“One of readers favorites, Frederica is full of surprises ”
When Frederica brings her younger siblings to London determined to secure a brilliant marriage for her beautiful sister, she seeks out their distant cousin the Marquis of Alverstoke. Lovely, competent, and refreshingly straightforward, Frederica makes such a strong impression that to his own amazement, the Marquis agrees to help launch … help launch them all into society.
“Lord Alverstoke cant resist wanting to help her ”
Normally wary of his family, which includes two overbearing sisters and innumerable favor-seekers, Lord Alverstoke does his best to keep his distance. But with his enterprising – and altogether entertaining – country cousins getting into one scrape after another right on his doorstep, before he knows it the Marquis finds himself dangerously embroiled…
WHAT READERS SAY:
“A writer of great wit and style… I’ve read her books to ragged shreds.” – Kate Fenton, Daily Telegraph
“Stylish, witty, and bang up to the mark ” – Punch
“One of Georgette Heyer’s more adorable heroines.” – Saturday Review
“Classic Heyer the author at her best ”
“Not only do the characters seize your heart from the first moment, they are three dimensional and so alive. It is just wonderful ”
“What a great book. One of my favourites, as the most beautiful is not the heroine.”
“Witty, enchanting, and impossible to put down. This is one of Heyer’s best works and one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read.”
“A wonderfully written witty tale of the downfall of a cynic. I was charmed.””
more
Heyer is a master of the Regency romance, and this one is outstanding. You will adore the bored Marquis and delight to watch Frederica and her siblings destroy his quiet world. Don’t miss this one.
Frederica is one of those books I can read again and again. It’s full of wit, heart, and characters to cherish.
I enjoy reading Georgette Heyer’s books as they are always very funny with interesting characters; they are historically informative and vividly depict the Regency period (mostly). I sometimes laugh my heart out even when I reread some of her novels. They are optimistic, light-hearted fun!
A wonderful and different Regency romp. You will fall in love with Frederica and her enchanting siblings while you swoon over Alverstoke.
This book is a beloved favorite of mine. Georgette Heyer wrote literally dozens of romance and mystery novels back in the 1920’s through the 1970’s! She was a very prolific author. Many of her books are set in the Regency period.
I love Frederica because it is a story of love based on affection and respect, not ardent passion or lust. The male character, the Marquis of Alverstoke, is a dissipated, bored man with far too much money for his own good. He meets his distant cousins the Merrivilles, an orphaned family led by 24 year old Frederica. One of her sisters is a raving beauty and Frederica is eager to thrust gentle Charis into the London spotlight in the hopes of securing a wonderful marriage for her beloved sister. She manages to recruit Lord Alverstoke, who starts out helping more out of ennui than anything else, but finds himself genuinely caring for the family. It is a lovely book.
Frederica has long been one of my favorite Georgette Heyer stories. It is romance and comedy, wit and family at its best. For this re-read of the story, I chose to listen to it in audio format. It was interesting what stood out for me as a result.
Clifford Norgate was a good narrator. He had the task of capturing the personality of such a large cast of characters and I thought he did it pretty well. The pace and tone of a Georgette Heyer story particularly the subtleties and sparkling wit were brought out nicely.
It never struck me before in previous reads, but this time around, I noticed the emphasis on family and familial differences. Frederica’s parents might have led a colorful beginning and might both be gone at the point of the story, but she and her siblings share a lively, warm, and accepting relationship if at times they fuss and feud. Alverstoke came from something vastly different. Cold, calculating, self-absorbed people who never had familial love for each other. Frederica at first judges his character on how he interacts with his family and continues to miss the boat on him because she tries to frame him from her own perspective. Alverstoke is the one who can understand that she and her family are different. He feels the genuine warmth and wants it though all his earlier experiences make him cautious and suspicious before he accepts his own feelings.
So, I loved this story as much as ever, but was touched by a different emphasis though I could still appreciate the surprising and unlikely romance forged between all the mayhem of the Merrivales.
Frederica is absolutely near the top of my list of all-time favorite Regency romances. I’ve read this one several times and listened to the audio book version. This is a delightful story with depth as well as humor about a selfless woman who is always looking out for her siblings and while doing so unexpectedly wins the respect, and eventually heart, of a determined bachelor and peer of the ton. A definite read!!
Historical romance at its best .
This is one of my favorite Regency romances of all time. I read it as a teenager and re-read my very dog eared copy earlier this week. This is the standard against which I rate all other books. Ms. Heyer’s storytelling is wonderful, her dialogue is witty and sparking and her grasp of grammar unparalleled. The hero and heroine have great chemistry from the beginning, but their romance starts out as a convenience for both of them – he wants to get back at his very annoying older sister and she needs someone to sponsor her younger sister’s first season. They build a friendship which grows into love. The supporting characters, especially her two youngest brothers and his oldest sister are terrific additions. I also love Devil’s Cub, Lady of Quality, A Civil Contract, and The Quiet Gentleman.
I read this as research for my current work-in-progress, and I loved it.
Frederica makes this book wonderful. Too young for the responsibility she carries, she does what she needs to for her siblings. The characters are full of life and the relationship between her and the Marquis is fun and witty. My favorite Georgette Heyer novel, hands down.
One of my all-time favorite books and favorite author! I am Not a fan of romance books whatsoever, but Georgette Heyer was not a cheesy romance author. Heyer was every bit as good as Jane Austen, but slightly more contemporary and accessible. She brings every main and minor character to life in a way that few authors could hope to rival, and beautifully captures the time periods and social mores in which her extraordinarily wonderful Regency stories are set. I not only have all of Heyer’s books in hard copy, but also downloaded most to my Kindle, and my husband has downloaded most to his Kindle, also! I’d introduced him to Heyer’s books through this book, Frederica, several years ago and he was instantly hooked, and binge-reading all the Regency books Heyer had written too. This book and many other of Heyer’s books are so entertaining and perfectly delightful they simply beg being read over and over again!
One of my top 3 favorite Georgette Heyer novels. Frederica is the oldest daughter trying to raise her siblings after they are orphaned. Her charges include a brother in college, a younger sister of exceptional beauty, and two rambunctious young boys. Throw in a crazy hound, and you have all the trappings of a wonderfully entertaining story. Though Frederica believes she will forever be a spinster, her capable handling of her siblings misadventures catches the eye of the most eligible bachelor in town. I found myself laughing often at the exploits of her various family members. This story is full of witty dialogue and great fun to read. I highly recommend it!
I LOVE the Georgette Heyer Regency era books!
Frederica is one of the best of them!
She INVENTED the genre, which is now so overused, but she was first….she studied the diaries and old letters and whatever else she could find to learn how the people TALKED, what they wore, what they ate, how they acted, what the “rules” of the society they lived in were…….NONE of her books are an excuse to run a soft porn scene! Nor do any of her books have 20th century/ 21st century people merely “dressed up” as 18th-19th century people, but speaking and acting like we do…..they are REAL!
Next to the great Jane Austen, she presents the Regency era as it really was!
WHAT A WONDERFUL BOOK TO ENJOY WHEN YOU WANT SOME VACATION OF REALITY. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED