Venetia by Georgette Heyer

If I had to pick a favorite from amongst Georgette Heyer's books, I think (ask me again tomorrow and I might change my mind) this would be it. It is, of course, a romance, but one that is very grown up without being explicit. The hero is a man who was harshly judged for the follies of his youth, and who responded by making himself into the monster everyone believed him to be. His counterpart is a young woman who has never left home and has no one to talk to. At least, no one who is willing to pay her the compliment of telling her the truth. The unlikely, and highly amusing, friendship between these two highlights many characteristics of romance frequently missing from modern representations. I found it to be a refreshing commentary on love and forgiveness and give it 4.5 out of 5. I would only recommend it to people who enjoy the PG side of the regency romance genre.