This is one of my all-time favorite historical novels, and I was overdue for a reread. What could be more fun than a pair of escaped Jacobites hiding in plain sight in London? Not just there, but making a splash in Society, with no one suspecting that the charming Miss Kate Merriot is actually Robin Lacey and her sober brother is his sister Prudence?

The story opens with a bang as "Peter" and "Kate" rescue a young lady from an ill-advised elopement. Their quick thinking was impressive, and I laughed out loud at the confusion they rained down on the head of the frustrated suitor. I loved seeing Robin's immediate protectiveness toward young Letty. It isn't long before another rescuer appears in the form of Sir Anthony Fanshawe, a family friend. Sir Anthony is a large man with a calm disposition, and it was fun to see his reactions to the Merriots and Letty.

I loved watching the Merriots slip effortlessly in London society. Prudence, as Peter, becomes a popular young buck. He makes friends with others his age and participates in the usual activities of such young men. He has also drawn the attention of Sir Anthony, who feels responsible for his well-being. Robin and Prue initially believe that Tony is too "sleepy" to suspect the truth about them. But the more time Prue spends in his company, the more she suspects he's sharper than they thought. I laughed every time Robin referred to him as the "mountain" or "mammoth," suspecting he was in for quite a surprise. There are some great scenes with Prue and Tony as she struggles to maintain the deception. I loved watching their relationship develop as Tony is drawn into their lives.

Meanwhile, as Kate, Robin befriends young Letty, giving her a more mature companion who will hopefully keep her out of trouble. Letty is naïve and irrepressible in her desire for adventure, and it is all Robin can do to try to redirect her antics. But her unlamented suitor hasn't given up on trying to gain her inheritance. It's left to Robin to rescue her again, this time in a most dramatic fashion. However, there are unintended consequences that create problems for Robin and Prudence.

The Merriots' arrival in London was done at their father's direction, whom they call "the old gentleman." They have traveled Europe with him as he moves from one scheme to another. About halfway through the book, he arrives in London claiming to be Viscount Barham, the long-lost brother to the previous viscount. This is unwelcome news to the distant relative who currently holds the title. Robert Tremaine is flamboyant, charming, and gregarious and is hilarious in his antics as the claimant. He delights in his role as a puppet master, pulling the strings of those around him. Prue and Robin have no idea if he really is the viscount or if it is another one of his scams, and can only watch and wait.

The ending is a delightful romp of rescues and revelations, disappearances and reappearances, and a pair of happy-ever-afters. I would love to see this as a movie. ( )

There are very few writers who can say that they weren't influenced by Heyer in some way. Each of her dozens of historical romances laid the foundations of typical romance plotlines today.

THE MASQUERADERS, my favorite of all her titles, is an absolute gem to hold in my hands. The trade paperback sized volume, with new cover artwork, is gorgeous and suits the story well. This is a classic tale of genderbent comedy and misdirection along the same vein as Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT.

Prudence and Robin, fearing for their lives after the failure of the Jacobite Rebellion, decide that the best plan lay in disguising themselves. Taking it one step further, they disguise their genders as well, pretending to be the opposite sex, to doubly fool anybody searching out for them. The two of them see this as a lark—they've spent the better part of their lives hiding who they are, thanks to their scapegrace adventurer father, and it's nothing more than a fun game for them.

This novel is filled with historical data pertaining to the aftermath of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745—the sort of topical information you'd hear in society being discussed because it's still such a new occurrence. I found the exchange between Prudence and Anthony to be the funniest moments, though any time that Prudence is in her male disguise is full of hilarity. She'll often use subtle little quips or witticisms about the fact that she isn't the man they think her to be.

Her brother Robin also made quite a spectacular female. It's unusual to see a guy parading about in petticoats and dresses in historicals—almost all the genderbent romances I've read have involved just the girl becoming a boy—so that's a lovely surprise. At the end, when they're both being confronted by their respective love interests, I found it hilarious that Robin was at pains to reassure his love interest that he was just as charming as a male as he was female! Then also, Anthony's private ruminations over Prudence were also rather amusing.

The only downside to reading a Heyer is that often she'll use speech idioms that aren't used any more, even in modern historical romances. Heyer was very big on keeping things as accurate as she could, and with the speech of Prudence and Robin's time being nearly 260 years out of date, it can be quite confusing at times. Still, if you are new to Georgette Heyer, I recommend reading THE MASQUERADERS first. I still find it to be one of the most amusing, romantic, and entertaining reads yet! ( )

Fleeing the temporary collapse of their father's treasonous plots in 1746, siblings Prudence and Robin Merriot disguise themselves as members of the opposite sex and proceed to take London by storm.

This is early Heyer, and it shows -- the writing is an awkward pastiche of 19th century adventure novels (cf. These Old Shades), the setting is Georgian (cf. Powder and Patch), and the plot is a sedate string of episodes (as opposed to the tightly coiled Regency comedies of the 30s and 40s). But the novel's concept is nice (if oddly uncomplicated -- no ineligible suitors ever step forward for Prudence or Robin) and Heyer doesn't shirk from making Prudence competent at her manly pursuits. And whatever its faults, The Masqueraders is still loads better than Powder and Patch. I especially like the fraternal affection between the central siblings: one always stands ready to lend the other assistance, no matter what kind may be required. ( )

3/31/22

This is ridiculous but still quite entertaining. Either I missed something or else Heyer doesn’t really do a great job of explaining why Prudence and her brother Robin need to be in disguise, nor why they’ve decided the best way to do this is by crossdressing. But Robin is an escaped Jacobite with taste for drama, their respective heights make passing possible, and eventually Prudence refers to having often worn boys’ clothes (a detail I thought should have been established much earlier). It seems that they are both capable of, and comfortable with, disguising themselves thus, and I found the key to enjoying this book was to just roll with it.

Also Prue’s romantic interest is a type Heyer writes so well: perceptive, unflappable, competent, with a sense of humour and an appreciation of level-headedness in others. He’s a good match for Prue, who is, in spite of -- or perhaps, because of -- her unconventional and adventurous upbringing, quite sensible herself. Sensible people pushed into madcap adventures is something else Heyer has a flair for. ( )