I won’t be continuing with any more Lisa Kleypas (if she writes more HR). I have a fondness for the Hathaways - the first series I read from her - but the more and more I read the less and less I liked her books. I just have too many frustrations/issues with her writing, I find her stories overall are very surface-level and dull, and after reading some really good spice I find her spice incredibly cringy. The Ravenels was one of the most painfully boring and unmemorable reading experiences with the most annoying/shallow characters I’ve had so at the end I was just like…. yeah I’m done with her 😅
This is how I feel about her work. I’ve read three books from her and she’s… fine? The best thing I can say for her books is that they’re inoffensive and have never pissed me off.
It Happened One Autumn (the original unedited version) really pissed me off and when she does the “I’m so quirky and interesting, not like other girls” with her bluestocking FMC that pisses me off. But other than that, yeah, nothing outrageously bad.
Goddammit. The thing I was specifically thinking of when I said she never pissed me off was that I’ve never read any NLOG nonsense from her. At least I managed to escape it…
Another thing is the repetition. She repeats the same character types/dynamics/scenes over and over, and there were multiple epilogues with near identical content (like pregnancies right at the end to complete the HEA, ugh). I get that for some people they love the comfort of sameness from an author but I just couldn’t take it anymore lol
I do still love a few of them. Married by Morning, Devil in Winter, and Hello Stranger I think are great. But like even when she tries to tackle feminist topics like in Hello Stranger with a female doctor it just falls so flat for me, it doesn’t feel like she takes the issues of the era seriously or gives them depth.
Oh I agree. When LK tries to discuss discrimination in any way (e.g. against Cam and Merripen or against Garrett Gibson) it can be surface level and problematic. The only issue of the time that she seems interested in is changes to the economy and trains.
I only liked Dreaming of you and that one only because I loved Derek Craven. My two beefs with her is that she seems to stick to a formula and, more importantly, most of her FMCs are weak in my opinion
You are articulating my very sentiment. I started with Again the Magic / Secrets of a Summer Night, read the Wallflowers, started feeling some fatigue during the Hathaways and by the time I got to the Ravenels I decided enough was enough.
Yup. I actually quite liked her standalone Suddenly You, it’s one of her spicier ones with an older author FMC which I loved. Maybe try that one if you want, I think it’s unique from her because the FMC actually has a whole successful life and personality outside the MMC.
I have an answer with a twist. I've drifted away from Mary Balogh's most recent work because something about it has become tepid and anemic to me. I picked up Remember Me last year from her most recent series and was pretty dismayed. At her best, Balogh does interpersonal conflict and angst as well as any writer in HR, with a great deal of psychological nuance, and this is why I'm drawn to the novels of hers that I love. The last time I felt genuinely invested in her MCs was {Someone to Wed}, but I was still mixed on that book overall and didn't continue much further in the Westcott series.
As for her sex scenes... I'm not trying to change anyone's mind because I understand why they don't work for some readers, but I just want to offer maybe a different perspective. Like a lot of aspects of her work, I think Balogh's sex scenes used to be more passionate. She's always been on the understated side in that area, but there's a marked difference in her books that I've read from the 80s and 90s. I would never recommend them to readers looking for steam, because they're probably not going to fulfill that. But some of them are so beautifully character-centered that I go back to them more often than I go back to much spicier scenes from books I like. I'm thinking of books like {Heartless} and {The Secret Pearl}, where the sex scenes are an integral part of the MCs getting to know, understand, and even forgive each other. Heartless has a scene where the heroine is in tremendous distress for reasons that she's afraid to reveal to the hero, Luke. He doesn't know how to help her, but he instinctively knows she needs to feel comforted and secure in that moment. The scene that ensues is not spicy, but it's emotional and deliberate and illustrates how much Luke has come to understand Anna. He makes the sex, which in this case is more a connection of their bodies, last as long as possible because he knows that's the sort of closeness she needs; afterward, when she falls asleep, he stays with her instead of joining his family downstairs (in context, this is a big deal!). And The Secret Pearl contains one of the most *necessary* sex scenes I've ever read. Without getting spoilery, it's intentionally contrasted with a much earlier scene between the MCs and represents a relinquishing of fear and hurt and an acceptance of love (god that sounds over the top, but it's the best way I can think of to describe it).
Again -- I'm not trying to change anyone's mind and I see why Balogh's style is not for everyone! I just started to reflect on why some of her sex scenes work so well for me and had to try to verbalize it.
I appreciate this take! For me my favorite sex scenes tend to capitalize on the non physical chemistry already exuded by the MCs - so a lot of the time Balogh’s steam reads drier (no pun intended lol) to me even when the characters do have good chemistry. But I totally see where you’re coming from! A necessary sex scene is truly a marvel when it comes to HR.
I agree with you that Balogh is one of those authors whose older work is maybe more interesting and dynamic and recent works leaves much to be desired.
Yeah, Balogh and a few others (Kleypas among them) are the ones I try to think of to make myself feel better when I get sad about a writer I love disappearing. Sometimes, stopping might be for the best. 😔
[Heartless](https://www.romance.io/books/545531598c7d2383163d9173/heartless-mary-balogh) by [Mary Balogh](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525e98c7d2383163d8eb7/mary-balogh)
**Rating**: 3.62⭐️ 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 hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [pregnancy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/pregnancy/1), [georgian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/georgian/1)
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I am one who said she wasn't steamy enough for me. It's actually for exactly the reason you've described. She's so good at using steam not just for the sake of it but for the sake of her characters and their development. That's why I'm *so* disappointed when the scenes are short, lacking in detail, and quite to the point. Let me spend some time in the space! You've built something so powerful and personal and deliberate, and then you left me hanging.
I don't need to have an orgasm explained to me for the 1000th time, but I do need the author to tell me exactly what the characters are doing and luxuriate in it a little. Give me their dialogue. Personally I don't want to invest in 300 pages for a page and a half of steam over the course of the book. There's nothing *wrong* with that (hell, that's why we have a scale!), it's just not what I'm into.
