I heard from a reader who told me she was looking for historicals that were less graphic. She enjoyed mine, but skipped over the sexier parts. I recommended the traditional regencies of our own Elena Greene, of course, as well as those of Candice Hern and some of Mary Balogh’s older traditional regencies.
Fellow Risky Readers, I am throwing the question open to you. Besides Heyer, what other writers do you recommend for someone who is looking for the emotional impact of Romance, but that is less graphic in content?
Feel free to recommend contemporary stories, as well. I don’t believe she’s looking for Inspirationals. Basically, I think she wants Lord Ruin (the historical of mine she’d read) but without the graphic sex. If anything, I am even more graphic now so I was not able to point her to my other books.
Thank you in advance!
Marion Chesney has some fabulous books. Everything I’ve read of hers is pretty clean.
Thank you to all you wonderful writers and readers who responded to my request I addressed to Ms Jewel. I have read some of your suggested authors and look forward to reading the ones I haven’t. Happy imaginings!
There are some great recommendations here! There are lots of readers who prefer less graphic stories and I knew Risky readers would have wonderful suggestions for you. Happy reading!
Carla Kelly’s regencies especially the older ones are wonderful stories. One of my favorites is Reforming Lord Ragsdale. There are no steamy scenes, but the emotional impact of that book has stayed with me to this day.
Kathy
Loretta Chase’s Isabella would fit the bill. I found it rather different than her latest ventures, but still enjoyable.
http://dearauthor.com/features/book-deals-features/daily-deals-a-celebration-of-loretta-chase-backlist-titles/
These feature backlist titles which many commenters say they’re sweet without the explicit love scenes.
Alissa Johnson is someone that writes very good historicals. There might be a sexy scene.. but her latest don’t usually have more than one questionable scene, usually less than a page length.
Caylen Mcqueen is, I believe, a self pub author, whom I found through amazon that writes historical novellas. The emotional component is rather pleasing, but she doesn’t have any sex scenes.
Waltzing with the wallflower by Leah Sanders might also fit the bill as well.
Modestly recommending Rules of Gentility and my Little Black Dress historicals available via amzn, bookdepository.com and B&N.
Janet Mullany, Lady Authoress
There are tons of older regencies out there if you can find them. Here are some authors, sadly some are no longer with us. Elizabeth Mansfield, Norma Lee Clark, Joan Smith, Marion Chesney, Claudette Williams, Elizabeth Chater, Carola Dunn, Judith Harkness, Barbara Hazard, Maggie MacKeever, Judith Nelson, Joan Overfield, Patricia Vergan, Sheila Walsh
Excuse me, Patricia Veryan
She should also try Barbara Metzger, Emma Jensen, Elisabeth Fairchild, or Diane Farr. One of the glories of the Internet is that even OOP books are easy to find online.
I think that AAR.com classifies books based on level of steam, so she could try looking there.
Barbara Metzger is a good one. For newer authors there is Erin Knightley with her Sealed with a Kiss series.
Thanks for recommending me, Carolyn. I hope she’s not disappointed, because I started out more “sweet” but got progressively more wicked as I went.
I think you’ve had some good recommendations here. I’d add the backlist Zebra Regencies by Jean Ross Ewing. Although her historicals (which I love) are sexier, her traditional Regencies have the emotional impact.