(no subject)

[skygiants]

The fact that Zen Cho's The True Queen has now formally joined the ranks of Lesbian Regency Romances reminded me that I never got around to writing up Penelope Friday's Petticoats and Promises which lokifan mentioned as one of the few other extant examples last time I was talking about lesbian Regency romance.

The arc of Petticoats and Promises:

- lifelong Regency best friends Clara and Serena discover they are in love! hurrah!
- whoops Serena's family has suffered a downfall in fortunes and there isn't enough money for her to have a season, but it's fine, she can go visit Clara on hers!
- OH NO, Clara's terrible mom catches them together and Serena gets packed off home in a cloud of mysterious disgrace!
- the next thing Serena hears, Clara is married!
- Resentful and Betrayed, Serena goes off to have her own Season and meets a cool older lesbian who helps her grow into herself
- will Clara and Serena get back together after Clara has bowed to social heterosexual pressure? will Serena's deeply caring but conventional parents support her if she comes out to them? could you take the entire arc of this book and drop it in, like, the 1980s and replace "season" with "college" and have it read almost exactly the same? I leave it to the discerning reader to intuit the answer to these questions!

And, I mean, "the historical aspect is almost entirely set dressing" is an issue for many Regency romances, Petticoats and Promises is absolutely not alone in this regard. I personally would have wanted either a little more actual plot, or a richer and more grounded exploration of the actual historical time period -- either would have done! -- but if you're craving a story about a young lesbian Finding Herself while wearing a lot of pretty dresses, this will do perfectly well!

Comments

[osprey_archer]

Does the book namecheck the Ladies of Llangollen? I feel that any f/f Regency ought to namecheck the Ladies of Llangollen or it isn't even trying.

[skygiants]

I feel like it might namecheck them once but absolutely not in any way that made an impression on me or the protagonist >:(

[aurumcalendula]

I believe lokifan was who mentioned that one?

the historical aspect is almost entirely set dressing is a useful thing to know ahead of time *adjusts expectations accordingly*

[skygiants]

Oh you are absolutely correct, apologies! It was Pembroke Park that you mentioned. Got my lesbian regencies mixed up!

[lokifan]

The cool older lesbian was my favourite <333

[rymenhild]

I tried reading Pembroke Park but couldn't get past the third page. The writer sadly picked up Heyer's slang but didn't understand the pacing of her sentences.