Ahh, Arabella.

I won’t be the first to tell you about Heyer’s Arabella Tallant, she of the amazing name and strong will, a simple gently-bred country vicar’s daughter who manages to conquer the ton through some tall tales, personality, and charm. But I will add my voice to the chorus of people who thoroughly enjoy her adventures and her swoony romance, despite its minor flaws.

Arabella is in London being sponsored for the Season by her wealthy godmother, and it’s her job to land a husband of some note. Arabella is the eldest in her family, and if she does well, her seven siblings will have a chance at being fully supported and socially cossetted by Arabella’s money and position. And so she dives in, determined to do her duty by her family.

Almost instantly she gets herself in trouble when her carriage breaks down outside of London. She finds herself sharing a meal with one Mr. Robert – Beau – Beamaris; their banter is swift and fiery, and his presumptions about her have Arabella lying and telling him that she’s actually an heiress. By the time she gets to London, rumors of her personal wealth have spread beyond her control thanks to Beau, launching her into society and resulting in her being beset by fortune hunters. Arabella and Beau find themselves spending a lot of time together and, in spite of his confirmed bachelor status and her lack of wealth, they find themselves falling in love.

Arabella is as simple and classic and satisfying as a chocolate chip cookie. The minor characters, as always, make a beautful showing; Heyer’s characters are alive and human in a way that many authors just can’t match. Lady Bridlington and Lord Fleetwood are probably just as familiar to readers as Arabella herself is, and the author’s rich portrayal of life in Regency England, with all of its complexities and social requirements, is well-covered.

Much of the book gives us a peek into Beau’s shift from rogue to romantic (you know you’re sunk when you’re talking your feelings out aloud to an innocent, canine third party); he’s one of Heyer’s most memorable heroes, though not quite my favorite from the heap. Our heroine is a vibrant winner who manages to be winning in the best of ways. It’s no wonder Beau agrees to raise the stray dog Arabella finds, and it’s no wonder that he manages to become a part of the Tallant’s world in spite of his vow to stay free.

This is a charming, solid book that’s easy to adore and get into. There’s a reason why Arabella has been considered the cream of the crop and an originator when it comes to Regency romances. It’s not to be forgotten.

Note: Accompanying this new re-release is a new, three and quarter pages long introduction from romance novelist Eloisa James, in which she explains how she read Arabella for the first time because her poetry/lit professor father told her that for every single romance novel she read she’d have to read a classic novel.  She talks about the impact the book had on her, and the clear connection between Arabella and Pride and Prejudice (she grasped this because she would go on to reread P&P a lot because of her father’s request).  She also speaks about how Arabella’s father’s religious teachings form her reactions to the people she helps, and how Beaumaris steps up to the plate and exemplifies the worth of Christian charity in its best possible fashion.

We also reviewed this title – as a Pandora’s Box – back in 2003.

Buy it at: Amazon or your local bookshop

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