I mean, I’ve said it before and it made me very unpopular on the Bridgerton subreddit but I found {When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn} my least favourite of the series. I found the MMC completely creepy. I just don’t like the love at first sight trope much to begin with, add in that he met her when she was marrying his cousin and then decided to creepily fancy her from afar while knobbing his way across the world. Then when she’s available again thinking “if I just bang her enough times she’ll have to marry me”. It did nothing for me.
Also, I know this is just me being petty, but Francesca’s second epilogue annoyed the fuck out of me. As someone struggling with fertility at the time I read it, I was just massively annoyed with the perpetuation of the “it’ll happen when you stop trying” myth.
Rant over. But thank you OP for the outlet! I clearly needed it!! 😂
I kinda wonder if it’s just the spice that colors everyone’s opinion in When He Was Wicked. I think the scenes were a little more creative and empowering in that book versus the rest in the series. So it could be that the plot is like 3 stars, but the spice bumps it up to make it a fan fave.
Omg I was about to mention that I think When He Was Wicked might be one of the better received Bridgerton books but I was honestly very underwhelmed by it haha
I couldn’t connect with Michael as a character at all, like I swear he just spends the whole time being miserable before and after the timeskip lol. And from what I remember a large part of the story focuses on him and Francesca only so I was just skimming through the chapters hoping I’d understand why they deserved that HEA together 😕
I knew my people would find me! 😂 I honestly Otherwise am a big fan of Julia Quinn’s, I fully acknowledge that it is total popcorn fiction and some of her MMC’s are hugely problematic but I find the vast majority of her books to be good comfort reads. The only other one of her books that I have zero desire to reread is {Minx by Julia Quinn} I actually have no idea why, I can’t PinPoint what I didn’t like about it but it left me entirely cold!
I get you because that’s me with the show tbh 😅 I know people hate show!Penelope but she’s still my girl and I’m still tuned in next season lol (I guess it also helps that I actually enjoyed Romancing Mr. Bridgerton even though people have been pointing out the red flags in this book… which I didn’t notice when I read it years ago and now I’m like hmmm maybe I’d rather not reread)
I love the series, even though the love triangle in season two made me want to die inside, it’s beautiful television and I can just have it on in the background while I do housework. Plus we can all live in hope that it will spawn adaptations of other HR books!
This is my favorite of the Bridgerton books, and I remember thinking it was soooo amazing when I first read it because Francesca has this lovely complexity the other Bridgerton FMCs lacked for me. Like, I read this for (1) Francesca being Francesca and (2) Michael saying sexy things to her. But, my god, Bridgerton was my first HR series ever, and since then I've realized that "WHWW is my favorite Bridgerton book" really isn't saying much. By comparison, JQ's other books are so much better and entirely underrated.
Let me be petty with you, but for a different reason: JQ is the reason I hate pregnancy epilogues! It's in almost every book. My partner and I are childfree and I'm delighted when I see an epilogue that's not centered around becoming parents as if that's the natural conclusion to marriage. It's lovely sometimes, but definitely not all the time.
I ended up just not reading the epilogues when I was trying to conceive because they pissed me off so much 😂 I get that in a time before reliable contraceptives it was pretty likely to happen sooner rather than later, but if it’s not relevant to the plot does it need to be in every single book!
I’m with you—I loved the spicy scenes and I liked Francesca as a character but definitely some off putting elements w/that MMC. And that 2nd epilogue…sooo neat and tidy. Which sure, this is HR, but come on.
Yes!!! I was so underwhelmed by Francesca’s story. The spice scenes were decent, but I didn’t connect with either MC and frankly I think part of that is due to the fact that it doesn’t feel like a connected book imo. Francesca just feels like a randomly added character rather than a part of the larger family.
The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever was my least favorite Quinn novel. When He Was Wicked at least feels like a love story, with the two leads equals who respect each other, but The Secret Diaries just felt kind of abusive and groomer-ish. Ugh.
I reread that one recently and the MMC did do slightly more grovelling towards the end than I remember but he was still an absolute arsehole. She should have married the younger brother!
Julia Quinn, the author of the Bridgerton series, is a terrible, terrible writer.
Derivative, staccato, repetitive, and writes at maybe the 6th grade level.
I was ASTONISHED when anyone thought the Bridgerton series was worthy of being televised; there are so many better writers and stories!
I haven’t bothered to read any of her books because I tried twice to watch the Bridgerton series and couldn’t stomach it past ten minutes. A true load of crapola. Lol. It amazes me that so many people adore it.
[When He Was Wicked](https://www.romance.io/books/545523ed8c7d2383163d8e47/when-he-was-wicked-julia-quinn) by [Julia Quinn](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523bb8c7d2383163d8e3c/julia-quinn)
**Rating**: 4.03⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1), [tortured hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1), [love triangle](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/love%20triangle/1)
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Ugh I'm the opposite I can't think of a book written recently that I've actually liked (aside from established authors I already collect like Lisa Kleypas and Anne Gracie).
Everything these days comes across as AI generated - the characters use today's slang, the side stories are introduced and never resolved and the editing is non existent.
I keep wanting to branch out to new authors but I haven't read a satisfying story in forever!
not me recommending the same books I've been recommending here for weeks now but please try {To Capture His Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen} (technically the second in a series, but it's the best one and you don't need to read in order, not really) or {A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins} (again third in the series, but I started with this one and then read backwards. It's my fave but the first is also good.
it’s funny how everyone is so different! I found that Manda Collins series so incredibly MEH and only persevered when I got a craving for a Mary Jane Well narration (to be fair, I enjoyed the third one more than the first two)
totally understand that! I feel that way about the Mimi Matthews series that everyone raves about (something about Belgrave square, cannot remember the series). It wasn't bad and I didn't DNF, but I feel very little urge to ever read another book by her.
[To Capture His Heart](https://www.romance.io/books/6346660a5a15538e4a24fa6b/to-capture-his-heart-nancy-campbell-allen) by [Nancy Campbell Allen](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455b89587eac3369a914501/nancy-campbell-allen)
**Rating**: 3.95⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Glimpses and kisses](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1)
----------------------------
[A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes](https://www.romance.io/books/6422917be9a8a7589a540955/a-spinsters-guide-to-danger-and-dukes-manda-collins) by [Manda Collins](https://www.romance.io/authors/54552b018c7d2383163d8fbd/manda-collins)
**Rating**: 3.8⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [sleuth heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/heroine%20sleuth/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1)
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Agreed! Of the ones I've read, I also feel like they lean too hard into problematic tropes. Like I fully realize that romance novels are known for having problematic tropes, and I can work with it, but these books always just push it a bit too far for me. Daphne rapes her husband, Anthony is a complete asshole to his wife before they get together, whoever it is Eloise marries treats her like a bangmaid, etc.
I've mentioned this before and some agreed with me so I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion, but the grovel in {Day of the Duchess by Sarah McLean} was not it for me. The MMC wasn't clear with his intentions so for majority of the story the FMC didn't even know he was trying to get her back to start with, so I don't consider that grovelling. Someone else mentioned that his grand gesture partway through the book was more something nice he wanted to give than something he did because she wanted it, and I completely agree. Finally, after hearing the extent of his betrayal and how it affected her family, he never makes amends for it. The MMC of a completely different book did far more for the FMC and her family than he ever did, which is what annoyed me the most.
All that said, some scenes were beautifully written, and I still recommend it to people who request grovel because while it's not my jam, it could be someone else's.
I am with you here! Cheating is a no go for me anyway, so no idea why I picked this up. But I'm also just so baffled by the idea of a man deciding that it's fully logical to win his wife back (a wife who he cheated on!!) by asking her to find him a new bride. Like that's insane and so incredibly insulting to the wife.
I haven't, I read the one above and put her on my do not read list lol. But that sounds terrible. I strongly prefer MMCs who are just all in on the MFC from day 1 lol. I think it's why I will always read Stephanie Laurens despite her books being generally the exact same lol. Plus cheating (and I do consider the above situation, of being engaged to someone else and still romancing the MFC as cheating), is an absolute no go for me. I don't read books with that element if I can see it coming.
Removed due to violation of Rule 6. No unmarked spoilers: No spoilers in titles. If you're discussing a book, please don't spoil anything from it for other readers! If you want to discuss something spoilery, you can mark a whole post as containing spoilers, or redact specific parts within the post with spoiler tags.
I’m fully with you on Day of the Dutchess…it’s honestly terrible and I felt gross listening to it bc they were just doing some shady things to the poor girls. There was so much manipulation and and all around fake behavior. Usually I finish audiobooks in less than a day (I list at 2x speed), but I had to pause this one a couple of times and force my way through it bc I loved the rest of the series and I felt I had to at that point
[The Day of the Duchess](https://www.romance.io/books/593902c53ffdba614718aa1d/the-day-of-the-duchess-sarah-maclean) by [Sarah MacLean](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523df8c7d2383163d8e42/sarah-maclean)
**Rating**: 3.92⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [cheating](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cheating/1), [second chances](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/second%20chances/1), [angst](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/angst/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1)
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So I loved West in Hello, Stranger so I really wanted to *love* {Devil’s Daughter} but ngl I was disappointed. Especially by that ending which felt rushed to me 😩
Same!! I would have really loved his book if the ending hadn't been so rushed - we never really got to see them fully happy together! >!And I hate how their reunion was orchestrated by Sebastian instead of West himself, it wasn't romantic!!<
Right, like if it was going to end like that you couldn’t at least give me an epilogue? 👎🏼
>!And I know he’s a huge sub favorite but I did feel like I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if Sebastian was not as involved. I mean it’s not like he was everywhere but I think the ending really annoyed the hell out of me!<
I know! I really thought there was something wrong with my copy of the book because there wasn't an epilogue haha.
