'A Civil Contract' by Georgette Heyer is a Regency novel that delves into the complexities of marriage, financial struggles, and societal expectations during the Napoleonic Wars era. The story follows Adam Deveril, a war hero who must marry for money to save his family estate, leading him to wed Jenny Chawleigh, a wealthy but plain heiress. The book explores the evolution of their relationship from a marriage of convenience to a deeper connection based on respect and practicality. Heyer's writing style is described as realistic and thought-provoking, offering a refreshing take on love and marriage within the Regency setting.

Characters:

The characters, including the conflicted Adam and practical Jenny, develop realistically, with strong supporting roles providing depth and humor.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is rich with period detail, driven by character interaction and humor, though it's more subdued compared to her other works.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot focuses on a marriage of convenience between Adam and Jenny, exploring themes of duty, financial necessity, and the evolution of their relationship.

Setting:

The setting is the Regency era amidst the Napoleonic Wars, with historical details enhancing the narrative.

Pacing:

The pacing is slow and reflective, allowing for gradual relationship development over an extended timeframe.

The library at Fontley Priory, like most of the principal apartments in the sprawling building, looked to the south-east, commanding a prospect of informal gardens and a plantation of poplars, which a...

Notes:

Georgette Heyer found writing A Civil Contract challenging and even experienced writer's block.

The novel explores a new type of story focuses on an unconventional love rather than traditional romance tropes.

The protagonist, Adam Deveril, faces financial ruin after his father's death and must marry for money instead of love.

The story is set during the Regency period, specifically around the events leading up to the Battle of Waterloo.

The main characters, Adam and Jenny, start their marriage as a contract of convenience, with Jenny in love with Adam despite his affection for another.

Despite initial resentment, Adam gradually comes to appreciate Jenny's practical qualities and realizes her worth during their marriage.

Heyer uses humor through secondary characters, particularly Jenny's crass but lovable father, Jonathan Chawleigh.

The novel has been described as more realistic than typical romances, focusing on commitment and companionship over fiery passion.

A Civil Contract has parallels to Jane Austen's works, especially Sense and Sensibility, with strong character similarities.

Readers have noted the book offers a nuanced exploration of marriage, contrasting romantic ideals with practical realities.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of financial distress, emotional conflict, and the impact of class differences on relationships.

Has Romance?

The romance in A Civil Contract is medium in its presence, focusing more on the development of understanding and companionship rather than conventional romantic love.

From The Publisher:

Adam Deveril, the new Viscount Lynton and a hero at Salamanca, returns from the Peninsula War to find his family on the brink of ruin and the broad acres of his ancestral home mortgaged to the hilt. It is Lord Oversley, father of Adam's first love, who tactfully introduces him to Mr Jonathan Chaleigh, a City man of apparently unlimited wealth with no social ambitions for himself, but with his eyes firmly fixed on a suitable match for his one and only daughter.

For more than fifty years Georgette Heyer brought romance and adventure to a wordwide readership and Civil Contarct shows how she continues to be loved today.

Ratings (6)

Loved It (3)
Liked It (2)
Did Not Like (1)

Reader Stats (22):

Read It (6)
Want To Read (13)
Not Interested (3)

1 comment(s)

lulareviewla

Did Not Like

7 months

DNF @ 65%

Snoozefest 2024 headliner:

A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer.

I'm sorry, I'm all for a slow-burn, slow-developing story, but this was a

slog. None of the characters, main or side, were likable. At 65%, Adam and Jenny still had ZILCH romantic chemistry or engaging conversations, and I couldn't do it anymore. I get that this story is supposed to illustrate what it takes to create and maintain a strong, healthy marriage, despite the imperfections of each partner, but DAMN, it was boring.

So far, almost every Heyer novel I've read has been a

banger, so I'm hoping this was a freak accident.

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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.

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A Civil Contract

Georgette Heyer