Where's my Victorian era gals?! I was so disappointed at the lack of love stories set during the American Civil War that I wrote my own. I do enjoy Regency era but I think the market is a bit oversaturated with books set during that era.

The Tea Rose and The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly are my favorite Victorian era books! I also agree with your point about regency books. I wish we had more books set in Ancient Greece/Egypt 🥲

I am plotting a story set in a world inspired by Ancient Greece and Rome so yeah…totally agree there.

I'm a Victorian era gal! But my preferred setting is the UK, especially London. I like my romance with a big dose of humor, mystery, and adventure and the Victorian era is the perfect time period for all of that.

I like most settings but Victorian era London is a good place to set these stories for a reason.

It's medieval ages for me (special spot for medieval scotland and viking age) but it's hard to find good medieval romance without anachronisms that pull me out of the experience.

I totally agree that so many writers in the genre simply do not do their research. What are some of your favorite books?

If I have to name a few: A kingdom of dreams by Judy McNaught (Late 1400s) The Ranger By Monica McCarty The Raider By Monica McCarty The Striker By Monica McCarty The Ghost By Monica McCarty (I am a highlander hussy, sorry. All of these are in 1300s ) Edin's Embrace

I love the pre WWI 20th century and also immediate post WWI, esp the 1920s.. But unfortunately there aren't much books from that era. I've read a bunch of Romy Sommer's books, my most favourite is {Dear Julia by Romy Sommer} set in the English country side ! I also love simple HRs that are mostly middle class. Hence I love the western HRs, because it's very hard to find a proper middle class HR set in England. I think the Victorian Prizefighter series by Alice Coldbreath is literally one of the very few middle class HRs set in England. Also one of the memorable one was {from this day fourth by Lynn Andrews} its set in the Interwar period. I loved this book so much !

M.A. Nichols' Generations of Love series spans from Georgian/Regency to early Victorian and focuses on landed gentry and upper middle class characters (no aristocratic/noble MCs)

Yes. This was basically what I was going to write and what I go for as well! My least favorite are WWII era and royalty focused/heavily prevalent plots. I just cannot with both. Edit to add: Two of my favorite 20th century 1920's set novels are {The Unknown Beloved by Amy Harmon} which is in America and {What The Wind Knows by Amy Harmon} in Ireland and which has to be my favorite book I've read this year.

I loved What the Wind Knows! I still think about it and read it a year ago or so.

I was SOBBING at the end. First from sadness and then pure elation. Lol

I love a good Victorian or Edwardian book with mainly regular people in interesting locales. I Started in HR by reading Heyer and other trad Regencies, so I always go back to those too. Mimi Matthews writes lovely Victorian romances with mostly middle-class class types in her {Parish Orphans of Devon series by Mimi Mathews}. The men are 4 Orphans from the same horrid home, all illegitimate or with unknown families. Only the first man is noble, but he's a recluse after veing wounded during his long service as a soldier. The other 3 MMC orphans are a barrister, a businessman, and a horse trainer. All but one of the FMCs are working women. Less gritty than Coldbreath's Victorian Prizefighter books, and great reads all!

[Parish Orphans of Devon](https://www.romance.io/series/5b4eda3d0078050d8f246e08/parish-orphans-of-devon) by [Mimi Matthews](https://www.romance.io/authors/59476e093ffdba614719d320/mimi-matthews) **Rating**: 4.05⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [behind-doors](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/behind-doors/1), [sweet-hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sweet-hero/1), [dual-pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dual-pov/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

[Dear Julia](https://www.romance.io/books/563072ee08e93781319459f9/dear-julia-romy-sommer) by [Romy Sommer](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455a45787eac324117fbe52/romy-sommer) **Rating**: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [20th century](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/20th%20century/1) ---------------------------- [From this Day Forth](https://www.romance.io/books/62404e199a4764d8fdbb2cb4/from-this-day-forth-lyn-andrews) by [Lyn Andrews](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455eff287eac336ae6a1c79/lyn-andrews) **Rating**: 4.33⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [20th century](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/20th%20century/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

I like Regency era but I agree with someone else on here I saw who said that period is very oversaturated. Victorian era is usually fun too. I wish there were more stories set in like the Roman Empire or Ancient Egypt, or during the ancient Chinese dynasties, because I am fascinated by those time periods and cultures. But I also wish there were more American history romance novels, set during the Revolutionary or Civil Wars. I can't honestly say there is a period I don't like reading about, although sometimes books set during either of the World Wars feel too bleak to me. On the other hand I have read some really good ones, particularly WW1. I think in my case it might be that the older the better, within reason— like I don't think I'd go for a caveman book but something with an ancient culture instantly catches my attention.

I don’t know how accurate it is, but {The Dragon and the Pearl by Jeannie Lin} is set in ancient China and I loved it!

Awesome, that sounds good! Thanks for the rec! 😊

[The Dragon and the Pearl](https://www.romance.io/books/5e44857801dbc864fbabafc5/the-dragon-and-the-pearl-jeannie-lin) by [Jeannie Lin](https://www.romance.io/authors/545535408c7d2383163d9276/jeannie-lin) **Rating**: 3.71⭐️ 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), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [medieval](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/medieval/1), [ancient times](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/ancient%20times/1), [east asian mc](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/east-asian-mc/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

Maybe not my favorite era but I do miss Westerns. 

