Georgette Heyer is a serious
addiction but unfortunately once you have read one or two titles the plots have a tendency to become too familiar...But you are forever hooked!

In this case the story is centered around the difficulties experienced by two siblings almost of age and their very difficult relationship with their guardian. But with Ms Heyer the plot is always full of evil twists and turns, ridiculous love stories and sparkling dialogues.

A magnificent rediscovery and a brilliant fictional tapestry of England during the Regency full of delightful surprises and blessed with a terrific cast of exquisitely drawn characters, Regency Buck is Jane Austen on steroids.

The perfect companion on a rainy day or at the beach that deserves to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever!

Many thanks to Cornerstone and Netgalley for this terrific ARC

This was Georgette Heyer’s first novel published in 1935. Set in the Regency period Judith and her brother Peregrine Taverner have decided to relocate to London from Yorkshire. They discover that due to an error in their father’s will Julian St. John Audley, the Fifth Earl of Worth Is their guardian until they become of age. Judith finds worth very severe and insufferable whilst her brother is thrilled as the Earl knows everyone there is to know in the London Ton.
The burgeoning romance between John and Judith is not the main focus of the book. In most of the scenes they are arguing and it is left to the readers’ imagination to decide what goes on between the pair.
I haven’t read any of Hayer’s novels and I enjoyed it immensely.

Classic Heyer, in the way that I find equal parts entertaining and frustrating! This is one that I've often heard people talking about as one of her best - while it wasn't my favourite of hers (that's probably False Colours) this is still a good read, with the caveat that there are some weirdly unnecessary racist bits, and the usual dynamic of infantilising a perfectly capable heroine.

I love Georgette Heyer's Regency novels. They are so full of historical details that the world in which they are set just comes to life. The characters jump off the page, they're so well described, whether it's the main characters or one of the vibrant supporting cast.

Regency Buck is both a romance and a mystery, as it becomes clear as the novel progresses that someone is up to no good, As far as the romance goes, it's slow burn, smut-free, and the relationships between men and women haven't been sanitised for the sensibilities of a modern audience.(so yes there is talk of giving a woman a beating for misbehaving, perfectly legal at the time although frowned upon when done to excess, welcome to the 1800s.)

The mystery element ramps up the drama towards the end of the story and becomes extremely tense and exciting and, for me, is a much more interesting strand to the plot than the romance, which just ties the book up in a nice neat bow at the end. I enjoyed it all very much.

Thanks to the publishers, Random House UK, Cornerstone, for the ARC - I leave this review voluntarily.

As I've mentinoed in other recent reviews, I'm pretty new to reading Romances - Bridgerton and other Regency Romances being my gateway drug. I had initially assumed that Regency Romances were Jane Austern fan-fiction, but when I realised that they were, in fact, Georgette Heyer fan-fiction I made it my business to get caught up. I really appreciate the publishers making reprints of her books for newly interested readers, like me!

Last year, in a post-Bridgerton withdrawal frenzy, I set about reading all six Austen novels. This year, I'm setting myself the challenge to read one Heyer romance every month so Regency Buck is only the third Heyer I've read after The Grand Sophy and Arabella. Unfortunately, it suffers a bit in the comparison with these other two novels.

Apparently, Regency Buck is the first Heyer Romance that she set during the Regency Period. I feel that because she had thoroughly researched the time period she was determined to show off her work - quite doggedly and to the detriment of the flow of the story e.g. all of chapter two is a description of boxing match that contributes nothing to the plot (I skipped it - couldn't stomach all the referenced to "The Black"); later there are detailed descriptions of Brighton Pavilion for pages and pages that really drag. This novel could justifiably be abridged without any detriment to the pace.

This isn't the only issue that I have with this novel, though. For starters, it's a two-for-one deal - romance and mystery combined. The mystery arc focusses on the brother, Peregrin, while the romance is focused on his sister, Judith. I accidentally spoiled it for myself by reading the Wikipedia article for the book, but it was pretty obvious who was going to be the male counterpart for the Romance, even though we're also being set up to see him as the villian for the Mystery. I don't think Heyer fully pulls this off though because there's really not enough positive interactions between Judith and her supposed love interest to understand why he's her love interest.

There's also a lot of uncomfortable undertones between the male main character calling his love interest "My child" even as he's proposing marriage to her (barf!). As well as the whole bit about how much he felt like beating her. Eh, you okay, Georgette, love?

So, yes - thank you Random House UK, Cornerstone, for making this book available to a whole new set of readers. But, new readers: my recommendation is to not start with this one!

I loved Heyer's books in my youth so I was really excited to read them again! The writing is still wonderful, and full of proper Regency language and funny old-fashioned phrases. The pace was much slower though, compared to modern books in this genre. A lovely nostalgic read!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book. It was my first Heyer and I was thinking possibly a simple romance. It was definitely much more!

