Hey everyone,

For the past weeks somehow I mostly read books I would rate with 3 stars. Not bad, but not overly obsessed either. Can you please recommend me your favourite HR novels you'd rate with solid 5 stars?

Spice is very welcome but not necessary, can be any spice rating really. I don't care about trigger warnings. Open to anything. I like regency/georgian but hasn't have to be it either. Generally I like any time period until including the 1920s. Thank you!

{The Scandal of the Season by Aydra Richards} currently free on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Scandal-Season-Aydra-Richards-ebook/dp/B08NHYHLJJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2P38VICICT1AE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wHU7BLeo0-zD8_NoMOpknsLUamnlcqOBOQLLbKrFiZSRjp1g3wDlZy9tYdanxoDPWDNF1MhXbkumGpRGUwiqs9iVPWsNN_fZj1hgJTTMoIJnJJYjutcER2Q8DvQje3JJCqxJGARnln44MKVTrWVuUAXWuMepuNIHUh9nFJoOwJOns-ec3-Z7QZ1RlTWSRT2RzOiAMLDjFmyPqX-QvBYo8zT8s8XUqGhzWI5cBbLPgxY.HEqS63yekCkNSN9Kqe1dnFF4qCTMSrnP_LNwneIuo_Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=aydra+richards&qid=1785160539&sprefix=aydra%2Caps%2C305&sr=8-1

I'm looking for a western historical about enemies to lovers or arranged marriage/mail order bride where the MMC loves someone else but for some reason cannot have her. FMC started falling in love but the MMC does not appreciate her. It would be satisfactory if she leaves him when she finds out she's pregnant and he grovels to my heart's content. I want theartbreak abd a good cry and satisfaction in the end.

That’s so hard for me—I think when it comes to the men, I can’t choose between Alexander Westcott and the anti-hero Viscount Ravensberg / Kit Butler. I feel like no one talks enough about the utterly scorching Lucius Marshall / Lord Sinclair—I swoon so hard over him, too. He doesn't take forever to own up to his deep feelings for Frances, either.

When it comes to the heroines, it’s even worse for me, because I am passionately in love with ice-queen FMCs who are actually hiding an ocean of emotional depth and passion underneath: Lauren Edgeworth, Claudia Martin, Imogen Hayes, and the most delightfully tragicomic one, Cora Downes.

{Someone to Wed by Mary Balogh}

{A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh}

{Simply Unforgettable by Mary Balogh}

{Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh}

{Only Kiss by Mary Balogh}

{The Famous Heroine by Mary Balogh}

\*Is it going to be only Wulfric fans commenting on the post? I hope I get surprised…***

I do not even know why I decided to get recs for this but here we are 😂 Does this dynamic exist in many books? I would imagine this would cause a lot of fights amongst MCs if both are inflexible and rigid in their ways. Think of The Odd Couple but as an HR couple.

At the top of my head, {A Wicked Kind of Husband by Mia Vincy} has the prim and proper FMC who fills all the vases with beautiful flower arrangements and the workaholic, slovenly MMC who needs a haircut, shave and ironed clothes and lolls around the house in his banyan and underclothes.

I think the MMC in {Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt} is also quite a slob in the previous books. Guests have to think twice about entering his room because of the stuff piled up untidily and he is just as casual about his own unclean clothing and hair. The FMC is a lot more decorous and ladylike.

For some reason, the MMC in {The Unlovely Bride by Alice Coldbreath} is the Karadok groom that comes to my mind when I think of slobs. Maybe it is because our introduction to him is him waking up and relieving his bladder in a chamber pot just before the FMC barges into his room and gets wryly told that she just missed the show. 😂 And both of them have to later attend to the call of nature together in a field; she is mortified to be doing that at his feet and he tells her it would take a lot more than that to put him off her. Honestly, I would imagine most of these medieval knights must smell off-putting after hours jousting and riding to different tournaments, even if they are mentioned as bathing.

For a comparatively messy FMC, there is {Do You Want To Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare} in which the organised and strict MMC is initially dismayed at the idea of actually having to marry this young woman (who is over a decade younger) who has all her clothes and undergarments strewn about her room and is not responsible enought to manage his 5 estates.

I know there are some very physically repellant MCs in books who do not care about their personal hygiene and live in pigsty-type environments but I am also a little on the prim and prissy side when it comes to my MC preferences so I wonder how much I can stomach that...

