This is a republication of "Pistols for Two", with a few extra short stories added in. The extra stories were a lot of fun, and I thought were a good addition to the collection.

An excellent collection of entertaining stories by Georgette Heyer, including three that have only recently been discovered. A great read for Heyer fans, and it might introduce her work to new readers too.

This delightful collection includes 14 of Georgette Heyer’s stories as well as a Foreword from Jennifer Kloester, her official biographer. The book ends with three of her earlier tales that are less widely known. They are all lighthearted, easy to read, and guaranteed to put you in a good mood.

So this was ridiculous! I was super entertained for a while, but then I started to really feel the lack of substance. Maybe 14 short stories is too much for a volume like this. I grew very tired of one-dimensional characters and no real plot development because the stories kept ending! There was some fun witty banter and some delicious fluff, but I've come away wondering what I even just read!

I would like to thank netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Snowdrift and Other Stories is a collection of Heyer's published short stories including three published in newspaper articles and not seen since their publication.

I really enjoyed Heyer's writing style and clever little twists. I wasn't a fan of how silly all of the female characters were. I'm probably going to go on and try some of her full novels.

I have a love of Georgette Heyer as I do Jane Austen. Although, I found Ms. Heyer later in life, I feel, in this case, better late than never. I was overjoyed when I saw that a new book was being released and knew I'd have to read it. There were only 2 stories I didn’t prefer. This was a wonderful read.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca via Netgalley for the eArc.

I have written two reviews which, taken together, cover the whole collection. First I wrote about "Pistols for Two", on which please see the following text (and this link: https://theidlewoman.net/2018/03/23/pistols-for-two-georgette-heyer/)

When I was sent a review copy of the newly-issued Snowdrift, a collection of Regency short stories by Georgette Heyer, I realised that this volume was a reissue of Pistols for Two, which I already owned (albeit with three newly-added stories). I’ve therefore decided to deal with Snowdrift in two parts: first, by discussing the main batch of stories under their original title Pistols for Two and then, in a separate post, discussing the three new stories included in Snowdrift. Hopefully that won’t be too confusing and it’s also given me a chance to retrieve this rather simpering 1976 edition from my bookshelf. Of course, you know what to expect from these stories: it’s Heyer at her cosiest, by turns predictable and implausible, but always full of wit and humour.

Some of the stories work better than others, of course. Some feel more like vignettes than stories, in which gentlemen conceive improbably swift tendresses for adventurous young ladies over a mere handful of pages. I do like a bit of romance, of course, but I prefer it to be founded on something slightly more robust than the chance rescue of a pragmatic governess from a traffic accident (Snowdrift); an amour conceived when a naive girl sneaks into a nobleman’s house in search of mercy for her headstrong brother (The Duel); or the obligation of driving a flibbertigibbet schoolgirl home for Christmas (Bath Miss). Even if gentlemen aren’t driven to premature declarations of undying love, they have a tendency to be sentimental beyond what I’d expect of hardened Nonpareils and Corinthians: a drunken wager concentrates the mind in Hazard, while a chance encounter (based on another traffic accident) plagues the brooding hero of Pink Domino.

My favourite stories of the bunch were those that offered slightly richer characterisation or unexpected angles. Night at the Inn wasn’t the most glittering example of Heyer’s prose, but it took its readers in an unexpected direction, with a dash of Gothic melodrama, as a young man freshly returned from the Peninsula and a young governess seek shelter in the Pelican Inn overnight. In the titular Pistols for Two, two childhood friends are compelled, by love of the same women, to fight a duel – in which they’re offered unexpected assistance by a visiting London gentleman who has his own interests to protect. The best of the lot, for me, was A clandestine affair, which you could probably have predicted given my deep emotional attachment to witty, sensible characters who tend to bicker (I blame Beatrice and Benedick for this predilection, of course). Here, a pair of young lovers find their passion thwarted by the hard heart of the young man’s guardian, Lord Iver. When the impetuous pair elope, it’s down to Iver and the young lady’s cousin Miss Tresilien to bring them back. Of course, Iver and Miss Tresilien have history, and their unexpected chase prompts them both to revisit their past and reevaluate their future.

