Has this happened to you when reading a book? One MC confesses to loving the other... but either this is still in the early chapters (usually in a second-chance romance) or they have really not interacted much in a manner that would be affectionate or romantic.

I have read some books in which I do not know why the FMC loves a man who has been rude, dismissive, involving himself with multiple women, forcibly kissing or threatening her. I even go back to all their interactions to see if I missed something. This happened in something I'd recently read so, unfortunately, I feel less connected with the relationship and more doubtful about the FMC's perceptive abilities and worried about her acceptance of shoddy treatment.

Hi everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster.
Let’s dive on into it…. This is my first post ever so please show me grace lol.

I am searching for books that are angsty!! Looking for OW drama, but no actual cheating. I want MMC to really fuck up and work towards forgiveness. Maybe it’s a lost love come back outta the blue, ex mistress drama, etc. I am not picky on the type of OW drama, I just find myself enjoying a MMC trying to navigate a sticky situation. I enjoy the tension between the main characters that OW drama can create.
I want MMC to be torn between two choices, hurt FMC in his actions, and grovel/work his way back into her heart. Maybe FMC even pulls back because she believes MMC really does love OW. Maybe MMC tried to hide OW to prevent FMC from being hurt, but she finds out anyway and leaves him… I’m here for all of it.
More drama and angst the better!!
Thank you!

Barbara Metzger is one of the grand dames of traditional historical romance, in the vein of Georgette Heyer. Between 1981 and 2015, she published over 60 titles, including several wonderful Christmas stories.

Books explore the intricacies of Regency society with witty banter, endearing characters, madcap situations, and some scene stealing animals.

{Miss Lockharte's Letters by Barbara Metzger}

On her deathbed, Miss Lockhart is determined to settle some old scores. So, she fires off scathing letters to those who have abandoned her and left her penniless, then settles in to meet her maker. Imagine her surprise when she awakens (and won't be passing to the great beyond) to discover one of those recipients is determined to confront her.

{The Primrose Path by Barbara Metzger}

Viscount Knowle is stunned to find that he does not inherit his aunt's cottage. Instead, it has been left to her herd of hairy heirs, with her companion as their caregiver. The Viscount sets out to rid himself and the cottage of dogs and one exasperating lady.

{Snowdrops and Scandalbroth by Barbara Metzger} such a good title

After frustrating travel delays, Kitty finally arrives in London to take up a position as a governess. Finding that the family has left town, she is stranded alone in an unknown city. Viscount Chase has a gossip problem. Unable to accept that a man is his prime may be a morally upstanding anti-rake, society is convinced he can't "follow through" and won't be able to produce an heir. These two settle into a fake mistress charade, and the adventures begin.

{A Loyal Companion by Barbara Metzger}

Indulged youngest child of a country Squire, along with her devoted dog Fitz, is sent to town for the social season. After being shunned by society, Conover left to join the army. The Major is back in London, navigating guardianship of his young nieces. Fitz, along with Miss Sonia, sets out to solve problems and rehabilitate a good man. Dual narration, in 3rd person and by Fitz.

{Cupboard Kisses by Barbara Metzger}

Cristabel, a well-educated vicar's daughter, was left penniless after her father's death. When she receives a letter informing her of her uncle's demise, she leaves her miserable job as the music teacher at a girls' school and heads to London. When she arrives at her uncle's house, she discovers her uncle has gambled away all of his property. Captain Chase, the winner of those bets, takes pity and offers her the position of running the respectable boarding house at her uncle's second property. Comedy of errors mayhem ensues. It takes a while for thoroughly green Cristabel and the temporarily blind (due to surgery) Captain to realize that she has unknowingly become the madam of a brothel .

For those who appreciate cover design, I've shared some of my faves. I chose ones from books I haven't listed in order to share more titles.

What are your thoughts? Are you a fan? What are your favorite books?

looking for books with similar writing styles, i guess i mean as far as the perspective switching goes, and how to emotions are conveyed both internally and from the other’s perspective as well. they’re the only two i’ve read like this except maaaaaaybe {without words by ellen o’connell} and this one hit different compared to other o’connells.

