#14 Mad, Bad, and Scantily Clad in Regency Romances

TW: discussions of racism and racial slurs, violence against women, erotic romance, BDSM, language use, and really annoying "heroes" These proud smut readers are happy to bring you a discussion of some off-brand regency romance novels...and Georgette Heyer. In this episode we talk about the books we read by Heyer, Kate Pearce, and Vanessa Riley. Featuring discussions of inclusivity, classism, white male privilege, heroes we aren't the biggest fans of, the effects of modern warfare on regency characters, and even sex clubs, be warned that this discussion does feature some NSFW chat...so earbuds in, sparkly nerds! Plus, bonus points for sticking around until the end for a SUPER EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT! Something supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is happening May 7...so put that date in your calendar right now! Books Read: Sylvester by Georgette Heyer Simply Forbidden by Kate Pearce The Bittersweet Bride by Vanessa Riley Terms: Pleasure House/sex club Not to be confused with brothels, these were private institutions meant mostly for the upper echelons of (male) society who paid high fees to be members. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) "...a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury." (American Psychiatric Association) Nostalgia Originally used to describe the "morbid longing" for one's home or native country, described as an "endemic disease" in the 1830s, and a description of depression felt in soldiers during the Civil War (etymonline.com) Wind-contusions/Le Vent du boulet Early descriptions of "shell shock" used especially during the Civil War Other recommended reading: "Secrets of the Great British Sex Clubs" (Perrottet, 2009) "Gentleman's Clubs in Regency London" (Bolen, 2015) "Un/civilized; From orgies to opium, exposing the underbelly of Regency London" (The Washington Post) "Historical Approaches to post-combat disorders" (Jones, 2006) "Napoleonic War Versus the Afghanistan Grind" (Dietrich, 2012) "From the Napoleonic Wars to Vietnam and Iraq: a history of war and trauma" (Historyextra.com, 2019) "Battle fatigue- did it affect soldiers in the ancient world?" (Youtube video! Lindybeige, 2016) "The First Black Britons" (Sandhu, 2011) "Interraciality in Early Twentieth Century Britain: Challenging Traditional Conceptualisations through Accounts of 'Ordinariness'" (Caballero, 2019) "Representing Regency: Multiracial People in the 19th Century" (Regencyreader.com) "Industrial Revolution" (History.com, 2019) The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan (2020) Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (2017; heroine who creates board games)