Regency Romance

The ton

Most regency romances feature the members of the ton and activities performed by them.

The ton refers to the high English society during the British Regency period. Members of the ton came from the aristocracy, gentry, royalty and monarchs. In short, they were large noble families with too much money and way too much time on their hands.

The word 'ton' was derived from the French word le bon ton, which means etiquette or 'good manners' – characteristics held as ideal by British society at that time.

People of the ton are depicted as being highly sophisticated, well-mannered and fashionable. In regency romances, they are seen engaging in extraordinary excess and indulgence in sumptuous clothing, balls, operas, soirées, leisurely sports and carriage rides.

Fig. 2 - A painting showing members of the ton gathering in a salon.

However, the ton is also characterised as being extremely restrictive, with strict moral codes and social etiquette that were meant to be followed. Acts such as having illegitimate children and conducting extramarital affairs are considered 'scandalous' and worthy of gossip and judgement. Even for small social transgressions, there are high stakes in terms of a person's reputation and honour.

The general restrictions of the ton and the possibility of breaking them are what makes Regency romances so entertaining and appealing.

Social season

Most regency romances are set during the social season, which refers to the months between late January and early July. The social season is known for being the time when families presented their marriageable children to the ton in order to secure a profitable marriage. Consequently, the season is full of much social activity, such as carriage rides, morning calls, balls, soirées, charities, operas and plays.

Oppressed women

The heroines of regency romances are burdened by society's many rules and restrictions. While they are not expected to work or engage in household chores, they are trained in music, arts, languages, dancing and social etiquette and are expected to remain chaste and innocent till marriage. Their sole aim is to secure a profitable marriage for their family.

The female protagonists of Regency romances often wish to break free from their social expectations and stereotypes, in which case they are risking being the object of scandal and gossip.

Fig. 3 - A Regency-era painting showing a woman playing a pianoforte.

Male suitors

The male characters in regency romances have stereotypically masculine features and are expected to be the head of their families.

A genre trope of regency romances is the 'rake', which refers to male characters who wish to break free from their responsibilities and expectations in society. A rake frequently becomes the male protagonist of many regency romances, where they are initially aloof, carefree and often troublesome but they are later transformed by the love of the heroine.

Marriages

In Regency romances, the end goal is always marriage. Therefore, its protagonists are normally finding a suitor ideal for marriage. This quest for finding the right suitor usually involves deceit, obstacles, twists, and false engagements that are resolved with a happy ending.

A common conflict in Regency romances occurs when the protagonist wishes to marry for love rather than the societal expectation of marrying for convenience.

Farce

Farce is a type of humour where readers are entertained through situations that are extremely exaggerated, ridiculous, and absurd to the point where they are unrealistic. In the case of Regency romances, farce is employed when small actions such as being found unchaperoned with a man are treated as mortifying and dishonourable.

Regency historical romance

Regency historical romances are a subtype of regency romance novels that are only 'historical' in their setting. While they are set in the British Regency era, their characters follow more modern values rather than the traditional values associated with the Regency era. Regency historical romance novels are more entertaining than historically accurate.

As a result, Regency historical romances are much more sensual and explicit compared to traditional Regency romances. They also contain more social realism, which means that they provide a social commentary on the power structures and socio-political conditions of the non-elite classes in the Regency period that are often overlooked.

Devil in Winter (2006) by Lisa Kleypas (1964 - present) is a Regency historical romance novel where Evangeline Jenner, a timid girl with a stammer, enters into a marriage of convenience with a handsome rake called Sebastian. However, Sebastian falls hopelessly and unexpectedly in love with her.

Signet regency romance

Signet Regency romances were the longest-running Regency romance novel series that was published from 1970 to 2006. They were published by New American Library (NAL), an independent American publishing house that initially branched off from Penguin Books. They usually published three books each month, with special collections being released during occasions like Christmas, Valentine's Day and Summer specials.

Signet Regency romances all generally follow the traditional genre tropes of Regency romances, with cliche storylines and characters and not much social commentary. They were widely consumed for being entertaining and comforting.

Mary Jo Putney's (1987 - present) Carousel of Hearts (1989) is a popular Signet Regency romance novel. It is about two best friends, Antonia and Judith, who are divided after they meet Adam Yorke and his friend Lord Simon Launceston. The result is a chaotic and confusing love story involving all four characters.

Regency romance authors

For an era that only lasted nine years, the Regency period has definitely inspired many literary works that are popular even today. Here are a few prominent examples by authors that defined the genre.

Regency Buck (1935) by Georgette Heyer

Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer (1902-1974) was the first book to establish the genre of Regence romance, and Heyer's plot and stylistic conventions have become the typical formula for all Regency romance novels to come.

Set against the backdrop of the Regency era, Judith Taverner is a young debutante who comes to London looking for marriage. Although she is extremely popular in the marriage market, her guardian in London, Julian, the fifth Earl of Worth, refuses to let her accept any offers.

Although she takes a strong disliking for Julian, his involvement in helping Judith save her brother's life causes the two to eventually fall in love with each other.

A Masked Deception (1985) by Mary Balogh

Mary Balogh's (1944-present) first novel, A Masked Deception, was published by Signet Books, cementing her career as a Regency romance writer.

Richard Adair, Earl of Brampton, meets a masked woman at a masquerade ball. The two have a fleeting but passionate encounter, after which he never sees her again. Out of family pressure, he is forced to marry Margaret Wells, a dutiful, quiet and boring wife who seems suitable to give him an heir. However, what he does not know is that Margaret Wells was the same masked woman he met at the masquerade ball six years ago.

A Masked Deception is certainly more sensual and explicit compared to traditional regency romances. For this reason, Mary Balogh's writing style leans more towards the conventions of Regency historical romances.

Bridgerton series (2000-2013) by Julia Quinn

Perhaps one of the most popular contemporary Regency historical romance novels to exist, the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn (1970-present) has eight novels, each following the love life of one of the eight siblings from the noble Bridgerton family. The novels trace each sibling's journey towards finding their true love match in London against the strict societal codes put forth by the ton. Throughout the entire series, the ton's actions are exposed in a gossip column by an anonymous writer called Lady Whistledown.