It features Philip, an upright and perhaps dull country gentleman, who falls in love with a beautiful neighbour. Realising he can't compete with the smart London beaux who flirt with his beloved Cleone, he goes to France to learn how to become a fashionable fop.
Set in the days when the smartest young men wore high heels, tight trousers, brightly coloured jackets, powdered wigs and even make-up, this might seem a little shocking to some modern readers, as might the expected immoral behaviour of the average young gentleman. Gently-reared girls, of course, were supposed to remain pure and untainted, and to be married by about the age of 20.
Some of the speech may be a little difficult to understand at first, for anyone not used to books from this period, but it's an enjoyable light book and worth a little perseverance. It's not one of my favourite Heyers - the plot is a little predictable, and the characters not all that well-developed, other than Philip himself. But it's a fairly short novel and makes a pleasant diversion for a couple of hours.
It's a tribute to Georgette Heyer's writing that her books have been almost constantly in print for eighty-five years. This one can also frequently be found second-hand, either online or at charity shops or thrift stores.
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