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    The Grand Sophy
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    The Grand Sophy
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    The Grand Sophy
    Audiobook (abridged)4 hours

    The Grand Sophy

    Written by Georgette Heyer

    Narrated by Clare Wille

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Resourceful, adventurous and utterly indefatigable, Sophy is hardly the mild-mannered girl that the Rivenhalls expect when they agree to take her in. Kind-hearted Aunt Lizzy is shocked; stern Cousin Charles and his humourless fiancée Eugenia are disapproving. With her inimitable mixture of exuberance and grace Sophy soon sets about endearing herself to her family, but finds herself increasingly drawn to her cousin. Can she really be falling in love with him, and he with her? And what of his betrothal to Eugenia?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNaxos Audiobooks
    Release dateSep 1, 2011
    ISBN9781843795452
    Unavailable
    The Grand Sophy
    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 Grand Sophy

    4.5/5

    166 ratings90 reviews

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    • 3/5
      The reader is excellent, however they left out some of the best parts of the book, I don’t know why. If you get a chance read the book especially the scene with the moneylender. They even left out her care in choosing a Hanscom driver who looked like a good man. Trying to shorten it or some kind of political correctness? I dislike either.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      When her father is ordered to South America on Diplomatic Business, Sophy Stanton-Lacy, is parked with his sister in Berkeley Square where she takes it upon herself to right the many wrongs she finds. Admittedly, this isn't really my cup of tea, but I thought I should give one Heyer a chance since she is so well thought of by many readers. It's an entertaining read, but Sophy irritates me a lot when she is bossy and decides that she knows better than anyone else. Of course, the story is made for her, so her schemes work out beautifully, so she's like an Emma that never learns humility. Hmm, not sure I like that. Decent way to spend my time, but am not picking up any more of Heyer's novels.
    • 5/5
      Another delightful novel by Georgette Heyer! When Sophia Stanton-Lacy makes arrives at the Ombersley residence to spend the season, her entrance was certainly "grand" and created a noticeable shift in the tone of the book. Suddenly the world Ombersley's world seemed to brighten and all sorts of mischief came into play. I loved Sophy's attitude and she was certainly fearless! Her antics kept Charles on his toes and much to my delight, frustrated his "dead bore" of a fiancee. As always, Heyer treats us to a lovely HEA with lots of humor and memorable characters to help make it happen along the way.
    • 4/5
      This was an unexpected pleasure. While it was clear to me within a few chapters what the arc of the story would be (and the ending was no surprise), I really enjoyed the characters and Sophy's strong self-assurance in managing herself, her family, and her acquaintances. If you enjoy Masterpiece Theatre, you'll probably like this. If Regency-period romantic comedies grate on your nerves, then steer clear!
    • 4/5
      Georgette Heyer can be counted on to deliver a historical romance quite above the rest. Strong women, dashing men (and plentiful as well), and a plot that moves along.

      Sophy is elegantly dumped on her Aunt's doorstep, after her father has decided he's needed in Brazil. She hasn't seen her Aunt's family for some time and finds the household in a melancholy mess. One cousin has fallen for an impoverished poet, one has begun following in his father's footstep, the youngest are riding roughshod over their governess and her oldest cousin, Charles, is a control-freak. Of course Sophy must sort out the household as she's always done for her father. Sparks fly between her and Charles as she takes over the household. Fun, enjoyable romp that shows you don't need sex to have an enjoyable romance.
    • 4/5
      What a fun read!
    • 5/5
      Even though I recommend this for Jane Austen fans, I must say Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen shouldn't be compared.

      Georgette Heyer's novels are simply entertaining, with none of the serious social commentaries that Jane Austen supplied, though her writing style I think is as much sophisticated (and oh-so-English) as Austen's.

      The Grand Sophy is my favorite Heyer so far, because it's the one that entertained me the most, particularly Sophy and Charles's chemistry. These two were made for each other. At first I didn't suspect that Charles was the hero in the story, because how could I think that Sophy's cousin would be her future husband? But after I got over that little bump, I thoroughly enjoyed Sophy's and Charles's antics. After all, they did practice marrying first cousins back then, and one of the most romantic real-life marriages for me was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's.

      It's a first-rate Heyer (at least for me, since I've only read 9 of her romances so far, and I intend to read all). I recommend all romance readers to read at least this Georgette Heyer.
    • 4/5
      Another light, frothy, Heyer Regency romance. This time, we have "dear little Sophia" -- one of the cleverist of Heyer's many heroines, who has an unquenchable desire to help those she likes and to set everything to rights. Nothing much gets in Sophie's way as she manipulates, aids, inches, nudges, and shoves those around her into situations to make them ultimately happy. Sophie is fairly shameless, but she's not perfect, and she's just so human that I find this book is one I can read again and again. She makes me laugh.

