Historical Love
I put up
some photos fr
om Bath today and that got me thinking about historical romances.
Like all readers, I go through cycles in my reading – I used to devour historical romances a few years back, stopped for a while, and then last year, started craving them all over again. I thought I’d share some of my old favorites, and a couple of newer books today, and open the floor for discussion about why we love historicals.
I think part of it is the romance of a long-ago age – it’s so far back that the edges have been softened. Also, the further back you go, the less we know about the period, so each author can create their own world within the framework of history. Even the Regency period, one of my favorites, is never depicted t
he same way twice, which gives us a whole new world to explore each time.
Why do you think we love historicals? And what are some of your favorites?
I once passed a Modern Western Civilization class on the weight of having read beau coup historical novels and classics in my mis-spent youth (oh, and I paid attn. in class). Don’t read them much, anymore, as I too often realize that, no matter the happy ending, tragedy will soon follow.
).
Reading historical novels is, to me, like reading alternate reality. As you said, everyone has their own take on it, and we really can’t know what it was like. Go far enough back and it approaches fantasy because people actually did live as if the gods were taking part in their lives. (I’ve always been very fond of Mary Renault’s ‘The King Must Die’, her take on the Theseus myth).
I handed my mom Pressfield’s ‘The Gates of Fire’ – not an easy or pretty story, but powerful – she says it’s probably the best book she ever read. I have her making her way through Shaara, now (and Jefferson Bass, but that’s a another story
Honestly, I have learned so much history from romances!
I alternate my reading between historical fiction and paranormal romance/urban fantasy. When I think about it, it seems like a strange combination of sub-genres, but maybe it is the fantasy of it that appeals to me.
At the top of my favorite historical fiction list is Lisa Klepas’s The Devil in Winter, part of her Wallflower series. I also like Mary Jo Putney’s Thunder and Roses. I have Meredith Duran’s 3 books next in line on my TBR pile and her books are supposed to be extraordinary.
Love the wallflowers, but my favorite is Autumn. I love how stiff the hero is and how the heroine just gets to him.
I read Summer first and I knew I would like the rest of the series when I couldn’t stop laughing when Simon and Annabelle kept trying to make sure they were caught kissing and compromised so they would have to get married.
Lisa Kleypas is the queen when it comes to writing heroines who get to their heroes. In Dreaming of You (another favorite I forgot about!), Derek Craven is totally captivated by Sarah. Sigh-worthy heroes and strong women.
First romance books I ever read: Georgette Heyer.
I never went through a GH phase and now I feel I must rectify this because everyone loves her so much.
Two thumbs up for GH! Go for it – you won’t regret!
Normally I would not want to live in the past, because there were – to be honest – very little romantic at this time. It was a hard, cruel and very “pragmatic” time. – But … the edges have been softened and through the skill of the author we suddenly find it very bright and romantic and start to dream *g*.
Some of my favourites are:
*Juliette Benzoni – The Catherine novels.
*Andrea Schacht – All historical novels. (Sadly there are only in German available).
*Jennifer Ashley – The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
*Laura Kinsale – Flowers from the Storm
and
*Sandra Schwab – Castle of the Wolf (…).
I forgot about The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie. This is a good one, too, because it’s different. I work with kids who are on the autism spectrum and the author did an amazing job capturing the behaviors of an individual who has an ASD. I also liked the fact that Lord Ian got to have a romance and an HEA even with what was then viewed as a “madness.”
I loved Madness as well. I’m looking forward to the stories of the other siblings, too.
One year in high school I had study hall last pweriod of hte day. I would get my homework done and then hit the library for a book. I mainly read histories and historical fiction. Then I stumbled across Georgette Heyer.
She is still my favorite Regency author and since they have started reprinting her books I have to make room in by book budget for adding them to my book stash!
I’m more of a fan of specific authors than the actual genre itself. I find it more difficult to relate and immerse myself in a time that I have no *realistic* concept of.
That being said, there are a few authors that have managed to suck me in, regardless of those .. concerns..
I started reading Julie Garwood’s novels at a young age, same with Candace Camp, Amanda Quick, and Susan Wiggs.
Julie Garwood and Amanda Quick are two of my all time favorites as well.
I’m going to offer the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. They are rich, romantic and historically pretty accurate. I’ve learned so much about England and Scotland in the 1700′s. Pretty much like a history lesson but much more interesting. Since I started reading them there has been much Googling going on! lol
I have read and enjoyed all of the books mentioned so far, and would like to add a few of my favorites. I started reading science fiction, then fantasy, then romance. And discovered the Elizabeth Lowell series; Untamed, Enchanted, and Forbidden. I haven’t read them since the first time, but I still remember them, and the way they drew me into the medieval world, with a little paranormal twist.
I am not really a historical reader, though like Readsalot there have been a few authors who could get me to read anything.
And I must admit as a kidlet I adored the Johanna Lindsey Mallory (?) books. But I am always a sucker for a good large family with interesting dynamics.
I enjoy Julia Quinn novels immensely. She can just make me laugh and laugh. Though, of my favorites by her is When He Was Wicked, which was very emotional and not Screwball Comedy like What Happens In London (another favorite). I love the Smith-Smythe musicals. ^^
I also like Meredith Duran and Sherry Thomas (her first and third books were breathtaking, while I still enjoyed the 2nd). Lisa Kleypas’ books have something about them, well, some of them, that just stay with me. Though, the one wallflower book I read was not a favorite. I do love the Hathaways.
Those Smith-Smythe musicals are something else! You can’t decide whether to cringe in horror or wet yourself laughing.
I know! I keep waiting for the novel where one of the girls performing gets a book of her own.
It would have to be the one Smith-Smythe who’s always in agony because she’s the only one who knows that their performance is so bad!
I also go through cycles in my reading, but I only recently (and by recent I mean within past 8 months) have I discovered romance novels. Idk what rock I’ve been under, but I’m glad I found them
and I’ll be adding all these to my tbr list for sure.
My first and so far only historical romance is by Mary Balogh. I love her Huxtable series; book 3, “At Last Comes Love” is my favorite… I guess cause as a reader it seemed she had to wait so long for Margaret to get her chance.
one of the best written stories and most interesting heroines ever, IMHO, was by the late Christine Monson, set in France, Spain, and the Holy Land during the Crusades, and called ‘A Flame Run Wild’. Excellent story, chemistry, hero, and manages to handle the different faiths in the religious conflict in a balanced way. Also good are her ‘Rangoon’ and ‘Surrender the Night’, not least because of unusual settings in Burma and Hungary, respectively. Highly recommend (but not ‘Stormfire’ as much; too much abuse, including of the heroine)
Amanda Quick was my romance gateway drug, and I still love her, though when I reread her books today, I’m a little embarassed for myself. Who are these overbearing heroes? Who are these heroines with apple-shaped boobs and crackling vitality? But damned if they don’t suck me in every time anyway.
There are so many wonderful new historical authors out there (M. Duran, V. Dahl, S. Thomas are fantastic), but when I want to revisit old friends, I still head straight for Amanda. I just finished rereading “Scandal” yesterday, as a matter of fact.
AQ is one of my total keeper authors! I adore her under all the names she writes under.
Generally I do not like historical romances. I always want to slap the heroines silly and demand they get themselves some backbone. I am just so very glad that I did not live in that era but in this one one where I have so much more choices and control over how I live my life.
Having said that I will do anything to get my grubby little hands on Amanda Quick books. I also like Julia Quinn. I prefer Julie Garwood’s contemporary romances. Another good author is Judith McNaught. But again I tend to prefer her contemporary romances.
Johanna Lindsey ,Hannah Howell,Monica McCarty are a few of my favorites.I think the reason I enjoy historical romance books so much.they just have more of a romantic charm to them.I like the way that there romance is not so rushed,The balls ,cloths all the history you learn from the books.
I just love love love Judith McNaught’s Almost Heaven. It’s a book I crave now and again. Nalini, Saving Grace is also one of my all time favourite historicals.
JM can tear my heart out. “Until You” is one of my keepers, though at certain part of it also drives me mad!
And “Saving Grace” – it’s a definite re-reader.
I alternate from Paranormals, YA, Thriller/Suspense/Horror, Historicals, to Romances. I generally will read one genre for 4 or 5 books and then switch. I once read only romances and historicals but now will read almost anything if I can get 50 pages into it. Some of my favorite historicals are by Philippa Gregory and Jean Auel. Everything I know about the Tudor era and the first men who walked the earth, I have learned from these two.
Oh, and I totally forgot Colleen Gleason and Amanda Quicks’s historical paranormals (is that a genre?). More great reads.
Hello, I loved the Duchess series by Eloisa James.. also any book coming out of mills &boon under historical rommances are good its very easy to feel the period they are in;)doesnt take much to get me in the mood:)LOL
In the paranomal series its Christine Feehan all the way followed very closely by Lora Leigh,Lara Adrain and yours truly Nalini Singh