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The Spanish Bride
Shot-proof, fever-proof and a veteran campaigner at the age of twenty-five, Brigade-Major Harry Smith is reputed to be the luckiest man in Lord Wellington's army. But at the Seige of Badajos, his friends foretell the ruin of his career. For when Harry meets the defenceless Juana, a fiery passion consumes him. Under the banner of honour and with the selfsame ardour he so frequently displays in battle, he dives headlong into marriage. In his beautiful child-bride he finds a kindred spirit - & a temper to match his own
422 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1940
About the author
Georgette Heyer
264 books5,110 followersGeorgette Heyer was a prolific historical romance and detective fiction novelist. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth.
In 1925 she married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer. Rougier later became a barrister and he often provided basic plot outlines for her thrillers. Beginning in 1932, Heyer released one romance novel and one thriller each year.
Heyer was an intensely private person who remained a best selling author all her life without the aid of publicity. She made no appearances, never gave an interview and only answered fan letters herself if they made an interesting historical point. She wrote one novel using the pseudonym Stella Martin.
Her Georgian and Regencies romances were inspired by Jane Austen. While some critics thought her novels were too detailed, others considered the level of detail to be Heyer's greatest asset.
Heyer remains a popular and much-loved author, known for essentially establishing the historical romance genre and its subgenre Regency romance.
In 1925 she married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer. Rougier later became a barrister and he often provided basic plot outlines for her thrillers. Beginning in 1932, Heyer released one romance novel and one thriller each year.
Heyer was an intensely private person who remained a best selling author all her life without the aid of publicity. She made no appearances, never gave an interview and only answered fan letters herself if they made an interesting historical point. She wrote one novel using the pseudonym Stella Martin.
Her Georgian and Regencies romances were inspired by Jane Austen. While some critics thought her novels were too detailed, others considered the level of detail to be Heyer's greatest asset.
Heyer remains a popular and much-loved author, known for essentially establishing the historical romance genre and its subgenre Regency romance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
September 10, 2016
I've given this a B+ for narration and a B- for content at AAR
Although Georgette Heyer is principally known for writing a large number of sparkling Regency Romances and Comedies of Manners, she also wrote a number of mysteries and several books of historical fiction based on real events. One of the best known of these is An Infamous Army, which is said to include some of the most well-researched descriptions of the Battle of Waterloo, and which, as a result, is (or was) a set text at Sandhurst! The Spanish Bride is in a similar vein, although whereas in Army the principal characters are fictional, Brigade-Major Harry Smith and his young bride Juana actually existed, as did the other characters in the book. This is one of the few of Georgette Heyer’s novels that I haven’t yet read, so I came to it without really knowing much about the story, other than that it’s very firmly based in fact, and that much of the dialogue and detail about the events within are taken directly from Harry Smith’s autobiography.
The story quickly introduces Harry – brash, young, impetuous but a superb soldier and leader of men, one of those who yells “Come on!” to his men and fights at their side rather than an officer who sits back and lets them get on with it. He’s already acquired a reputation for being indestructible – he’s escaped so many battles relatively unscathed that he’s practically a legend.
Shortly after the siege and fall of Badajoz, he and a fellow officer are approached by a Spanish noblewoman who asks for their protection for her younger sister, Juana, who is just fourteen. Immediately struck by her beauty, Harry is smitten and insists on marrying her as it’s the only way he can keep her safe. Juana only has eyes for Harry, too, and the pair is quickly married, to the astonishment - and against the advice - of many of Harry’s friends and colleagues.
The story then follows Harry and Juana as they advance through Spain and France (and later spend time apart as Harry travels to fight in America) as part of Wellington’s forces, while at the same time adjusting to their new lives as a married couple. Both are stubborn and hot-tempered, so this naturally leads to many loud and passionate disagreements, but there is also real affection and understanding between them. Juana was brought up in a convent, but even so, she shows no fear at the prospect of a challenging life following the drum. In fact, she throws herself into it wholeheartedly, accepting that Harry must always put his duties first, and very quickly becoming part of the regiment, riding along with the men and making herself known and useful to them - whether it’s by tending to ailments and wounds or listening to their tales of home and family.
The listener’s reaction to The Spanish Bride is largely going to depend on what one is expecting to hear. If you’re looking for one of Ms Heyer’s scintillating romantic comedies, then you might be disappointed. But if you’re prepared for a piece of well-written, well-researched biographical fiction, then it’s an enjoyable listen. The author’s descriptions of the day-to-day life of the soldiers on campaign in the Peninsula are detailed and unvarnished. The men gripe about the lack of decent food and supplies and the incompetence of some of their leaders while the interactions between Harry and Juana are by turns poignant, funny, tender and fiery. Their relationship remains strong even under the most difficult of circumstances – whether on lengthy arduous marches or when fleeing the enemy at a moment’s notice.
The scenes in which the couple takes centre stage are the highlights of the story and really bring it to life. I also enjoyed listening to Harry and his comrades as they share their experiences of battle, and, in their downtime, regale each other with stories and much good-natured banter. I will confess, however, that I did glaze over a bit when it came to the intricate details of battle-planning and troop movements.
I can imagine that one stumbling block for the contemporary listener is the fact that Juana is just fourteen when she is married. Although it was much less common for girls that young to marry in the nineteenth century, the practice clearly hadn’t died out and the marriage was legal. And while all we get on the page are a few kisses, it’s clear that Juana is Harry’s wife in all senses of the word. Personally, I didn’t find this to be an issue – partly, perhaps because her age is a matter of historical record; but mostly because the audiobook utilises a male narrator who, while he does portray Juana very well, is obviously not female and doesn’t try to sound like a teenaged girl. This provides some sense of distance, which was sufficient to allow me to forget the fact of Juana’s youth.
David Collins isn’t a narrator with whom I’m familiar, but Naxos AudioBooks has a great track-record in matching books to narrators, so I was fairly confident I’d enjoy listening to him – and I did. There are a large number of male characters in the book, but he differentiates well between Harry and his many comrades - Eeles, Kinkaid, West, Beckwith and the dandyesque Cadoux, whose affected drawl belies a courageous and accomplished soldier. A large number of secondary characters pop in and out throughout the story, and while I can’t say with accuracy that Mr Collins vocalises every single one of them differently, he does differentiate very effectively in scenes which feature groups of officers and men, so the listener is able to discern between characters. I was delighted to discover that Mr Collins is adept at delivering the frequent quick-fire Spanish and French that peppers the text; I couldn’t fault his pronunciation of either. He frequently employs a variety of British regional accents to depict the various rank-and-file soldiers throughout the story, and once again, he is excellent.
He delivers the narrative with a great deal of expression and nuance, and is especially good at injecting a sense of urgency into the battle scenes and at conveying the camaraderie that exists between Harry and his friends.
