Historical Romance Done RIGHT | Top 7 Authors You Need To Check Out

One of my favorite romance genres is historical. There is just something so compelling about the setting, about the lords and ladies, about the rules that are both ridiculous from a modern point of view but create the most delicious tension between the characters.

But you gotta know how to write them well, you know? Same as any other genre, it's very easy to write a bad historical romance, and much harder to write an excellent one.

Here is a list of seven woman who know how to create the perfect historicals, in no particular order

Exemplary Mentions: Say Yes To The Marquess, Any Duchess Will Do, A Lady by Midnight, Romancing the Duke

This lady is one of my auto-buy authors. Whenever I need a good historical, I always check to see if there's anything new of hers I can get.

Her historicals are just so damned fun, and the swoon if off the charts! She also does sweet fantastically well, and you'll believe her damaged heroes and strong yet vulnerable heroines can heal each other without an ounce of doubt in your mind!

Exemplary Mentions: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, The Many Sins of Lord Cameron, The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie

The Lord of Ian Mackenzie was one of the first historicals to really steal and move my heart, and made Ashley an instant buy for me. Her Highland Pleasures series (also known as Mackenzie series) is one of my favorite historicals romance. She knows how to make unique heroes (such as the titular Ian), tantalizing romances and heroines you can root for full heartily. 

I haven't read any of Ashley's contemporary or paranormal, but if they're half as good as her historical romances, they're definitely worth a shot!

Exemplary Mentions: Never Seduce a Scot, Highlander Most Wanted, Never Love a Highlander, Seduction of a Highland Lass

I have been very vocal in the past about my love for Banks' historicals. While I genuinely dislike most of the contemporary romances of hers that I've read, I love her as a romance writer. Something about the setting allows Banks to focus less on the sex, and more on the story. And when she does that, it's simply magic. I have read Never Seduce a Scot three times now, and I cry every time. 

Banks has that magical quality to make you connect to her heroines and heroes, and make you root for them to the depth of your soul. 

Also, her brand of romance happens to be the kilted kind. Yum!

Exemplary Mentions: The Duchess War, The Heiress Effect , The Countess Conspiracy 

Courtney Milan is one of the more unique authors on my list, because she really tackles tough subjects in her historicals, especially the Brothers Sinister series, although her Tuner series doesn't lack for thought provoking content. 

She looks at the historical settings through the eyes of characters that have to deal with prejudice, expectations and rules that they do not agree with. Females fighting to enter "male" professions, women who rebel against the institute of marriage, rape (although in a short novella)... So many interesting situations through the lens of the time period they're in.

And of course, the fantastic romances that will make your heart thump and swoon. 

 I found her by complete accident when The Duchess War was free on kindle and I have thanked my lucky stars since.

Exemplary Mentions: Devil in Winter, Mine Till Midnight, Married by Morning, Love in the Afternoon

Lisa Kleypas is a pretty new discovery, but boy is she a landslide. I have enjoyed every single novel that I have read by her. Some of them tackle unique situations for historical romances, such as a romance between a Gypsy and a lady, or a Governess and her lord. But she does it in such a fun, heartwarming way.

She really does write such enjoyable historicals that lighten the heart and make you smile non-stop.

Exemplary Mentions: The Viscount Who Loved Me, An Offer From a Gentleman , When He Was Wicked

Julia Quinn is the historical romance writer for you when you need a fun romance. I always know that when I want to read something fun and light (with some angst, brooding and tormented pasts), Quinn's my girl. And damn if her books are not super readable. I start them and suddenly I look up and the book is over and it's three a.m. and there's work tomorrow but oh well.

Exemplary Mentions: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord, A Rogue By Any Other Name

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake was the historical that made me love historicals. The romance, setting and characters proved to a judgmental me who didn't think she'd enjoy the Victorian setting and woman oppression that HISTORICALS ARE SO DAMNED WONDERFUL!

McLean's books are fun and light, but also have very deep undertones about female equality and acceptance, so they have a very nice balance to them.