The stories are charming, of course, because Heyer never fails to be charming, but I couldn’t help feeling that her delightful tales work better in longer format. Condensed into the short story form, they lose much of the shrewd observation and social commentary that makes her writing so fresh. Instead, they become mere romances and, crammed into a few pages, their innate implausibility becomes even more obvious. Without the space for a comfortable pace, a cast of often eccentric supporting characters, and time to get to know our protagonists, they turn into pieces of romantic fluff, like candy floss sparkling on the tongue. One also becomes uncomfortably aware of Heyer’s tendency to match girls fresh from the schoolroom with overbearing men in their mid-thirties, who treat them as delightfully mindless bits of stuff. Hmm. No wonder I prefer the novels in which older women have the spirit to meet the men on their own terms.

Don’t get me wrong. As an established fan of Heyer, I enjoyed these stories, because they reminded me of themes and characters in her longer books. I do, however, feel that if I’d come to these without having read any of her novels, I’d have written her off as a purveyor of sweet but absurd and insubstantial fables. Something for those who’ve already been charmed by her full-length works, I think.

And here is my post on the three rediscovered stories only published in Snowdrift itself (https://theidlewoman.net/2018/06/10/snowdrift-and-other-stories-georgette-heyer/):

his post will be much shorter than usual, because this book of short stories by the master of Regency fiction is actually a reissue of Pistols for Two, which I wrote about some months ago. (I strongly advise that you read both posts, as only then will you get a full picture of my thoughts.) As I discussed the vast majority of the stories in that post, I'll focus here on the three previously unpublished stories added to Snowdrift for its new release. These are all variations on a theme, namely encounters on the road; and, while they aren't Heyer at her best, they do have a certain historical charm.

The first of the three stories is Pursuit, in which we encounter the grim Lord Shane, who finds himself obliged to chase after his absconding ward and her would-be husband. To make matters worse, he's accompanied by his ward's evidently neglectful governess, Miss Fairfax, who shows a distressing lack of contrition and dares to suggest that the whole affair is his fault for having forbidden the match. Unfortunately, it turns out that even their flight can be misconstrued, leading to a situation of the utmost delicacy. In the next story, Runaway Match, we see the other side of the experience, this time joining a young couple on the run (elopers? elopees?). Mr Rupert Morley and Miss Paradise have known each other since they were children and have always supposed they were to be married. When Miss Paradise's family attempt to make a match for her with the undoubtedly dismal Sir Roland Sale, she and Rupert decide to run away together to Gretna. All is going well so far but, when they encounter a stranger at a posting inn on the road, they fear that Sir Roland may have caught up with them in pursuit of his prize.

The final story is Incident on the Bath Road, in which the elegant Lord Reveley finds himself in the unexpected position of Good Samaritan. An enigmatic young fellow, who gives his name as Mr Brown, has suffered an accident and begs Reveley to help him get to Bath as soon as possible, in order to help defend the honour of a young lady. The story is mildly unconvincing and soon becomes more so, as Reveley finds himself caught up in the most extraordinary state of affairs - which leave him far more involved in the mysterious Mr Brown's fate than he ever expected to be.

As these three stories are new discoveries, they're parcelled together at the end of the content originally published as Pistols for Two. This is slightly unfortunate, as they're all very similar in concept and tend to blur one into the other. They are also not among Heyer's strongest stories, featuring her archetypes rather than fully rounded characters and three very implausible and rather sudden declarations of true love. I have to crown Miss Paradise as Queen of the Anodynes, for her personality seemed to extend no further than being an immature flirt, which made the conclusion of the story even more unlikely to me... but I daresay I'm being uncharitable. Sadly these stories add little to the original collection, but the good thing about buying Snowdrift is that you also get all the amusing tales in Pistols for Two. Ultimately, though, I have to admit that Heyer's forte is as a full-length novelist. Let's be honest: in the more condensed short-story form, we see just how implausible and sudden her romances are and how ubiquitous her 'types' are.

"Delightful, glittering, timeless romance for your holiday season.

The Queen of Regency Romance, Georgette Heyer, shines in this sparkling collection of fourteen short stories brimming with romance, intrigue, villainy, gallant heroes, compelling heroines, and, of course, the dazzling world of the Regency period.

Additional content in this re-issue of the Pistols for Two collection includes three of Heyer's earliest short stories, rarely seen since their original publication in the 1930s, as well as a Foreword by Heyer's official biographer, Jennifer Kloester.

Revel in a Regency world so intricately researched and charmingly realized, you'll want to escape there again and again in Heyer stories new and old."

Three rare stories? I'm in!

Georgette Heyer is one of my all time favorite authors. I first started reading her when I was in junior and am still reading and rereading her books almost fifty years later. This collection of short stories is just a great read during the holidays and wintertime.