{the rainbow season by lisa gregory}

it’s not even necessarily my favorite story but i just love how it is written.
i’m going to attach a couple random pages from the book for examples

{texas destiny by lorraine heath}

I just finished the Lavinia Lake and Tobias March trilogy by Amanda Quick, and I think that would be a fun TV show. It has romance and mystery, and while the mysteries aren't Agatha Christie level they are still interesting. And I like the secondary characters in the series as well.

What HR books would you like to be seen made into a movie or tv show?

I know this is a stretch but I’d love to find the first HR I ever read. I stole it from a big pile of books in my mom’s room about twenty-five years ago. I’m guessing it was most likely written somewhere between the late 80s to the late 90s. Most of the ones she read were Harlequins but it might have been another publisher. Here’s what I remember.

It is a second-chance class difference romance. The MMC is Irish, he’s a groom or a laborer or something like that. I think his name is Rory. The FMC is the daughter of a gentleman. I think he was a vicar but I’m not positive about that. Her father was very strict. That I remember. She is blonde and pretty but that’s all I can remember about her.

The book starts when FMC and MMC are meeting in a church to elope. FMC gets caught by her father and forced into marriage with a cruel older man. MMC assumes she doesn’t love him enough to run away with him after all and becomes bitter. He spends the next ten years or so becoming a successful politician and they eventually meet in London where she is a widow and a big part of society.

I would love it if someone can identify this for me!!

I'm hoping someone here recognizes it from the few details I remember.

I read it many years ago and think it may have been by a fairly popular historical romance author (possibly Kerrigan Byrne, although I could be completely wrong).

The MMC was dark and definitely morally compromised, which isn't normally my type of hero. I believe he led a group of assassins, killers, or men who operated outside the law.

The scene I remember most vividly happened after he and the FMC were together/married. Someone fired a shot into the room where his wife was, and he went absolutely scorched-earth trying to find out who had done it. I remember that protective/ruthless reaction more than anything else about the book. He never reformed, but she was his world.

It was part of a series about the men in his group. Does this ring a bell for anyone?

My most hated HR trope is the ‘secret nobility’ trope where all conflicts are resolved by finding out they have a title or inheritance. TBH I find the constant cleaving after nobility in general a bit wearisome. Enter {Virtue’s Lady by Jessica Cale}! Jessica Cale is a historian and she doesn’t shy away from all things gritty and difficult, but our heroine in this book, heiress Lady Jane, actively seeks out an independent life amongst the Southwark slums, both for love (of a carpenter/former highwayman) and for liberty. Of course, many shenanigans ensue as she carves out her new life, proves her courage and resilience, and evades the forces trying to corral her back to her despotic father.

It can’t beat another in the Southwark Saga series {Broken Things by Jessica Cale} as this is one of my very few five star reads, but it’s not far off! I have read another of the books in the series {Tyburn by Jessica Cale} and it was fantastic (and is a solid book) until it turned into a prime example of my most hated trope.

Overall, I heartily recommend Jessica Cale’s Southwark Saga to anyone looking for a slice of life in the Restoration period that is undeniably gritty, but also highly entertaining, redemptive and uplifting.

I just finished {Game of Rogues by Julie Anne Long}. I loved it so much that I sneak read it at work. I have read all the books in the series and while they are all well written, the top three for me, which I think are head and shoulders above the rest, are:

1) {My season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long}
2) {Game of Rogues by Julie Anne Long}
3) {How to Tame a Wild Rogue by Julie Anne Long}

What are your favorites?

$3 for the hardcovers and $2 for the paperback. the art on these is just stunning and everything’s in great condition.

I was thinking about this when I read a book that had the MMC apologise to the FMC for 'ruining her life' years ago. In {A Momentary Marriage by Candace Camp}, the MMC said this to his new wife because he had been the one to make her break off her engagement to his cousin who needed to marry a rich woman for the earldom. This was done off-page 11 years before. She tells him he is being dramatic with his guilt because she did NOT wither away in despair due to giving up her love; she got over it, aided in her father's medical work, practised her music and now, thanks to him, is a lady of leisure who has everything. The FMC had loved the cousin but feels it was more a sisterly affection since they were friends since childhood. The MMC had really just been the messenger to deliver the news on others' behalf; even his cousin's family agreed that she was lovely but not suitable as the wife of the earl so they did not wish for the two to marry.

