brazil. She sees a household in chaos: her cousin's fiancee Eugenia is disagreeable and her cousin Cecilly's potential fiancee is an oblivious poet. She decides to repay them by straightening out these tangles. In the process she might end gaining something unexpected. 

evaluation: very good read

One caveat keeps me from giving this book an excellent rating. Charles and Sophy being cousins and then having other feelings besides familial can be a bit uncomfortable. I think it might have been better for her to be a family friend instead. Otherwise I liked this book a lot. Sophy is irrepressible, intelligent and determined. She doesn't leap into situations without thinking things through. Her solutions can be unorthodox, but they get the job done: the reader cheers for her and also laughs at the fallout especially at the end. The other characters add to the story too: endearing and/or ridiculous. The plot is enjoyable: Charles and Sophy's relationship develops at a believable pace and the events (especially at the end) had me laughing. Like False Colours and The Convenient Marriage, Heyer proficiently brings readers into her world. This is an excellent read for Regency romance fans and those wanting a fun romance. 

what else to read: 

This book reminds me of Shakespeare's comedies in some ways: witty dialogue and a funny road which must be traveled before the couples get arranged the correct way. 

I decided to read Georgette Heyer after finding her heavily recommended during research for a Regency Romance bookmark. For what else to read I'll post other titles I came across. Not all of the titles are "sweet" romances, but they have been rated well in print and/or online reading sources.

Slightly Married by Mary Balogh. 

Miss Wonderful by Loretta Chase. 

Allegra by Clare Darcy. 

Crossed Quills by Carola Dunn. 

A Garden Folly by Candice Hern. 

The Lady's Companion by Carla Kelly. 

The Rake's Rainbow by Allison Lane. 

A Debt to Delia by Babara Metzger. 

Princess Charming by Elizabeth Thornton.