Audiences are hungry for Regency-set romances, as seen with the wild success of “Bridgerton,” Netflix’s ongoing adaptation of Julia Quinn’s romance series. Luckily the world of romance novels is packed with Georgian and Regency stories, and the new mini-series “Seeking Persephone” (2026), adapted from bestselling author Sarah M. Eden’s novel, aims to satisfy that hunger.
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With emotional performances from lead actors Ryann Bailey and Jake Stormoen, this Beauty and the Beast-inspired series delivers a sweet love story that will delight viewers looking for a gentler version of “Bridgerton.”
Seeking Persephone (2026) is AVAILABLE to STREAM
4 episodes, Rated TV-PG
In 1805, Persephone Lancaster (Ryann Bailey, The Sheriffs of Savage Wells), the oldest daughter of an eccentric academic, is struggling to keep her family afloat when she receives a marriage proposal out of the blue. Adam Boyce (Jake Stormoen, The Outpost), the Duke of Kielder, offers to settle enough money on the Lancasters to solve all their financial difficulties in exchange for Persephone’s hand in marriage. Persephone has no choice but to agree in order to protect her siblings’ futures.
Persephone is understandably anxious about the arrangement, and the wedding does little to assuage her nerves: Adam is cold, distant, and almost hilariously abrupt during the ceremony. He whisks his new bride off to Falstone Castle in distant Northumberland, where a medieval gibbet still hangs in the courtyard and wolves prowl the countryside.
Adam, who is marked with facial scarring and is self-conscious, completely ignores Persephone as she tries to settle into her new life. She reflects bitterly on the aptness of her name: in the Greek myth of Persephone, kidnapped by Hades and forced to remain in the Underworld, “Persephone doesn’t get to be happy.”
But there’s more to Adam than his grim first impression. He maintains his reclusive lifestyle to prevent others from staring at his disfigured face, the relic of botched childhood surgeries, and he’s convinced himself he deserves to be lonely. As he explains to his best friend, Harry Windover (Toby-Alexander Smith, An American in Austen), the only reason he married Persephone was on the recommendation of his man of business, as a way to prevent a distant cousin from inheriting the estate.
Like the Beast in the fairytale, Adam slowly begins to warm to Persephone’s gentle spirit. He encourages her to learn to ride and reluctantly agrees to allow more visitors to the castle to ease Persephone’s loneliness.
Meanwhile, the more optimistic Harry helps Persephone understand the deep-rooted trauma that shaped her husband’s outlook. When tragedy strikes for both Persephone and Adam, they turn to each other for support. As they navigate their grief and fears together, a tender, abiding love begins to blossom.
Persephone and Adam’s relationship is the beating heart of “Seeking Persephone,” and actors Ryann Bailey and Jake Stormoen carry the series with their emotional performances. Stormoen’s expressions show Adam slowly warming to his wife’s gentle, steady presence, while Bailey ably depicts a young woman thrust into an unfamiliar situation, trying to build an attachment to her new husband. As Harry, Toby-Alexander Smith injects comic relief and offers perspective on Adam’s reclusive nature.
Utah-based MainStay Productions crowdfunded their production of “Seeking Persephone,” and filmmaker John Lyde elides over some key dramatic plot twists, perhaps as a cost-saving measure to avoid expensive action sequences. This can make some of the turning points feel confusing or rushed, though subsequent scenes and the actors’ full commitment quickly make up for these choices.
Author Sarah M. Eden adapted the screenplay from her novel, sometimes lifting entire scenes verbatim. While this will satisfy devoted readers, it occasionally slows the pacing of the filmed scenes, which lack the interiority of romance novels. Still, the show is beautifully shot, with gorgeously-composed set pieces at northeast English castles, and the actors’ performances create an emotionally satisfying romantic arc.
With five other novels in the Lancaster family series, we can only hope that the appeal of “Seeking Persephone” will encourage MainStay to adapt the rest of the books for the screen.
“Seeking Persephone” delivers a sweet and tender love story that will appeal both to fans of the original novel and viewers eager for closed-door, family-friendly Regency romances.
Seeking Persephone (2026) is AVAILABLE to STREAM
4 episodes, Rated TV-PG
Abby Murphy is the author of two young adult historical/historical fantasy novels, and is currently working on a dual-timeline historical novel about the Greenwich Village folk music revival. A member of SCBWI and The Historical Novel Society, she is represented by Laura Crockett of Triada US Literary Agency. Visit Writing in the Kitchen Sink, Abby’s Substack filled with her musings about books and the writing life.
If you enjoyed this post, see 30 Period Romances You Haven’t Seen, and 20 Period Romances: Amazon Prime. 