This is such a comfortably entertaining read that it's easy to revisit once in a while, in large part because of the gradual and believable evolution of the romance between the two main characters.

Christopher "Kit" Fancot is with the diplomatic corps, currently situated in Vienna as part of Charles Stewart's staff. But a sense of foreboding that his older twin, Evelyn, has suffered an injury has brought him back to London where he arrives at the family home unannounced and in the wee hour...

This is such a comfortably entertaining read that it's easy to revisit once in a while, in large part because of the gradual and believable evolution of the romance between the two main characters.

Christopher "Kit" Fancot is with the diplomatic corps, currently situated in Vienna as part of Charles Stewart's staff. But a sense of foreboding that his older twin, Evelyn, has suffered an injury has brought him back to London where he arrives at the family home unannounced and in the wee hours. Only Lady Denville is aware of her son's arrival (he climbs through a window when the deaf butler fails to respond to the doorbell) and Kit finds her in a worry - not only had Evelyn failed to return from a trip as expected but he is supposed to attend a dinner party arranged expressly so he could meet and secure the blessings of Lady Stavely on his proposed marriage to her granddaughter.

Kit reluctantly poses as his twin at the dinner party, only agreeing to what he considers an unconscionable masquerade when he's convinced it's what Evelyn would want him to do. He's surprised by the news that Evelyn has decided on a marriage of convenience to Cressida Stavely, whom Evelyn has never even mentioned in his letters, but he soon learns why: to gain control of the inheritance that has been tied up in a Trust since the Earl of Denville's death 15 months earlier so he can pay off his mother's debts.

Cressy is considered on the shelf at the age of 20, having preferred staying with her widowed father and managing his household to any of the marriage offers she'd received. But now her situation has become almost unbearable, with her father remarried to a young woman who detests Cressy as much as Cressy detests her. Though she does not know Evelyn well, she likes him and appreciates his honesty about the reason for proposing. She accepts his offer as a way to escape her increasingly uncomfortable situation but by the time of the dinner party she is having second thoughts about her decision. She becomes even more uncertain at the dinner party because of the subtle differences she detects in Kit's Evelyn, and tells him she wants more time to consider his offer.

Kit is able to pull off the masquerade easily because none of the Stavelys is well-acquainted with Evelyn, but he is determined not to spend more time with Cressy under false colors. He removes to the family estate at Ravenhurst where he hopes to avoid exposure while he tries to discover what happened to Evelyn. He's more mystified than concerned since he would know if Evelyn were dead or in serious distress because of the close connection the twins share.

** POSSIBLE SPOILERS **

The fun begins when Lady Stavely extracts an invitation from Kit's mother and brings Cressy to Ravenhurst for an extended visit. Lady Stavely is intimidating and overbearing but she's sincerely attached to her granddaughter and wants to be sure Cressy would be happy with Evelyn before she countenances the marriage. Evelyn's title and fortune make him a matrimonial prize but Lady Stavely is bothered by the rumors of his amorous adventures.

Kit recognizes Evelyn's recent recklessness for what it is, thoughtless rebellion against the galling terms of his inheritance. But whereas Evelyn has his mother's impetuosity, Kit inherited the best qualities of each of his parents: he is steady and responsible like his emotionally distant father but possesses the charm, affectionate nature and engaging manners that characterize his financially irresponsible mother. He is unstintingly loyal and resolved to carry through with the masquerade because he cannot risk doing otherwise, but he stops short of furthering his brother's interests with Cressy when he realizes he's in love with her himself.

The rest of the Ravenhurst party, invited by Lady Denville to provide a buffer for Kit, is comprised of her most faithful cicisbeo, the obese but urbane and wealthy Sir Bonamy Ripple (I love Heyer's play on names); and her miserly brother Cosmo's family, who provide a bit of comic relief. Lady Denville might have been an exasperating character except that she's so kind, dotes on her sons and can be wonderfully entertaining, as when she gets Cosmo's family to leave sooner than they had planned by telling her sister-in-law there was NOT a scarlet fever epidemic in the village: "Lady Denville, to Kit's intense admiration, managed to beseech her not to fly from Ravenhurst, without in any way lessening her alarm..."

I really liked this couple and the way the romance evolved in the course of their constant interactions at Ravenhurst. As Kit noted at that first dinner party, Cressy has all the poise and self-assurance that her stepmother lacks, having managed her father's household since she was 16, and this explains her stepmother's jealousy and determination to get Cressy married off. And though she was prepared to settle for a marriage of convenience before the story began and would have been a good wife for Evelyn, her personality and the qualities she shares with Kit make her perfect for him. It's easy to see that she will be an ideal diplomat's wife, and I loved that marriage to Kit will give her the chance to realize her childhood dream of traveling to other countries and learning their people and their cultures.

Kit has all the looks, manners and charm of his twin brother but he's much less emotionally volatile and thus more steady and dependable. He was bred to diplomacy but for all that, he's no pushover. He holds his own with Lady Stavely, earning her respect as "a proper man...one that knows what's o'clock, and aIn't afraid to look one in the face, and give one back as good as he gets!" And for all of Lady Stavely's irascibility, she is an endearingly shrewd character who "know[s] one point more than the devil, as they say" and is trying to ensure her granddaughter's future happiness.

