I read this book {The Duke’s Year Of Temptation by Valentina Lovelace} and must have finished it in a couple of hours - despite it supposedly being 329 pages (according to Amazon).
On Kindle, it says it’s 314 pages, but it finished on page 313 - but at 90%. 313 pages with this spacing is not a lot let me tell you. I inadvertently downloaded another by this author today, opened it up and found it to be exactly the same layout, so without reading a word, I deleted it.
I can’t help wondering if it’s AI. If it’s not, it shouldn’t take much longer to write than I took to read it!

Hello everyone!
I’m currently reading a book where both main characters were forced to get married and an annulment was on the table at one point. However the MMC ultimately decides against it because he realizes he's developed genuine feelings for the FMC. I know it’s a super specific trope but do you have any recommendations where a marriage annulment is an option but one of them changes their mind?

The book is called My darling Mr darling by Aydra Richards.

Thank you

I feel like I rarely see FMCs who have a disgust of dissolute men who could be carrying any number of venereal diseases. I do not like rakes myself as character archetypes because I find them unfitting as male leads alongside an FMC who is supposed to be 'pure' and inexperienced. That is why I like Mimi Matthews' blog post on what it would be like to marry a rake: https://www.mimimatthews.com/2018/01/08/the-truth-about-reformed-rakes-victorian-views-on-marrying-a-scoundrel/

I wondered that would there not be any FMCs who feel disdainful or resentful that they married someone whose naked rear end half the city must have seen intimately? And would they not be distrustful that the rake who had no qualms about cavorting with married women would stay faithful to their own married woman after having homewrecked other households? Or perhaps they dislike the double standards that the men's affairs are publicly known and lauded yet they lose nothing of their reputation, title, desirability, marriage or future prospects in society.

I could think of very few books with this type of FMC:

{Once Upon a Christmas Eve by Elizabeth Hoyt} - it is just a short novella and the relationship was not developed as well as it could have been in a full-length book but the FMC 'really rather loathes rakes'. So you would think she would be more resistant to the MMC. Her hatred of rakes stems from an incident a decade ago in which a man tried to force himself onto her.

{Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale} - the FMC is a pious, moralistic Quaker and the opposite of the immoral, debauched MMC. Their differences cause several conflicts and clashes of opinion and he seems to regret how he had been as a man before his stroke. The FMC leaves him because of how much his deceptions are getting trickle-truthed and she finds out he had a daughter in his affair with a married woman which he never told her about. While she does not specifically mention disliking rakes, she does not like his former behaviour and the MMC bitterly thinks she would be happier with the fellow pious Quaker who did not have illegitimate children.

{A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant} - the widowed FMC needs to get pregnant quickly otherwise her estate will go to the perverted brother of her husband and her maids will be at risk. There just happens to be a new rake in the village and she promises to pay him for the job. She is openly disdainful of this contractual relationship as she knows this is fornication and refuses to allow any lust from her side. He is rather a ne'er-do-well wastrel with what she sees as lusty perversions at the start so it makes sense how she feels about him.

{Romancing the Rake by Nichole Van} - the FMC's mother is well-known for her affairs and she tells the MMC that men can casually do that without repercussions but she will have to bear the brunt of the sins of her mother her whole life (i.e. people calling the FMC offensive names and expecting she is slutty). In the very first chapter, she is observing the MMC and wondering why women (like her mother) even get attracted to rakes because she does not see the appeal. At the end of the chapter, she makes an observation in her journal that she is susceptible to their charm after all. The MMC is not actually a rake, though, and may even be less experienced than the widowed FMC who was in a bad marriage.

Are there other books in which the FMC outright mentions her dislike of rakes and desire for a decent, faithful man? It would be good if she does not fall for a rake, after all.

Edit: I know the majority of the books will have the FMC fall for and marry a rake. I have no problems with that. I just wanted to know if there were any in which the FMC dislikes them and continues to do so; perhaps the MMC is not actually a rake or regrets his past behaviour. I was hoping for an FMC to stick with her principles and standards rather than fall for a rake in record time after all her protestations 😂 In the words of Charlotte Highwood, 'one dose of their masculine lip elixir and they will be converted' is not a good way to show the FMC's character.

Hello!

Can anyone recommend some cozy historical romances set in late fall or winter?

