Meet New Books
Meet New Books
Book Cover

Beauvallet

Save:
Find on Amazon

Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer is a swashbuckling historical romance set in the Elizabethan era. The story follows Sir Nicholas Beauvallet, a daring English pirate, who captures Dona Dominica de Rada y Sylva, a Spanish lady, during a pirate attack. Despite their initial animosity, a romance blossoms between them as Beauvallet promises to take Dominica back to Spain and make her his bride. The plot is filled with adventures, schemes, and escapades as Beauvallet navigates the dangers of war and the Inquisition to win Dominica's heart. The writing style is described as a mix of historical accuracy, lively pacing, and engaging characters that bring the Elizabethan period to life.

Characters:

The characters include a charming pirate hero and a spirited but somewhat stereotypical heroine, supported by memorable secondary characters.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style blends historical authenticity with humor, though some find it a bit stilted compared to her Regency works.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot features an English privateer who captures a Spanish ship, leading to a relationship full of adventure and conflict during the Spanish Inquisition.

Setting:

The setting is Elizabethan Spain, filled with the backdrop of piracy and political tension during the Inquisition.

Pacing:

The story generally has a swift pacing, though some sections may feel slow or repetitive.
The deck was a shambles. Men lay dead and dying; there was split woodwork, a welter of broken mizzen and sagging sail, dust and grime, and the reek of powder. A ball screamed through the rigging overh...

Notes:

The story of Beauvallet is set in Spain during the Holy Inquisition of the 1600s.
Nicholas Beauvallet is depicted as an English privateer, often regarded as a pirate.
Dona Dominica de Rada y Sylvia is the beautiful, spirited Spanish woman captured by Beauvallet.
Dominica initially plans to hate Nicholas, but finds it difficult to do so.
Nicholas vows to make Dominica his bride, but insists on returning her to Spain first.
The character of Dominica is seen by some as stereotypically passionate and lacking depth.
Nick's character development is criticized for not showing remorse for his violent acts.
Joshua Dimmock, Nick's loyal servant, is a humorous character that readers enjoyed.
Dona Beatrice, Dominica's aunt, has a strong, straightforward personality, wanting Dominica to marry her son.
Heyer skillfully uses historical slang and language in the dialogue.
The Spanish Inquisition serves as a dangerous backdrop to the romance and adventure.
The book has elements reminiscent of swashbuckler films featuring characters like Errol Flynn.
Readers noted that the romance felt more about physical attraction than genuine love.
Some found the pacing uneven, with certain parts feeling repetitive.
While the romance was underdeveloped, the fast-paced plot and adventure elements were appreciated.
Beauvallet is considered to have spawned a genre similar to Harlequin romances, despite being better than many examples of it.
Many readers enjoyed the historical accuracy and setting in the Elizabethan period.

Has Romance?

The romance in Beauvallet is present but is viewed as more about physical attraction and possession than deep emotional connection.

From The Publisher:

'Mad Nicholas' to his friends, 'Scourge of Spain' to the enemy, Sir Nicholas Beauvallet has never been known to resist a challenge.When a captured galleon yields the lovely Doña Dominica de Rada y Sylva, he vows to return her and her father 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 which have made him Drake's equal and a favourite of the Queen. He will take Dominica as his bride even if he must enter the lion's den...

Ratings (3)

Incredible (1)
Liked It (1)
It Was OK (1)

Reader Stats (6):

Read It (3)
Want To Read (1)
Not Interested (2)

About the Author:

Author of over fifty books, Georgette Heyer is the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, who made the Regency period her own. Her first novel, The Black Moth, published in 1921, was written at the age of seventeen to amuse her convalescent brother; her last was My Lord John. Although most famous for her historical novels, she also wrote eleven detective stories. Georgette Heyer died in 1974 at the age of seventy-one.

 
Meet New Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products and services on amazon.com and its subsidiaries.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.