As I was packing to go to the beach—you know getting the important stuff in order—what books to read, what knitting project to take along—when I remembered that I’d unearthed an old copy of Arabella by Georgette Heyer while I was moving my office. I probably snagged it off eBay and had tucked it away for the right chance. So into the bag it went. It might have been published over 50 years ago, but I find Georgette Heyer’s stories a delightful change of pace.

I came to discover Georgette Heyer only about 7-8 years ago. I know. A shameful fact to admit. A Regency writer and not having cut my teeth on Heyer. But in my defense, I’d never heard of her before that. They would argue over best books like kids squabbling over the last cookie. Bath Tangle. The Grand Sophy. The Corinthian. The Foundling. At first I tried to ignore their enticements . . . but eventually I sat down and read The Grand Sophy. Big. Mistake. Like I needed one more “must read author” in my world. But I was hooked and there was no hope of going back to my blissful state of ignorance.

Heyer’s prose and dialogue may not appeal to everyone, for it has a depth and breadth that is quite lost now—though I wish it wasn’t. However if you loved LM Montgomery as a child, you will find her very accessible and enjoyable. And the best part? She wrote loads of books, so there is a wonderful backlist of hard to find titles to hunt for and enjoy.

BTW, Arabella is a young woman, who while on the road to London for her first Season claims to be a great heiress to snub a man who’s just insulted her. Having put him in his place, she goes onto London only to discover her lie is now considered fact by the fickle Society, and she quickly becomes the Toast of the Season.

Oh, did I mention these stories are a hoot?