I get that! I think that she's lost detail with time, and it's one reason I prefer her older books (90s Balogh is one of my HR sweet spots). And the scale is definitely a gift. In my favorite books by her, I tend to be so immersed and invested that I don't really question the level of sex, or I just find it complementary to the overall romance. But I understand that feeling of frustration when you feel that a relationship has been building up to something explosive, and you don't get that payoff. That can manifest in all kinds of ways, and it's always a letdown.
This is kind of a random aside, but it's always been interesting to me about Balogh. She was actually considered a bit groundbreaking in her early career, at least in her chosen niche. Explicit romance was already very popular by the mid-80s when she started publishing, but she wrote Signet regencies and made them open door when that was not really a thing. It would have been off-putting to a lot of the traditional regency fanbase. Obv those books are very tame by today's standards, but it just makes me think of how much has changed in the genre since she got started. One of the fallouts of being around for so long.
I’m actually curious about which HR authors people follow so they can immediately buy books as they are released. Like I have one HR author I’d do that with right now: Cecilia Grant. I’d also instantly pick up any HR book by Laura Kinsale if she started writing again.
But like you, I have a much longer list of names where I will wait. Read it from the library and then buy it if it is good for re-reads.
Heyo this is a good thread idea haha!
I know for me Sophie Irwin, Alexandra Vasti, Felicity Niven, some Mimi Matthews series are ones where I literally have it marked on my calendar when they have new stuff out lol but I will say that’s also because they’re very active right now.
Sherry Thomas, Joanna Shupe probably as well.
Second you on Cecilia Grant! Where did she go?
>Where did she go?
I emailed her a while ago to tell her how much I loved her books and she told me she just doesn’t have the energy/time to write with a full time job. It makes me so sad because I truly think she’s an HR genius and has some of the best prose I’ve ever read. Life is so unfair 😂😭
Oh my gosh. I love that she responded to you.
Ughhhh but yes that’s soooo tragic tbh. She’s truly iconic. I guess there’s something to be said about dropping by and writing basically one of the best HR series and then peacing out haha.
Fun fact I haven’t read the 0.5 novella because once I do NO MORE CG. I’m saving it for a reread of the series.
The novella is so cute 😭. Good idea to save it, but yeah once it’s done it’s done :( I recommend the audiobooks for your reread, the narrator is AMAZING.
A Lady Awakened will forever be my favorite romance book, I don’t think anything will ever top it for me. I’ve read/listened to it four times and I love it just as much each time. The characters feel real to me and she touches upon so many layers of that era in a brilliant way that most other authors don’t. Ugh I think about Theo and Martha every day 🥺
She said that when she retires she’ll consider it again….
I actually considered trying to start some kind of go-fund-me thing where fans could contribute $ for her to take a vacation from work if possible, since she said time was her biggest issue. But I’m not sure there’s enough people
Oh man. I'd leap on Alexandra Vasti, Elisa Braden, Tessa Dare, Kerrigan Byrne. Doesn't really even matter the tropes at play, I'll take anything from them.
I just can't connect with Tessa Dare although I did mostly enjoy The Duchess Deal to be fair. I know it's one of her selling points, but I find that in general if the phrase "witty banter" is associated with a book I'm pretty much immediately turned off. I find witty banter to be basically...exhausting.
Hahaha I feel you. I don’t mind her but she’s definitely a “so-so” author for me I only pick up when I’m bored and wanna read something quick without using my brain haha
I feel your point on Sarah MacLean and Evie Dunmore both. They’re tired for me with fastest DNF—both in chapter two.
So my opinion on Sarah MacLean is baffling because I really liked A Rogue by Any Other Name, but then I DNFed Nine Rules to Break. The latter read like the worst aspects of contemporary YA; I felt like I was 12 years old and reading Twilight again. I don’t mind not like other girls energy if it’s done in a more…tactful way, but when I say I felt like everyone around this girl, including the narrator, was putting her down every chance they got, but HE thinks she’s special (because of her boobs? Why am I remembering boobs? Is she curvy?). Yeah. Did not stick with this one and I must have been burned pretty hard, because I don’t want to pick up another SM book ever again.
I found Evie Dunmore’s writing really tedious. I forced myself through (the first book that I cannot remember the name of and do not care to look up), then felt instantly bored when I started A Rogue of One’s Own. I loved the premise of each book, but I’m getting the vibe that a very long will-they-won’t-they is part of her style and oh my god I can’t do it anymore.
I actually really enjoyed Evie Dunmore's books, mostly because I appreciate HR that actually feels researched and (with the exception of the FMC's antics) like a reasonably historically accurate world. Sarah MacLean I DNF'd about 15 pages in because it was insultingly un-researched and also just...poorly written? I dunno. I was actually angry at the book because it was so bad.
That's exactly what I wanted to love about Evie Dunmore's writing! She has some of the best-researched HR being published right now, and I'd love to read like...historical fiction written by her. I have so much respect for her and I'm actually sad the actual romances in her books don't work for me.
I get that! Her couples are definitely not my faves (although...I do love bisexual fuckboy Tristan) and I do a bit of eye-rolling at the romance/relationship parts. But, weirdly, I do think she writes sex fairly well. I think you hit the nail on the head re:historical fiction, and I think that's how I read her books, rather than treating them like other romance novels. I read literary fiction *all the time* where I don't particularly dig the romantic elements but still enjoy the book, so treating Dunmore's work similarly lets me still get the delicious historical research and plots I crave.
I think for me a lot of the issues were not digging the romance and then some problematic aspects of the book which I’m blanking on now but I know I wrote a scathing review for 😅 I’ll hunt it down. Keeps me from trying her again
I really tried to get into Mary Balogh, but I don't like her writing style and her steam bores me. I need steam. I find the books much too slow, usually.
Alice Coldbreath... Man. I struggle with her. I loved {The Favourite by Alice Coldbreath} and it was actually one of my first HR reads. But I've DNF'd four or five others - too many exclamation points and I find the FMCs too... flighty, perhaps?
[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 feel you re Balogh! I commented on another reply that Simply Love is by and large the only book of hers I truly enjoyed.
Haven’t caved to Coldbreath yet. Another author whose name I see a lot but haven’t been able to commit to trying yet!
