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    The Masqueraders
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    The Masqueraders
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    The Masqueraders
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Masqueraders

    Written by Georgette Heyer

    Narrated by Ruth Sillers

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    After participating in the Jacobite Rising of 1745, Robin and Prudence, brother and sister, become engaged in a swashbuckling, romantic adventure. Our hero and heroine must cross-dress and switch genders if they are to escape prosecution ? a humorous move that allows Heyer to explore the manners and language affectations of the period as the two romp through the elite saloons and clubs of London.
    But what the two don’t foresee is that they might fall in love along the way: Prudence with the elegant and dashing Sir Anthony Fanshawe, and Robin with the charming Letitia Grayson. Can the two unmask themselves without losing their lives?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNaxos Audiobooks
    Release dateFeb 28, 2010
    ISBN9781843798521
    Author

    Georgette Heyer

    Georgette Heyer (1902-1974) was an English writer of historical romance and detective fiction. Born in London, Heyer was raised as the eldest of three children by a distinguished British Army officer and a mother who excelled as a cellist and pianist at the Royal College of Music. Encouraged to read from a young age, she began writing stories at 17 to entertain her brother Boris, who suffered from hemophilia. Impressed by her natural talent, Heyer’s father sought publication for her work, eventually helping her to release The Black Moth (1921), a detective novel. Heyer then began publishing her stories in various magazines, establishing herself as a promising young voice in English literature. Following her father’s death, Heyer became responsible for the care of her brothers and shortly thereafter married mining engineer George Ronald Rougier. In 1926, Heyer publisher her second novel, These Old Shades, a work of historical romance. Over the next several decades, she published consistently and frequently, excelling with romance and detective stories and establishing herself as a bestselling author.

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    Reviews for The Masqueraders

    4.5/5

    79 ratings35 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This is ridiculous but still quite entertaining. Either I missed something or else Heyer doesn’t really do a great job of explaining why Prudence and her brother Robin need to be in disguise, nor why they’ve decided the best way to do this is by crossdressing. But Robin is an escaped Jacobite with taste for drama, their respective heights make passing possible, and eventually Prudence refers to having often worn boys’ clothes (a detail I thought should have been established much earlier). It seems that they are both capable of, and comfortable with, disguising themselves thus, and I found the key to enjoying this book was to just roll with it.Also Prue’s romantic interest is a type Heyer writes so well: perceptive, unflappable, competent, with a sense of humour and an appreciation of level-headedness in others. He’s a good match for Prue, who is, in spite of -- or perhaps, because of -- her unconventional and adventurous upbringing, quite sensible herself. Sensible people pushed into madcap adventures is something else Heyer has a flair for.
    • 4/5
      I contrive! One of the best Heyer novels I've read so far. A grand, hilarious romp.
    • 4/5
      This is a Georgian not a regency, which I like much better, but not a bad book like Powder and Patch. I'd read this before but I thought it was due for a re-read. Not bad but the romance wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be. I found Anthony Fanshaw somewhat boring and too perfect. Nothing shocked him, which was more than a little unbelievable. However, the two main characters were interesting and the heroine was delightful.
    • 4/5
      First an admission. I maybe wasn't paying attention at the beginning, I took this with me to the blood donor session and it's possible I missed something, but for the first 50 odd pages I was very very confused. Then, finally, the penny dropped and I realised that Robin & Prudence were masquerading as the opposite sex and were then Kate & Peter. At which point I read the first 50 pages again and it all made a lot more sense. Clearly this one needs you to pay attention! This starts with Kate & Peter taking refuge in an inn and rescuing an eloping heiress who has since changed her mind about her beau. Having saved the day onto the scene arrives Sir Anthony Fanshawe (who does NOT want to marry Letty) and the book sets off. These 4 are the key characters and the rest of the book follows their somewhat eccentric adventures. Set after the Jacobite uprising, the reason for the disguises becomes clearer as the book progresses, Robin & Prudence have been involved on the losing side. This book features a particularly outlandish character, Robin & Prudence's father. He's clearly a rackety type, having dragged them across Europe, owned a gaming den, taken multiple names and generally not been a credit to his family. He turns up in London society claiming to be the long lost brother and now heir to an estate. Even his children are surprised and can;t tell if he is who he now claims to be or not. Is he or not hangs in the balance for a fair portion of the book, but in the end it does all work out. It's fun, it's a bit far fetched, but none the less enjoyable for that.
    • 5/5
      What's the fastest way for a brother and sister on the run to shake off pursuit? Why, switch places, of course! Prudence and Robin Tremaine are masters of disguise, and they both need all their wits about them to pull off their most recent masquerade: Prudence as a dashing young man, and Robin as the lovely young sister.