      The worst I can say about this book -- written in 1950 and set in the early 1800s -- is there are touches of Antisemitism in one section of the book. They are accurate to the period. They are also short and particular, but could upset the sensibilities of those sensitive or concerned about issues of prejudice. However, one can't change history and I thought they were just an example of "stuff we don't do anymore". They don't detract from the book in my opinion if viewed as a product of the research and the time period.


      Great rainy afternoon reading, sniffly with a cold reading, or I hate to fly so distract me reading.
    • 4/5
      My first novel by Heyer, and I wasn't disappointed. It is highly entertaining in the Victorian - Austenian way.Head-strong, unconventional Sophy is left by his father at her Aunt's House so that she introduces her to society and to start thinking of finding her a suitable husband. But Sophy has other plans which change all the lives of her dear cousins. Love or gambling problems are nothing to her, she moves soothingly around and gives comfort to those in need without thinking of herself.But won't she find happiness for herself surprisingly with the person she might have least thought of?Told in an almost casual way, with the apparent pose of the true Victorian times, I followed Sophy's cunning manoeuvrings to get her objectives with a half smile plastered on my face. Even though I knew what would happen after having read 20 pages it was a pleasure to read how she managed it in the end!I found the narrative easy, refreshing and perfect for a light read for those who love Austen and Victorian novels.Enjoy!
    • 3/5
      Classic Georgette Heyer Regency romp. Cousin Sophy, with a continental upbringing, comes to stay with her London cousins, finds them all in a sad tangle, which only she can set to rights. Great fun, though the moneylender character is dreadfully politically incorrect... There's also a hint of an upper class version of Cold Comfort Farm here too. No surprises but it's enjoyable to follow our hero and heroine on their journey to find out they are made for each other!
    • 4/5
      I picked "The Grand Sophy" as my introduction to GH, and it's a WOW! Such a satisfying read, chock full of memorable characters, humour and a great detailed glimpse into the society, fashions and speech of the Regency period. I understand the author was the undisputed expert of this era and it really shows. Sophy is such a likeable manipulator, especially when scheming against her adversary, Charles Rivenhall. Many laughs at the predicaments and unexpected outcomes she finds herself in. Excellent detail on the carriages, horses and especially the manners of that time. I feel like I was whisked away in a time machine and stole a little glimpse into the chaos that follows The Grand Sophy. It was truly a delightful journey and am looking forward to delving into the other works by this incredible author.
    • 4/5
      I struggled to get into The Grand Sophy in the beginning, as I didn't naturally connect with Sophy or her cousins. Like many free-spirited young ladies in novels before and since, Sophy is not only the kind of character you know is going to get into trouble, but who is also going to worm her way into everyone's hearts by showing them a different side of themselves. In short, it's time to hang on for the ride to see where she was going to take the story.Although I liked the story with Cecilia, who Sophy coached into feeling okay about choosing who she cared for and loved (It was fun seeing Charles riled up and annoyed at Sophy's meddling ways), I didn't really start to get into the novel until she stepped in to help Charles and Cecilia's younger brother. He had gotten himself into a precarious situation and built up some debt with a Jewish financier who swindled him out of a bunch of money and some precious family property. (The bit about the swindler being Jewish had a good deal of Anti-Semitism built in that made me cringe, which really was a reflection more of the time period than anything.) In the end, Sophy faced down the swindler and bravely saved the family name and finances! From that point on, Charles sees Sophy less as an annoyance and more as her own person. I loved watching him change his opinion about Sophy, , as she surprised him with her loyalty and bravery, even if he never stopped being aggravated by her lively behavior.If you like period pieces, Jane Austen's romances, or high society dramas, then Georgette Heyer seems to fit the bill. I've seen her name mentioned in British Chick Lit. before, as the main characters drop her name as someone they've read, but I wasn't aware of her work until now. Honestly, it was a fun read, and although slow to pick up speed in the actual story, the comedy in behavior was there and fun to watch from the beginning.
    • 2/5
      For the most part, I enjoyed this, my first Georgette Heyer. It was light, just what I thought I needed for the moment. Sophy is delightful! She is a woman ahead of her time in her refusal to play the helpless female and her fearless assault on the male-dominated society. The writing is witty, the storyline never sags. The last chapter is absolutely hilarious. Alas, this book lost at least 1.5 stars because of the gratuitous anti-Semitism. I say gratuitous because she didn't need it for the story. I don't want to give too much away, so I will just say that the moneylenders in general and one in particular didn't have to be so precisely identified as being Jewish. Since the book was published in 1950, there was no reason for her to be insensitive towards this issue, unlike Shakespeare and Dickens, who lived in very different times. Not sure I can read more of her work because of this problem. I hate to say it, but I am just being honest.
