Audio ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review Audio review:
I really enjoyed Gemma Whelan's narration of this book it brought humour and propriety to this regency romance. This is the first book I have read (listened to) by Heyer but it won't be the last . It was just the ticket at the moment!

Wow.
A very well written regency romance that is as exciting as its summary.
I know what I'll be recommending for romance....

Nothing much happens but the book is still compelling and charming. Venetia is a great heroine and nicely characterised. Great language and brilliantly read by Gemma Whelan.

Venetia Lanyon is a stunningly beautiful young woman of five and twenty who due to family circumstances has never been in love, never had a London season and if we’re to be brutally honest has never really lived at all. Her entire life has been spent caring for her family. First her father and later her invalid younger brother, and she is quite content with her lot. Then along comes the most scandalous rake that Yorkshire has ever seen and her life would never be the same!
Georgette Heyer was never an author who thrived on putting her characters through emotional or physical torture and that holds true here. The story progresses at a steady pace and the requisite happy ending is never in doubt. As is always the case with Heyer, the characters are richly drawn and the dialogue sparkles. I was rooting for their happy ending and was thoroughly satisfied when it was achieved.

I was given access to the new unabridged audiobook that has been produced by Penguin. It is narrated by Gemma Whelan (if Game of Thrones fame) and has a running time of 11 hours, 47 minutes. I enjoyed her narration very much. She gave the characters distinct voices and kept me engaged throughout.

Highly recommended.

*** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher ***

Thanks to Netgalley, author and publishers for a complimentary copy of this audio book.

I love historical fiction, and especially if it's a romantic fiction I'm all in. But the story line left me very confused. In many parts I was questioning could this be happening back in the day and that really was throwing me off the plot and disturbed my enjoyment of the book.

I also felt that the story conflict wasn't strong enough, it didn't make me hold the breath until everything worked out for the main characters, which was a big disappointment as I thought the characters were very well developed. I felt they were pretty "real" and I could easily relate to them.

Narration was top class though 👌

My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Venetia’ by Georgette Heyer. It is narrated by Gemma Whelan and has a running time of 11 hours, 47 minutes at 1x speed.

2021 is the Centenary of the publication of Georgette Heyer’s first novel and her publishers, Penguin Random House U.K., are celebrating in various ways including newly recorded audiobooks of over 50 of her novels narrated by noted actors.

‘Venetia’ was originally published in 1958 and is set during the Regency era, three years after the victory at Waterloo.

Aged twenty-five, the beautiful Venetia Lanyon has lived a quiet life in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Her late father, Sir Francis, had been a recluse and quite protective and so she has never been further than Harrogate, didn’t have a London season or been courted by anyone aside from two persistent local suitors. Neither hold any interest for her.

In her older brother’s absence in France, she is happy being mistress of Undershaw and caring for their bookish younger brother, Aubrey.

Then while out picking wild blackberries, she meets a neighbour she only knew by reputation - the infamous Jasper Damerel. Oh Venetia! Consider the scandal of being seen in the company of such a notorious rake.

Circumstances throw them together and before long, Venetia is encouraging a man whose way of life has scandalised the North Riding for years.

What a delightful historical romance this was; full of charm, wit and period detail. I had devoured Heyer’s romances in my teens and it was lovely to return to her finely detailed Regency world.

I have enjoyed Gemma Whelan’s work on various television programs and audiobooks and know that she’s a versatile actor. Her reading added another dimension to this appealing Regency romance.

I thought I will enjoy this very much, but sadly I've misplaces my rose-tinted glasses, sorry!

Due to the story not working, 11+ hours seemed too much and if I am completely honest the narration didn't win me over either.

Just charming! This is an old favourite of mine, a lovely tale, with humour and well drawn characters, and historically accurate too. Just the thing! The narration really brought the story and characters to life, very well done.

Recommended.

This audiobook is narrated by Gemma Whelan of Game of Thrones fame, and I feel she brings new life to the story, I really enjoyed her narration.

