Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Arrow (2005), Edition: New Ed, 329 pages
Description
Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML: "Graceful and exciting ... the best kind of 'escape' story." -LIBRARY JOURNAL What seems a marriage of convenience... When young newlywed Lady Nell Cardross begins to fill her days with fashion and frivolity, the earl has to wonder whether she really did marry him for his money, as his family so helpfully suggests. And now Nell doesn't dare tell him the truth ... Is getting trickier all the time... He thought he was marrying for love, but between his concern over his wife's spending sprees, rescuing her impulsive brother from one scrape after another, and attempting to prevent his own half sister from a disastrous elopement, it's no wonder the much?tried earl can't see where he's gone wrong ... "Georgette Heyer has done it again ... It's the sheer fun of reading on a high entertainment level. For such an experience, April Lady is tops. It's downright delicious." -CHICAGO SUNDAY TRIBUNE.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member laura1814
Georgette Heyer's April Lady is the last re-issue by Sourcebooks of Heyer's novels. (The very last is Pistols for Two, a collection of short stories.) Originally published in 1957, it is comfortably set within the Regency period that she had made her own. The setting is London, and the plot
Lady Helen Irvine, the daughter of an improvident peer (who has wasted most of his patrimony through addiction to gambling and high living), has been fortunate enough to marry the Earl of Cardross, an extremely wealthy nobleman some dozen years older than she is. A very dutiful daughter, she had previously faced the unappetizing prospect of being married off to a wealthy city merchant in order to repair the family fortunes, but the unexpected offer from Lord Cardross saved her from this fate. (Excerpt follows:)
"Nell did not know just what Cardross had done to earn her parents' gratitude. It all came under the vague title of Settlements, and she was not to bother her pretty head over it, but to take care always to conduct herself with dignity and discretion. Mama, declaring herself to be deeply thankful, had made it quite plain to her what her duty henceforward would be. It included such things as always showing my lord an amiable countenance, and never embarrassing him by asking ill-bred questions, or appearing to be aware of it if (perhaps) he was found to have formed a Connection outside the walls of that splendid house of his in Grosvenor Square. 'One thing I am sure of,' had said Mama, fondly patting Nell's hand, 'and that is that he will treat you with the greatest consideration! His manners, too, are so particularly good that I am persuaded you will never have cause to complain of the sort of neglect, or -- or indifferent civility, which is the lot of so many females in your situation. I assure you, my love, there is nothing more mortifying than to be married to a man who lets it be seen that his affections are elsewhere engaged.'
". . . Mama had been right. When Nell had met my lord's half-sister and ward, a vivid brunette, not then out, but hopeful of being presented by her sister-in-law, that impetuous damsel had exclaimed, warmly embracing her: 'Oh, how pretty you are! Prettier by far than Giles's mistress! How famous if you were ot put her nose out of joint!'"
Lord and Lady Cardross have now been married a year, and he has been extremely courteous, patient, and generous to her, but Nell has a soft spot for her high-spirited brother, Lord Dysart, who seems to have inherited his father's penchant for gambling, and is always kicking up a lark. Naturally, he applies to his sister for money to pay some of his debts; naturally, she gives it to him; and naturally, Cardross forbids her to do it again. But she does.
So misunderstandings pile upon misunderstandings, with the way enlivened by an entertaining set of secondary characters, including not only Nell's brother and Cardross's sister, but that Pink of the Ton, Mr. Felix Hethersett, Cardross's cousin and Nell's most faithful ciscebeo, and a particuarly inarticulate friend of Dysart's, Mr. Cornelius Fancot. While perhaps not the most spectactular of Heyer's novels, this one doesn't lack for entertaining moments, including a very funny scene with a happy-drunk Dysart and Corny doing their inadvertent best to perpetuate as many misunderstandings as possible. Heyer's style and wit raise what might have been a mediocre book in the hands of a less-skilled novelist to an enjoyable reading experience worth savoring and re-reading.
Since this is the last Sourcebooks novel re-issue and I have commented on the production values before, I want to mention that I've done some in-depth comparison of editions, and have come to the conclusion that Sourcebooks did indeed go back to the source books: the British first editions. Most of the differences in punctuation between my more recent American paperbacks and the Sourcebooks editions turn out to be in fact restorations of the original British punctuation which had been changed in American editions. This is particularly true regarding hyphenated words and colons. The principal difference in the text between the Sourcebook editions and the British editions (to be precise, the Uniform Editions, as I don't own any British first editions) is that the new editions use single quotation marks (the British Uniform editions used double ones). The second thing of note is, as I have mentioned before, "scannos" introduced by scanning and OCR technology. These are perhaps unavoidable but they are also, fortunately, fairly rare; unfortunately, when they do crop up, they tend to be of the stealthy type that can change the meaning of a sentence. I also think that they are more common than traditional misprints. But overall the Sourcebooks editions are probably the best compromise possible and they are indeed very beautiful and well-made editions that I hope will stand the test of time, worthy of Heyer's work.
