The Allure of the Regency Romance

Why Jane Austen’s Regency period so compellingly invites readers to visit—and return again and again—and how one author discovered the treasure trove to be found.

Before we visit London, England, circa 1810-1820, let us hearken back a decade or three, when the first big chain of used bookstores made its way to Texas.

Prior to this occurrence, I’d grown up reading every romance book I could get my hands on: things like Silhouette First Love—teen romance my mother approved—and the more adult...