This was a beautifully done historical novel, it had that element that I wanted and enjoyed in this type of book. I enjoyed how the real-life elements were used to tell the storyline and how the characters worked together to tell the love affair. It was so well written and I was invested in the time-period and Lady Harriet Bessborough and the rest of the characters. Janice Hadlow was able to create something unique and was glad I read this.

Lush, intoxicating, and brimming with intrigue, this novel sweeps readers into the glittering yet treacherous world of late 18th-century England. Lady Harriet Bessborough is a captivating heroine — worldly, sharp, and self-assured — until love with the dangerously charming Lord Granville unravels her careful control.

The author captures Harriet’s society’s elegance and peril, where illicit affairs are tolerated only within rigid, unwritten rules. As Harriet breaks those rules, the tension builds deliciously, blending romance, history, and the looming shadow of scandal. The emotional stakes feel real, and Harriet’s descent from calculated lover to love-struck risk-taker is rendered with passion and poignancy.

Beautifully written and richly atmospheric, this tale is about desire, power, and the price of surrendering to the heart. Fans of historical romance with a darker, more dramatic edge will find it utterly absorbing.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Just finished Rules of the Heart by Janice Hadlow and WOW, this one pulled me in from chapter one. 👏 I didn’t expect to get so invested, but the writing is stunning, the scenes are vivid, and the emotional tension had me turning pages like my life depended on it. 😤💔

What really stood out was how unpolished and honest the story felt. The characters face situations that are messy, unfair, and emotionally tangled—and that’s exactly what makes it so compelling. It doesn’t try to smooth over the rough edges, and I appreciated that. Knowing it’s based on real events only deepened my curiosity. And the reflective format, watching the main character look back on her life? Loved it.


(Review edited after I sat on the book for a night and thought about what else I wanted to say)

I love the practical nature of this book. Things aren't always wrapped up in a neat bow. I found myself frustrated at the situation the main characters found themselves in and then realized that was sort of the point- it's a maddening situation. I was so interested to learn that this is based on a true story. I feel like the author brings to light what was both prevalent in society but also so frowned upon. I really liked the format of this book, the main character looking back and reflecting on her life.

Rules of the Heart
by Janice Hadlow
Pub Date: Jan 20 2026

A beautifully evocative historical novel about the perils of all-consuming love, inspired by a real-life eighteenth-century love affair, from the bestselling author of The Other Bennet Sister

“When I love at all, it is with my whole soul—my heart must be torn to pieces before it can forget or resign the objects of its affections.”

England, 1794. Now in her thirties, Lady Harriet Bessborough, already the veteran of several liaisons, finds herself pursued by a much younger man. This isn’t unusual in her circle, where married women often take younger lovers. No one minds much, provided they follow the rules of the game: Don’t embarrass your husband, maintain complete discretion at all times, and never ever make the mistake of falling in love.

So when Harriet meets Lord Granville—brilliantly handsome, insistently ardent, and twelve years younger than her—she’s confident she can manage their affair. Until she finds herself falling uncontrollably under his spell.

As she’s plunged into an all-consuming passion, Harriet’s worldliness and sophistication desert her. With each besotted step, she finds herself edging ever closer to exposure and ruin. She knows she should leave Granville but can’t bring herself to do it—she loves him far too deeply now to escape the scandal

The work is not simply a romance, but a profound examination of the conflict between people and the social rules they themselves create. Harriet is portrayed with astonishing complexity - a wise, experienced woman who becomes helpless in the storm of love. The contrast between "social expectations" and "human instinct" is subtly exploited by Hadlow as Harriet violates every "rule of the heart" she herself once knew.
The author uses the historical setting as a mirror for eternal human problems - the tension between reason and emotion, between social honor and personal happiness.

A deep story of love and life in the late 1700’s England. I wasn’t aware of how common affairs were at that time. This story tells of Lady Harriet and her many men. Very enjoyable and well researched.