Awarding a grade for the content for this book proved difficult, because while I can hear that it’s well-researched and beautifully written, with Ms Heyer’s characteristic eye for detail and ability to write engaging characters, I also found there were chunks of the story where I zoned out. That’s in no part due to the performance, which is very good – I’m just not particularly interested in military tactics, and those were the parts I found most difficult to concentrate on. I ended up giving The Spanish Bride a B grade overall; the story and writing are certainly above average, yet my own personal preferences make it difficult to rate the content higher than a B-. The narration, on the other hand, is very strong. I’d love to hear Mr Collins narrate some of Heyer’s more traditional romances - Frederica or The Quiet Gentleman, perhaps - as I’m sure he’d be a perfect fit.
Although Georgette Heyer is principally known for writing a large number of sparkling Regency Romances and Comedies of Manners, she also wrote a number of mysteries and several books of historical fiction based on real events. One of the best known of these is An Infamous Army, which is said to include some of the most well-researched descriptions of the Battle of Waterloo, and which, as a result, is (or was) a set text at Sandhurst! The Spanish Bride is in a similar vein, although whereas in Army the principal characters are fictional, Brigade-Major Harry Smith and his young bride Juana actually existed, as did the other characters in the book. This is one of the few of Georgette Heyer’s novels that I haven’t yet read, so I came to it without really knowing much about the story, other than that it’s very firmly based in fact, and that much of the dialogue and detail about the events within are taken directly from Harry Smith’s autobiography.
The story quickly introduces Harry – brash, young, impetuous but a superb soldier and leader of men, one of those who yells “Come on!” to his men and fights at their side rather than an officer who sits back and lets them get on with it. He’s already acquired a reputation for being indestructible – he’s escaped so many battles relatively unscathed that he’s practically a legend.
Shortly after the siege and fall of Badajoz, he and a fellow officer are approached by a Spanish noblewoman who asks for their protection for her younger sister, Juana, who is just fourteen. Immediately struck by her beauty, Harry is smitten and insists on marrying her as it’s the only way he can keep her safe. Juana only has eyes for Harry, too, and the pair is quickly married, to the astonishment - and against the advice - of many of Harry’s friends and colleagues.
The story then follows Harry and Juana as they advance through Spain and France (and later spend time apart as Harry travels to fight in America) as part of Wellington’s forces, while at the same time adjusting to their new lives as a married couple. Both are stubborn and hot-tempered, so this naturally leads to many loud and passionate disagreements, but there is also real affection and understanding between them. Juana was brought up in a convent, but even so, she shows no fear at the prospect of a challenging life following the drum. In fact, she throws herself into it wholeheartedly, accepting that Harry must always put his duties first, and very quickly becoming part of the regiment, riding along with the men and making herself known and useful to them - whether it’s by tending to ailments and wounds or listening to their tales of home and family.
The listener’s reaction to The Spanish Bride is largely going to depend on what one is expecting to hear. If you’re looking for one of Ms Heyer’s scintillating romantic comedies, then you might be disappointed. But if you’re prepared for a piece of well-written, well-researched biographical fiction, then it’s an enjoyable listen. The author’s descriptions of the day-to-day life of the soldiers on campaign in the Peninsula are detailed and unvarnished. The men gripe about the lack of decent food and supplies and the incompetence of some of their leaders while the interactions between Harry and Juana are by turns poignant, funny, tender and fiery. Their relationship remains strong even under the most difficult of circumstances – whether on lengthy arduous marches or when fleeing the enemy at a moment’s notice.
The scenes in which the couple takes centre stage are the highlights of the story and really bring it to life. I also enjoyed listening to Harry and his comrades as they share their experiences of battle, and, in their downtime, regale each other with stories and much good-natured banter. I will confess, however, that I did glaze over a bit when it came to the intricate details of battle-planning and troop movements.
I can imagine that one stumbling block for the contemporary listener is the fact that Juana is just fourteen when she is married. Although it was much less common for girls that young to marry in the nineteenth century, the practice clearly hadn’t died out and the marriage was legal. And while all we get on the page are a few kisses, it’s clear that Juana is Harry’s wife in all senses of the word. Personally, I didn’t find this to be an issue – partly, perhaps because her age is a matter of historical record; but mostly because the audiobook utilises a male narrator who, while he does portray Juana very well, is obviously not female and doesn’t try to sound like a teenaged girl. This provides some sense of distance, which was sufficient to allow me to forget the fact of Juana’s youth.
David Collins isn’t a narrator with whom I’m familiar, but Naxos AudioBooks has a great track-record in matching books to narrators, so I was fairly confident I’d enjoy listening to him – and I did. There are a large number of male characters in the book, but he differentiates well between Harry and his many comrades - Eeles, Kinkaid, West, Beckwith and the dandyesque Cadoux, whose affected drawl belies a courageous and accomplished soldier. A large number of secondary characters pop in and out throughout the story, and while I can’t say with accuracy that Mr Collins vocalises every single one of them differently, he does differentiate very effectively in scenes which feature groups of officers and men, so the listener is able to discern between characters. I was delighted to discover that Mr Collins is adept at delivering the frequent quick-fire Spanish and French that peppers the text; I couldn’t fault his pronunciation of either. He frequently employs a variety of British regional accents to depict the various rank-and-file soldiers throughout the story, and once again, he is excellent.
He delivers the narrative with a great deal of expression and nuance, and is especially good at injecting a sense of urgency into the battle scenes and at conveying the camaraderie that exists between Harry and his friends.
Awarding a grade for the content for this book proved difficult, because while I can hear that it’s well-researched and beautifully written, with Ms Heyer’s characteristic eye for detail and ability to write engaging characters, I also found there were chunks of the story where I zoned out. That’s in no part due to the performance, which is very good – I’m just not particularly interested in military tactics, and those were the parts I found most difficult to concentrate on. I ended up giving The Spanish Bride a B grade overall; the story and writing are certainly above average, yet my own personal preferences make it difficult to rate the content higher than a B-. The narration, on the other hand, is very strong. I’d love to hear Mr Collins narrate some of Heyer’s more traditional romances - Frederica or The Quiet Gentleman, perhaps - as I’m sure he’d be a perfect fit.
Shelved as 'not-interested'
February 27, 2022I was unsure if I would like this Heyer book based on reviews that I've read, but I read the first chapter anyway. The consensus being that this book is more historical fiction than romance. And not just historical fiction but non-fiction war history, which is one of my least favorable topics to read. With the book being about five hundred pages, I don’t care to skim over the incredibly detailed war tidbits to get to the romance and wit I appreciate from this author.
May 25, 2019
4.5*
Right from the beginning real life war hero Harry Smith crackles with life & energy & for the most part, so did this book, other than one part where GH just seemed to show off her research skills. She obviously drew extensively on George Simmons diaries & I don't think most of his appearances drove the plot along much.