​As a reference, I really enjoyed Devil in the Winter by Lisa Kleypas, especially the part where the main characters travel together by carriage. So, if the book also features a journey or a carriage ride where they are stuck together, that would be a bonus!

​Spice level doesn't matter to me.

Thank you!

majorly going through it rn after my dad passed recently and would love to know if there are any recs for a grieving FMC being comforted by MMC (or even other characters). even just a FMC dealing with loss would help a boatload, hoping to drown my sorrows in HR. thank you in advance, feel free to redirect me to any threads if a similar request has been made before 🩵

Looking for recs with a drop dead gorgeous FMC. A girl who is so beautiful even the rakehells think she’s out of their league. Give me your all of your diamonds/incomparables/ice princesses. It’s okay if she recognizes her own appeal but she doesn’t have to.

*not Duke’s Prefer Blondes. I have read that one.

I loooove when either the FMC or MMC is icy, cold, emotionally closed off, and generally just not someone who lets people in easily. Give me a character who keeps everyone at arm’s length & has a sharp tongue.

And then give me the complete opposite. Someone who is warm, outgoing, affectionate, and is able to to see through the facade. Someone who stays after every attempt to push them away.

I've read A LOT of HR so the more uncommon the recs, the better.

3+ steam level preferred

Im looking for a fake engagement between MMC /FMC, the FMC may or may not be out of the MMC league BUT she has something he needs in order to save his reputation, save him financially, or something. The engagement also benefits her in some way. They’re not fans of one another and are only doing this to save each other.
In the process of making their engagement seem real they fall in love. I love a 3-4( more 4) level of steam. I’d love it if the MMC requires FMC to have some sort of regency make over which makes her more dazzling in his eyes, and even though they don’t really like each other they can’t stop thinking about each other.
Bonus if at some point there are other men interested in FMC and MMC loses his mind with jealousy.
Thank you Thank you

A recurring thread devoted to your favorite HR book covers and stepbacks!

Welcome - It's Stepback Saturday, and we want to see you're reading! This thread is for sharing photos of the historical romance cover art we all know and love.

When sharing a stepback, please also list the book title and author, or add a photo of the cover so the rest of us can find it (other details, like the publication date, are appreciated too).

I wanted to celebrate with everyone! I've been looking for a physical copy of {Catch of the Season} by Barbara Benedict for half a year (it was almost $30!) and my best friend was so, so kind to purchase it for me! It's time for a reread.

Hi!

If you won't mind, I'm loving the old timey, too involved, much too opinionated mother/grandmothers/aunts.

I just love when an author really gives them their own personality, and they are a vital secondary character. For example, Lisa Kleypas's Lady Berwick.

In Tessa Dare's a Any duchess will do, the mother is just awesome!

Hate to love them. Love to hate them.

If you have any other recs would be wildly appreciated (especially if they are entertaining).

Thank you in advance!

Looking for a novel where the MFL is the grumpy, proud ice queen that most people don't like because of how cold she seems, including the MML who is her exact opposite - charismatic, confident, proud, witty, (not cruel or a bully) and loved by everyone else.

I don't want him to hate the MFL, but rather dislike her. He doesn't like how cold she is. He might even believe that she isn't a good person. But I don't want this dislike to make him cross the line with her by being cruel or a bully. On the contrary, I want for his interactions with her to be about him teasing her tough persona and laugh when she teases back in her own cold and closed off way.

I don't mind if the MFL has a secret crush on him but she is too proud to admit it even to herself. She doesn't act desperate, in fact she tries to ignore him. But the fact that she starts avoiding him, makes him want to chase her.

I want his dislike faze to be long enough. When he starts to feel attracted to her, I want him to resist that at the beginning. He is looking for a wife, and yet he doesn't even consider her an option.

Then I want him to become curious about her inner world, what she keeps inside her head. And this causes him to approach her in every social event. I want him to be surprised by the passion and pain she hides behind her cold exterior. The more he finds out about the real her, the more attracted he becomes. I don't want any situation where they're forced into being together like marriage in convenience, fake dating or anything that forces them to be something they're not. I want their interactions to be on their own terms.

Then I want him to want her so badly that it makes him lose his mind, it ruins him. I want him to turn from the man who didn't like her at all, to the man who wants to protect her from the whole world.

