A Civil Contract

📘 About This Book

If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer! 'The greatest writer who ever lived' Antonia Fraser '[My] generation's Julia Quinn' Adjoa Andoh, star of Bridgerton 'One of my perennial comfort authors. Heyer's books are as incisively witty and quietly subversive as any of Jane Austen's' Joanne Harris _____________ Adam Deveril returns from the Peninsula War a hero, only to find his family on the brink of ruin and his much-loved ancestral home mortgaged to the hilt. It is Lord Oversley, father of Adam's first love, who introduces him to Mr. Chaleigh, a City man of apparently unlimited wealth, with his eyes firmly fixed on a suitable match for his one and only beloved daughter. Though this civil contract may work on paper, saving one from ruin and bringing the other desired social status, there is only one way to find out if it can really work . . . _____________ Readers love A Civil Contract ... ***** 'A wonderful tale - recommended for those who want some variation in the romances they read.' ***** 'A Civil Contract is a departure from her usual formula, and it knocked my socks off.' ***** 'Very touching, with a dose of humour.' ***** 'One of my all-time favourites among her many brilliant and enduring books.' ***** 'Amazingly good characters, lots of interior dialogue and character development, lots of humour.' _____________ 'Elegant, witty and rapturously romantic' Katie Fforde 'Utterly delightful' Guardian 'Absolutely delicious tales of Regency heroes. . . Utter, immersive escapism' Sophie Kinsella 'Georgette Heyer's Regency romances brim with elegance, wit and historical accuracy, and this is one of her finest and most entertaining ... Escapism of the highest order' Daily Mail 'If you haven't read Georgette Heyer yet, what a treat you have in store!' Harriet Evans

📖 Summary

Georgette Heyer’s A Civil Contract offers a brilliant, grounded departure from the traditional whirlwind romance, presenting a nuanced look at marriage, class, and duty in Regency England. Adam Deveril returns home from the harrowing Peninsula War as a hero, but his personal reality is far from triumphant. He finds his family teetering on the absolute brink of financial ruin, burdened by debt and with his cherished ancestral home mortgaged to the hilt. The weight of his family name and the care of his mother and sisters fall heavily on his shoulders, demanding a practical solution rather than a romantic one. Enter Lord Oversley, the father of Adam’s former true love, who recognizes the young soldier's desperate plight. Lord Oversley introduces Adam to Mr. Chaleigh, a wealthy City man possessing seemingly unlimited financial resources and a deep desire to secure a respected social standing for his beloved, singular daughter, Jenny. What follows is the formation of a pragmatic alliance, a civil contract on paper designed to rescue an aristocratic family from ruin while granting the ambitious merchant class the societal elevation they crave. Jenny Chaleigh is not the typical diamond of the first water celebrated in traditional ballroom romances; she is sensible, unpretentious, and entirely aware that she does not fit the conventional mold of high society. Adam, meanwhile, must swallow his pride and sacrifice his lingering romantic ideals for the sake of duty and familial preservation. As they navigate the icy waters of the Regency marriage market, the novel explores the quiet, gradual building of a relationship based not on sweeping passion, but on mutual respect, shared responsibility, and unexpected emotional depth. Heyer meticulously details the social machinery of the era, contrasting the fading aristocracy with the rising influence of wealthy industrialists. Through sharp wit, deeply realized characters, and a subversion of standard romantic tropes, A Civil Contract examines how love can sometimes grow from the most unpromising of beginnings, proving that a partnership founded on realism and integrity can ultimately weather the storms of high society and personal doubt alike.

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