Chapter 13, in which Damerel fiercely declares his love and Venetia is unperturbed by this statement of the obvious. I loved Venetia too. She is so refreshingly honest without being too naive or stupid. A couple of times I wanted her to be more rude (some people more than deserved it), but she never allowed those situations to go too far. The one time I needed her to speak up and put the horrible people where they belong, she did just that.

It does seem a pity,” she agreed. “I have been thinking so myself, for I always wished for a friend to laugh with.” But here the conversation took an abrupt turn, Sir John’s evil genius prompting him to exclaim that he hoped such a fine-looking girl had more sense than to look twice at the silliest puppy in the county. As he added a rider to the effect that it was high time his wife stopped encouraging Oswald to make a cake of himself with his play-acting ways, Venetia was forgotten in a pretty spirited interchange of conflicting opinions. It was in this slightly unorthodox way that I originally discovered Venetia. In a fit of utter boredom I typed the name “Richard Armitage” (he'd recently become my favourite actor) into the iTunes search bar, and what should appear? ...Three novels by Georgette Heyer, narrated by Richard Armitage. The new Folio Society edition of Venetia by Georgette Heyer Photograph: Jessica Hische/The Folio SocietyChapter 5, in which it is noted that the Scoundrel is but hidden twin to the Good Man: each male contains both sides; the Sensible Woman is best served by accepting that reality. Edward is obv This may have been a reasonable sentiment in Regency England. But Georgette Heyer published Venetia in 1958, and it pleasingly reflected a modern sensibility regarding female independence.

On the other hand, Venetia's meddling family and friends were a bit too much. I hated Edward and the way he acted with her, as if she doesn't know her own mind. Speaking of all those annoying meddling people, I must say I loved every Aubrey moment. Venetia's younger brother was great. Whenever someone needed a put-down, Aubrey was perfect for the role.I am one of those who steered clear of Georgette Heyer for years, even though I heard the comparisons to Jane Austen, I was afraid they were formulaic romances. To my surprise it wasn't what I feared all those years and proved that breaking out of one's reading comfort zone can be quite rewarding. This was made more enjoyable getting to read this along with Sabrina, who also had some of the same feelings regarding Heyer, and both of us ended up enjoying it.

I ADORE Venetia. She is one of the most sensible, level-headed, determined and yet completely loveable heroines I have ever had the pleasure to read about. Whatever life throws at her (and boy does it throw things at her: a terrible, egotistical father who pretty much buries her alive on his secluded country estate, the egotistical brothers who never think about her happiness, the self-centered aunt who doesn't do anything to help alleviate her situation, to name only a few), she somehow remains cheerful and optimistic, never gives up, and always finds a way to be happy with what she has. I truly envy her in that respect. I love how she never tries to change Damerel, how she sees him for exactly what he is, and loves him for all his bad parts together. We also get Heyer’s personal views on marriage through Ventetia (apparently according to her biographer her own marriage was like this). Enjoy: I absolutely love his sense of humor! I wish I had someone to trade Shakespearean insults with in everyday conversation...

On the one hand, you have these two wonderful people. Lord Damerel is said to be every horrible and ugly thing under the sun, but to me he was perfect. He never does anything bad in the book. His actions speak louder than any pretty words could. Although his first appearance isn't exactly something to praise, he could be one of my favourite characters so far. Yes, he had depleted his own fortune but, as he said, they will live comfortably. Thus it begins, my friends. One of the most beautiful romances I’ve ever read, solidly grounded on friendship, mutual understanding, and true love.