Note: I wrote this review for Austenprose, where it was published 29 January 2012.
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involves money, love, misunderstanding, gambling, debt, and, ultimately, a famous heirloom, the Cardross necklace. Lady Helen Irvine, the daughter of an improvident peer (who has wasted most of his patrimony through addiction to gambling and high living), has been fortunate enough to marry the Earl of Cardross, an extremely wealthy nobleman some dozen years older than she is. A very dutiful daughter, she had previously faced the unappetizing prospect of being married off to a wealthy city merchant in order to repair the family fortunes, but the unexpected offer from Lord Cardross saved her from this fate. (Excerpt follows:)
"Nell did not know just what Cardross had done to earn her parents' gratitude. It all came under the vague title of Settlements, and she was not to bother her pretty head over it, but to take care always to conduct herself with dignity and discretion. Mama, declaring herself to be deeply thankful, had made it quite plain to her what her duty henceforward would be. It included such things as always showing my lord an amiable countenance, and never embarrassing him by asking ill-bred questions, or appearing to be aware of it if (perhaps) he was found to have formed a Connection outside the walls of that splendid house of his in Grosvenor Square. 'One thing I am sure of,' had said Mama, fondly patting Nell's hand, 'and that is that he will treat you with the greatest consideration! His manners, too, are so particularly good that I am persuaded you will never have cause to complain of the sort of neglect, or -- or indifferent civility, which is the lot of so many females in your situation. I assure you, my love, there is nothing more mortifying than to be married to a man who lets it be seen that his affections are elsewhere engaged.'
". . . Mama had been right. When Nell had met my lord's half-sister and ward, a vivid brunette, not then out, but hopeful of being presented by her sister-in-law, that impetuous damsel had exclaimed, warmly embracing her: 'Oh, how pretty you are! Prettier by far than Giles's mistress! How famous if you were ot put her nose out of joint!'"
Lord and Lady Cardross have now been married a year, and he has been extremely courteous, patient, and generous to her, but Nell has a soft spot for her high-spirited brother, Lord Dysart, who seems to have inherited his father's penchant for gambling, and is always kicking up a lark. Naturally, he applies to his sister for money to pay some of his debts; naturally, she gives it to him; and naturally, Cardross forbids her to do it again. But she does.
So misunderstandings pile upon misunderstandings, with the way enlivened by an entertaining set of secondary characters, including not only Nell's brother and Cardross's sister, but that Pink of the Ton, Mr. Felix Hethersett, Cardross's cousin and Nell's most faithful ciscebeo, and a particuarly inarticulate friend of Dysart's, Mr. Cornelius Fancot. While perhaps not the most spectactular of Heyer's novels, this one doesn't lack for entertaining moments, including a very funny scene with a happy-drunk Dysart and Corny doing their inadvertent best to perpetuate as many misunderstandings as possible. Heyer's style and wit raise what might have been a mediocre book in the hands of a less-skilled novelist to an enjoyable reading experience worth savoring and re-reading.
Since this is the last Sourcebooks novel re-issue and I have commented on the production values before, I want to mention that I've done some in-depth comparison of editions, and have come to the conclusion that Sourcebooks did indeed go back to the source books: the British first editions. Most of the differences in punctuation between my more recent American paperbacks and the Sourcebooks editions turn out to be in fact restorations of the original British punctuation which had been changed in American editions. This is particularly true regarding hyphenated words and colons. The principal difference in the text between the Sourcebook editions and the British editions (to be precise, the Uniform Editions, as I don't own any British first editions) is that the new editions use single quotation marks (the British Uniform editions used double ones). The second thing of note is, as I have mentioned before, "scannos" introduced by scanning and OCR technology. These are perhaps unavoidable but they are also, fortunately, fairly rare; unfortunately, when they do crop up, they tend to be of the stealthy type that can change the meaning of a sentence. I also think that they are more common than traditional misprints. But overall the Sourcebooks editions are probably the best compromise possible and they are indeed very beautiful and well-made editions that I hope will stand the test of time, worthy of Heyer's work.