This collection of short stories by Georgette Heyer were sweet and a nice in-between-read. The first stories were awfully boring, since they were short, the characters seemed soulless - all falling in love with each other in an instance, but they grew more complex and interesting as the book went on. I'm sure, for Heyer fans this book will be enjoyable to many. I wasn't particularly taken with the book since I like long stories better where I can identify with the protagonist and understand the world he lives in.

LOVE Georgette Heyer. This is a perfect book destressing with 5 minutes of gorgeous stories.

I love Georgette Heyer regency romances and mysteries. I'm very happy that I had the chance to read some of her short stories . I liked some more than others and one of them I would have loved as a full length novel. I will admit, I'm not a big fan of short stories but I didn't think I could go wrong with Heyer. Would recommend if you're a fan of hers.

*Thank you to the publisher and Net galley for a copy in exchange for an honest review .

This is a collection of short stories - many of which, if I read the introduction correctly, were published in the 1920s and 1930s. I've previously read most of these short stories. Most, maybe all, through original sources (as in, the original magazines or newspapers the stories appeared in - no I'm not super old, I read copies).

<b>Snowdrift</b>
This is one of those stories I've not previously read.

The story starts off mostly flat, but it picks up to a satisfying conclusion. The story involves a young woman in a carriage hurrying to Bath during a snowstorm. In the carriage are several people, including her maid, and her detested cousin. Both the cousin and the young woman are rushing to Bath to meet their grandfather. The old coot is loaded with cash and has indicated that, despite noting he was going to cut off both of their mothers for marrying the wrong type of men, now believes he might in fact allow some of the money to go to the young woman or Joseph.

As the story proceeds, the snow worsens, lessons, worsens until the carriage runs off the road and flips onto it's side. The fat young cousin proceeds to push himself free and takes off on one of the horses for the nearest town. The young woman has the others in the carriage pull her maid out and both whimper on the side of the road, for different reasons. The maid has a broken leg, the young woman will be beaten to Bath by her fat cousin (and her maid has a broken leg - the young woman isn't heartless).

The sound of horses, the appearance of one of those open type of carriage like thingies. A man asks what's up, and is persuaded to give a lift to the maid and young woman. Along the way he offers up her name and is startled when she doesn't recognize his name ('Never before had Sir Julian Arden announced his identity with so little effect! Indeed, it was seldom that he was put to the trouble of announcing it at all. not only was he the acknowledged leader of Fashion, a crack shot, and a nonpareil amongst whips: he was quite the most eligible bachelor in Society as well.'). And, he finds, she's nothing like the normal type of woman he encounters.

Stuff happens, etc. etc. Interesting enough story. As noted, flat-ish in beginning, picks up in interest, then ends.

The introduction noted that Heyer sometimes expanded short stories into full length books - I do not recognize
this specific story or characters.

I liked the personalities displayed - the dandy who doesn't have to act like a dandy around the young woman, nor does he really get the chance -

When it's mentioned that they continue to Bath in Arden's open carriage - the curricle - he replied that it'd be too cold, but she responds that she'd like it quite well -

<blockquote>'And only think what a deal of expense you may save!'

Sir Julian, who had never in his life considered such a sordid matter, agreed to it meekly . . ..'</blockquote>

Rating: 4.03

January 10 2018

<b>Full Moon</b>
Previously read in 2012; roughly 54 pages in length. My favorite of the previously read short stories collected here.

I probably have a review for this short story somewhere, thought I'd put it here. pfft. No matter, that review was from 2012 . . . drat, going to have to look for it to see what I'd originally rated the story.

Right, so, this story: Interesting reread - a man in his 30s arrives at an Inn - he had been 'summoned' to visit a friend of his sisters but the winding roads have made him late, so he's stopping for dinner and possibly the night at the inn - instead of wandering on and arriving way too late.

While at the inn he encounters a man drinking heavily. And learns that the man, Tom, is about to elope with someone who he had known since childhood and had made some kind of marriage pact. Though currently he's drinking heavily because of that elopement - the young woman indicated that her papa was forcing her to marry some old man and Tom felt obligated to mention elopement. And now finds himself waiting for the carriage to arrive so he can go pick her up.

Naturally, after drinking so much, he slumps over asleep and the man who had stopped at the Inn, Lord Stayely, who is something around 34 or 35, goes in Tom's place. No - no - not to elope with the young woman, but to inform her about Tom's . . . illness.

Good story. Liked it. Believe I liked it more the first time I read it, but then the jokes were fresh that time. The interaction between the Lord and the young woman was interest, humorous, like the first read. Don't recall if I found the interaction between the papa and the Lord to be humorous, but did find it humorous this read.