Now, what about books in which one MC actually deliberately carries out actions that destroy/ruin the other's life, future, reputations, marriage, leaving them isolated or impoverished or in danger or a laughing stock and they may not have cared what happened to them? Fast forward to the present and they are the MCs of the book. The main aim may not have been to ruin the other but that is what happened. Is there any way that should be justifiable?

For example, {The Scandal of the Season by Aydra Richards} has the MMC force the FMC into being his mistress in the public's eyes which destroys her reputation. The irony is that it was intended to ruin her father's reputation but he just disowned her, claiming she was illegitimate. The only thing that saves this romance is that the FMC actually is better off away from her emotionally abusive father and blossoms into her own person who enjoys being free and seen as scandalous... but nothing justifies trapping innocents into your revenge that will ruin them. The MMC even regretfully says afterwards that he wishes he could have met and courted her honestly but he only approached her for revenge and would never have looked twice at her otherwise because he was not a good man.

This dynamic may be the reason I never wished to read {Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt} because I do not think any amount of writing could make me want to root for that MMC to win the heart of the FMC whose reputation and marriage he had destroyed (indirectly but he knew what would happen). And for what purpose? If he suffers a lot and shows adequate remorse and attempts to makes amends, that could be good.

I read {A Terrible Beauty by Stephanie Patterson} which I thought was a good book and I liked the MCs' character growth and the descriptions of the Scutari hospital but most of the signficant male characters were awful and I was wishing throughout the book that the FMC would marry at least three other characters than the MMC who was extremely obstinate, petty and had his self-serving bias for years. The women were 19 and these men ruined their reputations and future and I did not even want to root for them. The next two books also seem to follow the same formula: MMC ruins FMC and they fall in love years later and all is forgiven. The first book's MMC had just wanted to destroy her engagement and humiliate her as revenge for his brother; he did not know all the repercussions of his actions until years later. Thankfully, her ex-fiance was a dear and the actual incident was never revealed to the public (unlike the third book's FMC whose name was put in a betting book as a wager to ruin her).

There is also {Lady Ruthless by Scarlett Scott} in which the FMC believes the MMC was responsible for her brother's death and publishes libel as Confessions of a Sinful Earl which everyone links to him despite the anonymity. She apparently believes he is capable of all these things and these ruin his reputation and finances because the woman he was going to marry broke off the engagement. So he decides to abduct the FMC and force her to marry him. I will say that this book ended in the only right way that I could think of when the FMC revealed her identity as the writer and confessed to the lies to help him recover his reputation. He was actually going to let it go because he did not care anymore.

On the other hand, {Frail by Susanna Ives} also has this and I liked that book. The MMC is remorseful about his actions since he had been indifferent to (and contemptuous of) the FMC who he tarred with the same brush as her father. His actions had been so her father could be held accountable for his crimes; what happened afterwards was a shock to him. She also does not know his unintentional role in her downfall for most of the book so that is different from the other examples.

I feel like this is an issue with books as part of a series because the readers may not be familiar with the MCs' past in another book so they may wonder why one is so angry or penitent towards the other. In fact, I predict this will be the dynamic in a potential future book I am looking forward to because of the hints in the previous ones and I am not sure if I will be able to get on board with that romance. There are other people to fall in love with who did not destroy your future and happiness years ago, you know!

How do you feel about these types of romances? I suppose it depends on the type of 'ruin' or 'misery' as well as well as the exact role the MC played. I think of it like this; if the architect of the ruin had not been the MC (or attractive to the other), would they be forgivable? If they did all that but did not fall in love with the MC, it would have been a person completely ruined or broken. I do not think the MC falling in love with the person they ruined (and, thus, remorseful and repentant and being eaten away with guilt) justifies their actions enough.

Tell us what HR you are currently reading/listening to or have finished lately? Tell us as much or as little as you want. We just want to hear from you!

What do you think so far? Any great, hilarious, heartbreaking, heartwarming, etc moments? If you have finished, what rating would you give it? Give us the deets!

Fill free to spill all the tea, but remember to mark any spoilers!

This thread repeats every Wednesday.

I was just now reading the Steele and Rose mystery’s newest book release and the prose just drove me NUTS. It’s so disappointing as the plot is good and the previous book didn’t seem to have traces of AI that I can remember. But now the entire book is riddled with AI sentence constructions like:

“I took a breath, the way someone drowning does.”

