If a romance isn’t fun for you (because reading romance should be fun!)-move on - there are plenty to choose from on this list. Kate and I have gathered our favorites, full of our favorite romantic tropes and archetypes but that doesn’t mean they will be to everyone’s taste nor will the love scene descriptions and heat levels be. What brings joy to one reader or escape for another is not always the same. Some of the plot lines and dialogue-not so much. The romance, tropes and character archetypes are timeless. So remember this when reading a romance novel written in the '90s, the early '00s and the mid-20th century (there are two!). The genre reflects the society of the time it is written. The journey is the who, what, where and why of the story. And, while they are set in a historical time period they're not exactly “historical fiction” and the endings are rarely-if ever-in question. The romance genre is officially defined as having a romantic relationship at the center of the plot and a happy/optimistic HEA (happily ever after) at the end. If you are just dipping back into the historical romance genre or are exploring the genre for the first time, here are some things to keep in mind: We have more sexy, brooding dukes then you will know what to do with (or will you.?), plus a lot of rakes and rogues too-all of whom will ultimately fulfill your every need first, listen to you and validate you (while shirtless!). Our list includes books set in Regency- and Victorian-era England plus, for good measure, Gilded Age New York. Do not be discouraged! Fellow romance reader Kate Fais (and YA Librarian) and I have got you covered. Go ahead and put your name on the lists for all the Bridgerton books you want but, in the meantime, Kate and I have put together a list of books you can enjoy and indulge in while you wait. If you’ve watched the Bridgerton series on Netflix and then gone to NYPL's catalog to look for all the other books in the series by Julia Quinn, you may have noticed something-HOLDS.

Julia quinn when he was wicked summary