HR with no "damsel in distress" trope

[Anna]

I'm looking for HR books where hero doesn't rescue heroine from any thugs, evil stepfathers, superstitious priests, starvation or even simple poverty (at least before they get to know each other, if something amongst those lines happens during the course of the book it's acceptable). If possible no TSTL heroines either:). Thanks in advance for any suggestions:).

[Jenna]

HR (Historical Romance) that might fit this trope:
Carla Kelly's Libby's London Merchant. Regency. Genteel family, heroine has nice family, hero does not rescue heroine. (The sequel, One Good Turn, is really good, but in that one the hero does rescue the heroine from poverty.)

Regency. Lord Carew's Bride -- as I recall, since it's been year's since I have read it, the hero and heroine meet, etc. before any potential rescuing happens.

[Anna]

Thanks, they sound good:).

[Jenna]

A Civil Contract is one of my favourites. It's about an arranged marriage (if anything heroine rescues hero from poverty) -- but otherwise it's a lovely, complex story about two people in an arranged marriage that work out how to make the best of it.

[Anna]

A Civil Contract sounds promising:). It's exactly the kind of a romance story I like the best.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Anna, I'm going to do Jenna one better and suggest that if you DO like A Civil Contract you check out the rest of Georgette Heyer's works. She does great HR stories (mostly set in Regency England) and, while a few of them do have the hero rescuing the heroine, in at least one of them the heroine is the one who does the rescuing )The Talisman Ring is this book) She also doesn't have her heroines be TSTL, nor are the push-overs. In fact, some of them can be a bit over-bearing--although they also have people's best interests at heart, and tend to be kind and well loved.

[Anna]

I was hesitant to start reading The Talisman Ring because I really struggled with understanding A Civil Contract (especially heroine's father provided a challenge;). It turns out that both books were worth the effort so thanks for suggestion:).

[Adriane]

All of the Lauren Willig series (The Secret History of the Pink Carnation). Female spies, covert operations, a modern sense of humor. A little out of my comfort zone, but I think you may enjoy it :)

[Ann aka Iftcan]

If you don't mind a bit of Steampunk, I'm going to suggest Gail Carriger's series. The 3 she's written so far all center around one main female character with various recurring secondary characters. They are also funny and good reads. Soulless is the first book--and all 3 series are set in the same universe, with 2 of the series being related (the second series is about the adventures of the daughter of the 2 mc's in the first series.) The third series is actually set in a time before the other 2, although it was written between the Parasol Protectorate series and the Custard Protocol series. And, from the titles of the 2 series that interlock, you can gather a bit about Gail's sense of humour. Oh, these are also Paranormal as well as Steampunk.

[Anna]

Thanks for both recommendations:). I've just started to read The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and I think I'm going to like it. As for Gail Carriger's books - I've already read some of her books about a year ago and they were just my kind of thing:). I'm going to check in my library if they obtained anything new.

[Emmy]

Lady with a Black Umbrella should be a fun one. Very determined heroine, with an "I got this!" attitude. Very funny, too.