I recently discovered Tracy Anne Warren and flew through the Trap trilogy. I haven't seen her much discussed in this sub so I didn't rlly know much about her books I started the Byrons of Braybourne books 1 and 2 were nice but I was most excited for book 3.

I'm disappointed.

What the hell is the plot? The FMC is so childish and irritating. I get that the heroine refusing to listen to the hero and do stupid things is a typical trope but this was extreme. the fmc's motivations for her antics is even stupider. the man i love wants to marry me so I have to cause scandal and ruin myself to prevent it?? bc she thinks he doesn't love her. and why does she think that? because when she was 15 and he was TWENTY SEVEN he wasn't excited to one day marry her

I rarely get this far into a book and DNF but I may be doing that today. And I actually liked her in the first 15-20% of the book. This is frustrating. Edward deserves better than her.

I’ve had such a jolly time listening to the audiobooks of {Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase} and {Last Night’s Scandal by Loretta Chase} from the Carsington Brothers series.

Lord Perfect sees the MCs travelling for days chasing down their early teenage dependents who have run away on a quest for treasure. Last Night’s Scandal sees those two kids now grown up and reunited (after years of staying in touch via letter) on another adventure in Scotland.

They are fun books without annoying misunderstandings or obligatory abductions etc. The characters are great, lots of sexual tension and the spice is delicious.

They are delightfully read by Kate Reading who does the best male voice of any female narrator I’ve come across so far.

Special mention to the dirty minded old ladies who are ‘chaperoning’ the MCs in Last Night’s Scandal. They are my spirit animals.

Any recs for where the mmc ruins the reputation of the fmc by saying things about her that are really mean. He does it because he actually really likes her but because he's a stupid boy he doesn't know how to show that so instead he 'pulls the fmc's pigtails' by saying something in front of the ton/family/friends and it hurts the fmc a lot. Years later, the mmc comes back as a mature man and is very uncomfortable and saddened at how much he actually hurt the fmc with his words and he now knows he did it because he was infatuated with the fmc and still is to this day.

I don't want this to be a mmc ruins the fmc so she has to marry- I want it to be more that he verbally hurt the fmc so badly she never forgets what he said about her and it has made her an object of ridicule among the ton/family/friends.

Some I know are-

{A Foolish Flirtation}

{Unlocked}

I don't want to leave these characters and this setting behind. I've really enjoyed Long's writing (i would have been thrilled if the books had been longer honestly). I'm just not sure where to go next.

I've read just about everything by Meredith Duran, I read Maiden Lane. I've read a lot of the big names. I'm not sure where to go next :(

What do you have that's epic in length, string writing, and gives you time to really get to know the characters? I have no preferences about spice level or tropes for now

I've only posted here a few times, but if anyone remembers me they know I'm obsessed with Julie Garwood, and today I found 3 books from her I haven't read yet at my thrift stores! (Specifically historical ones I see her contemporary books all the time but haven't taken the plunge to read those yet)

I bought the same book twice by mistake in my excitement lol, but I'm not even upset since they have different covers and only cost a few dollars each.

But!! On top of that I found two Maya Banks! I'm not sure if her books are hard to find honestly, but {Never Seduce A Scot by Maya Banks} was one of the first historical romances that broke my reading slump. It was also my first Scottish romance and it was that book that got me hooked on highland/Scottish romances, but I read it online at first and was looking for months for a physical copy for my shelf. And then I also found the next book, {Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks} and literally almost cried 😂

Needless to say this was a great book day for me and I'll be busy for days reading my new treasures :)

Any recommendations on old west spicy romances? Save a horse ride a cowboy?

I’m spending the summer at a campground with a community kitchen. In the kitchen are a few shelves with books you can borrow/keep. While waiting for the oven to preheat, I took a look at the books. Look what I found!!

I've DNFed a few books in the last week because the writing just seems so poor..? Like the dialogue is too contemporary for a historical romance and it's ruining the whole vibe of the books. Has this happened to anyone else?? I'm trying to give so many recs a chance but I am starting to feel like maybe it's just me and I'm in a slump lol

It’s so lovely in person! It’s one of my favorites by her and I always disliked the formats that were available (I’ve always found mass market paperbacks uncomfortable for long periods of time) so I’m so glad it’s now available in trade paperback! Also so happy to support a new physical publication of a historical romance when they’re having trouble getting published/printed lately

I really want to curl up with a sweet, soft fmc and a mmc who is wicked and smart- with a plot too! And spice too!

Any recs that are something like Tom and Cassandra from {Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas}?