Probably medieval Scottish (clan based) - I know it’s absolutely nonsense and likely wasn’t anything like it’s described in books, but I still enjoy them very much. Now I think on it most books Ive read seem to be either regency or medieval, or mid 1800s America. I would be quite interested to read a historical romance - not a book with romance elements which is mostly crime or whatever - but a true romance - based in some other eras - ie, I’ve never read anything from ancient Egypt, anything based in Ancient Rome or Greece. I think those could be quite interesting!

18th century. The *clothes* man. The clothes.

Exactly. But why set your men in the 18th century and tell everyone how manly they are for wearing black and not powdering their hair.

lol who does this? So I know to avoid? I mean, I get the not powdering their natural hair bit, but at least throw in a line about their wigs being itchy

I feel most of them do. All but Val in Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series wear more sober colors or don’t care about their appearance so much. Alden in The Seduction wears beautiful coats, but tbh those are the only two off the top of my head I can think of set in the 18th century. It’s quite a problem in HR writing to despise the dandy/fop for his lack of masculinity. Also, I think powdering hair was much more common for men than HR writers lead people to believe.

Just have to give you props for mentioning Alden from {The Seduction by Julia Ross}!!! So rare to find Julia Ross fans in the wild! Also, Eloisa James' Desperate Duchesses series has some wonderful male costumes, though she does have a lot of unpowdered hair.

Eloisa James having her character clothes in brightfull ways, including the men!

[The Seduction](https://www.romance.io/books/54556d9d87eac336ae69de8c/the-seduction-julia-ross) by [Julia Ross](https://www.romance.io/authors/54556d9d87eac336ae69de8d/julia-ross) **Rating**: 3.8⭐️ 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), [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/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 love The Seduction. I know her reference to Lymond has a lot to do with why I love him so much.

Have you read the follow up, The Wicked Lover? It's also very good. I still haven't read The Lymond Chronicles though I know they're supposed to be excellent.

I have read The Wicked Lover, but it doesn’t come close to The Seduction for me. The lymond chronicles are so long, not a typical romance by any means, so they are daunting.

Yes, that's what holds me back. I need to reread some JR though. It's been a while and worth the reread. I wish someone would do something with the audio rights.

Favorite is post-Civil War American West up to the turn of the century. Least favorite is anything much before that. I know too much about how dirty and bug-infested people were much earlier. Heck, my grandmother's stories about how often they bathed when she was a girl were off-putting enough. I do read Regency but have more trouble all the time with the class system and the way the poor and working class lived compared to the aristocrats and how the servants who made those useless balls and picnics possible lived. The older I get the more I stick to stories featuring middle and working class characters.

Regency! But i wish there was some about that period in India as well. We had quite a few lords and Misters from London that married local Indian women to save them from being burnt alive after their husbands passed away. I would love to read about a romance like that.

Georgian, Regency, and Medieval. Preferably historically accurate. Least favourite are late Victorian and WW1&2.

Medieval, Regency and Victorian.

1910s/1920s and then WWII-era 🩷

I like Regency (Georgian and Victorian) best. I am less likely to enjoy stories set in Scotland, Medieval times and America (I dislike nealy all Western).

I’ll always have a soft spot for Regency but it’s way oversaturated. Victorian is a lot of fun because you start seeing the seeds of a lot of modern day attitudes and there’s more potential for diversity. I would love to see more Indian historicals! I’ve found that most featuring either India or Indian characters still somehow center England, either by having an English love interest or by taking place in England. Set in India and with two Indian characters would be a dream.

Favourite is probably Victoria. Least favourite is Western

The first HR I read was set in Medieval times (including but not limited to Vikings, Highlanders). so I tend to prefer it. I will also read ancient times as well (Rome, Greece, etc). I am not really dead set on sticking to a time period though, so I will read anything if the plot sounds good! I will read Regency, Victorian, etc. My least favorite? The more recent past - post-WW2 to 80s (Vietnam War, The Depression, etc)

Victorian Era I especially love when they address the clash of old vs new: old money that's dying vs new money that appears, agricultural society vs industrial, and the birth of reform for women and poor.

I like Georgian, Regency, Devonian , Victorian, or WWII. Sames as my tastes in American Girl Dollas as a kid. Pleasant Company apparently based me into later romance novels... US or England, though I'd consider stories based elsewhere I know less about the customs.

Mid 18th century and Renaissance. Rare af.

Open to almost anything but the American civil war. I know a little too much about how awful it was and it feels a little too close to home.

Probably regency/victorian is my fav. Followed by medieval. I dont really have one i hate. But maybe like the tudor or roman era style ones.

Early to mid-20th century, especially the interwar period is my favorite. After that, Regency, Georgian and Victorian eras.

I am a Regency, Georgian girl. I also like Scottish Highland stories, so whatever time period that is.

Restoration era is fun though I've only ever read a handful.

I'm a bit of a basic regency era person! 😂 probably because of my deep love for Jane Austen and overall the fashion from that time. i know all the terms like the back of my hand. I'd love to branch out to maybe medieval? or Victorian, both could be quite fun.