    • 4/5
      Heyer's historical novels are perfect summer holiday reading. I keep two of her romances as my favorites in my bookcase, and I reread them once in the ten years, because I still enjoy this form of escape literature; a happy ending in a make believe romance world. In the words of A.S. Byatt, Sophy is a typical Heyer heroine. "A lively resourceful girl (...) with natural moral taste". And her cousin Charles, large and good looking, with keen intelligence hidden under sometimes a heartless, but amused approach. And she write in very good historical detail about the conventions and habits of daily family life in the Regency society period (between 1795 and 1837), and she does it " with good taste", as to quote A.S. Byatt again from her essay "An Honourable escape: Georgette Heyer".
    • 5/5
      Oh bless, this was just splendid. I think I am now a confirmed Heyer fan, I adored this. The plot might have been predictable, but this might have been the book others were modelled on. An unknown cousin, raised abroad by an unconventional father, comes to stay and shakes a family out of its doldrums.I'd give to any historical romance fan - but they've probably already read it!
    • 4/5
      At first I had doubts about reading this book, but in the end I absolutely loved it. Sophy splashes on the pages by chapter three and doesn't stop till the last page. With her vibrant personality you can't help but being drawn in, she is a pure delight. The Grand Sophy was an exciting, charming read. The characters grab you and don't let go. You can't help but want to see what Sophy will do next.Georgette Heyer, is definitely a pioneer of the Historical Romance genre. I think any one today that is reading this genre should read Ms. Heyer at least once.
    • 5/5
      The Grand Sophy is delightful. As always with Heyer, the characters are sharp, the dialogue sparkles and there are laugh out loud funny moments throughout. Sophy herself is a marvelous character, fun and not at all foolish. My only (slight) complaint is that I don't think Charles deserves her, and I never saw him do anything to justify her falling in love with him. (It's abundantly obvious why he would fall in love with her!)
    • 4/5
      This book was so much fun! I really enjoyed reading it. I had heard a lot about Heyer's Regency Romances lately. I am so glad that my SantaThing Secret Santa picked this book for me. Sophy is an excellent character. She knows just how to manage people and how to get in to harmless trouble. And it has a happy ending to top it off.
    • 4/5
      After years of hearing rave reviews about this book, I finally got around to reading it. I'm glad I did; it was adorable! Regency heroines are usually so bland and proper but Sophy is spunky and witty. She reminded me of a grown-up Pippi Longstocking. I wanted to have a cup of tea with her. There were so many interesting characters and story lines in this book. When they finally all jumbled together, I laughed out loud. This book is a little Jane Austen, a little cheesy regency romance and whole a lot of fun. It's also completely clean (the opposite of my other favorite authors V.C. Andrews and Laurell Hamilton) - I think there were two kissing scenes in the whole book!
    • 5/5
      My first venture in Georgette Heyer's work and I am definitely hooked. The Grand Sophy was full of delightful and rememberable characters. The regency era was no doubt extensively researched, for the story was so rich you could feel like you actually stepped back in time.Perfection. Can't wait to read more of her books.
    • 5/5
      Fun! If you distill the fluff out of a Jane Austen novel, the result is a Georgette Heyer novel. This book is loads of fun, witty, elegantly written, clever dialogue, I loved it! This is the first Heyer novel I've ever read, and I will definitely be reading more.
    • 5/5
      Probably her best work, or at least in the top three. She is nothing like Barbara Cartland (curse her name!), thank goodness....
    • 3/5
      This is an abridged version and seems to leave out quite a bit of interesting interactions. Other than that the narrator did a great job and I enjoyed the music between chapters.
    • 5/5
      Georgette Heyer is genius! Loved this story, brilliant dialogue and clever schemes.
    • 5/5
      The Grand Sophy is what brought me to Georgette Heyer, and it's still a deeply satisfying read. It feels polished and hilarious and utterly charming. Sophy is wonderfully independent and her dialogue makes me laugh out loud. The introductory monkey scene is a marvel and a wonder, and it begins as it means to go on.Advanced Readers Copy provided by Edelweiss.
    • 3/5
      Fluffy and amusing, with the striking exception of the egregious anti-Semitism. Cousin Sophy was a very Modern female protagonist, and her various matchmaking machinations entertained. I can't really rate the book more highly, though, because of the repulsive portrayal of a Jewish criminal money-lender, that trucked in virtually every negative anti-Semitic stereotype.
    • 4/5
      Cousin Sophy comes for a visit and the family will never be the same...but in a good way, or bad? Fun read with the usual Heyer character development.
    • 4/5
      This is a good story but I thought there were a lot of characters to follow. Have preferred other Heyer novels.
    • 5/5
      I have always like this book.. sadly, this audiobook is does not contain "all" the book.
    • 5/5
      Excellent vocal performance by Clare Wille, fun story, very enjoyable