I took an offer to listen to Barbara Cartland's The Penniless Peer on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda audio!
Barbara Cartland was a prolific writer and her novels number approximately 723 give or take, and they have been estimated to sell over a billion books. The Penniless Peer was first published in 1974, and it is getting a re-release on audio as part of Bolinda's Eternal Collection. Cartland certainly has cemented herself in the romance world with such a prolific body of publications.
I was pretty excited to read The Penniless Peer! With the success of Bridgerton and The Buccaneers and the ongoing popularity of Jane Austen in the reading community, I felt like the Penniless Peer was certain to be a winner. And, I did want to find out something of the Queen of Romance.
In short order, this is the story of Fenella - an adorable young woman without guile who is entirely infatuated with with Second cousin Periquine.
ALAS- Periquine is infatuated with Hettie, a beautiful young woman who does seem to be, however, highly focused on finances - of which Periquine has none. Alas... Alack... oh dear...
Fenella and Periquine get up to several wild escapades in order to secure funds until a kindly uncle puts an end to this entirely inappropriate behavior and takes a strong hand to both Fenella and Periquine - hoping to shape their future. Periquine is off to India until a sudden windfall occurs.
Fenella is presented to the Ton and is a raging success. Her dear uncle expects her to make a superb match.
Will she make such a match, or will her heart forever belong to Periquine? Will Perquine marry the snobbish Hettie now that funds have come through legitimate gain, rather than smuggling or stealing?
You'll want to read to find out.
Susie Riddel does the narration and I felt it was delightful. There were lots of changes in inflection, and I never had trouble identifying which character was speaking. She made the story easy to follow and I was a bit sad when the story ended, as I would no longer have her bell like voice coming across my speakers.
I myself, am quite torn on this volume. This novel was originally published in 1974. Although it is set in the Regency Era, it really does reflect 1970's ideals as well. I am so curious as to how it will be received by modern romance readers. For me, I did not find the character of Fenella to reflect a strong woman, nor did I like the choices she made in the end - making it one of the most unsatisfying "Happily Ever After" endings I've ever read! But, I am not all readers, and I did find it fascinating to discover the differences in romance over the decades. This would be a fun read for romance readers, especially those interested in how the genre has changed and evolved over the decades.
First Published : 1974
Pages: 200
Available as an Audio Book : Yes - Bolinda ~ 6 hours.
Trigger Warnings: landed gentry poverty, dueling, gambling, thievery, skulduggery (this is not a full list, read responsibly)
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