Regency romances are a subgenre of romance novels set during the period of the British Regency, 1811 to 1820, or the wider early nineteenth century. Rather than simply relocating a contemporary story to a historical backdrop, the subgenre follows its own conventions, drawing its stylistic foundations chiefly from Georgette Heyer's novels written between 1935 and 1974 and from the novel of manners tradition, with witty, rapid dialogue between the leads and, in its traditional form, little explicit sexual content.
Facts
Place of OriginSet during the period of the British Regency, 1811 to 1820, and founded as a genre by Georgette Heyer, who wrote over two dozen novels set in the period from 1935 until her death in 1974. 1 Notable ExampleGeorgette Heyer's Regency novels, the first published in 1935, established the form; later writers in the tradition include Mary Balogh, Jo Beverley, and Loretta Chase. 1 Defining TraitTraditional Regency romances feature a great deal of intelligent, fast-paced dialogue between the protagonists and very little explicit sex or discussion of sex, with an emphasis on the primary romance plot. 1 Connections
Sources
1. Regency Romance (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationTraditional Regency section
the more traditional Regencies feature a great deal of intelligent, fast-paced dialogue between the protagonists and very little explicit sex or discussion of sex
Authors section
Mary Balogh, Jo Beverley, Loretta Chase, Mary Jo Putney, Christina Dodd, Eloisa James, Amanda Quick, Lisa Kleypas, and Stephanie Laurens
History section
Georgette Heyer, who wrote over two dozen novels set in the Regency starting in 1935 until she died in 1974
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