Juana Smith is well drawn & she is a fascinating mass of contradictions – brave, hardworking & loyal, but also jealous & petulant at times. I would have given much to have been a witness to their real life travels – let's just say that neither of the Smiths believed in travelling light!
The reverse is true of Johnny Kincaid – I thought he was quite a major player in this book – maybe my memory was playing tricks on me because both he & Harry Smith appear in An Infamous Army
I could only find a picture of him as an older man. Since I have wondered I would love to see a picture of him when young!
Harry & Juana's real life love story is well handled & GH doesn't shy away from showing that it was a marriage in every sense of the word, in spite of Juana's very young age (she was only 14 when they married.)
GH's great literary skill had me in tears at Daniel Cadoux's final appearance - & how badly his commanding officer Skerret allegedly let him down.
Altogether, GH has done an amazing job of conveying not just the horror of war but also the banalities of needing to find lodgings, food & keeping the men in check.
I imagine these portraits of Harry & Juana would have been drawn in Paris just after the story ends. I also found some of them when older which shows the ones of them as young people were likely to be true to life.
After rereading both this & An Infamous Army, I'm wondering how many more of GH's straight historicals I was unfair to. In my younger years I only really liked The Conqueror.. In the case of this book & An Infamous Army this may have been down to various marketing people for her publishing houses not making it clear that the romance is only a small component of both books. They did GH a disservice.
Edited to remove a picture .
Right from the beginning real life war hero Harry Smith crackles with life & energy & for the most part, so did this book, other than one part where GH just seemed to show off her research skills. She obviously drew extensively on George Simmons diaries & I don't think most of his appearances drove the plot along much.
Juana Smith is well drawn & she is a fascinating mass of contradictions – brave, hardworking & loyal, but also jealous & petulant at times. I would have given much to have been a witness to their real life travels – let's just say that neither of the Smiths believed in travelling light!
The reverse is true of Johnny Kincaid – I thought he was quite a major player in this book – maybe my memory was playing tricks on me because both he & Harry Smith appear in An Infamous Army
I could only find a picture of him as an older man. Since I have wondered I would love to see a picture of him when young!
Harry & Juana's real life love story is well handled & GH doesn't shy away from showing that it was a marriage in every sense of the word, in spite of Juana's very young age (she was only 14 when they married.)
GH's great literary skill had me in tears at Daniel Cadoux's final appearance - & how badly his commanding officer Skerret allegedly let him down.
Altogether, GH has done an amazing job of conveying not just the horror of war but also the banalities of needing to find lodgings, food & keeping the men in check.
I imagine these portraits of Harry & Juana would have been drawn in Paris just after the story ends. I also found some of them when older which shows the ones of them as young people were likely to be true to life.
After rereading both this & An Infamous Army, I'm wondering how many more of GH's straight historicals I was unfair to. In my younger years I only really liked The Conqueror.. In the case of this book & An Infamous Army this may have been down to various marketing people for her publishing houses not making it clear that the romance is only a small component of both books. They did GH a disservice.
Edited to remove a picture .
April 21, 2012
I never know what to expect from a Heyer novel because she was such a prolific writer. This one was frankly disappointing. It's pretty much a four-hundred-page history text about the Peninsular War (1808-1814), and Wellington's many victories against the French. The protagonists--Brigade-Major Harry Smith and his fourteen-year-old bride, Juana--are engaging, but (largely because this is based in fact, not fiction) they never develop or do much of anything except fall in love and survive a long string of battles. From a historical standpoint this novel is fascinating, but from a fictional standpoint I found it highly boring.
March 18, 2011
A Regency romance with the focus on Captain (Brigade-Major) Harry Smith and the Spanish bride he takes into his heart, Juana, at the end of the siege of Badajos. For a switch, the marriage takes place at the beginning of the story while their married life plays out against the Peninsular War of Napoleon versus Wellington.
You cannot pick up a novel or history of the Peninuslar War without some reference to Captain Harry Smith and his Juana. While most of the story is of the campaigns from the siege of Badajos up to Napoleon’s first abdication, the story of Harry and Juana swirls throughout providing us with an idea of how unusual it was for a well-born lady to “follow the drum”---the best comparisons are the reactions of Harry’s fellow officers and the soldiers in his brigade.
Spanish Bride is neither one nor the other. It’s not a strict romance nor is it a story about war and its battles. Rather, it’s a story of the friendships that form on a battlefield and the social activities that make it less brutal.
An excellent story for those interested in how Wellington’s officers saw him and in the culture, mores, and lifestyle of the day and day-to-day living from battlefield to battlefield.
You cannot pick up a novel or history of the Peninuslar War without some reference to Captain Harry Smith and his Juana. While most of the story is of the campaigns from the siege of Badajos up to Napoleon’s first abdication, the story of Harry and Juana swirls throughout providing us with an idea of how unusual it was for a well-born lady to “follow the drum”---the best comparisons are the reactions of Harry’s fellow officers and the soldiers in his brigade.
Spanish Bride is neither one nor the other. It’s not a strict romance nor is it a story about war and its battles. Rather, it’s a story of the friendships that form on a battlefield and the social activities that make it less brutal.
An excellent story for those interested in how Wellington’s officers saw him and in the culture, mores, and lifestyle of the day and day-to-day living from battlefield to battlefield.
August 30, 2011
This barely fictionalized true story was so engaging I read Harry Smith's memoirs, and then Captain John Kincaids memoirs. Imagine my surprise when some of the dialog Heyer used was right out of their own pens! Not just a wonderful love story, but a great and exciting history of the Peninsular War and livestyle of Wellingtons officers and troops. Harry and Juana spent the rest of their lives together and she went on almost every posting he had in his long career. The town of Ladysmith South Africa is named for her. Sir Harry Smiths memoirs can be read on-line and Captain Kincaids are available from Amazon. This is the real Rifle Brigrade - Sharpe's Rifles had nothing on these guys.
September 21, 2019
Oh, my gosh! When I saw that this was "based on a true story" I didn't realize that it was based on real, and very famous people! Harry Smith, who was with Wellington at Waterloo and other campaigns against Napoleon, was also part of the brigade that burned down the White House (which he said was one of his biggest regrets) and was in South Africa for many years. Ladysmith is named after his wife! And what a wife she was! Married in order to give her his protection after the grim battle of Badajoz, Juana de Leon Smith (descendant of Ponce de Leon) was merely 14 years old, and stayed with Harry on nearly every campaign. She marched in terrible conditions, cared for wounded and sick soldiers, and "kept house" in mud huts and tents for years, despite being a gently bred, convent educated lady of quality.
