The Parfit Knight

Blinded in a tragic carriage accident as a young girl, Rosalind Vernon had spent most of her life at Oakleigh Manor, her family's country home in Hertfordshire. Here she led a comfortable life, cosseted (and confined) by her well-meaning older brother. But when the Marquis of Amberley, set upon by highwayman one snowy night, seeks shelter at Oakleigh with his wounded coachman, Rosalind discovers a kindred spirit - someone with the inquisitive mind and sense of humor to match her own, someone who doesn't treat her like a helpless invalid. A surprise discovery sends Amberley away, but will it continue to keep them apart, when Rosalind journeys to London for her first season...?

While I cannot say that The Parfit Knight (whose title comes show more from the Prologue to Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales) surprised me - I guessed what revelation was coming, almost from the start - I did find it immensely entertaining, and often quite moving. Blyth's characters are appealingly well-rounded, and her tale engrossing. My only quibble, and it is not so much with the story, as with the description of it, on the dust-jacket, is that this is clearly a Georgian romance, rather than a Regency. Leaving that aside, this delightful romantic confection is sure to appeal to Georgette Heyer fans, or readers of Regency romance in general!

Addendum: I initially read and enjoyed The Parfit Knight some years ago, checking it out of my local public library on the recommendation of my friend, Constance, who assured me that it would appeal to any Georgette Heyer fan. She was certainly right, and I found Rosalind and Dominic's romance everything I was looking for. The copy I read was printed in the 1980s, and attributes the story to one Juliet Blyth, a pseudonym I have recently learned, of British author Stella Riley. I have also recently learned that there are a number of sequels.

In any case, for some reason the book popped into my head yesterday, completely out of the blue, for no reason that I can think of, and I conceived a wish to reread it. I discovered an ebook version online, credited to Riley this time, purchased it, and read it in one sitting. It's every bit as delightful as I remembered it being, perhaps even more. I don't recall enjoying Broody, the foul-mouthed, seed-spitting parrot, quite as much the last time! Riley has a way with characterization, whether of avian or human characters, that makes the reader either care about them, or (in the case of Robert Dacre) loathe them. All in all, a happy reread, and more than enough to convince me to read the sequel. Thanks again, Constance! show less

Goodreads recommended this book after I finished Mary Balogh's Heartless, so I grabbed it. I'm so glad I did as it's a wonderful story, beautifully written and touching.
The Marquis of Amberley's coach collides with a young Rosalind Vernon, knocking her unconscious. He doesn't realize it the same person, grown to a woman, when he meets her years later, stuck at her home because of a sudden snowstorm. During the week in her company, he falls in love with the young woman, never making an issue of her blindness.
Unfortunately, he had a contretemps with her brother recently, and though Amberley convinces him to bring his sister to London, Amberley struggles with Rosalind's popularity, his own inner demons, and her brother's antipathy.
I'm so show more happy to discover Ms. Riley. I'm reading the rest of the series now and really looking forward to finding out what happens next. show less

I chose this ebook (which has several typos) because it was recommended by Goodreads and quite enjoyed it. I think another reviewer described it as bits of Georgette Heyer mashed together, but I did not feel this too strongly (or at least not until the hero turned out to be called Dominic and to have a French mother....) The hero is forced to seek assistance for his coachman, who has been shot by a highway man, at the home of beautiful blind Rosalind. You can probably imagine the ending! I enjoyed the references to Rosalind's parrot and the secondary romance between Philip and Isabel. The scene at Vauxhall was genuinely shocking and Robert was far too appalling a character ever to have appeared in a Heyer novel.

I liked the ending except show more that there were so many layers of misunderstanding and false assumptions to overcome in a tongue-tied fashion that at times I lost track a bit of exactly what false impression was being dispelled at any given moment. show less

This is it. This book is the reason I continue to read romance novels. Because no matter how many of them disappoint me, I have to keep reading to make sure I don't miss something as delightful and satisfying as this book.

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Rockliffe series. I borrowed this audiobook through Audible Escapes.

Audiobook Quality (4/5): This was a very well done audiobook and I enjoyed listening to it. I would definitely recommend listening to this on audiobook if you enjoy audiobooks.

Story (4/5): This was a well done historical romance. It's mostly a comedy of errors type of historical romance. Rosalind has been blind since childhood and, when Amberly is stranded at her manor during a snowstorm, he falls in love with her clever wit and bravery. He convinces her brother, Philip, to let her join society in London which results in many entertaining antics. I prefer my historical fiction/romance with more of a plot aside from the show more romance (a mystery, fantasy, intrigue etc). However,this was well written and very sweet.

Characters (5/5): The characters were very well done and incredibly likable. I loved Rosalind with her daring wit and her wonderful attitude. Amberley was also a very lovable character. The side characters were wonderfully done too (Rosalind’s brother Philip, his intended, and the Duke of Rockliffe). I would love to read more about the Duke of Rockliffe in future books. I think my only complaint is that the characters were almost all introduced in the first chapter which made it challenging to keep track of them at first; there is also a lot of switching between first name and surname which can get confusing.

Setting (4/5): The majority of the story is set in Victorian London. It was well done but not all that unique or original. I did enjoy all the historical detail in the settings and customs of the time.

Writing Style (4/5): The story switches mainly between Rosalind and Amberley’s point of view. It is well written, easy to read and full of witty conversation. I found it entertaining and looked forward to listening to it. I don’t read a lot of straight historical romances, so I kept feeling like something was missing. I wanted some mystery, or magic, or action...just something more than a straight historical romance.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was an entertaining historical romance with characters that were engaging and fun. There isn’t a lot more to the story outside from the antics between Rosalind and Amberley, along with Rosalind trying to have a season in London while dealing with her blindness. It was all fine but I prefer a bit more meat to my stories. If you are looking for a straight historical romance with lovable characters and witty dialogue I would highly recommend this. If you prefer something more with your romance (mystery, adventure, magic) I would skip this. I don’t plan on reading more of this series because this wasn’t a great fit for me. show less

I was made to have feelings waiting for Rosalind and Dominic to say they loved one another. Also, I love Rockliffe!

I read like 85% via audiobook and the rest with my eyes.

Good story.
Blind heroine.
No cheating.
HEA.