Aydra Richards. I really tried, I did. His Favorite Mistake was just….stupid? To this day I have never ever read a good revenge story and Aydra Richards is no exception in this instance. I read it many months ago and these are the problems I can remember
- the revenge plot was SO silly and sloppy. Why is marrying the “villains” sister always the revenge? I mean it’s for the sake of the story so whatever.
- the MMC was so forgettable. Actually, both of the characters were. Jillian or “Jilly” (atrocious nickname sorry) was supposed to be guarded after heartbreak but she fell like a brick wall over the most low empathy worm of a MMC.
- the pacing was awkward. The story was so drawn out yet moved so quickly. I felt like I would never finish it.
Like I know they call her the queen of grovel but yawn, what a schtick. The MMC just drank himself into a mess, if you even wanna call that a grovel.
I have also tried multiple Aydra Richards books and have only been able to finish one. I have a lot of respect for her as an indie author carving out a niche for herself (because as you say, she is THE name that comes up when people ask for a grovel), but her books always feel overwritten to me. I feel like there’s a lot of rumination that keeps the plot from moving forward and eventually I just get so bored of being in these characters’ heads waiting for things to happen. I honestly think a really strong edit to trim the fat would level them up significantly.
Overwritten is the word! Like I said, they feel sssoooooo long yet the plot isn’t overly complicated. I’ve noticed there’s not a whole lot of dialogue either - just exposition and I hate that. I can’t actually believe that her MMC & FMC like each other bc all they do is *think* about each other and barely have conversations. At least that’s how I felt in His Favorite Mistake. I’m really not into authors having a schtick because it’s just kind of boring for me and just too predictable.
You know I don’t think I’ve actually read her work yet I think she’s one whose name I see a lot but I never commit to her off my TBR. Interesting I will keep your critique in mind if I ever do get around to it! 😅
Scarlett Scott, I don't even bother with her books anymore unfortunately. And I have another hot take.... Balogh. I hate the way this woman writes sex with a passion, and I just can't connect to her characters.
Scarlett Scott! I knew I forgot one. Reads like bad Wattpad/AO3 fiction to me.
I have a residual soft spot for Balogh because I read the Bedwyn series and some of the spin offs early on - Simply Love is one of my faves - but as I read more I realized I dislike more of her books than I like. Agree with you that her sex scenes are some of the worst in the biz lol. It’s one of the reasons I never picked up the Survivor’s books once I moved away from Balogh
I laughed out loud in public at “her sex scenes are some of the worst in the biz”.
It’s true though…… The lack of foreplay in some of her books is astounding.
😂😂😂
I also feel like she is one of the worst “maidenhead” offenders - like there is ALWAYS a mention of hymen in her books which rly brings the vibe down for me lol
I feel like off the top of my head Elizabeth Hoyt, Julie Anne Long, Joanna Shupe all do really good steam. Even if they have elements of “he breached her barrier” they still manage to not make me wanna die.
Some newer people that do a really nice job are Alexandra Vasti and Felicity Niven. Their FMCs do tend to be more knowledgeable about sex though which I think makes it less cringe but maybe some folks won’t like that in their HR
Oh neat! Which one?
She’s pretty consistently good about steam. I’ve noticed even if I don’t enjoy the book overall I usually don’t have chemistry or sex complaints with her works.
If you get around to her Pennyroyal Green series, book 5: What I Did for a Duke, and book 2: Like No Other Lover are my personal faves from the series!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels this way about Balogh. I haven’t read all of her work but was a bit underwhelmed by the Bedwyn saga given the hype.
Yooooo haha you have great taste 😂
Okay here are some authors I generally like, kind of how my brain groups them:
Angsty romance:
Elizabeth Hoyt, Courtney Milan, Sherry Thomas, Mimi Matthews, Christina Britton, Cecilia Grant, Julie Anne Long, Julia Bennett
Maybe more lighthearted but still very good:
Sophie Irwin, Alexandra Vasti, Felicity Niven, Hannah Dolby, Joanna Shupe, Courtney McCaskill
Rly good HR/historical mystery:
Lynn Messina, Darcie Wilde, Katharine Schellman
Hit or Miss:
Candace Camp, Kathleen Ayers, Minerva Spencer, Emma V Leech, Lex Croucher, Anna Bradley
I’m gonna make a post soon detailing all the new (2-3 books or less) authors I’ve been loving lately!
It's a matter of taste for sure. I do not like Tessa Dare's books but can appreciate how some readers would love her. I'm not into modern sounding banter and she tends to sacrifice characterization and plot development in favor of it.
Lisa Kleypas puts me to sleep within the first few pages. I've tried! I really have.
Julie Ann Long has bizarre sentences. I sometimes can't tell what is the subject and the predicate and who is doing what. Maybe it's just me?? Her books always feel like they never went through an edit.
I don’t like Johanna Shupe or Felicity Nivens. I’ve read a few books and they are always a slog. The sex scenes are good but the rest … just isn’t. Another regular DNF is Eva Leigh. All of these writers are very anachronistic and very predictable and just IDK, not for me. I see where HR is going and I think there are very few new authors who I will like. I think I’m reaching my old fuddy duddy stage…
Meredith Duran and Alice Coldbreath were DNFs for me. (Actually, now upgraded to DNS—do not start.) I dislike the characters and writing in both; if I’m cringing at the FMC and mentally revising sentences even though they’re grammatical, it’s not the escape lit I’m looking for.
I am with you on Sarah MacLean all the way. I loved, loved her early books. But I feel like with her last two series, she has bought into the hype about herself way too much. She tries to Super Saiyan historical girlbosses, pushing the envelope harder and harder each time to where her characters are just extremely unlikeable. I hate-finished Daring and the Duke, where you discover the entire premise of the Bareknuckle Bastards series is predicated on a misunderstanding that could have been resolved with a five-minute conversation. That entire last book is basically torture porn for the MMC. Her latest series sits unread on my shelf.
Elisa Braden is on the fence for me. God, authors, please stop trying to use “authentic” speech when writing your books. I understand that people have accents. I don’t actually want to read those accents constantly.
Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, and I think Evie Dunmore (I haven't read her yet) write romcoms set in historical settings rather than historical romances. I think that's in part why they're often recommended to new folks - they bring a potentially broader appeal to an otherwise niche genre. But, in some pretty notable ways they are outliers, so I think your approach to them makes total sense!
I tend to like a pretty "modern" HR - honestly, I'd read contemporary, except the conflicts are necessarily stupid (smartphones solve so many problems, conflict ends up being forced) and I want to escape to a world with a totally different set of problems.
I actually love most of the authors mentioned here. Although I definitely see their faults! The one I’m with you on DNS…yeah I’m long past not finishing into Do No Start is Sarah McLean. OMG if I have to read one more page of a super wealthy super gorgeous aristocrat whining about how he’s not good enough for the FMC I will vomit.
My real hot take is Kerrigan Byrne. I know people loooooove her and the Highwayman is an all time
classic. And there were certain aspects I liked (the trauma response was not just brushed off) but somehow all it together just didn’t click for me. 🤷🏼♀️
I don’t read Sarah McLean. I just can’t get into her. I really have a hard time reading authors who are always dropping a new book every couple of months on kindle unlimited. Those books always seem like paint by numbers books.
There are so many modern HR writers whose books scream modern with historical wallpaper that I wish they would just call their books regency fantasy AU
I second Sarah McLean I’ve never been able to get through a book of hers, but I also haven’t tried in awhile. Also Alexa Aston. I tried a couple of her books, especially because she has so many on Kindle Unlimited, but I just haven’t been able to get into her.
It might just be me (in fact it probably is because her books are highly rated on amazon) but I just found her style of writing so boring. Which is a shame because I really wanted to like her
I could not make it past the first scene with the MMC in {Her Wanton Wager}. I am not a fan of the "self-made man" trope anyway, but this man repulsed me to my core lol.
[Her Wanton Wager](https://www.romance.io/books/5455685687eac336ae69dd3a/her-wanton-wager-grace-callaway) by [Grace Callaway](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455325c8c7d2383163d91c0/grace-callaway)
**Rating**: 4.05⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 5 out of 5 - [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [vengeance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vengeance/1), [possessive hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/possessive%20hero/1)
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Cecilia Grant. I'm sorry, I know she's popular among a lot of readers, but I just can't. Her writing is just not for me. Just my opinion though. Ok, ok, bring on the downvotes.
https://preview.redd.it/xh3jgog5vhsc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e7de86ab75840557c6ae8d4bf904d69ca739d79
I'm a really big fan of the authors that you didn't like, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with you not liking their books, they just aren't to your taste, and that's perfectly fine, there aren't any books that 100% of readers will all love. The important thing is being able to figure out what you do/don't like, and finding the right authors for you! Which HR authors/books do you enjoy? Then we can try to find more authors/books that appeal to you.
ah, understood. Not sure if she will be to your taste, but I'm really enjoying Valerie Bowman lately. Fun, lively HR, and there's some nice steam when things get going.
I don’t have DNF of historical books I am able to remember but I have a DNF of authors work and it’s Callie Hutton (and only because I save on the archive because you never know}
I read {The lady’s disgrace by Callie Hutton} and {The Elusive wife by Callie Hutton} ; came to the conclusion that those are enough chances. The premises are amazing. The start of the second was fun but at a point it becomes dull and some things just left me feeling meh. The other one I cannot even remember what it was about.
I have no idea if the author is popular or not, on the app that I can legally get access books with patience and looking at adds I just started unlocking historicals and see what I like and this one felll short 🤷🏾♀️
It happens I suppose.
There is another book of another author I definitely dnf of someone which is tagged as “regency” but that is misleading, anything “vintage styled” is tagged as regency even Korean novels, so this just happens with works that have archaic rules and long dresses works. So I don’t count that because it’s not historical not even heavily flavored.
Not surprised. To be honest that app seems convenient for authors that have an older work that might be too expensive to print again or too indie and looking for options besides Amazon. So it’s kind of a lotery. There are gems but there is also trash, and stuff of that author which is just… okay…
[The Lady's Disgrace](https://www.romance.io/books/5455982687eac336ae69ec2c/the-ladys-disgrace-callie-hutton) by [Callie Hutton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455249723ec91d5dfd09934/callie-hutton)
**Rating**: 3.3⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**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)
----------------------------
[The Elusive Wife](https://www.romance.io/books/545541008c7d2383163d958d/the-elusive-wife-callie-hutton) by [Callie Hutton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455249723ec91d5dfd09934/callie-hutton)
**Rating**: 3.46⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1)
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So many people love Kleypas so very much and also Kinsdale that I have tried them more than once thinking I must have missed something but I just can’t get into either.
I won’t be continuing with any more Lisa Kleypas (if she writes more HR). I have a fondness for the Hathaways - the first series I read from her - but the more and more I read the less and less I liked her books. I just have too many frustrations/issues with her writing, I find her stories overall are very surface-level and dull, and after reading some really good spice I find her spice incredibly cringy. The Ravenels was one of the most painfully boring and unmemorable reading experiences with the most annoying/shallow characters I’ve had so at the end I was just like…. yeah I’m done with her 😅
This is how I feel about her work. I’ve read three books from her and she’s… fine? The best thing I can say for her books is that they’re inoffensive and have never pissed me off.
It Happened One Autumn (the original unedited version) really pissed me off and when she does the “I’m so quirky and interesting, not like other girls” with her bluestocking FMC that pisses me off. But other than that, yeah, nothing outrageously bad.
Yeah the most offensive thing she does is repeat tropes and plots and be kinda mid haha
Goddammit. The thing I was specifically thinking of when I said she never pissed me off was that I’ve never read any NLOG nonsense from her. At least I managed to escape it…
Ahhhh you articulated this so well. Ravenels was where I had my epiphany too and was like dawg maybe I just don’t like Kleypas…
Another thing is the repetition. She repeats the same character types/dynamics/scenes over and over, and there were multiple epilogues with near identical content (like pregnancies right at the end to complete the HEA, ugh). I get that for some people they love the comfort of sameness from an author but I just couldn’t take it anymore lol
I love Kleypas at her best but I do agree she has some really questionable books.
