Rules of the Heart English 2026

'Entertaining historical fiction with Jane Austen vibes' - Good Housekeeping

Inspired by the true story of Countess Bessborough, Rules of the Heart is the sweeping novel from the bestselling author of The Other Bennet Sister, Janice Hadlow.

When I love at all, it is with my whole soul - my heart must be torn to pieces before it can forget . . .

England, 1794. Lady Harriet Bessborough seemingly has it all: wife to a lord and sister to a duchess, she is welcomed in the most fashionable circles. Yet she yearns for something her marriage has failed to offer: true love.

When she meets the captivating Lord Granville, twelve years her junior and a famous heartbreaker, she at first dismisses his advances as opportunistic flattery. But then she sees another side to him - a side she realizes she cannot resist.

As she plunges into an all-consuming affair, Harriet finds herself torn between her duty and her deepest desires. For, in a world where appearances are everything, each anxious but besotted step she takes leads her ever closer to scandal and ruin . . .

Praise for The Other Bennet Sister:

'Immersive and engaging' - The Guardian

'It's difficult not to race through those final pages' - Jo Baker, bestselling author of Longbourn

'A novel that will delight Pride and Prejudice fans' - Independent