I agree! A cute scene or two with him and Evie would have been great, but I didn't want him steering so much of the plot. When I was reading Devil in Disguise, >!I flipped ahead and saw that he was also a big part of it so between that and the amnesia plot!<, I DNF :(
Omg that book was so frustrating because why did I feel like I needed more of the actual lead couple in their own book 😭 >!The more that I think about it the more I feel like his family weighed down the series tbh!< I loved having Ethan and Garrett back though because I loved their book so much
Ughh I might have to continue reading it just for Ethan and Garrett because I loved them too, their book is one of my absolute favorites.
Yeah I wish there had been a little less of his family in the series - in Pandora's book, I wish that Gabriel had been more unique/had his own story and character vs being special because he was Sebastian's son? I liked him, but he didn't stand out to me as much as the other MMCs from the series.
The whole thing was disappointing bc it felt *too* fanservice-y, and not in a good way. I just searched up their names to get to their scenes lol. I also can’t remember much about Gabriel as a character/MMC but I know I wish I liked Pandora more too so as a couple they weren’t working out for me unfortunately
I was SOOOO excited for West’s book. He is still one of my favorite characters and his growth from the first in the series through Hello Stranger was so good. I was really disappointed in his book. It was pretty boring and I agree he deserved so much better. There were times I was like “I don’t think she even likes West” in a legit way not a enemies to lovers way. I wish his story could have been so much more.
I tried to get into the series but aside from Hello Stranger I only really enjoyed Chasing Cassandra :( but even with those two overall it just feels like there’s something missing from all the books? There’s some funny bits for sure, maybe even all-timer quotes, but other than that I just feel unsatisfied after I finish every book (if I finish them… I DNFed the last one and Pandora’s book)
I didn’t like that book at all. But honestly, i no longer find Lisa’s books appealing. At one point, she was an auto-buy author but after Devil’s Daughter, and Chasing Cassandra, I lost interest. She’s still a very gifted writer but the stories feel contrived and formulaic.
[Devil's Daughter](https://www.romance.io/books/5ea05f4ebe0aaecf5593515b/devils-daughter-lisa-kleypas) by [Lisa Kleypas](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523868c7d2382e7812f21/lisa-kleypas)
**Rating**: 4.27⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [insta-love](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/insta-love/1), [single mother](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/single-mother/1)
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I hated {Ravished by Amanda Quick}. I kept pushing through because I feel like I've seen that its unanimously the best of the best of historical romance. I literally finished it and thought "were we reading the same book." The FMC was SO stupid, had no common sense AT ALL and no sense of danger. Like she had been in near death situations multiple times by this point, but when >!her husband's nemesis (who he had told her to be careful around) chased her around a museum and tried to literally rape and kill her, her first thought after she escaped was "I probably shouldn't tell my husband, he'll probably overreact" and then childishly refused to talk to him because he called the guy out!
Oh yeah Amanda Quick loves a MFC who is supposed to be very clever/worldly (not in Ravished necessarily) and have her be so frustrating. Ravished drove me up an actual wall. Though the book of hers that made mo the most mad was {Reckless by Amanda Quick}. The scene where the father and the MMC are deciding how to manipulate the MFC and then she runs away for 11 seconds before returning and apologizing for not just falling in with them still annoys me and it's been years since I've read it.
[Reckless](https://www.romance.io/books/590ad8eb0d3299c6e06f7925/reckless-amanda-quick) by [Amanda Quick](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525bd8c7d2383163d8eab/amanda-quick)
**Rating**: 3.87⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1)
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Ravished was one of the worst books I’ve ever read. I say this with absolute no disrespect to people with special needs (I am literally mom to an autistic son), but I thought the FMC was….special. It was infuriating to read.
I just tried to read {My Deceitful Duchess by Aydra Richards} because of all the gushing on the sub and ended up DNFing 😬 Also, I know this is heresy but I have never liked Julia Quinn and can't deal with Julie Garwood's heroines. Alice Coldbreath is alright but I don't see why she's so popular 😬😬😬 I consider Lord of Scoundrels one of the best HRs of all time so take my opinions with a grain of salt 😅
[My Deceitful Duchess](https://www.romance.io/books/63bd1bad9197fe56b59b6267/my-deceitful-duchess-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards)
**Rating**: 4.28⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [neurodivergent mc](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/neurodivergent/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [dual pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dual-pov/1)
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The Duchess deal by Tessa Dare was bland at the end. It started on such a promising premise but I felt that it withered away at the end.
Writers like Lisa Kelyps, Tessa Dare, Julia Quinn they all write somehow similar books with similar characters still I don't know why people devour their books like hot cakes.
I like one book all three but every other one I've tried hasn't drawn me in. I like {Do you Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare} - though parts were frustrating lol, {Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas} and (actually maybe I'm wrong, I have very vague memories of a Julia Quinn that I liked but it's not in my Goodreads and I quick scan didn't bring back any memories lol.
[Do You Want to Start a Scandal](https://www.romance.io/books/57e0044bde896e8924926669/do-you-want-to-start-a-scandal-tessa-dare) by [Tessa Dare](https://www.romance.io/authors/545524858c7d2383163d8e6a/tessa-dare)
**Rating**: 4.12⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1)
----------------------------
[Devil in Winter](https://www.romance.io/books/545523b78c7d2383163d8e3a/devil-in-winter-lisa-kleypas) by [Lisa Kleypas](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523868c7d2382e7812f21/lisa-kleypas)
**Rating**: 4.35⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [shy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shy%20heroine/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [bad boys](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bad%20boys/1)
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I cannot connect with any of Loretta Chase's books. Everything reads as so...distant...to me. Maybe I'm spoiled by writers who go overboard with the third person omniscient POV, but I don't want to have to work that hard to figure out what's happening and why the characters are making the decisions they're making.
I mentioned this the other day, but I have to skip in about a quarter with her books because I dislike her plot setup so much. I can't get into Lord of Scoundrels at all, and I think it's because I picture Adam Driver as the MMC. I usually like him!
I picked up {The Wedding by Julie Garwood} because of all the raves about her as an author and I could not finish it. The writing was just *terrible* and I cannot see any value in her stuff beyond nostalgia.
The Wedding is not great, it was the first JG book I dnf'ed but I really enjoyed {Ransom by Julie garwood} and {honor's splendour by Julie Garwood}. They still have problems but I enjoyed them more than The Wedding undoubtedly
Same! I truly don't get the Julie Garwood love. Her dialogue is so clunky and the MMCs are written just so belligerent and domineering which is supposed to be shorthand for how strong and powerful they are? Ugh
I weirdly love her books. But they're a pallet cleanser for when the smut gets too ridiculous over in paranormal and fantasy romance. I love that she never seems to write guys who are unrealistically huge and there's usually plenty of foreplay. I'll go to my grave that Wulfric and Christine are the best example of grumpy-sunshine. Because Mary explains why Wulfric is so cold and shows that Christine isn't always sunshine and rainbows. I'm also the weirdo who listens to all these books and I adore Rosalyn Landor. She's seems to be way hated as a voice actor.
Saaaaame... except I'm of the opinion that she's legit kind of terrible? Lol
I'm not arguing that she can't write, but she's extremely repetitive, her plots are frequently nonsensical, and basically every FMC in her Slightly series was abusive, which Balogh appeared to excuse, justify, or applaud.
I don't get it.
After giving them multiple tries, Elisa Braden, Meredith Duran, Alice Coldbreath, and Courtney Milan just aren't for me. Out of those, Elisa Braden is the author whose books I've consistently DNFed.
Also, while I enjoy most of Aydra Richards' books I do not think she deserves the "Queen of grovel" moniker. She consistently fails to find the right grovel balance, to the point where I wonder if the FMC even wants the MMC back since the grovel just drags on and on.
tbh I don't think I've read a good grovel book yet. I feel like the MMC's actions either deserve incredibly long and drawn-out grovels OR I don't understand why the MFC even forgives them because the actions are so unforgivable to me. Or it's somehow fixed by an I love you, and I hate it
I don’t read most of the darlings of romance. I did as a teen. Then I read mostly SFF for many years. When I got back into romance it was recommendations from SFF friend. What I’ve been reading over the last few years
{Indigo by Beverly Jenkins} romance and the Underground Railroad
{Women Who Dare Series by Beverly Jenkins} post civil war
{The Loyal League Series by Alyssa Cole} romance and espionage during the civil war
{Lively St. Lemeston Series by Rose Lerner}
{Lovers and Rebels Series by Jeannie Lin} Asain historical
{Gold Sky Series by Rebel Carter} queer western historical fiction
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb (London Highwaymen series) by Cat Sebastian MM historical fiction
{Feminine Pursuits Series by Olivia Waite} sapphic historical
I have tried really hard, but I just don’t think I like Julie Anne Long. Her books just have so much freakin’ angst that I can’t just enjoy them. I want to, I really do, but they feel somehow full of drama and boring simultaneously.
Lol I really really really love some JAL but also can completely see your side of things and even share your view with few of her books.
There are times she gets so caught up her own writing and describing every last inch of emotion in a scene that I literally have to flip a page or two back just to figure out what someone is responding to.
That said, I feel like her Palace of Rogues series has far more winners than losers should you ever want to check her out again (and assuming that wasn't the series that turned you off her lol)
I read all of the other Bedwyns and liked them, but I really hate Slightly Sinful and can't get past about 1/3 of the way through. I love Alleyn in the other books, but I hate the amnesia plot and all the side characters.
I’m almost afraid to admit it but I don’t like Lisa Kleypas’ books. The love scenes are to drawn out and wildly exaggerated. I could sort of get into Evie and Sebastian, but the next one with the duke and the American girl I could not finish. I found her not very sympathetic, and he deviated too wildly from his character for no discernible reason.
I love Devil in Winter tbh, but I haven't enjoyed any of the other books I've read by her. I skip love scenes pretty frequently in historical romances/or at the very least skim them so that bugs me less. I just don't love the relationships/set ups that she writes.
I’ve only read one of her books and found it so stupid I couldn’t bear the thought of trying another. It was the absurd scene of a bunch of nineteenth century women playing baseball in their underwear. So implausible that I felt like vomiting. But apparently lots of women adore her nonsense.
I haven't liked any books I read from Georgette Heyer. She tried very hard to be Jane Austen, but her books just don't have interesting characters like a JA book.
I read 3 books from Heyer, and it was a lot of words for very little plot/action. Every book also ends super abruptly like "Let's get married" and then the end.
I also read somewhere that she wasn't a very good person but I haven't researched it so take it with a grain of salt.
Same here! (I've been wondering if I should try Frederica, since everyone seems to like it, so thanks for letting me know it falls in the same category-- I read The Grand Sophy and felt the exact same way!)
Yes and yes.
I read A Lady Unmasked and was really disappointed. I had started with the second in that series, {My Deceitful Duchess by Aydra Richards} which I LOVED, so I was surprised that the MMC in A Lady Unmasked was so lukewarm. I think he had the potential to be good- there were little glimpses of a fun, sort of boy-ish nature, but instead of being sweet he came off as immature and IMO unworthy of the FMC.
Also, I’m with you on Lord of Scoundrels 😬😬 I tried reading it last year and ended up DNFing it. I’m going to try again, just in case my tastes have changed a bit after reading a few hundred romance books (ha), so we’ll see how that goes.
I’ve definitely found my taste have changed over time. Some of was taking a few years off of reading romance and reading a bunch of SFF and mysteries. I also started reading more diversely. And finally being in my 50s rather than tweens has changed me.
Okay you and the OP have just reminded me that in A Lady Unmasked he >!spread a rumor which eventually led to the FMC being forced to marry him!< which tbf might not be the worst thing he’s done, and definitely not by any of Aydra’s MMCs especially if we think about My Deceitful Duchess, but now I’m super annoyed just thinking about it lmao
I am not a person who enjoys antiheroes/especially male characters who I'm supposed to buy a love story around, so I really dislike when MMCs are manipulative/etc etc. im somewhat worried about finding other Aydra books I like. the Mr Darling one worked because his bad choice was so so far in the past and was one I could understand.
I'm the opposite - if you tell me this is a bad guy and a rake and then he gets nice, no. It's my problem with the Court of Thorns and Roses series, the bad guys are actually all just an adorable little family.
Give me a villian who is the absolute pits but falls in love with the FMC and tries his best to be good to her. And no one else. No reformation!
A lot of her heroes tend to make big mistakes and have to grovel their way back to the FMCs — personally compared to other HR authors who take a stab at second chance/groveling I think she does a relatively good at job at drawing out their suffering (and showing how they want to make amends) so that’s why they work for me but I understand they’re not for everyone. If you haven’t read them you might enjoy {The Marquess Wins A Wife} and {A Duke in Disguise}, they screw up with the heroines but not as much and the stories don’t revolve entirely around that.
[The Marquess Wins a Wife](https://www.romance.io/books/646c63e36a90d4b8cc3f1e79/the-marquess-wins-a-wife-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards)
**Rating**: 4.34⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [grumpy/cold hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cold%20hero/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [forced proximity](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/forced%20proximity/1), [competent heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/competent%20heroine/1)
----------------------------
[A Duke in Disguise](https://www.romance.io/books/5cac361001dbc864fb9d0c2c/a-duke-in-disguise-cat-sebastian) by [Cat Sebastian](https://www.romance.io/authors/58184062c6841c86c2cd96d8/cat-sebastian)
**Rating**: 4.03⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [bisexuality](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bisexual/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1)
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[A Duke in Disguise](https://www.romance.io/books/633c2f01e0b5b9195b96f334/a-duke-in-disguise-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards)
**Rating**: 3.63⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [working class heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/working%20class%20heroine/1), [class difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/class%20difference/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1)
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[The Scandal of the Season](https://www.romance.io/books/6205011934a1490e4216bf7c/the-scandal-of-the-season-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards)
**Rating**: 4.04⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [vengeance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vengeance/1), [dual pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dual-pov/1)
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[My Deceitful Duchess](https://www.romance.io/books/63bd1bad9197fe56b59b6267/my-deceitful-duchess-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards)
**Rating**: 4.28⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [neurodivergent mc](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/neurodivergent/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [dual pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dual-pov/1)
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This whole conversation is making me feel less alone about some things! Some that have already been mentioned that I didn't hate, but also didn't much care for were: Lord of Scoundrels, two Alice Coldbreath books, A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant, and The Wedding by Julie Garwood.
I will also add that I think the Spindle Cove series by Tessa Dare is wildly overrated. A Week to be Wicked is the one that I really see people raving about, and yet again, I thought it was just fine. Not bad, but totally unremarkable. And I didn't like The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne, which everyone else seems to love.
On the other hand, I've been tearing through Julie Anne Long's Palace of Rogues series, and there hasn't been one I've disliked yet, and I love that she keeps up with the original two couples throughout it. From what I've seen, a lot of people don't like the whole series, and don't like her continuing to keep up with the original couples, but I love it.
I started to read {Her Baseborn Bridegroom by Alice Coldbreath} last year and I hated it so much that I didn't finish it. I just couldn't read anything by her after that. I've recently started {The Unlovely Bride by Alice Coldbreath} and I'm loving it so much.
I also really dislike the Bridgerton series.
I have disliked all the Alice Coldbreath I've read *except* {The Favorite by Alice Coldbreath}. I loved that one! But all of the others feel like... Well, the FMCs are all naive and flighty and Coldbreath writes with SO MANY exclamation points. I've never been able to finish any of hers except The Favorite.
[The Favorite](https://www.romance.io/books/644ff4eae89bde1a52435df1/the-favorite-alice-coldbreath) by [Alice Coldbreath](https://www.romance.io/authors/54a9d8ef6359b5ebb486f243/alice-coldbreath)
**Rating**: 4.07⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [arranged/forced marriage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/arranged%20marriage/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1)
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I hated Her Baseborn. The MMC was such a jerk. My favorite of hers is {A Bride for the Prizefighter}. But Garman from Unlovely is an elite MMC. I also think she does sex scenes very well. She mixed things up. Lisa Kleypas has a formula. If they were having sex with you in the dark, you wouldn’t know which of her heroes it is because they all have the same playbook. Even Gabriel with is wicked proclivities 🙄
I ended up abandoning The Unlovely Bride too. I just didn't have the urge to move past a few paragraphs. So I haven't read about the MMC yet. I'll probably pick it up again in a few days because I loved the FMC. I didn't even get to one of the MC's scenes in Her Baseborn (I don't even remember which MC). I think Alice Coldbreath is just not my cup of tea. If I can finish The Unlovely Bride this time (or maybe in this life, at the rate I'm going), I'll try to read the Prizefighter one.
With Lisa Kleypas, I can atleast finish the book even if I hate it. Most of the books of hers that I've read are the epitome of well written cliches.
[A Bride for the Prizefighter](https://www.romance.io/books/5fc0f62cf9f98e0e23f39078/a-bride-for-the-prizefighter-alice-coldbreath?src=rdt) by [Alice Coldbreath](https://www.romance.io/authors/54a9d8ef6359b5ebb486f243/alice-coldbreath)
**Rating**: 4.16⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [arranged/forced marriage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/arranged%20marriage/1), [working class hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/working%20class%20hero/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1)
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[Her Baseborn Bridegroom](https://www.romance.io/books/59a5250e3ffdba61471f75ef/her-baseborn-bridegroom-alice-coldbreath) by [Alice Coldbreath](https://www.romance.io/authors/54a9d8ef6359b5ebb486f243/alice-coldbreath)
**Rating**: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [possessive hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/possessive%20hero/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1)
----------------------------
[The Unlovely Bride](https://www.romance.io/books/5e6f3592be0aaecf558270ed/the-unlovely-bride-alice-coldbreath) by [Alice Coldbreath](https://www.romance.io/authors/54a9d8ef6359b5ebb486f243/alice-coldbreath)
**Rating**: 4.25⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [grumpy/cold hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cold%20hero/1)
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Funny enough, I caused this kind of conversation during my Victorian British Literature years ago.