Note: I wrote this review for Austenprose, where it was published 29 January 2012.
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LibraryThing member justchris
I vaguely recall this from my youth, in the sense that I recognize the title and maybe some of the plot was somewhat familiar. But since I did not remember it well enough to know what was going to happen next or who was who, it is basically a new book to me now.
This was entertaining and a breezy
The story is a very entertaining comedy of errors and manners with some great dialogue and some very humorous scenes, such as when her harebrained brother holds up her coach as his first ridiculous plan to help her raise the necessary funds. So it's worth borrowing from the library to while away a rainy afternoon.
This was entertaining and a breezy
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couple of hours, but not a keeper. In fact, I can't even remember the characters' names right now. It is one of Heyer's more contrived stories. The 18 year-old heroine is in a love match and doesn't even know it, although she's been married about a year. She turns to her scapegrace brother for help when her husband scares her with a scold over her debts. In fact, this scenario feels somewhat like modern Regency romances that rely on increasingly improbable plot devices to throw two strangers into forced intimacy. But while modern romances often take this approach for the sake of including sex scenes, it is not clear whether our couple here even have sex during the course of the story. I suppose these rough patches lead to lonely beds occasionally.The story is a very entertaining comedy of errors and manners with some great dialogue and some very humorous scenes, such as when her harebrained brother holds up her coach as his first ridiculous plan to help her raise the necessary funds. So it's worth borrowing from the library to while away a rainy afternoon.
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LibraryThing member countrylife
Perhaps this wasn’t the best choice for a first try at Georgette Heyer. This one was a bit of a comedy of errors regarding a new wife’s monetary troubles, with misunderstandings between husband and wife, and the whole thing felt rather farcical. I’m not giving up on you, Georgette!
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Desperately in love with her husband, but convinced that he only married her to provide himself with a "convenient" wife, Lady Cardross finds herself in deeper and deeper waters when one white lie escalates into a series of deceptions. How can Nell, so in need of money, convince her husband that
Although pleasant enough to read, I am forced to agree with other reviewers, who see in April Lady an inferior copy of the wonderful The Convenient Marriage. In both novels the reader will find a wealthy earl who marries a very young woman from an impoverished but noble family. Both tell the story of an aristocratic marriage of convenience that turns out to be a love match, and both contain - in the figures of Dysart and Pelham - the fumbling younger brother type of which Heyer is so fond. There is even a "fake" carriage hold-up in both... all of which leads me to conclude that that April Lady, published in 1957, is essentially a retelling of the author's earlier Georgian romp. Sadly, it does not have the charm of the original, although - this being Georgette Heyer - it is still worth reading.
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she is not motivated by mercenary concerns...?Although pleasant enough to read, I am forced to agree with other reviewers, who see in April Lady an inferior copy of the wonderful The Convenient Marriage. In both novels the reader will find a wealthy earl who marries a very young woman from an impoverished but noble family. Both tell the story of an aristocratic marriage of convenience that turns out to be a love match, and both contain - in the figures of Dysart and Pelham - the fumbling younger brother type of which Heyer is so fond. There is even a "fake" carriage hold-up in both... all of which leads me to conclude that that April Lady, published in 1957, is essentially a retelling of the author's earlier Georgian romp. Sadly, it does not have the charm of the original, although - this being Georgette Heyer - it is still worth reading.
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LibraryThing member atimco
April Lady is another compulsively readable Georgette Heyer title that somehow takes the old marital problem, lack of communication, and makes it both believable and interesting in a Regency setting.
The young Countess of Cardross is a new bride who believes her worldly-wise husband married her for
There isn't an enormity of plot, but it's a fun read that is difficult to put down once things start going. April Lady is not one of Heyer's best, but it's light and enjoyable and impeccably historical, down to the very slang of the ton. Love that!
I have to say a word about this awful Harlequin edition, which was rife with typos. "Unto" instead of "until," "if" instead of "it," "though" instead of "thought"... an error on almost every page. Truly cheap work; Heyer deserves better.
