Here are 59 books that Sylvester fans have personally recommended if you like
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I’ve been reading romance since my grandmother would sneak me “approved” books when I was twelve. I’ve always felt like I was born in the wrong century, so it makes sense that historicals would be my favorites. After experiencing some autoimmune issues, I relate to characters dealing with physical or mental challenges, and those are the books that tend to draw me in. I believe many people read to escape “real life” and its accompanying stress (I know I do!). As a writer, my goal is to bring a bit of laughter and light into someone’s life for the few hours they spend with my characters.
This is a book I both adore and abhor. Why would I say such a thing? Because my heart physically hurt in the reading of it.
On the surface, the confident, scientifically minded hero has everything, including a disdain for anyone “lower” than him. But when he’s felled in an instant, everything changes. He cannot communicate—at all—until the lowly daughter of a fellow numerist finds a way to break through the strange walls that now inhabit his brain…
Experiencing these two falling in love was both poignant and yet destructive to my peace of mind. This is one of those books I set down, yes for several months, because I could not bear for it to end, and I needed to fortify myself before reading through to its conclusion.
The Duke of Jervaulx was brilliant and dangerous. Considered dissolute, reckless, and extravagant, he was transparently referred to as the ′D of J′ in scandal sheets, where he and his various exploits featured with frequency. But sometimes the most womanising rake can be irresistible, and even his most casual attentions fascinated the sheltered Maddy Timms, quiet daughter of a simple mathematician.
I stumbled across Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice when I was twelve years old and fell in love with her humorous, witty writing and quirky characters. I saved my allowance and bought an omnibus of her complete works, but it wasn’t enough: I was hooked and wanted to read more books like hers. A decade later, I started to write books like hers, and my first Regency-set romantic comedy was published in 2001. The movie Mr. Malcolm’s List, based on my novel, was released in theaters in 2022, and I had the pleasure of hearing people laughing as they watched it, as I had so often laughed while reading Austen’s work.
Georgette Heyer was the first author to pay homage to Austen by writing comedic love stories set in the Georgian/Regency era. Since Heyer wrote them a century after Austen, she’s considered one of the earliest writers of historical romance.
In this book, a dashing gentleman doesn’t turn out to be all he was cracked up to be, and a naïve young woman learns what qualities are truly desirable in a husband. It’s an absolute blast and very sweet.
If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer!
'The greatest writer who ever lived' Antonia Fraser 'One of my perennial comfort authors. Heyer's books are as incisively witty and quietly subversive as any of Jane Austen's' Joanne Harris 'Georgette Heyer is second to none' Sunday Times _________________
Kitty Charing's life-changing inheritance comes with a catch.
Her eccentric and childless guardian, Mr. Penicuik, is leaving Kitty all of his vast fortune - but with one condition. She must marry one of his five grand-nephews.
However, Kitty's clear favourite - the rakish Jack Westruther - doesn't appear at all interested in the…
I began to escape into stories as a child because I was so often ill there wasn’t much else I could do. But that love of sending my mind on a little holiday to a world where everything is a little bit nicer has stuck with me. As a writer, that is what I want to do – to send my readers on a romantic adventure without them having to get out of their chair. And as I fell in love with the landscape of Regency England, through reading so many Heyer novels, that is where I enjoy setting the adventures of my characters.
The hero of this book, The Duke of Sale, has always wondered what it would be like to be plain Mr Dash of nowhere in particular.
He gets his wish after encountering Belinda, the foundling of the title, and goes on an adventure during which he learns a lot about himself and his own worth. As so often happens in a Heyer story, the comic interludes (often involving Belinda’s wish to own a purple dress) build to an ending which has an air of farce to it.
The Queen of Regency Romance, Georgette Heyer, delights readers with a charming tale of a duke who is tired of playing by the rules.
The Duke of Sale is out to prove himself
The shy, young Duke of Sale has never known his parents. Instead, his Grace Adolphus Gillespie Vernon Ware, Gilly for short, has endured twenty-four years of rigorous mollycoddling from his uncle and valet. But his natural diffidence conceals a rebellious spirit.
A mysterious beauty provides the perfect opportunity
When Gilly hears of Belinda, the beautiful foundling who appears to be blackmailing his cousin, he escapes with glee.…
I began to escape into stories as a child because I was so often ill there wasn’t much else I could do. But that love of sending my mind on a little holiday to a world where everything is a little bit nicer has stuck with me. As a writer, that is what I want to do – to send my readers on a romantic adventure without them having to get out of their chair. And as I fell in love with the landscape of Regency England, through reading so many Heyer novels, that is where I enjoy setting the adventures of my characters.
