Venetia

Heyer's elegant story of a country girl who falls for a rakish peer of the realm will enchant listeners. Venetia's chance meeting with Damerel turns into a romantic dilemma as she tries to convince him their relationship won't turn her into a social outcast. Richard Armitage's voice aptly conveys the attraction between Venetia and Damerel, making the most of the novel's rich dialogue and clever turns of phrase. Armitage manages to express all of Heyer's opinions about her characters with a subtle sense of the ridiculous. Exchanges between Venetia and Damerel emerge as especially intimate and wonderful. While the abridgment is gracefully handled, it's a pity listeners won't have the pleasure of hearing Armitage narrate the entire novel. C.A. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Another marvelous Georgette Heyer tale of the beautiful maiden and the debauched rake. This tale of redemption and humor is told within the context of Regency England. For those who love Regency Romances, this is the author who started the genre and against whom all others pale. What a glorious choice to have S”an Phillips read the story. All the characters sound different through the coloring she gives each one. This wonderful recording is marred only by having to stop when changing tapes. Except for this unavoidable frustration--a marvelous performance. E.F. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Phyllida Nash is in rare form as she performs Heyer's quintessential Regency romance. In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, in Yorkshire, well-bred Venetia, age 25, encounters her rakish neighbor, Lord Damerel, while riding one day. Despite his libertine reputation, Venetia falls into a fast friendship with him. Their dialogue is full of witty repartee, wonderful classical and Shakespearean references that slide off Nash's agile tongue without hesitation. Nash is perfectly in sync with the passions of the Regency period as cultured words are "ejaculated" (Heyer's favorite verb) from each character's lips. Chaste by today's standards, this romance, with its surprise ending, dramatizes Venetia's desire to live just outside the norm. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine