Rules of the Heart by Janice Hadlow

Rules of the Heart is a superb historical novel based on the real life of the Countess of Bessborough, who held an enviable position in society, but her marriage was without love.

But then Harriet met the extremely handsome Lord Granville, twelve years her junior. At first, she dismissed his advances as flattery, but then she saw a different side to him and found they had undeniable chemistry and the love she had been seeking all her life. They embark on a passionate, all-consuming affair, and Harriet is soon torn between her duty as a wife and mother and her deepest desires to be with Lord Granville.

But is following her heart's desire worth scandal and ruin?  The rules in society for this sort of behaviour are harsh for women. As the years pass, there are many challenges, not least the children Granville fathers that she gives birth to in secret (which was possible when people often disappeared for months at a time to one of their country estates).

Harriet knows she can never marry Granville, but she fears their love affair will come to an end when he wants to settle down and marry and have legitimate children.

This will appeal to lovers of Pride and Prejudice, and is from the author of The Other Bennett Sister. The writing is impeccable and captures all the nuances of this period of history and society well, with an unforgettable central character, albeit a tragic heroine.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Mantle