What about you? What are some of YOUR favorite historical authors that you think I should check out? Did you find new authors to sink your teeth into in this list? Tell me all about it bellow! 

Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks | Book Review

Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks

The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #1

First Published: 2012

Paperback

Adult, Historical 

Rating:
Re-Readability:

Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but considered "touched" to outsiders. Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn't speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Eveline taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft, content to stay with her family. But when an arranged marriage with a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, she accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful she can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled he awakens her deepest passions.
Graeme is intrigued by his new bride, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation, whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.

Writing this review makes me want to re-read this novel RIGHT NOW. 

I've told you guys this before - while I have reached a point of strongly disliking all of Banks contemporary novels (minus perhaps that one KBI novel), I have yet to find one of her historicals lacking. And Never Seduce a Scot is one of her best works to date.

When I read this for the first time in 2012, and the second time a year later, I had no point of comparison with Banks's "bad books" (which, by the way, are hugely popular. I seem to be the one defective on that front). Looking at it now, I am more impressed with this novel than ever. Especially as I see in my original review words such as "outstanding--as always", when that's no longer the case.

I don't know what it is about historicals, but they bring the best in Banks. They make her beautifully paint the world and setting these characters are in, they make her convince us this couple is perfect for one another, they make her detail the whens and hows and whys of their love by showing us the process.

This book. THIS BOOK, you guys. It made me cry just by having a heroine that is so relatable and adorable that her hurts and insecurities make it impossible not to feel for her. Banks makes it near impossible to separate Eveline from myself.

Eveline simply made me happy. Her mannerism and the way she treated love interest and fellow MC Graeme got me grinning like mad. She is just the sweetest, kindest of souls, but she isn't weak or meek. Au contraire - her disability showed the vast inner strength of this character because of all she had to overcome and the way she never gave up. I loved reading of a disabled character, but I doubly loved reading about this disabled character.

Banks does this character justice by fitting the POV to her disability when we were looking through her eyes, even though the book is written in third person. We never knew what the people around Eveline said unless she knew. It was such a nice and meaningful touch to the whole package.

As for her partner in life, Graeme is the kind of historical highlander that makes me think it won't be all that bad to live in the middle ages and have one of my own. He is a warrior to his bones, but also a caretaker at heart. And the way he treats Eveline, even though she has been forced on him and he has no knowledge of her disability is just heartwarming - this is how man should treat women, even nowadays (ahemTrumpahem). Not to mention it was very hard to hold a smile back when he was overwhelmed by his lady love... either because of her cuteness, or her strength.

These two together is magic. I've always loved the trope of marriage-before-love, because there is something so compelling about the idea of fate conspiring to bring two people together because they are simply destined for one another. And Never Seduce a Scot does this trope down to perfection, with how they are around each other, how they support each other, and how they grow to love each other.

Around these dashing leads we get a glimpse of the rest of the Montgomerys and Armstrongs, who'll all have their own story eventually (if the publishing business gets its shit together). All of them sound promising and make one excited for future ventures, which is great in a series of standalones like this.

I highly recommend giving Banks's historicals a shot, even if you're like me and don't like her contemporaries!

DNF Review: Keep Me Safe by Maya Banks

Keep Me Safe by Maya Banks

Slow Burn #1

First Published: 2014

Kindle Edition

Adult, Contemporary Fantasy

Rating:

A sizzling story of a woman who risks her life and her heart to find a wealthy man’s missing sister — the first novel in a sexy new romantic suspense series from #1 New York Timesbestselling author Maya Banks
When Caleb Devereaux's younger sister is kidnapped, this scion of a powerful and wealthy family turns to an unlikely source for help: a beautiful and sensitive woman with a gift for finding answers others cannot.
While Ramie can connect to victims and locate them by feeling their pain, her ability comes with a price. Every time she uses it, it costs her a piece of herself. Helping the infuriatingly attractive and impatient Caleb successfully find his sister nearly destroys her. Even though his sexual intensity draws her like a magnet, she needs to get as far away from him as she can.
Deeply remorseful for the pain he’s caused, Caleb is determined to make things right. But just when he thinks Ramie's vanished forever, she reappears. She’s in trouble and she needs his help. Now, Caleb will risk everything to protect her — including his heart....

DNF at 25% 

By this point, I ought to learn my lesson and just stick to Maya Banks's historicals, because whereas her historicals are some of my top favorite, her contemporaries leave a lot to be desired. It's almost like she has a split writer personality disorder. 

I wonder if it's because contemporary romance nowadays seems to be (ridiculously) conditioned toward fast, quick, instantaneous relationships while in historicals it's acceptable to take your time--with the physical and emotional build up--because of the times, when you couldn't just hop into someone's bed without consequences (such as marriage). 

Regardless of the reason, I am just so damned disappointed. 

Keep Me Safe takes it's title quite seriously from what I could gather from the 25% (roughly 81 pages) I forced myself through, as this entire novel seems to center around Caleb keeping Ramie safe from a stalker and from her abilities.

Yes, stalker and abilities. Ramie can psychically link herself to kidnap victims in order to find them, but by doing so she experiences what they are going through (such as rape). But she's so goodhearted that despite this horrific ramifications, she would endure it to save others. Until a psychopath sets his eyes on her, and instead of reporting it she decides to disappear. And then he finds her, and she phones the one man she thinks can help her. Caleb. 

The premise of Keep Me Safe is somewhat unique, albeit uncomfortable, I'll admit. But it's executed very, very poorly.

Firstly, it feels like this novel haven't been edited. At all. Characters contradict themselves constantly - one minute Character A says one thing, then in another scene Character B says the same but Character A argues against it and then says she hasn't thought of it before. Or Character A would repeatedly mention something, then in another scene would "just figure out" exactly what she's been saying all along as if it never occurred to her before. And more weird things like this. 

And then, there's is the repetition. This book could be bearable, maybe even good, if the excessive repetition was taken out of it. Sure, it would be half the length it is now, but filling the pages with the same information hardly counts as plot. It just makes me want to scream WE GET IT. 

But actually, maybe it wouldn't be good even then. It might take more than just technical cleaning to make this something I could enjoy, because the plot was a complete mess as well. 

Because Ramie's abilities were just all over the place. Aside to the whole psychic link, she can sense "the worst" in people. But never any of the good (which we are told over and over and over and over and over and over again). Okay. But then... she feels nothing of Caleb because (even though he entertains violent thoughts), he is essentially good? 

So... you don't sense "the worst in people", as you've said, do you? You sense their inclination. A person who is bad inside can't hide it from you, but an absence of feeling means good, doesn't it? The book basically wants you to believe Ramie can do all that & have never encountered good people before to balance it out.

But okay, I guess I could stomach that improbability and inconsistency? after all, her abilities are really not important in the grand scheme of things. They are just a plot device to get the two together.... as is the rape. Yes, I just said it. The rape in this book feels like something broached for impact and nothing else. A far cry from the tasteful, careful handle of the same subject in Highlander Most Wanted, a book of hers I highly recommend. 

While Keep Me Safe takes it's title seriously, it laughs at the chosen series name as this is the farthest thing away from "slow burn". This is so insta love it hurts. 

P.80
"There's something between us, something beyond a passing acquaintance" 

This gem is told by Caleb to Ramie on their second meeting. The first time they never even properly talked and the second has been focusing on the imminent danger to Ramie. So, insta-love. Or insta something-beyond-a-passing-acquaintance. 

Luckily, I never really got past this ridiculous sentence to actually endure the insta-love. Who knows, maybe it would've surprised me. 

And finally... the writing. Maya Banks is a considerable writer, but you couldn't tell based on her contemporaries, where the writing seems to become more choppy, wooden and scripted with every new one that pops. Seriously what is going on?

P.1
"He and his brothers, Beau and Quinn, had always been extremely overprotective of their baby sister. With good reason. Caleb was the head of a veritable empire. Security was always top priority"

Am I the only one who thinks this barely flows?? 

Buy Now 

N/A as that would be slightly hypocritical lol