January 4, 2017
My Eleventh Georgette Heyer
Based on the true story of Harry Smith and his wife Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith, this book is more military fiction than romance. Heyer did a great deal of research in order to bring to life army life, their comradeship and hardships. While she does portray the army patriotically, she does not gloss over the damage they can and do inflict.
Convent raised orphan Juana is introduced in the 9th chapter and it's insta-love between her and Harry. We are given to understand that their natures are in such perfect accord that marriage is a no brainer as Juana's illustrious bloodline made her aware of what true leadership is and uncaring about the difficulties of camp life and Harry is a natural born leader. Juana becomes the camp belle despite being only 14 and Harry 19.
I'll admit that it's my fault that I didn't like this book as much as others do. This is a love letter to being and army wife and it's more like an adventure novel. But endless military tactics and troop movements and I do not mix well. It makes me feel unpleasant especially since we're talking about the British Imperial army. The only reason I got through those parts is due to the efforts of the narrator David Collins. I look forward to listening to more of him in the near future.
Based on the true story of Harry Smith and his wife Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith, this book is more military fiction than romance. Heyer did a great deal of research in order to bring to life army life, their comradeship and hardships. While she does portray the army patriotically, she does not gloss over the damage they can and do inflict.
Convent raised orphan Juana is introduced in the 9th chapter and it's insta-love between her and Harry. We are given to understand that their natures are in such perfect accord that marriage is a no brainer as Juana's illustrious bloodline made her aware of what true leadership is and uncaring about the difficulties of camp life and Harry is a natural born leader. Juana becomes the camp belle despite being only 14 and Harry 19.
I'll admit that it's my fault that I didn't like this book as much as others do. This is a love letter to being and army wife and it's more like an adventure novel. But endless military tactics and troop movements and I do not mix well. It makes me feel unpleasant especially since we're talking about the British Imperial army. The only reason I got through those parts is due to the efforts of the narrator David Collins. I look forward to listening to more of him in the near future.
April 9, 2018
Without a doubt: I have enjoyed this book and I appreciate Heyer's work (a want to be most historically accurate).
This novel reminds me An Infamous Army very much. And like with that book I am torn with the rating. To really appreciate the information one can find here I should have read it with a detailed map on my desk and I should constantly have marked the movement of armies. But it isn't something that I am interested much in.
The story of Harry and Juana was interesting. And Heyer did manage to interlace their story with the reality of Peninsular War [that sometimes was very brutal].
Nonetheless, my attention wasn't equally engaged through the whole book. This is why I rate it at four stars and I think I am not going to reread it for a long time.
I recommend reading Carol Clouds ꧁꧂'s review for more information.
This novel reminds me An Infamous Army very much. And like with that book I am torn with the rating. To really appreciate the information one can find here I should have read it with a detailed map on my desk and I should constantly have marked the movement of armies. But it isn't something that I am interested much in.
The story of Harry and Juana was interesting. And Heyer did manage to interlace their story with the reality of Peninsular War [that sometimes was very brutal].
Nonetheless, my attention wasn't equally engaged through the whole book. This is why I rate it at four stars and I think I am not going to reread it for a long time.
I recommend reading Carol Clouds ꧁꧂'s review for more information.
February 16, 2012
With this one, if you wade through the many paragraphs on fighting and history their is a really sweet story. The writing + dialog isn't Heyer's best, it reads more like a biography to me, and parts of it dragged. Although, the second half of the book gets much better and the battles more enjoyable to read. Even for just getting to see Heyer's research skills. Plus, if you like Heyer's Regencies, towards the end of the story, Juana hangs out in London + it reminds you of her other books just a bit.
The meeting of the two main characters is sweet + how they quickly marry. Heyer depicts the funny misunderstandings of being very young and married. Especially, married in the military. It definitely has some 1930s, 1940s classic movie influences about it. It's not a funny Heyer story, just a well researched, simple war/love story. Its also very matter of fact and gritty, unlike Heyer's Regencies stories.
I do think that Heyer's writing is always strong and her research shows. Her research of the battles and of the characters is very well done. I love Spain and the whole subject of Waterloo and the Peninsula war is kind of crazy and interesting to read. You may have to skim a bit, but its still worth reading if you come into it thinking of it as a biography like story, with grit. Its got heart too, and Heyer's ability to take a story places is really enjoyable.
Really, the passion of the two main characters carry the story. Heyer portrays the intensity of Waterloo perfectly. The end writing is stunning.
The meeting of the two main characters is sweet + how they quickly marry. Heyer depicts the funny misunderstandings of being very young and married. Especially, married in the military. It definitely has some 1930s, 1940s classic movie influences about it. It's not a funny Heyer story, just a well researched, simple war/love story. Its also very matter of fact and gritty, unlike Heyer's Regencies stories.
I do think that Heyer's writing is always strong and her research shows. Her research of the battles and of the characters is very well done. I love Spain and the whole subject of Waterloo and the Peninsula war is kind of crazy and interesting to read. You may have to skim a bit, but its still worth reading if you come into it thinking of it as a biography like story, with grit. Its got heart too, and Heyer's ability to take a story places is really enjoyable.
Really, the passion of the two main characters carry the story. Heyer portrays the intensity of Waterloo perfectly. The end writing is stunning.
June 7, 2013
This is so not what I expected. The foreword had warned me and I should have put back this book on its virtual shelf then.
The strength of Georgette Heyer regards historical romance is her ability to twist the plot, to involve too many melding and interfering characters, all that written in a light and rather humoristic tone, that makes it all generally a fluffy but highly entertaining romantic comedy.
In this case, this is not too be expected.
Georgette Heyer had most probably been enthralled by the story of Harry Smith and Juana, during the peninsular campaign and wanted to share that with her readers. She obviously had done a lot of research regards the details through which the campaign took place, the characters involved, some aspects of the day to day life of a company during a campaign, as well as about the characters.
Unfortunately she did not manage to make something interesting out of it. The characters do not seem to evolve much during the story; a large part of the story is taken by frankly boring description of the campaign. There are too many characters; many of them do not manage to turn from historical icon to a real flesh and blood character. The tone alternating some witty dialogues between Harry and Juana and more serious and long, very long description seem quite off. However those dialogues and their interactions are clearly more interesting than the background war that takes 95% of the content.
I do not recommend this book.
Neither to Georgette Heyer's fans, neither to history and war addicts.
The strength of Georgette Heyer regards historical romance is her ability to twist the plot, to involve too many melding and interfering characters, all that written in a light and rather humoristic tone, that makes it all generally a fluffy but highly entertaining romantic comedy.
In this case, this is not too be expected.
Georgette Heyer had most probably been enthralled by the story of Harry Smith and Juana, during the peninsular campaign and wanted to share that with her readers. She obviously had done a lot of research regards the details through which the campaign took place, the characters involved, some aspects of the day to day life of a company during a campaign, as well as about the characters.