Venetia is the heroine of the story. Twenty five years old, unmarried but stunningly beautiful, there are several competitors for her hand in marriage, although she takes none of them seriously, choosing to spend her time with her friends and her younger brother Aubrey. However, the winds of change begin to stir when Venetia unexpectedly encounters Jasper Damerel, their rakish, devil-may-care neighbour. He is going to shake up everyone’s world, but where will the pieces land?

This is a great story, and the first I’ve ever read by Georgette Heyer. I first read it about eight years ago, but had forgotten quite a lot of it! It was a real treat to get the opportunity to listen to the story, as it was read very well by the narrator. I can sometimes struggle to focus on fiction audiobooks but I actually didn’t have this issue with this book - I found the characters really engaging and the story moves along at a good pace.


I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Georgette Heyer Regency novels are classic and full of such wit that few of the very many who set their novels in the Regency period come close to writing with such flair and evoke the time period so well. Venetia is one of her best novels and capturing the style and charm of this novel with perfect intonation and understanding is exactly what the narrator, Gemma Whelan did. The dry humour, the poignancy, the very delicious awfulness of some of the characters is well captured as is Venetia’s charm and Damerel’s mocking manner that softens with only a few people.. Conway's outrageous mother in law as well as Edward Yardley's worthy but insufferable manner are well captured too, all of which make a delightful listen and one that will certainly be repeated many times.

I received a free copy of Penguin Random House UK Audio’s new audiobook recording of ‘Venetia’ by Georgette Heyer from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So thank you NetGalley and Penguin! 

I read ‘Venetia’ years ago and liked it. As I'd never tried a Heyer audiobook, I thought I'd give this one a go. That it's read by Gemma Whelan didn't hurt either! My memories from my first reading were vague, but I remembered it being funny and that the main couple stood out as I binge read Heyer’s Regency Romances (there are about 50!). I stand by that as I think Damerel may be Heyer’s only out-and-out rake and I live for Venetia’s Take Charge attitude. It was as witty as I remembered and Venetia and Damerel have some great banter. I like that they seem to get each other; they’re both misjudged in opposite ways, which is something they bond over. They also have a similar sense of humour (I love a romance built on humour!) and are well-matched in intelligence and wit. Also, Damerel is genuinely helpful to Venetia (cheering up her brother Aubrey, letting her vent, finessing socially awkward situations etc.), unlike her other well-meaning but useless suitors. So the friends-to-lovers progression of their relationship feels natural and believable. Another unusual but positive feature of ‘Venetia’ is the disability rep in Aubrey. There’s some commentary on how secondary characters treat Aubrey badly and he’s one of the funnier, more likeable characters in the novel (in a Jerk With a Heart of Gold sense). But I’m not disabled, so potential readers should probably check Own Voices reviews for their take on his character and representation. Also, watch out for ableist language and attitudes (not condoned by the leads).

Alas, Heyer was a product of her era and upbringing, which means classism, sexism and racism all crop up in her novels. Her internalised misogyny is particularly evident in ‘Venetia’, unfortunately. For starters, Venetia and Damerel’s ‘meet cute’ is a sexual assault (he grabs and “ruthlessly” kisses her against her will). On finding out that she’s Quality, he immediately blames his behaviour on her shabby clothes, since, of course, he would <em>never </em>treat a social equal in such a fashion. This adds victim blaming, classism and an implied history of dubious consent into the mix (can consent ever truly be given between people of different classes, considering these kinds of power dynamics?). It’s extremely uncomfortable to read, especially as the whole scene is played for laughs. The victim blaming continues with Damerel’s Tragic Backstory (he ruined his own reputation by running off with a married woman). Granted, he was young at the time, and it's implied that his older lover may have manipulated him, but his self-pity is a bit rich, given how he apparently treats women. It’s also notable that, on hearing the story, Venetia spares no sympathy for his paramour, whose reputation must have been affected even more deeply than his, given the biases of the time. Besides the sexist double standards and slut shaming, the whole thing reeks of himpathy, which is not a good look. 

