Historical Romance Books For Fans Of Bridgerton And Pride & Prejudice

A Holiday by Gaslight is a swoony Christmas novella with a strong female lead, stolen kisses, and lots of yearning.

It takes place during the reign of Queen Victoria, when her husband, Prince Albert, is bringing gaslight technology to the forefront of England’s innovations.

Sophie has been engaged to the taciturn Mr. Edward Sharpe, a London merchant, for two months. She’s ready to break things off with the nearly silent man, but it would cost her and her family greatly. Instead, she invites Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House to celebrate the Christmas holiday with her family, in hopes of getting to know each other better.

I really enjoyed the immersive dynamic of stepping into this era of London and seeing how times were changing and moving into modernity. 

I loved Sophie’s practical sensibility and her family’s willingness to support her decisions, even though they needed the arranged marriage to happen. Mr. Edward “Ned” Sharpe is a rugged grump, but watching his depth come through as the two do their best to meet each other and try was wonderful.

Mrs. Wickham is a quick, fun audiobook novella available exclusively on Audible. This little tale jumps right in to tell us the story of Lydia Bennett and her husband Wickham after the events of Pride and Prejudice.

Lydia finds herself in a loveless marriage, cut off from her family, and with little money to live on. Things aren’t turning out to be the exciting adventure the devious Wickham had made their arrangement out to be. But Lydia isn’t one to give up - not on herself, not on her family, and not even, to her surprise, on her own husband.

I was cackling my way through this audiobook. Voiced by a full cast and some amusing sound effects, Lydia tells her story through her quick wit, dry humor, and arresting banter. You’ll quickly come to sympathize with her and her plight as Wickham finds himself “whoring” and drinking their meager money away.

I was pleasantly surprised by the second-chance romance this book turned out to have. As Lydia and Wickham begin negotiating how to manage their miserable lives better, they find themselves building genuine trust and care for each other. You’ll have to give this one a listen to get the full effect of Lydia grasping her happily-ever-after.

Izzy Goodnight has recently lost her father, and to her dismay, he left her nothing except the old and decrepit Gostley Castle, which is already inhabited by the grouchy, reclusive Duke of Rothbury, Ransom.

Rakish, rude, and handsome, the Duke is determined to get his castle back for himself and rid it of this new, sweet, and hopeful hostess. Unfortunately, until matters can be settled, the two must share the creaky old castle, which might just land them in each other’s arms...

Romancing the Duke has some Beauty and the Beast vibes, with Ransom as the blind, scarred, and tawny-haired love interest (yes, I was excited about a blond male lead!), and I loved every minute of it.

I was here for the grumpy/sunshine dynamic between the two main characters as they battle over who will keep the castle. The story comes together so wonderfully as the two begin to show their affection for each other. Plus, the forced proximity was delightful as the steaminess picked up throughout the book. 

Isabel Luna Valdés is the second of the three Luna sisters and the bookish wallflower. While she might not be at ease in front of crowds and enduring endless chatter, she discovers that her invisibility gives her other opportunities.

During the high tensions between England and Mexico due to the French Occupation, Isabel begins snooping and searching for any information she can find about the war to send home to her country. What she sure didn’t expect to come from her spying was to find an ally and a friend in the unapologetic rakish Captain Sirius Dawson. As he too searches for information on the French, Sirius finds himself captivated by the wit and intelligence Isabel displays. Things get steamy between them, but what if they're not meant to be together?

This series holds a very special place in my heart for its cultural diversity. Beyond my personal ethnicity as a Mexican and a Latina, I related to Isabel in many ways, just as I did to her older sister in the first book.

Heiress Henrietta “Hettie” Montfort has been raised by her beloved aunt and uncle in the wealth and comfort of London. One day, a cousin who shares her African roots begins to threaten to spill a secret about her parentage and birth that could ruin her if she doesn’t marry him and give over her fortune.

Lord Findley is a Scottish laird and has always had a soft spot for the gentle and bright Hettie, with whom he’s had a longstanding friendship. When he discovers that Hettie is about to be forced to marry the blaggard, Lord Fin steps in to offer himself in marriage instead. But will their marriage be put to the test against secrets and trials?

One Season with the Duke is a truly wonderful friends-to-lovers, marriage-of-convenience tale in which Fin very much falls first (and so hard), leading to frustrating moments when he can’t get a hold of his own feelings. But that’s why we’re here, for the drama!

I highly recommend the audiobook version of this historical romance narrated by Nneka Okoye; she’s a marvel with accents, so you’ll be fully immersed in the narrative and the cultures it depicts.

In 1889 Paris, Luz Alana Heith-Benzan is the heiress to the Caña Brava rum empire. As she’s doing her absolute best to expand her business ventures as a woman of color, she comes across the ruggedly handsome Scotsman James Evanston Sinclair, Earl of Darnick, who, aside from doing some of his father’s dirty work, is also building his own whisky brand.

Sparks quickly ignite between Luz Alana and Evan, and soon they propose a temporary marriage that would equally benefit them in their business endeavors. But as they explore intimacy, will they be able to keep their feelings in check?

Each book in the Las Léonas trilogy follows one of the cousins from Santo Domingo and tells the story of their romance.