58%
This was well meaning and well researched and pretty well written. But I didn't connect emotionally to the story or characters - it seemed rather box ticky - eccentric ahead-of-her-time aunt, eccentric distant-but-loving father, eccentric allegorical-and-rather-dull hero, and queer elements that felt a bit shoehorned in.
60%
Delightful as ever, with the usual strongly drawn characters and (fairly) feisty heroine. Not particularly romantic for Heyer, though - it's mainly a mystery story with 'oh, we might as well get married' on the last page.
09.04.22
As long as you can make allowances for being of its time - both 1928 and 1745 - this is one of the better Heyer novels. OK, so cross-dressing always adds an extra frisson but there's also the impeccable research, the clever dialogue and, most of all, the vivid main characters.
Heyer has been shockingly betrayed by some ugly covers over the years. This recent one is at least pretty but the designer clearly hadn't read the book, showing a woman (presumably not a man!) in a dress from about 150 years after the story is set.
