Sprig Muslin
While not my favorite Georgette Heyer, it is still very good, and it’s a distinct pleasure to read Sprig Muslin again in its new Harlequin reprint. Many thanks to the company for reprinting this series that launched the whole world of Regency romances. In this romantic adventure, a young man, Gareth, has gotten over his tragic first love enough to seek marriage, but nobody can believe his second choice. She’s completely different from the beautiful, flirtatious, dramatic girl who died accidentally in a senseless carriage race. In fact, she’s a true Heyer heroine and because she thinks she is an object of pity, she says no. That’s the background plotline, but the action is largely taken up with the secondary but mesmerizing antics of our lady of the title, who appears in sprig muslin when first spotted by Sir Gary on his way to be rejected by Hester, his intended bride. Amanda is young, very pretty, in love with a military man and determined to force her grandfather to allow her to marry right now. Sir Gareth can’t quite leave her to ruin herself and so begins trying to save the situation, which goes on about 300 pleasant pages. It hurts nothing to say that all ends well, because the joy in these books is in the details of just how it all comes about. A nice forward appears in this edition by Linda Lael Miller. Many new readers as well as the ones who cherish Heyer will enjoy Sprig Muslin.
