The Foundling is a 1948 novel by Georgette Heyer. I had a vague idea of who Georgette Heyer was before I bought this book. She wrote books set in the Regency, and that was all I knew. This was the first of her works I ever read, but it definitely won't be the last.
The plot revolves around Adolphus Gillespie Ware, the Duke of Sale. (Yes, the hero's name is Adolphus. Thankfully he's usually called Gilly.) His overprotective uncle has arranged for him to marry his childhood friend Harriett. But then Gilly learns that his cousin is being blackmailed, and he goes off incognito to sort this mess out. Unfortunately, along the way he meets Tom, a runaway schoolboy; Belinda, a brainless idiot who's also the pawn of the blackmailer; and Liversedge, the blackmailer himself, who intends to hold Gilly to ransom. And to make things worse, Gilly didn't tell anyone where he was going, and his servants assume something sinister has happened to him...
When I started to read this I was expecting something like Pride and Prejudice, for some reason. No idea why. I quickly discovered that it wasn't. Instead it's more of an adventure novel with a Regency setting.
There are exciting moments -- Gilly burning down the inn, for example. And there are funny moments, like the ever-increasing number of people chasing Gilly, Tom and Belinda. There's some romance, but it's far from the main focus of the plot. Which is a pity, because Harriett is a character I'd love to see more of. And then, of course, there's the ending, where all the problems are solved, Belinda won't be getting involved in any more blackmailing schemes, Gilly's uncle has become slightly less overprotective, and Gilly and Harriett are going to live happily ever after. Aww!
If you want an enjoyable novel with a plot that isn't too complicated, try this book! It's well worth reading.
Is it available online?: Not as far as I know.
Rating: 9/10.
The plot revolves around Adolphus Gillespie Ware, the Duke of Sale. (Yes, the hero's name is Adolphus. Thankfully he's usually called Gilly.) His overprotective uncle has arranged for him to marry his childhood friend Harriett. But then Gilly learns that his cousin is being blackmailed, and he goes off incognito to sort this mess out. Unfortunately, along the way he meets Tom, a runaway schoolboy; Belinda, a brainless idiot who's also the pawn of the blackmailer; and Liversedge, the blackmailer himself, who intends to hold Gilly to ransom. And to make things worse, Gilly didn't tell anyone where he was going, and his servants assume something sinister has happened to him...
When I started to read this I was expecting something like Pride and Prejudice, for some reason. No idea why. I quickly discovered that it wasn't. Instead it's more of an adventure novel with a Regency setting.
There are exciting moments -- Gilly burning down the inn, for example. And there are funny moments, like the ever-increasing number of people chasing Gilly, Tom and Belinda. There's some romance, but it's far from the main focus of the plot. Which is a pity, because Harriett is a character I'd love to see more of. And then, of course, there's the ending, where all the problems are solved, Belinda won't be getting involved in any more blackmailing schemes, Gilly's uncle has become slightly less overprotective, and Gilly and Harriett are going to live happily ever after. Aww!
If you want an enjoyable novel with a plot that isn't too complicated, try this book! It's well worth reading.
Is it available online?: Not as far as I know.
Rating: 9/10.
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