Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer

Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer ISBN-13: 9781402217685 Trade Paperback: 317 pages Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca Released: 1968; May 1, 2009

Source: Borrowed from my local library.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Kate Malvern, rescued from penury by her aunt Minerva, hardly knows what to expect at Staplewood - the grand household is so very different from a life spent following the drum in the Peninsular! But surely, other households are more homelike? Kate's uncle lives in one wing, handsome, moody cousin Torquil in another; thought the guests are few, even family dinners are formal. And, when Kate begins to suspect the shocking reason for Minerva's generosity, she has no-one to confide in but cousin Philip - who appears to have taken her in instant dislike...


My Review:
Cousin Kate is a Gothic Regency romance. It's got the screams in the night, locked doors, manipulations, and Gothic-style madness. Though not a light-hearted story, it's like Heyer couldn't let the story descend into a creepy or horror story--just some tense moments full of threat. Which is fine by me! The ending was very sad, but I felt like the author was trying too hard to convince the reader that this really was a happy ending. Also, since Kate is supposed to be world-traveled and not a sheltered miss, I was baffled by how long it took her to even suspect what was wrong at Staplewood.

There was no sex and no detailed descriptions of gory aspects. There was a fair amount of bad language (almost all of it the swearing use of "God"). Overall, this isn't my type of story, but others may enjoy it.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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