Bath Tangle is a Regency romance

Regency romance

Regency romances are a subgenre of romance novels set during the period of the British Regency or early 19th century. Rather than simply being versions of contemporary romance stories transported to a historical setting, Regency romances are a distinct genre with their own plot and stylistic...

 novel by Georgette Heyer

Georgette Heyer

Georgette Heyer was a British historical romance and detective fiction novelist. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth. In 1925 Heyer married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer...

. The story is set in 1816.

Plot summary

After the death of the Earl of Spenborough all are shocked when they discover that the late Earl has appointed Ivo Barrasford, Marquis of Rotherham, and formerly engaged to Lady Serena Carlow to be Serena's guardian. Though Lady Serena may rage against it, there is no way out and therefore Serena moves to Bath with her stepmother where she meets up with her old love from six years past. They rekindle their romance and become engaged. Rotherham, when he hears of the engagement, proposes to a girl who is only after his title.
When he sees his ward and her chosen, he realizes that they had all made a mistake and tries to make his betrothed cry off. However, when he had thought he had succeeded, Serena stepped in and ruined all his plans. A row between guardian and ward ensued with Rotherham storming off to make sure that his engagement over.
Eventually he reveals to Serena that he loves her and she admits that she loves him too. Her betrothed enters just as she is in Rotherham's arms, but is not bothered as he has by now fallen in love with Serena's stepmother.
The story ends happily with everyone ending up with people suited to them.