Georgette Heyer: The Grand Sophy

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer is a Berkley publication dated May 1976.  Sophy Stanton-Lacey is sent to live with her London relatives while her diplomatic father travels to Brazil. Once there, she begins to turn this family upside down as she solves problems and makes matches. It is one of my favorite books and definitely one to track down and read if you haven't given yourself the pleasure!

This cover, by Allan Kass, looks like something Sophy would have worn while driving or traveling. Our heroine is dashing in her fur lined driving coat and matching muff. In the distance we see our hero and the grounds of an estate. I like the subtle variations of color in the sky and that the heroine is prominent on this cover.

Georgette Heyer: Friday's Child

Friday's Child, by Georgette Heyer, is a paperback Berkley edition from May 1975.  Lord Sheringham, jilted by a beauty, vows to marry the next female he sees, which is his childhood friend, Hero Wantage! Their runaway marriage is the talk of the town and this romance is an amusing tale of friends, family, and love.

Allan Kass's cover shows our heroine shopping in the fashionable part of town and wearing a dashing bonnet and carrying a bandbox on her arm. We see a gentleman watching her, but he doesn't look like the youthful Sherry of our story! The background shows St Paul's Cathedral and a riding coach.

Georgette Heyer: The Foundling

The Foundling, by Georgette Heyer, was published in paperback by Berkley in April 1974.

This is the story of Gilly, the Duke of Sale, who ends up with an enchanting foundling named Belinda on his hands and asks for help from the one sensible lady he know and admires: Harriet! Can plunging into a dilemma help a man find his true love?

This cover by Allan Kass shows our young couple standing in an elegantly furnished room. The hero seems enamored with the heroine and I feel like both her fan and the large Chinese jar clash with the pose of this cover. We miss some of her dress's detail because of the size of her fan and how it's being held. I would rather have seen the front of the heroine as she plays with her pearl necklace.

Georgette Heyer: False Colours

 False Colours, by Georgette Heyer, has an exciting treat in store for the reader: 2 different Allan Kass covers! The first, by Fawcett, is a 1977 printing, while the Signet is dated October 1984.

Cressida Stavely is a young heiress with a dilemma: which brother to choose? She has accepted Evelyn, the Earl of Fancot but is enamored with his brother, Kit, after he masqueraded as Evelyn and fell in love with her!

The Fawcett cover shows our two brothers, dressed identically, glaring at each other over the chair of the heroine. What strikes me as interesting is the lack of any detail on this cover, other than the people and the chair. It's very unusual for an Allan Kass cover.

The Signet version shows more detail to our heroes and heroine. We see our identical brothers but one leads away the heroine while she glances at the other. Her yellow gown is richly embroidered and decorated. I love her headpiece! Note the detail of the room in which they stand. I hope you like seeing two different illustrations by Kass for the same book! It's apropos, I believe!!

Georgette Heyer: Cousin Kate

Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer is a Fawcett novel published in May 1976. Orphan Kate Malvern is invited to live with her aunt because she wishes Kate to marry her son, Torquil. However, Torquil isn't quite sane and his cousin Philip is more attractive....

Allan Kass's cover is one of his best. Our heroine is exceedingly elegant and the hero seems pensive as he gazes down at her. They sit in a richly decorated room with the painting over the fireplace being the focus. I really like how the heroine plays with her strand of pearls and her lilac dress is ethereal.

Georgette Heyer: Cotillion

Cotillion, by Georgette Heyer, is a Berkley paperback from February 1973. This is a great story about Kitty Charing, who will inherit her guardian's fortune if she marries one of his grand nephews! She wants one, but chooses another and the cotillion (a dance) begins!

Allan Kass creates a pretty cover of our couple dancing in an elegant room. The hero is bright in his red coat while the heroine is pretty in yellow. What's more interesting is seeing the reflection of the other dancers in the mirror behind them. I wonder if this doesn't depict Freddy at all, but Jack!

Georgette Heyer: A Civil Contract

A Civil Contract is a Berkley paperback dated June 1974 and written by Georgette Heyer.

Adam Deveril has inherited Fontley Priory after the death of his wastrel father. He decides that his only hope of keeping the priory is to wed an heiress, Jenny Chawleigh, a wealthy financier's daughter. This is one of Heyer's quiet stories, quite heart wrenching at times. I must admit that it's one of my favorites!

Allan Kass's cover, while beautiful, isn't suited to this story. I like the idea of Jenny and Adam taking a picnic lunch to a lake, but unless they went on their honeymoon, this isn't a good representation of the story.