Day, Felicity – The Bell Bookshop

Historic Royal Palaces

Emma — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Historic Royal Palaces: Royal Blooms is a fascinating exploration of how plants and flowers have formed an integral part of the crown, from the past through to present day.

From mulberry and myrtle to pomegranate and poppy, this beautifully illustrated and expertly written book depicts in detail how plants and flowers have been used by various royals throughout the centuries not just for power, politics and status but more recently, celebration. This four-colour beautiful, upmarket gift book is filled with interesting facts and captivating stories alongside stunning botanical illustrations and historical photographs from the Historic Royal Palaces archive, all focused on the crown’s fascination with plants and flowers, from the war of the roses to royal wedding bouquets and everything in between.

The game of hearts

Emma — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

‘Endlessly captivating‘ – Tracy Borman
‘Tantalising‘ – Gill Hornby
‘More scandal than Bridgerton‘s Lady Whistledown‘ – Helena Kelly

The carriages have rolled back into town, cards of invitation are propped up on chimney-pieces, and match-making mamas are plotting their campaigns; Regency London’s Bon Ton are all set for another season . . .

Using diaries, letters and stories of scandal from the newspapers, author Felicity Day reveals the real women of the Regency world: their loves, their lives, their opinions and adventures. She takes us behind drawing room doors and into high society ballrooms, following six leading ladies and their family, friends, and contemporaries as they move from matchmaking to matrimony and beyond. Forget fiction, this is real-life Regency romance and it’s even more enticing . . .

The Game of Hearts is a candid, hitherto unseen insight into the competitive world of the Regency marriage mart; revealing real stories of rakish husbands and rich heiresses; and true tales of lost and long-lasting love.

The Game of Hearts

Emma — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

‘The real world of Jane Austen is brought vividly to life in this beautifully written, endlessly captivating and often surprising account of Regency women. Not to be missed’ Tracy Borman’If Georgette Heyer had written non-fiction it might have looked like this’ Helena Kelly, author of Jane Austen, The Secret Radical’It rackets along – a thoroughly researched, often tantalising, account of the occasional ups and horrifying downs of the Georgian marriage market’ – Gill Hornby, author of Godmersham ParkThe stories of the real women of Regency high society, revealing the facts behind the fiction of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer.From glossy costume dramas to gripping reads, the glamorous world of Regency London’s Bon Ton is synonymous with romance – a place where dashing heroes and independently minded heroines flirt, fight and side-step scandal, all while in pursuit of the perfect match. But who were the real women who went looking for love in the age of elegance, and what were their lives really like?Taking us behind drawing room doors and into high society ballrooms, The Game of Hearts follows six leading ladies and their family, friends, and contemporaries as they move from matchmaking to matrimony and beyond. Candid insights into the competitive world of the marriage mart; real stories of rakish husbands and rich heiresses; and true tales of lost and long-lasting love, reveal not just Regency courtship customs, but truly captivating lives.Using diaries, letters and stories of scandal from the newspapers, author Felicity Day pieces together a rich and intimate view of this most beloved period of British history, showcasing the voices and opinions, hopes and desires of the real women who lived and loved in the Regency era.