Rules of the Heart - by Janice Hadlow (Hardcover)

About the Book

"England, 1794. Now in her thirties, Lady Harriet Bessborough, already the veteran of several liaisons, finds herself pursued by a much younger man. This isn't unusual in her circle, where married women often take younger lovers. No one minds much, provided they follow the rules of the game: Don't embarrass your husband, maintain complete discretion at all times, and never ever make the mistake of falling in love. So when Harriet meets Lord Granville--brilliantly handsome, insistently ardent, and twelve years younger than her--she's confident she can manage their affair. Until she finds herself falling uncontrollably under his spell. As she's plunged into an all-consuming passion, Harriet's worldliness and sophistication desert her. With each besotted step, she finds herself edging ever closer to exposure and ruin. She knows she should leave him but can't bring herself to do it--she loves him far too deeply now to escape the scandal that threatens to engulf her"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A beautifully evocative historical novel about the perils of all-consuming love, inspired by a real-life eighteenth-century love affair, from the bestselling author of The Other Bennet Sister

"When I love at all, it is with my whole soul--my heart must be torn to pieces before it can forget or resign the objects of its affections."

England, 1794. Now in her thirties, Lady Harriet Bessborough, already the veteran of several liaisons, finds herself pursued by a much younger man. This isn't unusual in her circle, where married women often take younger lovers. No one minds much, provided they follow the rules of the game: Don't embarrass your husband, maintain complete discretion at all times, and never ever make the mistake of falling in love.

So when Harriet meets Lord Granville--brilliantly handsome, insistently ardent, and twelve years younger than her--she's confident she can manage their affair. Until she finds herself falling uncontrollably under his spell.

As she's plunged into an all-consuming passion, Harriet's worldliness and sophistication desert her. With each besotted step, she finds herself edging ever closer to exposure and ruin. She knows she should leave Granville but can't bring herself to do it--she loves him far too deeply now to escape the scandal that threatens to engulf her.

Review Quotes

"Within the first few pages I was captivated by Harriet's plight. By the time I'd got to the end I'd almost forgotten I was reading, and felt instead that I had been listening to a friend tell me her story. Janice Hadlow has created a character who I loved and was frustrated by in equal measure. Harriet's desire for love is so human, and the world she lives in almost impossible for women to traverse unless they give up any hope for their own happiness. This novel is compelling and absorbing, and I hope it flies."
--Stephanie Butland, author of The Lost for Words Bookshop

About the Author

Janice Hadlow worked as a television producer and commissioner for most of her career. She graduated with a first-class degree in history from King's College London and has always been fascinated by the eighteenth century. She is the author of A Royal Experiment, a family biography of George III, Queen Charlotte, and their children. The Other Bennet Sister, her fiction debut, was named a best book of 2020 by Library Journal, NPR, and The Christian Science Monitor. It is currently in production as a drama for BBC television.