Cover of The Reluctant Widow

The Reluctant Widow

  • 1946 first published
  • 284 pages
  • ★ 4.1 (8 ratings)
  • 35 editions

The Reluctant Widow is a 1946 historical romance and Regency romance novel by Georgette Heyer. It takes readers to England in the Regency era. Characters include Elinor Rochdale, Lord Eduard / Ned Carlyon and Eustace Cheviot. It deals with widows, literatura inglesa and Great Britain.

Open Library readers give it an average of 4.1 out of 5 from 8 ratings, and 67 more have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 35 editions.

At about 284 pages, most readers finish it in 5–6 hours.

About The Reluctant Widow

A fateful mistake... Stepping into the wrong carriage at a Sussex village, Elinor Rochdale is swept up in a thrilling and dangerous adventure. Elinor is rather surprised that her prospective employer is quite rich, and more so at tile decayed grandeur of the house to which she is transported. Elinor thought she was entering Highnoons as a governess, but Eduard Carlyon, the handsomely fashionable gentleman who carefully interviewed her obviously needed no governess. Carlyon was seeking a wife-not for himself, but for his young cousin, Eustace Cheviot, the dissipated and profligate owner of the ruined estate, who now lay on his deathbed. Surprised and repulsed as she was by this strange proposal, Elinor was nevertheless unable to resist Carlyon and his mystifying plans. Ned persuades Elinor to marry his cousin as a simple business arrangement. A momentous decision... And so in the short span of a few hours would-be governess became a bride - and a widow almost as soon as the ring is on her finger. Even as she assumed the duties of mistress of Highnoons, even as she tried to solve the puzzle that placed her in this unusual situation, Elinor found herself inextricably- drawn to Ned Carlyon, the aloof, caustic man who treated her with nothing more than cousinly respect - the last thing that spirited Elinor wanted....
Description from Open Library

Themes, setting & tropes

Genres

Setting

Era

Characters

  • Elinor Rochdale
  • Lord Eduard / Ned Carlyon
  • Eustace Cheviot

Subjects

  • Regency Historical Romance
  • Mystery
  • Widows
  • Ingles, Lingua
  • Literatura inglesa
  • Great Britain
  • George III, 1760-1820
  • Love stories
  • England

Publisher

Quick answers

Who wrote The Reluctant Widow?

The Reluctant Widow was written by Georgette Heyer and first published in 1946.

What genre is The Reluctant Widow?

It is usually shelved as Historical Romance and Regency Romance.

How long is The Reluctant Widow?

The median edition has 284 pages, about 5–6 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.

What books are similar to The Reluctant Widow?

Readers who like it often enjoy Persuasion, An Offer from a Gentleman and The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy.

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