The young Countess of Cardross is a new bride who believes her worldly-wise husband married her for
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convenience. In truth he fell in love with her the moment they met, but Nell has been drilled by her mother to expect a marriage of form since husbands inevitably have Another Interest. Nell, fathoms deep in love herself with her husband Giles, is careful not to appear clingy, while he, considering her somewhat mercenary family, begins to believe she married him for his fortune. When Nell overspends her generous pin money allowance, she fears to confess the dreadful bill, instead embarking on various schemes with her rapscallion of a brother Dysart to raise the blunt. Mixed up in all this is Giles' headstrong younger sister Letty, who is determined to elope with a man too respectable and conscientious to consent to such a proposal. There isn't an enormity of plot, but it's a fun read that is difficult to put down once things start going. April Lady is not one of Heyer's best, but it's light and enjoyable and impeccably historical, down to the very slang of the ton. Love that!
I have to say a word about this awful Harlequin edition, which was rife with typos. "Unto" instead of "until," "if" instead of "it," "though" instead of "thought"... an error on almost every page. Truly cheap work; Heyer deserves better.
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LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
At seventeen, at her very first ball, Nell caught the eye of the rich and handsome Cardross. A worldly man who'd taken many lovers and ruled his estate for years, Cardross never expected to fall in love--but he did, and despite his misgivings about Nell's impecunious and wild family, he swiftly
This had the makings of a more enjoyable book. If only there had been more between Nell and Cardross and far, far less of Letty. The (slightly) more mature romance gets all of three scenes together, whereas the rest of the book is basically Letty swanning around ruining everything and giggling about it. Making matters worse is the way all the male characters are at least a decade or more older than Nell and Letty, while Nell and Letty are so dumb and innocent that they don't even know what "interest" is, or that stealing valuable jewelry and selling it is a crime. The narrative and love interests often refer to how childlike and adorable this ignorance is, but it just creeped me out.
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married her. Each of them loves the other, but is sure that they only married for convenience. This misunderstanding is made worse when Nell realizes she owes a dressmaker an astounding amount of money and tries to raise the money herself rather than go to Cardross. She doesn't want him to think she married for money, but her tense face and odd behavior just raises Cardross's suspicions. Meanwhile, Cardross's flighty little sister Letty (who is a mere year younger than Nell herself, but Nell is nevertheless supposed to control her) causes huge amounts of trouble with her desperate but stupid plans to get Mr.Allandale to marry her.This had the makings of a more enjoyable book. If only there had been more between Nell and Cardross and far, far less of Letty. The (slightly) more mature romance gets all of three scenes together, whereas the rest of the book is basically Letty swanning around ruining everything and giggling about it. Making matters worse is the way all the male characters are at least a decade or more older than Nell and Letty, while Nell and Letty are so dumb and innocent that they don't even know what "interest" is, or that stealing valuable jewelry and selling it is a crime. The narrative and love interests often refer to how childlike and adorable this ignorance is, but it just creeped me out.
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LibraryThing member ChiaraBeth
Another gem by Georgette. Nell might be my favorite of her female protagonists; she is so hesitant and cautious with her husband, but so flamboyant and careless with her spending. The paradoxical personality makes for excellent comedy. The story's resolution is also very heart-fluttering; hard not
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to get caught up in the couple's moment with them! Already, I can't wait to re-read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member hailelib
I've read April Lady several times before over the years but, as always, I found it to be delightful. Nell, Giles, and their siblings have a few problems to work through but in the end everyone gets what they want. The proper conclusion to one of Heyer's light Regencies.
LibraryThing member emmytuck
I started to read this and realized that it seemed to be The Convenient Marriage all over again, which was not my favorite Heyer, so I decided to just skip it. I imagine it would have been just one misunderstanding after another between the hero and heroine and thats just not my cup of tea.
LibraryThing member thatotter
Surprisingly touching, quintessentially Heyerish. Wasn't expecting to be so into this one, as I'd read that it was a rehash of The Convenient Marriage, my least favorite Heyer thus far. But while there are superficial similarities between the books, I really thought this one was much better. The
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characters are much more finely drawn and sympathetic. I felt for them. 3.5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member kaulsu
Heyer does a much better job with this plot in The Convenient Marriage. Still, it is a fun read, even if a tad tedious. The male characters are not very well developed.
LibraryThing member Helenliz
Not as good as some of the others of her books I've read. I kept feeling that this could all have been sorted out by an honest conversation at the end of chapter 1 and saved us all the bother. But I also know that's a very 21st century perspective and it does not necessarily do to apply current
A rather insipid selection of characters, although Dysart is by far the most dynamic of the bunch and Felix is amusing whenever he appears. I'm not too sure what Nell saw in Giles, and while he does unbend at the end, it didn't feel consistent. People spent far too much time telling something to person A when they should just have told person B and been done with it. Based on my previous experience, this was a bit of a let down.