Rating: 4.33

January 10 2018

<b>Pistols for Two</b>

While well written for what it is, it isn't what I was looking to read. Nor thought I'd be reading. This is by no means a romance. Heck, there weren't even any women in it (okay, there is but she has no lines, and is just the cause for the story, not a participant).

Two hot-headed young friends, somewhere below the age of 21 I believe, lust after the same woman. There is, in fact, 'stuff' about the woman in the story, but it is of the 'ugly duckling to swan' type of thing, not actual real participation by the woman in the story. The two young friends spent much time together, fishing, hunting, stuff. Then a woman popped up who they had not wanted anything to do with until she returned from growing up to appear . . . beddable - and the two young men compete to win her. For she is, you see, an object.

One thing leads to another, and the vast majority of the story consists of setting up a duel, having a duel, and the aftermath.

No idea how to rate this story. As noted, well written. But not what I wanted to read. So.....

Rating: 3.3

January 10 2018

<b>A Clandestine Affair</b>

A young woman begs her guardian - shockingly a woman (and her sister at that) - to allow her to marry her 'love'. The guardian was leaning to accepting the marriage, until she learned that the fella in question has a guardian himself and that man is against the marriage.

Later we learn that the two guardians had a past - and much of the conflict is based on that.

This is another of those high-speed chasing eloping people short stories. Though there's two twists here, neither of which I, of course, will mention.

One neat thing about this story? Okay, two neat things. There's a teenage girl involved in this romance, like normal, but her intended is roughly her own age - give or take . . . 5 or so years. Though, more importantly, the main character is the 'elderly' woman of 37 (something around 37) and she also has a romance in this story with a man roughly her own age (okay, I don't really know his age but he wasn't described as needing to use a cane or a 'Bath Chair' so he can't be too much older than the woman).

Quite refreshing - even today - to read a romance that involves someone 'as old as' 37.

Rating: 3.83

Read: January 10 2018; Reviewed: January 11 2018

<b>Bath Miss</b>

A man of about 30 something is tasked with the mission of bringing a 'Bath Miss' from the school-room, so to speak, in Bath to London. The first thing the young woman of 19 does is change from school room clothing to 'adult female' clothing. With a huge hat.

The woman is shown to be bubbly and quite naïve. The main is shown as . . . vaguely icky - since he decides, without consulting her, that he <spoiler>will be marrying her. I don't mean that he's decided that she'd make a good wife, or that he's decided to pursue her. I mean he's going to go to get a marriage license and marry her. </spoiler> I strike out 'vaguely'. There's a disturbing vibe about the entire story.

Rating: 3.42

Read: January 10 2018; Reviewed: January 11 2018

<b>Pink Domino</b>

Another 'young woman courting a young man shockingly near her own age' story, like the Affair one above, though here the main character is a man and this adds in the 'lovely' trope of having the lusted after object being . . . well, an object instead of a human (um, he is lusting after a woman, I mean he's treating her as an object) that has no will of her own. He decided he wanted her so . . that's that.

Rating: 3.78

Read: January 10 2018; Reviewed: January 11 2018

<b>A Husband for Fanny</b>
Previously read in 2012; roughly 39 pages in length.

A mother, Clarissa Wingham, attempts to help her 17 year old daughter, Fanny, have a season and a chance to 'catch a husband'. Clarissa has her eyes on the 40 year old Lord Harleston for her 17 year old daughter.

<b>To Have the Honour</b>

A man comes back from the wars to find that he is head of the household and his father left the family in debt. Plus - 'for reasons', he wasn't told the true state of the family's finances for months because everyone assumed (mother, siblings, creditors), that 'of course' he was going to marry Hetty. Which he finds revolting. Until he doesn't find it revolting any longer.

Heyer seemed to really love matching up first cousins in romances. Not all the time, but enough times for me to make the comment. Accurate to the Regency era? Eh, maybe, who knows. Limited number of 'good families' about, I'm sure. Major problem surfaced in this particular story, though - Heyer went too far down this road.

Hetty and . . . . Viscount guy lived as brother and sister (not from babies, but at some point Hetty moved in while they were young, and then they lived as brother and sister) and both either see the other that way, and/or say they do. So this moves from first cousin romance to sibling romance. Heck, the Viscount's mother kept saying over and over again that she saw Hetty as her daughter, so it's not like it was just in the eyes of the two youngsters. It was a reoccurring theme in the story - they lived, loved, and saw each other as brother and sister.