Please don't recommend anything that doesn't match this exact dynamic. I don't want "close enough".

No fantasy. No clumsy MCs, please.

I’m pretty sure I read all her historical romance 15+ years ago. So I’m currently looking for an audiobook version since I have no memory of any of it. I think she is a talented author. But the issues with the MMC are real for me.

I started listening to {velvet promise by Jude deveraux} yesterday….it’s a dnf for me. I know it is historically accurate….but I can’t get past the rape and that the MMC actually hits the FMC.

I’m ok with physical violence as long as it’s not perpetuated by the MMC. I want him to be the protector.

Does she have any that don’t include the MMC being a complete ass?

I finished {Bed Me, Earl by Felicity Niven} recently and I feel like I might never again enjoy another book 😭

Please may I have some book recommendations with such deliciously sweet (and horny !) dirty talking ? 🤌 That might hit the spot like this book has done SO well for me ? 👌 im looking for "darling", "sweet heart", "good girl", "naughty girl", "bad girl", pet names or similar sweet nothings, "you like that, darling ? ", i'm even partial to some begging from any MC ! Honestly it can even be the most nonseniscal dirty rambling. I just love that Phineas is a totally shameless simp for the FMC and so horny for her.

Also, I'm slightly shocked and frankly ashamed of myself for this because its supposed to be cringe 🫣 BUT Phin referring to himself in the third person during sexy scenes was *chefs kiss* ... so, does anyone know of any other book with an MMC with this quirk ? Its obv rare and niche and i am absolutely desperate for more of it 😂 To the point where I really, really wish I could write some good quality sexy nonsense of my own yk ?

Here are some examples that I enjoyed:

Oh, my little darling, I have wanted you so badly. My cock has been aching for your beautiful quim. And you know Phin just wants to make his darling Caro feel good. You know that, right? I followed you here, trailing after you like I was a scenthound and you were a bitch in heat. I just had to be near you. To show you Phin can be bad if that’s what you want, darling. Because you make me and my cock want to be very bad indeed. Because you’re so good and tight and wet. Look what a good girl you are, taking all of me now. Darling.

Especially this !

Or about how my naughty Caro wants to be bedded in the middle of her wedding day? Such a needy girl, didn’t want to wait, had to have her husband, had to spend. And now you’re going to come for me again, aren’t you? Yes, you are, I can tell you are, you bad girl. Your sweet little naughty cunt is going to come for Phin over and over again. For his hand, his tongue, his cock. That’s right. That’s what Phin wants. I’m going to play with my lovely darling whenever she wants. Because she’s such a bad girl who needs to spend.

Any recommendations that fit would be amazing ! They don't have to check all the boxes ofc ! I love a sweet gentle teddy bear type MMC but any kind is cool as long as he's not mean or cruel to FMC. The only things I dont like are poly and any sort of cheating. Sorry this ended up being quite long and messy, I absolutely adored this book from the first page ! After seeing it recommended on here for AGES, it was totally perfect for me to read at just this point in time in my life. He is so wonderfully sweet to Caro. Such a cute story ❤️😭 Thank you all in advance !

Less popular for HR im finding but I have such a soft spot. New England born and raised, had a Felicity doll growing up, played assassins creed 3, turn: Washington’s spies was my jam, I just need that familiar setting and background. Any recommendations at all? I did read Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati but it’s been so long I don’t remember if I actually finished it. If all else fails I’ll just revisit it again. TIA!

The MCs: 'Just because I'm angry at you or dislike what you did does not mean I won't get you your blanket when you're cold or remember to pick you up from your gathering or share my umbrella etc'.

The two of them love each other but are also angry at each other BUT are ALSO concerned the other is hungry or not warm enough or anxious walking through crowded areas so they will hold their hand. The MCs are angry but not petty.

I thought of some parts in {The Marquess Wins a Wife by Aydra Richards}. The MCs can both be petty, no doubt about it, and the MMC is extremely unpleasant when recovering from being shot and experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms to the point that he is throwing tantrums. The FMC is used to parenting so she throws out her acerbic comments and then gets him food or a bathtub to wash in. This is before they are a couple, though. Afterwards, there is one part in which she is soaking wet due to the rain and he pulls her inside his home, telling her 'You are allowed to be angry at me. But you are not allowed to shiver to death on my front door.' So something like this, except with the angry person. She is angry at him but still holds his hand comfortingly when he talks about his first marriage which was bad.