“I have been at that man a month. I have been careful and clever. And today he sat three feet from you with his hand coming toward your face. And the only thing standing between you and him was your fingernails." "And they were enough."

“I was kissing a frightened woman and calling it love.”

There isn’t any variation in dialogue between characters so it’s all sounding the same. Apparently they all have to explain why they did something. There’s more examples but I would be reading more of the book than I wanted to go find them. I am debating between finishing the book to find out what happens and deleting it from my library. Ugh.

Point being, IS Magda Alexander using AI or is she getting her writing style ripped off? Is Hearts Afire a legit publisher or is it actually an AI publisher?

Are you an author? A blogger? Someone else producing historical romance content of some kind? This is the place to talk about your work and link us up! As per rule 4, please keep self-promotion to these threads unless directly requested.

Please check rule 2 for the definition of historical romance.

This thread repeats every other Wednesday.

Hi all!

I'm hoping you can do me a solid and recommend me a new favourite. I've been struck incredibly low by the flu, which has left me on the couch, covered in aches and pains, with a cough so bad that even my Velcro cat won't cuddle me. To top it all off, I've had to cancel my wedding dress shopping because of said flu, so I'm feeling a bit bereft.

I've been through quite a few posts on here, as well as the ones I've saved, but am (impossibly, yet somehow) still steadily running out of recs. Please help a girl out and send your recently loved (or longtime favourite) books my way!

A little about my taste and what I've already read, because I am a devotee of this sub's recommendations:

• I've never met an Alice Coldbreath book I haven't liked (and I've read them all), and I adore most things Loretta Chase writes.
• Authors whose catalogues I've mostly worked my way through include Julie Anne Long, Mary Balogh, Courtney Milan, Darlene Marshall, Elisa Braden, Lisa Kleypas, Ellen O'Connell and Stephanie Laurens
• I've tried to get into Sarah MacLean, Madeline Hunter, Julie Garwood, Grace Callaway, Anne Gracie and Cecilia Grant, but they weren't quite for me. That said, if you have a particular favourite of theirs, I'm willing to give it a go! I tried the first two greycourts by elizabeth hoyt and couldn't finish either.

In terms of characters and tropes:

• I love an ice queen, a secret (or not-so-secret) wounded bird, a competency boner giver, a loveable airhead... honestly, I'll take just about anything. (i do find i care more about my heroines than my heroes, it's their story!! but also LOVE a good swoon) hero can be virtuous, a villain, a rake, whatever!
• same with time period tbh, westerns, colonials, regencies, victorians! anything goes!
• I LOVE angst. Give me a gut punch. I'm even down for no grovel, if the story earns it. Also will try anything re: TW/CWs once, if it bothers me i'll DNF
• The one thing I really can't stand is an overnight switch-up that makes absolutely no sense, where you can practically feel the author getting bored and skipping all the important middle bits.

Really, my biggest pet peeve is characters who are inconsistent because of the author's writing, rather than because they're intentionally flawed or complicated, if that makes sense? Like a heroine the author clearly wants us to believe is a clever, stoic badass, but is actually too stupid to live

Please, please, PLEASE help a girl out. When I'm cross referencing posts here I feel the aches and pains much worse than when i've actually got my nose in a book !!

ETA: Thank you all so much for your recs it means the world!! I'm gonna go top to bottom to avoid thinking and I'll let you know how I get on <3

So, I just recently rewatched Austenland which is just a fun, sweet romcom (if you haven’t- give it a watch!)

Anyway, JJ Feild is just so darn handsome and now that face is stuck in my mind. When I see him, my mind immediately goes to an intelligent, restrained, gentleman-like Regency character.

For those familiar with him, did you Fancast him as a certain MMC? Spill the recs!

Edit: I know it’s hard to imagine him as someone else especially after having done Northanger Abbey. Looking for some niche recs though 😂

I generally am not really into romance novels and it’s pretty rare that I enjoy a contemporary romance, but in the last few years I fell in love with KI Charles. I like almost everything I’ve read by her and I really love several of her books, especially the Slippery Creatures series and All of Us Murderers.

I really love her writing style, the historical elements, the fact that her writing is often more funny or thoughtful than overwrought. She strikes a good balance between intelligent and cozy. I kind of genuinely don’t care about the gender of the MCs but I do like how the M/M romance in historical times creates really compelling barriers to overcome. She also had a kindness to her writing that makes it really comforting to read.

