I just loving learning about “Unsung” heroes, even better when they are women. The biographies in this book were very informative and seemed to be thoroughly researched. I also enjoyed the author’s writing style which is not textbookey but very approachable. The stories in this book served to remind me again that the struggle of women for independence and recognition did not start in the 20th century but much longer before that. I think it’s important that we don’t let these early trailblazers drift away in the dust of history. Women’s history lovers in particular should really enjoy this one.

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A Line From A Book, Jennifer Sahmoun

I love learning about women’s history, so this was an enjoyable read for me. I would recommend this book to others who enjoy reading about women’s history.

NetGalley, reviewed by Betty Capshew

Knowles has chosen a fantastic group of women to write about. Her writing style is fluid, easy to follow, and includes both information about the personal lives of these women and about their contributions to the period. These brief biographical chapters are a good introduction to anybody who wants to get some idea about what women’s lives were like at the time, whilst at the same time providing a glimpse into what made these twelve women extraordinary. Their intelligence, their determination, and their passion shine through in those few pages. I must confess I would be happy to read a whole book on any and all of these women.

I recommend this book to anybody interested in women’s history or looking for an introduction into the Regency Period that looks more closely at the role women played. It is a gripping read and I hope it will go some way to help these women get the attention they deserve.

Read the complete review here.

Olga Nunez Miret

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Bridport News

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Dorset Magazine

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Daily Echo (Bournemouth)

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Dorset Echo

Knowles is an engaging and enthusiastic writer who brings these remarkable women to exuberant life.

Jane Austen's Regency World, July/August 2017- reviewed by Joceline Bury

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

NetGalley, rated by Jamie McHugh

Rachel's fine book looks at how the women of Britain emerged from the shadows of their husbands during the Regency period, inspiring female writers, scientists etc,. to take hold of their own destinies and start to have an influence on the world. Brilliant.

Books Monthy, June 2017 - reviewed by Paul Norman

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Antiques Diary, July-August 2017

Good book with short biographies of each woman, some well known, like Jane Austen and Elizabeth Fry, but many unknown and forgotten. Which is sad, because so many of them made important contributions to society as scientific pioneers, writers, and even an engineer who patented the first suspension bridge. Even where they have been commemorated in our modern age, many aspects of their lives are sidelined or ignored, such as the Fossil Hunter Mary Anning's strong religious faith.

Even for someone like me, whose familiarity with the Regency period is minimal, to say the least, this could prove an enlightening and encouraging read.

NetGalley, reviewed by Joanna Arman

If what you want is an introductory overview, using selected case studies to provide examples of how some women in the late 18th and early 19th centuries lived very different and rewarding lives, and achieved a surprising amount given the constraints placed on them by society, then this is well worth a look.

Read it for: an interesting study of the lives of 12 disparate Regency women"

Your Family History, June 2017

This is a clever look into some unknown (and some well known) women who were alive in the regency era. The biographies are short, but give a good overview of each woman.

Read the full review here.

GoodReads, Kristin Davison

This is an enjoyable and enlightening read for fans of the Regency or British history. Rachel Knowles's lively and entertaining style makes these interesting women come to life. These enterprising women include Eleanor Code who had her own business manufacturing artificial stone, Caroline Herschel who was the first woman to discover a comet and the novelist Maria Edgeworth. In a time when women had few basic rights and intellectual women were regarded in a derogatory manner, these women managed to have their own careers and overcome many obstacles.

I especially liked reading about Eleanor Code who even manufactured stone for King George III.

NetGalley, reviewed by Lisa Sanderson

A nice overview of the lives of notable Regency women. Austen's there, of course, but so are lesser known figures in fields such as science. Would make a nice introduction to the era.

NetGalley, reviewed by Jeanne Williams

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Lil's Vintage Blog, YT

An interesting and inspiring collection of 12 stories about inspiring women from the Regency period. Besides the well-known Jane Austen, there are biographies about relatively unknown personalities associated with the struggle of being recognized as subject with full rights, including to pursue a scientific career. The stories are based on rich bibliographical references, easily integrated as readable stories. An inspiring and brain-storming lecture.

NetGalley, reviewed by Ilana WD

This book seems to be more along the lines of popular history so if you just want a quick overview of the lives of women in the Regency period this could be the way to go.

NetGalley, reviewed by Jane Skudder

I’m not sure why this book has such average reviews; it delivered exactly what I expected it to!

What Regency Women Did for Us gives brief but heavily-researched biographies of women of the Georgian/Regency eras. This includes women who had careers that people of the era (and perhaps even now) would be shocked to see a woman involved in, and some women who never married, giving them freedom to choose their own futures.
I read books like these for the facts, and appreciate authors who can pack a lot of detail into fairly short sections. It makes it a good book to read in bits and pieces, and really challenges the idea women of the past were all passive and boring.

It delivered exactly what I wanted it to.

NetGalley, reviewed by Sonya Heaney

Fabulous Book!! Well written and educating but fun to read, a keeper!!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

NetGalley, reviewed by Heather Bennett

Overall, I'd recommend this interesting read to fans of short biographies.

NetGalley, reviewed by Deborah White

What Regency Women Did For Us looks at some fascinating and under-appreciated women from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. From this angle, I found the book very interesting.

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Bookseller, 27th January 2017