So far I’ve recommended books that I read over and over again because I’ve enjoyed them so much.
This time I am recommending a book which has only recently come out, but which has really impressed me with the clarity of the writing, the interesting story, and the convincing historical details.
And, of course, a hero who is just a little bit out of the ordinary, who marries his childhood friend in order to inherit enough money to save his property, and slowly learns that she is the only woman he could ever truly love. (sigh)
Lady Isobel might be the daughter of the late Lord Martyn, but she's treated by her family as a maid. So when her childhood best friend Leo Havelock reveals that he will only inherit his fortune if he marries-immediately!-she agrees to be his convenient countess. Their union offers Isobel the chance to escape her home...but can she escape the feelings she has long had for her husband?
I like to write more than I like to read, but when I do read, I want to learn about other places and times besides my own. Since my own novels are contemporary fiction, it makes sense that historical fiction is my favorite category to read. Likewise, my interest in romance isn’t from unrequited love, but rather, a desire to explore the difficulties of choosing a life partner in our complicated world. (Even my detective novels contain romance!) But I don’t like sappy introspective thought processes, a variation of teen angst, and most readers of historical romance have this same aversion. So none of my recommendations will be that way.
Although I can’t say much about the book’s cover, this is a wonderful sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It answers the question many readers have about life at Pemberly after Elizabeth and Darcy marry. Set at the end of the Regency period in England in 1814, it follows the courtship of Darcy’s younger sister, Georgiana, and deals with the issues faced by women of that day. I must confess, I have an attraction for strong female characters who must battle the norms of their society in order to find true happiness. If you have the same attraction, you’ll like this book.
Mr. Darcy's younger sister searches for her own happily-ever-after...
The year is 1814, and it is springtime at Pemberley. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have married. But now a new romance is in the air, along with high fashion, elegant manners, scandal, deception, and the wonderful hope of a true and lasting love.
Shy Georgiana Darcy has been content to remain unmarried, living with her brother and his new bride. But Elizabeth and Darcy's fairy-tale love reminds Georgiana daily that she has found no true love of her own. And perhaps never will, for she is convinced the one man she…
I’ve always loved suspenseful books, and I enjoy creating my own characters and helping them strengthen their faith as they triumph in difficult circumstances. I want to encourage other Christians with my writing, and introduce others to Christ who may be searching to see how God can change their lives. I also want to provide readers with a fun getaway of excitement, suspense, and thrills. I am an attorney and see many cases that don’t conclude with a happy ending, however, God can take what men meant for evil, and turn it into good, and there is a positive and encouraging ending waiting in each of my books.
This is one of my “go to” books when I want to recapture the suspenseful feeling I want to make sure I include in my own writing.
Anne Gracie wrote this book in 2002, and has written several successful books since, but this is still my all-time favorite. It is written in the Victorian Age, which I enjoy, and she has incredible tension between the two main characters as they both grow and overcome past hurts.
I return to this book time and time again to reconnect with the characters, and I enjoy their playful banter and strong convictions.
I have been fascinated by Napoleon and the French Revolution since I was a teenager. Novels that capture the essence of the struggles of the French people – and especially those that feature Napoleon as a highly layered character – have always called to me. As a Jewish author, I am particularly drawn to a fair representation of Jewish characters in these tales – which frankly, Georgette Heyer does not, as she adheres to stereotypes in describing any Jewish characters. (I only forgive her because her books are so brilliant.)
I’m a huge admirer of Georgette Heyer, who single-handedly created the Regency historical romance genre. Her research and knowledge of the time, including aspects of dress, manners, etc., are unsurpassed.
An Infamous Army tells the story of Waterloo from the British perspective, and its battle scenes are so accurate that the novel is actually taught at the British military academy, Sandhurst. Heyer includes characters from her other books in this novel, and it was a surprise and a joy to meet them in this wide-ranging narrative.
If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer!
'The greatest writer who ever lived' ANTONIA FRASER 'My generation's Julia Quinn' ADJOA ANDOH 'One of the wittiest, most insightful and rewarding prose writers imaginable' STEPHEN FRY ___________
1815, and the British and French armies are massing ahead of one of the greatest battles of all time ...
Occupied by the British, Brussels however is en fete.
