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There are five crucial moments that every regency romance novel should include to be considered a love story about the Regency-era. It doesn’t even matter what plotline you target when writing your book. These are the moment that solidifies your novel within the era.
1. The Hook In A Regency Romance Novel
The hook of your book is the part that reals your reader in enough that they cannot put it down. In theregency romance genre, this is typically when your two characters have their first brush with intimacy, or their first fight, as long as it is a blowout. The hook should be a big, life-altering moment that happens in the first one-fourth of your romance novel and typically in the first or second chapter.
One example of the hook that is a brush of romance would be the two characters feeling that initial spark or sharing their first kiss in a unique way. One example of the negative hook would be a nasty secret revealed to the reader about one of the characters within the novel, but it is not yet known by the other lead character. The ideas surrounding the hook can be left entirely up to you, but you must include an element that grabs your reader’s attention.
2. The Wedding Breakfast In The Regency Era
Almost every regency romance novel sticks a scene with the wedding breakfast. Even those with eloped characters usually find their way back home in the epilogue and have the wedding breakfast with their family. It is simply aregency romance tradition. If you want to make it a little historical, be sure to ditch the cereal and pile on the kippers, toast, and roasted herring for such a meal.
3. A New Dress
Your regency romance novel would not be complete without your leading lady character getting anew dressin some capacity. Some romance authors devote entire chapters about a trip to the modest, or some ladies even go more than one. However, if your character doesn’t go to the modest, the dress could be:
- A gift from her new husband
- A hand me down that is almost new from a rich relative
- Something she made herself
Whatever the case may be, your leading lady character needs a new dress in every regency romance novel, and the dress or scene needs to be talked about in detail.
One such romance novel that really brings to light the power of the dress and a new wardrobe isLady Luck and the Lyonby Chasity Bowlin. One of the Lyons Den series talks about an entirely new wardrobe when measurements are taken in her private sitting room, and the lady lead is also gifted a dress by the Black Widow of Whitehall herself.
4. The Passion
Whether your romance novel is a one or a five on the flaming hearts clean to regency romance scale, it is a romance novel. There is going to be some kind of passion within the text. Whether you are illuding to intimacy, having a gentle kiss scene play out across the pages, or having a wild sex romp in every other chapter, your romance should have passion. It should show the love between your characters.Bree Wolfis an example of an author that writes primarily in theclean regency romance genre, which does not include any graphic sex scenes. WhileKJ Jacksonand most of theLyons Den serieshave at least one detailed intimacy scene and are on the steamy side of regency romance.
5. The Baby At The End Of Regency Romance Novels
There is always a baby in the epilogue. In fact, I cannot remember a time I read a regency romance novel that did not include the main character at least being pregnant within the final part of the book. Regency romance novels end in a romantic savory way. Typically, the husband and wife reminisce about something as he strokes her pregnant belly or holds a newborn baby.
The heir is a fundamental concept in the regency era world. So infertility, even if it plays a part in the novel, is always overcome by the ending. That is the beauty of a romance novel, though. It takes you out of real-life and puts you in a perfect world.
Want To Practice Spotting These Five Moments?
If you want to practice spotting these five moments throughout the regency genre, then you need a Kindle Unlimited subscription. With the Kindle Unlimited subscription, you can relax, read, and do your own research about the regency romance genre. You are free to discover all of its wonders as you prepare to write your first novel. Kindle Unlimited is kinda like a Netflix subscription for avid readers. It lets you read a library of over 2 million books for a tiny monthly fee. You are in luck, though, if you’re a new subscriber because Kindle Unlimited has a ton of deals on first-time packages:
- 5% off a 6 month Kindle Unlimited plan
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Now go forth and spot some essential aspects of the regency genre in every book that you read. Don’t forget to include these five tips in your novel, and check out somefun words to make your book more authentic.
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As a literary expert and enthusiast, I am well-versed in the topic of regency romance novels. My first-hand expertise and depth of knowledge in this genre make me a reliable source to provide information related to the concepts used in the article.
Regency romance novels, set in the Regency-era, should include five crucial moments to be considered a love story within the era. Regardless of the plotline, these moments solidify the novel's authenticity. Let's delve into each concept:
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The Hook: The hook is the part of the novel that captivates readers and compels them to continue reading. In regency romance, this moment often occurs when the two main characters experience their first brush with intimacy or have a significant conflict. It should be a life-altering event that takes place in the first one-fourth of the novel, typically in the first or second chapter. Examples of hooks can range from the characters feeling an initial spark or sharing their first kiss in a unique way to a secret revelation about one character unknown to the other.
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The Wedding Breakfast: Almost every regency romance novel includes a scene featuring the wedding breakfast. Even if the characters eloped, they usually find their way back home in the epilogue to have the wedding breakfast with their family. It is a tradition in regency romance. To add historical accuracy, authors can include traditional breakfast items like kippers, toast, and roasted herring instead of modern cereal.
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A New Dress: A regency romance novel would not be complete without the leading lady character acquiring a new dress in some capacity. Authors may dedicate entire chapters to a trip to the modiste (a dressmaker) or have the character receive a dress as a gift, hand-me-down, or something she made herself. Regardless, the dress or scene needs to be described in detail to evoke the atmosphere of the era. The power of the dress and a new wardrobe is exemplified in novels like "Lady Luck and the Lyon" by Chasity Bowlin, where the lady lead receives an entirely new wardrobe and a dress from a notable character.
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The Passion: Passion is a key element in any romance novel, regardless of its heat level. Whether the romance is clean or steamy, there should be some form of passion portrayed between the characters. It can be subtle, with gentle kisses and allusions to intimacy, or more explicit, with detailed intimacy scenes. Authors like Bree Wolf primarily write in the clean regency romance genre, while authors like KJ Jackson and the Lyons Den series have steamier scenes.
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The Baby: Regency romance novels almost always include a baby in the epilogue. It is rare to find a novel in this genre without the main character being pregnant or having a newborn baby by the end. The concept of the heir is fundamental in the regency era, and even if infertility is a part of the story, it is typically overcome by the ending. The presence of a baby in the epilogue adds a romantic and satisfying conclusion to the novel.
To practice spotting these five moments in the regency genre, I recommend getting a Kindle Unlimited subscription. This subscription allows you to explore the regency romance genre and its wonders. With over 2 million books available, it is like a Netflix subscription for avid readers. Furthermore, Kindle Unlimited offers various deals for new subscribers, such as 5% off a 6-month plan, 10% off a 12-month plan, and 20% off a 24-month plan.
Now armed with these essential aspects of the regency genre, you can spot them in every book you read and ensure you include them in your own novel. Don't forget to make your book more authentic by incorporating fun words and phrases from the regency era. Happy reading and writing!