Unfortunately she did not manage to make something interesting out of it. The characters do not seem to evolve much during the story; a large part of the story is taken by frankly boring description of the campaign. There are too many characters; many of them do not manage to turn from historical icon to a real flesh and blood character. The tone alternating some witty dialogues between Harry and Juana and more serious and long, very long description seem quite off. However those dialogues and their interactions are clearly more interesting than the background war that takes 95% of the content.
I do not recommend this book.
Neither to Georgette Heyer's fans, neither to history and war addicts.
January 9, 2016
Only wish to note a few things. Most of the time I seem to see this book listed among Heyer's romances, specifically her Regency Romances. After reading the book, I'm slightly confused by that. Since the book is based on real people, with lots and lots of research on them and on the war against Napoleon in Portugal, Spain, France, and Waterloo. And it isn't like the other Heyer romances, well most. There's a marriage, and it happens almost immediately (a few other books start off that way, but those aren't love matches but marriages of convenience, while this one is a love match). The book focuses on both the man and woman, but mostly on the battles.
The second thing I wanted to note was the constant use of foreign language in the quotes. In and of itself, it isn't that annoying. It's the concept, or situation. Roughly 75% of the book, Harry and Juana speak to each other in Spanish, and sometimes in French. Never, until later, and for one or two words here or there, in English. Harry thought that there was no importance, at all, for Juana to learn English. So he didn't set about to teach her. He knew Spanish fluently. She was native Spanish. And they both knew French. So, he felt it wasn't important for her to learn English. So . . . the annoying quote thing? Harry and Juana are speaking Spanish to each other, and/or French. Luckily, for me at least, most of what they say is translated into English. And that's the annoying thing. They are not speaking mixed Spanish English. They are speaking fluent Spanish to each other. So why the bloody hell is the reader presented with mixed Spanish-English chats?
As I say in one of my status updates: Yeah, it's really bloody important to hide "my heart my soul" behind "alma mia di mi corazon". Instead of, you know, having it be 'Not a bit. Kiss me, my heart my soul' the book has it as 'Not a bit. Kiss me, alma mia di mi corazón.' I suppose I should just be grateful that it isn't all in Spanish, eh? 'No es un poco. Bésame, mi corazón mi alma. ' Since, you know, they are speaking Spanish to each other. Not mixed languages. Much later Juana does pick up English from tutors. And again there are conversations with mixed languages tossed around, quoted. That part is a lot less annoying, because I imagine that Juana did speak mixed Spanish-English in those moments. Makes perfect sense there. No sense at all earlier in the book to have it be mixed.
Oh, and just to complete the picture, translations are not provided. At least I don't recall any. I had to look up 'alma mia di mi corazón'. I was not in position to look up any of the other bits of non-English text.
My last Heyer romance not yet completed or dnf'd. And it turns out to be a historical fiction, not a historical fiction romance.
The dnf'd comment - Heyer is probably the author with the most books I've rated 5 stars, and, separately, the author with the most books I did not finish (dnf). I have 46 of Heyer's books on my shelves. 11 rated 5 stars. 3 started but did not finish. That would be 3 of the 24 books on my DNF shelf are by Heyer.
I've now read or dnf'd all of Heyer's mysteries, and historical romances. The contemporary romances she wrote got almost immediately suppressed by her, so I don't think I'll find them. I only have her Historicals left that are findable. None of them looked that interesting to me but maybe I'll read them.
The second thing I wanted to note was the constant use of foreign language in the quotes. In and of itself, it isn't that annoying. It's the concept, or situation. Roughly 75% of the book, Harry and Juana speak to each other in Spanish, and sometimes in French. Never, until later, and for one or two words here or there, in English. Harry thought that there was no importance, at all, for Juana to learn English. So he didn't set about to teach her. He knew Spanish fluently. She was native Spanish. And they both knew French. So, he felt it wasn't important for her to learn English. So . . . the annoying quote thing? Harry and Juana are speaking Spanish to each other, and/or French. Luckily, for me at least, most of what they say is translated into English. And that's the annoying thing. They are not speaking mixed Spanish English. They are speaking fluent Spanish to each other. So why the bloody hell is the reader presented with mixed Spanish-English chats?
As I say in one of my status updates: Yeah, it's really bloody important to hide "my heart my soul" behind "alma mia di mi corazon". Instead of, you know, having it be 'Not a bit. Kiss me, my heart my soul' the book has it as 'Not a bit. Kiss me, alma mia di mi corazón.' I suppose I should just be grateful that it isn't all in Spanish, eh? 'No es un poco. Bésame, mi corazón mi alma. ' Since, you know, they are speaking Spanish to each other. Not mixed languages. Much later Juana does pick up English from tutors. And again there are conversations with mixed languages tossed around, quoted. That part is a lot less annoying, because I imagine that Juana did speak mixed Spanish-English in those moments. Makes perfect sense there. No sense at all earlier in the book to have it be mixed.
Oh, and just to complete the picture, translations are not provided. At least I don't recall any. I had to look up 'alma mia di mi corazón'. I was not in position to look up any of the other bits of non-English text.
My last Heyer romance not yet completed or dnf'd. And it turns out to be a historical fiction, not a historical fiction romance.
The dnf'd comment - Heyer is probably the author with the most books I've rated 5 stars, and, separately, the author with the most books I did not finish (dnf). I have 46 of Heyer's books on my shelves. 11 rated 5 stars. 3 started but did not finish. That would be 3 of the 24 books on my DNF shelf are by Heyer.
I've now read or dnf'd all of Heyer's mysteries, and historical romances. The contemporary romances she wrote got almost immediately suppressed by her, so I don't think I'll find them. I only have her Historicals left that are findable. None of them looked that interesting to me but maybe I'll read them.
August 30, 2009
God, between this and An Infamous Army, I sometimes feel like Georgette Heyer is a kindred spirit indeed. Her books on the Peninsular War are just... brilliant.
The Spanish Bride is nominally about the true story of Juana and Brigade-Major Harry Smith, and she brings them to life as very colorful and complex characters, but the book is high-jacked by the backdrop--a rich description of every battle in Wellington's campaign from Badajos to Toulouse in which the Light Division took part. Heyer read every extant journal by the soldiers of the Light Division and researched the battles thoroughly, so that the effortless details which she brings to her Regency novels can also be found here.
I think Heyer had the same crush on Wellington as a girl that I did; I love the choice quotes she drops in our laps.
[...:] The hollow road was the Spaniards' undoing. Scrambling down into it, they found that its high banks protected them from the artillery-fire. They lost the impetus of their first gallant rush; courage had time to cool: and not all the exertions of the officers would force them to face the murderous fire again. As soon as Villatte saw that they were not going to continue their advance he sent his infantry forward from the trenches to pour a deadly musketry-fire into the hollow road. This was more than the Spaniards could bear. One regiment only, of Morilla's division, stood its ground; the rest flew back pell-mell to the slopes of the Pujade.