And Lady Barbara Childe, renowned for being as fashionable as she is beautiful, is at the centre of all that is fashionable and light-hearted.
When she meets Charles Audley, the dashing aide de camp to…
I have been a lover of histories and mysteries for as long as I can remember. Equal parts museum junkie and Dateline addict, I cannot get enough of history and whodunnits. From Poirot and Conan Doyle to Bernard Cornwall and Ken Follett, I love them all. As a kid, reading with a flashlight under the covers was a favorite pastime, and I wore out my library card. As an adult, I head to the true crime section of the bookstore first. I love that there are books that blend my two passions so well, and I hope you enjoy this list of historical mysteries as much as I do.
I was immediately drawn to the main character, her plight, and her questions. At every turn, it seemed there were more secrets to uncover.
Julie Klassen seemed to have written herself into an inescapable tangle, but she deftly wove a satisfying solution that fit both the story and characters as well as the social expectations of the Regency Era—masterfully done! It's definitely a sigh-worthy read!
In this inspirational historical romance debut novel set in 19th-century England, a young pregnant woman is forced to make difficult choices. Twenty-year-old Charlotte Lamb is the daughter of a heartless English vicar, as we discover when she becomes pregnant and he throws her out of her childhood home. Vulnerable and unprotected, she is forced to a lodging place for unwed mothers. Soon, Lamb must make decisions involving true love and sacrifice, providing many powerful turning points throughout the story.
I have loved the Regency for decades. I cut my teeth on it as a young reader, and it’s been exciting to see the genre expand to include all types of stories from manner-driven drawing room dramas that highlight the nuances of the era to seductive, sexy stories that simply take place during those years, to stories that draw heavily on the events of the era to design unique and exciting historical plots. The diversity within the genre reflects the diversity of life and experience during the Regency. I have tried to capture a little of each across the 70+ books I’ve written for Harlequin, Mills, and Boon and in my own reading.
This book is on my list because it combines classic Regency backdrops—picnics, estates, rambles by the river, and delicious tea trays—with a bit of intrigue that keeps the reader turning the page. Nathaniel, Duke of Rothaven, is hiding a dark secret, and where there’s one dark secret, there are likely a few more.
It’s all well and good until a woman comes along who tempts him to want a different life than the one he’s built to protect his brother and his family name. On the surface, this book is an excellent example of how to execute a story against a vivid Regency backdrop full of manners and social restriction, but it is also a look at critical human dilemmas that transcend the Regency, such as weighing personal happiness against the happiness of others.
This book demonstrates the nuances of the Regency in shaping the way one might have solved…
'Grace Burrowes is terrific!' Julia Quinn, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series
A difficult duke, a determined lady and too many secrets . . .
Nathaniel, Duke of Rothhaven, lives in seclusion, leaving his property only to gallop his demon-black steed across the moors by moonlight. Exasperated mamas invoke his name to frighten small children, though Nathaniel is truly a decent man - maybe too decent for his own good. That's precisely why he must turn away the beguiling woman demanding his help.
Lady Althea Wentworth has little patience for dukes, reclusive or otherwise, but she needs Rothhaven's…
I married my high school sweetheart, so I believe strongly in the magic and power of happily ever after. Although I wrote stories for my classmates as early as third grade, becoming a writer felt unattainable at the age of 21. As an elementary teacher, I adored my students, but the writing bug burrowed deep. Finally, I left the classroom and pursued writing full-time. It was a long road, but it has been so rewarding. My goal is to create a character-driven romance that feels real and relatable. One of the nicest comments I ever received was a reviewer who said she wanted to have dinner with my characters.
Although I primarily read contemporary romance, I love historical stories. Mary Balogh is one of the queens of the genre. For anyone who has fallen into the Bridgerton Netflix mania, Mary’s writing evokes the feeling of that time period: so many rules for the nobility and so many people who dare not fall in love or risk a lifetime of pain.
In this book, the couple is certainly not a suitable match. Even in their friendship, there is risk. I loved the way the stakes built up, and I also enjoyed the slow unraveling of a childhood secret that was destined to destroy any chance of happiness for the two main characters.
When Susannah is introduced to the charming, handsome Peter Edgeworth, he instantly unsettles her with his seductive gaze and brash pursuit. Yet the more Peter advances, the more Susanna withdraws. Suspecting that Susanna is haunted by a tragic history, Peter is determined to defy the mysteries of her past for a future with this exquisite creature.