      Of course, nothing is ever as easy as it seems, but that's more than half the fun! This was my first experience with Georgette Heyer's work, and it was absolutely delightful. Fascinating characters, intricate plots within plots within plots, and a goodly dash of romance. I have to admit, however, that I wanted to soundly shake the "old gentleman" on more than one occasion. He was far too pleased with himself for it to be healthy.
    • 5/5
      One of my favourite Heyer novels. An original plot line of disguise, cross-dressing and dissembling. Romance is very minor although typically part of all GH's Regency novels.
    • 5/5
      I've read this several times in German and now also heard it as audiobook. It's every bit as delightful as every time I took this out before.
    • 2/5
      Not one of Georgette Heyer's better novels. It involves improbable disguises with fantastical plots.
      A brother and sister, hiding their identities in the wake of their father's ill-advised political venturings, come to England to await their father's return. In the meantimes, they fall in love and into society.
      An appealing heroine, almost a modern lady. About 2.5 stars.
    • 3/5
      **3.5**

      Infused with Heyer's typical humor and wit. I laugh out loud while reading Heyers' books more than anyone else's.

      The style of writing (specifically the dialogue) is a little different than most of her other books, as this one is set earlier than the majority of her books and she adjusted the way that people speak to this period. Therefore, the language and style took a little getting used to.
    • 5/5
      Loved this! One of the more purely enjoyable books I've read (or in this case, listened to) recently. The characters and language sparkles, and I actually find myself wishing it could have gone on longer (unusual for me).

    • 4/5
      Utterly delightful frothy romance - and not Regency but Georgian! Which somehow, despite the cover, I was not expecting. (I don't read plot summaries of Heyers before I read them, I just dive in.) I had a little bit of trouble sorting out who was who in the first couple of chapters, but once I got a handle on the cast it was lovely. I always love a cross-dressing romance.
    • 3/5
      Not the first Heyer book I've read featuring a woman dressed as a man, but it is the first I've read in which a man dresses as a woman.Beforehand I suspected it may be too complex and perhaps too silly, though it turned out to be pretty good fun.I liked one of the secondary characters best, namely Letty, who is a woman dressed as a woman. She's highly entertaining, often causing me to smile.I found the plot interesting rather than engaging. At times I grew a little bored but the good outweighs the bad.
    • 3/5
      This is my favorite Heyer book. The book opens with a brother and sister's arrival at an inn, where they cleverly prevent an attempted abduction. It rapidly becomes clear that they are something more than the simple gentlefolk they appear to be. Through attacks by rufians, duels, love affairs and court cases, the story follows the pair as they strive to maintain their facade in society. I was particularly pleased by the license Heyer takes with gender and societal norms; few characters take either all that seriously.
    • 4/5
      This story of two siblings, Prudence and Robin, who swap genders and masquerade as Peter and Kate Merriot in order to escape detection after participating in the Jacobite rebellions, is one of Georgette Heyer's more improbable tales. Caught up in the whirl of London high society, the pair soon find themselves in love: "Peter" with his friend, Sir Anthony Fanshave, and "Kate" with the lovely Letitia Grayson. But how will they disentangle themselves from their deception, and can two adventurers ever turn respectable?Like all of Heyer's Georgian romances, The Masqueraders is quite a swashbuckler, complete with all the secret identities, duels, abductions, highwaymen, and long-lost aristocrats that one could wish for. The reader will even encounter the proverbial "glove-slap to the face" that must surely precede every duel of note! It's all a little bit silly, and as some have noted, highly implausible. But with its fast-paced narrative, witty dialogue, and appealing characters, it will nevertheless charm. Who, I ask, wants a romance that is at all probable?
    • 3/5
      Another Georgette Heyer - a family on run because of being on wrong side of Jacobite rebellion. The brother, aided by his slight frame, masquerades as a charming Kate Merriot while his sister Prudence, of large build, pretends to be Peter Merriot. Both fall in love, but they are but puppets in bigger maze laid out by their father, the supposedly 'Viscount of Termaine'. Their father, who is affectionately called 'the old gentleman' has lot of love of drama and can not gush enough number of times in the novel 'how great I am'. A thoroughly charming fellow!
    • 5/5
      My second favorite Heyer, another one I've reread a few times. It's very different in tone and atmosphere, and indeed, plot, from her other books.