My only quibble with this story is a minor one that I have with many Heyers, the silly way she describes the heroine's reaction to that first passionate kiss. Otherwise, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read that I can easily revisit time and again.

I was in junior high school, reading Deceptions by Judith Michael along with everyone else – that was the last time I had this much fun reading about changeling twins. Of course, Deceptions was drowning in bathos, while False Colours is a lighthearted comedy of errors.

Kit and Evelyn Francot are twins, the sons of London’s famed beauty, Lady Denville. Evelyn has come into the title Earl of Denville, being the elder. (One wonders how they can tell?) But, as so often happens in Heyer, he doe...

I was in junior high school, reading Deceptions by Judith Michael along with everyone else – that was the last time I had this much fun reading about changeling twins. Of course, Deceptions was drowning in bathos, while False Colours is a lighthearted comedy of errors.

Kit and Evelyn Francot are twins, the sons of London’s famed beauty, Lady Denville. Evelyn has come into the title Earl of Denville, being the elder. (One wonders how they can tell?) But, as so often happens in Heyer, he doesn’t have free access to the money, nor can he bail his flakey mother out of some serious debt. Kit has been serving in the diplomatic corps, and arrives home unexpectedly just in time to be drafted into service as a stand-in for his brother, to keep Evelyn's engagement to the heiress Cressy Stavely from going south. Evelyn has gone missing, and with the tie between them, Kit senses he’s all right, but in some sort of trouble. To no one’s surprise, Kit, the more level-headed brother, finds the smart and sensible Cressy attractive. And just when she was going to cry off the engagement, she finds a different sort of Evelyn attractive, as well.

No, it’s not the best Heyer I’ve ever read. Surely that would be Venetia or Cotillion. Or An Infamous Army. Or These Old Shades. But it’s a fun, relaxing read, with the usual great characters. Kit and Evelyn adore their dippy mother, in a relationship that’s touching. Their father was an inflexible man, and the wrong husband for the helpless Amabel, unable to love her for what she is. I read one review grousing about her character as a spendthrift, self-indulgent idiot, but if you know history, you recognize Lady Denville. A Regency standard. Heyer even gives you a bit of shorthand, openly comparing her to the incomparable Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. She’s past forty and still has groupies, “cicisbeo” in Regency-speak. It’s a hoot. Some of the funniest scenes are between Kit and various dazzled followers. The most loyal and (long-lasting) is Sir Bonamy Ripple, larger than life in more ways than one. His adoration leads to some funny plot turns you don’t see coming.

I only had one odd complaint, that being some choppiness. At one particular point, Kit’s inner narrative, regarding his love for Cressy, lurches forward in a way that just shouts “missing scene.” Leaves you scratching your head. I’ve seen this a couple times in her books, I think because she was turning them out so fast, trying for two a year, and her editor got sloppy. I was expecting a lot of trademark period slang in Friday’s Child, with so many fashionable London blades, but really got more in this book. False Colours is heavy on dialog, and much of it is with the servants, especially the valet, Fimber. So if you find yourself bum squabbled in the devil of a hank, you might want to reach for Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, but it’s not necessary. The fun of Heyer’s language is that it flows, and you’ll always pick up the meaning from the context. Enjoy!

This was my first Georgette Heyer book, and started me on collecting everything from her I can get my hands on. Cute and clean little regency romance. It’s not just a love story…that would be boring. It’s a comedy, with all sort of hijinks that the main characters get into, specifically the main character who has switched identities with his twin brother. I really liked it, and I recommend this edition too. Font is easy to read and the book is easy to hold on to. Virtually indestructible cover.

This was my first Georgette Heyer book, and started me on collecting everything from her I can get my hands on. Cute and clean little regency romance. It’s not just a love story…that would be boring. It’s a comedy, with all sort of hijinks that the main characters get into, specifically the main character who has switched identities with his twin brother. I really liked it, and I recommend this edition too. Font is easy to read and the book is easy to hold on to. Virtually indestructible cover.

I'm reading every Georgette Heyer book I can get my hands on. She is simply brilliant in creating her characters, in spinning out sparkling dialogue, and in her astounding knowledge of the period. I can't get enough of her vocabulary and all those witty turns of phrase. This book is essentially a comedy about mistaken identity, or rather, one handsome twin (Kit) posing as the missing handsome twin (Evelyn -- and that is a man's name in England, pronounced Eve - uh - lyn). Evelyn has disappear...

I'm reading every Georgette Heyer book I can get my hands on. She is simply brilliant in creating her characters, in spinning out sparkling dialogue, and in her astounding knowledge of the period. I can't get enough of her vocabulary and all those witty turns of phrase. This book is essentially a comedy about mistaken identity, or rather, one handsome twin (Kit) posing as the missing handsome twin (Evelyn -- and that is a man's name in England, pronounced Eve - uh - lyn). Evelyn has disappeared. The twins' mother -- a gorgeous feather-brained spendthrift (widowed) named Amabel -- hatches a plan for Kit to masquerade as the missing Evelyn, largely because Evelyn's engagement to Cressida Stavely has the potential to set all things right with the family's finances. When Evelyn finally shows up, things are in a serious tangle. This is a fun Heyer novel -- very lighthearted. The character of the fluff-brained but beautiful mother is masterfully done. Highly recommended.