I had thought The Grand Sophy and Venetia were the best, and then I reread this one. Since then, I pick it up every few weeks when I can't sleep, need a good laugh or a good sigh, or just want to admire Heyer's spot-on period detail. The BAAth setting (bad pun) is delightful, making a smaller circle of characters, all of whom know each other.Oddly, this one seems to be the shortest of the novels, and not one Heyer herself thought was great. Who cares? Jane Austen thought no one would like Emma but herself. Sometimes authors are wrong about the reception of their books. I love Emma, and I love Black Sheep. It's the funniest and most romantic of them all. And there's something delicious about finding yourself rooting for the rebels in the book to find happiness with each other. Read it!