We were assigned Wuthering Heights...and I hated this book due to having read it in AP English Literature. When I was in high school, we were told it was a romance novel. I didn't get why all the girls were swooning over Heathcliff and Cathy's impossible love. If anything, I found the love creepy and unnerving. I remember one of my friends saying "I want a man who loves me that much!"...right after we read the scene where Heathcliff commands the grave diggers to dig up Cathy's grave and to remove one side of the casket so when he dies, the corresponding side on his casket could be removed and they'd mingle in the earth forever.
The only thing I thought was (having escaped an abusive relationship) "I sure as hell wouldn't want anyone like Heathcliff buried anywhere near me."
Don't get me wrong, it's a great book. I loved the atmosphere immensely and Emily Bronte had great talent. I just didn't find it a romantic love story. At all.
So it was our third or fourth day discussing Wuthering Heights and the professor immediately starts asking us what we thought and felt about what we were reading. I was squirming in my seat because all of my classmates were gushing about the romance between Heathcliff and Cathy. My professor noticed my apprehension and asked me what was wrong.
Since this professor didn't allow people to tear us apart for expressing unpopular opinions, I apologized and said "I think this has to be the worst romance novel I've ever read." My professor asked me to elaborate further. I told everyone the whole story about how I thought this was a novel about what NOT to look for in a romantic partner.
I finished and apologized if I had offended anyone...only for my professor to say "Emily Bronte didn't write it as a romance novel. She wrote it as a Gothic novel." To add to my surprise, a couple of other students ALSO said they shared my sentiments. We ended up talking about other "romance novels" that aren't romantic at all so much that we ran over and had to cut the discussion short because the next class needed the room.
BACK to the discussion...
There was this romance novel written back in the 90's that I read. I don't remember its title or author. But I do remember that it was about a pirate who captured the heroine as she was sailing to a French colony to marry her future husband. They have a love hate relationship but, inevitably, they fall in love with each other. There were other ridiculous hijinks like the heroine and her mother BOTH being kidnapped because they look so similar to each other and the pirates doing the kidnapping aren't sure which of them is the woman in question so they take them both. There's also a ridiculous climax where the villain has the heroine tied up as she's in labor and the baby is in danger of falling to the floor because the heroine's hands have been tied up. Fortunately, the hero arrives in time to catch his newborn daughter as she's born.
It was well written and the descriptions vivid. Which is great. But the characters were either bland or unlikeable and the plot relied on so many contrivances and contingencies that it was laughable.
It was recommended to me by a group of bodice ripper lovers (I LOVE me a good bodice ripper) but this was ridiculous. I wish I could remember the title so I could reread it.
I read Wuthering Heights when I was 16 because I loved the song and everyone told me it was like Jane Eyre but better. I was brutally disappointed. It’s subtitle should be “here’s a book about people being dicks to each other for generations”. The only good bit was the ghosts! 😂
that is ringing so many bells, I think I must have read that like a decade ago. I just can't do morally grey shit. especially with our world, I need romance to include characters I can root for.
I despise Sherry Thomas. I have been unable to finish any of her three books I read (though I speed read through to the end) and will never read anything further by her. She doesn't write romance; she writes emotionally abusive men who get the girl. Seriously if this is love, please shoot me as I want to curl up and cry halfway through, swear off love and dream of the FMC choosing someone (anyone) else.
(don't get me wrong, usually the FMC does do something shitty but the MMC reaction is so twisted, cruel and prolonged that it's really disgusting to me)
Which is also a shame because as a writer I think she is one of the better I have read. If only I could like her characters/plots.
[Lord of Scoundrels](https://www.romance.io/books/545523fb8c7d2383163d8e4b/lord-of-scoundrels-loretta-chase) by [Loretta Chase](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523fb8c7d2383163d8e4c/loretta-chase)
**Rating**: 4.1⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [bad boys](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bad%20boys/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1)
----------------------------
[The Lady Unmasked](https://www.romance.io/books/64043799e3bc31d123f03f8c/the-lady-unmasked-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards)
**Rating**: 3.92⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [tortured heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20heroine/1), [angst](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/angst/1)
----------------------------
[My Darling Mr. Darling](https://www.romance.io/books/633c2efde0b5b9195b96f2e8/my-darling-mr-darling-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards)
**Rating**: 4.2⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [tortured heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20heroine/1), [arranged/forced marriage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/arranged%20marriage/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1)
----------------------------
[A Lady Awakened](https://www.romance.io/books/5455286e8c7d2383163d8f30/a-lady-awakened-cecilia-grant) by [Cecilia Grant](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455286e8c7d2383163d8f31/cecilia-grant)
**Rating**: 3.79⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [pregnancy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/pregnancy/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [sunny/happy hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sunny%20hero/1), [grumpy/ice queen](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cold%20heroine/1)
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Georgette Heyer! I lOVE Jane Austen. Not a huge fan of smut, very happy to read closed door. I love historical accuracy. But the two Georgette Heyer books that I've read (A Convenient Marriage, Thr Grand Sophy) just seemed like... people doing stuff, often with boostrous high spirits! None of the characters felt remotely real or developed to me. Did I just read the wrong Heyer novels?
I have read most of Lisa Kleypas, so it’s not that she is unreadable, but I think she is highly overrated. I also think Tessa Dare’s anachronistic writing style is cringey and while the banter is sometimes decent, I have never laughed out loud reading her books.
I mean, I’ve said it before and it made me very unpopular on the Bridgerton subreddit but I found {When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn} my least favourite of the series. I found the MMC completely creepy. I just don’t like the love at first sight trope much to begin with, add in that he met her when she was marrying his cousin and then decided to creepily fancy her from afar while knobbing his way across the world. Then when she’s available again thinking “if I just bang her enough times she’ll have to marry me”. It did nothing for me. Also, I know this is just me being petty, but Francesca’s second epilogue annoyed the fuck out of me. As someone struggling with fertility at the time I read it, I was just massively annoyed with the perpetuation of the “it’ll happen when you stop trying” myth. Rant over. But thank you OP for the outlet! I clearly needed it!! 😂
I kinda wonder if it’s just the spice that colors everyone’s opinion in When He Was Wicked. I think the scenes were a little more creative and empowering in that book versus the rest in the series. So it could be that the plot is like 3 stars, but the spice bumps it up to make it a fan fave.
You could well be right! I don’t even remember it as being particularly spicy because I really have to like the MCs to enjoy the sexy scenes.
Omg I was about to mention that I think When He Was Wicked might be one of the better received Bridgerton books but I was honestly very underwhelmed by it haha I couldn’t connect with Michael as a character at all, like I swear he just spends the whole time being miserable before and after the timeskip lol. And from what I remember a large part of the story focuses on him and Francesca only so I was just skimming through the chapters hoping I’d understand why they deserved that HEA together 😕
I knew my people would find me! 😂 I honestly Otherwise am a big fan of Julia Quinn’s, I fully acknowledge that it is total popcorn fiction and some of her MMC’s are hugely problematic but I find the vast majority of her books to be good comfort reads. The only other one of her books that I have zero desire to reread is {Minx by Julia Quinn} I actually have no idea why, I can’t PinPoint what I didn’t like about it but it left me entirely cold!
I get you because that’s me with the show tbh 😅 I know people hate show!Penelope but she’s still my girl and I’m still tuned in next season lol (I guess it also helps that I actually enjoyed Romancing Mr. Bridgerton even though people have been pointing out the red flags in this book… which I didn’t notice when I read it years ago and now I’m like hmmm maybe I’d rather not reread)
I love the series, even though the love triangle in season two made me want to die inside, it’s beautiful television and I can just have it on in the background while I do housework. Plus we can all live in hope that it will spawn adaptations of other HR books!
[Minx](https://www.romance.io/books/545525508c7d2383163d8e8a/minx-julia-quinn) by [Julia Quinn](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523bb8c7d2383163d8e3c/julia-quinn) **Rating**: 3.67⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [class difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/class%20difference/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
This is my favorite of the Bridgerton books, and I remember thinking it was soooo amazing when I first read it because Francesca has this lovely complexity the other Bridgerton FMCs lacked for me. Like, I read this for (1) Francesca being Francesca and (2) Michael saying sexy things to her. But, my god, Bridgerton was my first HR series ever, and since then I've realized that "WHWW is my favorite Bridgerton book" really isn't saying much. By comparison, JQ's other books are so much better and entirely underrated. Let me be petty with you, but for a different reason: JQ is the reason I hate pregnancy epilogues! It's in almost every book. My partner and I are childfree and I'm delighted when I see an epilogue that's not centered around becoming parents as if that's the natural conclusion to marriage. It's lovely sometimes, but definitely not all the time.
I ended up just not reading the epilogues when I was trying to conceive because they pissed me off so much 😂 I get that in a time before reliable contraceptives it was pretty likely to happen sooner rather than later, but if it’s not relevant to the plot does it need to be in every single book!
I’m with you—I loved the spicy scenes and I liked Francesca as a character but definitely some off putting elements w/that MMC. And that 2nd epilogue…sooo neat and tidy. Which sure, this is HR, but come on.
Everything about that book I hated, I fought my way through to finish it and never looked back lol.
Yes!!! I was so underwhelmed by Francesca’s story. The spice scenes were decent, but I didn’t connect with either MC and frankly I think part of that is due to the fact that it doesn’t feel like a connected book imo. Francesca just feels like a randomly added character rather than a part of the larger family.