      Prudence and and her brother Robin have spent most of their lives pretending to be other people. They are adventurers, and have participated in many wild schemes dreamed up by their father, the 'Old Gentleman'. Their most recent exploit was participating in the failed attempt to restore King Charles to the throne. In order to escape exposure of Jacobites, Prudence and Robin change not only their identities, but their genders. Prudence becomes Peter and Robin his sister Kate. Peter and Kate become the toast of the town, as they await the arrival of their father...

      Cross dressing twins, mistaken (and revealed) identities, swindles, intrigue, masked balls...it has everything, including a twist so unexpected that I exclaimed outloud and then spent the entire day explaining it to my family, none of whom really cared.

      (Also went around saying things like 'Lud!' and prefencing sentences with 'La', and generally talking like it was the 18th century.)

      Lastly, Robin is my favorite forever.
    • 4/5
      I can't believe it has been five years since I read this book for the third or fourth time. Each time I read it from a different perspective, a little older maybe no wiser, but I enjoy it all the same. There are no.other books I retread as much as Heyer's. I stated when I was in college decades ago.
    • 5/5
      Set mid-18th centry rather than Regency, this tale of a brother and sister posing as membrs of the opposite sexes is reminiscent of Twelfth Night and almost as much fun.
    • 5/5
      What's the fastest way for a brother and sister on the run to shake off pursuit? Why, switch places, of course! Prudence and Robin Tremaine are masters of disguise, and they both need all their wits about them to pull off their most recent masquerade: Prudence as a dashing young man, and Robin as the lovely young sister.Of course, nothing is ever as easy as it seems, but that's more than half the fun! This was my first experience with Georgette Heyer's work, and it was absolutely delightful. Fascinating characters, intricate plots within plots within plots, and a goodly dash of romance. I have to admit, however, that I wanted to soundly shake the "old gentleman" on more than one occasion. He was far too pleased with himself for it to be healthy.
    • 4/5
      I like. Now this one has really solid characterization - even when they keep switching (outward) gender, Robin thinks one way and Prue quite another. The old gentleman is highly annoying (he is very good at his twisty plans, but he talks about them and himself far too much), but he isn't around enough to bother me. And I love Anthony - not as sleepy as he looks! Two happy ever afters - with one knowing the truth before, and one after. It would be interesting to see what Robin gets up to later, but I don't believe the story is continued - ah well, I'll just enjoy this one.
    • 5/5
      This is only the second Georgette Heyer book I've read and it was very different to my first, The Talisman Ring, in setting, language and plot. The Masqueraders is set just after the Jacobite Rising of 1745 and follows the adventures of Prudence and her brother Robin. Along with their father (referred to by his children as 'the old gentleman') Robin had been involved in the failed Jacobite rebellion and is now in danger of being hanged. To prevent him being captured, the brother and sister have created new roles for themselves - Robin has disguised himself as the beautiful 'Miss Merriot' and Prudence has become the handsome young 'Peter'. All very Shakespearean! Not surprisingly, this leads to a number of misunderstandings and narrow escapes.Things get even more interesting when Prudence, still posing as Peter Merriot, begins to fall in love with Sir Anthony Fanshawe – and then 'the old gentleman' arrives on the scene, claiming to be the lost heir to the Barham fortune.I found the story confusing and difficult to follow at first. I spent several chapters trying to work out exactly why Prudence and Robin had found it necessary to masquerade as people of the opposite sex and what they were hoping to achieve. It also took me a while to get used to the Georgian-style dialogue, with all the egads, alacks and other slang terms of the period.After a few chapters, however, various parts of the story started to fall into place and then I had no problem understanding what was happening. I ended up really enjoying this book. There were many things that made this book such a success for me. I thought the Georgian setting, with its powdered wigs, card games, sword fights and duels, was perfectly portrayed. The plot was full of twists and turns that kept my interest right to the end. And I loved the characters. The calm and cool-headed Prudence was the perfect balance for the more impetuous Robin - and both were fun and likeable. Watching Prudence's relationship with Sir Anthony develop was one of my highlights of the book. Robin's romance with Letty Grayson, who knew him only as a masked man known as the Black Domino, was equally well written.Most of all, I loved the 'old gentleman'. He was conceited, arrogant and a scheming rogue - but he was also hilarious and capable of coming up with such ingenious schemes that maybe his arrogance was justified.Having enjoyed both of the Georgette Heyer books I've read so far, I think I'm starting to become a fan and will definitely look out for more of her books!
