Home of the Bluestocking Belles

Because history is fun and love is worth working for

People in Glass Houses

By

On September 26, 2026

In Teatime Tattler

 

Dear Mr. Clemens,

Since you have seen fit to publish such unkind gossip about my mistress, I would like to take the opportunity to set the record straight. I thank Mr. Toby of the post office for helping me with my letters and finding the right words to speak my mind.

It is no secret that when Miss Jillian Kinsey became the wife of Mr. Lewis Bradford, her background did not match his. He is a baron’s son and she a groundskeeper’s daughter. She is, however, the closest friend of our own Viscountess Munro, a loyal companion since childhood. And if the viscountess considers her worthy company, why should others say different?

And yet, she has been denounced and slandered from the very beginning. Baroness Bradford tried to stop the wedding and made life so uncomfortable for my mistress during their season in London that my poor lady went back to Ermenborough to visit her family—good, honest folk who would make her feel welcome once more.

There the viscountess’s father wrote a wicked correspondence accusing her of faithlessness, just because she renewed her friendship with the neighbor’s land steward. And Baron Bradford relayed these evil words to his son, her husband.

These uppity folk who speak ill of my mistress are not so lily-white themselves. Have we forgotten what sort of debauched places the Bradfords’ elder son used to visit? And does anyone recall how the viscountess’s father all but sold her off to her husband? These people do not see the good in my mistress because there is little good in them. But I shall remind the world of her kind heart and the deep love she carries for my master.

Proud to know her,

A loyal maid

 

Jillian’s Wild Heart

 When worlds collide, can love survive?

Lewis Bradford is the spare to the heir. Every aspect of his life has been a reminder that he is second best. Fortunately, being largely ignored by his baron father has given him a measure of freedom in choosing his wife. And who better to lift him from his bitter sense of neglect than a wild, golden-haired nymph who adores him?

Jillian Kinsey may be only a groundskeeper’s daughter, but she also happens to be best friends since childhood with Munro’s new viscountess. Protected by powerful friends, Jillian is able to always be her vivacious, rule-breaking self without fear of rejection. When Mr. Bradford begins to show an interest in her, she does not question whether or not such a match is realistic. She only knows he wants the same thing she does: a life of self-determination.

Ready to disregard all the pretentions of the ton and throw off the shackles of societal expectations, Lewis and Jillian seem destined to be the heroes of their own fairy tale. Until family tragedy strikes, and everything they have taken for granted is turned on its head.

Will they abandon the dreams they shared or can they weather the storm? Only time will tell.

Buy Link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNBVJ31Z

Jillian’s Wild Heart is Book 4 in the 5-book “Ladies of Munro” series of connected standalones.

Ladies of Munro
1) Sophia’s Letter
2) Ellena’s Secret
3) Verity’s Choice
4) Jillian’s Wild Heart
5) Irene’s Fall

Note: This series is part of Dragonblade’s Sweet Dreams line, so this is a sweet, wholesome Historical Romance where passion beyond the bedroom door is left to the reader’s imagination.

Tropes you’ll love:

  • Different Worlds
  • Fish Out of Water
  • You’ve Changed
  • Emotional Scars
  • Opposites Attract
  • Unexpected Heir
  • Lively Heroine
  • Sensible Hero

Read in Kindle Unlimited!

About the Author

Elizabeth Donne writes award-winning sweet Regency romance, a natural outpouring of a lifelong love affair with English literature.

She has spent most of her life in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2015, Elizabeth moved to Iowa with her husband, their two children, two cats, and their African bush dog.

When she’s not writing, or discovering the secret wonders of the Midwest, she is enthusiastically introducing her visitors to the joys of drinking rooibos tea. With a biscuit, of course.

 

Social Media Links:

Free newsletter signup: https://www.elizabethdonnebooks.com/#subscribe

Website: https://www.elizabethdonnebooks.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/elizabethdonne

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093280712789

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/35270040.Elizabeth_Donne

Another Sunrise, Another Scandal at Rosachron Manor

By

On September 23, 2026

In Teatime Tattler

Dear Readers,

Rosachron Manor is once again the cynosure of all eyes!

The Winterose family’s disregard for Polite Society is already well‑known — refusal to observe mourning, casual time‑hopping through centuries, and the shocking elopement of the youngest daughter.

But now the situation has grown even more alarming.

Miss Katherine (called Kitty) has taken to wandering the countryside alone at dawn, returning flushed and feverish, yet insisting these rambles are “good for her health.” A curious claim, given the hour.

And now, dear readers, she has gone too far.

On one such sunrise excursion, Miss Kitty returned with a man — a completely unknown, oddly dressed gentleman who claims to be a physician. He was brought straight into the household like a stray puppy and shows no sign of leaving Rosachron Manor.

