My Favorite Historical Romances (as of now)
- Caila K
- Jul 18, 2022
- 6 min read
I am so excited to share this list with you all. Historical romance has become one of my favorite genres in the recent years. The covers, the hero's, the time periods are everything! I'm still discovering my favorite tropes and time periods within the genre, but I feel very confident about the titles on this list. This is in no particular order.
I say no order, but this is probably my favorite historical romance of all time. This book is full of heart and sweetness. It is a Scottish romance set in medieval times. A big reason I loved this book is because it so much more than a romance. This book has friendship and found family at the center of it. It is so funny, I seriously laughed out loud so many times during this book. I realized after reading it that one of my favorite tropes is Scottish romances. I really love the community aspect of Scottish romances. They take care of each other and are very protective. Some of the themes I found in this book are: woman's rights, equality, husband/wife dynamics, and headstrong characters! I highly recommend this book, especially if you are interested in trying out Julie Garwood's romances.
In bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks is another highlander book. This book has very similar tropes and characters to The Secret, so if you've already tried The Secret you will most likely like this book. This book has the single father trope, which I liked, as well as the hate to love trope. This book had me laughing out loud and there were some really nice steamy scenes. I think what I really loved the most about this book was watching the two main characters fall in love. The cover does a really good job of showing that, lol! But, this book does have a more romantic vibe than some highlander romances. I highly recommend.
The Maddness of Lord Ian Mackenzie is a right of passage if you are going to read historical romance. It is techniquely a highlander romance, but it doesn't read like one. What I like about this book is that it features a more experienced woman. If you don't really like the 'virginal maiden' trope then you will probably like this book. The heroine is a widow, who is just looking for some fun. She falls for a guy who has a pretty bad reputation for being "mad" but really he just doesn't act the way society says he should. Some reviewers have said they believe he is on the spectrum, which I found to be very interesting, because you don't see characters like him in this genre. I found the relationship between the two main characters to be very genuine and interesting! There is also a mystery at the center of this book, which added another layer of intrigue.
I rated all of the books in this series highly, so even though I'm putting this book on the list, I recommend all of the books in this series. Like most Historical romances, this series follows a group of connected people. In this case it follows a group of 'odd' women. The Duchess Deal is one of my favorite historical romances because it was my first of its kind. I read Outlander before this, but Outlander feels different because it's a little paranormal. This book follows such a head strong and lovable main character and a grumpy scarred hero. I loved watching them fall in love, and seeing the Duke's heart soften towards her. This book is funny, romantic, and it even has a little mystery in it also (hmm, I'm seeing a theme.) What I think surprised me most, and is probably why it is my most recommended book is how easy it is to read. I always thought historical romances were going to be difficult to follow because of the time period, but this book truly reads like a contemporary set in historical England.
This would not be a historical romance list without Johanna Lindsey. She has a lot of fantastic books, and I've read a few of them, but this is my favorite! This is a medieval Viking romance, and it has some darker tropes in it, for one the heroine is taken as a captor by the hero. That might seem a little undesirable to read about, but for me it was part of the romance. There is a lot angst and a lot of longing in this book. The couple go through so much as they learn to trust each other. This was my first medieval romance, and it won't be my last, because I am really intrigued by this time period.
Rebel by Beverly Jenkins is one of the first American historical romances I read. I am hesitant to read American romances, just because the time periods and the historical aspects are not as glamorous and romantic as others, but Beverly Jenkins did a fantastic job with this book. It is set during reconstruction and follows a black teacher from the north, who wants to lend her knowledge and voice to the people of the south. Val, the heroine, is one of my favorite historical romance heroines. She is kind and encouraging to her students, and stubborn and determined to the people who try to get in her way. While the historical aspect was something I didn't think I would enjoy about this book, I ended up really enjoying it. I think this a great book to begin an American historical romance journey. I hope to read more books from Beverly Jenkins in the future.
While the Duke Was Sleeping is a play on the Sandra Bullock movie "While You Were Sleeping", which is one of my favorite movies. I watch it every Christmas, and it gives me so many cozy feelings. This book does the same. It is a loose reimagining of the movie, and I think Sophie Jordan did a fantastic job of making it a historical romance. If you don't know, it follows a girl from very humble means who saves the life of a duke. She is completely infatuated with the duke, even though she's barely said more than 'hello' to him. Someone witnesses her saving him, and mistakes her for his fiancé. He can't really set the record straight, because he falls into a coma. She is swept up into his family, whom she falls in love with, but one person does not believe she could actually be engaged to the duke, his half brother. That's the premise and it is so fun, and exciting to read. I loved the family aspect of this book as much as the romance.
I have another iconic historical romance writer on this list. It would not be complete without Lisa Kleypas. I have not had as much success at loving all the books I've read by her, but this series/ book is a must read if you are interested in this genre. Secrets of a Summer Night is a part of a series that I have been hearing about for a few months. Its a series dedicated to this group of girls who are considered wallflowers. If you don't know, wallflowers are the girls who sit on the side of dance floors at balls and parties. This book follows a group of girls, who are wallflowers for different reasons. They make a pact to help each other find love and get married, before they all become spinsters. I love the girl power and girl encouragement that is included in this book. The two love interests have a lot of tension between each other, because Simon, the hero, is way more into Annabelle than she is into him. She's actually chasing another guy for half of this book. One thing that had me completely convinced this is a new favorite book/series is the just fantastic care taking scene that happens. I love that trope in books, and I need to read more of it!
Outlander is hard to describe and recommend, because it isn't your typical mass market paper back historical romance. But, it does have everything you need if you enjoy historical romance, it just might take you 3 times as long to finish, because this is a giant book and a giant series. At this point in time I am on book 4 of the series, so I think that is far enough into it to recommend. I was completely swept into this world when I read it. It is a time traveling Scottish romance. A woman from the 1900's accidently travels to 1700s Scotland. She is completely unprepared for what she discovers when she arrives. So much happens in this book. It is heart breaking and lovely all throughout. I love being back in this world every time I pick up a new book. I read the first one, but I've listened to the audio books for the other 2 and I think I prefer that method of reading this. I love the accent and inflection of the narrator. I highly recommend this series if you like epic love stories.
Okay, so those are my favorite historical romances so far in my life. I hope to add many more in the future as I continue to explore new authors and new tropes within this genre. Please let me know what your favorite historical romances are!
Happy Reading!
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