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In Regency England, a woman risks scandal, disgrace, even her own life for a forbidden passion in this "sure-to-please saga" (Kirkus Reviews).From the moment the handsome, raffish stranger with the gold earring throws her a kiss, Jessica Frenshaw is enchanted. Rumored to be a half-Spanish wanderer who can predict the future, Romany Jake is unjustly put on trial for murder. After the verdict banishes him from England, Jessica despairs of ever seeing him again. But one fateful day, Jake show more Cadorson returns to reclaim what he has lost—including the woman who saved him from the gallows.
From the ballrooms and lavish estates of Regency England through the bitter bloodshed of the Napoleonic Wars, Return of the Gypsy weaves a spellbinding tale of blackmail, murder, and illicit passion as a woman risks everything for the man she loves—a man who isn't what he seems.
. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Romance. show less
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Read during Fall 2002
As the cover says, 'Phillippa Carr, who is also Victoria Holt' and it is clearly by the same author as all my vaugely Victorian romances. However, this is a Regency and is actually set in a real time, the years 1805 thourgh 1815 and historical events impact the characters. Does it make it a better novel? Not really. The writing can get stilted and the characters one-dimensional. There is the implausiblity of a 20 year old man falling so hard for a barely 12 year old girl that he comes back after 7 years transportation to Australia to seek her out. But that is just the start! We have gypsys and houses of ill repute and Luddites and shady, mysterious characters and an unwed mother and a mysterious death and many show more amazing coicidences and, yet, somehow, there is the happy ending. It picked up speed as it got moving and I was somewhat amazed at the frankness about adult relations but I guess the Regency is a different time. We'll see what the next Phillippa Carr brings. show less
As the cover says, 'Phillippa Carr, who is also Victoria Holt' and it is clearly by the same author as all my vaugely Victorian romances. However, this is a Regency and is actually set in a real time, the years 1805 thourgh 1815 and historical events impact the characters. Does it make it a better novel? Not really. The writing can get stilted and the characters one-dimensional. There is the implausiblity of a 20 year old man falling so hard for a barely 12 year old girl that he comes back after 7 years transportation to Australia to seek her out. But that is just the start! We have gypsys and houses of ill repute and Luddites and shady, mysterious characters and an unwed mother and a mysterious death and many show more amazing coicidences and, yet, somehow, there is the happy ending. It picked up speed as it got moving and I was somewhat amazed at the frankness about adult relations but I guess the Regency is a different time. We'll see what the next Phillippa Carr brings. show less
Like the previous two books in the series, we have a plodding narrative with little action and lots of repetition. The repetition in this case occurs between Jessica – the narrator – and Jake, the so-called gypsy. In the second half of the book, they have the same type of conversation every time they meet, which grows more annoying each time. The same occurs in the previous novel with the male & female lead characters.
Certain themes from this story, especially adultery, are repeated from the previous three books. This shows a lack of originality. By now, The Adulteresses of England would make a more fitting title for the series.
The first half of the novel, however, features several quality scenes. This led me to believe this would show more turn into a gripping read, but it goes downhill fast after the gypsy returns.
Of the characters, I rate Dickon as the strongest creation. He stars in several previous novels, but unfortunately, he isn’t featured as prominently in this one.
In short, this is an average volume in the Daughters of England series. show less
Certain themes from this story, especially adultery, are repeated from the previous three books. This shows a lack of originality. By now, The Adulteresses of England would make a more fitting title for the series.
The first half of the novel, however, features several quality scenes. This led me to believe this would show more turn into a gripping read, but it goes downhill fast after the gypsy returns.
Of the characters, I rate Dickon as the strongest creation. He stars in several previous novels, but unfortunately, he isn’t featured as prominently in this one.
In short, this is an average volume in the Daughters of England series. show less
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256+ Works 37,274 Members
Jean Plaidy was a British writer who wrote under various pen names. Her real name is Eleanor Alice Burford Hibbert. She was born in London on September 1, 1906. Most of the books written as Jean Plaidy are historical romances based on English history featuring historical figures. The first, Beyond the Blue Mountains, was published in 1947. Hibbert show more also wrote five nonfiction histories and two children's books. Besides Jean Plaidy, Hibbert wrote under Victoria Holt, Phillipa Carr, Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow, Ellalice Tate, and her maiden name, Eleanor Burford. Hibbert died on January 18, 1993. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Return of the Gypsy
- Original title
- The Return of the Gypsy
- Original publication date
- 1985
- People/Characters
- Jessica
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- Members
- 94
- Popularity
- 328,820
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.68)
- Languages
- English, Finnish, German, Spanish
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 2