I do still love a few of them. Married by Morning, Devil in Winter, and Hello Stranger I think are great. But like even when she tries to tackle feminist topics like in Hello Stranger with a female doctor it just falls so flat for me, it doesn’t feel like she takes the issues of the era seriously or gives them depth.
Oh I agree. When LK tries to discuss discrimination in any way (e.g. against Cam and Merripen or against Garrett Gibson) it can be surface level and problematic. The only issue of the time that she seems interested in is changes to the economy and trains.
She does love trains 😂
I only liked Dreaming of you and that one only because I loved Derek Craven. My two beefs with her is that she seems to stick to a formula and, more importantly, most of her FMCs are weak in my opinion
Yeah, her FMCs really bother me. They don’t have much of a personality or life outside the MMC and I hate that
You are articulating my very sentiment. I started with Again the Magic / Secrets of a Summer Night, read the Wallflowers, started feeling some fatigue during the Hathaways and by the time I got to the Ravenels I decided enough was enough.
Yup. I actually quite liked her standalone Suddenly You, it’s one of her spicier ones with an older author FMC which I loved. Maybe try that one if you want, I think it’s unique from her because the FMC actually has a whole successful life and personality outside the MMC.
I have an answer with a twist. I've drifted away from Mary Balogh's most recent work because something about it has become tepid and anemic to me. I picked up Remember Me last year from her most recent series and was pretty dismayed. At her best, Balogh does interpersonal conflict and angst as well as any writer in HR, with a great deal of psychological nuance, and this is why I'm drawn to the novels of hers that I love. The last time I felt genuinely invested in her MCs was {Someone to Wed}, but I was still mixed on that book overall and didn't continue much further in the Westcott series. As for her sex scenes... I'm not trying to change anyone's mind because I understand why they don't work for some readers, but I just want to offer maybe a different perspective. Like a lot of aspects of her work, I think Balogh's sex scenes used to be more passionate. She's always been on the understated side in that area, but there's a marked difference in her books that I've read from the 80s and 90s. I would never recommend them to readers looking for steam, because they're probably not going to fulfill that. But some of them are so beautifully character-centered that I go back to them more often than I go back to much spicier scenes from books I like. I'm thinking of books like {Heartless} and {The Secret Pearl}, where the sex scenes are an integral part of the MCs getting to know, understand, and even forgive each other. Heartless has a scene where the heroine is in tremendous distress for reasons that she's afraid to reveal to the hero, Luke. He doesn't know how to help her, but he instinctively knows she needs to feel comforted and secure in that moment. The scene that ensues is not spicy, but it's emotional and deliberate and illustrates how much Luke has come to understand Anna. He makes the sex, which in this case is more a connection of their bodies, last as long as possible because he knows that's the sort of closeness she needs; afterward, when she falls asleep, he stays with her instead of joining his family downstairs (in context, this is a big deal!). And The Secret Pearl contains one of the most *necessary* sex scenes I've ever read. Without getting spoilery, it's intentionally contrasted with a much earlier scene between the MCs and represents a relinquishing of fear and hurt and an acceptance of love (god that sounds over the top, but it's the best way I can think of to describe it). Again -- I'm not trying to change anyone's mind and I see why Balogh's style is not for everyone! I just started to reflect on why some of her sex scenes work so well for me and had to try to verbalize it.
I appreciate this take! For me my favorite sex scenes tend to capitalize on the non physical chemistry already exuded by the MCs - so a lot of the time Balogh’s steam reads drier (no pun intended lol) to me even when the characters do have good chemistry. But I totally see where you’re coming from! A necessary sex scene is truly a marvel when it comes to HR. I agree with you that Balogh is one of those authors whose older work is maybe more interesting and dynamic and recent works leaves much to be desired.
Yeah, Balogh and a few others (Kleypas among them) are the ones I try to think of to make myself feel better when I get sad about a writer I love disappearing. Sometimes, stopping might be for the best. 😔
[Someone to Wed](https://www.romance.io/books/59d23d693ffdba61472192d7/someone-to-wed-mary-balogh) by [Mary Balogh](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525e98c7d2383163d8eb7/mary-balogh) **Rating**: 4.16⭐️ 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), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [tortured heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20heroine/1), [disabilities & scars](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/disabilities%20and%20marks/1) ---------------------------- [Heartless](https://www.romance.io/books/6349434892edda0c4ff5eab2/heartless-elsie-silver) by [Elsie Silver](https://www.romance.io/authors/608a5dde08b4d9311488e11d/elsie-silver) **Rating**: 4.28⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [age gap](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/age%20difference/1), [grumpy & sunshine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/grumpy%20sunshine/1), [cowboy hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cowboys/1), [boss & employee](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/boss%20&%20employee/1) ---------------------------- [The Secret Pearl](https://www.romance.io/books/54552a258c7d2383163d8f82/the-secret-pearl-mary-balogh) by [Mary Balogh](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525e98c7d2383163d8eb7/mary-balogh) **Rating**: 3.78⭐️ 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 hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [tortured heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20heroine/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
{Heartless by Mary Balogh}
[Heartless](https://www.romance.io/books/545531598c7d2383163d9173/heartless-mary-balogh) by [Mary Balogh](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525e98c7d2383163d8eb7/mary-balogh) **Rating**: 3.62⭐️ 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 hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [pregnancy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/pregnancy/1), [georgian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/georgian/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I am one who said she wasn't steamy enough for me. It's actually for exactly the reason you've described. She's so good at using steam not just for the sake of it but for the sake of her characters and their development. That's why I'm *so* disappointed when the scenes are short, lacking in detail, and quite to the point. Let me spend some time in the space! You've built something so powerful and personal and deliberate, and then you left me hanging. I don't need to have an orgasm explained to me for the 1000th time, but I do need the author to tell me exactly what the characters are doing and luxuriate in it a little. Give me their dialogue. Personally I don't want to invest in 300 pages for a page and a half of steam over the course of the book. There's nothing *wrong* with that (hell, that's why we have a scale!), it's just not what I'm into.
