Blink Publishing, a non-fiction imprint of Bonnier Books UK, will publish the debut by British history journalist and Regency aficionado Felicity Day.
Ellie Carr, editor, acquired The Game of Hearts: The Lives and Loves of Regency Women with World excl. US & Canadian rights from Ella Kahn at DKW Agency.
The Regency period in Britain has long been glamorised as a blur of glitz and glamour, with the women of the period fondly remembered for their lavish gowns and finery as they paraded through ballrooms, theatres, the Royal court and the drawing rooms of their fellows, all in pursuit of that all-important love match. But who were these women and what was it like to live and love in this age of elegance?
In The Game of Hearts, Felicity Day gives the reader a glimpse behind the drawing room doors of high society, charting the lives of the women who filled them. True tales of rakish husbands, runaway lovers and rich heiresses; candid insights into the competitive world of the so-called marriage mart; and plentiful examples of the pitfalls of pursuing a brilliant match, reveal what courtship and married life was really like for Regency women.
Ellie Carr said: ‘We at Bonnier are hugely excited to be publishing The Game of Hearts for this is a subject which has long fascinated both viewers and readers alike. Felicity’s meticulous research and effortless prose brings the lives and loves of Regency women off the page. Amongst the vivacity of these characters and intricacies of their lives is a carefully pieced together social history, showcasing a classical period of history through a contemporary lens. I can’t wait to share it with the world!’
Felicity Day said: ‘I’m thrilled to be working with Bonnier on The Game of Hearts. For an avid reader of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, digging into Regency diaries and memoirs, gossipy letters and salacious newspaper reports to write this book has been great fun, and I can’t wait to share the stories of these fascinating women and their real-life romances with my fellow fans.’
Ella Kahn said: ‘’Felicity’s engaging insights and lively narration brings the brilliantly varied real lives of these Regency Women into vivid focus. Ellie and the team at Bonnier’s creative and ambitious vision for this book made the perfect match between publisher and author, one any Regency mama would have been proud of, and I’m so thrilled to be working with them on The Game of Hearts.’
Felicity Day qualified as a solicitor before taking a leap of faith and quitting her job to find the kind of work that would make her jump out of bed on a Monday morning. She found it when she began to write magazine features that allowed her to indulge her passion for history, and the life and times of Jane Austen in particular. Her first piece appeared in Jane Austen’s Regency World in 2017, and since then she has written about British history and heritage for a whole 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 will be published on 29th September by Blink Publishing in hardback, eBook and audio, £20.00.
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