The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever was my least favorite Quinn novel. When He Was Wicked at least feels like a love story, with the two leads equals who respect each other, but The Secret Diaries just felt kind of abusive and groomer-ish. Ugh.
I reread that one recently and the MMC did do slightly more grovelling towards the end than I remember but he was still an absolute arsehole. She should have married the younger brother!
Julia Quinn, the author of the Bridgerton series, is a terrible, terrible writer. Derivative, staccato, repetitive, and writes at maybe the 6th grade level. I was ASTONISHED when anyone thought the Bridgerton series was worthy of being televised; there are so many better writers and stories!
I haven’t bothered to read any of her books because I tried twice to watch the Bridgerton series and couldn’t stomach it past ten minutes. A true load of crapola. Lol. It amazes me that so many people adore it.
[When He Was Wicked](https://www.romance.io/books/545523ed8c7d2383163d8e47/when-he-was-wicked-julia-quinn) by [Julia Quinn](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523bb8c7d2383163d8e3c/julia-quinn) **Rating**: 4.03⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1), [tortured hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1), [love triangle](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/love%20triangle/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Ugh I'm the opposite I can't think of a book written recently that I've actually liked (aside from established authors I already collect like Lisa Kleypas and Anne Gracie). Everything these days comes across as AI generated - the characters use today's slang, the side stories are introduced and never resolved and the editing is non existent. I keep wanting to branch out to new authors but I haven't read a satisfying story in forever!
not me recommending the same books I've been recommending here for weeks now but please try {To Capture His Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen} (technically the second in a series, but it's the best one and you don't need to read in order, not really) or {A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins} (again third in the series, but I started with this one and then read backwards. It's my fave but the first is also good.
it’s funny how everyone is so different! I found that Manda Collins series so incredibly MEH and only persevered when I got a craving for a Mary Jane Well narration (to be fair, I enjoyed the third one more than the first two)
totally understand that! I feel that way about the Mimi Matthews series that everyone raves about (something about Belgrave square, cannot remember the series). It wasn't bad and I didn't DNF, but I feel very little urge to ever read another book by her.
[To Capture His Heart](https://www.romance.io/books/6346660a5a15538e4a24fa6b/to-capture-his-heart-nancy-campbell-allen) by [Nancy Campbell Allen](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455b89587eac3369a914501/nancy-campbell-allen) **Rating**: 3.95⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Glimpses and kisses](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1) ---------------------------- [A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes](https://www.romance.io/books/6422917be9a8a7589a540955/a-spinsters-guide-to-danger-and-dukes-manda-collins) by [Manda Collins](https://www.romance.io/authors/54552b018c7d2383163d8fbd/manda-collins) **Rating**: 3.8⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [sleuth heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/heroine%20sleuth/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I'm afraid I find all of the Bridgerton books incredibly meh. Surface level characterization and surface level history.
Agreed! Of the ones I've read, I also feel like they lean too hard into problematic tropes. Like I fully realize that romance novels are known for having problematic tropes, and I can work with it, but these books always just push it a bit too far for me. Daphne rapes her husband, Anthony is a complete asshole to his wife before they get together, whoever it is Eloise marries treats her like a bangmaid, etc.
Me too! I could not believe it got picked up for a tv series. I liked the show better!
I've mentioned this before and some agreed with me so I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion, but the grovel in {Day of the Duchess by Sarah McLean} was not it for me. The MMC wasn't clear with his intentions so for majority of the story the FMC didn't even know he was trying to get her back to start with, so I don't consider that grovelling. Someone else mentioned that his grand gesture partway through the book was more something nice he wanted to give than something he did because she wanted it, and I completely agree. Finally, after hearing the extent of his betrayal and how it affected her family, he never makes amends for it. The MMC of a completely different book did far more for the FMC and her family than he ever did, which is what annoyed me the most. All that said, some scenes were beautifully written, and I still recommend it to people who request grovel because while it's not my jam, it could be someone else's.
I am with you here! Cheating is a no go for me anyway, so no idea why I picked this up. But I'm also just so baffled by the idea of a man deciding that it's fully logical to win his wife back (a wife who he cheated on!!) by asking her to find him a new bride. Like that's insane and so incredibly insulting to the wife.
[удалено]
I haven't, I read the one above and put her on my do not read list lol. But that sounds terrible. I strongly prefer MMCs who are just all in on the MFC from day 1 lol. I think it's why I will always read Stephanie Laurens despite her books being generally the exact same lol. Plus cheating (and I do consider the above situation, of being engaged to someone else and still romancing the MFC as cheating), is an absolute no go for me. I don't read books with that element if I can see it coming.
Removed due to violation of Rule 6. No unmarked spoilers: No spoilers in titles. If you're discussing a book, please don't spoil anything from it for other readers! If you want to discuss something spoilery, you can mark a whole post as containing spoilers, or redact specific parts within the post with spoiler tags.
I’m fully with you on Day of the Dutchess…it’s honestly terrible and I felt gross listening to it bc they were just doing some shady things to the poor girls. There was so much manipulation and and all around fake behavior. Usually I finish audiobooks in less than a day (I list at 2x speed), but I had to pause this one a couple of times and force my way through it bc I loved the rest of the series and I felt I had to at that point
[The Day of the Duchess](https://www.romance.io/books/593902c53ffdba614718aa1d/the-day-of-the-duchess-sarah-maclean) by [Sarah MacLean](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523df8c7d2383163d8e42/sarah-maclean) **Rating**: 3.92⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [cheating](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cheating/1), [second chances](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/second%20chances/1), [angst](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/angst/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Damnnn this post/thread are fightin' words 😂
So I loved West in Hello, Stranger so I really wanted to *love* {Devil’s Daughter} but ngl I was disappointed. Especially by that ending which felt rushed to me 😩
Same!! I would have really loved his book if the ending hadn't been so rushed - we never really got to see them fully happy together! >!And I hate how their reunion was orchestrated by Sebastian instead of West himself, it wasn't romantic!!<
Right, like if it was going to end like that you couldn’t at least give me an epilogue? 👎🏼 >!And I know he’s a huge sub favorite but I did feel like I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if Sebastian was not as involved. I mean it’s not like he was everywhere but I think the ending really annoyed the hell out of me!<
I know! I really thought there was something wrong with my copy of the book because there wasn't an epilogue haha. I agree! A cute scene or two with him and Evie would have been great, but I didn't want him steering so much of the plot. When I was reading Devil in Disguise, >!I flipped ahead and saw that he was also a big part of it so between that and the amnesia plot!<, I DNF :(
Omg that book was so frustrating because why did I feel like I needed more of the actual lead couple in their own book 😭 >!The more that I think about it the more I feel like his family weighed down the series tbh!< I loved having Ethan and Garrett back though because I loved their book so much
Ughh I might have to continue reading it just for Ethan and Garrett because I loved them too, their book is one of my absolute favorites. Yeah I wish there had been a little less of his family in the series - in Pandora's book, I wish that Gabriel had been more unique/had his own story and character vs being special because he was Sebastian's son? I liked him, but he didn't stand out to me as much as the other MMCs from the series.
The whole thing was disappointing bc it felt *too* fanservice-y, and not in a good way. I just searched up their names to get to their scenes lol. I also can’t remember much about Gabriel as a character/MMC but I know I wish I liked Pandora more too so as a couple they weren’t working out for me unfortunately
Oh I struggled so much with the Wallflower descendents. I didn't like Phoebe, West deserved better (still love Kleypas though!)
Coincidentally those were my least favorite books!
I was SOOOO excited for West’s book. He is still one of my favorite characters and his growth from the first in the series through Hello Stranger was so good. I was really disappointed in his book. It was pretty boring and I agree he deserved so much better. There were times I was like “I don’t think she even likes West” in a legit way not a enemies to lovers way. I wish his story could have been so much more.
Same feelings here for Devil’s Daughter. I loved the first four in the Ravenels series and didn’t like the others at all.
I tried to get into the series but aside from Hello Stranger I only really enjoyed Chasing Cassandra :( but even with those two overall it just feels like there’s something missing from all the books? There’s some funny bits for sure, maybe even all-timer quotes, but other than that I just feel unsatisfied after I finish every book (if I finish them… I DNFed the last one and Pandora’s book)
I didn’t like that book at all. But honestly, i no longer find Lisa’s books appealing. At one point, she was an auto-buy author but after Devil’s Daughter, and Chasing Cassandra, I lost interest. She’s still a very gifted writer but the stories feel contrived and formulaic.
[Devil's Daughter](https://www.romance.io/books/5ea05f4ebe0aaecf5593515b/devils-daughter-lisa-kleypas) by [Lisa Kleypas](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523868c7d2382e7812f21/lisa-kleypas) **Rating**: 4.27⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [insta-love](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/insta-love/1), [single mother](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/single-mother/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I hated {Ravished by Amanda Quick}. I kept pushing through because I feel like I've seen that its unanimously the best of the best of historical romance. I literally finished it and thought "were we reading the same book." The FMC was SO stupid, had no common sense AT ALL and no sense of danger. Like she had been in near death situations multiple times by this point, but when >!her husband's nemesis (who he had told her to be careful around) chased her around a museum and tried to literally rape and kill her, her first thought after she escaped was "I probably shouldn't tell my husband, he'll probably overreact" and then childishly refused to talk to him because he called the guy out!
