How do you choose regency books?

[Olivia]

Just a question on how you decide which regency books to buy/read? Do you look for favorite authors? Do you read the back of the book blurb? Do you follow reveiws. I tend to stick with favorite authors. I would blindly buy anything by Mary Balogh, Allison Lane, Barbara Metzger and Laura Matthews. But, I also read reviews and the blurb, and sometimes just buy a book because it is a regency.

[Jaimey]

Like you, there are a few authors that I buy automatically such as Barbara Metzger, Loretta Chase, Anita Mills, and Marion Chesney. But I will only auto-buy their old stuff. I have one of Metzger's new ones but haven't read it yet and I like Chase's and Mills' newer stuff but prefer the old. I don't like Chesney's new stuff at all.

Back when I had a serious buying addiction, I paid little to no attention to author names. I went on ebay and bought trad Regencies by the boxful, satisfied if the assortment was big enough or contained just one author I liked.

[Julianna]

I choose my Regency books the same way I choose all the books I read/buy. Most often, I base my choice on favorable reviews from trusted friends or the book being written by an author I've enjoyed before. Once in a while, I may take a chance on a book simply based on the synopsis, but that's pretty rare.

[Eastofoz]

I'm like Julie, I base it on reviews and then I have fave authors too that I usually get automatically when a book comes out.

[Bill]

I get most of my book recommendations from the Amazon book forums. Most of my TBR list comes from those forums. I look for a thread that touches on my favorite themes. There are usually plenty of books to choose from.

[Ilze]

I have three auto-buy authors - Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh and Loretta Chase. Eloisa James is an almost auto-buy (I haven't bought her latest one because the theme doesn't appeal to me at all) and so is Madeline Hunter. For others, review sites like All About Romance, Mrs Giggles (although my reactions to some books are the exact opposite of hers, e.g. Mary Balogh's), Romance Reader, and blogs like Aneca's World, Rosario's Reading Journal and Gossamer Obsessions provide me with book titles and authors to check. There are several people on GR and Amazon whose reviews I check because their tastes appear to be similar to mine. The Amazon rating for a book counts to some degree - I would never obtain a book that has less than 3 stars on Amazon. I keep a list of the books that have good reviews and look for them at bookstores, used bookstores and flea markets. However, I have also spent a good deal of money to get all of Georgette Heyer's Regency books in hardcover and all of Mary Balogh's backlist, mostly from eBay.

[Grace]

I'm new to Goodreads but its one of the things that really impresses me - the recommends. Before this I used to just browse the books which is a bit hit and miss.

[Grace]

Hello again,
I must say a good review can influence me no end, so imagine how thrilled I was for my debut RR, 'A Dead Man's Debt' to be awarded KEEPER status by The Romance Reviews.
But dont take my word for it, follow the link to read the review:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...

Review EXCERPT.
Ms Elliot is a wonderful talent, indeed. Not only is her debut story well written, but she magically weaves a creative and intelligent story that will entertain you from the first page until the last. She is a skilled storyteller that fills her novels with page-turning drama and breathtaking sensuality. Grace Elliot is an author to remember where you will anticipate any and all future novels.

If you have any appreciation for historical romance, you will not only enjoy this novel immensely, but will want to make a space for it on your keeper shelf! A Dead Man¡¯s Debt will charm you, surprise you, entertain you...and by the end, will warm your heart with the overall beauty of this story.

[Beverley]

Ilze wrote: "I have three auto-buy authors - Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh and Loretta Chase. Eloisa James is an almost auto-buy (I haven't bought her ..."

I love the three auto-buys you mention! I was also lucky enough to inherit the entire original hardcover Georgette Heyer collection from my mum, who was born in 1932, and received one every birthday or Xmas for decades, as they were released.

[Ilze]

Beverley wrote: "I was also lucky enough to inherit the entire original hardcover Georgette Heyer collection from my mum "

Such a wonderful gift from your mother!

[Denise]

To tell the honest truth, I usually start with the title and cover picture. If that catches my interest, then I read the back and make a decision.

[Amanda]

I'm still catching up on all the great romances I missed in the last half-century (not being born yet) so my must-have authors are a little older: Georgette Heyer (obviously), Barbara Hazard, Joan Smith, Dinah Dean ... other than that I go by publisher and back blurbs. But I avoid books which plots revolve around simple misunderstandings because it makes the book stand out to me as nothing more than a ploy. I also read the Amazon reviews of authors I'm interested in to know if I'll like the style or not. Starting out, thenonesuch.com was my favorite resource site.

[[deleted user]]

I read reviews. Unfortunately, that doesn't always help. Georgette Heyer is the Queen of Regency romance, but no one else even comes close to her level. Dinah Dean is very good as well. too bad she didn't write many Regencies. Jane Aiken Hodge and Joan Aiken have a few good Regencies. Joan Smith is uneven, but when she's good, she's awesome. Very witty! I try to look for authors or books similar to those I've enjoyed, with mixed results. Sometimes if I'm trying out a new author, I'll get the book from the library if it's available. I've also found that I prefer British (or even Canadian) authors, as the language always sounds more authentic.

[QNPoohBear]

I look at the plot summary and then the reviews. I like comedy of manners stories. Clare Darcy comes the closest to Georgette Heyer, Jude Morgan is a contemporary author who writes like a combination of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. Barbara Metzger and Carola Dunn are two very funny authors. When I find an author I like, I stick to them until I find one I don't like or I read them all.

[Annette]

I have been disappointed by some authors - once read two books by the same author and a scene in a carriage was identical in both books. Only the names had been changed. Mary Balogh, Barbara Metzger are a couple of my automatic choices. But, I do try to discriminate about how I spend my money. Even stars cannot be perfect every time. I just feel blessed that I find authors who make me smile. Older Julie Garwood and Amanda Quick make me laugh and that is priceless.

[HJ]

One of the problems I have is that I know Georgette Heyer's books so well that I get irritated when I see elements of them repeated in other books. Sometimes it's the main plot, sometimes one of the sub-plots, or a character. In other cases one sees the language dragged in, to establish that it is a Regency romance. I don't mean that "her" language should never be used; much of it is genuine to the period and would have to be used. But sometimes one of her more colourful expressions is crowbarred into otherwise rather modern writing.

I rely very heavily on recommendations to find new books. I'm particularly pleased that many of the older books are being reissued as ebooks, as that not only makes it easier to get the books but also sparks a discussion which makes me aware of them in the first place!