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Powder and Patch

The Transformation of Philip Jettan

Georgette Heyer

320 pages

A sparkling, theatrical romp through Georgian society where a country squire's exaggerated makeover proves that getting exactly what you asked for is a terrible idea.

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What it feels like

Reading this Georgian romance feels like watching a brilliantly staged drawing-room comedy, complete with powdered wigs, sharp fans, and even sharper tongues. The narrative moves at a brisk, theatrical clip, driven almost entirely by the author's signature sparkling dialogue and arch narrative voice. It is a frothy, lighthearted experience that playfully skewers the artifice of high society and the foolishness of youth. The emotional texture is less about deep, sweeping angst and more about the delightful frustration of watching two stubborn people navigate their own comedic misunderstandings. Fans of classic, banter-heavy historical romance will devour this charming tale of performative masculinity and the humorous realization that the perfect, sophisticated lover is rarely as comforting as the genuine article.

Mood
  • sparkling
  • lighthearted
  • frothy
  • drawing-room bright
Tone
  • witty
  • playful
  • arch
  • theatrical
  • affectionate
Pace
brisk
Themes
artifice of high society · be careful what you wish for · performative masculinity · foolishness of youth · true love vs infatuation
The writing
Elegant and arch, driven by sparkling, period-accurate dialogue and a wry narrative voice.
The arc
Moves from frustrated longing and comedic misunderstandings to a satisfying, affectionate realization of true worth.
Who it's for
Readers who delight in classic historical romance, sharp banter, and the humorous consequences of a makeover gone too far.
Content notes
  • dueling
  • period-typical attitudes

About the book

In an 18th-Century England of wit, womanising and powdered wigs, provincial Philip Jettan runs the risk of irreproachability. When her childhood friend, the golden-haired Cleone Charteris returns from finishing school, her exquisite charms have made her the belle of the English countryside. Philip is determined to attract the attentions and launches an amorous campaign to win her hand in marriage.. But Cleone yearns for a husband who is refined, aristocratic and who is as skilled with his wit as he is with his dueling pistols.... Everything Philip Jettan is not. As much as she is attracted to the handsome squire, Cleone finds herself dismissing Philip and his rough mannerisms.

With his father's encouragement, Philip departs for the courts of Paris, determined to acquire the social graces and the airs of the genteel — and convince Cleone that he is the man most suited for her hand, but with unforeseen consequences for them both... He comes back as a fashionably attired man of the world, with powder, patches, and all the manners of a seasoned rake. Does Cleone now have exactly the kind of man she's always wanted, or was her insistence on Philip's remarkable transformation a terrible mistake? Soon, Cleone discovers that she has rivals.

Description from Open Library.

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