Given the publishing industry's lack of interest in historical romance at the moment, I'd like to encourage authors in the genre more directly, especially indie authors. So I thought I'd start reviewing ARCs! There seem to be a ton of sites for them - NetGalley, Booksprout, Booksirens, StoryOrigin, to name a few - and I'm curious which ones are the most popular with HR authors. Or should I just sign up for all of them??? 😂

I got into a conversation with a friend while discussing romance novels, and I wondered what people on this sub think. Basically, while talking about her current read we landed on this topic: "What makes a book character hot?"

My take: My experience with physical character hotness is that I want to know that their partner finds them attractive. I need to see that. And I want it to be a unique attraction. It doesn't matter to me personally what they look like if I can be quite satisfied on behalf of the person who admires them.

Outside of being physically attractive, I do think what makes a character hot also lies in how they're designed to fit within their narrative. Backstory, personality, how they react and respond to things, emotional intelligence, etc. ESPECIALLY in regard to how they treat their love interest.

I'd love to hear other opinions!

Please recommend some books with the rich emotional intricacies and incredibly romantic moments that are in {Sleeping Beauty by Judith Ivory} I've also loved {The proposition by Judith Ivory} Some other favorites are{To have and to hold by Patricia Gaffney } {A lady awakened by Cecilia Grant}and {Fool me Twice by Meredith Duran} Thank you my dear fellow romance lovers 🤗

Hi!

I am looking for some uncommon recs for audiobooks with a lot of banter, preferably slow burn. Also would prefer English/Scottish setting and Georgian through Victorian era.

I find that I have already read most of the books recommended in this sub for high banter and have already read most/all of the titles from the authors that are usually recommended for this (Loretta Chase, Tessa Dare, Julie Anne Long, Mia Vincy, Sarah Maclean, Lisa Kleypas, etc.) so please recommend some less common authors/recs.

No closed-door, cheating, class difference, amnesia trope or insta-love please!

Thanks!

Hello,

Looking for angsty recommendations, where the biggest part of the story is with the MCs not married. Also would love to read single POV oder 3rd person. Thank you all 🫶

Hi some one recommended this book to me I am looking for books like this where he finds her annoying at first or him and other people find her unlikable but then realises she not as bad. maybe she is deliberately trying not get married for some reason like the fmc in the heiress effect or he has had bet with his friends or needs her for some reason. Enemies to lovers be great thank you.

The Couple You Can't Believe Are Together (Even the title of the video is basically the same as the book lmfao)

{An Ill-made Match By Alice Coldbreath}

Dearest friends,

It is with great pleasure that we announce the inaugural edition of our AMA! A grand occasion indeed, wherein a most distinguished guest shall engage with you, dear friends, in a lively exchange of questions and answers.

For this first edition, we shall be joined by none other than an author of remarkable talents and charm. Here are but a few tantalizing hints to whet your curiosity:

✨️They delight in oat milk lattes, a perfect companion to their literary musings.

✨️A tenured English literature professor, they possess a vast trove of knowledge and insight.

✨️Their quill brings forth witty, swoon-worthy, and laugh-inducing historical romances that captivate all who read them.

Do you think you know who it is? Make your guesses, and let us know.

The truth will be uncovered soon.

Save the date and join us on January the 16th at 4 PM EST

Prepare thy questions and ready thyself for an event that promises to be as charming as it is unforgettable.

With the utmost excitement, Your Humble Hosts

I'm on a limited book budget so generally use my library, Libby, Hoopla, and Boundless to borrow HR ebooks. So many recommendations here are for Alice Coldbreath's books but I haven't found a site to borrow them in ebook format, only audiobooks. Does she not license her ebooks to libraries? I don't listen to books, I much prefer to read.

I am thinking of buying either The Favorite or A Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter as a first Coldbreath read. Both are highly rated and mentioned here frequently. Can I read them out of series order? Do I have to buy them from Amazon or is there another seller you recommend? I do have a Kindle reader. Thanks.

Recommend me a book in which fmc is SA and found in compromised situation. For whatever reason mmc agress to marry her to save her reputation. Fmc is traumatised after SA and mmc helps her heal. Mmc is not the one who SA her.

I already read Annies Song by Katharine Anderson.

And I know about Arranged Marriage Jo Beverley.

I'm tired of the Scottish/ regency and Victorian era romances

Hello, fellow HR lovers.

