Do you have a passion for romance novels set in the past? When you choose a romance story to read, do you prefer those set in a historical period to those with a contemporary setting? Then this is the perfect page for you!
One of the most popular sub-genres in romance literature is the category of historical romance. These stories transport the reader to a different time and place, but unlike fantasy stories, the settings are based on actual times and periods of history. These works give readers a glimpse of a past time and place, along with a passionate love story. Imagine traveling back to a sprawling plantation in Georgia, where you fall in love with a confederate soldier or that you are a princess held captive by a handsome pirate on the choppy waters of the Atlantic Ocean? If you are specifically interested in the Old West, then western romance novels would be the best sub-genre for you.
When thinking of historical romances, usually the first type that pops into one’s head are those set in the Regency or Victorian periods. However, this is just one of the many historical periods in which romance authors choose to set their works. Here, we have tried to collect a broad range of settings and time periods. Romances have been written, for example, with settings ranging from Medieval Europe, to the Civil War and the Turn of the Century in the United States of America.
The works on our list are from a variety of different periods and styles. To help our readers find the specific era or location that they are interested in, we have listed the general time period and location of the novel.
- “These Old Shades” written by Georgette Heyer (late 1700s, UK), for further information on this particular author, please visit our Georgette Heyer books article
- “White Lion’s Lady” authored by Tina St. John (late 1100s, England)
- “Years” by LaVyrle Spencer (early 1900s, North Dakota)
- “The Red Siren” authored by M. L. Tyndall (early 1700s, USA and Caribbean), this novel is the first in the “Charles Towne Belle Series”
- “Charming the Prince” from Teresa Medeiros (mid-1300s, England)
- “Keeper of the Dream” written by Penelope Williamson (mid-1100s, UK)
- “One Wore Blue” by Heather Graham (USA, around 1860s), after checking out this novel, you may enjoy the sequel entitled “And One Wore Gray”
- “The Pride of Lions” authored by Marsha Canham (mid-1700s, UK), the sequel to this work is “The Blood of Roses” also by Canham
- “The Raven Prince” from Elizabeth Hoyt (mid to late 1700s, England)
- “She Walks in Beauty” written by Siri Mitchell (late 1800s, New York)
This is just a short summary of the historical romance novels that are currently available today, but we hope that this is a nice variety for you to choose from. If you are curious about some other historical romances, you can find additional choices scattered throughout this site, so take some time to surf through our other pages. If you are searching for a historical series of novels set in the Regency and Victorian era, then you may like to check out our Hathaway series page.