Unlike with the Lannisters, everyone seems quite happy with the incestal relationship here (the Viscount was revolted by his mother hiding the finances, and um assuming Hetty and he would marry, and forcing her and stuff; not revolted by the idea of marrying Hetty).

Rating: 2

January 12 2018

<b>Night at the Inn</b>

Unexpectedly, and oddly enough, this story was more of a gothic horror/mystery than a romance. Though there is a man and a woman to 'make eyes' at each other in the story - still not a romance story.

The story consists of telling about three people who stayed at a particular Inn at the same time - an inn not the norm - isn't the first place someone would go to stay the night. And the ominous dangerous things that occur the night the three spend at that Inn.

Rating: 3.65

January 14 2018

<b>The Duel</b>

As I put in my notes - yet another duel story; though here there's a bit more romance than the other story, since the woman character actually has lines and is a much larger part in this story. Also, as kind of expected, this is yet another story involving a much older man and a much younger woman - this time the woman hasn't even been 'out' yet.

On the other hand - entertaining story. Not much humor, but there's at least one real laugh that occurs - near the end. Nothing to go out of your way to track down to read, but also not a story to go out of your way to skip.

Rating: 4.15

January 14 2018

<b>Hazard</b>

There's very little that can be said about this story that would not be spoilery. What can be stated is what sets up the story - the story opens with a half-brother offering up his sister when he runs out of money during a game of chance that involves dice. The person who he is playing against accepts this bet. Though, it probably should be noted, every other person in the room is horrified by the bet.

Let's see, other things I wrote down as I read: 'she was mad/he was drunk'; there's a little scene near the end that, I suppose, is intended to be humorous and possibly 'redeem' the people involved in this story, though it doesn't work for either issue.

Rating: 1.75

January 16 2018

<b>Pursuit</b>
Previously read in 2012; roughly 10 pages in length.

A tale of people fleeing/eloping, and others chasing. And the romance that could/can occur in such a setting. Specifically between a governess and an Earl.

<b>Runaway Match</b>
Previously read in 2012 (found in a 1937 magazine put-up online - Australian Women's Weekly); Roughly 4 pages in length.

Two 18 year-olds attempt to escape an arranged/forced marriage (specifically between the female of the pair to another man than the one she flees with) by fleeing and eloping.

<b>Incident on the Bath Road</b>
Previously read in 2012; roughly 4 pages in length.

Two men head to Bath - separately and unknown to each other. One, an Earl, spots the other broken down on the side of the road. The Earl stops and helps the person he finds stranded on the side of the road.

<u><b>Stories:</B></u>
Snowdrift: 4.03
Full Moon: 4.33 (reread rating, original rating 5 stars) 9.33/2=4.665
Pistols for Two: 3.3
A Clandestine Affair: 3.83
Bath Miss: 3.42
Pink Domino: 3.78
A Husband for Fanny: n/a (already read) - 4 stars
To Have the Honour: 2
Night at the Inn: 3.65
The Duel: 4.15
Hazard: 1.75
Pursuit: n/a - previously read - 4 stars
Runaway Match: n/a - previously read - 4 stars
Incident on the Bath Road: n/a - previously read - 3 stars
<b>overall</b>: 3.541071429 (3.4 without including previously read stories, 3.5 if including them)

Overall a good collection of stories, though I was surprised 'so many' of them were just snippets instead of full short stories (there's a difference between a snippet and a short story), and how many of the stories were not, in fact, romances. I kind of went into it expecting romances.

January 16 2018

For me, Georgette Heyer is as comforting as a steaming cup of tea in one of my favorite mugs; as cozy as a soft and warm blanket; and as cheering as catching up with a longtime friend over a laughter-filled meal. I can’t get enough of her Regency romances, and luckily still have many left to work my way through in the future. Sometimes however, I don’t feel like devoting my reading time to one of these full-length novels, but I still crave that Heyer magic.

Enter Snowdrift and Other Stories. I was thrilled to discover this short story collection which delivers everything I love about Georgette Heyer’s work in bite-sized pieces. Heyer is just as brilliant, witty, fun, and readable in this format as she is in her novels. I thoroughly enjoyed dipping in and out of this collection and reading one or two stories at a time.

The stories do tend to blend together after a point, as many themes and plots are repeated. However, pretty much all of Heyer is represented here. There are duels, elopements, mistaken identities, carriage accidents, masquerade balls, second-chance love affairs, and family dramas. Although only one or two stories actually have anything to do with snow or winter, this collection was especially fun to read during the season.