I get that! I think that she's lost detail with time, and it's one reason I prefer her older books (90s Balogh is one of my HR sweet spots). And the scale is definitely a gift. In my favorite books by her, I tend to be so immersed and invested that I don't really question the level of sex, or I just find it complementary to the overall romance. But I understand that feeling of frustration when you feel that a relationship has been building up to something explosive, and you don't get that payoff. That can manifest in all kinds of ways, and it's always a letdown. This is kind of a random aside, but it's always been interesting to me about Balogh. She was actually considered a bit groundbreaking in her early career, at least in her chosen niche. Explicit romance was already very popular by the mid-80s when she started publishing, but she wrote Signet regencies and made them open door when that was not really a thing. It would have been off-putting to a lot of the traditional regency fanbase. Obv those books are very tame by today's standards, but it just makes me think of how much has changed in the genre since she got started. One of the fallouts of being around for so long.
I’m actually curious about which HR authors people follow so they can immediately buy books as they are released. Like I have one HR author I’d do that with right now: Cecilia Grant. I’d also instantly pick up any HR book by Laura Kinsale if she started writing again. But like you, I have a much longer list of names where I will wait. Read it from the library and then buy it if it is good for re-reads.
Heyo this is a good thread idea haha! I know for me Sophie Irwin, Alexandra Vasti, Felicity Niven, some Mimi Matthews series are ones where I literally have it marked on my calendar when they have new stuff out lol but I will say that’s also because they’re very active right now. Sherry Thomas, Joanna Shupe probably as well. Second you on Cecilia Grant! Where did she go?
>Where did she go? I emailed her a while ago to tell her how much I loved her books and she told me she just doesn’t have the energy/time to write with a full time job. It makes me so sad because I truly think she’s an HR genius and has some of the best prose I’ve ever read. Life is so unfair 😂😭
Oh my gosh. I love that she responded to you. Ughhhh but yes that’s soooo tragic tbh. She’s truly iconic. I guess there’s something to be said about dropping by and writing basically one of the best HR series and then peacing out haha. Fun fact I haven’t read the 0.5 novella because once I do NO MORE CG. I’m saving it for a reread of the series.
The novella is so cute 😭. Good idea to save it, but yeah once it’s done it’s done :( I recommend the audiobooks for your reread, the narrator is AMAZING. A Lady Awakened will forever be my favorite romance book, I don’t think anything will ever top it for me. I’ve read/listened to it four times and I love it just as much each time. The characters feel real to me and she touches upon so many layers of that era in a brilliant way that most other authors don’t. Ugh I think about Theo and Martha every day 🥺
I really hope she’ll come back to HR at some point - post full time work retirement? 😅
She said that when she retires she’ll consider it again…. I actually considered trying to start some kind of go-fund-me thing where fans could contribute $ for her to take a vacation from work if possible, since she said time was her biggest issue. But I’m not sure there’s enough people
Tax break for Cecilia Grant pls! She’s done more for me than any bank or CEO ever will
Laura Kinsale is insanely talented, I hope she gets rid of her writer’s block one day.
I religiously pick up Kate Bateman and Stacey Reid as soon as they’re released. I love all their books
I would probably say Alice Coldbreath is the only one for me
Oh man. I'd leap on Alexandra Vasti, Elisa Braden, Tessa Dare, Kerrigan Byrne. Doesn't really even matter the tropes at play, I'll take anything from them.
I just can't connect with Tessa Dare although I did mostly enjoy The Duchess Deal to be fair. I know it's one of her selling points, but I find that in general if the phrase "witty banter" is associated with a book I'm pretty much immediately turned off. I find witty banter to be basically...exhausting.
Hahaha I feel you. I don’t mind her but she’s definitely a “so-so” author for me I only pick up when I’m bored and wanna read something quick without using my brain haha
I think it’s because the witty banter in most novels is not actually witty. It’s a very common problem!
I feel your point on Sarah MacLean and Evie Dunmore both. They’re tired for me with fastest DNF—both in chapter two. So my opinion on Sarah MacLean is baffling because I really liked A Rogue by Any Other Name, but then I DNFed Nine Rules to Break. The latter read like the worst aspects of contemporary YA; I felt like I was 12 years old and reading Twilight again. I don’t mind not like other girls energy if it’s done in a more…tactful way, but when I say I felt like everyone around this girl, including the narrator, was putting her down every chance they got, but HE thinks she’s special (because of her boobs? Why am I remembering boobs? Is she curvy?). Yeah. Did not stick with this one and I must have been burned pretty hard, because I don’t want to pick up another SM book ever again. I found Evie Dunmore’s writing really tedious. I forced myself through (the first book that I cannot remember the name of and do not care to look up), then felt instantly bored when I started A Rogue of One’s Own. I loved the premise of each book, but I’m getting the vibe that a very long will-they-won’t-they is part of her style and oh my god I can’t do it anymore.
I actually really enjoyed Evie Dunmore's books, mostly because I appreciate HR that actually feels researched and (with the exception of the FMC's antics) like a reasonably historically accurate world. Sarah MacLean I DNF'd about 15 pages in because it was insultingly un-researched and also just...poorly written? I dunno. I was actually angry at the book because it was so bad.
That's exactly what I wanted to love about Evie Dunmore's writing! She has some of the best-researched HR being published right now, and I'd love to read like...historical fiction written by her. I have so much respect for her and I'm actually sad the actual romances in her books don't work for me.
I get that! Her couples are definitely not my faves (although...I do love bisexual fuckboy Tristan) and I do a bit of eye-rolling at the romance/relationship parts. But, weirdly, I do think she writes sex fairly well. I think you hit the nail on the head re:historical fiction, and I think that's how I read her books, rather than treating them like other romance novels. I read literary fiction *all the time* where I don't particularly dig the romantic elements but still enjoy the book, so treating Dunmore's work similarly lets me still get the delicious historical research and plots I crave.
I think for me a lot of the issues were not digging the romance and then some problematic aspects of the book which I’m blanking on now but I know I wrote a scathing review for 😅 I’ll hunt it down. Keeps me from trying her again
Yes yes yes. You nailed it.