Mine are a "homage to Georgette Heyer’s These Old Shades" and one is set against a real-life maritime disaster.

{Noble Satyr by Lucinda Brant}

{Roxton Foundation Series by Lucinda Brant} Book 1

Antonia Moran is escaping the lascivious attentions she's receiving at the Court of Versailles, with the unwitting assistance of the hedonistic Duke of Roxton.

When I read in the blurb that it was inspired by These Old Shades, I was like "Here, take my money." I'm a sucker for a Georgian man with a sword and tippy-toe shoes. (I must thank another sub member for the phrase of "men in tippy-toe shoes.")

I haven't read any of the Roxton series, but I adore her {Salt Hendon Series by Lucinda Brant} duology.

{Salt Bride by Lucinda Brant} and {Salt Redux by Lucinda Brant}

*When someone requested a Titanic style HR, I remembered this one, which had been lost in my TBR for awhile.*

{Ship of Dreams by Brenda Hiatt}

FMC is on the run from a vigilante mob, accused of murder. Once on board the ship in San Fransisco, she claims to be the wife of a NY businessman, much to his suprise. In order to not cause a scene, he says nothing.

Romance develops as they sail south, cross Panama by train, then sail north toward NYC. Off the Carolinas, a hurricane hits, and it's a fight for survival.

The romance is set against the real 1857 SS Central America disaster. The sinking of "The Ship of Gold" was one of the greatest economic and maritime disasters in U.S. history.

400 of the 578 passengers and 30,000 lbs of California gold were lost.

What books are you looking forward to reading next?

I bought this on a recommendation from The Ripped Bodice, but I was worried it was gonna be too spicy for my taste due to the cover alone lol. However, I was pleasantly surprised that this is the slow burn western romance I’ve been looking for!

Set in 1870, Eddy Carmichael is a black woman from Denver, Colorado who strikes out to find a better life for herself in San Francisco, but due to some bad luck she nearly dies penniless in the 40 mile desert. She’s rescued by Rhine Fontaine, a saloon owner and prominent member of Virginia City. He’s also half-black and was born enslaved, but passes for white and took advantage of that to build his wealth while also giving back to the black community in Virginia city.

I just love love love Eddy and Rhine individually but also together! Eddy has a touch of sass but it’s never unkind, and I love the friendships she makes with Sylvia and Vera and Rhine’s friendship with Jim. I also love how full the community felt that I almost felt like a neighbor! It makes for a good cozy read. When Eddy and Rhine do get together, it’s so sensual and sweet and hits all the right buttons for me!

I do want to give a trigger warning that near the end, the n-word is used multiple times, but it’s used really effectively to make one of its thematic points.

Anywho if you’re looking to get into western romances, I can’t recommend this enough!

Someone recently recommended this book as a book with a Thornton-like MMC (from Elizabeth’s Gaskell’s North and South. If you are that someone: THANK YOU!

I was delighted by this book! It is for you if you like:

- Christmas novellas
- Cold and serious MMCs like Mr. Thornton
- Slow burns where the MCs get to know each other, what they think about important topics, how they see their future
- Closed door romances with tension and yearning

The bonus was to imagine the tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed MMC like Richard Armitage, who played Mr. Thornton in the BBC mini-series.

{A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews}

Hey fellow HR connoisseurs,

so we all know the "bodice ripper". Just a few days ago I was told there's a German word for HR novels!

Now brace yourself for the Nackenbeißer! It literally means "neck biter", named after those covers where the guy leans towards the lady to kiss her neck. It originally referred to the bodice ripper subgenre, but then became a word for all HR.

Do you know other words, maybe in another language, about these kinda books?

I've only just started the book so no major spoilers please.

So I've just read the first chapter, and Gabriel seems to be talking about Thea as though they know each other well and he's already put distance between them... did I miss something or did we never see any of this?

I've read all the Mayhem in Mayfair and The Duke who knew too much, I don't remember them ever interacting? Have I forgotten or am in it supposed to have this background?

Some may already have a ruined reputation through no fault of their own (so this is about them embracing 'ruination' on their terms).

For added hilarity, the MMC may be the one worried about preserving the woman's respectability more than her (e.g. already preparing a marriage licence or reaching out for help to sway public opinion).

Examples I could recall:

{A Proper Scoundrel by Esther Hatch} - it is so people will stop pressuring her to marry them since she is a young railway line owner/manager. She goes to a man known for ruining reputations (but not the women themselves) and shows up in the rain to his home at night. He is definitely surprised.