Venetia herself also disappointed me at times. For a supposedly free-thinking, ‘unconventional’ heroine, Venetia certainly loves to disparage actual real life trail blazers, like Lady Hester Stanhope (an archaeologist, traveler and adventurer). Her reaction to the Ladies of Llangollen (a pair of upper class 'gal pals' who set up house together in Wales) also seems particularly hypocritical, given her plans to stay single and live with her brother. Why does Heyer (through Venetia) feel the need to tear down women whose lives didn’t revolve around men? I appreciated the references though, as I got to learn about them and they all sound awesome!

To be fair to Venetia, it’s not all bad. She knows her own mind and she goes after what she wants, which redeems her as a heroine, in my eyes. She also stands up to the patronising men in her life, including Damerel and her other suitors. Edward Yardley, Mansplainer Extraordinaire, is rightly mocked for his high-handed, overbearing attitude towards Venetia and Aubrey. And Oswald, Venetia’s Byron-wannabe swain, essentially turns into an incel post-rejection. His swift transformation into an “incurable misogynist” is treated light-heartedly, since it doesn’t really stick, but it does lay out the misogynistic steps in Oswald’s thought processes quite handily. It’s chilling, when you think about it, both in itself and as an illustration of how easily misogyny is dismissed as trivial, even in a book written by and (primarily) for women. 

So it’s been interesting, revisiting ‘Venetia’ as an older, more socially-conscious reader. There’s still a lot to enjoy, not least Gemma Whelan’s fantastic narration! I was sold as soon as I saw her name and she does a superb job. Her character voices are consistent and recognisable and her general narration is lively. I particularly liked her Posh Older Lady and Old Boy voices! I’d definitely recommend this audiobook for first time Heyer-listeners, or anyone who wants to rediscover an old favourite. Just be aware of its failings and enjoy it for what it is: an easy-listening, well-written but flawed romance.

I listened to this book via audiobook. I really enjoyed the narrator and I found her easy to listen to. I've read a few books now by Georgette Heyer and I always enjoy them. They are written in the style of their time but once you get used to the style it flows really well. Heyer is well known as the Queen of historical fiction books.

Set in Yorkshire Venetia has barely left home due to her father's tight reign on her so when he dies there is talk from her remaining relatives to get married but none of her suitors are suitable. Whilst out walking her dog, who was given to her for a companion to go out walking with, she quite literally bumps into Lord Dameral and he mistakes her for a maid and kisses her. I really enjoyed this story. It was a great escape to a bygone age.

After listening to Heyer's first novel, 'The Black Moth' and not being able to get on with it, I have come to the conclusion that I don't like regency romances, or even books written in the language of the time.
I have to seriously concentrate on reading Heyer, and this is even more demanding when listening to the audiobook of her novels. I have to literally do no other tasking when listening, or I lose the thread of the story.
I appreciate she is loved by most historical fiction fans and I'm sad I don't feel the same.
I liked the characters, and the plot on the whole, although I do find it slow to get going, which doesn't help me follow the story if nothing happens for a while.
I'd recommend Heyer (my sister adores her) but she's sadly not for me.

I am a great fan of Georgette Heyer novels and this is a newly recorded audiobook. I’m wondering if there are new recordings in light of the popularity of regency romances due to the Bridgerton series. This is well read and a great story. Damerel is older than Venetia and has bad habits that make him unsuitable to be courting her. Despite this, they fall in love. Will they be allowed to marry or will other people interfere with their happiness? If you haven’t read anything by this author, give it a go: she is the Queen of this genre! Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

This was the first Georgette Heyer I'd read for a long while and to begin with I struggled with the amount of Regency slang which seemed to be shoe horned into the text. I don't know if this was the difference between reading and listening or if this book has more than the others. It just seemed clunky. BUT Venitia is a delight - my favourite heroine for ages. I loved her story

The beautiful Venetia Lanyon, thanks to a reclusive and over-protective father, grew up in the country, away from the world with only her younger brother Aubrey, bookish and lame, for company. Her peace and quiet is one day disturbed by the rakish Lord Damerel, who arrives to spend time at his ancestral home next to the Lanyons' house.