While it is definitely a romance, it almost takes a backseat. Instead I found that mystery and intrigue took over and I'm definitely not complaining.

I found that the start was a little slow but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down! I am definitely going to give another Heyer a shot in the future.

One thing I think is important to highlight is that the language in the book is dated. This does make sense, considering the time period it was set and when the book was written, but it would have still been nice if it wasn't there.

This was, in a good way, a little different to how I expected. I haven’t read much Regency Romance, but I do want to read more, and Regency Buck sounded like a good place to start. And I am really glad I did! From this book alone Heyer’s skill is excellent, and it’s hard not to get caught up in the story – the settings, the events, the characters! It all makes for an excellent read.

Judith Taverner and her brother Peregrine head to London, keen to enjoy the season there despite their guardian warning them to stay away. They don’t expect to actual face much resistance from the elderly friend of their father, and besides, he must be more likeable than their uncle. But when they arrive in London, they discover there has been a mistake – the Fifth Earl of Worth isn’t an old man, but the insufferable Julian St John Audley. From the moment they meet, Judith pushes against him, taking everything he says and doing the opposite. And as for Perry, well, Perry spends his time trying to be fashionable, being seen at the right places and placing bets with his considerable wealth. But a series of strange events befall him, and it becomes clear these events are not just accidents, but something more sinister.

I loved Judith as a heroine. She’s feisty, yes, and although she strives to adopt an air of not caring what people think of her, she does seem to enjoy the attention she gets for her eccentric activities. She clearly enjoys winding Worth up, as much as he likes teasing her, and although their disagreements arise initially from a dislike of one another, it turns into almost sort of a game between them, one which, when it goes too far, causes distress to them both.

I also loved Worth as a hero. He knows the best way to ensure Judith and Perry keep hold of their fortune and are accepted into society is to, essentially, tell them to do the opposite of what he wants, or to just let them learn their own lessons. He does have a gentle approach to the siblings, pushing only when he needs to, and recognising that sometimes he needs to take a step back. He makes mistakes, and knows this, and is clearly distraught when he feels Judith hates him.

What really surprised me about this was the slight gothic aspect to certain elements, the mystery surrounding the attempts against Perry’s life, and the characterisation of Worth, who definitely feels like he sits somewhere between Rochester and Darcy. Heyer is excellent at casting doubts on his character, while Judith’s cousin attempts to win her over. The cousin feels largely harmless, another man trying to win Judith over, but he has his undercurrent too, and there were moments where I could truly feel Judith’s discomfort.

All that is to say, I thoroughly enjoyed Regency Buck. Here is a novel crafted with complete skill, with witty characters, excellent dialogue, and a truly compelling tale that keeps you engaged right until the end.

Thank you to Cornerstone for providing me a copy of this book via NetGalley. Views remain my own.

On the death of their father, Judith and Peregrine Tavener, rich but underage, are left to the guardianship of Julian Audley, Lord Worth, someone they have never met and know nothing about. They decide to leave Yorkshire and set themselves up in London. Worth, their guardian, turns out to be not much older than they are and, after the unfortunate circumstances of their first accidental meeting, dislikes the guardianship arrangement as much as they do. Judith is contrary and independent. Worth is overbearing and domineering and Heyer pretty much tries to set him up as the villan of the piece to begin with. (Heyer readers will, of course, realise this is a false trail of breadcrumbs.) Apparently this was Heyer's first Regency Romance. It contains real historical characters (Beau Brummell, the Prince Regent, the Duke of Clarence etc.) mixed in with fictional ones. Judith is contrary and occasionally downright stupid. Audley is arrogant and annoying, but (contrary to Judith's belief) has their best interest at heart. I'm inclined to think that these two characters deserve everything they get. The best character is Worth's brother, Charles Audley, who will reappear as the main male character in This Infamous Army. I wondered how the Alastair-Audley books linked up, but apparently the female protagonist in Infamous Army, is the granddaughter of Dominic, Duke of Avon from Devil's Cub.

