Regency Book Box Ideas for Historical Fiction Readers
However, if you’d like to create your own Regency-inspired book box at any time of year, I’ve gathered a selection of items below that echo the details found in the series—jewelry, writing tools, keepsakes, and other small objects worthy of a secret archive.
These are items I’ve found online so you can assemble your own collection inspired by my Regency Romantic Suspense novels. Whether you’re treating yourself, creating a themed gift, or simply indulging your love of Regency elegance, I hope this list helps you step more fully into a world of intrigue, faith, and fierce courage.
In the Lady Wynwood’s Spies series, Bianca’s notebook plays a large role in the overarching story. Here is what I imagined her notebook would have looked like. This is made of genuine leather and the pages are hand-sewn to the cover. The paper is thick and great for writing in, whether journaling or taking notes for Bible study.
In Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 7: Spinster, Melinda owns an amber pendant that she lends to Lena for an interesting scene. This one is like the one that she would have worn in that time period. It is real amber and Sterling Silver.
In Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 7: Spinster, Lena wears a bracelet of coral, which was very popular in Regency England. They were typically round coral beads strung together like this, although this bracelet is a convenient elastic to make it easy to slip on and off.
The heroine’s violin has a mysterious provenance in Prelude for a Lord. This is a cute miniature replica ornament.
In Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 3: Aggressor, Isabella is talking to Thorne, and she mentions that her brother bought their mother a silver bracelet as an apology for disappearing for so long (while he was unconscious after being turned into a Berserker in Volume 1). Any of these bracelets would be similar to the thoughtful gift Mr. Coulton-Jones gave to his parent (because of course he always has good taste!). Patreon members in the Lady Wynwood’s Spy tier also get to read the note he wrote to his mother when he presented the gift.
In Volume 8: Traitor, Miss Tolberton gives Phoebe a vinaigrette pendant. In the Regency era, a vinaigrette was a fashionable and functional accessory carried by ladies of the ton. These tiny containers, often made of silver, featured a hinged lid and a pierced inner grille covering a bit of sponge soaked in aromatic vinegar or essential oils. When unpleasant odors (common in London at that time) or faintness struck (common due to overly tightened corsets), a lady would discreetly open her vinaigrette and inhale its bracing scent.
This is a modern interpretation of the vinaigrette. It’s filigree rather than solid silver, and it hides a porous aromatherapy bead inside instead of the Regency vinaigrette sponge.
I’ve described Laura’s perfume a few times in the series. While she doesn’t put on a great deal of it, she favors a woody, earthy perfume that smells like finding a single exotic rose in the midst of wild berry bushes in the depths of the forest.
Her perfume is based off of this real-life scent, L’Ombre Dans L’Eau by Diptyque. I think it smells divine and elegant, but also more nature-inspired than some other perfumes.
In my standalone Regency romantic suspense novella, The Gentleman’s Quest, a Chinese puzzle box is at the center of the mystery.