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    The Convenient Marriage
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    The Convenient Marriage
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    The Convenient Marriage
    Ebook337 pages5 hours

    The Convenient Marriage

    By Georgette Heyer

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Discover the Regency romance writer all your favorite authors adore:

    "You're in for a treat." —NORA ROBERTS

    "One of the great protagonists of the historical novel." —PHILIPPA GREGORY

    "She's the original." —JULIA QUINN

    "Georgette Heyer created a genre so rich that thousands of us have been mining it ever since."—LORETTA CHASE

    "No one has ever matched Georgette Heyer for charm and wit."—LISA KLEYPAS

    "Georgette Heyer's legacy is a gift to all of us who love the Regency period."—LORRAINE HEATH

    "Georgette Heyer's Regency romances are my perennial favorites!"—LENORA BELL

    Horatia Winwood is simply helping her family.

    When the Earl of Rule proposes marriage to her sister Lizzie, Horatia offers herself instead. Her sister is already in love with someone else, and Horatia is willing to sacrifice herself and tell a few convenient lies for her family's happiness. Everyone knows she's no beauty, but she'll do her best to keep out of the Earl's way and make him a good wife. And then the Earl's archenemy, Sir Robert, sets out to ruin her reputation...

    The Earl of Rule has found just the wife he wants.

    Unbeknownst to Horatia, the Earl is enchanted by her. There's simply no way he's going to let her get into trouble. Overcoming some misguided help from Horatia's harebrained brother and a hired highwayman, the Earl routs his old enemy, and wins over his young wife—proving theirs was no accidental marriage and gifting her with a love that she never thought she could expect.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSourcebooks
    Release dateFeb 1, 2009
    ISBN9781402227011
    Unavailable
    The Convenient Marriage
    Author

    Georgette Heyer

    Georgette Heyer (1902-1974) was an English writer of historical romance and detective fiction. Born in London, Heyer was raised as the eldest of three children by a distinguished British Army officer and a mother who excelled as a cellist and pianist at the Royal College of Music. Encouraged to read from a young age, she began writing stories at 17 to entertain her brother Boris, who suffered from hemophilia. Impressed by her natural talent, Heyer’s father sought publication for her work, eventually helping her to release The Black Moth (1921), a detective novel. Heyer then began publishing her stories in various magazines, establishing herself as a promising young voice in English literature. Following her father’s death, Heyer became responsible for the care of her brothers and shortly thereafter married mining engineer George Ronald Rougier. In 1926, Heyer publisher her second novel, These Old Shades, a work of historical romance. Over the next several decades, she published consistently and frequently, excelling with romance and detective stories and establishing herself as a bestselling author.

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    Reviews for The Convenient Marriage

    3.5/5

    56 ratings43 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I'm not sure if I just read this, I would have enjoyed it as much. But Richard Armitage brings these characters to life in a way that made me absolutely adore this story. For each character, he created a distinct voice that conveyed everything about the character you could hope for.Aside from his reading, I enjoyed this story for its twist on the romantic novel. The heroine isn’t some chaste meek’n’mild wallflower. She’s an extravagant flirt who learns a few lessons about love and propriety. I enjoyed this. She wasn’t perfect, but had distinct flaws that needed correction, that got her in trouble, that she had to confront.Heyer, known for her historic accuracy, did not disappoint. Her grasp of late 1700s style and manners gave the story a lovely authenticity. But there is no danger of boredom, as the story practically dances with Heyer light and sparkling prose. And excellent summer read, perfect for poolside!Note: My review pertains to the AudioBook, read by Richard Armitage.
    • 2/5
      Silly, niave, foolish 17 yr old proposes to a 34 yr old wealthy titled rogue so that her older sister wouldn't have to marry him and could marry the man she loves. She behaves as a spoiled, selfish brat, gambling and spending her husbands money believing that their bargain in her not inferring in his life is the way of society marriages. I listened to the audiobook and was able to finish it but it was ridiculous.
    • 5/5
      The great joy in Heyer's novels is not necessarily the means by which the principle characters contrive to misunderstand each other until they finally end up on the same wavelength. No, the deligh in these is as much the supporting characters and the set pieces that scatter the book. In this case, the principles are Marcus, Earl of Rule and his very bold young wife, Horatia Winwood. The deligh, however, rests in the passage where Horatia's brother, Pelham, hher brother in law Edward Heron and pelham's friend Roland Pommeroy try and save her from herself. This culminates in an attempt the hold up a coach as highway men. the humour with which this scene is presented is positively brilliant. When Sir Roland tries to enquire of their victim where he got his fine horses, you have to laugh at his bafflement when the man doesn't want to deal. Priceless. As usual, the entire book could have been avoided had the two principles actually had an honest conversation at the end of chapter 1, but that would have been to miss the fun.
    • 4/5
      An enjoyable early Heyer. Her characters here aren't as likable in some of her later books, but the historical detail is well done.
    • 4/5
      Young Horry offers to marry the Earl of Rule in place of her sister.

