Regency Gossip

The Wedding Gamble Sarah Wellingford would do her duty. Even if that meant putting herself on the Marriage Mart during a London season she could ill afford -- and did not desire. Now ironic circumstance have wed her to the compelling Marquess of Englemere, a fabled gamester, who has awakened passions she was honour-bound not to express. A marriage of convenience could be deucedly inconvenient -- even for a marquess -- when one was perilously close to loving his own wife! But Nicholas Stanhope knew that was impossible, for hadn't his tragic past proven that women -- especially wives -- were not to be trusted? A Scandalous Proposal Threatened by extortionists, disowned widow Emily Spenser has little recourse -- until the Earl of Cheverley, captivated by this unusual shopkeeper, comes to her aide. Emily cannot repay the Earl's expenditures -- not in coin. But having learned through bitter experience not to trust the largesse of powerful men and desperate to stay hidden from the father-in-law who would take away her son, she seeks to cancel her obligation to the highly visible earl immediately. Little does she realise a "fleeting" affair will lead to something much more...

Newspaper and magazine gossip is a potent and sulphurous brew - much derided and much devoured - that long ago became part of the daily diet of millions. The raw ingredients are scandal, rumour, glamour and scurrility, and the best is shot through with (preferably illicit) sex, disclosure and danger. How and why has this happened, and where will this obsession lead us?

Temptation among the ton

A narrative history rich with romance and tragedy, The Angel and the Cad is the story of the high society scandal that gripped Regency England. The day she turned 16, Catherine Tylney Long became the wealthiest heiress in England and the public found their 'angel'. Witty, wealthy and beautiful, Catherine was the most eligible of young ladies and was courted by royalty but, ignoring the warnings of her closest confidantes, she married for love. Her choice of husband was the charming but feckless dandy William Wellesley Pole, nephew of the Duke of Wellington. The pair excited the public's interest on an unprecedented scale with gossip columns reporting every detail of their magnificent home in Wanstead, along with their honeymoon of royal fetes, dinners and parties. But their happiness was short-lived and just a decade later William had frittered away Catherine's inheritance, even selling off her beloved Wanstead House brick by brick, and their marriage ended in a cruel and dramatic divorce and a landmark custody battle. Meticulously researched and rich with dazzling detail, The Angel and the Cad is a gripping and tragic tale of love and drama that twists and turns until the final page PRAISE FOR GERALDINE ROBERTS "Fascinating [...] Roberts does an outstanding job of bringing this dark tale to life, and her book truly is a page-turner that surpasses any work of Regency fiction." BBC History Magazine "Geraldine Roberts gives a compassionate look at two wholly disparate personalities and the wider society in which they span their elegant, and ultimately ruinous, lives." History Revealed "Geraldine Roberts gives a compassionate look at two wholly disparate personalities and the wider society in which they span their elegant, and ultimately ruinous, lives. [...] Roberts has serious and well-researched points to make" The Oldie

If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer! 'The greatest writer who ever lived' Antonia Fraser 'When it comes to Regency novels, Heyer was The Master' India Knight 'One of the wittiest, most insightful and rewarding prose writers imaginable' Stephen Fry __________ Sir Nicholas Beauvallet has never been known to resist a challenge. When he captures a galleon at sea, and the treasure turns out to be the lovely Dona Dominica de Rada y Silva, he vows to return her and her father to the shores of Spain. But, upon his immediate return, he proposes another venture; one more reckless than any of his exploits on the high seas which have made him the equal of Sir Francis Drake and a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. He will take Dominica as his bride, even if it leads him into peril ... __________ Reader's love Beauvallet. . . ***** 'There was nothing I didn't love about this tale. Five stars all the way!' ***** 'In a word, wonderful!' ***** 'I loved this story so much!' ***** 'A nail biter, this story is filled with interesting characters and humour.' ***** 'This is one I reread and enjoy often.'

A dishy, incisive exploration of gossip--from celebrity rumors to literary romans à clef, from personal sniping to political slander--by one of our "great essayists" (David Brooks) To his successful examinations of some of the most powerful forces in modern life--envy, ambition, snobbery, friendship--the keen observer and critic Joseph Epstein now adds Gossip. No trivial matter, despite its reputation, gossip is eternal and necessary. Himself a master of the art, Epstein serves up delightful mini-biographies of the Great Gossips of the Western World along with many choice bits from his own experience. He also makes a powerful case that gossip has morphed from its old-fashioned best--clever, mocking, a great private pleasure--to a corrosive new-school version, thanks to the reach of the mass media and the Internet. Gossip has even invaded politics and journalism, causing unsubstantiated information to be presented as fact. Contemporary gossip claims to reveal truth, but as Epstein shows, it's our belief in truth itself that may be destroyed by gossip. Written in his trademark erudite and witty style, Gossip captures the complexity of this immensely entertaining subject.

One look could turn you to stone... The newly married Lord and Lady Wycliff are cordially invited to a house party--to be mocked and ridiculed as entertainment. Wycliff insists on attending to discuss business with the host, while Hannah longs to hide in the library with its rare volumes on the Fae. Bound to Wycliff even beyond death, Hannah wonders how she will survive the week--when a guest unexpectedly expires. A notorious cad is discovered turned into a statue in the garden. The dead lord had many enemies, including Lord Wycliff. Hannah's accord with her husband is tested when a trail of footprints leads to their window. What secret is Wycliff hiding and does he know more about the magical death than he admits? Someone among the house guests has murder on their mind and the newlyweds need to determine who, before anyone else is immortalised as stone...

If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer! 'The greatest writer who ever lived' Antonia Fraser 'Absolutely delicious tales of Regency heroes . . . Utter, immersive escapism' Sophie Kinsella 'One of my perennial comfort authors. Heyer's books are as incisively witty and quietly subversive as any of Jane Austen's' Joanne Harris 'I've read her over and over and over again' Stephen Fry 'Wonderful characters . . . rapturously romantic' Katie Fforde 'Utterly delightful' The Guardian _____________ Serena Carlow's former love now controls her future happiness. After her father's unexpected death, Serena's jilted ex-fiancé - the Marquis of Rotherham - is made the sole trustee of her wealth and marriage prospects. Eager for an escape, she moves to Bath and encounters her childhood sweetheart, the dashing Hector Kirkby - but will Rotherham approve the match? Before long, they are all entangled in a confusion of marriage and manners the likes of which Regency Bath has rarely seen. _____________ Readers love Bath Tangle ... ***** 'It was sheer entertainment from beginning to end, and I embarrassingly laughed out loud several times.' ***** 'I laughed through the entire story.' ***** 'If you are truly a fan of Heyer's, 'Bath Tangle' is definitely a must read. It is up there as a favourite.' ***** 'Highly recommended to fans of both Heyer and Austen.' ***** 'So much fun! I'm so glad I have just about her entire collection to look forward to reading.'