My favourite Heyer. Not her usual heroine or romance.
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"A Civil Contract" has all of Heyer's usual wit, vivid characters and attention to detail. It does stand out from the others as it has an unusual choice of main character. Normally her heroines are well born, spirited, witty and unafraid to turn convention on its head. In "A Civil Contract" her usual choice of heroine is a secondary character, in the form of the heroes sister Lydia. This book is about Jenny, the daughter of a wealthy yet middle class business man. She is practical, sensible, average looking and shy, but she is still a lovable character. She enters an arranged marraige with a man who has a title but has no money. She loves him but knows that he loves someone else.
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Best of all
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If you are a fan of Georgette Heyer's regency romances, you should not miss this one, it is by far my favourite. This book has some of her most memorable characters, gripping storyline and strongest writing. Even if you are not a fan, A Civil Contract offers a fascinating picture of upper class marriage and society. A quiet, clever book.
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If you like realism in your Heyer..
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A CIVIL CONTRACT comes closest. Despite the angst and the heartbreak suffered by both protagonists (and the hero's first love), this is one of my favorites. If you like Austen's PERSUASION the best among her novels (as I do), this may appeal to you. Jenny, the heroine, is not pretty and she is dumpy. She is also a Cit (the daughter of a City merchant or a businessman, the kind despised by the aristocracy in the 18th and 19th century). Yet, she is a good match for an impoverished peer, particularly a peer whose current lack of fortune is not through his faults. The secondary characters, including the hero's first love, are all beautifully drawn. Heyer's trademark is firstly her careful historical research, and secondly, her use of wit and irony. The wit and irony is more subtle here, with no sparring matches (in terms of dialogue) between hero and heroine. Highly recommended.
- A reader in the States
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Bittersweet reealism
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I have read all Miss Heyer's books many times, and though this is not my favourite, I think it is her best. All the characters are fully rounded and utterly believable, from Adam's languid mother to the magnificent Mr Chawleigh. The scenes in which Adam gambles his whole fortune on the outcome of the Battle of Waterloo are wonderfully realised. No soft-focus romance this; you finish it with an aching heart.
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one of her best
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This is a tender story of a young man striving to honourably fulfill his obligations to his family and his wife - and falling in love in the process. The climactic scenes left me breathless.
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United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada