Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer

Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer ISBN-13: 9781402219511 Trade Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Sourcebooks Released: 1929; January 2010

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
"Mad Nicholas" to his friends, "Scourge of Spain" to his enemies, Sir Nicholas Beauvallet is one of Queen Elizabeth's most dashing buccaneers and has never been known to resist a challenge.

When Beauvallet captures the galleon carrying Dona Dominica de Rada y Sylvan and her father, he vows to return them safely to the shores of Spain. But he has no sooner done so than he proposes a venture more reckless than any of his exploits on the high seas--he will return to Spain, where there's a price on his head, and claim Dominica as his bride


My Review:
Beauvallet is a historical romance set in 1586 on the sea, in England, and in Spain. Actually, it's more of an action/adventure novel. It's serious rather than funny, and I missed the humor that I so enjoy in Heyer's Regency novels.

Nicholas is extremely reckless (even he knows it) and enjoys a challenge. I have no idea why he decided to marry Dominica except that it'd be a grand challenge--both to get her out of Spain and to stay happily married to someone as opinionated as he is. Dominica likes the way he doesn't take no for an answer and the risk he's willing to take to claim her.

Honestly, I'm not really seeing a peaceful marriage here, though I will say that he is more desirable than her other suitors. I had a hard time rooting for his reckless, prideful scheme to succeed especially since I considered them a poor romantic match. But it's quite a show to see how he pulls off his scheme, and the "on the run" action at the end was exciting.

There was no sex. There was a fair amount of using "God" as a swear word. Overall, if you like action/adventure and don't mind the tenuous romance, you might enjoy this book.


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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