Deborah Grantham is a poor relation living with her aunt, Lady Bellingham. This older lady offers much of the amusement of this book because Lady Bellingham has absolutely no common or financial sense. Georgette Heyer has a gay-old-time with the misfortunes of Lady Bellingham. Deborah has taken up a job at Lady Bellingham's gaming house. This is not a large gaming house but one for select friends and acquaintances. Because of the family's rank, this is not a gaming hell but a gaming house of barely-there respectability.
Now the house is not respectable enough for one of the lordly patrons to consider marrying Deborah. When young Lord Mablethorpe attends the Bellingham estate and falls in love with Deborah, Lord Mablethorpe's mother goes into a tizzy. She sends Max Ravenscar, Mablethorpe's cousin, to break the couple apart. Max, horrified when he finds that Deb is 25-years-of-age, to Mablethorpe's tender years (he's 2 months short of reaching his majority), tries to buy Deb off.
If Max had simply asked Deb her intentions, she would have told him that she had no interest in marrying such a young man. Instead, Max insults Deb and she tells him that she would marry Mablethorpe whenever she wished. When she realizes that Max thinks she is out for Mablethorpe's money, she becomes enraged and plots to show him what's what.
Both Lady Bellingham and Mablethorpe's mother are both idiots and Georgette Heyer has a gay time providing them with ample opportunity to have the vapors. Max and Deb are both proud people who underestimate the character of each other.
This is such an engaging book that I read it in a couple of days. The only thing I thought it lacked was a bit of backstory for Max Ravenscar. Why did he assume that Deb was out for the young Mablethorpe's money? Otherwise, the story is a great deal of fun.
This is Georgette Heyer at her best. it made me laugh out loud and cry and even at the same time! I loved that finally a girl with some definite spirit and rebellion enough to bring a man to "bite his lip" and ask forgiveness! Oh yeah! The ending was greater than I thought would be and it will take you through some emotions.
The only con for me was the name calling, even if said in gest, to me that would not deserve a kiss! It bothered me a bit.
But that's it. Still a great book that I will most definitely reread! I would have given it a 4.5 stars if I could have...
I love just about everything Georgette Heyer wrote, but my all-time favorite of her novels is Faro's Daughter. It's the quintessential "battle of the sexes" as the hero and heroine attempt to out-think and out-wit one another. Eventually, however, their passionate hatred turns to passion of another kind. I laughed out loud while reading Faro's Daughter - not just a little chuckle either, but full-blow laughs. It's guaranteed to put a smile on your face and give you a nice, warm feeling of completion at its ending.
Much fun and typical Georgette Heyer. Deborah is one of Heyer's more intelligent heroines, and with quite a temper. Good read.
Deborah Grantham is well born, well-bred and ever so lovely. None of this matters, however, in the game of love and matrimony in Regency London, because Ms. Grantham earns her living playing cards in one of London's finest gambling houses. And marriage with such a gaming-house wench is just not done, especially not in the echelons of the "ton." Young Lord Maplethorpe is willing to flaunt society and risk its censure to marry the beautiful Deborah for love. His unhappy mother seeks help from her stepson, the handsomest, cleverest, richest man about town, Max Ravenscar. This unrelenting bachelor meets Deborah, his new foe, across the faro table where they play for power, although they wager for money.
And proud Ms. Grantham gives Ravenscar a run for his money as she proves to be more stubborn and high principled than he in this delightful romantic farce. Georgette Heyer writes one of her best novels with "Faro's Daughter." The witty dialogue, the power plays between the intelligent Deborah, who does not want to be beholden to anyone, let alone to the arrogant Lord who is so willing to believe the worst of her, and the creative subplots and adventures showcase her talent.
This is a winner, and a must read for all Ms. Heyer's fans!