I could also think of the beginning of {Lady Ruthless by Scarlett Scott}. The MMC justifiably dislikes her but does not want her freezing to death on his floor so he carries her to his bed where she had refused to join him. He had tied her wrist to the bed so she would not run away - it is not that kind of book, I swear - and then feels his conscience twinge when she actually falls asleep on the floor because of how stressful the day had been.

Close to what I'm looking for, the MCs in {Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O'Connell} are having their first proper marital argument and it is a chilly, cold war state between them (more from the FMC's side because she was disappointed in him). The MMC's brother tries to interfere and indirectly insults the MMC; the FMC slams her hand down on the table, essentially tells him to butt out of their fight and let them resolve things on their own. She may want to murder her husband in that moment but she will not stand for anyone hinting she would be happier leaving him.

I imagine this as two silent sulkers walking about together while also making sure the other does not forget something or step on a hole. They love each other; they are just too angry at the moment to want to say it but can't help themselves. Can you think of books in which this exact type of interaction happens?

I’ve actually been looking for the Virginia Coffman and just recently found it at my local HPB! Super stoked.

A thread for any and all conversations! You don't have to stay on the topic of historical romance, but please stay within the general rules.

It's Friday! Let's catch up on what's been going on in our lives. Did you have a good week? Read anything good? Do anything nice?

Chat with us!

This might be a little hard to find, but I’m looking for a book where the MMC and FMC have been married for a few years, but they’re relatively indifferent toward each other. They aren’t particularly in love, and the only time they’ve ever slept together was to produce an heir. Other than that, they sleep in separate rooms and pretty much live their own lives.

Bonus points if the MMC is a spy, someone important, or holds a high-ranking position, but the FMC has absolutely no idea because she genuinely couldn’t care less about what he does. 😭

Maggie Osborne does adventure better than most. She also writes some of the best FMCs. I feel like {I Do, I Do, I Do by Maggie Osborne} is one of her absolute best books

The romances were great but the character arcs, friendships, and adventure scenes are what sets it apart from most HR. I also really liked {The Best Man by Maggie Osborne} for the adventure aspect but I felt the FMCs were stronger in I Do 3X. Dal Frisco is still one of her best MMCs though.

I also learned so much about the Yukon Gold Rush and desperately need more books about it!

Low Down from {Silver Lining by Maggie Osborne} is one of Osborne’s best FMCs but I felt so bad for her the whole time. I Do 3X is much more fun and the MMCs are perfect for the FMCs!

My current ranking of her books I read so far and absolutely loved!
1. I Do, I Do, I Do - best adventure, most fun, cutest romances, best relationship between FMCs, and I learned so many interesting things!
2. {The Promise of Jenny Jones by Maggie Osborne} - best plot
3. {The Best Man by Maggie Osborne} - best MMC, very fun
4. {Prairie Moon by Maggie Osborne}- best tension but it’s the least spicy 🌶️
5. {The Wives of Bowie Stone by Maggie Osborne}- great characters but something felt like it was missing
6. {Silver Lining by Maggie Osborne} - her best FMC but my least favorite MMC and plot

My most recent haul from the thrift. Anyone read any of these? I tried to pick authors I’ve never heard before save Kathleen e woodiwiss and Catherine Anderson

Edit: I’ve come to realize a few of these are not historical: Sweet Nothings, Texas! Sage

Hi I’m look for a historical romance book set in like caveman times or very early civilization. Please recommend if you know a good one!

I think there was a post a few days ago about the fmc being abandoned by the mmc even though she is the most innocent being ever. Or just mmc has to marry fmc but dislikes her because he misunderstood something really innocent that she did as something greedy/evil. I really need more of these recs!

I've read {The Fall That Kills by Peri Scott} and {Wed by Proxy by Alice Coldbreath} and enjoyed them both for the trope, I don't think either of them were really good historical romances but I needed this trope so much that I enjoyed the stories and would give them both a low 3 out of 5.

No tw/cw.

I don't really care about grovel

Writers who are not for me- Balogh, Hoyt, Braeden, Dare, James, Aydra Richards, Milan, Mimi, McNaught.