In Regency England, a broken engagement could damage a woman's reputation far more than the behavior that caused it. In The Jilt, M. Battle Jackson introduces Grace Trelawny, who refuses to marry an unfaithful fiancé despite the scandal that follows. Sent from London to a crumbling country estate, Grace sets out to establish a seminary for young women, only to find another unexpected possibility when Captain Marcus Chamberlain arrives with his niece. The first installment in The Graces series brings together historical romance, female independence, and a courtship that develops through letters rather than the usual expectations of Society.
The Graces Series, Book One
Regency Historical Romance
Date Published: February 7, 2025
When Grace Trelawny discovers her betrothed in the arms of another woman, she does the unthinkable: she calls off the wedding.
Society calls her a jilt. Newspapers hint at scandal. Her father calls it her final season.
Grace calls it the beginning.
Forced from London and into the countryside with nothing but her mother, a crumbling estate, and a refusal to be defined by what was done to her, Grace transforms their home into Miss Grace's Seminary for Young Women. She has no money, no experience, and no guarantee of success. What she has is an unshakeable conviction that her life belongs to her.
Then Captain Marcus Chamberlain arrives to enroll his niece, Violet. A career soldier with no plans to marry, Marcus finds himself drawn into a careful, letter-by-letter courtship with the woman who discovers love for the first time.
Set against the rigid social rules and quiet cruelties of Regency England, The Jilt is a story about a woman who loses everything Society told her to want and discovers, in losing it, exactly who she is.
Grace Trelawny's decision to end her engagement after discovering her fiancé's betrayal provides more than the starting point for a Regency romance. It challenges the social expectations that leave a woman facing public disgrace for refusing to accept an unfaithful husband. Her determination to turn a deteriorating country estate into a school for young women adds another dimension to the story, placing education, independence, and the possibility of a self-directed future alongside the developing romance.
Captain Marcus Chamberlain brings a different perspective to Grace's changing circumstances. A career soldier responsible for his niece Violet, he enters Grace's life through the seminary rather than a fashionable London gathering. Their gradual courtship through letters offers a quieter romantic development against the backdrop of scandal and Society's judgments. Jackson's professional background in history and museum curation also gives historically minded readers an additional reason to explore her approach to Regency life.
The Jilt
The Graces Series, Book One
The Kidnapped
The Graces Series, Book Two
The Bluestocking
The Graces Series, Book Three
The Twin
The Graces Series, Book Four
Get the 4-Book Series!
The Jilt will appeal to readers who enjoy Regency historical romance featuring intelligent heroines, restrictive social conventions, and the courage to challenge expectations. Grace's decision to create a school for young women may especially interest readers drawn to stories about education and female independence, while her developing relationship with Marcus offers a courtship shaped by correspondence and patience. Admirers of Austenesque fiction, country-estate settings, and interconnected historical romance series may also appreciate the foundation this first Graces novel establishes for the stories of Grace's five pupils.
I write Regency historical romance with the precision of a historian and the heart of a lifelong reader.
Before I wrote fiction, I spent my career as a historian and museum curator at state history museums, writing carefully and accurately about the real things people leave behind: artifacts, records, and the evidence of lives lived. I grew up reading Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, and Phyllis Whitney, among others. I wrote romantic short stories as a teenager. A college professor told me I should write professionally.
I did not, for a long time.
When I came back to fiction at retirement, encouraged by my sister to write in the style of authors I had loved since childhood, I brought everything I had learned with me: a historian's eye for period detail, a curator's instinct for what matters, and decades of reading the best Regency writers who ever put pen to paper.
My Regency novels are set in a world I have spent decades studying. The social rules are real. The historical details are earned. And the women at the center of my stories refuse to be defined by what Society expects of them.
My first series, The Etonians, is a complete five-book Regency romance series. My second series, The Graces, follows Grace Trelawny and each of her five seminary pupils as they navigate propriety, love, and the quiet courage it takes to build a life on your own terms.
If you enjoy Austenesque fiction, intelligent heroines, and romance built on patience and letters rather than convenience, I think we will get along very well.
Website
BookBuzz
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bookshop.org
Grace Trelawny begins The Jilt facing the loss of the marriage and social standing that Regency Society expects her to value. Her decision to establish a seminary, along with the arrival of Marcus and his niece Violet, opens the door to a very different future. With its emphasis on personal independence, historical expectations, and a slowly developing romance through letters, M. Battle Jackson's first Graces novel offers an intriguing starting point for readers who enjoy character-focused Regency stories. Those interested in following Grace and her pupils can also explore the wider series introduced in today's book blitz.
Be the first to see cover reveals, upcoming releases, exclusive excerpts, author features, and more. Join our growing community of readers and book lovers.
No comments:
Post a Comment