Rules of the Heart
Published on 21. August 2025
Book
Hardback
480 pages
978-1-5098-4197-4 (ISBN)
Description
'Entertaining historical fiction with Jane Austen vibes' - Good Housekeeping
Inspired by real history, Rules of the Heart is the sweeping new novel from the bestselling author of The Other Bennet Sister, Janice Hadlow.
When I love at all, it is with my whole soul - my heart must be torn to pieces before it can forget . . .
England, 1794. Lady Harriet Bessborough seemingly has it all: wife to a lord and sister to a duchess, she is welcomed in all the most fashionable circles. Yet she yearns for something her marriage has failed to offer: true love.
When she meets the captivating Lord Granville, twelve years her junior and a famous heartbreaker, she at first dismisses his advances as opportunistic flattery. But then she sees another side to him - a side she realizes she cannot resist.
As she plunges into an all-consuming affair, Harriet finds herself torn between her duty and her deepest desires. For in a world where appearances are everything, each anxious but besotted step she takes leads her ever closer to scandal and ruin . . .
Praise for The Other Bennet Sister:
'Immersive and engaging' - The Guardian
'It's difficult not to race through those final pages' - Jo Baker, bestselling author of Longbourn
'A novel that will delight Pride and Prejudice fans' - The Independent
Inspired by real history, Rules of the Heart is the sweeping new novel from the bestselling author of The Other Bennet Sister, Janice Hadlow.
When I love at all, it is with my whole soul - my heart must be torn to pieces before it can forget . . .
England, 1794. Lady Harriet Bessborough seemingly has it all: wife to a lord and sister to a duchess, she is welcomed in all the most fashionable circles. Yet she yearns for something her marriage has failed to offer: true love.
When she meets the captivating Lord Granville, twelve years her junior and a famous heartbreaker, she at first dismisses his advances as opportunistic flattery. But then she sees another side to him - a side she realizes she cannot resist.
As she plunges into an all-consuming affair, Harriet finds herself torn between her duty and her deepest desires. For in a world where appearances are everything, each anxious but besotted step she takes leads her ever closer to scandal and ruin . . .
Praise for The Other Bennet Sister:
'Immersive and engaging' - The Guardian
'It's difficult not to race through those final pages' - Jo Baker, bestselling author of Longbourn
'A novel that will delight Pride and Prejudice fans' - The Independent
Reviews / Votes
Hadlow follows the stunning The Other Bennet Sister with another richly detailed historical novel . . Rules of the Heart is a treasure . . . Fans of well-researched historical fiction will be transfixed * Booklist * Sweeping and gorgeous tearjerker of a historical romance . . . a stirring portrait of a woman driven by her heart instead of her head. Readers should have tissues at the ready * Publishers Weekly * Within the first few pages I was captivated by Harriet's plight . . . this novel is compelling and absorbing -- Stephanie Butland, author of <i>Lost For Words</i> Entertaining historical fiction with Jane Austen vibes * Good Housekeeping * Impeccably researched, this lifts Mary from obscurity, as she breaks out of her mother's world and follows her own path -- <i>Daily Mail </i>on <i>The Other Bennet Sister</i> Immersive and engaging -- <i>The Guardian </i>on <i>The Other Bennet Sister</i> A novel that will delight Pride and Prejudice fans -- <i>Independent </i>on <i>The Other Bennet Sister</i> It's difficult not to race through those final pages -- Jo Baker, author of <i>Longbourn</i>, on <i>The Other Bennet Sister</i> I absolutely love this novel - as will any young woman who has felt herself plain, shy, bookish and crushed -- Amanda Craig, author of <i>The Three Graces</i>, on <i>The Other Bennet Sister</i> This gorgeous book pays homage to Pride and Prejudice - and follows Mary Bennet, the overlooked middle Bennet sister. It's a wonderfully warm, comforting read - perfect on a winter's night -- <i>The Sun </i>on <i>The Other Bennet Sister</i> Puts Mary front and centre stage exploring why she was so heartbreakingly sidelined by Mrs Bennet and gives humour and sensitivity to the most overlooked of the sisters -- <i>Stylist </i>on <i>The Other Bennet Sister</i>More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Dimensions
Height: 238 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 46 mm
Weight
722 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5098-4197-4 (9781509841974)
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
Janice Hadlow was born in London and studied History at university. After a few years working for the House of Commons, she joined the BBC and became a television producer. She was the recipient of a number of awards, and is a Fellow of the Royal Television Society, as well as of King's College, University of London. Her first novel, The Other Bennet Sister is soon to be a BBC TV series. Rules of the Heart is her second novel.