Okay—admit it. Who doesn’t love a great historical romance? The dresses and the balls, the elegance and the pageantry, being swept away to another time and place…
The trouble with these types of romances is that too many authors fall into the trap of making their female leads not only extremely sheltered (understandable – given the time) but also hopelessly naïve, bordering on incompetent, which is nowhere near as much fun.
For some reason, many authors fail to envision characters from the past as fully developed humans, believing they must necessarily be simpler in both their thoughts and actions. As a result, a historical romance can easily devolve into more of a two-dimensional farce than a well-crafted tale.
The truth is, people of the 1800’s were every bit as cunning and crafty as their modern counterparts, wise in the ways of their world, and how to navigate its societal intricacies. It is those very intricacies, and how they differ from our own times, that gives historical romance depth. It is in the clever ways a character finds to avoid the pitfalls that present themselves, that create a truly delightful story.
Some Wonderful Examples of Historical Romance
Here are a few historical romances and authors, that really deliver the goods. (In in no particular order).
Georgette Heyer
First of all, anything by Georgette Heyer. That woman was a master at using the social strictures of the time to tie her characters into pretzel-like contortions—often to hysterical effect—while still shepherding them carefully toward their happily-ever-after.
If you haven’t read Georgette Heyer, she writes highly Recommend Romance. Do yourself a favor and try these on audio, all the different accents really enhance the story. And get ready to laugh, because they are just magnificently funny.
For more on Georgette Heyer click here. https://recommendedromance.website/?p=1
Anne Stuart
The Scandal at the House of Russell series by Anne Stuart is another great example. The three-book series: Never Kiss a Rake, Never Trust a Pirate, Never Mary a Viscount follows the three Russel sisters and how they navigate the pitfalls that ensue after the sudden demise of their family fortune. Thrust into the world after the disgrace and death of their father—a wealthy shipping magnate—each girl sets out with a plan to find the true culprit behind their father’s mysterious death, going undercover to solve the mystery and clear his name.
Complete with intrigue, danger and yes, plenty of romance, these cleverly developed plots with realistic, interesting characters will not disappoint. Also available on audio for you audio listeners—and the narration is quite good.
Sarah MacLean
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing A Rake – Love by the Numbers, Book 1
Just from the title, you can tell this one is going to be a little different. Not a lot different, there is still all the pageantry and romance of the era, but this heroine, a rather plain twenty-eight-year-old, is no shy miss. Wealthy enough to have suitors aplenty, Lady Calpurnia Hartwell is not content to marry someone who wants her only for her money.
Rather than wait for love to come to her, she sets her sights on her long-time crush, the marquess of Ralston, and proceeds to break every rule in the book as she pursues her quarry. A delightfully fun romp, this cleverly constructed story is sure to entertain.
And that’s only book 1 in the series. A highly Recommend Romance. Also available on audio, and the narrator received good reviews, although I can’t speak to that since I read this one.
Karen Robards – The Banning Sisters Trilogy
So this is a great series. Again we follow the tale of three sisters as they are plunged into chaos following the death of their father. However in this story, the father was a cruel miser, and his death is most definitely a relief for his daughters, or it would be, if he had made any arrangements at all for their wellbeing. Instead he has left them completely destitute, a half-brother living half a world away—whom they haven’t seen in over a decade—inherits everything.
The plot takes a turn for the worse when the sisters discover that the brother has died before even getting word of his inheritance. Now the property will go to a distant cousin, also a notorious spendthrift.
Their only hope is the desperately daring plan devised by the oldest sister, Gabriella, who decides that a twist of fate will not be allowed to rob her beautiful younger sister of the coming out she deserves. Thus begins a race against time as the sisters attempt to find her a suitable match before word of their bother’s death reaches England.
Another delightfully engaging romance, this one is sure to please. Complete with twists and turns as disaster seems to lurk around every corner, believable characters and wonderfully satisfying romance – The Banning Sisters series, including: Scandalous, Irresistible, and Shameless is highly Recommended Romance. Also available on audio and the narration is quite good.
What are your favorite historicals and/or historical authors? Put your answer in the comments section, especially if you’d like them considered for future articles.