Major-General Napier, of the 52nd, seeing the rout descending upon his regiment, shouted: 'Stop them! Stop them! Don't let them go!'
Colborne, himself slightly wounded in the flesh of his arm by a splinter of shell, called out: 'Yes, yes, let them go, and clear our fronts! Quick George! Throw the regiment into open column of companies, and let the Spaniards pass through!'
This was done; Barnard flung his brigade forward to cover the retreat, and the French, seeing the Light division moving to the attack, abandoned the pursuit, and retired again to their entrenchments.
'By God, won't old Douro be in a rage!' exclaimed Charlie Beckwith.
But his lordship, watching the rout of the Spaniards with his brother-in-law, the Adjutant-General, beside him, had given a whoop of sudden laughter, and slapped his thigh. 'Well, damme if ever I saw ten thousand men run a race before!' he declared. 'Now, what's to be done? There I am, with nothing between me and the enemy!'
'Well, I suppose you'll order up the Light division now!' said Pakenham.
'I'll be hanged if I do!' replied his lordship.
The Spanish Bride is nominally about the true story of Juana and Brigade-Major Harry Smith, and she brings them to life as very colorful and complex characters, but the book is high-jacked by the backdrop--a rich description of every battle in Wellington's campaign from Badajos to Toulouse in which the Light Division took part. Heyer read every extant journal by the soldiers of the Light Division and researched the battles thoroughly, so that the effortless details which she brings to her Regency novels can also be found here.
I think Heyer had the same crush on Wellington as a girl that I did; I love the choice quotes she drops in our laps.
[...:] The hollow road was the Spaniards' undoing. Scrambling down into it, they found that its high banks protected them from the artillery-fire. They lost the impetus of their first gallant rush; courage had time to cool: and not all the exertions of the officers would force them to face the murderous fire again. As soon as Villatte saw that they were not going to continue their advance he sent his infantry forward from the trenches to pour a deadly musketry-fire into the hollow road. This was more than the Spaniards could bear. One regiment only, of Morilla's division, stood its ground; the rest flew back pell-mell to the slopes of the Pujade.
Major-General Napier, of the 52nd, seeing the rout descending upon his regiment, shouted: 'Stop them! Stop them! Don't let them go!'
Colborne, himself slightly wounded in the flesh of his arm by a splinter of shell, called out: 'Yes, yes, let them go, and clear our fronts! Quick George! Throw the regiment into open column of companies, and let the Spaniards pass through!'
This was done; Barnard flung his brigade forward to cover the retreat, and the French, seeing the Light division moving to the attack, abandoned the pursuit, and retired again to their entrenchments.
'By God, won't old Douro be in a rage!' exclaimed Charlie Beckwith.
But his lordship, watching the rout of the Spaniards with his brother-in-law, the Adjutant-General, beside him, had given a whoop of sudden laughter, and slapped his thigh. 'Well, damme if ever I saw ten thousand men run a race before!' he declared. 'Now, what's to be done? There I am, with nothing between me and the enemy!'
'Well, I suppose you'll order up the Light division now!' said Pakenham.
'I'll be hanged if I do!' replied his lordship.
June 5, 2007
I really didn't like this one. While Heyer might have managed to combine action and a more intimate narrative to great effect in An Infamous Army, I don't think you would ever know she was capable of it based on The Spanish Bride. I've long had a great interest in the Peninsular and Napoleonic Wars, and I found my attention wandering for vast swathes of this; I can only guess at the soporific effect it would have on someone who does not have the same level of historical interest.
I was also a little uneasy, not necessarily at how young Juana is at the beginning of this book, (since I know she really did marry Harry Smith at the age of fourteen, and since it wasn't unheard of for marriages to be contracted at that age, even towards the end of the Regency period), but rather at the attitude both she and other people show to the marriage. It was just a little bit unnerving for me to see how it apparently wasn't a culture shock at all for Juana to go from a sheltered convent upbringing to living as a fourteen year old girl in the middle of an army camp, and engaged in (apparently) a full sexual relationship with her husband with no qualms whatsoever. I don't think Heyer managed to sell me on that.
The biggest downside of the book to me was that this was another one of Heyer's Stormy and Tempestuous relationships, something along the lines of Leonie in These Old Shades. Given how much I thoroughly disliked Leonie's character, I wasn't really inclined to be won over by Juana's alternate displays of acting like a hellcat (or a 'varmint', as Harry insisted on calling her), and acting like a remorseful, submissive wife. It irritated me, and I really can't see myself ever re-reading this one.
I was also a little uneasy, not necessarily at how young Juana is at the beginning of this book, (since I know she really did marry Harry Smith at the age of fourteen, and since it wasn't unheard of for marriages to be contracted at that age, even towards the end of the Regency period), but rather at the attitude both she and other people show to the marriage. It was just a little bit unnerving for me to see how it apparently wasn't a culture shock at all for Juana to go from a sheltered convent upbringing to living as a fourteen year old girl in the middle of an army camp, and engaged in (apparently) a full sexual relationship with her husband with no qualms whatsoever. I don't think Heyer managed to sell me on that.
The biggest downside of the book to me was that this was another one of Heyer's Stormy and Tempestuous relationships, something along the lines of Leonie in These Old Shades. Given how much I thoroughly disliked Leonie's character, I wasn't really inclined to be won over by Juana's alternate displays of acting like a hellcat (or a 'varmint', as Harry insisted on calling her), and acting like a remorseful, submissive wife. It irritated me, and I really can't see myself ever re-reading this one.
August 24, 2013
This is not my favorite Heyer (that would be Devil's Cub, The Grand Sophy, or Sylvester), but it is definitely my favorite war book. Even Heyer's An Infamous Army, which could be considered a sequel to this one with its focus on Waterloo and is so accurate that the cadets at Sandhurst reportedly read it as a battle study, cannot hold a candle to this one in terms of making the business of war accessible to non-soldiers.
Based on the first part of Sir Harry Smith's diaries and every other memoir of the Peninsular War that came into Heyer's hands, it follows the British Army from Badajos to Toulouse and on to Waterloo through the story of Harry Smith and his child bride, Juana Ponce de Leon. They met, fell in love, and married when she was barely 14 and he was 25 and remained together and passionately attached all their lives.
Yet this is not one of Heyer's famed Regency romances. The focus is on the battles—the planning, the campaigns, the mistakes and successes, the camaraderie of men facing death together, the courage and resourcefulness of the women who accompanied the troops in an age when ladies were supposed to stay at home and embroider pretty handkerchiefs for their fighting husbands. In Heyer's skilled hands, it's a trip worth taking, even—or perhaps especially—if you are a reader who would normally never pick up a book about war.
