Anyone a Historical Romance Fan?

[Tess St John]

Thanks, West of Mars! I have both Lisa Marie Wilkerson's books and I love them!!!!  I've read one of TJ Bennett's books and liked it too.

[cagnes]

Love historical fiction! My favorite authors are Lisa Kleypas, Linda Lael Miller, Julia Quinn, Johanna Lindsey, Marsha Canham, Diana Gabaldon, Gaelen Foley  & Laura Lee Guhrke!

[maryjf45]

Mary Jo Putney is great, she puts effort into her research.  Jane Feather has a lot of good historicals, also, and a couple of amazing history-rich stories that have boring titles. Jo Beverly is pretty good. Steph Laurens, too, but her stories are too much alike to me - not memorable. Same with Karen Robards.

[WestofMars]

Thanks, West of Mars! I have both Lisa Marie Wilkerson's books and I love them!!!!  I've read one of TJ Bennett's books and liked it too.

You're very welcome. If I think of others, I'll holler. I'm still reeling from Chris Bohjalian's Skeletons at the Feast which is historical, yes, but definitely NOT a romance. My brain's fried after that read. In a very, very, very good way. Incredible book.

[BethCaudill]

Next to Paranormal, Regency is my other favorite romance section.

I love Stephanie Laurens.  Karen Hawkins and Sabrina Jeffries come along next.

Claudia Dain has an interesting take with the matchmaking Sophia in her Courtesan Chronicles.

And Lydia Dare gives a hint of the paranormal in her Regency Stories.

[Tess St John]

West of Mars...here's to unfrying your brain!!!

Cagnes, looks like you're in the same boat with many of us!!! You know, I've never read a Gabaldon, I really think I need to!

Mary, I will look for Mary Jo Putney. I've only read one book by Jo Beverly and really didn't get into it as much as I wanted to after meeting her...she was so nice.

Beth, I really like Stephanie Laurens' Cynster series.

[Cynthia Justlin]

Oh, I love to read historical romances.  Julie Garwood and Jill Barnett are a couple of my favorite authors.  They have a lot of humor in their books. 

Julie Garwood, along with Judith McNaught and Jude Deveraux were the first romance authors I ever read. Their historical romances are all on my keeper shelf.

I love Jill Barnett, too, although one of my favorites by her is Sentimental Journey which is actually a WWII book.

[Atunah]

Please someone, anyone,  could you possible fix the title of the thread?   Please?  


I just re read The Madness of Lord Ian so I can read the 2nd in that series. Great writer Jennifer Ashley. Lord Ian is sigh worthy.

I read historicals from the very dark and twisted to deep and witty and fluffy. I am glad there so much out there. One that actually made me laugh out loud and if you knew me, it takes a lot to make me do that, was Like no other Lover by Julie Anne Long.
I laughed so hard at the cardgame scene, I had to leave the room, as my hubby looked at me like it was time for me to go to Bedlam  .

[Anna Elliott]

Oh yes, I love Lisa Kleypas!  And I definitely recommend Georgette Heyers' regencies, they're SO good.  Madeline Hunter has some fun Regency romances.  And I also just discovered Gaelen Foley.  I really liked her "Princess".

[Rhonda Helms]

I'm a huge historical fan! I'm currently reading Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper (about Shakespeare's "secret" wife) and The Boleyn Inheritance (hardcover) by Philippa Gregory. I also love asian fiction--have you guys read anything by Gail Tsukiyama? I adore her books, especially The Samurai's Garden (paperback), which is set in Japan during WW2.

[Tess St John]

Atunah, is the title better now?  Sorry about that. I'm not sure how dark I could go...I like the lightness of most historicals (at least the ones I've read).

Anna, I have a friend who has read all of Georgette Heyer's books, I will have to get one of hers.

Rhonda, I've never heard of any of those books, thanks.

So many books!!! 

[Atunah]

Tess, the "n" is still missing from Romance on my end. I wasn't sure if we can fix titles on threads, I haven't tried it as I rarely start threads  . Its ok, its unique 

Heyer sure is good. I do have to get myself into it though as its written very differently than most books today. I have been known to put the english dictionary on my Kindle when I read a lot of british stuff 

Sometimes I don't know if I should work my way through back lists or read the new stuff, just so much out there and thankfully some are still writing it. I noticed a lot of writers going to contempo or paranormal away from Historical Romance.

Personally I read some straight historical, but I do prefer it to be Romance. 

[Tess St John]

Well, ding dong!  I did a spell check, but it must not spell check thread titles...Thanks, Atunah...I was reading what I wanted to read, not what was there!

I know what you mean...I love the old stuff and the new! Too few hours in the day!

[Atunah]

Yeah, way to few hours to read in a day. I am so behind in TV watching that my Uverse box is full. It holds like 65 hours of HD and 200 hours of regular  . I have like 10 chucks build up. I'd just rather read.
And when I am starting a book and I can go to the time and place into the past, I don't want to stop for long periods.

I can't believe I had actually stopped reading completely for years. Now for me of course it took a while to enjoy a english written book. There is a line I think you cross when you live a new life somewhere and to me with language that line is reading and disappearing in the book and not noticing anymore what language its written in.

Do any of you remember what started the Historical Romance fever? For me it was Angelique. A french series that is HUGE in Europe. I mean HUGE. Angelique is the ultimate heroine. Its like the Bodice Rippers on steroids with incredibly detailed descriptions. Heck it was a Bodice Ripper before there where any. First book was written in 1957 I believe.  Its like you are there in the slums of Paris. I have never read anything like this since that transported me so completely into the time. Anne Golon and her husband were are a master of research in that way.

I was I think around 12 or so when my mom gave me that book to read. I think today no parent would give a 12 year old those books to read  . I always got to read what I wanted though.

