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Romance in the Regency Historical romance is, technically speaking, set during any period between the beginning of time and today. If it’s set in the past it’s historical. But more commonly, historical romance novels are set between the Medieval period and the late 1800s, with the 1800s being probably the most popular. Regency romance is a subgenre of historical romance, set specifically during the Regency period of 1811-1820. This is when George, the Prince of Wales, acted as Regent due to his father’s ill health. When his father died in 1820 George became the official ruler - King George IV - and the Regency period came to a technical end. However, the line between regency and historical quite often gets blurred and many books set around, but not exactly in, the period have a regency vibe. For the purpose of this article, novels set in and around the actual Regency period will be referred to as ‘Regencies’. Hallmarks of the Regency Regency novels all have some things in common: set in England feature characters who belong to the haut ton or

the ton - literally ‘high tone’ - meaning fashionable and referring to members of the aristocracy

showcase the social activities of the day - the (social) Season, balls, musicales, carriage rides, plays, etc

Common plot themes Regencies are romance novels so there are several plots which authors use to create their stories. The Regency period lends itself to many including the following: marriages of convenience forced marriages (due to breaking social custom

and needing to protect the heroine’s reputation and standing in the ton)

pretend engagements mistaken identity

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mistresses spinsters (those women not married by their very

early twenties) romance between a guardian and his charge kidnappings (sometimes, but not always, related

to mistaken identity) orphans, and young women responsible for

younger sibling/s mixing of social classes In many stories, especially in novels written in more recent times, mystery may also be a large element of the plot. A jealous relative may desire to become the titled peer, a supposed past suicide may have been murder, a series of thefts may be occurring at a country house, or the hero may be a spy or Government agent. Regencies written in the last decade or so tend to have much more adventure involved in their plot than the more traditional regencies. Heroes and Heroines and Marriage As with many romances, especially historical, the hero is buff and handsome, liked by everyone, protective and considerate of his women-folk, aristocratic and rich. They are usually aged late twenties, early thirties and have avoided, and may still be trying to avoid, the ‘marriage mart’. The Season and its associated balls, assemblies, musicales, etc, is like a market place and is designed to showcase the eligible ladies to the eligible bachelors. The ladies are trying to secure wealthy, and hopefully titled, husbands, while the men are trying to satisfy the demands of their mothers and families to marry and produce an heir. Ladies’ mothers were often referred to as ‘matchmaking mamas’ and were rabid in their efforts to marry their daughters to eligible men. Strong men like the heroes of Regency novels aren’t happy with the mostly insipid, giggly, and quite often less-than-intelligent ladies on offer. They just need the right sassy heroine to make marriage an attractive proposition. Unmarried women in those days were often a financial burden to their family, and, when their father died, were dependent upon a brother or other male relative for their upkeep. Very few employment

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options were open to aristocratic women, so being unmarried was a very insecure position to be in. The heroines of Regencies are independently-minded, strong-willed, educated (more so than most of their peers), and intelligent. They are also usually members of the aristocracy and therefore from wealthy families. Why do Regencies resonate? Among the aristocracy marriage was traditionally for securing property or producing heirs. Love, and sometimes even like, didn’t come into it. However, around the Regency period love was becoming a much more accepted reason for marrying. Whereas in times gone by aristocrats had to do their duty and marry to protect the family interests, they now had the choice to marry for love. This is an aspect of society that is true for most people today - for many there is much time and energy devoted to finding ‘the one’ and falling in love. The heroes and heroines of Regencies are easy to identify with. We as readers, and especially romance readers, also like to read about handsome men, beautiful women, big mansions, glittering events, and all the trappings of a wealthy lifestyle. It’s all about visiting a fantasy world! A selection of Regency authors Jane Austen The original Regency romance writer, though she wrote more about the landed gentry than the aristocracy. Pride and Prejudice is a classic. Georgette Heyer The acknowledged queen of Regency romance. Her novels were superbly researched and character-driven. Try The Grand Sophy and Arabella. She was born in 1902 in England, died in 1974 and was a prolific writer of both romance and mystery. (For more on Georgette Heyer see the article in Lib News, Vol 2 No 2, available on the Library website). Mary Balogh An engaging writer, her Simply series, Bedwyn (or Slightly) series, and her Huxtable Quartet, are favourites.

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Gaelen Foley Gaelen Foley writes sexy romances full of mystery and intrigue. Try her Knight Miscellany series or her Spice Trilogy. Eloisa James Eloisa James also writes sexy romance, often featuring Dukes and Duchesses - the height of the aristocracy. Try her Desperate Duchesses series. Lisa Kleypas While set well outside the Regency period in the 1840s and 1850s Kleypas’ Hathaway series has a regency feel and is full of wit and warmth. Stephanie Laurens Stephanie Laurens is Australia’s queen of Regency romance and she has had great international success, regularly appearing on bestseller lists the world over. Her characters are strong and sexy and her books are full of adventure and mystery. Try her Cynster series and Bastion Club series. Amanda Quick Amanda Quick is the pen name of Jayne Ann Krentz. She is another acknowledged pioneer of the genre. Try Mistress, Surrender, and others. Julia Quinn Julia Quinn writes charming and witty romances featuring lovable characters. Her Bridgerton series is particularly good. Also look out for her new Smythe-Smith series, which features a family mentioned in the Bridgerton books, and her Bevelstoke series beginning with The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever. References: Author Interview: Stephanie Laurens, HarperCollins Publishers Australia, http://www.harpercollins.com.au/author/AuthorExtra.aspx?displayType=interview&authorID=17367 Fantastic Fiction - http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/ Good Ton - http://www.thenonesuch.com/index.htm Regency romance, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regency_romance Wainger, Leslie. 2004. Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies. Wiley, NJ. Peta Browne Bundaberg Regional Libraries