50 Romance Books to Read Based on Beloved Favorites

Five Pines by J. Heather Cross. It's more than a love story--it's like if you took 50 Shades of Grey and threw in a liberal dose of A Course in Miracles along with some really radical spirituality and added some Die Hard and set it in South Dakota. It's the first in a series of 6 and the characters are so real I feel like I've become part of their family. It's a great book--like nothing I've ever read before.

This may sound like a weird choice, but for me it's Mary Stewart's Touch Not the Cat. I absolutely adore the psychic connection between the lovers and Stewart keeps the reader in suspense for a bit for the reveal. But the "recognition" scene between Bryony and her mystery man is SO worth waiting for!

The Bronze Horseman! And I am looking for something similar if anyone has some recommendations. Thanks

Emma, no question. Pride and Prejudice is Austen's most well-known novel, but Emma is actually considered her best-written work.

If you like Pride and Prejudice, then I suggest Carolyn Miller's new series: The Elusive Miss Ellison, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, and The Captivating Lady Charlotte. I also like Julie Klassen's The Tutor's Daughter and The Secret of Pembrooke Park; and Julianne Donaldson's Edenbrooke and Blackmoore.

Ava Miles has a wonderful series set in fictional Dare, CO. Those characters are like dear old friends to me, and there are 10 or 11 books so you get to spend a lot of time with the McHale family...

My new favorite love story is The Heart of Henry Quantum. Fun, unexpected, and a love story for San Francisco.

Any of Georgette Meyer's Recency books. Witty dialog and wonderful command of language and characterization.

Rosie wrote: "This may sound like a weird choice, but for me it's Mary Stewart's Touch Not the Cat. I absolutely adore the psychic connection between the lovers and Stewart keeps the reader in suspense for a bit..." I agree! I love this book (and other Mary Stewarts) and have read them many times.

Moonraker's Bride by Madeleine Brent. Lovely story with lots of exciting action.

Judi wrote: "Five Pines by J. Heather Cross. It's more than a love story--it's like if you took 50 Shades of Grey and threw in a liberal dose of A Course in Miracles along with some really radical spirituality ..."


Ok, you sold me, I'm off to order it...

Absolutely anything by Betty Neels! She wrote about 140 books and my sister and I have read and reread them so many times they are falling apart!!! Also a tiny book by R.A. MacAvoy called Tea With a Black Dragon and a super funny one called Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie. There are so many great romances out there it's hard to pick favourites!

Anything by Pamela Clare! I don’t even know if this author counts in this case, but I think her books are definitely underrated love stories. Other than her romantic suspense ‘I-Team’ series and contemporary romance ‘Colorado High Country’ (both awesome series), I also like her historical romances, ‘Blakewell/Kenleigh’ trilogy and ‘Mackinnon’s Rangers’ series. Anything outside the paranormal/urban fantasy romance genre is usually a hard sell for me, so Clare deserves a Wayne’s World ‘I’m not worthy’ bow!

Gisele wrote: "The Bronze Horseman! And I am looking for something similar if anyone has some recommendations. Thanks"
Hi Gisele. I love the Bronze Horseman too. Some of my favourites are as follows: The Hearts Invisible Furies, Into the Wilderness by Sarah Donati, the survivors club by Mary Barlogh (not quite epic but great little series) From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon, The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley, The Milliner's Secret by Natalie Meg Evans, The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Rosie wrote: "This may sound like a weird choice, but for me it's Mary Stewart's Touch Not the Cat. I absolutely adore the psychic connection between the lovers and Stewart keeps the reader in suspense for a bit..."

Oh I so agree it is a wonderful story with the underlying magic that makes the story way above anything else. For me it was her best romance of all.

I'm with Elaine! I read ALL of Georgette Heyer's books about twenty years ago. Elaine's comments reminded me to go back and read them ALL again.

I read some of these novels and I LOVE the options suggested! Definitely gonna check it soon :)

Rosie wrote: "This may sound like a weird choice, but for me it's Mary Stewart's Touch Not the Cat. I absolutely adore the psychic connection between the lovers and Stewart keeps the reader in suspense for a bit..."
You may want to try Susanna Kearsley - I love Mary Stewart too, and love Kearsley's Shadowy Horses, Named of the Dragon, The Rose Garden, Season of Storms

The Winston Brothers Series! I can’t find anything that I love as much.

Krista wrote: "The Winston Brothers Series! I can’t find anything that I love as much."

I will give that series a try Krista

Rosie wrote: "This may sound like a weird choice, but for me it's Mary Stewart's Touch Not the Cat. I absolutely adore the psychic connection between the lovers and Stewart keeps the reader in suspense for a bit..."

I am so with you Rosie, this is such a beautiful story! Now I need to go and reread it...it’s been at least 2 years since my last time through :)

Krista wrote: "The Winston Brothers Series! I can’t find anything that I love as much."

The wait for the rest of the series is agonising!

Dear Hayley,

I´m a German bookblogger and I would like you to ask, whether I could use your first sentence: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a reader in possession of a large library must be in want of a new book. " to create a bookquote picture for my instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/buchnotizen/). I would take your name and this website as part of it, would that be enough?

Thank you! A have a very nice and readful (I hope this word is ok ;-)) wednesday ;-),

lovely greetings from very cold, but very sunny Germany,

Tina ;-)

Elaine wrote: "Any of Georgette Meyer's Recency books. Witty dialog and wonderful command of language and characterization."

Yes, yes, yes....I was just thinking of rereading all of these!

AJ wrote: "Krista wrote: "The Winston Brothers Series! I can’t find anything that I love as much."

The wait for the rest of the series is agonising!"

Hey lovelies :) mind if I ask which books are you talking about?

❤️☘D♡K☘❤️ wrote: "AJ wrote: "Krista wrote: "The Winston Brothers Series! I can’t find anything that I love as much."