As title says, I'm looking for a good sweet story where the FMC is a Plastic Girl, that for her the only acceptable marriage proposals are the ones that come from nothing less than a duke, but... Ends up finding love with someone of lower rank instead.

Points if MMC puts the FMC in her place sometimes, and also teaching her new things. Also, if she can't tolerate him in the beginning.

Thanks for the recommendations beforehand. :)

Not an angst or hate-relationship but more the MMC goes "ok i can work with this" and then turns out the best match instead.

Best example would be { An Ill-Made Match by Alice Coldbreath } which I am rereading and man I so much enjoyed the dynamic between the basically sisters but really cousins Lenora and Eden. Lenora here being the beautiful, well-dowered and just highly popular and sought out while Eden(FMC) is basically the poor cousin who doesnt even have a dowry. MMC is betrothed to FMCs popular cousin initially but ended up getting married to the FMC cause plot.

It is exactly the kind of dynamic I am looking for with FMC being the unwanted and having doubts about her own value for obviously in their time period she brings little to the table while worrying that she robbed her close sister of her bridegroom. And her not being really secure in her position since she knows initially MMC was going for her pretty cousin.

Fairly specific but if there is anything like this. Let me know.

Also please no cheating and give me an HEA.

Thanks !

I have officially entered my historical romance era 🤠 Someone on the romance subreddit recommended {The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare} (I hope their pillow is cool on both sides at night) and it was such a great start to this subgenre. I can see myself reading more (in fact, I picked up {The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne} as my second book).

1. Are there any books that is a MUST read as someone who's very new to this subgenre? Please give me all your best book recs and I'll get to devouring these books. If you could drop the tropes, I'd be so grateful!
2. are there any words or phrases, things that made you go "oh, let's see what this means?" And what made you love historical romance?

guys please give me a mmc is who is OBSESSED. Like he sees the fmc once and is convinced that she's his. Please don't give me some type of mmc that sees the fmc and is like oh she's pretty I mean like he seees her and imagines her carrying his children with his ring on her finger and does everything to make sure that happens. The mmc pulls out all the stops to make sure she's his and protects her and takes very very good care of her once she's his. I would like for the to be a class gap between fmc and mmc with the mmc being more powerful but as long as the fmc isn't more powerful idc too much. Fmc again idc about her personality too much just i don't want her to be overly bratty or rude that's it. Thanks! 😊

Currently reading {The Governess Game by Tessa Dare} and this sentence delighted me:

"Her lips curved in a smile, but her eyes weren't in on the joke."

Having read approximately a million sentences featuring a "smile that didn't reach [his/her] eyes", it was really refreshing to read a clever turn of phrase for expressing this. It's such a small, simple difference but so effective.

So, what's your favorite sentence you've read recently?

I finally read {Bed Me, Earl by Felicity Niven} and absolutely adored Phin. I loved how he rambled and his overall chattiness in and out of the bedroom. It’s such a breath of fresh air in the sea of dark and broody heroes. Does anyone know of any other chatty MMCs?

Looking for bodice rippers without abduction, mistress trope, >!gang rape!<, pirate or outlaw MMC. Barring these few elements, rest everything goes. Forced marriages, cold/indifferent/obsessed MMC, OW, unpleasant wedding nights, iffy consents, heavy angst and tension, choke-full of drama. Could be any setting and time period. Couple of favourites that might fit- {Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught}, {The Velvet Promise by Jude Deveraux}, {Lions and Lace by Meagan Mckinney}, {Fire Song by Catherine Coulter}, {Rosehaven by Catherine Coulter}. Thank you!💗

What was your favourite book and least favourites book(s) of the month?

I've loved reading all the responses the past couple times I've done this, can't wait to read the comments for the month of November!

My favourite: {A Substitute Bride for the Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath} Last month my favourite was the first in this series. Now this month my favourite is the second book in the series! I loved the setting of a traveling fair for the book. And I loved seeing their relationship build and the female friendships!

Me least favourite: {A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer} I was talking to my mom about my obsession with HR books and she thought it was crazy I hadn't read any Heyer novels yet. I love slow burn the marriage of convenience trope, so I read A Civil Contract. I really didn't like it. >!To me, it didn't feel like a HEA. I felt so bad for the FMC because it seemed like the MMC at the end of the book valued and maybe loved FMC but wasn't in love with her whereas it I felt like the FMC is in love with him and does everything she can for MMC!<. I feel like I should give Heyer another chance though. Any recommendations of hers that have a HEA?

