Venetia

A delightful new recording of this classic romance

My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Venetia’ by Georgette Heyer. It is narrated by Gemma Whelan and has a running time of 11 hours, 47 minutes at 1x speed.

2021 is the Centenary of the publication of Georgette Heyer’s first novel and her publishers, Penguin Random House U.K., are celebrating in various ways including newly recorded audiobooks of over 50 of her novels narrated by noted actors.

‘Venetia’ was originally published in 1958 and is set during the Regency era, three years after the victory at Waterloo.

Aged twenty-five, the beautiful Venetia Lanyon has lived a quiet life in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Her late father, Sir Francis, had been a recluse and quite protective and so she has never been further than Harrogate, didn’t have a London season or been courted by anyone aside from two persistent local suitors. Neither hold any interest for her.

In her older brother’s absence in France, she is happy being mistress of Undershaw and caring for their bookish younger brother, Aubrey.

Then while out picking wild blackberries, she meets a neighbour she only knew by reputation - the infamous Jasper Damerel. Oh Venetia! Consider the scandal of being seen in the company of such a notorious rake.

Circumstances throw them together and before long, Venetia is encouraging a man whose way of life has scandalised the North Riding for years.

What a delightful historical romance this was; full of charm, wit and period detail. I had devoured Heyer’s romances in my teens and it was lovely to return to her finely detailed Regency world.

I have enjoyed Gemma Whelan’s work on various television programs and audiobooks and know that she’s a versatile actor. Her reading added another dimension to this appealing Regency romance.