Regency Buck a book written 85 years ago is an absolutely wonderful read that at has certainly stood the test of time. For some reason I missed Georgette Heyer in my youth, Barbara Cartland and Jilly Cooper my reading material in the late 60s-70s
Here we have a book with great characters, sparkling dialogue and a superb plot line. A historical romance that accurately portrays the Regency period with its manners, clothing and social hierarchy. We have an heiress and her brother under the care of an Earl who has been appointed to control their finances until they come of age Much is afoot to part Judith and her brother from their inheritance, but who is the villain? A romance, mystery, thriller and comedy all in one. I now have a back catalogue of this extremely adept author to catch up on, I can’t wait!
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

I really enjoyed this, probably one of my favourites by this author. We meet Judith Taverner and her brother Peregrine as they travel to meet their guardian, Lord Worth. He has been given this responsibility by an unfortunate mistake but determined to do ghost duty. Even on their travels Judith and Perry get into a few scapes and its clear Judith is a spitfire! She's funny, sassy and knows her mind. Perry is like a little over enthusiastic puppy with a good heart. Lord Worth has all the appearance of the 'bad guy' but he is a good man but doesn't let people know it. Lord Worth is responsible for overseeing his wards till they come of age to manage their considerable fortunes - a fortune Judith would inherit alone if anything happens to Perry. Overtime it seems thepat Perry is in harms way too often and something is going on. But fir siblings alone in the world they are without protection... or are they?

This is a fantastic book. So well written with a great story, great characters and fantastic humour.

Another great book from Georgette Heyer. There is the great leading lady who fights for her future and we really go to bat for her and follow the twists as she works out who she can trust. An irritating little brother who is essential to the plot but a nightmare. A strong romance that keeps you with it to the last unmasking and the happy ending.

My thanks to Random House U.K. Cornerstone for a digital review copy via NetGalley of ‘Regency Buck’ by Georgette Heyer in exchange for an honest review. I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition.

This novel was originally published in 1935 and was Heyer’s first novel set during the Regency period.

Autumn, 1811. Following the death of their father, Judith Taverner and her flighty brother, Peregrine (Perry), have decided to relocate from Yorkshire to London. They are both keen to experience the Season. However, they discover that due to an error in their father’s will that Julian St. John Audley, the Fifth Earl of Worth, has been appointed their legal guardian until they come of age.

Peregrine is delighted as Lord Worth moves in the highest strata of society and is a close friend of the Prince Regent. Judith is less impressed as at their first meeting she had decided that Worth is an insufferably arrogant dandy. Oh course he is Miss Taverner, quite insufferable …

As Judith is an heiress, she has plenty of suitors seeking her hand in marriage, though she faces the question of whether the main attraction is her considerable fortune. She learns that an influential member of the London set has nicknamed her ‘The Milkmaid’, mocking her provisional origins and fears she will never be accepted. Still, Judith has a great deal of spirit and is determined to establish herself. I was constantly cheering her on.

Meanwhile, Peregrine enthusiastically embraces their new life though being rather foolish gets himself into scrape after scrape.

I had adored Georgette Heyer’s novels in my teenage years and have been rediscovering them this year, which has marked the centenary of the publication of her first novel.

‘Regency Buck’ contains cameos from various historical figures, including Beau Brummell and the Duke of Clarence. Judith even picks up a Jane Austen novel when she visits a lending library and is impressed by her witty prose

As always with Heyer the period detail is perfect, including the etiquette. The dialogue is sparkling and the novel infused with subtle humour. There also is an element of mystery as a series of incidents suggest that someone is targeting the hapless Peregrine. The situation becomes quite tense!

Highly recommended.

This was the first Georgette Heyer novel I read a long time ago and I remember I loved it.
It was a pleasure to read it again after decades and it's as witty and entertaining as I remembered.
Judith, Julian and Peregrine are great characters and I loved the banters between Judith and Julian.
There's plenty of humour, a vivid and detailed historical background, a sweet romance.
It was a lot of fun to re-read it and it's still in my Heyer top ten.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

One of my favourite Georgette Heyer books with a feisty, intelligent heroine and the added bonus of a murder mystery. A real page turner (although this must be at least my tenth read) with plenty of the characteristic wit I expect from a Heyer novel, lots of fascinating regency scene-setting and a dash of Beau Brummell for extra spice! I can't recommend it highly enough, a perfect read.

Beautiful heiress Judith Taverner is travelling to London for the season with her younger brother Peregrine. There they’ll meet their guardian Lord Worth but Perry is sure Judith will soon wind the old man round her little finger. They happen to stop for the night near to where a prize fight is to be held, Their rooms have been let go but an amenable gentleman gives up his rooms to them. Perry of course has to go & watch the match so Judith takes a stroll where she encounters a haughty gentleman whilst trying to dislodge a stone from her shoe. When arriving in London who should their guardian be but the haughty gentleman. Judith takes the ton by storm but her luck takes a turn for the worse when Perry, becomes the target of a would-be-assassin.
This is one of my all time favourite books by the author. I loved the banter & chemistry between Judith & Julian they were like chalk & cheese & she went out of her way to annoy him, she certainly knew how to pull his strings. There is the added bonus of the attempts on Perry's life, which become more frequent & desperate after he announces his engagement. A page turner of a read for me
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read