Regency romances are a type of romance novel set during the British Regency period (1811–1820) or the early 1800s. These stories are not just modern romance plots moved to the past; they are a unique genre with their own writing styles and story patterns. They are more influenced by the works of author Georgette Heyer, who wrote over 20 novels set in the Regency era from 1935 until her death in 1974, and by the fiction genre called the Novel of Manners. Traditional Regency romances often include smart, quick conversations between main characters and avoid showing or discussing romantic scenes in detail.
Subgenres
Many people who read or write Regency romance novels often separate two types: "Traditional Regency Romance" and "Regency Historical." Some authors begin by writing Traditional Regency Romances and later write Regency Historicals. Examples include Mary Balogh, Jo Beverley, Loretta Chase, and Mary Jo Putney.
The difference between these types depends on the genre’s definition. Traditional Regency Romance follows the style of writer Georgette Heyer, focusing mainly on the romantic story. These writers often pay close attention to historical details because readers are known to notice mistakes. To avoid errors, authors usually do a lot of research to understand and copy the language and style of the genre. After Heyer’s books became popular in the United States in the 1960s, publishers like Signet, Dell, and Fawcett began printing Regency-set books by new authors, such as Clare Darcy and Elizabeth Mansfield. Fawcett later created a special line of books called Fawcett Coventry, which published Regency romances and other historical romance novels.
Books set in the Regency era by authors like Christina Dodd, Eloisa James, and Amanda Quick are usually called Regency Historical. These stories may include more realistic descriptions of society or characters who act in ways that reflect modern values instead of Regency values. Some people classify these as "Regency Historical" because, while the setting is Regency England, the story, characters, or writing style go beyond the typical style of Heyer’s books and those of her followers.
In recent years, the sensual Regency historical romance has become popular. Authors like Mary Balogh, Jo Beverley, Loretta Chase, Lisa Kleypas, and Stephanie Laurens write these novels. These books are more explicit than Traditional Regency works and include more detailed romantic scenes.
Popularity of the genre
Regency fiction, like other types of fiction, has had times when more people read it and times when fewer people read it. During the 1990s, interest in Regency stories decreased as more readers began enjoying historical romances. Many Regency writers also shifted their focus to writing historical romance stories instead. In the early 2000s, both Regency stories and other historical romances became less popular compared to stories set in modern times. In the United States, changes in how romance books were sold and distributed hurt the market. The last two major U.S. publishers to produce shorter "traditional" Regency stories were Zebra and Signet. This changed in 2005 when Zebra stopped publishing traditional Regency stories, and in early 2006, Signet also ended its Regency line. Today, a few publishers in the United States still produce traditional Regency stories, including Avalon Books, Five Star Books, and Cerridwen Press (Cotillion). Older Regency stories are also available through second-hand book stores, from Belgrave House (which publishes books that are no longer in print), and as e-book reprints.
During the 1990s and 2000s, Regency romance stories changed as authors added more details about romantic relationships between the main characters. Some longtime readers were not happy with this change, but publishers believed including these scenes would help keep the Regency subgenre popular. The goal was to attract younger readers while still keeping the clever and witty plots that longtime readers enjoyed. Authors like Sandra Heath, Anita Mills, and Mary Balogh were among the first to write about romantic relationships between the hero and heroine (or, less often, between the hero and his mistress).
Not all Regency romance stories are light-hearted stories set in the past. Authors such as Mary Balogh, Carla Kelly, Sheila Bishop, Anna Harrington, and Mary Jo Putney write about the challenges and problems in Regency society. Their stories often include characters who face serious difficulties, such as injuries from battles, alcoholism, or depression.