Has Miss Kitty Winterose met her match? Or is she destined to follow the scandalous path of young Miss Lydia?

Rest assured: the Tattler will report all!

A Rose at Dawn – Book Three of Roses of Longbourn

A time‑twisted Regency tale of healing, hope, and the courage to begin again.

Kitty Winterose has lived in the shadows for far too long — those cast by her portrayal as spineless Kitty Bennet, her sisters’ bolder personalities, and the chronic cough she fears may portend a far more deadly inheritance.

Kitty vows that her sojourn in the spa town of Buxton will be her new dawn — time and space to think, to grow, and to discover who she might be apart from her family and childhood home at Rosachron Manor, where time behaves so strangely.

Returning home, Kitty carries her new steadiness with her, never dreaming how Rosachron’s temporal anomalies are about to change her world.

With the arrival of Dr. Jamison Hartwell, a physician from the twenty‑first century — unexpected, impossible, and thoroughly unsettling — Kitty begins to feel seen in ways she never has before. Jamison’s modern insight, quiet humor, and attentive kindness challenge everything she believed about her illness, her future, and her worth.

As the Manor’s portal puzzle continues its slow unfolding and echoes of other travelers through time reverberate, Kitty finds herself standing at the edge of a future she never imagined — one shaped not by fear, but by hope, courage, and the possibility of love.

A Rose at Dawn invites you to believe in second chances, soft miracles, and love that arrives exactly when it should.

Purchase A Rose at Dawn in paperback or ebook format on Amazon or read in Kindle Unlimited: https://a.co/d/01NChin8

The Roses of Longbourn series:

A Rose Out of Time – Book 1

A Rose in Winter – Book 2

Mrs. Christie and the Misplaced Rose (A Short Story)

A Golden-Hearted Rose (A Short Story)

A Rake Redeemed, or The Gretna Rose (A Novella)

Truths and Roses (A Short Story)

Coming Soon:

A Rose After Rain – Book 4

Cornwall Chronicles:

Nevermore Castle

About the Author

KELLY BOGGS writes seasoned not spiced atmospheric fiction that blends historical charm, a touch of mystery, and warm, character driven storytelling. Whether her books wander through Cornwall’s windswept cliffs or the quiet corners of the Regency, she builds worlds where emotion, place, and personality intertwine. Her stories offer immersive escapes threaded with wit, whimsy, and a distinctly human heart.

Links:

Website: kellyboggsauthor.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/kellyboggs

Goodreads: Kelly Boggs (Author of A Rose Out of Time) | Goodreads

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyboggsauthor

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/kellyboggsauthor

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KellyBoggsAuthor

 

Excerpts from A Rose at Dawn

Mistenmere wore an entirely different aspect in the morning, just as Jamison had hoped. The mist drifted in slow, shifting veils across the water, lending the whole scene an otherworldly cast and making the stone arch seem larger, darker, and colder.

He walked down to the water’s edge again, letting his hand rest on the back of the ancient bench. In the misty solitude, he fancied he could almost hear the echoes of other lives lived in this strange place. The thought brought back the musical laughter of the girl from his dream, and a pang went through him—loneliness, and a wistful longing for something he had never known.

Love, he supposed, shaking his head. He’d never had time to go looking for it, and he wasn’t sure when he ever would. Yet for all that he had come here craving solitude, he found himself wishing someone special were beside him to share the moment.

***

Kitty put her musings aside the moment the door opened, her eyes drawn instantly to the young doctor—so much for all her hard-won self-discipline. She had spent the hours since yesterday reminding herself that he was not for her. Now he looked well, she thought, ruthlessly suppressing the word handsome.

She was smiling to herself when their eyes met. All at once, she felt breathless. Kitty knew she was young and lacked experience of the world, but she did not think she was mistaken in what she read in Jamison’s gaze. It was the exact reflection of her own unwilling yearning. He felt it, too.

Jamison was dimly aware that Remington was attempting to introduce him properly, and that he was behaving very badly. But once he had allowed his eyes to search for Kitty—and their gazes had locked— his mind could not convince his heart to look away. She was beautiful, she was kind—she was everything he had ever hoped to find. And she belonged to a century he had no desire to inhabit.

The introductions then proceeded in form, and Kitty and Jamison each dared to imagine that their moment of silent connection had gone unremarked. But in truth, every person in that room had not only noticed, but developed an opinion on what had passed between the two.

Mary, for one, living in a perpetual glow of love and wedding plans, decided at once that Something Must Be Done. She had seen Kitty’s increasing loneliness and sincerely wished for her happiness. The more she saw and heard of the doctor, the more convinced she became that he was the ideal match for her sister.

Stolen, Lost or Simply Run Away? The Crown’s Forester Has Vanished.

