Regency Buck

 

by Georgette Heyer (read by June Barrie ) c. 1935

annual re-read

 

 

Regency Buck was Heyer's first  foray into the Regency period but with over a dozen books behind her, it was a smooth transition. 

With complete disregard for her guardian's wishes,  wealthy and still under-aged Miss Judith Taverner travels to London to take her place in society. When she finally meets her guardian in person, Lord Worth is not the sexagenarian friend of her late father  she had expected to be meet but his son.  Still, that doesn't stop Miss Taverner from taking the town by storm nor from ignoring most of the rules of proper behavior that a debutante is expected to follow. She drives her own  carriage and is anything but a shy, retiring young woman. She is intelligent and independent minded in a period of time when young women were anything but.  Meanwhile, Lord Worth is trying to protect her from those who are trying to marry her for her money, especially one young man who has more than marriage in mind, without telling her what he is doing and why. What is it about these strong silent types who think they know more than everyone else and don't have to share what is on their mind?

If I were to finally make an ordered list of my favorite  GH titles, RB would not fall into the Top-10.  It is not a bad story but Lord Worth just does not do it for me.  While it is obvious that he is quite taken by her, I can't understand a hero who would not be forthright  with his lady-love and tell her what is going on.  Of course, then there would be no story and no mystery to solve, so I am just back to square one: having to put up with an annoying  hero. C'est la vie.

So three and half stars for this one.