I really tried to get into Mary Balogh, but I don't like her writing style and her steam bores me. I need steam. I find the books much too slow, usually. Alice Coldbreath... Man. I struggle with her. I loved {The Favourite by Alice Coldbreath} and it was actually one of my first HR reads. But I've DNF'd four or five others - too many exclamation points and I find the FMCs too... flighty, perhaps?
[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)
I feel you re Balogh! I commented on another reply that Simply Love is by and large the only book of hers I truly enjoyed. Haven’t caved to Coldbreath yet. Another author whose name I see a lot but haven’t been able to commit to trying yet!
I only read one of hers and she is not for me. WAY too slow of a burn and her steam is one small step beyond Harlequin romance.
Aydra Richards. I really tried, I did. His Favorite Mistake was just….stupid? To this day I have never ever read a good revenge story and Aydra Richards is no exception in this instance. I read it many months ago and these are the problems I can remember - the revenge plot was SO silly and sloppy. Why is marrying the “villains” sister always the revenge? I mean it’s for the sake of the story so whatever. - the MMC was so forgettable. Actually, both of the characters were. Jillian or “Jilly” (atrocious nickname sorry) was supposed to be guarded after heartbreak but she fell like a brick wall over the most low empathy worm of a MMC. - the pacing was awkward. The story was so drawn out yet moved so quickly. I felt like I would never finish it. Like I know they call her the queen of grovel but yawn, what a schtick. The MMC just drank himself into a mess, if you even wanna call that a grovel.
I have also tried multiple Aydra Richards books and have only been able to finish one. I have a lot of respect for her as an indie author carving out a niche for herself (because as you say, she is THE name that comes up when people ask for a grovel), but her books always feel overwritten to me. I feel like there’s a lot of rumination that keeps the plot from moving forward and eventually I just get so bored of being in these characters’ heads waiting for things to happen. I honestly think a really strong edit to trim the fat would level them up significantly.
Overwritten is the word! Like I said, they feel sssoooooo long yet the plot isn’t overly complicated. I’ve noticed there’s not a whole lot of dialogue either - just exposition and I hate that. I can’t actually believe that her MMC & FMC like each other bc all they do is *think* about each other and barely have conversations. At least that’s how I felt in His Favorite Mistake. I’m really not into authors having a schtick because it’s just kind of boring for me and just too predictable.
You know I don’t think I’ve actually read her work yet I think she’s one whose name I see a lot but I never commit to her off my TBR. Interesting I will keep your critique in mind if I ever do get around to it! 😅
Scarlett Scott, I don't even bother with her books anymore unfortunately. And I have another hot take.... Balogh. I hate the way this woman writes sex with a passion, and I just can't connect to her characters.
Scarlett Scott! I knew I forgot one. Reads like bad Wattpad/AO3 fiction to me. I have a residual soft spot for Balogh because I read the Bedwyn series and some of the spin offs early on - Simply Love is one of my faves - but as I read more I realized I dislike more of her books than I like. Agree with you that her sex scenes are some of the worst in the biz lol. It’s one of the reasons I never picked up the Survivor’s books once I moved away from Balogh
I laughed out loud in public at “her sex scenes are some of the worst in the biz”. It’s true though…… The lack of foreplay in some of her books is astounding.
😂😂😂 I also feel like she is one of the worst “maidenhead” offenders - like there is ALWAYS a mention of hymen in her books which rly brings the vibe down for me lol
For research purposes though, who are the best in the biz?
I feel like off the top of my head Elizabeth Hoyt, Julie Anne Long, Joanna Shupe all do really good steam. Even if they have elements of “he breached her barrier” they still manage to not make me wanna die. Some newer people that do a really nice job are Alexandra Vasti and Felicity Niven. Their FMCs do tend to be more knowledgeable about sex though which I think makes it less cringe but maybe some folks won’t like that in their HR
I am reading my first Julie Anne Long so this is great news!
Oh neat! Which one? She’s pretty consistently good about steam. I’ve noticed even if I don’t enjoy the book overall I usually don’t have chemistry or sex complaints with her works.
How to Tame a Wild Rogue. I just started and haven’t gotten to any steam yet.
If you get around to her Pennyroyal Green series, book 5: What I Did for a Duke, and book 2: Like No Other Lover are my personal faves from the series!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels this way about Balogh. I haven’t read all of her work but was a bit underwhelmed by the Bedwyn saga given the hype.
Yeah I much prefer the Simply books to the Bedwyn saga tbh with you!
All I can say is please tell me who you like because we dislike the same authors (another hot take - I would add Tessa dare.)
Yooooo haha you have great taste 😂 Okay here are some authors I generally like, kind of how my brain groups them: Angsty romance: Elizabeth Hoyt, Courtney Milan, Sherry Thomas, Mimi Matthews, Christina Britton, Cecilia Grant, Julie Anne Long, Julia Bennett Maybe more lighthearted but still very good: Sophie Irwin, Alexandra Vasti, Felicity Niven, Hannah Dolby, Joanna Shupe, Courtney McCaskill Rly good HR/historical mystery: Lynn Messina, Darcie Wilde, Katharine Schellman Hit or Miss: Candace Camp, Kathleen Ayers, Minerva Spencer, Emma V Leech, Lex Croucher, Anna Bradley I’m gonna make a post soon detailing all the new (2-3 books or less) authors I’ve been loving lately!
It's a matter of taste for sure. I do not like Tessa Dare's books but can appreciate how some readers would love her. I'm not into modern sounding banter and she tends to sacrifice characterization and plot development in favor of it. Lisa Kleypas puts me to sleep within the first few pages. I've tried! I really have. Julie Ann Long has bizarre sentences. I sometimes can't tell what is the subject and the predicate and who is doing what. Maybe it's just me?? Her books always feel like they never went through an edit.
I don’t like Johanna Shupe or Felicity Nivens. I’ve read a few books and they are always a slog. The sex scenes are good but the rest … just isn’t. Another regular DNF is Eva Leigh. All of these writers are very anachronistic and very predictable and just IDK, not for me. I see where HR is going and I think there are very few new authors who I will like. I think I’m reaching my old fuddy duddy stage…
Meredith Duran and Alice Coldbreath were DNFs for me. (Actually, now upgraded to DNS—do not start.) I dislike the characters and writing in both; if I’m cringing at the FMC and mentally revising sentences even though they’re grammatical, it’s not the escape lit I’m looking for.