    • 3/5
      The other overlooked book is The Masqueraders, also by Georgette Heyer. I liked this one better than April Lady, though it is a wildly improbable story. Perhaps because it is so over the top unbelievable and the protagonists are rather more clever than clueless, I found it more worthwhile. This features Prudence and Robin, siblings on the run after the failed Jacobite rebellion (of 1746 I believe). That makes this story much earlier than the Regency period that I am more familiar with. This is the era of wigs, powdered hair, rouge and patches, corsets, hoop skirts, and duels. Cross-dressing siblings who hide in plain sight among high society in London while awaiting the arrival of their father the inveterate intriguer--what could be better? Their father is the perfect example of feelings of grandiosity experienced during manic episodes or megalomania generally. That doesn't stop him from being a charmer and keeping even his own children guessing. This is a cross between a double-romance (brother and sister both conveniently find their loves at the same time) and high adventure with the requisite villains. Don't look for character development. Between the action and the dialogue there's no room for character growth. It's got kidnapping, swordfights, drinking, gaming, a long-lost heir, multiple denouements, what more can one ask for?
    • 5/5
      Okay, I think I'm starting to get it. This is my 5th Heyer, and my favorite so far--the first one I've absolutely loved.Prudence and Robin Marriot have returned to England in advance of their father, "the old gentleman." Their father is a con artist, and they're used to living a masquerade. This time, Prudence is dressed as a man, and Robin is dressed as a woman. I'm not quite clear what this is supposed to accomplish, but there's some danger relating to the Jacobite rising... Nevermind. It's not important.Anyway, they're in disguise at their father's orders, and the plan was to lie low, but at an inn they run across Letty Grayson, and rescue her from a disastrous elopement, just in time to send her home with family friend Anthony Fanshaw, who she thinks her father wants her to marry.Robin, as Kate, befriends Letty and eventually falls in love with her. Meanwhile, Anthony takes young Peter (Prudence) under his wing, and she falls in love with him, but she's apprehensive because he seems all too perceptive.And they're thrust into the middle of London society, drawing far more attention than they'd intended, and Peter/Prudence is getting into scrapes that Anthony just happens to be on the spot to rescue him/her from.Then their father arrives and announces he's a Viscount, the lost heir to the title, and things get even more topsy-turvy.It took me a while initially to realize what was going on--that Prudence = Peter and Robin = Kate. It's not directly stated in the beginning, and while on the one hand, I was confused when it's first revealed--Peter was attracted to Sir Anthony? I didn't realize Heyer was that controversial--on the other hand, the masquerade was delightful, and once I got my bearings, I liked the way it was revealed.The style is different from modern novels, at least most of the ones I read, and the reader doesn't get much of the characters' internal thoughts. Still, from their actions and dialogue, it's easy to discern what they're thinking and feeling. I'm beginning to see why so many authors love Heyer's work, and that ability to show emotion rather than just telling it.I know I have one, possibly two more Heyers in my TBR pile that a friend gave me. Once I read those, I'm going to have to start buying my own. I surrender--I'm hooked.
    • 4/5
      Though usually put off by gender-equality-by-numbers devices like dressing women in breeches, and in the minority of readers who never took to Georgette Heyer, I found this a neat, enjoyable story.
    • 5/5
      I have a hard time deciding if this or Venetia is my favorite Georgette Heyer. They are quite different, even the era is different... The Masqueraders is set in the mid-18th century. It is slightly more political than the others, as one of the major characters is a fugitive from the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie and his followers. Wonderful characters, great plot.
    • 4/5
      My first [Heyer] novel--from high school, no less. Maybe not one of her absolute best, but right up there. It started me on the Regency way!
    • 3/5
      Quite a pleasant book, but not one of her best
    • 4/5
      Initially it was confusing who the characters were and whether they were a man or woman (no help the author chose a gender neutral name for one of the main characters!). However after a few false starts I found this to be one of the better Heyer books.
    • 5/5
      I have loved G. H. since I was a kid! This book was my favorite of hers. The reader does a good job with voices and is easily understood.
    • 5/5
      Always a good listen. I’ve listened to this more than once. Very entertaining.