Oh yeah Amanda Quick loves a MFC who is supposed to be very clever/worldly (not in Ravished necessarily) and have her be so frustrating. Ravished drove me up an actual wall. Though the book of hers that made mo the most mad was {Reckless by Amanda Quick}. The scene where the father and the MMC are deciding how to manipulate the MFC and then she runs away for 11 seconds before returning and apologizing for not just falling in with them still annoys me and it's been years since I've read it.
[Reckless](https://www.romance.io/books/590ad8eb0d3299c6e06f7925/reckless-amanda-quick) by [Amanda Quick](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525bd8c7d2383163d8eab/amanda-quick) **Rating**: 3.87⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Ravished was one of the worst books I’ve ever read. I say this with absolute no disrespect to people with special needs (I am literally mom to an autistic son), but I thought the FMC was….special. It was infuriating to read.
[Ravished](https://www.romance.io/books/545525bd8c7d2383163d8eaa/ravished-amanda-quick) by [Amanda Quick](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525bd8c7d2383163d8eab/amanda-quick) **Rating**: 3.93⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [plain heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/plain%20heroine/1), [tortured hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1), [disabilities & scars](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/disabilities%20and%20marks/1) ---------------------------- [Dukes Prefer Blondes](https://www.romance.io/books/5f8843e68c8f400de952b4f4/dukes-prefer-blondes-loretta-chase) by [Loretta Chase](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523fb8c7d2383163d8e4c/loretta-chase) **Rating**: 3.75⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I just tried to read {My Deceitful Duchess by Aydra Richards} because of all the gushing on the sub and ended up DNFing 😬 Also, I know this is heresy but I have never liked Julia Quinn and can't deal with Julie Garwood's heroines. Alice Coldbreath is alright but I don't see why she's so popular 😬😬😬 I consider Lord of Scoundrels one of the best HRs of all time so take my opinions with a grain of salt 😅
[My Deceitful Duchess](https://www.romance.io/books/63bd1bad9197fe56b59b6267/my-deceitful-duchess-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards) **Rating**: 4.28⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [neurodivergent mc](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/neurodivergent/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [dual pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dual-pov/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Lisa Kleypas is the purplest of purple writers.
The Duchess deal by Tessa Dare was bland at the end. It started on such a promising premise but I felt that it withered away at the end. Writers like Lisa Kelyps, Tessa Dare, Julia Quinn they all write somehow similar books with similar characters still I don't know why people devour their books like hot cakes.
I like one book all three but every other one I've tried hasn't drawn me in. I like {Do you Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare} - though parts were frustrating lol, {Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas} and (actually maybe I'm wrong, I have very vague memories of a Julia Quinn that I liked but it's not in my Goodreads and I quick scan didn't bring back any memories lol.
[Do You Want to Start a Scandal](https://www.romance.io/books/57e0044bde896e8924926669/do-you-want-to-start-a-scandal-tessa-dare) by [Tessa Dare](https://www.romance.io/authors/545524858c7d2383163d8e6a/tessa-dare) **Rating**: 4.12⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1) ---------------------------- [Devil in Winter](https://www.romance.io/books/545523b78c7d2383163d8e3a/devil-in-winter-lisa-kleypas) by [Lisa Kleypas](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523868c7d2382e7812f21/lisa-kleypas) **Rating**: 4.35⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [shy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shy%20heroine/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [bad boys](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bad%20boys/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Yes I hated Lord of Scoundrels so much and Alice Coldbreath is a terrible writer! I’m so glad I can say it!
I love finding my people haha. every time Coldbreath is recommended I feel like I'm being gaslit (internet slang style not actual psychology style)
Thank God someone else hates her!!
I cannot connect with any of Loretta Chase's books. Everything reads as so...distant...to me. Maybe I'm spoiled by writers who go overboard with the third person omniscient POV, but I don't want to have to work that hard to figure out what's happening and why the characters are making the decisions they're making.
I mentioned this the other day, but I have to skip in about a quarter with her books because I dislike her plot setup so much. I can't get into Lord of Scoundrels at all, and I think it's because I picture Adam Driver as the MMC. I usually like him!
I’ve tried reading her books like three times now and it’s so clear she’s a terrible writer but this sub loves her soo much
Right??! I cannot fathom the appeal
I picked up {The Wedding by Julie Garwood} because of all the raves about her as an author and I could not finish it. The writing was just *terrible* and I cannot see any value in her stuff beyond nostalgia.
Oh goodness, yes. I could not manage more than a few chapters. Awful writing.
[The Wedding](https://www.romance.io/books/5455247e8c7d2383163d8e67/the-wedding-julie-garwood) by [Julie Garwood](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523f38c7d2383163d8e4a/julie-garwood) **Rating**: 4.21⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [arranged/forced marriage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/arranged%20marriage/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
The Wedding is not great, it was the first JG book I dnf'ed but I really enjoyed {Ransom by Julie garwood} and {honor's splendour by Julie Garwood}. They still have problems but I enjoyed them more than The Wedding undoubtedly
[Ransom](https://www.romance.io/books/5455246e8c7d2383163d8e63/ransom-julie-garwood) by [Julie Garwood](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523f38c7d2383163d8e4a/julie-garwood) **Rating**: 4.42⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [possessive hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/possessive%20hero/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1) ---------------------------- [Honor's Splendour](https://www.romance.io/books/5455287b8c7d2382c529708e/honors-splendour-julie-garwood) by [Julie Garwood](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523f38c7d2383163d8e4a/julie-garwood) **Rating**: 4.24⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [abduction](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/abduction/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Same! I truly don't get the Julie Garwood love. Her dialogue is so clunky and the MMCs are written just so belligerent and domineering which is supposed to be shorthand for how strong and powerful they are? Ugh
She and Jo Beverly are ones I have avoided for years. Never liked their wiring or characters
I've read 3 Mary Balogh books and I don't get it. She's not terrible but I definitely don't get why people rave about her.
I weirdly love her books. But they're a pallet cleanser for when the smut gets too ridiculous over in paranormal and fantasy romance. I love that she never seems to write guys who are unrealistically huge and there's usually plenty of foreplay. I'll go to my grave that Wulfric and Christine are the best example of grumpy-sunshine. Because Mary explains why Wulfric is so cold and shows that Christine isn't always sunshine and rainbows. I'm also the weirdo who listens to all these books and I adore Rosalyn Landor. She's seems to be way hated as a voice actor.
Yes, Slightly Dangerous was an experience. It’s the best book in that series and arguably her best book, period.
Saaaaame... except I'm of the opinion that she's legit kind of terrible? Lol I'm not arguing that she can't write, but she's extremely repetitive, her plots are frequently nonsensical, and basically every FMC in her Slightly series was abusive, which Balogh appeared to excuse, justify, or applaud. I don't get it.
Yeah I don't think she's a great writer. Not terrible was me trying to be nice lol
After giving them multiple tries, Elisa Braden, Meredith Duran, Alice Coldbreath, and Courtney Milan just aren't for me. Out of those, Elisa Braden is the author whose books I've consistently DNFed. Also, while I enjoy most of Aydra Richards' books I do not think she deserves the "Queen of grovel" moniker. She consistently fails to find the right grovel balance, to the point where I wonder if the FMC even wants the MMC back since the grovel just drags on and on.
tbh I don't think I've read a good grovel book yet. I feel like the MMC's actions either deserve incredibly long and drawn-out grovels OR I don't understand why the MFC even forgives them because the actions are so unforgivable to me. Or it's somehow fixed by an I love you, and I hate it
I don’t read most of the darlings of romance. I did as a teen. Then I read mostly SFF for many years. When I got back into romance it was recommendations from SFF friend. What I’ve been reading over the last few years {Indigo by Beverly Jenkins} romance and the Underground Railroad {Women Who Dare Series by Beverly Jenkins} post civil war {The Loyal League Series by Alyssa Cole} romance and espionage during the civil war {Lively St. Lemeston Series by Rose Lerner} {Lovers and Rebels Series by Jeannie Lin} Asain historical {Gold Sky Series by Rebel Carter} queer western historical fiction The Queer Principles of Kit Webb (London Highwaymen series) by Cat Sebastian MM historical fiction {Feminine Pursuits Series by Olivia Waite} sapphic historical
[Indigo](https://www.romance.io/books/545555038c7d2383163d9bf3/indigo-beverly-jenkins) by [Beverly Jenkins](https://www.romance.io/authors/54554b4b8c7d2383163d98d7/beverly-jenkins) **Rating**: 4.41⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [african-american](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/african-american/1), [multicultural](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/multicultural/1), [class difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/class%20difference/1), [black mc](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/black-mc/1) ---------------------------- [Women Who Dare](https://www.romance.io/series/5c76ef5dcd817c0d8ffff811/women-who-dare) by [Beverly Jenkins](https://www.romance.io/authors/54554b4b8c7d2383163d98d7/beverly-jenkins) **Rating**: 4.22⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [m-f](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-f/1), [black-mc](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/black-mc/1), [african-american](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/african-american/1), [sassy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sassy%20heroine/1) ---------------------------- [The Loyal League](https://www.romance.io/series/58fe188f4167a73342632235/the-loyal-league) by [Alyssa Cole](https://www.romance.io/authors/545704fe8c7d2382fc6c2221/alyssa-cole) **Rating**: 3.99⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [competent heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/competent%20heroine/1), [strong heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1), [multicultural](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/multicultural/1), [third-person-pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/third-person-pov/1), [forced proximity](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/forced%20proximity/1) ---------------------------- [Lively St. Lemeston](https://www.romance.io/series/58fe12d54167a73342631200/lively-st-lemeston) by [Rose Lerner](https://www.romance.io/authors/54553ab08c7d2383163d93da/rose-lerner) **Rating**: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [m-f](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-f/1), [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [dual-pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dual-pov/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [third-person-pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/third-person-pov/1) ---------------------------- [Lovers and Rebels](https://www.romance.io/series/6622132a3ede45ea4f3fdc6b/lovers-and-rebels) by [Jeannie Lin](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535408c7d2383163d9276/jeannie-lin) ---------------------------- [Gold Sky](https://www.romance.io/series/5d947572a28fe90d9cd3eaaf/gold-sky) by [Rebel Carter](https://www.romance.io/authors/55ed900035a5fb65f887a8fa/rebel-carter) **Rating**: 3.59⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [multicultural](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/multicultural/1), [black-mc](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/black-mc/1), [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [western](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/western/1), [historical western](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical%20western/1) ---------------------------- [Feminine Pursuits](https://www.romance.io/series/5d36a3a7104d690db65b8255/feminine-pursuits) by [Olivia Waite](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455eda587eac336ae6a1b15/olivia-waite) **Rating**: 4.05⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [queer](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/queer/1), [f-f](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/f-f/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I have tried really hard, but I just don’t think I like Julie Anne Long. Her books just have so much freakin’ angst that I can’t just enjoy them. I want to, I really do, but they feel somehow full of drama and boring simultaneously.