Based on the first part of Sir Harry Smith's diaries and every other memoir of the Peninsular War that came into Heyer's hands, it follows the British Army from Badajos to Toulouse and on to Waterloo through the story of Harry Smith and his child bride, Juana Ponce de Leon. They met, fell in love, and married when she was barely 14 and he was 25 and remained together and passionately attached all their lives.
Yet this is not one of Heyer's famed Regency romances. The focus is on the battles—the planning, the campaigns, the mistakes and successes, the camaraderie of men facing death together, the courage and resourcefulness of the women who accompanied the troops in an age when ladies were supposed to stay at home and embroider pretty handkerchiefs for their fighting husbands. In Heyer's skilled hands, it's a trip worth taking, even—or perhaps especially—if you are a reader who would normally never pick up a book about war.
March 8, 2022
I believe I first read this way back in the late 1960s when I was glomming all the Heyer books I could get my hands on. Quite frankly, I remembered absolutely nothing about the book.
I enjoyed this book, even though it lacked the vivacity that permeates her better romances and social comedies. There really wasn't much room for character development in between all of the military matters. Harry Smith and his wife Juana (the titular character) come across as rather flat, their relationship rather one-note.
GH did a good job with the various battle descriptions. Her prose was clear and crisp, with the action easy to follow.
I don't regret reading the book; however, I don't foresee reading it again.
I enjoyed this book, even though it lacked the vivacity that permeates her better romances and social comedies. There really wasn't much room for character development in between all of the military matters. Harry Smith and his wife Juana (the titular character) come across as rather flat, their relationship rather one-note.
GH did a good job with the various battle descriptions. Her prose was clear and crisp, with the action easy to follow.
I don't regret reading the book; however, I don't foresee reading it again.
October 12, 2015
Once again I'm totally in awe of Georgette Heyer's ability to bring history to life. She brings home the epic scale of the Napoleonic wars and makes you see them from a very human perspective. Reading about the lives of the British soldiers, it seems incredible that they survived and succeeded with the conditions they were faced with. It was also gripping following the progress of a relationship that looks like a recipe for disaster in so many ways, but managed to overcome the odds just as the army did. I loved this book and am glad to have had such a vivid glimpse into a fascinating period and the lives of two really interesting people.
October 10, 2019
Brigade-Major Harry Smith, serving in Wellington’s army during the Peninsular Wars, seemed immune to all the dangers of campaigning. Never ill, or seriously wounded, he appeared at twenty-five to be invincible. But his encounter with a young Spanish aristocrat, Juana María de los Dolores de León, after the siege of Badajos, proved that he was not invulnerable to love. Married a few days later, Harry and Juana began their tempestuous marriage amid all the confusion and danger of life in the 95th Rifles.
Based upon the life-story of two real people, Heyer’s The Spanish Bride is somewhat reminiscent of An Infamous Army , her other historical novel set amidst the Napoleonic Wars. I found it enlightening and entertaining by turns, but sadly, never both at the same time. While it was fascinating to learn more about life in the British Army during this time, the descriptions of battle positions and movements were a little too involved for me, and I found myself wishing either for a map or diagram, or for the scene to end. I found it difficult to visualize the military engagements, and consequently enjoyed the personal narrative involving Harry and Juana much more.
The main characters are both engaging, and I came away with a desire to know more about them. What happened after Waterloo? Were Harry and Juana ever separated again, or did they keep their promise? I think I will have to find a copy of Smith’s autobiography, which was the basis of Heyer’s novel.
Based upon the life-story of two real people, Heyer’s The Spanish Bride is somewhat reminiscent of An Infamous Army , her other historical novel set amidst the Napoleonic Wars. I found it enlightening and entertaining by turns, but sadly, never both at the same time. While it was fascinating to learn more about life in the British Army during this time, the descriptions of battle positions and movements were a little too involved for me, and I found myself wishing either for a map or diagram, or for the scene to end. I found it difficult to visualize the military engagements, and consequently enjoyed the personal narrative involving Harry and Juana much more.
The main characters are both engaging, and I came away with a desire to know more about them. What happened after Waterloo? Were Harry and Juana ever separated again, or did they keep their promise? I think I will have to find a copy of Smith’s autobiography, which was the basis of Heyer’s novel.
August 17, 2016
Two stars for sheer sexism and the exoticized ideal Juana, who lives to serve her soldier husband and his friends, disdains women, and is always fulfilling some creepy vaguely pedophiliac desire with her 14 through 17 year old self. The bones of the story may be true and the description of the Napoleanic Wars unparalleled, but Juana and her devotion to Harry have all the flavor of the even more offensive Helen, Heyer's WWI contemporary novel, and the idealized Juana is decidedly Heyer's ideal submissive but feisty heroine. My entire review may be unfair as I haven't read Harry Smith's memoir, and submission might have been the norm when this was published, but - Yuck.
March 4, 2019
This is a really difficult book to rate. I felt like I got a lot more than I expected. It is an epic story about war - primarily the Peninsular war. It is a saga with an extraordinary, difficult to believe, but real-life love story at it's center. Our main characters of the romance are Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Smith Baronet of Aliwal On the Sutlej, G.C.B. and his lady wife Juana Maria De Los Dolores De Leon Smith. They are absolute comedic genius (worthy of a George Burns and Gracie Allen comparison). And for the most part they remain unflappable throughout the story except when separated physically.
Georgette Heyer's talent shines through in this book, in her fluid juxtaposition of these two in their often carefree but "swooningly" passionate relationship while they are enduring such brutal conditions of the war and their lives on the march. She so vividly painted these two mischief-makers that I was absolutely gutted to discover they never had any children.
I am relieved that I read this after reading her earlier novel An Infamous Army. By comparison there is much more focus on the battles; the execution/impact of leadership and the horrors of the campaign in this book. The relationship between Harry and Juana is so well established at the beginning of the story, with love at first sight and unconditional loyalty, there is no real conflict to be resolved between the two of them. Just more of a dance of their strong wills and short tempers from time to time. Many familiar characters pop up between the two books and I continue to admire Heyer's talent in remaining consistent in her portrayal of historical characters from book to book. I believe this is a great example of seeing how her skill and confidence at writing about history grew during her career.
Definitely glad I read Mela's Review before starting this and followed her tip by keeping a map handy. There is much "toing and froing" to keep up with.
And for a much more thorough assessment, please read Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ 's review
Georgette Heyer's talent shines through in this book, in her fluid juxtaposition of these two in their often carefree but "swooningly" passionate relationship while they are enduring such brutal conditions of the war and their lives on the march. She so vividly painted these two mischief-makers that I was absolutely gutted to discover they never had any children.
