Keeping Romance Alive in 2020: The Victorian Era Holds the Key by Connie Vines #RomanceGems

Married or Single. Dating or Engaged.  Or, simply dazed and confused and not able to fathom anyway of dating during the social distancing practices of 2020?

Since I write romance novels, finding true love and happily-ever-after-ends are part of my stock and trade.  There simply had to be a solution.

I happened across a PBS show which highlighted courtship during the Victorian Era. I'd watch the special years ago, but it wasn't until now that I really focused on the details and nuances.

Is there a more perfect example of 'social distancing'?

Could the norms of the Victorian Era dating practices be adapted in 2020? 

I believe so. 

One of the most romantic aspects of a Victorian courtship was the written word. Not only did women keep a diary of the courtship, but both partners exchanged romantic letters. They also exchanged lockets, antique coins, portraits, poems, sketches, etc.

Historical example of Victorian love letter

Victorians took flirting to a new level. Women created a “fan language” in order to communicate with suitors. Chaperones appreciated self-restraint, many viewed this type of subtle flirtation as acceptable.The fan signals weren’t hard to interpret: If a lady’s fan was shut, she didn’t like the suitor and wanted him to leave. If her fan was half-open, she was friend-zoning him. If the fan was open wide, she really liked him.

Museum Selection

Some men had cards made for the express purpose of clandestine flirting, and would pass them to a woman without anyone noticing. Unless and until the female recipient read the card, its true message would remain a mystery.

Under this strict code of etiquette, items of apparel such as fans, gloves, and handkerchiefs were given meaning as were objects given as gift called 'love tokens' such as flowers, painted miniatures, or jewelry set with gemstones of particular significance.

Victorian Wax Flower Dome

Most fragrances in early to mid-Victorian times were delicate and floral. They were understated, feminine – and often simply conjured up the scent of a particular flower, such as jasmine, lavender, roses, honeysuckle… Aromatic herbs might be used, too:  marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and the odd sprinkling of spice – like cloves (which gave a carnation-like scent).

History Collection.com

Courtship is when a man is attempting to “woo” a woman, (to win her over) with the end result being marriage. .. 

Time, attention, and discovering who a person is equals courtship. 

Courtship = Romance. 

There is noting old-fashioned about courting.

Victorian Courting is perfectly suited for 2020.

Remember Fragrance and Love are never out of fashion!

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Thanks for reading!

A FREE Kindle book to add to your Summer TBR list by Peggy Jaeger

For the first time ever I'm offering up a free Kindle book. From August 1 thru the 5th, WOKE, my version of a modern Sleeping Beauty will be available for free on Amazon/Kindle.

In this version of the fairy tale, though, our sleeping beauty doesn't wait for love's first kiss to awaken her - she wakes up all on her own!

I've loved fairy tales since I was a kid but even back then I was always trying to come up with alternative endings to the stories. It seemed in every story there was either a dead mother and a horrible step mother, an ineffective father, poverty, and a girl who was too goodie-goodie for reality. Oh, and of course there was always a man waiting in the wings to save our poor heroine.

Yeah. Welcome to the 21st century, people.  Our dear heroines can fend for themselves, kick some ass doing it, and still maintain their alluring personas.

My first modernization of a fairy tale was DIRTY DAMSELS, a Cinderella redux. In this version, Ella was the CEO of her own cleaning company. Even though this was a riches-to-rags-to-riches story, Ella didn't need to be rescued from drudgery by a prince - she built her business all by herself. The tagline for the book is What if Cinderella had a one night stand with a man named Prince?

Based on that you can tell this isn't a child's fairy tale but a steamy love story!

In WOKE, Aurora, or A.J. as she prefers to be called now, woke up from a 10 year coma determined to ferret out who slipped a drug combination in her champagne glass, leading to the coma.

For A.J. Waking up each day is a gift.

If you like steamy romances with heroines you can root for and heroes that make you care, and if you've got a Kindle, consider downloading WOKE  for free. There's still plenty of summer left to read

Waking up each day is a gift….

On her 21^st birthday, someone slipped a potent drug combination into socialite Aurora Brightwell’s champagne putting her in a coma for the next ten years. It’s been a long road back, and it’s time to reclaim the life she lost and find out exactly what happened on that fateful night.

Financier Kincade Enright has his own reason for helping Aurora discover who poisoned her, but for the time being he’s keeping that - and his true identity - to himself. What he can’t keep hidden though, are his growing feelings for the one-time paparazzi darling and party-girl.

When this prince of finance joins forces with the former sleeping beauty, nothing can stop them from finding the answers they seek…or prevent the powerful emotions developing between them as they search for the truth.

And before I go...have you heard about LAST CHANCE BEACH ?

A compilation of 14 great stories from the Romance Gems all in one wonderful boxed set.

Preorder your copy now - it' so goes live on August 4!

Until next time, peeps. Happy reading ~ Peg