Does anyone know of a book where FMC is already married to a Russian aristocrat I believe and has 2 children but she falls in love with an American MMC and she’s either she’s able to divorce her husband or he’s killed…I read it so long ago and I want to read it again

Been going through my musical playlist since the Wicked movie came out, and I find the character dynamics between Anna and the King interesting.

Any recs where a kind, principled governess/employee who stands her ground and an intelligent, stubborn but well meaning employer learn to respect one another and become friends despite their differences?

Bonus points if the plot involves conflict between traditional beliefs and modernization, extra if there's a waltz scene that makes them internally go "???" and reevaluate their relationship 😅

The 19th century HR is amazing obviously, but something from the 1930s-80s would be great too. Any recs?

Exactly as it says in the title.

Here are the ones I know about / have read, so please let me know if you’ve got anything else!

1. The Villain Duet (one of my faves)
2. Whitney, My Love
3. Lemonade
4. The Silver Devil
5. Lassoed Hearts
6. Brutal Serpent
7. To Have & To Hold (Edited to add)

I grew up with Johanna Lindsey, Jude Deveraux, Catherine Coulter etc books, so I’m cool with vintage stuff. Basically just want to discover some new HR non-con. I don’t know why I need this, but I do.

Thanks!

I read a HR book several years ago about a recently widowed lady who decided to conduct interviews for her next husband. She was young and husband had been old. She hid behind a room screen during the interviews and had a broken leg or ankle. The H was related to the dead husband somehow and is determined to marry the h to get the land back. Much discussion about sex, even reference letters. Happily ever after.

Maybe it’s just that I came off the high of Kerrigan Byrne’s Sauvageau brothers from The Goode Girl series. Raphael and Gabriel were soooo satisfying.

But my last 2 reads were not very fulfilling. First The Mistress Experience which I already posted my thoughts on. Meh

Today I also finished {A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Devereau} after about 2 months, and many, many other books during. It was a 16 hour audiobook. Usually, the longer, the better. But after 6 hours of discovering shopping, shampoo and toothpaste… 💤

And when she travels to his time, and he doesn’t recognize her and they have to start their whole thing over again. I was just like oh Lord.

I won’t even bother talking about the ending whether I liked it or didn’t like it, I just actually didn’t care by then .

I’d like to hear about your favorite Historical Romances, of any setting or time period, that are based on or inspired by real people. I read a lot of Historical Fiction, but I’m looking specifically for books where the romance is the central plot.

I've been up for 36 hours. I don't know if I'm even writing in English right now. Please forgive my writing! XD

I'm a sucker for angst, sweet, charming wastrels, and characters who openly dislike each other at first. I've been reading a lot where the LI starts out actively scornful of the MMC - which could be an excellent hotbed for angst and drama and 'oh shit he has feelings? Since when?'. My only problem with it is that it often goes way too far and never gets resolved. I just want it to actually get addressed as hurtful because now I'm jonesing for the hurt/comfort that could have happened whilst also being a little worried for the relationship long term.

If the MMC is openly looked down on by his family or otherwise is more weak to this kind of insult, even better! If he isn't spoiled at all, also great! (It's both of them considering him spoiled that makes me weak for the angst, not any realities of the situation.)

For the sake of causing problems, it's even better if the MMC in question doesn't have access to money even if he had any in the first place - maybe he got cut off by his parents, maybe he has a title and is horribly indebted, maybe all his money is tied up in vigilantism. This part isn't strictly part of the request; it's just fun!

I believe it's set in England (maybe 1700 or 1800s) where the FMC gets injured and has temporary memory loss. The MMC rescues and helps her. He pretends to be her husband to protect her from her actual abusive husband.

That's all I can recall from the brief sample I read years ago. Does this ring a bell for anyone?

A historical romance at in England(?) where the FMC gets injured and has temporary memory loss. The MMC rescues and helps her. He knows and and might have already been in love with her. He pretends to be her husband to protect her from her actual abusive husband.

That's all I can recall from the brief sample I read. Does this ring a bell for anyone?

Preferably regency or Victorian. Any steam level is good though I prefer mid to high. Class difference doesn’t matter, as long as most of the book takes place in a middle or working class environment. Some examples I’ve read recently and enjoyed have been {A Bride for the Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath}, {Sweet Disorder by Rose Lerner}, {When a Duke Loves a Woman by Lorraine Heath}, and {The Finest Print by Erin Langston}.