I am relieved that I read this after reading her earlier novel An Infamous Army. By comparison there is much more focus on the battles; the execution/impact of leadership and the horrors of the campaign in this book. The relationship between Harry and Juana is so well established at the beginning of the story, with love at first sight and unconditional loyalty, there is no real conflict to be resolved between the two of them. Just more of a dance of their strong wills and short tempers from time to time. Many familiar characters pop up between the two books and I continue to admire Heyer's talent in remaining consistent in her portrayal of historical characters from book to book. I believe this is a great example of seeing how her skill and confidence at writing about history grew during her career.
Definitely glad I read Mela's Review before starting this and followed her tip by keeping a map handy. There is much "toing and froing" to keep up with.
And for a much more thorough assessment, please read Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ 's review
April 21, 2023
It’s been eons since I read the Spanish Bride. Mad Harry Smith and his Spanish bride Juanita.
I feel like I marched the whole campaign with them from Spain to Napoleon’s first surrender and then to Waterloo.
A fascinating account but I feel the actual times were far worse.
I feel like I marched the whole campaign with them from Spain to Napoleon’s first surrender and then to Waterloo.
A fascinating account but I feel the actual times were far worse.
April 15, 2021
Georgette Heyer did her research on this, but failed to tease out a story.
Also the idea to represent a dialogue that was taking place in Spanish by English with occasional Spanish phrases chucked in was beyond dumb. And that's with me speaking Spanish, at least enough to understand those.
Also the idea to represent a dialogue that was taking place in Spanish by English with occasional Spanish phrases chucked in was beyond dumb. And that's with me speaking Spanish, at least enough to understand those.
January 29, 2013
Military history and romance all in one novel? Yes, and Heyer makes it worth the slog through almost 500 pages. I must admit that my eyes begin to glaze over when the descriptions of battle preparations and strategies take over. When the author begins detailing the positions of various battalions and divisions, I struggle to envision things. But by the novel's end, I felt I understood a little of what it might have been like to follow the British push to defeat Bonaparte in the Peninsula Wars.
That the hero of the story manages to escape unscathed battle after battle seems almost too much to believe, except that this novel is based on the real-life story of Major Harry Smith.
The romance is an instant spark between two fiery, energetic souls. Their teasing and name-calling comes in tirades and bursts, but it is always followed by a clinging embrace.
Heyer's description of the wedding night emotions was one of the most beautiful I've ever read - all without a single word relating to the actual physical act.
Don't attempt this book, however, if you don't want to learn some military history. It accounts for over half the book's content. I only enjoyed it because of the human element Heyer puts into every account and the intermittent love story.
I'm glad I finished it, although it was not easy.
That the hero of the story manages to escape unscathed battle after battle seems almost too much to believe, except that this novel is based on the real-life story of Major Harry Smith.
The romance is an instant spark between two fiery, energetic souls. Their teasing and name-calling comes in tirades and bursts, but it is always followed by a clinging embrace.
Heyer's description of the wedding night emotions was one of the most beautiful I've ever read - all without a single word relating to the actual physical act.
Don't attempt this book, however, if you don't want to learn some military history. It accounts for over half the book's content. I only enjoyed it because of the human element Heyer puts into every account and the intermittent love story.
I'm glad I finished it, although it was not easy.
May 11, 2015
Muuyyyyyyyy Bieeeeeeeeenn ! Oh god ! This book ! This book was a gift from god to me, I didn't even plan to buy it. It just sort of came to me. Alas ! The adventure it took me on is now over ! It took to 2 weeks to read this but it was worth it !
Time consuming ? yes. Hard/old vocabulary ? Yes. Too much history in it ? Yes.
In some reviews these are marked as negatives of the book ! Are you serious ? This is exactly what is suppose be in historical romantic classic fiction !
Georgette Heyer did an amazing job on this one ! Made me her fan, I can't wait to read all of her books ( which are plenty) ! It's hard to believe she wasn't actually in the war with all the characters, the accuracy & the brilliance of describing environment and everything that happens around is just great ! You can really be there and feel the enjoyment,hunger,heavy rains,floods and what not ! The characters ( even the trivial ones ) were brilliantly created !
Time consuming ? yes. Hard/old vocabulary ? Yes. Too much history in it ? Yes.
In some reviews these are marked as negatives of the book ! Are you serious ? This is exactly what is suppose be in historical romantic classic fiction !
Georgette Heyer did an amazing job on this one ! Made me her fan, I can't wait to read all of her books ( which are plenty) ! It's hard to believe she wasn't actually in the war with all the characters, the accuracy & the brilliance of describing environment and everything that happens around is just great ! You can really be there and feel the enjoyment,hunger,heavy rains,floods and what not ! The characters ( even the trivial ones ) were brilliantly created !
August 1, 2010
The title and description of this book are misleading. For while it is indeed the story of a Spanish Bride, it is also a detailed history of the War in the Peninsula. I'd say about 10-15 percent of the book is the love story of Harry Smith, English officer, and his wife Juana, Spanish noblewoman; but about 85-90% of it is a detailed account of Wellington's battles, troop movements, and strategies in the war against Napoleon. It's a fascinating book with excellent details on the war and the life of an Army officer in that era, and I really enjoyed it; but if you're looking for a typical historical romance it won't be your cup of tea.
December 29, 2010
While I enjoy Heyer's historical romances, the books which are based on actual people and events are my favorites -- The Spanish Bride, Royal Escape, My Lord John (though unfinished), and to a certain extent An Infamous Army and The Conquerer (though unlike the first 3, the last 2 focus around fictional characters as well as real people). I am a lover of English history, and Heyer does her research and knows her stuff; then she uses her knowledge and skill to bring the characters and events from history to life. One of her most exciting books; I couldn't put it down. Might not be as interesting to someone who doesn't care for history.
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November 13, 2021Harry and Juana seem destined to kill each other half the time in this romance of the Peninsular War by Georgette Heyer. She is young, naive in some ways, but a real trouper in following the drum, and I liked that about her even as I doubted I would be the same.
Based on the letters of the real Brigade Major Harry Smith, this give some of the history of the Peninsular War and as little as I usually enjoy war stories, I enjoyed this. I read that at one time it was used in military schools as a primer on the Peninsular campaigns.
Based on the letters of the real Brigade Major Harry Smith, this give some of the history of the Peninsular War and as little as I usually enjoy war stories, I enjoyed this. I read that at one time it was used in military schools as a primer on the Peninsular campaigns.
June 13, 2018
3.5 Stars. An enjoyable swirl of fact and fluff. Most of the characters we meet throughout were actual people, including Henry and Juana, giving the events a fizzy grittiness as they trudge through battle after battle and the bits in between. I’m definitely going to need to read more about this intriguing couple.
June 23, 2010
...for all the gritty details about how war was actually fought where there were cavalry regiments and riflemen marching to war...as usual, without talking history, Heyer presents slice of history in all its vivid detail.
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