Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer
Young Philip Jettan was very unlike the other men in the Jettan family line. He had no interest in being Fashionable, found Society boring, and was more than happy living in the country at the family home, Jettan's Pride. He was the despair of his father. Cleone Charteris, a childhood friend, returned from polishing and time in Town, quickly gained the attention of Philip as well as his love. Unfortunately Cleone found Philip to be boorish and lacking in the social graces.
After losing a duel in Cleone's honor and having his marriage proposal refused cruelly with a comment that she would never marry a raw country bumpkin, Philip decides to give her and his father what they claimed to want, a change from an honest, hardworking man to a painted fop. He flees to Town and his Uncle Thomas who promptly takes him to Paris for the transformation. His absence is greatly felt, but once Philip returns to London, he isn't the same man they once knew.
Originally published as "The Transformation of Philip Jettan" by Stella Martin in 1923, the first and only time that Heyer used a pen name. This particular publication from Harlequin under their Historical Romance line had a lovely foreword by Susan Wiggs, an accomplished historical romance author as well as a fan of Heyer's works.
This is a Georgian romance rather than a Regency one. Considering the fashions of that time, only a few authors manage to pull off the fine line between fashion and folly. Heyer is one of the few.
This is an early work, published when she was just 21 years old, that holds remarkably well over the years since. The level of racism in some of her other later works isn't as present here. Yes, there is a black page, but that was quite common in England of that era. I admit that the almost Southern American accent was strange. And my heart did stutter when it was revealed that the page's name was Sambo. But I put it down to the time period and attitudes of that age, something I tend to do when reading authors from before the 1950s whenever possible.
I'm one of those people who hate when a person changes themselves for the love of another. Hence, I absolutely despised the transformation of Sandy from nice girl to slut at the end of GREASE. That said, I enjoy how Philip managed to weave his true self into the outer changes. Still bugs me, but the book was fun to read. Personally I think little Miss Cleone isn't good enough for him, a spoiled brat who will drive him bonkers as time passes.
The male characters seem to be better displayed than the females, something that seems, from my memory, to be more common with Heyer than many historical romance writers of the age. I really love the cover that Harlequin gave the book. Subtle, yet still gives a feel for what is contained within. Altogether a delightful story to shake off the bad taste of my last book. 4.5 out of 5.
