Author Topic: Anyone a Historical Romance Fan? (Read 310542 times) Tweet

Tess St John · « **on:** April 22, 2011, 04:24:10 PM »

I'm just curious.

I'm a huge fan of Lisa Kleypas, but don't see any new historicals on her Sneak Peek page.

I also love Julia Quinn and she's marrying off one of the Smythe-Smith sisters (the ones that have musicals every year and are so terrible)! Can't wait for that one! (and does anyone else think Mrs. Bridgerton should have gotten a HEA after her kids were married off? I would have loved that.)

jabeard · « **Reply #1 on:** April 22, 2011, 04:53:54 PM »

I'm a big historical romance fan. I particularly have an affinity for Regency stuff, but like other periods too.

Tess St John · « **Reply #2 on:** April 22, 2011, 05:16:52 PM »

I adore Regency too, JA!!!

And I also like Scottish tales for some reason! Julie Garwood comes to mind!

Cynthia Justlin · « **Reply #3 on:** April 22, 2011, 05:34:00 PM »

I love Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn, Tess! I can't wait for the Smythe-Smith books!

I also really love Laura Lee Guhrke (if you haven't checked her out, you should!), Lorraine Heath, and Sarah Maclean (she's another MUST read).

Though I enjoy the Regency era, I would actually love to see more historical romances set in other time periods/settings. Kaki Warner writes fabulous Western Historical Romances...and I'd love to see more of those "Americana" type historicals. Plus books set during the industrial revolution, French historicals, I'd even go as far as to say I'd like to see more World War I/II type of stories. I'm sure I'm in the minority on this, though!

Oh, Monica McCarty writes really great Scottish historical romances as well.

MelissaM · « **Reply #4 on:** April 22, 2011, 05:36:19 PM »

Yes! Love, love, love historical romances!

ginaf20697 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 22, 2011, 06:54:05 PM »

At this point I do more re-reading than buying because I can only deal with so much Regency. Glad to see another Laura Lee Guhrke fan! Some of my oldies but goodies are Judith Ivory, Maggie Osborne, Catherine Anderson just off the top of my head. LOVED Patricia Gaffney and am p*ss sssssed she's gone over to boring women's fiction.

jabeard · « **Reply #6 on:** April 22, 2011, 07:27:15 PM »

I haven't quite been able to get into Scottish stuff for whatever reason. My wife loves them to death though. I honestly don't know why they don't work for me. Pretty much all other historical romance I like.

Recently, I read two good romances set in periods that are less commonly seen: Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin (Tang Dynasty China) and A Noble Captive by Michelle Styles (1st century BC Roman Empire). Styles' stuff is real uneven, but I liked A Noble Captive.

Tess St John · « **Reply #7 on:** April 22, 2011, 07:42:20 PM »

Cynthia...so glad to have a like-minded fan of Kleypas and Quinn. I've only read one Laura Lee Guhrke and it didn't set well with me...I'll have to try another. And I agree...historicals in all different time periods are wonderful.

So glad, Melissa!

Gina, I haven't tried any of those authors...I will definitely have to check them out! Thanks.

JA, we can't all like the same things!!! Cool, JA...I'll have to look up those books!

Atunah · « **Reply #8 on:** April 22, 2011, 08:18:18 PM »

I am a huge historical romance fan. I prefer those set in Europe. I am not much into the americana and western ones. Not sure why, maybe because I am from Europe myself.

I have to many favorite authors to list, but I am plowing through Lisa Kleypas and I haven't found a Mary Balogh I didn't like.

I am always on the lookout for new authors too for when I worked through the back lists

Caroline Linden was one I recently found and is very good and also Judith James. Many others, but I read so many books I'd have to pull my notes or look on my goodreads account where I mark everything.

chipotle · « **Reply #9 on:** April 22, 2011, 08:40:40 PM »

I am happily working my way through the Lisa Kleypas backlist - I still have several hundred to go.

I also read a blurb about the Smith-Smythe book coming up and I'm looking forward to it. I have read one Sarah Maclean book and have another on hold from the library. I think I have something by Laura Lee Guhrke on the Kindle.

I'm enjoying working my way through the Mary Balogh "Slightly" series about the Bedwyn family. I read Slightly Dangerous first because it was number 7 of the AAR Top 100 Romances of all time - it is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice. This was one series I kind of wished I'd read in order.

Atunah · « **Reply #10 on:** April 22, 2011, 08:54:26 PM »

I am pretty obsessive about reading series in order, even if just loosely connected. I am up to the 3rd in the slightly series called Slightly married. I count One night for love as 1st and A summer to remember as the second.