      The usual Heyer wit with a gentle romance and sparkling plot, with a highly satisfactory conclusion. Brilliant.
    • 3/5
      Not my favourite of the Heyer romances I've read so far, but different because it nigh on begins with the couple getting married, and the romance comes later. Also full of sword fights and highwaymen and mistaken identities -- it probably has the most action of Heyer's romances that I've read so far, except maybe The Talisman Ring.I'm not sure why, then, I didn't like it as much as the others. It's still funny, though maybe not as funny as the others, and Horry's brother is quite ridiculous -- too much to be believed, perhaps. It's more slapstick than the witty banter of some of Heyer's other characters.Still, this was plenty of fun, even if I had no doubt how it would end.
    • 3/5
      Had remembered it as a rather good one, but either I wasn't as much in the mood for a Heyer as I'd thought or her charm has worn off slightly.
    • 4/5
      This book is the story of Horatia (Horry) Winwood and her "marriage of convenience" to Marcus, the Earl of Rule. The action of the book begins at the Winwood house, when we find out that the Earl of Rule is about to offer marriage to Elizabeth, the oldest of three daughters. Elizabeth is devastated by this news, as her heart is promised to Lt. Edward Heron, a kind but impoverished officer. Finding it impossible to let her sister suffer, Horry, the youngest, makes a very improper visit to the home of the Earl of Rule and offers herself to him instead. The Earl seems rather charmed by her, and accepts, making his formal offer for Horry and not Elizabeth. The rest of the story concentrates on the disaster that has become their marriage - a disaster not helped by Horry's insistence on taking up with the wrong friends and spending obscene amounts of money on gambling. Nonetheless, the Earl of Rule and Horry do have feelings for each other, and it is charming to see all the misunderstandings and dramatic irony that result from the complications of the plot.This is a charming book, a la Jane Austen. While we are not given insight into the minds of the characters, that insight can be easily deduced through dialogue and actions. In addition to the two main characters, I found her eldest brother, Pelham Winwood, a charming character, and the villain was nasty without being one-sided. Her descriptions of fashion and surroundings added a great deal of atmosphere to the book as well. A very good book!
    • 4/5
      First foray into Georgette Heyer. Amazing historical detail, though I wish there were a glossary at the end of the novel. Previous high school librarian (who is British) had bought four of her novels and while engaged in a major weeding project, I came upon these new and untouched novels so decided to give them a try. Impressed by the clever and feisty heroine, great period details. Will probably read more. There might be a high school girl who would enjoy these, but she's a rare bird.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed The Convenient Marriage while I was reading it, but I was ultimately disappointed with how it handles Horry's agency.And it begins so well! Horry's older sister Elizabeth is devastated by the news that a marriage is being arranged for her with the Earl of Rule - and believes she can't let down her family by refusing the connection.So Horry hatches a plan and boldly proposes to Rule that he should ask for her hand, rather than her sister's (since unlike Elizabeth, Horry isn't in love with someone else and will be content with a marriage where both parties are free to pursue their own interests).Horry's second plan basically comes down to wanting Rule to take her seriously and see her as his equal. This is an important plan, if this marriage is going to become more than one of convenience, since Rule is twice Horry's age.However, when things begin to go wrong, she enlists the help of her brother and his friend. They're not entertaining enough to warrant the narrative time taken away from other characters (something that can also be said for the villains of this piece) and I felt that their involvement undermined Horry's agency somewhat. Not because it undermined Horry to have them involved at all, but just because of the circumstances and the personalities involved...And then Rule sweeps in at the end and it's all, It's okay I love you, but I wasn't entirely convinced that he'd made the more important discovery that Horry was an equal to be respected.Character development isn't Heyer's strength, and it is possible to have a delightful story that doesn't have much of it, but The Convenient Marriage's characters needed to grow and learn more.
    • 3/5
      The Convenient Marriage was one of my favorite Heyer Georgian novels, that is, until I reread it. There are still some wonderful parts to this book but, unfortunately, the heroine is not one of them. I wonder now why I was charmed by Horry (Horatia, named for Walpole) so many years ago? She is immature, silly, and an irritating spendthrift. Her family uses the "can't help it, it's in the blood" excuse to explain away Horry's and her brother's gambling addictions. I found myself irritated when Horry's husband Lord Rule kept paying off gambling debts for those two. And even more irritated when he paid for Horry's diamond encusted shoes and ridiculous hats.But there are some really comic and wonderful scenes. Two do concern Horry: her marriage proposition to Lord Rule and the way she rescues herself from a compromising abduction. But, by far, the best scene is between the charming Rule and his rival, the even more charming rascal Lethbridge. Their banter during their deadly duel is classic Heyer and worth the read. There is a truly funny highwayman incident on Hampstead Heath and minor characters who liven up the pages.This is early Heyer. In future novels she creates heroines who are worthy of the likes of Rule.
