Maggie Blackbird asked me about a month ago (sorry Maggie!) for my recommended Regency Romances. I had written up a long list and lost it to stupid swipe on my “magic mouse” that managed to erase the reply on the web page. So… I’m sure I’ve forgotten authors I absolutely adore on this list, and I apologize for that in advance.
I figured it would be cheating to put this up as a Regency Primer Series post, although it would have made my life easier this week with all the holiday madness. I tried to keep it to Regency Era specific, but there are a few authors who write much later and veer into Victorian or skew earlier and are considered Georgian.The heat levels also vary quite a bit, but are fairly consistent author to author. For example, Julia Quinn is much tamer than Stephanie Laurens.
I’ve read some of these several times over (marked with a *) and have loaned many out to friends looking for something good to read, so I hope that Maggie and anyone else looking at this list finds something they’ll love and enjoy!
Recommended Regency Romances: Series
This list contains my favorite series by these authors, and what I consider the best introductions to their books.
Julia Quinn – The Bridgertons Series*
Mary Balogh – The Bedwyns Saga
Suzanne Enoch – Lessons in Love Series*
Anne Gracie – Perfect Quartet*
Stephanie Laurens – The Bastion Club Series and Cynsters Series
Celeste Bradley – The Liar’s Club Series — SPIES
Gaelen Foley The The Knight Miscellany + The Spice Trilogy
Joanna Bourne – set a little earlier around the French Revolution, but excellent reads, SPIES, and Jo has an EXCELLENT blog
Recommended Regency Romances: Stand Alone Titles
These were a few stand out books that I knew were set around the Regency.
Connie Brockway – The Golden Season
Loretta Chase – Mr. Impossible*
Lynsay Sands – Love is Blind
Recommended Regency Romances: My Go To Authors
These authors have multiple books on my shelf, but many either don’t always write in the Regency or add in paranormal elements, or don’t have a particular series that I’d start people out with.
Victoria Alexander
Anna Campbell
Liz Carlyle
Kathryn Caskie
Tessa Dare – if you like to laugh, you want to read Tessa’s books. A bit steamier, but great reads!
Jennifer Haymore
Karen Hawkins – more scotland than london — printable booklist has all of her titles
Georgette Heyer – old school Regencies– if you like Jane Austen, you’ll love her wit and sense of humor
Eloisa James
Sabrina Jeffries
Lisa Kleypas – much darker and more upper working class than haute ton: Scotland yard, lawyers
Julie Anne Long
Julianne MacLean
Teresa Medeiros – Scotland or Regency with some paranormal thrown in – always entertaining
Amanda Quick – not always strictly romance, but always a great read for the period feel
Hope that gives you a lot of ideas and new authors to explore. I’ve got to get cracking on my TBR pile before I can’t fit anything else on that shelf!