When we think of the phrase "mad, bad, and dangerous to know" we think (of course) of Lord Byron and the men like him: dangerous rakes who could seduce a woman with a glance. But in Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency, author Bea Koch turns this idea on its head by examining Regency England through the women who did't meet the stereotype of a demure Regency miss. Koch refutes critics who bash Regency romances, claiming the historic time period is window dressing for stories with far too 'modern' heroines, by introducing us to real Regency heroines, from Lady Jersey and Caroline Lamb to DIdo Elizabeth Belle and Caroline Herschel.

Among the contradictory aspects of the Regency, sex and decorum are at the top of the list. So it is only natural that Koch starts Mad and Bad with some of the real "bad girls" of the era- women who pushed against Society's rules to be influential mistresses of royalty or highly placed politicians. Any reader of Regency romance knows Almack's Assemblies and the strict and starchy Patronesses who ruled Polite Society. But Koch gives us the behind-the-scenes stories of their affairs and intrigues that would shock any debutante. How many Patronesses slept with the Prince Regent? Or with each other's husbands? Who really ruled the ambassadorial home (and work) of Count and Princess Lieven?

Once she has hooked you with sex, Koch introduces us to women who might not be shocking by today's standards, but certainly didn't fit the stereotypical Regency mold. Artists, authors, and actresses the reader may know by name are fleshed out into real people following their muse. Female scientists, astronomers, and geologists struggle to be recognized in a man's world. Today we think of movies or books that add LGBTQ and non-white characters as being "politically correct"- Koch introduces us to famous, infamous, and relatively unknown, but true life, LGBTQ and non-white people living in Regency England. Koch looks past the scandalous reputations women like Caroline Lamb have to try and find the real woman behind the myth, to put them in context of the times, and to show us the networks of women (and sometimes men) who supported them.

The writing style of Mad and Bad is relaxed and informal, the people are introduced in relatively short pieces, as the book itself is not designed to be in-depth biographies. Instead, it is an introduction to a world many readers might not have known even existed, and an introduction to the people who may become the forefront of history as we ask new questions about the "real" Regency England. Koch provides the reader with plenty of 'recommended reading' and bibliographies to access more in-depth histories of any of the individuals who particularly grasp your attention, and I know my own "to read" list about doubled because of this! My only complaint was the tendency towards repetition, a little more editing would have pushed this review from 4 to 5 stars easily.

An excellent introduction to a few of the strong women of Regency England who helped pave the way for women to this day.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

What I liked about this book was how it incorporated contemporary pop culture (romance novels, movies, etc.) into the text. I'm always interested in the history behind pop culture things I enjoy. I also enjoyed how it brought art history into the fold as well. Cracking the code of a painting that may look to the untrained eye like a boring portrait is endlessly fascinating to me.

I think where this book falters is some combination of scope and structure. There are too many topics, too many people, and within each biography, too many dates and facts. It does often read like an encyclopedia or a history textbook. I wish the book had more of a narrative thrust, more context, more ideas and a more compelling argument to make than "women from the Regency were interesting."

***Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

I've been on a narrative non-fiction kick lately so I was excited to read "Mad and Bad" by Bea Koch. I love history, but I'm not particularly interested in this period - however, reading about the lives of women I didn't know about was fascinating and engaging. As I was reading the ebook, the pictures didn't come up until the end of the chapter, and not all of them were shown (I'm assuming because this book is pre-publication and this might change later on). You could tell a good deal of research went into this book, and the women Koch chooses to profile are very interesting (I do wish there had been more stories of women of color, and the LGBTQ+ and Jewish chapters felt a little tacked on as an afterthought. Again, I understand the limitations of record-keeping for the time and these records may not have existed, so what little was found is indeed incredible.)

My one major gripe was that it's sometimes hard to follow who the author is talking about. I had to double-back and reread passages so I could make sure I was following the correct story and knew who the author was talking about. This detracted from my focus and made it hard to follow.

Usually I come away from narrative non-fiction wanting to learn more about the subjects, but this was sadly not the case here. It was an interesting read, but I personally would not read it again.

This book really intrigued me but I couldn't get into it. It read like a long list of biographies of people I'd (mostly) never heard of, and lacked a real sense of story-telling or intrigue. I assumed that it was well researched but other reviewers have really eviscerated it so I'm no longer sure. As someone who loves history and loves learning about lesser known people from history, I expected to love it but it missed the mark for me.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

I wanted to like this book so much but it is, sadly.... not very good. The writing is awkward and cutesy, and the paragraph breaks don't make any sense in the context of the prose. This is content that could be incredibly interesting, and I'm always on the hunt for more feminist histories, but this was just, sadly, not very good. The writing is generic, flat, and incredibly cutesy, and the brevity of each entry makes it seem like we're reading Wikipedia pages rather than a well-researched history. In particular, I was stunned by the inclusion of Princess Caraboo as one of the examples of women of color in the Regency Era. Princess Caraboo is now well known as a white Englishwoman who pretended to be a foreign princess, and the inclusion of her story as only one of three women of color is downright insulting. In all the research on Princess Caraboo, including portraits and primary sources discussing her deception, there's no evidence that she dyed her skin or wore makeup to pretend to be non-white, This book is atrociously researched. Do better.

This was a fascinating and often hilarious book. I was pulled in by the cover, premise, and the fact that it was written by a co-owner of The Ripped Bodice. It didn't disappoint. As someone who was familiar with the restraint of Regency novels, it was especially interesting to read about the women who didn't fit that mold and found personal fulfillment, even if it wasn't the life their society wanted for them.

A great, thorough yet concise overview of the Regency era and the women who defined it. I loved learning about the scientists and Almack’s patronesses!

Koch shows her expertise in this primer on Regency heroines. The take is framed in a feminist POV that will also allow readers of historical romances to understand why many authors are currently using a fresh take within that sub-genre. Essential for anyone amassing reference material on romance fiction

DNF at 20%

I wanted to love this because I love regency romance and I hoped to learn more about the real-life figures in the era. Unfortunately, the writing is so dry and read like a summary for each figure. It didn’t hold my attention at all. Not for me.

A solid primer for anyone looking to know more about the Regency and the women who existed in all manner of society circles throughout that time period! I'm not very well-versed in it, personally, so it proved to be a very educational and entertaining read that didn't necessarily go too in-depth on its subjects. A lot of figures I either wasn't familiar with or had never heard of at all, so I appreciated the accessibility of the writing and the clear passion the author has for her subject (as well as all the books she lists as recommended reads!).

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“The real heroines of the Regency aren’t empty-headed heiresses or scheming mamas—they’re intelligent, talented artists, thinkers, scientists, and so much more” says the author of this new book about women of the Regency period in England. (Jane Austen wrote during this time, and the historical novels of Georgette Heyer are set during this period.) One of the more interesting topics covered are women of color during the Regency period. Recommended reading lists are presented at the end of each section instead of at the end of this book, which seems intended to provide readers of Regency romances with some background of the women mentioned in these novels. Readers looking for more in-depth information might be better served elsewhere. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.