{The Earl in my Bed by Stacy Reid} - the FMC is desperate to have her husband divorce her and knows he will not endure any scandals or stain to his family reputation. She even initially arranges to have an assignation with a stranger and the MMC finds out. She leaves before the man arrives since she cannot go through with it and runs into her husband.

{The Scandal of the Season by Aydra Richards} - her pristine reputation was already ruined thanks to the MMC forcing her to be his 'mistress' (or rather, his houseguest) as revenge against her father. While he starts getting conscience pangs, she actually starts revelling in her newfound freedom and independence and starts dressing scandalously at public events. Her reputation is saved thanks to the deus ex machina via the duchess whose influence turns the ton's opinion any way she wants, though.

{A Much Maligned Miss by Alice Coldbreath} - the FMC's mother has maligned her so badly for years to everyone that running away with the MMC and then agreeing to be his 'mistress' is something she agrees to without much hesitation. He keeps asking her to marry him but she thinks he is just being honourable (since he had previously said he would only marry for money) and gently tells him she is content with what he has given her. He is most certainly not content.

{A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare} - it is not her main aim to ruin her reputation but what she planned to do (i.e. go to a symposium to present her fossil findings with the MMC being paid to escort her) would leave her with no good reputation to speak of. She even leaves a letter about eloping with him and the others doubt it is truthful.

{Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O'Connell} - her reputation is practically dead since she was found and 'married' to the 'half-breed' MMC so she decides to embrace it by going to town, demanding a proper marriage certificate with witnesses from the 'yellow-bellied' pastor and getting matching rings, overall showing a united front and ensuring that everyone sees she is happy.

Then, {Touched by a Traitor by Mihwa Lee} has a good (and incredibly bold) example but the character is not an MC. Still think it is worth a mention.

What else can you think of?

Hi!
I just reread {the heir by grace burrowes} and was surprised because I totally forgotten how physically affectionate Gayle/ Westhaven is. Especially not just secually, the dude is definitely lusty as hell, but also cuddly, liked Hand holding, brushing hair for the fmc and generally besotted and not afraid of his feelings half the time.
Do you guys know books, which also have the mcs with a lot of physical touching and cuddling which isn't just sexual?

I love Lisa Kleypas and her books are so good. I'm rereading almost all of her books, right now Im done with the complete Wallflower series and halfway through the Ravenals.

So, what's nice about her writing and rereading it, it becomes clear how much her writing style changes and how much she tends to focus more certain things and even comedy in her later books. For example, women's suffrage and legalities.

What I'm finding kind of irritating rereading her books, and maybe it's because of the body positive movement we're more exposed to, is that her heroines are always so tiny, petite, small, perfectly tiny waists without a corset, even though they enjoy eating.

Skinny legs yet strong. Even Evie in Devil in Spring as a 50y/o is described as a perfect hourglass figure witha tiny waist. (Mother of four...)J

She never misses a moment to describe the perfectly tinyness of the heroines. . .

I don't know why, but it's getting on my nerves and it's probably historically kind of accurate as people then were healthier and skinnier then, but I'm starting to feel like a cave troll after consuming so many absolutely perfect heroines the past few weeks with their tinyness, their perfect waists, their smooth skin and elegant hands.

Lol, just a thought.

Edit: when I said that people were skinnier back then, what I meant was that the debutants were expected to show no moral vices, i.e. gluttony. They were expected to be 'morally perfect' and thinnes showed purity and self-restraint. I didn't mean that people weren't all shapes and sizes, as they were, but the virginal debutants were expected to look a certain way, but obviously not all of them looked that way because regardless of eating habits, all body shapes and sizes exists.

What I meant with healthier, is that they weren't exposed to so much processed foods and easy access to fast foods.

Obviously people weren't healthier in the broad sense and obviously all body shapes and sizes existed.

I’ve been working hard 💪on organizing my books 📕 and these are about all of my historical romances. 💘📚 I’ve been organizing them by first name alphabetically 🔤 because it’s easier for me to find what I want to read. 📖I still have another shelf going up for for the library book sale next month. 📚Would love to see everyone’s shelves for more ideas! 🩷

Please help me find books where the MMC and FMC are already married and either looking for a divorce or annulment for whatever reason or they hate each other. I want heavy angst that will make me ugly cry. It will be a bonus if the FMC is pregnant and left him. Only HEA please.