A few of my favorite stories included: Full Moon, Pistols for Two, To Have the Honour, Hazard, and Pursuit. If you’re a Heyer fan, I can’t recommend Snowdrift and Other Stories enough. It’s a collection I will certainly return to again and again for my coveted Heyer fix.

Georgette Heyer, Snowdrift and Other Stories (1960, 2016)

Of course, I had heard of Georgette Heyer, but I had never read anything by her until this December. I am not a big romance reader, although I have been known to indulge in some heavily sugary treat before. The first time I remember reading romances was during college, when I found some in the recreation room of the boarding house I lived (managed by Catholic sisters, of all things! I bet they never opened the second-hand books that gathered dust there!). It made sense to me to try Georgette Heyer’s short stories to close 2017 when I tried to read all kinds of short stories.

You won’t be surprised that Georgette Heyer’s stories are very clean and witty, and provide light-hearted entertainment with lots of costumes and a happy ending guarantee (I have just finished Downton Abbey, so I was in the right mood for it). I didn’t take them very seriously because most were quite short, so that the plot line between the 2 people meeting and them falling in each other’s arms at the last minute wasn’t developed enough. There are a lot of love at first sight, a lot of funny misunderstandings, a lot of elopement schemes (so many couples running to Gretna Green that they likely were stuck in traffic!), a lot of dashing young men with shiny Hessian boots. They were a bit interchangeable (once again due to the format), but I enjoyed the light banter between the characters and the overall feeling was playful and charming.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca for the review copy.

A very enjoyable collection of stories by Georgette Heyer, the queen of regency, all with a winter/holiday theme. It was definitely a pleasant way to spend a snowy day.

The link to the review will be added upon completing and polishing the review.

I’m so glad i saved this wonderful read until Christmas. Reading stories containing snowy scenes was made all the more fun by the snow outside my window.

This is the first short story collection that has held my interest all the way through. Although I loved certain stories more than others, i actually *liked* them all. Which I think is a first for me! Every story was different enough that it didn’t feel at all repetitive and each heroine and hero felt different from the last. I really enjoyed the various scenarios Heyer orchestrated in order to bring the two lovebirds together, from misunderstandings to old flames, you’ll find the lot in this collection. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of plots that followed men’s friendship too, like in Pistols For Two.

I adore the way Heyer writes with intelligence and wit which really helps her characters come to life. Her stories are so easy to read and they really do whisk you away while the plot unfolds. I found myself laughing out loud and exclaiming ‘aww’ regularly.

Above all, each story left a huge grin on my face. An excellent addition to my Heyer collection. The only reason I can’t give it 5 stars is because some of the stories were a tad short for me. But I can’t have everything! Heyer definitely delivered everything I’ve come to love about Regency-centred writing.

The Queen of Regency Romance wrote so many delightful tales and I was in high anticipation when I saw the release of this short story collection featuring all the stories released in the Pistols for Two anthology and three brand new short story releases. A young lady anticipating her first ball could not have been in a bigger fervor than me. I enjoyed my re-acquaintance with the Pistols for Two stories and these other sparkling new ones.
Review

Twelve stories in all, Snowdrift and Other Stories delivered Heyer’s signature wit and shine, engaging characters, and people who are not exactly as they seem. Poised and clever older heroines or coming of age and a little absurd younger ones. Hopeful heroes to cynics who lead London Society. The variety and stylings of the characters, the town and country settings and the elegant yet comedic plot make anything the author writes something I will snatch up.

This collection produced many stories of elopement and journeys it seemed and the age-old misunderstanding to further the twist that comes when all is made known. Some stories were moderately enjoyable, but there were a few fasts favorites that I know I will want to sample again and again. I loved seeing in these shorter pieces some of the bones for fully developed novels that came later. The intro by Jennifer Kloester who has written two wonderful books about the author was a great bit of extra.

My favorite stories were Snowdrift, the first entry about a shining young lady set out to visit a misery grandfather and ends up stuck in the snow until a debonair rescuer comes and finds himself captivated by his traveling companion, and A Husband For Fanny in which a middle-aged widower finds that love and romance are not only for the young. Hazard, when an aristocrat wins a lady at a card game and then Incident on the Bath Road when a bored earl gets an adventure.

So, the reunion with several familiar stories and a few new ones reminded me once again why I adore this author’s work. Fans of Heyer must pick this latest collection up for themselves and its a good place for new readers to encounter the author’s work.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Quick and clever stories culled from the pages of magazines in the twenties and thirties. Good clean little romances.