By

On September 19, 2026

In Teatime Tattler

Canva AI image of Sir Hugh Coilltear, Royal Forester Dearest Readers,

A small village sits on the northern bank of Scotland’s River Dee, just south of the Sylva Caledonia. A short distance to the north, a royal forester, one Sir Hugh Coilltear, has occupied an isolated cottage a mere few steps from the ancient trees—or Grandmother Pines as the Scots call them. For more than a decade Sir Hugh has performed his forester’s duties with exemplary skill and dedication. He and his young son, were also loyal attendees of the village Kirk. The rector, when questioned by our reporter, had nothing but praise for Sir Coilltear.

That is, according to the rector, “Until he stopped attending services completely. I used to ride all the way out to his cottage just to confirm he and his son were well. However, when I visited in September, neither man nor child were present. Believing they may have left in pursuit of Coilltear’s duties, I thought little of it. Then I returned just after All Saint’s Day. Not only were the forester and his son missing, but the nearest neighbors gave alarming reports.”

What the rector revealed astonished even this editor, who—I must confess—had seen and heard just about everything.

“I was about to return to the kirk,” the rector continued. “When men from two of the closest farms approached, asking that I bless their fields and their homes. They were frightened that, even though the pagan Samhain had passed, evil spirits might possess them, their animals, their families and damage their crops.

Canva AI image of our heroine, the Tuatha Warrior-Hunter, Rikki Tabormaen de Aether

“They related taking all of the traditional (and superstitious): All west facing windows and doors had been sealed. Rowan branches were hung over every doorway. Iron implements of all sorts had been placed at every lintel. Bread and salt were left some distance from the house in order to distract the Sluagh away from the home. Adderstanes were hung at byre, stable and sheepfold. Fresh milk was poured for the Gruagach—the spirit that kept watch over the livestock. Fires were lit to protect the crops. And, of course—these men said—each farm had a Goodman’s Croft. The croft is a plot of wild, untouched land intended specifically for the use and pleasure of the Slaugh in hopes the evil and dead would linger there and not at the farm itself.”

Our reporter recalls snickering at such antiquated ideas.

“These are simple folk,” the rector reminded our reporter. “Do not belittle their beliefs, for they also sought God’s blessing and protection through me.”

When asked what he personally thought of such traditions, the rector was slow to answer. At last, he said, “I do not know what to think. However, I can tell you that none of the precautions taken by these farmers had been employed at the forester’s cottage. He and his son have not been seen. Were they stolen by the evil of the wild ride, the Slaugh? Who can tell?”

About True Love’s Kiss: Searching for the same villains, hunters Hugh and Rikki clash over how to carry on and even why, while stubbornly refusing to recognize their growing love. Not until one hunter’s life hangs in the balance can True Love’s Kiss resolve their differences.

About Moonlight Madness: When the year grows colder and the veil between worlds grows thin—or so they say—comes the time for stories to make you shiver. The Bluestocking Belles bring ghosts, and ghoulies, and spirits of all kinds, each leading to love, the greatest madness of all.

About Rue Allyn: Award winning romance author, Rue Allyn has a lifelong passion for happy ever after. She lives south of the border with her husband of more than fifty years and their cat, Tanto. She has two sons and is a proud veteran of the US Navy. She writes heart melting romance in all sub-genres, but her favorite is historical romance, especially medieval. Subscribe to Rue’s News where you may learn more about Rue and receive a FREE download. https://rueallyn.com/mailing-list/

About the Bluestocking Belles: The Bluestocking Belles (the “BellesInBlue”) are a group of very different writers united by a love of history and a history of writing about love. From sweet to steamy, from light-hearted fun to dark tortured tales full of angst, from London ballrooms to country cottages to the sultan’s seraglio, one or more of us will have a tale to suit your tastes and mood. . Keep up with all the Belles’ news. Subscribe here https://bluestockingbelles.net/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/

Did She…Or Didn’t She? Village in Uproar over Runaway Girl

By

On September 12, 2026

In Barbara Monajem, gossip, Regency (19th century Britain), Teatime Tattler

The little Cotswold village of D is divided into two camps, due to the sudden flight of pretty Miss W: those who accuse her of theft and possibly worse, and those who say she is a sweet, kind young lady who would never harm a soul.

While we at the Teatime Tattler are of necessity cynical – it’s difficult to be otherwise given that our business is gossip, gossip, and more unpleasant gossip – we wish to give equal weight to each camp.

Mrs. W, the girl’s stepmother, heads the camp of those who believe the worst. Her two daughters, C and P – the elder a shrew and the younger a ninny — are naturally supportive of their mother. “She’s a thief,” Mrs. W sobbed to our correspondent. “She was always a bad sort, consorting with servants rather than respectable people. She insists on working in the kitchen, of all places—and I believe she did so with wicked plans in mind. Now, she has stolen my mother’s locket and run away. No matter the scandal it brings upon us, the girl must be caught and punished to the full extent of the law!”