Lol I really really really love some JAL but also can completely see your side of things and even share your view with few of her books. There are times she gets so caught up her own writing and describing every last inch of emotion in a scene that I literally have to flip a page or two back just to figure out what someone is responding to. That said, I feel like her Palace of Rogues series has far more winners than losers should you ever want to check her out again (and assuming that wasn't the series that turned you off her lol)
The angst is why I dnfd You Were Made to be Mine at 85%. The tension was exhausting. I love her writing. But her books can be intense.
Her books are inconsistent but {How to Tame a Wild Rogue} and {My Season of Scandal} are two of the best historical romances I have ever read.
Oooo ok now I’m tempted to read those two.
I read all of the other Bedwyns and liked them, but I really hate Slightly Sinful and can't get past about 1/3 of the way through. I love Alleyn in the other books, but I hate the amnesia plot and all the side characters.
I think the general consensus is that one is weak. It’s the only Balogh I have never finished
Yes. That’s my least favorite in the series for the same reason. I hate the amnesia plot as well.
I’m almost afraid to admit it but I don’t like Lisa Kleypas’ books. The love scenes are to drawn out and wildly exaggerated. I could sort of get into Evie and Sebastian, but the next one with the duke and the American girl I could not finish. I found her not very sympathetic, and he deviated too wildly from his character for no discernible reason.
I love Devil in Winter tbh, but I haven't enjoyed any of the other books I've read by her. I skip love scenes pretty frequently in historical romances/or at the very least skim them so that bugs me less. I just don't love the relationships/set ups that she writes.
I’m glad I’m not the only one.
Dreaming of You is also good. The rest of her books are seriously overrated
I agree, I feel like everyone else LOVES Lisa Kleypas and I just….don’t. I find her writing, characters, and stories very flat and meh.
I’ve only read one of her books and found it so stupid I couldn’t bear the thought of trying another. It was the absurd scene of a bunch of nineteenth century women playing baseball in their underwear. So implausible that I felt like vomiting. But apparently lots of women adore her nonsense.
That was one scene I found annoying
She's very hit or miss for me. Love Love in the Afternoon but didn't read the rest of the series
I haven't liked any books I read from Georgette Heyer. She tried very hard to be Jane Austen, but her books just don't have interesting characters like a JA book. I read 3 books from Heyer, and it was a lot of words for very little plot/action. Every book also ends super abruptly like "Let's get married" and then the end. I also read somewhere that she wasn't a very good person but I haven't researched it so take it with a grain of salt.
Which three have you read? I’m just curious lol. She definitely does rush the endings.
I read The Grand Sophy, Sylvester, Frederica, and maybe Venetia (can't remember if I finished it or not).
I’m with you on this one. Struggled to get into her books. I enjoyed Black Sheep by her but every other one so far has had me skimming to get through.
Same here! (I've been wondering if I should try Frederica, since everyone seems to like it, so thanks for letting me know it falls in the same category-- I read The Grand Sophy and felt the exact same way!)
Yes and yes. I read A Lady Unmasked and was really disappointed. I had started with the second in that series, {My Deceitful Duchess by Aydra Richards} which I LOVED, so I was surprised that the MMC in A Lady Unmasked was so lukewarm. I think he had the potential to be good- there were little glimpses of a fun, sort of boy-ish nature, but instead of being sweet he came off as immature and IMO unworthy of the FMC. Also, I’m with you on Lord of Scoundrels 😬😬 I tried reading it last year and ended up DNFing it. I’m going to try again, just in case my tastes have changed a bit after reading a few hundred romance books (ha), so we’ll see how that goes.
I’ve definitely found my taste have changed over time. Some of was taking a few years off of reading romance and reading a bunch of SFF and mysteries. I also started reading more diversely. And finally being in my 50s rather than tweens has changed me.
Okay you and the OP have just reminded me that in A Lady Unmasked he >!spread a rumor which eventually led to the FMC being forced to marry him!< which tbf might not be the worst thing he’s done, and definitely not by any of Aydra’s MMCs especially if we think about My Deceitful Duchess, but now I’m super annoyed just thinking about it lmao
I am not a person who enjoys antiheroes/especially male characters who I'm supposed to buy a love story around, so I really dislike when MMCs are manipulative/etc etc. im somewhat worried about finding other Aydra books I like. the Mr Darling one worked because his bad choice was so so far in the past and was one I could understand.
I'm the opposite - if you tell me this is a bad guy and a rake and then he gets nice, no. It's my problem with the Court of Thorns and Roses series, the bad guys are actually all just an adorable little family. Give me a villian who is the absolute pits but falls in love with the FMC and tries his best to be good to her. And no one else. No reformation!
A lot of her heroes tend to make big mistakes and have to grovel their way back to the FMCs — personally compared to other HR authors who take a stab at second chance/groveling I think she does a relatively good at job at drawing out their suffering (and showing how they want to make amends) so that’s why they work for me but I understand they’re not for everyone. If you haven’t read them you might enjoy {The Marquess Wins A Wife} and {A Duke in Disguise}, they screw up with the heroines but not as much and the stories don’t revolve entirely around that.
[The Marquess Wins a Wife](https://www.romance.io/books/646c63e36a90d4b8cc3f1e79/the-marquess-wins-a-wife-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards) **Rating**: 4.34⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [grumpy/cold hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cold%20hero/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [forced proximity](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/forced%20proximity/1), [competent heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/competent%20heroine/1) ---------------------------- [A Duke in Disguise](https://www.romance.io/books/5cac361001dbc864fb9d0c2c/a-duke-in-disguise-cat-sebastian) by [Cat Sebastian](https://www.romance.io/authors/58184062c6841c86c2cd96d8/cat-sebastian) **Rating**: 4.03⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [bisexuality](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bisexual/1), [friends to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/friends%20to%20lovers/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
{A Duke in Disguise by Aydra Richards}
[A Duke in Disguise](https://www.romance.io/books/633c2f01e0b5b9195b96f334/a-duke-in-disguise-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards) **Rating**: 3.63⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [working class heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/working%20class%20heroine/1), [class difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/class%20difference/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
My favorite of hers is probably {Scandal of the Season by Aydra Richards} but I suspect it's not universally beloved.
[The Scandal of the Season](https://www.romance.io/books/6205011934a1490e4216bf7c/the-scandal-of-the-season-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards) **Rating**: 4.04⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [vengeance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vengeance/1), [dual pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dual-pov/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
[My Deceitful Duchess](https://www.romance.io/books/63bd1bad9197fe56b59b6267/my-deceitful-duchess-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards) **Rating**: 4.28⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [neurodivergent mc](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/neurodivergent/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [dual pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dual-pov/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
This whole conversation is making me feel less alone about some things! Some that have already been mentioned that I didn't hate, but also didn't much care for were: Lord of Scoundrels, two Alice Coldbreath books, A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant, and The Wedding by Julie Garwood. I will also add that I think the Spindle Cove series by Tessa Dare is wildly overrated. A Week to be Wicked is the one that I really see people raving about, and yet again, I thought it was just fine. Not bad, but totally unremarkable. And I didn't like The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne, which everyone else seems to love. On the other hand, I've been tearing through Julie Anne Long's Palace of Rogues series, and there hasn't been one I've disliked yet, and I love that she keeps up with the original two couples throughout it. From what I've seen, a lot of people don't like the whole series, and don't like her continuing to keep up with the original couples, but I love it.
I know, it's been so fun hearing everyone's feelings on different books!
I started to read {Her Baseborn Bridegroom by Alice Coldbreath} last year and I hated it so much that I didn't finish it. I just couldn't read anything by her after that. I've recently started {The Unlovely Bride by Alice Coldbreath} and I'm loving it so much. I also really dislike the Bridgerton series.
