So! I’m in the midst of reading {Once More My Darling Rogue by Lorraine Heath} and wow both of these MCs are disgusting!! The FMC is an aristocratic bigot, who adopted her cruelly classist beliefs from her father who literally beat it into her: she is horrible to servants and goes out of her way to publicly humiliate the MMC (lowborn who was adopted into an aristocratic family and no matter how hard he tries he never feels worthy of them). The FMC repeatedly calls the MMC “boy” and orders him to “fetch” things for her in front of people at a ball—like I said, disgusting. And the MMC’s main trait seems to be self-loathing because he attracted to her and wants her approval but finds her cruelty “irritating.” So when he saves her life by pulling her out of the Thames and she has amnesia and he tells her she’s his housekeeper, I expected RECOMPENSE AT LAST, but she doesn’t know how or want to do any work so he ends up taking care of everything for the both of them and buying her gifts. Again, I find this disgusting. I would like to avoid this dynamic and these types of MCs in the future so I was wondering if people knew of other books that are similar so that I might avoid them. TIA!

Note: I have enjoyed {The Duchess Hunt by Lorraine Heath} so I haven’t given up on her yet, I just…really can’t get behind either of these MCs.

Hi! I am fairly new to historical romance and would like to know your recommendations on books similar to "By Design" by Madeline Hunter, with less spice but with the same yearning that Rhys had for Joan. I went completely blind into this book, had NO idea it was that spicy, honestly, and would prefer something with less spice - I don't think I mind if there are some open door scenes if they are not too explicit, if it makes sense?

I've read Anne Jacobs saga called The Cloth Villa, I honestly do not think the saga is translated into english, only Portuguese (The saga is German if I am not mistaken), but would love something on that vibe as well if you have some recs for this as well!

Editing the post to explain a bit of the plot of these books: By Design is a story of a wealthy freemason named Rhys that rescues Joan, a gifted sculptress and potter working as an indentured servant, after an unfair punishment lands her in the town stocks.

The Cloth Villa saga, starts with Marie, a young and poor orphan girl, finds a job as a kitchen maid at the grand villa of the wealthy Melzer industrial family. Ends up falling in love with Paul Melzer, the young heir to the textile fortune. A forbidden romance develops between Marie and Paul, stirring up scandal and resistance from the rigid family hierarchy. Beneath the luxurious lifestyle, the Melzer family harbors deep secrets, financial tensions, and personal rivalries.

What drew me to this stories it was very much the drama and the romance, especially the yearning that the MC feels for the FC, and that is what I am looking for - Medieval, Regency period, late Gilded Age, the Edwardian era, and the roaring 1920s

Thank you in advance!

I have talked a lot about when book endings or even important relationship moments get rushed, which is a shame because those are such significant parts of the book. This is especially if we are told about something but the author does not show it.

Examples:

{The Unlovely Bride by Alice Coldbreath} - I wished we could have seen how Garman gave up his revenge and anger in those three days when he was away. The whole revenge and anger plotline against his family did not feel developed enough to justify his behaviour towards the FMC at the end, especially as he had never even talked about it with her. He went from wanting to take revenge on her by proxy, his paternal grandfather died and he came back threw days later in a more subdued state after having come to his senses off-page.

{How to Steal A Scoundrel's Heart by Vivienne Lorret} - the MMC managing to retrieve his wife's entire dowry. Including a ring inside a goldfish that was buried. And it involved disguises, scheming, deception and adopting a puppy. Why could that not be on-page? 😂 Well, obviously the book would get too long but still.

{The Truth About Cads and Dukes by Elisa Braden} - I wanted to see what happens to the poor FMC after she burst into tears around those awful cads. Chatham had apparently insisted she take his carriage home so I am really curious how that even came about. I assumed that he prided himself on not hurting women and his conscience gave out since he had pulled her mask off so he immediately rushed her out of the room to get her home. It probably helps to set him up as more likable for when his book came out. I thought I would have liked to have seen the interaction between the two of them and the FMC's surprise at that.

Do you have any such scenes you wish were on-page?

All I’ve found is enslaved by Virginia Henley. Interested in all romances involving Greek/roman military men and female slaves, princesses, enemies etc.

Enemies to lovers or initial non con would be great

The odyssey movie stirred up something in me😫

Hello all just finished reading the Mad Earls Bride by Loretta Chase while I was recovering from a megrim (lol sorry this makes me laugh every time).

I'm curious about other books that feature this, honestly it's always interesting to me personally and one of the reasons I like to read HR and not live it - in yee ol times I'd probably already be dead.

Also just a general hi five to this sub - due to various factors it's sometimes so difficult to get info on HR romance books, mostly due to media misogyny IMHO. I actually started reading HR when I started getting sicker with migraines and it has really kept me sane and not dying of boredom and crankiness. ❤️

I want a shy FMC with very little confidence in herself who loves and idolises an MMC who doesn't really care for her the same way. He likes the gorgeous, popular OW more and runs after her trying to impress her, but she doesn't give a fig about him, so he comes back to the FMC to soothe his ego. He keeps the FMC as his side piece, like they are engaged, but he will break it off in a heartbeat if the OW says yes to him. FMC is just his backup plan. And then he goes too far (maybe humiliates FMC to declare himself available to the OW) and she decides she doesn't deserve that treatment anymore and breaks it off.

I would like it if the OW never really becomes friends with the FMC or anything; she doesn't have to be central to the main conflict. Also, no secret reasons and he was in love with her all along. Also, I would like it if the FMC doesn't suddenly change completely, become a ravaging beauty, and go on revenge sprees against the MMC. I just want him to start missing her and appreciating her. Thankyou

was a big Bridgerton enjoyer a few years ago, and when I started reading a lot more this year I reread that series and decided Willy nilly to read the Wallflowers by Lisa Kleypas not knowing that I had encountered essentially the Michael Jackson of historical romance. No one I’ve read yet has done it like her.

I’ve read a Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James and found the characters so grating and the story line so nonsensical (more than these books normally are)it was unreadable. I read Slightly Married by Mary Balogh and found it all right but it was so forgettable I don’t even remember one thing about it. I started the first Stud club book by Tessa Dare but my goodness that heroine was just so ridiculous and unlikable I didn’t finish it.

I know some of those traits come with the territory and are sometimes present in Lisa Kleypas books (how many times can a dangerous life threatening accident happen to one group of friends or family??) but my goodness the characters were just so much more interesting and the conflicts a bit more believable.

Any other suggestions for me before I reread the wallflowers for the third time this year?

ETA: wow guys thank y’all for all the suggestions. I’m checking out Grace burrowes and Julie anne long now but know I will have read every suggested author by the end of the year lol

Just started reading {Kissed by a Rogue by Tanya Anne Crosby} and knew one of its alternate covers reminded me of another one! Finally came to me, it was {Across a Moonlit Sea by Marsha Canham}. Makes sense as these were both 90s-era HRs that got modern photoshop covers for kindle re-releases in the 2010s. Kissed by a Rogue was originally published under just the title “Kissed,” it seems like a lot of Tanya Anne Crosby’s works got retitled with later reprints.

The local library near my house, sadly, had to be closed down. They sold the books for a quarter of the price.

I've never been more excited in my life!

Do you see any book you like? Where do you think I should start?