    • 3/5
      Horry Winwood is short, stammers and has very intimidating eyebrows, but she is adamant that the Earl of Rule will not marry her sister. She convinces the earl of this, and in return he marries Horry, instead. Unfortunatly, the earl has enemies and Horry is young enough to be easily manipulated into trouble. It's a good thing I liked Horry so much to begin with, because by the end of the book I was heartily sick of her and her husband. Horry's only characteristics seem to be her obstinancy, stammer and tendency to gamble huge sums, while the earl is completely perfect in every way. This read a great deal like Heyer's take on [book: The Scarlet Pimpernel], but without the backdrop of the French Revolution or in fact, much plot at all.
    • 3/5
      The leading lady is seventeen years old and behaves like 15-year-old. Though husband-wife inteactions in this 'convenient marriage' were far and few - they were entertaining. This book is full of duels, highway men and kidnapping references. Toward the end, the book became a free-for-all playground for all the childish characters, exactly like a Priyadarshan movie. Wish Heyer had focused more on the 'chemistry'. Oh, btw, I learnt a lot about hairstyle - even French ones - of the time.
    • 4/5
      Lord Rule marries Horatia on a whim but like all good romances, the two quickly discover that they actually like each other and are falling in love. Of course there is opposition - a man who resents Lord Rule, and a mistress who doesn't want to be supplanted. The course of true love may not run smoothly, but as in all good romance novels, it does run true. Horatia is a likable little thing but I wish there were more character development for Lord Rule.
    • 5/5
      =This has so much plot for a Heyer! I say that with affection, but I don't really associate adventure and plotting with Heyer. But oh my god this one was full of it! And Horatia! I'm positively in love with her, such a capable, competent heroine is not easily found in regency romance. Horatia was able to save herself, and I became quite fond of her stammer though it sort of annoyed me at first.And Lord Rule! He may have exceeded my love for Mr. Beaumaris (Arabella). I can't explain how much I love Rule, he was just so funny and took everything in stride but was certainly angry when it mattered.It seems the more Heyer I read the better she gets! Another must read!
    • 2/5
      Recently tried to reread....didn't have fond memories and think it is one of Heyer's weaker regencies.
    • 4/5
      I love this author! Georgette Heyer has been around for a very long time, yet with the reissue of her many novels she is attracting a new generation. The Convenient Marriage is my third Heyer, and second romance that I have read of hers. The blurb above really tells the gist of the story, so I am not going to reiterate it here; with all the the simplistic and predictable events we still get pulled in a fantastic way. It is full of quaint scenes and fun romance set in earlier times, in Jane Austen fashion, but what I enjoy the most is the fact I find myself grinning to myself as I read her books. The Convenient Marriage is no exception to the grinning, sometimes it is laugh out loud funny with the hi-jinks of the heroine and her brother and his bosom buddies. There is a slew of interesting characters with Horry and her sisters and of course the obligatory numbskull character Mr Drelincourt who is upset the Earl of Rule has decided to marry after all these years which puts him further down the line in the inheritance. Here is a fun teaser from the book:p. 164:"While the waiting -woman collected her scattered jewels and garments she sipped the chocolate, pondering her problem. What had seemed a mere prank twelve hours earlier had by now assumed gigantic proportions. There was first the episode of the curl." Horatia is stuttering fool, her brother is a drunk gambler, and the older man she married is besotted with her yet she is too immature to realize it. Her new husband, The Earl of Rule, is portrayed as a doting and tolerant man with none of the typical 'rake' or roguish ways so typical of a Heyer romance. This romance is complete with a sword fight, kidnapping, parties and pinching diamond shoes. Since this is actually one of Heyer's earlier romances from 1936 she was still honing her writing skill and perhaps had not perfected the Heyer Genre as this is not one of her most popular books. I admit that it was a teensy bit slow in one or two parts but I really did enjoy the comical aspect of it and I do not hesitate to recommend this to anyone interested in the Jane Austen/Regency Romance genre. To try and explain the scrapes that the characters got into reminds me a lot of the Three Stooges with a leg up on the intelligence factor, and this book is the epitome of a comically charming period romance.
    • 2/5
      The first Heyer novel that I've thought wasn't very good.