The wait for the rest of the series is agonising!"

Hey lovelies :) mind if I ask which books are..."

It’s a fabulous series by Penny Reid https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

AJ wrote: "❤️☘D♡K☘❤️ wrote: "AJ wrote: "Krista wrote: "The Winston Brothers Series! I can’t find anything that I love as much."

The wait for the rest of the series is agonising!"

Hey lovelies :) mind if I a..."

Thanks, AJ! :) have a good one!

Elaine wrote: "Any of Georgette Meyer's Recency books. Witty dialog and wonderful command of language and characterization."

Try Venetia. It' not witty witty, but there is a lot of humor hidden. For me it her best regency romance....

Persuasion by Jane Austen! Always overshadowed by Pride and Prejudice, this beautiful tale of love and longing that stands the rest of time is way high up on my list! Cannot even try to count the number of times I have read this.

I loved the books of Janet Chapman and Judith McNaught. It's a pity there won't be more!!

It's difficult to tell based off of the covers alone and clicking through all of them will take some time, but are there any queer romances listed here? I'm always disappointed when "romance" just means "a man and a woman"...

Many year's ago I read a book where a woman finds a dress in a trunk and puts it on and goes back in time. I forgot the name and author. I go to a used bookstore and find many old books. I have collected Judith McNaught 's books. I am also collecting Elswith /Thane. I will look for Janet Chapman, never read her books.

My all time favorite is A Knight In Shining Armor by Jude Deveroux. A wonderful love story with lots of humor.

Caitlin wrote: "It's difficult to tell based off of the covers alone and clicking through all of them will take some time, but are there any queer romances listed here? I'm always disappointed when "romance" just ..."

For Real by Alexis Hall is m/m.

Sudha wrote: "Rosie wrote: "This may sound like a weird choice, but for me it's Mary Stewart's Touch Not the Cat. I absolutely adore the psychic connection between the lovers and Stewart keeps the reader in susp..."

Yes, I love her!

Amf0001 wrote: "Judi wrote: "Five Pines by J. Heather Cross. It's more than a love story--it's like if you took 50 Shades of Grey and threw in a liberal dose of A Course in Miracles along with some really radical ..."

If you like it, let me know! I know how to get the other 5 novels in the series.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips books. Usually make laugh out loud and cry

Norabear wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "It's difficult to tell based off of the covers alone and clicking through all of them will take some time, but are there any queer romances listed here? I'm always disappointed when..."

Thank you! Unfortunately I'm not into BDSM, but I'm glad to see at least one queer romance on here. FWIW, I recently enjoyed An Unnatural Vice by K.J. Charles - Victorian M/M Romance with a heaping pile of murder mystery!

Hi Gisele - try Seldom Come By by Sherryl Caulfield - a trilogy like The Bronze Horseman - historical/drama/romance/wartorn/scenic set in Newfoundland and Canada. Sure you will enjoy it.

Wendy wrote: "Gisele wrote: "The Bronze Horseman! And I am looking for something similar if anyone has some recommendations. Thanks"
Hi Gisele. I love the Bronze Horseman too. Some of my favourites are as follow..."
Yes to Into the Wilderness, great series. On the war front like The Bronze Horseman is The Nightingale By Kirstin Hannah and I also liked Seldom Come By (The Iceberg Trilogy) by Sherryl Caulfield. The first book is set against the backdrop of WWI, with a beautiful love story that starts in Newfoundland Canada.

Rosie wrote: "This may sound like a weird choice, but for me it's Mary Stewart's Touch Not the Cat. I absolutely adore the psychic connection between the lovers and Stewart keeps the reader in suspense for a bit..."

I totally agree!

My favourite romance is in the fantasy series Tales from Taihandria, by P.J. Merchant and H. Crane, the first book of which is called Daram. The setting is not dissimilar to Gabaldon’s Outlander books, in that the heroes, two members of a rock band, are transported to another world, and have adventures, where they encounter a princess and her ‘tricky slave’, and it is the burgeoning romances between these couples that has something of a modernized feel akin to Austen’s couples in Pride & Prejudice. The story continues in the 2nd book of the series, Varashti, and the adventures that ensue in this colourful world of magic and music are a delight as the romance develops. A great fantasy with great romance!

How can Loretta Chase not be here with Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer?! Her Regency novels are right up there for witty dialogue and great characters

The Beast of Clan Kincaid by Lily Blackwood is the first book in the Highland Warrior series and it is AMAZING! I loved the second book The Rebel of Clan Kincaid just as much as the first. I can't wait for the third book The Warrior of Clan Kincaid to come out in July. I'm so excited! :)

Vivid by Beverly Jenkins

Caitlin wrote: "Norabear wrote: "Caitlin wrote: "It's difficult to tell based off of the covers alone and clicking through all of them will take some time, but are there any queer romances listed here? I'm always ..."

'Him' by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy is one of the first books on the list and it's one of my favourite m/m romances.

Hello. If you love romance, I recommend Judith McNaught and Jude Deveraux books. They are totally amazing! Linda Howard is also good, if you want romance thrillers, that is. Who agrees with me?

Persuasion, Jane Austen

Caitlin wrote: "It's difficult to tell based off of the covers alone and clicking through all of them will take some time, but are there any queer romances listed here? I'm always disappointed when "romance" just ..."

A Seditious Affair by K.J. Charles is the second book in a Regency m/m trilogy. It can probably be read alone, but the whole series is excellent and well worth reading. As is everything else by K.J. Charles.

Among the Living by Jordan Castillo Price is the first book in a modern paranormal m/m romance ongoing series that I also recommend.

(If you're looking for more, you might want to check out the M/M Romance Group.)

Why isn't Lisa Kleypas on this list?!