Why the Grand Tour is the perfect setting for a historical romance

Hi, I’m historical romance author Jennie Goutet, and today I want to talk about the Grand Tour. I want to explain what it is for those of you who may not be familiar with it, and also talk about why I think it is a perfect setting for a historical romance series.

First, what is the Grand Tour? It began in the 17th century and describes the practice of young men of wealth and breeding traveling through Europe after graduating from Oxford or Cambridge. The idea was that they would receive a sort of finishing education.

They would continue their journey and usually stop in Lyon before heading to the coast of France. From there, they could take a boat to Italy, but that meant risking attacks by pirates or staying in very unpleasant inns along the way. The other option was to cross the Alps, which was also not for the faint of heart. However, most people chose that route rather than risk piracy.

There were times when horses, carriages, and even people fell off the side of the cliff, so it was certainly not an easy journey.

The Grand Tour continued until the middle of the 19th century. There was a pause during the Regency period because of the war with Napoleon. For that reason, it is not written about in Regency novels; but once Napoleon was defeated and exiled, the Grand Tour picked up again. Later, with the advent of trains, travel became easier and more common. Members of the middle class—wealthy but not necessarily part of the highest social ranks—began to go as well, and the Grand Tour gradually lost some of the prestige it once had.

His daughters—Amy, Hannah, and Maryanne—are all very different. Each daughter has her own story set in a different location.

The second daughter is Hannah. She is very scholarly, much like her father—a true bluestocking (an often pejorative term to. Her story is set in Paris, and I’m actually writing it right now. It’s a lot of fun. Her goal is to be accepted into the literary salons and to be respected as someone with ideas of her own.

That is the premise of the series. Each book is set in a different place: the second in Paris and the third in Rome.

At some point, you reach a place as a writer where you want to tell a different kind of story and bring another era to life. It’s not that I’m going to stop writing Regency novels—in fact, I have a series in progress—but this Georgian setting has been incredibly fun to explore.

If you pre-order the book through Haven, it is currently 40% off with free shipping. The pre-order also includes a couple of special goodies. I don’t have them yet, or I’d show you, but there will be a few extra surprises included with the book. It’s an amazing price, at $11.49 for a paperback with free shipping, plus the extras. Pre-order here!

If you have any questions about the Grand Tour, the series, or the era, feel free to leave them in the comments, and I’ll do my best to respond. I’m not a historian, but I love research. I also don’t mind admitting when I make mistakes. I do spend a great deal of time researching, so hopefully any mistakes aren’t too glaring.

I hope you have a great day!

Jennie Goutet is a bestselling author of clean Regency romance novels, writing heartfelt, no-spice love stories set in the Regency era. Her books are ideal for readers who enjoy sweet romance, strong values, and timeless storytelling.