I consider the historical romance novels below some of the best books worth reading. *Alternate covers may exist for these historical romance novels.
Book Recommendations by Historical Time Period.Pick one up and let me know if it indeed did the trick! What You’ll Find on This List: This book list starts with my ten most favorite historical romance novels that I guarantee will turn the most skeptical reader into a lover of the genre. If you love to read romance books that get you into the holiday spirit, there are Christmas historical romance novels as well! Historical Romance Books Worth Reading
Many historical romance novels are also a part of an entire book series so you can follow beloved characters through multiple books. I am equally a fan of the rakes and the rogues as much as the Dukes and Lords though I have a real weakness for the Scottish Highlanders. There’s also something to be said of the varied historical romance heroes. Often the intimacy or sexual tension is not thrown in your face but stews under the surface and I love it! That’s not to say that historical romance novels can’t also be high on the steaminess level which many are as well. Part of the appeal for me with historical romance novels is the sneaking around, the hidden glances or the slightest of touches that evoke such passion and intimacy among the heroes and heroines of the stories. Regardless, historical romance novels shouldn’t be judged and dismissed simply by their book covers. These days my favorite historical romance covers have the heroine gracing the cover in beautiful gowns or many have received a modern upgrade. His flowing long hair, chest revealing shirt with his woman draped across his arm may have been the standard book cover but things have changed.
Of course, the book covers of historical romance novels traditionally haven’t helped this stigma.įabio became a household name as the type of male model who would grace the cover of a historical romance book. I find that historical romance novels often showcase the strongest of women, perhaps fighting uphill battles but fighting none the less, or at the very least showing their spine. This is far from the truth, at least where my favorite authors are concerned.
The Stigma of Historical Romance NovelsĮven if you are a fan of romance books, you may turn a blind eye to historical romance novels thinking they are all bodice rippers or simply full of women in corsets falling at the heels of men among patriarchal society. There are of course relationships in the stories but these are also traditionally lower on the steaminess scale of romance. In regency historical romance novels, the emphasis of the story is more on society of the times and the dialogue of that time period. Regency historical romance books however are a bit different. They include stories between the time period of 1811-1820, during the Regency Era of England, though some books in this category may expand the time period anywhere between 1795-1837.Īll books in the romance book genre meet two criteria: one – the main story is centered around a relationship and two- this central love story ends with a happy, optimistic ending. Regency historical romance novels are considered a sub-genre to romance books all to itself. *A note on Regency Historical Romance Novels These are the most prevalent and popular time periods and eras in history that are featured in historical romance novels: Eras & Time Periods in Historical Romance Novels The good news? There is such variety to choose from that this romance genre can meet many readers’ interests. Of course, this leaves a wide range of time periods and parts of the world to explore in a historical romance novel. Romance books categorized as historical romance novels are books with a story line that takes place before 1950. Not only do historical romance novels take a deep dive into the history of the era or time period the book is set in, but they often offer rich character development and such descriptive prose that you’re immediately transported back in time and feel as though you are interacting with the books’ characters yourself.īefore I get to the books, let me give you a quick look at what historical romance novels are and why you’d want to read them. These books may be the reason you become a historical romance junkie yourself. My favorite historical romance novels in this list written by some of THE best historical romance authors are the reasons why I fell in love with this genre. The Best Historical Romance Novels to Make You Fall in Love with the GenreĮven though I read a lot of contemporary romance books, I also love historical romance novels.