Kirkus Reviews QR Code
THE MAGNIFICENT DUCHESS by Sarah Stamford

THE MAGNIFICENT DUCHESS

By

Pub Date: March 24th, 1975
Publisher: Delacorte

A nimble Regency romance, i' the genre and all of a piece. The bumptious Duchess of Gordon -- whose Scots brogue becomes a Highland gale when Her Grace is roused to anger or indiscreet commentary -- has three daughters married to dukes and similar plans for her youngest -- pretty, sensible Georgiana. But the first declarer, Francis, Duke of Bedford, dies before the wedding; and the second, Eugene, stepson of Napoleon, does not have the First Consul's consent. After an exchange of hostilities with Napoleon, the Duchess and Georgiana are rescued from a Paris on the brink of war with England, and Georgiana is united with her real love, Francis' brother. Although lacking Heyer's period patois, this has enough dash and cock-a-hoop to serve as a satisfying alternate for that readership.