Georgette Heyer 
Venetia 

Reading Georgette Heyer is the next best thing to reading Jane Austen." -Publishers Weekly A young lady of beauty and intelligence facing an unbearable choice…Venetia Lanyon is one of Georgette Heyer’s most memorable heroines. Beautiful, capable, and independent minded, her life on the family’s estate in the countryside is somewhat circumscribed. Then a chance encounter with her rakish neighbor opens up a whole new world for Venetia. Lord Damerel has built his life on his dangerous reputation, and when he meets Venetia, he has nothing to offer and everything to regret. As Venetia’s well-meaning family steps in to protect her from potential ruin, Venetia must find the wherewithal to take charge of her own destiny, or lose her one chance at happiness…What readers say: "Perfection! …Witty, sparkling, and heart-wrenching.""Not only do I think that Venetia is Georgette Heyer’s best novel, I think Venetia is one of her best characters and certainly one of my favorite heroines in all romance fiction.""Has all of Heyer’s best features: humor, wit, and irony; an exquisite sense of time and place."