Three reason I got disqualified from fencing

Feeling a little 17th century up in here

This looks *amazing*. Also, Magic Breakfast are amazing. My school rely on them and I promise they make a difference. (Self-serving side bar: support them & reduce the time I spend on a freezing playground with children so hangry and dysregulated they don’t know what to do with themselves)

Goths for Breakfast is a fantastic day of online talks and workshops supporting a good cause. Check out the programme - so much range!

Thanks #HorrorWritersChat! On February 28th, you can join me for a writing workshop dive into the dark depths of haunted lakes — part of the #RomancingTheGothic charity teach-a-thon to raise money to feed hungry kids. Check out the amazing lineup of talks and get your ticket here 👇

Romancing the Gothic!! AND for a good cause!!

I am going to see Wuthering Heights tomorrow and I wish to God I were not I hope everyone coming to my 'Wuthering Heights in Adaptation' workshop day at the Bronte Parsonage appreciates my sacrifice

Another romance class day! My favourite day of the week. This week, we were looking at Georgette Heyer's 'The Quiet Gentleman' It was great to chat through the reading experience with people discovering Heyer for the first time to people who've been reading Heyer for decades!

Romancing the Gothic has an online conference this year. We're celebrating Radcliffe's posthumous publications with a conference that looks at women in the Gothic and horror and people of marginalised genders in Gothic and horror. Join us! romancingthegothic.com/2025/10/15/r...

Did you catch this weekend's excellent ghost writing workshop? Watch and share (and do let us know if you write a story from it!) Dr Icy Sedgwick's writing workshops, based in folklore, always spark lots of ideas! youtu.be/YaAbyQFdvpE

Did you miss Sasha Ravitch's talk on Nick Cave and Gothic Women? It was an exciting deep dive into his earlier work and into the influence of Anita Lane! youtu.be/vD7C69Xj-kI

Friday night's film was... "Wuthering Heights" the Emerald Fennell one. She said she wanted to recreate her thoughts and feelings after reading the novel when she was 14. In that respect it's a very successful film bc it feels like a 14 year old white girl's Wuthering Heights tumblr made into a film

The people in the room next to me at this hotel have their tv at ear-blasting levels. I am trying to be chill about it. But I am starting to lose my mind.

I had a great time watching #ReluctantWidow with everyone The mystery of why Heyer didn't want her other books to be made into films is clearly solved! If people are up for it, we could do another watchalong next week with one of the excellent 1970s/80s Mills and Boon/Harlequin movies...

Just carrying her off to bed with a house full of people just awkwardly watching #ReluctantWidow

Oh, I forgot, Nicky is a very efficient murderer #ReluctantWidow

Accents o'clock #ReluctantWidow

Get Nicky! What's Nicky meant to do? #ReluctantWidow

Oh Francis, what did they do to you? #ReluctantWidow

Nicky gently sticking his foot in it again When he's not stabbing people or getting stuck in the floor, he's bringing sexy French spies to the house #ReluctantWidow

Francis off to read some sexy Satan with a smile #ReluctantWidow

'I'm going to tie Francis Cheviot to his bed' 'Why?' BECAUSE TONIGHT WE BONE, BABY! #ReluctantWidow

To do Francis justice, book Francis would NEVER. They got rid of so much queer-coding and instead made him a creepy heterosexual predator. BOO. Boo to that. #ReluctantWidow

Kissing in front of your new husband... You gotta admit though that there's significantly more chemistry with evil-coded Francis #ReluctantWidow

The key to being sexy: (1) Get WAAAAAY inside your target's personal space. (2) Continue leaning forward while saying putatively sexy gibberish. (3) Hope that no Labrador Retriever in human form gallops into the room to play. #ReluctantWidow

This is the hour When she, like a flower... Let me stop you right there, Francis #ReluctantWidow

So now Carlyon is hanging with this French lady? After he tricked Elinor into marriage last night? Tsk tsk #ReluctantWidow

Deadliest duellest in England and a poet... be still her heart #ReluctantWidow

I do love the Francis actor. He's doing the most. Also never fails with his outfits #ReluctantWidow

I do enjoy that we see the sudden behaviour change in Francis here from focused planner to spoilt dandy in the flash of an eye #ReluctantWidow

No better start to a marriage than tricking her into it by pretending to be paralysed in a carriage accident to force her to marry you so she can't testify against you. ROMANCE #ReluctantWidow

Mildly hilarious that Heyer referred to this film as 'sex-muck' when that was the least passionate kiss I've ever seen. Just sort of falling her face on top of his. #ReluctantWidow

The perfect time to ask her to marry you and the perfect way 'A mere strategy'

Why so close, creepy? #ReluctantWidow

Random smuggler at the window again. Just in the middle of the day. As you do! #ReluctantWidow

So glad they swapped out the sensible ex-nanny version of Miss Beccles for this walking ball of high-pitched fluff. What a great plot addition. #ReluctantWidow

Francis! (They do him so dirty later in the film but I love this entrance!) #ReluctantWidow

It's all a plot! #ReluctantWidow

He's probably advising Wellington... Alternatively, he's being stripped of his rank, publicly humiliated and someone's hulk snapped his sword. Good guess, Nicky, but not quite right. #ReluctantWidow

Salacious art! This guy was clearly a wrong 'un #ReluctantWidow

Just a smuggler popping in through the window with an Irish (?) accent?

I'm really intrigued by her hair. If anyone knows about Regency hair is that... a period accurate hairstyle? #ReluctantWidow

For anyone who hasn't read the book... none of these people exist in the novel Just an excuse for them to get the military costumes out #ReluctantWidow

'I'm over 21 and a woman of the world'... so of course I want to sleep in my dead husband's bed. #ReluctantWidow

Such an interesting choice to completely change the plot of the book by making it Eustace who tries to arrange himself a marriage rather than Carlyon trying to make sure *he* doesn't inherit by organising the marriage. #ReluctantWidow

Love that they went for a looming entrance Is she about to get murdered? Maybe!

I may have forgotten to mention the Greek subtitles... Nothing like a voiceover explaining what happened rather than seeing it! Wouldn't want to risk it getting too exciting, too early. #ReluctantWidow

Aaaaaand we're off! #ReluctantWidow

Excited! We start in just over 5 minutes! #ReluctantWidow

If you're following along with #ReluctantWidow and it's your 1st watchalong, here are a few tips! Click on the hashtag, you'll see all the posts using it Remember to use the tag so people can see you You can interact with people or write a lone post Start at the hour to be 'in sync'