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thinking to previous ages. A rather insipid selection of characters, although Dysart is by far the most dynamic of the bunch and Felix is amusing whenever he appears. I'm not too sure what Nell saw in Giles, and while he does unbend at the end, it didn't feel consistent. People spent far too much time telling something to person A when they should just have told person B and been done with it. Based on my previous experience, this was a bit of a let down.
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LibraryThing member JudithProctor
This one was slow for me to get into and isn't one of Heyer's best. A young wife is in debt and is afraid that her rich husband will think she only loves him for his money.
Unfortunately the plot has to get rather contrived in order to come up with reasons why she can't simply wait for her next
Unfortunately the plot has to get rather contrived in order to come up with reasons why she can't simply wait for her next
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month's allowance from him to pay off the debt. Show Less
LibraryThing member gogglemiss
I haven't read GH in a long while after reading modern fiction, it did take a while to get used to the writing.. But I was soon sucked in and was charmed.
LibraryThing member rosalita
All of my favorite Heyer touches are here — the goofy slang, the comedy of manners, the lavish descriptions of dresses and hats and pantaloons — but the storyline turns on the tired trope of two people in love and sure that the other person does not love them back even though everyone around
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them can plainly see it. This of course leads to Misunderstandings which struck me as more rote than romantic. If you are new to Heyer don't start here; try [The Grand Sophy] or [Frederica] instead. If you are already a Heyer fan, this one is worth reading to complete the set. Show Less
LibraryThing member PhilSyphe
I found the overall plot a little dull,with too much emphasis on what people wear, or what they should & should not wear.
I liked most of the characters, especially Nell and her brother, while Letty was my favourite. But none of them are strong enough to boost the pedestrian narrative and turn it
Despite this being a little disappointing, "April Lady" is worth reading for some brilliant dialogue exchanges, which is the main aspect of Ms Heyer's writing that keeps me wanting to read more of her novels.
I liked most of the characters, especially Nell and her brother, while Letty was my favourite. But none of them are strong enough to boost the pedestrian narrative and turn it
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into a better read.Despite this being a little disappointing, "April Lady" is worth reading for some brilliant dialogue exchanges, which is the main aspect of Ms Heyer's writing that keeps me wanting to read more of her novels.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Ugh. Not a favorite Heyer - everyone is so STUPID in here. Particularly Nell; I can make all kinds of excuses for her (she's young, her mother's advice was stupid, Cardross doesn't actually talk to her...), but her obsession with hiding this one particular bill was driving me nuts long before she
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figured out how dumb it was. She did figure it out, Cardross did come to his senses, even Letty learned a few lessons (though I'm not sure how long it will last, since she got her way in the end...though Brazil may teach her some things), proper happy ending - but too little too late for me. I dislike the misunderstanding trope in general, and this variety is particularly egregious. Glad I read it, purely for the completist in me, but I won't waste my time rereading it ever. Show Less
LibraryThing member SandyAMcPherson
Despite the farfetched misbehaviour of Letty, Nell's sister-in-law, I really enjoyed the characterization of both Nell and Giles (Lord Cardross). The relations between Nell, the new bride and her older groom were probably typical of the day. Nell's brother is a complete scamp and added some fun to
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the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member JBD1
Maybe I've just read too many Heyer novels in too short a time, but this one didn't quite ring the same bells for me. Still very enjoyable, to be sure, but the characters here just seemed a bit flat.
LibraryThing member laughingatus
What with the concern over Lady Cardross’s heart and pocket, the much-tried Earl almost misses the opportunity to smooth the path of true love in his marriage.
LibraryThing member witchyrichy
This is a good example of how the challenge like the Bingo card lead to new reading. I needed a book with a month in the title and wasn't excited about my original choice. I browsed Libby and found April Lady by Georgette Heyer. I have been meaning to read Heyer but somehow never got around to her.
It was fun and frivolous and a window into the Regency world. I will be reading more!
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She did not disappoint as she crafted her tale of the Cardross's: Gile with the fortune who married for love despite his family's disapproval and Helen, who also married for love, but seems to be more interested in the money as she amasses a pile of bills. In a way, she reminded me a bit of Ida Mae from Moonshine, Money and Misery with her schemes to keep the extent of her debt from her husband.It was fun and frivolous and a window into the Regency world. I will be reading more!
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Subjects
Original language
English
Original publication date
1957
Physical description
246 p.; 5.12 inches
ISBN
0099476347 / 9780099476344