Well! That does sound rather harsh, doesn’t it? To accuse her stepchild, the daughter of her deceased husband, of such infamy! A few of Mrs. W’s cronies, ladies of similar status, seem to agree with her.

The majority of the village, though—people of lower estate, from shopkeepers to laborers—are fiercely ranged on Miss W’s side. “A sweet, charming girl,” they told us, “so friendly and kind. Definitely not a thief! She’s the sort who would share her meager meal with a beggar, and has done so more than once.” As for their opinion of her stepmother—well! The villagers are strangely mum, perhaps for fear of losing the lady’s custom.

Meanwhile, where has Miss W gone? Will she be found, and if so, what will be poor Miss W’s fate?

 

Christmas in September!

Sir Rupert has taken in strays from time to time, but never two the same night: first a tiny dog, and then a bedraggled young woman found shivering by the roadside in the rain. He hires her on the spot to help in the kitchen, for his cook is down with the ague, and it’s only two days till Christmas.

Nell can’t believe her luck, but warm and welcoming as Sir Rupert and his household are, she can only stay till Christmas, for she will be pursued, caught, and hanged unless she can reach the safe haven of her father’s friend.

Nell adores Sir Rupert, but she cannot tell him the truth, for no one will believe her. Nor can she tell a lie. She will prepare the Christmas feast—she’d promised to—but after that, she will flee once again.

With time running out, can Rupert convince her that she is safe with him, no matter what?

Only 99 cents!

https://books2read.com/recluse-and-runaway

 

 

Fenwick on Sea, or Fenwick on Scandal?

By

On September 5, 2026

In Teatime Tattler

Dearest Readers,

We have more news from our correspondent in that remote seaside village, Fenwick on Sea. You’ll recall last spring when a storm devastated the area, stranding a large number of respected and not so respectable people in this tiny village. Our reporter, braved that storm and the hazards resulting from it to bring you important news of smugglers, pirates, and scandal.

It seems that Fenwick on Sea is once again making headlines. First, we had news of a magical well. Supposedly anyone drinking the waters from this well will find his or her true love. Then a certain Lady B. (a relative of Lord Shermer) disappears from town and is seen in Fenwick on Sea. After which, she returns to town engaged to Mr. Charles Robinson. Did the lady and the gentleman drink the well’s waters?

Next the illustrious and rather wealthy heiress, Miss Arianna Westbrook visits Fenwick. Her mother says to escape the attentions of fortune hunters. What happens to Miss Westbrook? She ends up married to one Thomas Medlock, owner of a salvage company. A Salvage Company? Can you imagine how low the high have fallen when a noble heiress weds a tradesman. One might almost believe the rumor swirling about the well water of Fenwick.

And NOW! Now, we learn that intrepid half-pay Captain C., a hero of the French wars, stopped in this notorious village while investigating suspected profiteers. Men who, during the wars, profited from selling British Army weapons and supplies to the enemy. Our brave Captain C. not only finds the party guilty of profiteering, but also breaks up a smuggling ring, and finds a bride. Is the well at work again?

Perhaps we should have our brave reporter drink the waters as a test? What do you think?

We will keep you all informed of the very interesting events happening in this obscure little village.

With Warm Regards,

Samuel Clemens, Editor in Chief

About What the Heart Knows, Forevers in Fenwick Book Four

A retired army captain investigates a series of crimes that lead directly to the door of a woman he loves. Will fate force him to choose between honor and love?

Home from the wars, Captain Christian Copefort arrives in Fenwick to investigate the local squire on suspicion of smuggling and profiteering. Kit vows to find proof of the gentleman’s shady dealing. Then Kit meets the squire’s lovely daughter. Is she complicit in her father’s criminal activities? What a pity, if she is, for she is the one woman Kit believes he could love.

The allure of Captain Copefort baffles Miss Margaret Fenneman. Modest for a man whose exploits on battlefields are widely known, Kit Copefort is neither bellicose nor conceited. Only charming. Yet, he holds her father in contempt. How can she be attracted to a man who opposes to everything she believes right? She refuses to show any disloyalty to her father. But Kit…and fate may force her to choose.

B2RUBL  https://books2read.com/u/3GBZaL

Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/What-Heart-Knows-Forevers-Fenwick-ebook/dp/B0H8B861S8

About Forevers in Fenwick, A Continuing Series from the Bluestocking Belles.

Ah, Fenwick on Sea! A humble village, somewhat forgotten by time. But not for long if the innkeeper has his way! Rumor of a fae blessing upon his inn is exactly what he needs to draw crowds back to the neglected village. Of course, it’s only talk. Or is it?

Series Buy Link–https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H27Z3MTK

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