The Game of Hearts
The lives and loves of Regency women
Published on 29. September 2022
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-1-78870-639-1 (ISBN)
Description
'The real world of Jane Austen is brought vividly to life in this beautifully written, endlessly captivating and often surprising account of Regency women. Not to be missed' Tracy Borman
'If Georgette Heyer had written non-fiction it might have looked like this' Helena Kelly, author of Jane Austen, The Secret Radical
'It rackets along - a thoroughly researched, often tantalising, account of the occasional ups and horrifying downs of the Georgian marriage market' - Gill Hornby, author of Godmersham Park
The stories of the real women of Regency high society, revealing the facts behind the fiction of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer.
From glossy costume dramas to gripping reads, the glamorous world of Regency London's Bon Ton is synonymous with romance - a place where dashing heroes and independently minded heroines flirt, fight and side-step scandal, all while in pursuit of the perfect match. But who were the real women who went looking for love in the age of elegance, and what were their lives really like?
Taking us behind drawing room doors and into high society ballrooms, The Game of Hearts follows six leading ladies and their family, friends, and contemporaries as they move from matchmaking to matrimony and beyond. Candid insights into the competitive world of the marriage mart; real stories of rakish husbands and rich heiresses; and true tales of lost and long-lasting love, reveal not just Regency courtship customs, but truly captivating lives.
Using diaries, letters and stories of scandal from the newspapers, author Felicity Day pieces together a rich and intimate view of this most beloved period of British history, showcasing the voices and opinions, hopes and desires of the real women who lived and loved in the Regency era.
'If Georgette Heyer had written non-fiction it might have looked like this' Helena Kelly, author of Jane Austen, The Secret Radical
'It rackets along - a thoroughly researched, often tantalising, account of the occasional ups and horrifying downs of the Georgian marriage market' - Gill Hornby, author of Godmersham Park
The stories of the real women of Regency high society, revealing the facts behind the fiction of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer.
From glossy costume dramas to gripping reads, the glamorous world of Regency London's Bon Ton is synonymous with romance - a place where dashing heroes and independently minded heroines flirt, fight and side-step scandal, all while in pursuit of the perfect match. But who were the real women who went looking for love in the age of elegance, and what were their lives really like?
Taking us behind drawing room doors and into high society ballrooms, The Game of Hearts follows six leading ladies and their family, friends, and contemporaries as they move from matchmaking to matrimony and beyond. Candid insights into the competitive world of the marriage mart; real stories of rakish husbands and rich heiresses; and true tales of lost and long-lasting love, reveal not just Regency courtship customs, but truly captivating lives.
Using diaries, letters and stories of scandal from the newspapers, author Felicity Day pieces together a rich and intimate view of this most beloved period of British history, showcasing the voices and opinions, hopes and desires of the real women who lived and loved in the Regency era.
Reviews / Votes
'If Georgette Heyer had written non-fiction it might have looked like this. In The Game of Hearts, Felicity Day uncovers the real lives and loves of the Regency super-rich, ushering us into a world filled with heiresses, parties, grand estates, and more scandal than Bridgerton's Lady Whistledown. Moving from ballrooms to courtrooms and on to the battlefields of Waterloo, Day marries fine historical sense with romantic sensibility, proving that Regency fact is even more fascinating than Regency fiction' -- Helena Kelly - author of Jane Austen, The Secret Radical 'The real world of Jane Austen is brought vividly to life in this beautifully written, endlessly captivating and often surprising account of Regency women. Not to be missed' -- Tracy Borman 'It rackets along - a thoroughly researched, often tantalising, account of the occasional ups and horrifying downs of the Georgian marriage market' -- Gill Hornby * author of Godmersham Park *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Chichester
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bonnier Books Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 158 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
530 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78870-639-1 (9781788706391)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Felicity Day qualified as a solicitor before deciding to pursue a writing career. She has since written about British history and heritage - including her favourite period, the Regency - for a wide range of publications, from The Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday's YOU Magazine and Country Life, to specialist history titles such as the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? and History Revealed. The Game of Hearts is her first book.