Book #49: The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

I've never read any of Georgette Heyer's books before, but I've checked out five of them from the library and I'm planning on working my way through them in the next few days. My sister-in-law Melissa recommended them to me (after I mentioned my Jane Austen kick), and I looked up what her best books were on Goodreads. The Grand Sophy was the highest rated, so I wanted to read it first.

Sophy gets dropped off to visit her aunt and uncle and finds out that their family has a number of problems they need help fixing: Charles, her oldest cousin, is engaged to a meddling bluestocking; Cecilia, her cousin her age, is in love with a poet who has no idea of how to make a living; Hubert, another cousin, has lost a lot of money gambling and has no idea where to go. The great thing for them is that Sophy knows exactly how to fix all of these situations and decides to help all of her relatives through her own matchmaking and problem-solving. She does end up fixing all of these problems in her aunt's family, to the most wonderful solutions for everyone, and through the most unexpected means. Sophy is an extremely lovable character--she is opinionated and strong-willed but only uses her stubbornness for the best efforts and most helpful causes. You can't help loving her determination to do what she wants to do and laughing at how well everything turns out for her through all of her hard work.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this Regency romance--I liked how Heyer's style is a mix between the formality of Jane Austen and the informality of today. Sophy seemed like a very modern heroine (even though Heyer was writing in 1950) and not at all encumbered by the concerns for propriety that seems so important to all of Austen's heroines. Sophy's last desperate measures she takes to make Charles and Cecilia break off their engagements to marry the right people absolutely do not fit in with my understanding of the culture at the time. It seems like it would have been far too improper for any woman to pretend to elope with someone for anyone to even think about taking it on. But of course, if anyone would do it, it would be Sophy.