      Some of her other books have a pleasing Scarlet Pimpernel-like quality: swashbuckling, madcap adventures, giddy excess. This book had some of that, but it also featured some of the dumber aspects of the Scarlet Pimpernel, including a couple whose problems could have been resolved by, oh, basic interpersonal communication.

      I liked Marcus pretty well--like Percy Blakeney, he has a wry intelligence buried beneath a lazy, unconcerned exterior. But his decision to marry Horatia seemed inexplicable on all levels: why was he bent on marrying into the Winwood family in the first place (or marrying at all)? What compels a handsome, wealthy 35-year-old earl to marry a childish 17-year-old?

      I guess it's best not to think too hard about it, so I'm done.
    • 4/5
      The first non-mystery Heyer I've read, and I was not disappointed in the slightest. Good fun, amusing characters, a great distracting read all-round. Looking forward to more, now.
    • 4/5
      Why did it take me so long to re-read this Georgette Heyer novel? I had forgotten what a romp it is. Ok, so it's not her best work and definitely not in my top five Heyer favourites (I much prefer the novels with older heroines!), but it is nevertheless a well-plotted and entertaining read. Horry is a somewhat annoying heroine, but Rule is an appropriately attractive hero, Lethbridge is a good villain and Pel, Pom and Edward (in his second and subsequent appearances in the narrative, at any rate) are hilarious. Georgette Heyer novels are my ultimate comfort read. I've read almost all of them and re-read quite a number of them regularly. I'll be adding The Convenient Marriage to the re-read list.
    • 4/5
      Not my favorite of Ms. Heyer's but an amusing romp nonetheless. Horatia, the heroine, inspires a huge amount of sympathy from the reader, not only for her stutter and lisp, but also for her genuine goodness and generosity of soul. That the Earl of the story is as enchanted as he secretly is with her only clinches the reader's appreciation of these two excellently drawn characters and their hilarious path to love.
    • 3/5
      I'm sorry to rate this so low, but that's what it's got to be. There is a story there - it's even an interesting one, with well-developed characters and lots of twists and turns. However, I think this book was written as a joke on...um, Gothic romances? Something. They tend to Express their Opinions with Capital Letters and lots of exclamation points and concomitant gestures. The style fades toward the end, but the irritation takes longer. Also - I would really like to like Rule - he reminds me a lot of Tony in The Masqueraders, who I love - but unfortunately he also reminds me of the old man in the same. He's not only extremely smart and perceptive, while maintaining a sleepy manner to cover that fact; he consistently acts as though no one else could possibly understand the implications he sees, and explanations would therefore be a waste of time. Which means he spends a lot of time dealing with what others have come up with for solutions...sheesh. And his trick at the end was just plain nasty. Horry is an idiot in the aforementioned Style - 'Oh, I must Conceal my Errors from my husband...'. Bleah. There's almost a very good story here, but I just can't stand the way it's presented. Ah well, I'll console myself with other Heyers - there are plenty that don't suffer the handicaps of this one.
    • 4/5
      A sparkling comedy of errors - Horatia Windwood offers herself up to the Earl of Rule as the Winwood he should marry, rather than her elder sister, Lizzie, who is in love with someone else. Rule is clearly enchanted by her,and Rule's sister, Lady Louisa Quain immediately sees that Horry is going to lead him a merry merry dance and she does. Horry takes on the marriage on her own terms, leaving Rule to carry on with his mistresses while Horry gets involved in various scrapes with other unsuitable members of the ton. There are a couple of hilarious fights between the ludicrous Crosby Drelincourt and Horry's brother Pel. The dialogue sparkles and, of course, everything falls into place at the end. Wonderful.