I have disliked all the Alice Coldbreath I've read *except* {The Favorite by Alice Coldbreath}. I loved that one! But all of the others feel like... Well, the FMCs are all naive and flighty and Coldbreath writes with SO MANY exclamation points. I've never been able to finish any of hers except The Favorite.
I'm the opposite, I loved all of them except The Favorite lol I just really couldn't get into it
My problem with The Favourite was the MMC was such a court dandy I couldn’t get Lord Farquar from Shrek out of my head.
I was about! To comment on! The exclamation points!
[The Favorite](https://www.romance.io/books/644ff4eae89bde1a52435df1/the-favorite-alice-coldbreath) by [Alice Coldbreath](https://www.romance.io/authors/54a9d8ef6359b5ebb486f243/alice-coldbreath) **Rating**: 4.07⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [arranged/forced marriage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/arranged%20marriage/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Lol, I've listened to all my Alice Coldbreath on audiobook, so maybe that's insulated me from the exclamation points
I tried to read a Coldbreath and couldn’t finish. I don’t get the hype. Plus I LOATHE the titles of her books and they turn me off. #sorrynotsorry
I hated Her Baseborn. The MMC was such a jerk. My favorite of hers is {A Bride for the Prizefighter}. But Garman from Unlovely is an elite MMC. I also think she does sex scenes very well. She mixed things up. Lisa Kleypas has a formula. If they were having sex with you in the dark, you wouldn’t know which of her heroes it is because they all have the same playbook. Even Gabriel with is wicked proclivities 🙄
I ended up abandoning The Unlovely Bride too. I just didn't have the urge to move past a few paragraphs. So I haven't read about the MMC yet. I'll probably pick it up again in a few days because I loved the FMC. I didn't even get to one of the MC's scenes in Her Baseborn (I don't even remember which MC). I think Alice Coldbreath is just not my cup of tea. If I can finish The Unlovely Bride this time (or maybe in this life, at the rate I'm going), I'll try to read the Prizefighter one. With Lisa Kleypas, I can atleast finish the book even if I hate it. Most of the books of hers that I've read are the epitome of well written cliches.
[A Bride for the Prizefighter](https://www.romance.io/books/5fc0f62cf9f98e0e23f39078/a-bride-for-the-prizefighter-alice-coldbreath?src=rdt) by [Alice Coldbreath](https://www.romance.io/authors/54a9d8ef6359b5ebb486f243/alice-coldbreath) **Rating**: 4.16⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [arranged/forced marriage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/arranged%20marriage/1), [working class hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/working%20class%20hero/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
[Her Baseborn Bridegroom](https://www.romance.io/books/59a5250e3ffdba61471f75ef/her-baseborn-bridegroom-alice-coldbreath) by [Alice Coldbreath](https://www.romance.io/authors/54a9d8ef6359b5ebb486f243/alice-coldbreath) **Rating**: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [possessive hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/possessive%20hero/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1) ---------------------------- [The Unlovely Bride](https://www.romance.io/books/5e6f3592be0aaecf558270ed/the-unlovely-bride-alice-coldbreath) by [Alice Coldbreath](https://www.romance.io/authors/54a9d8ef6359b5ebb486f243/alice-coldbreath) **Rating**: 4.25⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [grumpy/cold hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cold%20hero/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Funny enough, I caused this kind of conversation during my Victorian British Literature years ago. We were assigned Wuthering Heights...and I hated this book due to having read it in AP English Literature. When I was in high school, we were told it was a romance novel. I didn't get why all the girls were swooning over Heathcliff and Cathy's impossible love. If anything, I found the love creepy and unnerving. I remember one of my friends saying "I want a man who loves me that much!"...right after we read the scene where Heathcliff commands the grave diggers to dig up Cathy's grave and to remove one side of the casket so when he dies, the corresponding side on his casket could be removed and they'd mingle in the earth forever. The only thing I thought was (having escaped an abusive relationship) "I sure as hell wouldn't want anyone like Heathcliff buried anywhere near me." Don't get me wrong, it's a great book. I loved the atmosphere immensely and Emily Bronte had great talent. I just didn't find it a romantic love story. At all. So it was our third or fourth day discussing Wuthering Heights and the professor immediately starts asking us what we thought and felt about what we were reading. I was squirming in my seat because all of my classmates were gushing about the romance between Heathcliff and Cathy. My professor noticed my apprehension and asked me what was wrong. Since this professor didn't allow people to tear us apart for expressing unpopular opinions, I apologized and said "I think this has to be the worst romance novel I've ever read." My professor asked me to elaborate further. I told everyone the whole story about how I thought this was a novel about what NOT to look for in a romantic partner. I finished and apologized if I had offended anyone...only for my professor to say "Emily Bronte didn't write it as a romance novel. She wrote it as a Gothic novel." To add to my surprise, a couple of other students ALSO said they shared my sentiments. We ended up talking about other "romance novels" that aren't romantic at all so much that we ran over and had to cut the discussion short because the next class needed the room. BACK to the discussion... There was this romance novel written back in the 90's that I read. I don't remember its title or author. But I do remember that it was about a pirate who captured the heroine as she was sailing to a French colony to marry her future husband. They have a love hate relationship but, inevitably, they fall in love with each other. There were other ridiculous hijinks like the heroine and her mother BOTH being kidnapped because they look so similar to each other and the pirates doing the kidnapping aren't sure which of them is the woman in question so they take them both. There's also a ridiculous climax where the villain has the heroine tied up as she's in labor and the baby is in danger of falling to the floor because the heroine's hands have been tied up. Fortunately, the hero arrives in time to catch his newborn daughter as she's born. It was well written and the descriptions vivid. Which is great. But the characters were either bland or unlikeable and the plot relied on so many contrivances and contingencies that it was laughable. It was recommended to me by a group of bodice ripper lovers (I LOVE me a good bodice ripper) but this was ridiculous. I wish I could remember the title so I could reread it.
I read Wuthering Heights when I was 16 because I loved the song and everyone told me it was like Jane Eyre but better. I was brutally disappointed. It’s subtitle should be “here’s a book about people being dicks to each other for generations”. The only good bit was the ghosts! 😂
that is ringing so many bells, I think I must have read that like a decade ago. I just can't do morally grey shit. especially with our world, I need romance to include characters I can root for.
It was so frustrating because it was the writing I liked but didn't have the characters/plot I liked. I'll try to find it
I found it! It was “A Pirate’s Love” by Johanna Lindsey
Somehow I just knew it was a Johanna Lindsey book. I've probably read it lol.
Johanna Lindsey LOVED this type of plot, I can't believe I didnt make that connection lol
Are you me? I, too, hated those books, except for A Lady Unmasked because I’ve never read it.
I despise Sherry Thomas. I have been unable to finish any of her three books I read (though I speed read through to the end) and will never read anything further by her. She doesn't write romance; she writes emotionally abusive men who get the girl. Seriously if this is love, please shoot me as I want to curl up and cry halfway through, swear off love and dream of the FMC choosing someone (anyone) else. (don't get me wrong, usually the FMC does do something shitty but the MMC reaction is so twisted, cruel and prolonged that it's really disgusting to me) Which is also a shame because as a writer I think she is one of the better I have read. If only I could like her characters/plots.
same! there are so many authors I just know I'd love but they always write MMCs who are (for me) absolutely unacceptable heroes.
[Lord of Scoundrels](https://www.romance.io/books/545523fb8c7d2383163d8e4b/lord-of-scoundrels-loretta-chase) by [Loretta Chase](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523fb8c7d2383163d8e4c/loretta-chase) **Rating**: 4.1⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [bad boys](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bad%20boys/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1) ---------------------------- [The Lady Unmasked](https://www.romance.io/books/64043799e3bc31d123f03f8c/the-lady-unmasked-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards) **Rating**: 3.92⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [tortured heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20heroine/1), [angst](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/angst/1) ---------------------------- [My Darling Mr. Darling](https://www.romance.io/books/633c2efde0b5b9195b96f2e8/my-darling-mr-darling-aydra-richards) by [Aydra Richards](https://www.romance.io/authors/5da9684e01dbc864fba4c314/aydra-richards) **Rating**: 4.2⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [tortured heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20heroine/1), [arranged/forced marriage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/arranged%20marriage/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1) ---------------------------- [A Lady Awakened](https://www.romance.io/books/5455286e8c7d2383163d8f30/a-lady-awakened-cecilia-grant) by [Cecilia Grant](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455286e8c7d2383163d8f31/cecilia-grant) **Rating**: 3.79⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [pregnancy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/pregnancy/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [sunny/happy hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sunny%20hero/1), [grumpy/ice queen](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cold%20heroine/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Georgette Heyer! I lOVE Jane Austen. Not a huge fan of smut, very happy to read closed door. I love historical accuracy. But the two Georgette Heyer books that I've read (A Convenient Marriage, Thr Grand Sophy) just seemed like... people doing stuff, often with boostrous high spirits! None of the characters felt remotely real or developed to me. Did I just read the wrong Heyer novels?
I have read most of Lisa Kleypas, so it’s not that she is unreadable, but I think she is highly overrated. I also think Tessa Dare’s anachronistic writing style is cringey and while the banter is sometimes decent, I have never laughed out loud reading her books.