Arabella

by Georgette Heyer

Book Overview

If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer

A fiery debutante. An ill-tempered bachelor. A romance for the ages.

Arabella, the daughter of an impoverished country parson, dreams of a new life in London. But her beauty and charm will only get her so far--and when Arabella embarks on her first London season armed with nothing but a benevolent godmother and her own notoriously short temper, she quickly runs afoul...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402219466
• ISBN13: 9781402219467
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.7" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Great book - and Ulysses is a most wonderful hound!

Arabella is one of my favourite Heyer books and part of its charm are the amusing conversations that Beaumaris has with the little dog Ulysses. The central idea that because Arabella isn't interested in Beaumaris, that piques his interest and makes him pursue her, works quite well except it's never entirely clear what it is about her that DOES attract him. Yes, she's pretty - although younger than his usual lady, but she is also innocent and unworldly and therefore makes mistakes that he appears (rather surprisingly) to find charming; she foists young orphans, mongrel dogs and penniless brothers on him (not usually guaranteed to snare your man) and she withholds the truth of her fortune from him - not knowing that he already knows it. Beaumaris starts the book seeming jaded, bored - the typical rich Heyer hero (although untitled this time), but he seems to become more and more amiable as the book goes on, going against his better judgement in order to humour her in many areas (such as Jemmy the Climbing Boy that he takes in). His conversations with the dog are fantastic though - Heyer occasionally includes dogs in her books and she always gives a wonderfully affectionate and amusing portrait, such as Lufra in the book Frederica and Bouncer in The Reluctant Widow. The book is a great fun read, with lots of interesting characters well-drawn. For me the only real disappointment is that we never really know quite why Beaumaris falls in love with Arabella, apart from her innocence and freshness, and also why he is so sure that she does really like him when she has given him so little encouragement. Despite these negative comments, read it and enjoy it. It's well worth it!

It does not get better than this

This is the best Cinderella-type regency that I have EVER read. Heyer has a wonderful gift and a unique sense of humor that is unequalled.Arabella is the eldest daughter of a poor vicar and his wife who has pinned all her hopes on her eldest, most beautiful offspring marrying a rich man in order to help the family. The mother engineers a season in London for Arabella and while she was on the way, Arabella meets the wealthy, handsome Mr. Robert Beaumaris. They clash, he is entranced, she is in love and Arabella's season is unlike any other you'll ever read.Mongrel dogs, chimney sweeps and limping prostitutes, not to mention gin-drinking babies are but a taste of what you might encounter in this wonderful romantic tale of love winning against all the odds. Prepare to laugh out loud and long many times throughout the book!

Watch out! This book will trap you into loving Heyer.

This was the first Heyer book I read. It was given to me by my aunt who suggested it to me as similar to Pride and Prejudice, one of my very favorites. It is the best type of charming, lighthearted, and entertaining novel one could ever want to read. Its endearing characters won't let you stop till you have read it to its end. Being a girl, I naturally focus on the male lead and this one is incredible. His appeal is so obvious and yet Heyer, even in her most devestating heros, stays cleanly away from degrading sexual banter. The humor in this book made me laugh out loud...Heyer has a talent for instilling in her characters a dry and ready wit that makes for the most entertaining dialogues. Arabella, the lead female is clever, coniving, sweet, endearing, and a bit of a rascle. Pleanty of fire and spice in all the right places. Really an excellent read, especially for ladies, young and old who long for romance yet don't want to fill their minds with trash.

A delightful, witty and enjoyable read,

I stumbled across this book in a pile of bargain books and bought it, not expecting too much from it. I was delighted to be proven wrong. Georgette Heyer is an absolute gem. The personalities are vivid, the details of Regency life impeccable and the story absolutely delightful. Anyone who enjoys her books might also enjoy a series of mysteries by Kate Ross, also set in the same period and with the same authentic voice.

One of GH's best!

Don't be fooled; these stories are not merely romances. Georgette Heyer is a great writer; she takes what might be construed as hackneyed material and makes it sing. I own a tattered paperback of Arabella and I think it may well be my favorite; I know that when I need a laugh and a cry and to be absorbed by witty sparring that leads to a happy ending, I reach for this book time after time. The draw is not only the charming romance between the main characters, but her fastidious eye for detail and ear for dialogue. I hope that these books never go out of print for long.