The Foundling (urspr publ 1948; utgåvan 2003)

Charming story about a Duke who feels hedged in by servants and friends, and wishes to strike out on his own. ( )

Strangely, I'd never read this Heyer novel before. I really liked Gilly and appreciated the arc he makes in growth during the book. I was glad that he and Harriet are destined to wed because she seems like the perfect person for him, though he initially didn't see it. I enjoyed Gideon, Tom, and Mrs. Appleby. I even had a bit of fun with Liversedge. However, I thought Belinda and crew were annoying. Nonetheless, they were a big part of Gilly's growth. This book was a bit like reading Huck Finn - much of it I loved, and a bit of it was painfully tiresome. ( )

This one made me laugh almost (but not quite) as much as Friday's Child. Another grand romp through Regency England, this time with even more amusing characters than some of the other Heyer novels I've read. ( )

When the young Duke of Sale finally decides that he want to control his own life rather than being organised by his family and servants, he siezes an opportunity for adventure and gets mixed up with the Foundling of the title. Belinda is a startlingly beautiful women with the mental capacity of a goldfish. While fully aware of her beauty, Sale doesn't fall for her. Keeping her out of trouble and dealing with the people who either fall in love with her or try to use her for their own ends, leads him into many entertaining situations and helps him to mature and to find his own strengths. He also meets up with Tom, a young lad running away from home. Sale emphasises with the young man who is also being kept on too tight a leash, but Tom is far wilder than Sale and lands him in even more scrapes.

The real strength of this book lies in the characters. A wide variety of personalities, each well drawn and each internally consistent. A real pleasure to read. ( )

Only very mildly a romance; a bit improbable but the Duke of Sale is engagingly described and Heyer creates a light-hearted adventure. ( )