Mad and Bad

“As it turns out, the Regency Era wasn’t just a world of Lord Byron-esque players and Mr. Darcy-esque dreamboats. There were women there, too – gasp! – and they were just as mad, bad, and dangerous to know. Koch Takes readers on a romp through some of the most fascinating ones, from scandalous rich women who took a lot of lovers to sisters who hunted fossils to a gal who earned herself the nickname “Gentleman Jack.” Romance novel readers, Austenites, and Byronheads will love delving into the truth behind the aesthetics they’ve long adored.“–Tori Telfer, author of Lady Killers“Bea Koch presents a welcome assessment of the various forms of power and agency that women could wield in the male-dominated society of Regency England.”–Roy and Lesley Adkins, authors of Jane Austen’s England“Bea Koch’s Mad and Bad is a marvelous work of joyful feminist triumph that paints a nuanced picture of the British Regency era as women experienced it. From Caroline Lamb to Annie Lister to Mary Seacole, Koch’s lovingly rendered biographies illuminate fascinating narratives of power, inequity, ambition, and passion. What a gift to have at our fingertips this excellent archive of mad, bad heroines, all of whom demand bother remembrance and careful study. I will return to its pages often, grateful for the historical tapestry Koch has gracefully woven.”–Rachel Vorona Cote, author of Too Much“I can only hope that Bea Koch decides to give us more books like this. With this book, she shines a spotlight on a group of women who deserve to live as more than footnotes in history…This is a book that deserves all the attention it can get.”–Culturess“This is not the Regency you thought you knew! Bea Koch’s Mad & Bad is an important and enlightening new look at this classic era.”–Maya Rodale, bestselling author of historical romance“With the popularity of TV shows and films set in Regency England, I’m thankful for Bea Koch and her examination of the era beyond the wealthy, white, Christian focus of the past. Koch vividly shines light on the queer, Jewish and women of color who have long been overlooked.”–Ms. Magazine

Bea Koch is one of the owners of The Ripped Bodice, the only independent bookstore in the US dedicated to romance. In addition to being a groundbreaking bookseller, Bea graduated from Yale with distinction as the last Renaissance Studies major and received an MA in Costume History from NYU: Steinhardt. She is the proud mother of dog Fitzwilliam Waffles. He has more followers on Instagram than she does.

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