New Release: A Love Once Lost by Jennie Goutet

About This Episode

A Love Once Lost: A Heartfelt Talk with Clean Regency Author Jennie Goutet

Some authors fall into romance by accident. Jennie Goutet fell in love with it through Georgette Heyer. On the newest LiteraryScape podcast episode, Jennie joins host Melissa LaShure to talk about her clean Regency romance, A Love Once Lost, the first book in her new Bridewell’s Grand Tour series.

Jennie writes from France, where she has lived for years. Her stories blend wit, history, and quiet faith. She calls her genre “clean romance” rather than “inspirational romance,” and during this conversation, she explains exactly why that distinction matters to her.

From Classic Literature to Clean Regency Romance

Jennie grew up reading the classics. Romance felt beneath her, at first. Then a friend introduced her to Georgette Heyer’s novels, and everything changed. Heyer’s mix of intelligence and charm pulled Jennie in. She wanted more stories like that one. Eventually, she decided to write them herself.

Inside the Bridewell’s Grand Tour Series

A Love Once Lost launches a fresh series for Jennie, signed with Haven. The premise centers on an eccentric scholar with three daughters and no sons. Determined to polish his girls into brilliant minds, he drags them across Europe on a Grand Tour, the extended educational journey once reserved for young gentlemen.

The story unfolds on the continent rather than in England, and it skips the familiar Regency ballroom setting entirely. Because England and France were at war during the Regency period, Jennie set her tale earlier, drawing on real history from the Grand Tour’s golden age.

A Second-Chance Romance Rooted in Real History

Heroine Amy never wanted to leave home. She is the practical daughter in a family of dreamers, and she is still nursing a broken heart from a romance that ended six years earlier. Then she runs into James, the man she once loved, now tangled in an engagement of his own.

Jennie shares how the story evolved during drafting. James was originally written as truly in love with his fiancée. Partway through, Jennie realized his motives needed to be more complicated from the very beginning. That single shift changed the emotional shape of the whole book.

Real Places, Real People, Real Research

Jennie wove real historical figures into her fiction, including a married couple who lived through the French Revolution and a vaguely-referenced Russian princess. She also borrowed two modern people she met while traveling for research: a tour guide and a laundry museum curator who taught her about historic bathing rituals.

One especially memorable detail made it into the book: early mineral bath visitors once shared their bathwater with merchants rinsing vegetables and pig intestines nearby. Jennie laughed describing it, and readers will likely laugh too when they spot the scene.

Why Jennie Writes Clean Romance, Not Inspirational Fiction

Jennie grew up attending church but did not always feel a deep personal faith. Books with quiet, noble undertones moved her more than overtly religious stories ever did. She wanted to write fiction with that same gentle pull, something that draws readers toward hope without preaching at them.

Her goal for readers is simple. She wants them to feel seen, to sense a greater plan at work, and to walk away believing that hope is closer than it feels.

Writing Through Chaos: Jennie’s Honest Process

Jennie raises three teenagers, serves in her church’s youth ministry, and somehow still finishes books. She admits there is no typical writing day. Some mornings flow easily. Other days require pushing through a thousand words before bed, just to keep momentum.

Writer’s block remains a real struggle for her. Her current strategy: set a timer for thirty minutes, put on headphones, and simply start typing. She also leans on fellow authors and the occasional development edit to push past sticking points.

What’s Next: Book Two and the Earl’s Sisters Series

Book two follows Amy’s sister Hannah, a self-described “blue stocking” chasing acceptance in the literary salons of Paris. Jennie is already writing it, taking research trips around the city as she goes.

After that, she is launching a brand-new Regency series called The Earl’s Sisters, beginning with Wit, Wiles, and Courtship. The series follows five sisters and their younger brother, a 12-year-old earl who spends his early years embarrassing them at every turn.

Connect with Jennie Goutet

Jennie keeps her online presence simple. Her name, Jennie Goutet, works across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and her newsletter. Listeners can find her full catalog, including free audiobook narrations on YouTube, all in one easy-to-remember place.

Visit Jennie Goutet’s website to explore her full book catalog →

Listen to the Full Episode

Catch the entire conversation, including Jennie’s rapid-fire answers on writing rituals, favorite tropes, and the one piece of advice she would give her pre-published self, right here.