I wasn't dead set against picking up a Georgette Heyer book, but I was somewhat reluctant (I was afraid she'd be boring, which is so far from reality it's laughable) and I was totally overwhelmed by her huge body of work. Enter Ruby. Again. She steered me toward the slim The Corinthian and I loved it.
Much as I did enjoy it, the first half of the book didn't completely hook me, but that's mostly because of main character Penelope. Her contentious relationship with Sir Richard was amusing, but she felt so young to me and I had a hard time connecting with her. At least in the first half.
Sir Richard was a completely different story. It was love at first sight and the more time I spent with him and his sly apathy and subtle sarcasm, the deeper that love grew.
Plot wise, the first half was a rollicking lark complete with concealed identities, jewel thieves, Austen-y families (of the groan and cheer inducing varieties), and the 19th century version of a Proper Quest. There was never a dull moment so it was easy to zip right through.
The second half? Total farce. I laughed out loud until I gasped for air at the absolutely perfect absurdity of it all. All the difficulty I had connecting with Pen completely evaporated and we became bosom friends, shooting each other covert eye-rolls amidst all the chaotic fun.
Of course, Sir Richard only grew in my estimation and the banter between him and Pen was epic. Also, Ms. Heyer totally gets the importance of THAT KISS and delivers all the knee-wobbling heel-popping, heart-clutching impact of a properly done kiss.
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