I did read for some reason Simply love without reading the ones before and then found out that the Slightly series also comes before the simply. No wonder I keep printouts of authors like Mary Balogh that wrote like rabbits

I actually keep a spreadsheet of all books read sorted by author and with the series name and number next to the title. I print it form time to time. It helps me keep up with all the series. For some reason especially in Historical romance there are a lot of series and connecting stories going on. Then you add how prolific some of those authors are and you need a flow chart to keep up

Its so bad I can't just pick up a book and go, oh maybe I'll read this now. Oh no, I have to go to fantastic fiction first to see if its in a series, or connected, or any other reason I need to read something else first

I hate that some authors have switched away from Historicals to like contempo and suspense. Julie Garwood is one such tragedy. She had some great heroines. Heroes too. And since I don't like much contempo stuff its a big loss to me when they switch.

Cynthia Justlin · « **Reply #11 on:** April 22, 2011, 09:01:59 PM »

@Gina -- I love Catherine Anderson's historicals! Annie's Song is one of my favorites. Along with Simply Love.

@jabeard -- So glad to see you liked Butterfly Swords! Jeannie Lin is a friend of mine and a fabulous writer, and I love the fact that she's taking a totally different approach with historicals and writing about the Tang Dynasty.

@Tess -- I've only recently started reading Laura Lee Guhrke, but I've enjoyed all her Girl-Bachelor series. Also her latest books Scandal of the Year and Wedding of the Season are really good.

Tess St John · « **Reply #12 on:** April 22, 2011, 09:08:18 PM »

Atunah, I will check out Mary Balough...I've heard of her, but never read anything by her.

Chipolte, I've read many books out of sequence, then go back and read the whole series again!!

jabeard · « **Reply #13 on:** April 22, 2011, 09:12:00 PM »

Lot of great suggestions on this thread. I need more hours a day to read. :/

Cynthia,

I'm definitely looking forward to her next book.

chipotle · « **Reply #14 on:** April 22, 2011, 10:40:28 PM »

I would recommend not reading Slightly Dangerous first in the Mary Balogh Slightly series like I did. The book is actually #6 and I think last in the series. I think I would have appreciated more the icy magnificence of the hero Wulfric, Duke of Bewcastle, if I had read at least one of the other books first. LOL Still I thought it was a great book. I also liked Slightly Married in the series.

I'm working my way through the All About Romance Top 100 Romance poll linked below or at least all the historicals. I've now read 39 of them but there are still many authors on the list I've haven't tried yet - Connie Brockway, Sherry Thomas, Patricia Gaffney, Stephanie Laurens, Judith Ivory, etc.

http://www.likesbooks.com/top1002010results.htm

Tess St John · « **Reply #15 on:** April 23, 2011, 05:54:54 AM »

More hours to read would be wonderful, JA.

Cynthia J...I'll check out the Bachelor-Girl Series.

Wow, Chipotle...I've never even checked out All About Romance...I've heard of it, but now I'll have to go by!

Grace Elliot · « **Reply #16 on:** April 23, 2011, 12:32:20 PM »

Holds arm up and waves!
I LOVE historicals. Its the added escapism that does it for me - cant get enough of them. Recently I've dabbled in other genres to try and broaden my tastes but I've had to download The Crimson Petal and The White (not strictly a romance) for a quick boost to my historical levels.
Someone suggested I might like paranormals since these are also escapist...but no...it has to be historicals.
My faves are LK, Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Gaelen Foley and Mary Balogh. So many wonderfu authors out there to discover....

bettyc · « **Reply #17 on:** April 23, 2011, 05:39:56 PM »

I like the American historicals first but will read any.

Tess St John · « **Reply #18 on:** April 23, 2011, 08:46:30 PM »

Grace, I haven't tried EJ, GF, or MB, but I will put them on my wish list.

Betty, I know a couple of writers who do very good jobs with American historicals--Civil War times and such!

gina1230 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 23, 2011, 09:21:26 PM »

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.

stargazer101 · « **Reply #20 on:** April 23, 2011, 09:45:19 PM »

yes, I love reading and writing Historical Romance,

cheers Linda

--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread.

mesmered · « **Reply #21 on:** April 24, 2011, 04:03:50 AM »

Definitely. I've just finished Lucinda Brandt's Regency 'Deadly Engagement' which was brilliant and am planning on reading more of hers... starting with 'Salt Bride'.

--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread.

Tess St John · « **Reply #22 on:** April 24, 2011, 08:29:45 AM »

Great, Linda.

Mesmered, I've never heard of Lucinda Brandt...I will have to look her up! Thanks.

So glad this thread is giving me more historicals to read and enjoy!!!

maryjf45 · « **Reply #23 on:** April 24, 2011, 10:51:17 AM »

Mary Balogh, Julia Quinn, and Eloisa James are consistently entertaining. Johanna Lindsey's historicals are good. Victoria Alexander is fine. Georgette Heyer has some good ones, I really liked "Cotillion". Don't forget Victoria Holt.

WestofMars · « **Reply #24 on:** April 24, 2011, 12:32:49 PM »

Check out TJ Bennett and Lisa Marie Wilkinson. Both authors have written historicals and both are under-rated. I hope both are working on new stuff...