So whats your story. What sparked your Historical Romance flame?

But that started me and I have had a love for them ever since.

[Grace Elliot]

This is so great to find fellow HR fans posting about their beloved genre!
On the whole HR readers seem to be a quiet lot...until now!
Let's keep this thread on the first page!
Let's hear it for historicals.

PS Mary Balogh is a great read.
Also Eloisa James - although I think hers vary quite a bit (I hated Desperate Duchesses, which I read because people rave about it.....)

[Atunah]

Desperate Duchess wasn't my favorite in that series. There are like 6 I think, I read them one after the other. Its very much to me a assemble series, very connected that way. So the first one does a bit too much setting up for the other books in the series. It gets better though. Especially starting at #3.

I really really loved her "When Beauty tamed the Beast" . That was lovely.

[chipotle]

Can anyone recommend another author similar to Julia Quinn? I think I'm almost done reading all her books. I saw someone said that Sarah MacLean was similar so I read Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord. I liked it and will read more of her books but it didn't strike me as light and frothy and humorous like most of Julia Quinn's books.

I read Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage (the second book in the series after Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie) and liked it. It wasn't as good as the first book but then Lord Ian was really a special book. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Oh also I'd love to hear everyone's favorie Mary Jo Putney book. So far I've read Loving a Lost Lord and Never Less Than A Lady (the second in the Lost Lords series) so I'm ready for another one.

[Atunah]

Putney, I loved loved The Rake, Uncommon Vows, Thunder and Roses (Angels 1), Angel Rogue (Angels 4), Shattered Rainbows (Angels 5), The Wild Child.

I liked everything I read so far from her. I haven't read Loving a lost lord yet, even though I have the Kindle freebie of it.

Favorite so far maybe the Rake.

Not sure about who is like Julia Quinn. I didn't like "ten things I love about you" and "To catch an heiress". I did like most of the Bridgertons.

[Tamara Rose Blodgett]

Try the Outlander by Dianna Galbadon; they're saga-length and have a time-travel twist but a prolific writer...can't go wrong! The historical aspect and romantic tension is spot-on...

[CJArcher]

Oh yes to Lisa Kleypas, Eloisa James and Georgette Heyer is just amazing IMO.  Also Anne Gracie does some lovely stories with great heroes.  I'm a sucker for anything with witty characters and fast banter between hero and heroine, but I am getting bored with Regencies.  I like other time periods too and my all time faves are Phillippa Gregory and Dorothy Dunnett, especially her Lymond series, although neither are strictly considered historical romances, more historicals.

[Tess St John]

I don't ever seem to get sick of regency, but I've only read five authors consistently in the genre...and others I've tried haven't kept my attention.

Atunah, that's wonderful. I probably should have sheltered my children more too, my daughter is a voracious reader and I know she's read stuff she should have, but she genuinely wanted to read what she reads and I didn't want to not promote that. My parents never suggested any of us read, and I didn't until I was in my twenties and didn't find romance until my thirties!

Grace, I don't think we can like everything someone writes! And I agree, let's keep this thread going! Hopefully others will find us and start to enjoy the genre!

Chipolte, Julia Quinn has such a way with those siblings...she reminds me of my big family and my husband's (I'm one of five and he's one of seven). I can't lead to anyone who writes like she does--she's quite uniquie, but if I read someone, I will let you know.

Tarmara...I just have to get a Galbadon now!

CJ, my daughter has read Phillippa Gregory, but she loaned the book out after she read it and I never saw it again. Good to know you enjoyed her books. I must get me one!

[Tess St John]

I didn't find historicals until my late thirties. I had just started reading romance and picked up Lisa Kleypas' Someone to Watch Over Me. I was hooked from that moment on!

[Kathy]

I love Julie Garwood's early historical books. I reread them when I want something fun to read.  My favorite books are the Kathleen Woodiwiss books. I have all of her books but Ashes in the Wind is my favorite.  She died a couple of years ago but all of her books are on the Kindle. 

[crebel]

I love Julie Garwood's early historical books. I reread them when I want something fun to read.  My favorite books are the Kathleen Woodiwiss books. I have all of her books but Ashes in the Wind is my favorite.  She died a couple of years ago but all of her books are on the Kindle. 

Kathleen Woodiwiss', The Flame and the Flower, is the first historical romance I remember reading and I still love it.  I don't know when it was first released, but I think I was a teenager when I read it and thought it was pretty racy at the time!  Probably because the only "romance" I had read to that point were Grace Livingstone Hill books.

I am currently re-reading on kindle the books in Stephanie Laurens Rogue's Reform Bundle (still a bargain at $9.87 for "The Reason for Marriage", "A Lady of Expectations" and "An Unwilling Conquest").

I love, love, love historical romance.

[Atunah]

Wait, there are historical bundles on kindle other than the Harlequin sets? I'll have to check.

I been a bit peeved since the agency takeover since prices have gone way up. I remember buying books from some of the big names in the 6 something and sometimes on sale 5 something. Now they are all 7.99 no matter how old and some pre orders I saw are 12.99 and 14.99. I mean come on now.

There are re releases I whined about in other threads that cost close to $10. For books 20 years old. Makes me sad. By the time I have to pay taxes, the romance books now cost me 8.60. More than paperback. I get for brand new, but they don't even lower the price anymore for when its out a while.

I can't really read paperbacks anymore because of my eyes so it has to be in e format now. 

So off to look for bundles to see whats out there.

I read Outlander up to book 4 and I am not sure if I want to continue now. I wish I had stopped after 3. I really do. First one is awesome though.

The Flame and the Flower was also one of the first books I read on my kindle in 2008, somewhere around there. Don't you love those older so not politically correct sweeping epics?  .