I loved this book! It is a superb tale full of wit and charm. Georgette Heyer provides a masterclass in characterisation. In Venetia she has created her usual strong female who, through her intelligence and charm, strives to outwit others who attempt to influence her choice of suitor.

Listening to the story was fabulous. I am fairly new to Audio books and have been completely won over. I became totally absorbed in each and every character and the Regency world was brought to life in this superb audio version.

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 swoony stars

I absolutely loved this. It took me a little while to settle into the writing style and the dialogue seemed to feel long winded compared with contemporary stories, especially in an audiobook but this had the double distinction of being set in Regency times and written in the 1950s so it was quaintly old fashioned but no less gripping for that once I attuned to the language.

Hark at me with ‘attuned’. That what immersing yourself in this world does to your vocabulary.

I loved Venetia’s pluck and sparkle and the close attention to social conventions and period detail but aside from that, plot wise, there was so much going on with this, it really kept me interested.

The romance is swoony and it’s an age gap story which I love but I’m sorry to say dear Georgette doesn’t do smut, or even hint at it (you have to read Julia Quinn for that) but even that didn’t lessen my enjoyment.

I feel like I’ve spent the last few days holed up in my Yorkshire stately pile and I shall truly miss being there. This really is the perfect antidote to modern strife, I loved escaping into this place. Highly recommended.

My thanks to publisher via netgalley for the arc.

Georgette Heyer is one of those writers that I loved when I was really young and have returned to periodically over the years. Some of the novels bear repeated reading better than others and I am not entirely sure that Venetia is one that I would especially recommend.

Having said that, as soon as I saw that there were new audiobook versions of Venetia and The Black Moth coming out, I was desperate to get my hands on them. So, here is a review of the former and the latter will follow soon.

For those unfamiliar with Heyer’s writing, the joy of it is not just in the Regency setting or in the romance but in the mischievousness which peppers them. She is not Jane Austen but you can see why those who love her work would naturally gravitate to these.

Venetia has 2 brothers, each odiously selfish in their own way, though the younger, Aubrey, is a fonder sibling. Being motherless from a young age and her father a recluse, Venetia finds herself obliged to take up both the management of the household, estates and her younger brother. Her father’s death and her elder brother fighting abroad in the Napoleonic wars leaves her stranded.

Into this boring world bursts her neighbour, the wicked and notorious Lord Dameral, casting the most boring and ridiculous suitor ever created after Austen’s Mr Collins, rightfully into shade. What happens next is both obvious and inevitable but Heyer leavens it with humour and adds in enough surprising twists to keep us engaged. This is not up to the standard of my favourite Heyer, Cotillion but it is still engagingly escapist.

Read by Gemma Whelan, the delivery is clear and for the most part, accents and voices are well-handled. The only thing which did drive me slightly bonkers was her unaccountable insistence of saying ‘shapper-on” instead of “shapper-own” when pronouncing ‘chaperone’ but maybe other people won’t find it as irritating as I did.

With grateful thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Penguin Random House UK audio for an arc of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I love Heyer's writing, and getting lost in her books. She writes period romance in such an enchanting way. I really love them. If you're into historical romance, you need to read it.
Thanks a lot for this copy. Loved the audio book too, very good narration.

Spinsterhood is rapidly approaching for 25 year old Venetia Lanyon, not that she minds this too much. The suitors she does have are more of a bore than anything else, and she would be perfectly content to live independently with her younger brother Aubrey and carry on the way she has been for the past few years. That is, until she meets notorious rake Jasper Damerel and finds herself quite drawn to him, to the displeasure of her family and friends.

Georgette Heyer's characters in this novel are, as always, wonderful. The story is witty and engaging, and perfectly captures the time period. I really enjoyed it. The narration was very good and I would thoroughly recommend the audiobook.