This is my first Georgette Heyer book, as I recently ventured into more HR territory I’ve heard of this author brought up many times. I also like to read my books in order and I read this is one of her earliest books (and one of the earliest books I can borrow from my library), hence started with this one.

Took a bit of a start for me because the writing needs a getting used to and there is a lot of French (my French is barely a scratch on the surface so there was a lot of translating while reading).

Overall, I found that I did enjoy the story. Different from the recent HR I’ve read (more focused on dialog, not much description or internal reflections or in-depth explanations of scenes/events etc). It’s really cleverly done and I really enjoy the dialog. The Alastair family dynamic is all around enjoyable. The Duke, Lady Fanny and Lord Rupert are hilarious in their own ways but I especially enjoy the Duke’s wits and his nonchalance to everything and his tender scolding of Leonie. I was surprised at the humor and found myself chuckling to myself many times.

Leonie’s character took a bit to grow on me but over time I found that she was quite sweet, knew her mind and didn’t care a whit about Polite Society (but understandably due to her history).

The development of the romance between the protagonists was really sweet over time - seeing how the characters grew and matured and the reactions of the supporting characters watching on the sideline.

I am moving on to my next Georgette Heyer book.