Review: Black Sheep

I wanted a novel I could breeze through and have fun with, and Black Sheep fit the bill perfectly. Georgette Heyer shows up on a lot of the book blogs I read, and I've been meaning to give her a try. There's something to be said, sometimes, for a romance novel that's well written and fairly respectable, especially one with lots of great historical detail. Georgette Heyer's regency romances are perfect for this, and she wrote a lot of them. Black Sheep was a good introduction, though as I hear they're all rather alike, maybe that could be said of any one.

Abigail Wendover is 28, maiden aunt of Fanny, living in bath with her older sister. Her mission is to keep Fanny from marrying Stacy Calverleigh, the caddish fortune-hunting fellow Fanny is in love with. Abby attempts to get Miles Calverleigh, Stacy's uncle and the black sheep of the Calverleigh clan, to help her prevent the marriage, but Miles is uncooperative and not very fond of social conventions--and his sense of humour is a lot like Abby's.

The book had me giggling hysterically, especially at the conversations between Abby and Miles, which were witty and delightfully absurd. The historical detail, both in surroundings and speech, was pervasive but not excessive or heavy-handed. I'd forgotten what it was like to fly through a book that is pure fun, but I think I need such books once in a while. It's good to know that there are so many more Georgette Heyer novels to read, as they're a sure bet for a bit of cheerful romance.