Are there any other authors I should check out? I’m an Anglophile so bonus points for being British.

ETA: I’ve read A Marvelous Light and enjoyed it but didn’t love it.

u/aloudkiwi, u/counting500sheep u/frogleaplady u/monstersof-men u/foxymartini u/bratzomer u/SiffleuxEnrage and u/OK-CaterpillarCall, you were right about Jeffree from {An Inconvenient Vow by Alice Coldbreath}. I started this one now and I'm already so here for Sabina and Jeffree. I like that Sabinais not having any of it with Jeffree. I also like that Sabina is a widow and an older womanbecause I'm really tired of 18-22 fmcs being 'so strong and wise'- I know there are girls who are like that in real life because they had to grow up real fast but it's vaguely annoying to see that characterisation all of the time because which of girl is 'so strong and wise' at 18-22? And, anyways I think a younger fmc would wilt under all of Jeffree's glaring. I just hope there isn't too much cleaning and stuff in this one, though

Anyways, who do you all picture as Jeffree De Crecy? I am picturing Phoebus from the Hunchback of Notre Dame because of the blond beard! And Esmeralda is probably Jeffree'sprevious fiancee but with darker eyes, hee hee

Tis the season y’all! 🎃

I’m looking for spooky, halloweeny, dark, or macabre reads. I’m open to any recommendations, even if the romance is sweet but the backdrop is dark or mysterious! Really just looking for something to get me in the spirit, whatever that may be 😌 thanks in advance!!

The HR authors who will use AI art for their cover. If you can't find a stock photo you like, there are hundreds of paintings probably from your era that you could use because they're old enough to be fair use! Don't use AI just to have a portrait of a young woman staring at the camera in an outfit that's definitely wrong in all sorts of ways. Just use a fair use painting!

I recently reread {Bed Me Baron by Felicity Niven} and it triggered an irritatingly vague memory of another book where the MCs are childhood friends/sweethearts but I can't fully place it (and it's killing me) so I'm calling in the undefeated big guns (y'all).

The scene that prompted the memory is this passage (hidden in an abundance of caution for spoilers): "...As if she had been made for him. Maybe she had been. After all, he had thought that very thing when he was four, looking into her baby basket. He had hoped for a little boy like himself, already his age, when he had been told he was about to meet the newest member of the finch family. He had wanted a playmate. But when he saw baby Phoebe, his wish went right out of his head. She was so little. So pink. She opened her eyes and looked right at him. This baby is for me, he thought. She's for me." In the book, they grow into best friends, although she nurses a crush for most of her life. Of course, it takes another man's interest for him to acknowledge his own.

I think the book I am thinking of has something similar. Where the MMC, as a kid, thinks of the FMC, and treats her, like she's "his." I think there may be a scene in their childhood where she's hurt & he tells her family he has to be the one to look after her or something? As I'm typing this I'm realizing how vague it must sound... I'm sorry!!

Any ideas are very much appreciated. Thanks yall!

Hey all!

I'm currently reading some short stories (not HR hence not naming them here), where there is a Marquess/Duke who seems to have more than one wife and even a mistress.

My question is in the title, because I always thought that while English nobility or peerage could have multiple mistresses, they could only have ONE wife. I'm not English nor a historian, so wanted to check if indeed that is the case, or whether there was a time where having multiple wives was also okay (since I know in other parts of the world there is royalty where a King has more than one wife and so on).

Thanks in advance!

Edit: These are short stories written in the 19th century, since someone suggested it might be AI written stuff. Certainly not that! :D

Double edit: There's a possibility there is some secret evil twin, but my question still stands!

(If that's possible)..i finally got to read {Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas} and my my my that man is so hot, but now i need more of Reformed Rakes, who already got their shit together and preferably he's good with children too. Also a sensible heroine like Phoebe (she was so mature) while I loved DD but i was a bit let down by the lack of epilogue, so books with a good ending would be nice.

I know this is a long shot, but I'm looking for historical romance retellings or novels able Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas from Pride and Prejudice. Not novels where she falls in love with someone else, but novels with the two of them as main characters falling in love. I don't even know if these books exist! But I've just read Pride and Prejudice and the Other Bennet Sister and I feel bad for the two of them.

Thank you!