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book by Heyer that I read, after mounting incentive due to the numerous praises I've heard from various quarters. In this case, I'm glad I bowed to peer pressure - her story was a frothy read, a real treat, very like literary chocolate. Horatia offers herself as a "sacrifice" to Lord Rule: she'll marry him in place of her sister, who already loves another. Hilarious hijinks ensue, involving gambling, disguises, hired highwaymen, and botched abduction attempts.Heyer did her research, liberally sprinkling the story with appropriate jargon, uses of cant language, accurate fashion, and plenty of other historical details. All of this made the story believable, but what made it enjoyable was the sheer fun of it. The action is very fast, in a good way, and the dialogue is smooth and natural. There's plenty of it, too, which speeds the plot along. The romance, for my part, was much less of a highlight than the story itself. Both characters are clearly in love with each other from near the start, though the other doesn't know it, and there really wasn't much in the way of romantic tension. A few spots, granted, but not sustained. The romance is all laughs and misunderstandings, but the comedy is so well done that I didn't feel cheated; although I do hope that some of her future stories, which I certainly will read, have a little more draw in the romance department, while maintaining the excellent qualities I observed in this story.
    • 2/5
      While I generally enjoy Georgette Heyer's books, this one I simply could not get behind. One of the main characters possesses a stammer-all well and good, but Heyer g-g-gets it ou-ou-out on every p-p-p-page. I nearly thought I would rip the pages out, and heartily wished the character would die so that she would shut up. Sadly, no such fortune.
    • 4/5
      A quick, light read and really quite funny. My first, though certainly not my last Heyer novel.
    • 5/5
      When Lord Rule proposes to her oldest sister Lizzie, Horatia Winwood takes it upon herself to marry the Lord to help her sister and her beau. Having promised not to interfere with Lord Rule, Horatia is aware that the marriage is one of convenience. However, when Lord Rule's archnemesis decides to ruin Horatia's reputation, it may turn out the marriage is a love match after all.A delectable read I devoured over the course of two days, Horatia and Lord Rule are both charming characters and the plot is quite a bit more action packed than other Heyers I've read. The novel also varies from the norm in that it begins with a marriage rather than ending with one. With a fun cast of supporting characters (my personal favourite being Horatia's gambling and drink-prone brother, Pelham) the novel was just the light and fast read I needed.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading this, but not so much as Heyer's other books. I found it hard to believe that two people in love with one another both failed to notice that the other was in love with them. The problem with 'marriage of convenience' plots is that they require a lot of suspension of disbelief and a lot of opportunities for characters to misunderstand each other. Though to give Heyer credit, Rule trusts his young bride far more than most protagonists.
    • 3/5
      Georgette Heyer always carefully researched her books, accurately portraying Regency society. Although many men married younger women, and spoiled them, I wasn't enthusiastic about the arrangement. There were too many other characters gossiping about Horatia and Rule, with not enough interaction between the couple. After the fun, charming couple of The Corinthian, I found The Convenient Marriage to be a disappointment.
    • 4/5
      This book is the story of Horatia (Horry) Winwood and her "marriage of convenience" to Marcus, the Earl of Rule. The action of the book begins at the Winwood house, when we find out that the Earl of Rule is about to offer marriage to Elizabeth, the oldest of three daughters. Elizabeth is devastated by this news, as her heart is promised to Lt. Edward Heron, a kind but impoverished officer. Finding it impossible to let her sister suffer, Horry, the youngest, makes a very improper visit to the home of the Earl of Rule and offers herself to him instead. The Earl seems rather charmed by her, and accepts, making his formal offer for Horry and not Elizabeth. The rest of the story concentrates on the disaster that has become their marriage - a disaster not helped by Horry's insistence on taking up with the wrong friends and spending obscene amounts of money on gambling. Nonetheless, the Earl of Rule and Horry do have feelings for each other, and it is charming to see all the misunderstandings and dramatic irony that result from the complications of the plot.

      This is a charming book, a la Jane Austen. While we are not given insight into the minds of the characters, that insight can be easily deduced through dialogue and actions. In addition to the two main characters, I found her eldest brother, Pelham Winwood, a charming character, and the villain was nasty without being one-sided. Her descriptions of fashion and surroundings added a great deal of atmosphere to the book as well. A very good book!