For today’s post, we are going to be focusing on a genre I don’t share as often here: historical romance. Romance as a whole takes a beating from… pretty much everyone who doesn’t read it. And that is insane, because by about the mid-2000s, romance was the best-selling genre (and continues to be). Historical romance in particular is being hit hard with countless authors sharing that their publishers are not renewing with them for new books. While I read from many genres, I often pop back to historical romance for an escape. So, if you are looking for something to read and want to support a genre that needs it right now, these are my favourite historical romance series!
My Favourite Historical Romance Series
I have seen a lot of people dismiss romance for being formulaic, but the same criticism does not get thrown at thrillers (a la Michael Crichton), westerns (a la William W. Johnstone), or mysteries (a la James Patterson). Yes, you could make the tiny jump to understanding that romance is the only overwhelmingly “female” genre and piece together that that is why it continues to be disparaged. Formulaic is not a bad thing for many of us, though. It can be comforting and enjoyable to have an idea of what to expect.
As an historian who reads a lot of history, biography, and historical fiction, I do tend to reach for historical romance. And quite frankly, given the popularity of Bridgerton, I think that there are many others who do too.
The Regency Vows series, Martha Waters- 5 Books
This series is one of my favourites across all genres. Waters’ novels are always hilarious, heartfelt, and continually work to build the individual couple’s story as well as their connected friends. As the title might imply, these are set in the Regency period and follow five different couples (who all happen to be friends).
You will definitely enjoy this series if you are a fan of Bridgerton! (I actually prefer these to Quinn’s novels.)
Gilded Age Heiresses series, Harper St. George- 4 Books
With the popularity of The Buccaneers over the last thirty years, plus HBO’s The Gilded Age, and Downton Abbey (the aftermath of the Gilded Age if you will), this period continues to gain fans. The melding of the UK and US characters seems to hook people, as well as the sumptuous jewels and fashion. Notably- St. George is one of the authors that has not been picked up for more books despite her historical romances being VERY popular (Penguin Random House, get it together…) This
The Rules of Scoundrels series, Sarah MacLean- 4 Books
This series is quite a fun one- it follows several aristocrats who have found themselves running a gambling den in the not-so-polite parts of London. Not only is the setting itself interesting, I enjoy the female main characters- they are as complex and interesting as their male counterparts (and that is saying something given that they are intertwined with the underworld).
One Good Earl Deserves Another
Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover
The Merriwell Sisters series, Virginia Heath- 3 Books
This is another Regency series, but it is such light-hearted fun, I had to include it! It is specifically a rom-com series, so although there are some difficult moments, they are very much comedies. These three books follow the Merriwell sisters, three sisters left destitute because of their father’s gambling habit who need to assure their own futures. Minerva, Dahlia, and Venus are hilarious heroines, and I am actually planning a re-read!
A League of Extraordinary Women series, Evie Dunmore- 4 Books
This series, like the Regency Vows series by Martha Waters, this series got me through the pandemic. League follows four women who are suffragists in the 1880s in Oxford, fighting for women’s rights through a variety of tactics. Each of the heroines and heroes are quite different from one another, so this series does not feel formulaic in any way. If you have ever been interested in the suffragettes or suffragists, this is a must-read series!
Bonus: Emily Wilde series, Heather Fawcett- 3 Books
This is a bonus series recommendation, as this is more historical fantasy but does have a pretty strong romance component. Emily Wilde is a Cambridge academic in the Edwardian periods who studies the fae- chaos ensues, as one might guess. Academic study of the supernatural is a fairly unique take on the genre (or at least for me), and I’m absolutely hooked on this series!
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands
Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales
What are your favourite historical romance series?
Cheers,
The Historian
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