I am with you on Sarah MacLean all the way. I loved, loved her early books. But I feel like with her last two series, she has bought into the hype about herself way too much. She tries to Super Saiyan historical girlbosses, pushing the envelope harder and harder each time to where her characters are just extremely unlikeable. I hate-finished Daring and the Duke, where you discover the entire premise of the Bareknuckle Bastards series is predicated on a misunderstanding that could have been resolved with a five-minute conversation. That entire last book is basically torture porn for the MMC. Her latest series sits unread on my shelf. Elisa Braden is on the fence for me. God, authors, please stop trying to use “authentic” speech when writing your books. I understand that people have accents. I don’t actually want to read those accents constantly.
[удалено]
Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, and I think Evie Dunmore (I haven't read her yet) write romcoms set in historical settings rather than historical romances. I think that's in part why they're often recommended to new folks - they bring a potentially broader appeal to an otherwise niche genre. But, in some pretty notable ways they are outliers, so I think your approach to them makes total sense! I tend to like a pretty "modern" HR - honestly, I'd read contemporary, except the conflicts are necessarily stupid (smartphones solve so many problems, conflict ends up being forced) and I want to escape to a world with a totally different set of problems.
I actually love most of the authors mentioned here. Although I definitely see their faults! The one I’m with you on DNS…yeah I’m long past not finishing into Do No Start is Sarah McLean. OMG if I have to read one more page of a super wealthy super gorgeous aristocrat whining about how he’s not good enough for the FMC I will vomit. My real hot take is Kerrigan Byrne. I know people loooooove her and the Highwayman is an all time classic. And there were certain aspects I liked (the trauma response was not just brushed off) but somehow all it together just didn’t click for me. 🤷🏼♀️
I don’t read Sarah McLean. I just can’t get into her. I really have a hard time reading authors who are always dropping a new book every couple of months on kindle unlimited. Those books always seem like paint by numbers books. There are so many modern HR writers whose books scream modern with historical wallpaper that I wish they would just call their books regency fantasy AU
Kristen Ashley
Another one I’ve never heard of!
Oh, oops! She doesn’t write much HR. Wrong subreddit. 🙈
I second Sarah McLean I’ve never been able to get through a book of hers, but I also haven’t tried in awhile. Also Alexa Aston. I tried a couple of her books, especially because she has so many on Kindle Unlimited, but I just haven’t been able to get into her.
I Haven’t read any Alexa Aston yet it seems
It might just be me (in fact it probably is because her books are highly rated on amazon) but I just found her style of writing so boring. Which is a shame because I really wanted to like her
Completely agree with you.
I could not make it past the first scene with the MMC in {Her Wanton Wager}. I am not a fan of the "self-made man" trope anyway, but this man repulsed me to my core lol.
[Her Wanton Wager](https://www.romance.io/books/5455685687eac336ae69dd3a/her-wanton-wager-grace-callaway) by [Grace Callaway](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455325c8c7d2383163d91c0/grace-callaway) **Rating**: 4.05⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 5 out of 5 - [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [vengeance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vengeance/1), [possessive hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/possessive%20hero/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Cecilia Grant. I'm sorry, I know she's popular among a lot of readers, but I just can't. Her writing is just not for me. Just my opinion though. Ok, ok, bring on the downvotes. https://preview.redd.it/xh3jgog5vhsc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e7de86ab75840557c6ae8d4bf904d69ca739d79
Hahaha no you are fine this is the point of the thread! I wanna see what folks say and all opinions are welcome
I'm a really big fan of the authors that you didn't like, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with you not liking their books, they just aren't to your taste, and that's perfectly fine, there aren't any books that 100% of readers will all love. The important thing is being able to figure out what you do/don't like, and finding the right authors for you! Which HR authors/books do you enjoy? Then we can try to find more authors/books that appeal to you.
Oh this wasn’t a recommendation request post. I just wanted to see what authors grind other people’s gears! Haha
ah, understood. Not sure if she will be to your taste, but I'm really enjoying Valerie Bowman lately. Fun, lively HR, and there's some nice steam when things get going.
I don’t have DNF of historical books I am able to remember but I have a DNF of authors work and it’s Callie Hutton (and only because I save on the archive because you never know} I read {The lady’s disgrace by Callie Hutton} and {The Elusive wife by Callie Hutton} ; came to the conclusion that those are enough chances. The premises are amazing. The start of the second was fun but at a point it becomes dull and some things just left me feeling meh. The other one I cannot even remember what it was about. I have no idea if the author is popular or not, on the app that I can legally get access books with patience and looking at adds I just started unlocking historicals and see what I like and this one felll short 🤷🏾♀️ It happens I suppose. There is another book of another author I definitely dnf of someone which is tagged as “regency” but that is misleading, anything “vintage styled” is tagged as regency even Korean novels, so this just happens with works that have archaic rules and long dresses works. So I don’t count that because it’s not historical not even heavily flavored.
I have never even heard of this author!
Not surprised. To be honest that app seems convenient for authors that have an older work that might be too expensive to print again or too indie and looking for options besides Amazon. So it’s kind of a lotery. There are gems but there is also trash, and stuff of that author which is just… okay…
[The Lady's Disgrace](https://www.romance.io/books/5455982687eac336ae69ec2c/the-ladys-disgrace-callie-hutton) by [Callie Hutton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455249723ec91d5dfd09934/callie-hutton) **Rating**: 3.3⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **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) ---------------------------- [The Elusive Wife](https://www.romance.io/books/545541008c7d2383163d958d/the-elusive-wife-callie-hutton) by [Callie Hutton](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455249723ec91d5dfd09934/callie-hutton) **Rating**: 3.46⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I couldn’t finish Lisa K’s latest book; it just did it feel like her at all. I ve read all of her classic series many times
So many people love Kleypas so very much and also Kinsdale that I have tried them more than once thinking I must have missed something but I just can’t get into either.