I’m a little sad on BookTok because they only talk about the new age romance authors when there’s SO many OGs that wrote amazing novels. I was organizing my books as I put them in my new bookcase.
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Catherine Coulter
Known for: Dramatic, adventurous historical romances with strong alpha heroes and feisty heroines.
Notable books:
• The Sherbrooke Bride
• The Wild Baron
• The Heir
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Mary Balogh
Known for: Deeply emotional Regencies with flawed characters, often focused on healing, scandal, and redemption.
Notable books:
• Slightly Dangerous
• The Secret Pearl
• A Summer to Remember
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Karen Robards
Known for: Lush, passionate historicals in her early career; now known for romantic suspense.
Notable books:
• Amanda Rose
• Sea Fire
• Dark of the Moon
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Lisa Kleypas
Known for: Steamy, character-driven Victorian and Regency romances with great banter and social depth.
Notable books:
• Devil in Winter
• Dreaming of You
• Again the Magic
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Mary Jo Putney
Known for: Intelligent historicals often tackling addiction, trauma, and redemption with magical or fantasy elements.
Notable books:
• The Rake
• Thunder & Roses
• Nowhere Near Respectable
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Johanna Lindsey
Known for: Bodice-ripping classics filled with adventure, passion, and bold heroes/heroines.
Notable books:
• Gentle Rogue
• A Pirate’s Love
• Warrior’s Woman
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Stephanie Laurens
Known for: Sensual, plot-rich Regencies, especially the Cynster and Bastion Club series.
Notable books:
• Devil’s Bride
• On a Wild Night
• The Truth About Love
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Lisa Jackson
Known for: Now a suspense writer, but her early works were sweeping historicals.
Notable books:
• Dark Ruby
• Dark Emerald
• Dark Sapphire
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Grace Burrowes
Known for: Warm, mature romances focused on healing, emotional growth, and family.
Notable books:
• The Heir
• Darius
• The Soldier
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Susan Wiggs
Known for: Romantic historicals and women’s fiction; sometimes set during war periods or frontier life.
Notable books:
• The Charm School
• The Mistress
• The Drifter
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Amanda Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz)
Known for: Gothic-tinged, witty historical mysteries with brainy heroines and dashing heroes.
Notable books:
• Ravished
• Dangerous
• The Paid Companion
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Ella Quinn
Known for: Regency series with interconnected characters, large casts, and upbeat romances.
Notable books:
• The Seduction of Lady Phoebe
• The Marquis and I
• You Never Forget Your First Earl
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Claire Delacroix (aka Deborah Cooke)
Known for: Medieval romances filled with knights, castles, and spiritual undertones.
Notable books:
• The Beauty
• The Rogue
• The Crusader’s Bride
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Julia Quinn
Known for: Witty, sparkling Regencies with lovable families and happy endings.
Notable books:
• The Duke and I
• Romancing Mister Bridgerton
• The Viscount Who Loved Me
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Elizabeth Lowell
Known for: Early historicals with epic romance and emotional intensity; later romantic suspense.
Notable books:
• Only Love
• Untamed
• Forbidden
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Julia London
Known for: Fun and flirty historicals with strong emotion and class differences.
Notable books:
• The Secret Lover
• The Perils of Pursuing a Prince
• Highlander Unbound
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Christine Wells
Known for: Rich historical detail often focused on espionage and strong female leads.
Notable books:
• Scandal’s Daughter
• The Juliet Code
• The Wife’s Tale
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Barbara Dawson Smith
Known for: Drama-rich historicals, sometimes with secret babies, scandals, or Cinderella plots.
Notable books:
• Countess Confidential
• Once Upon a Scandal
• One Moonlit Night
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Ruth Ryan Langan
Known for: Sweeping Irish and Scottish historicals with family drama and romantic destiny.
Notable books:
• Highland Heaven
• Devils of Fifth Avenue
• Texas Embrace
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Celeste Bradley
Known for: Regency spy stories with humor, romance, and secret identities.
Notable books:
• The Pretender
• The Spy
• The Duke Most Wanted
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Julie Garwood
Known for: Hilarious, romantic Highlander and medieval stories with lovable heroes.
Notable books:
• The Bride
• Ransom
• The Secret
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May McGoldrick
Known for: Heartfelt Highlander romances written by a husband-wife duo, often with strong-willed heroines.
Notable books:
• Borrowed Dreams
• The Dreamer
• Angel of Skye
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Philippa Gregory
Known for: Court intrigue and Tudor drama, rooted more in historical fiction than traditional romance.
Notable books:
• The Other Boleyn Girl
• The Queen’s Fool
• The Constant Princess
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Christine Feehan
Known for: Paranormal romance queen. Though not historical, some series have gothic or timeless settings.
Notable books:
• Dark Prince
• The Awakening
• Dark Desire
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Anne Herries
Known for: Classic Harlequin Regency romance—often clean, sweet, and traditional.
Notable books:
• The Scandalous Lord Lanchester
• A Stranger’s Touch
• An Innocent Debutante in Hanover Square
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Anne Lethbridge
Known for: Regency romances published under Harlequin with emotional storylines and independent heroines.
Notable books:
• More Than a Mistress
• Portrait of a Scandal
• Falling for the Highland Rogue
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by CatLadyAmy1