Well-written historical romance with memorable characters?

[AKAmyself]

I'm pretty sure i've been on here before begging for recommendations after I emerged from my Outlander binge last year, but I find myself a bit lost and in need of more memorable romance! I thought I would be bored of the genre by now, but apparently not...

So, romance readers, what are your favourites? Needs to be well-written, well-researched, with credible dialogue and characters...

I have read a lot of Regency, enjoyed Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, Grace Burrowes, Julia Ann Long, Lisa Kleypas etc. Have loved Laura Kinsale (the closest to Outlander in both themes and quality), and have even strayed into the fantasy world with the Kushiel trilogy.

I am sure there must be more great romance novels out there... any recs gratefully received :)

Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles are fantastic, as are her Niccolo books.

Some of the most memorable characters ever written.

Second Dorothy Dunnett. Wonderful stuff.

Was the Regency stuff you read Georgette Heyer? Do read her books, they're great fun.

I really enjoyed Julia Quinn's Series about the Bridgerton's. Definitely memorable characters.

Not a romance as such, but with plenty of it- I loved the Sunne in Splendour.

Philippa Gregory! I love both the Cousins War and War of the Roses series. They are great, easy reading page turners. Each book is centred in a female historical figure.

PS I think her Wideacre trilogy is set in the regency period if you're a particular fan of that, but I haven't read those.

Jean plaidy

The Wideacre Trilogy is brilliant.

Not really romance, but there are romantic elements at times - anything by Sharon Penman.

'Katherine' by Anya Seton is a wonderful book.

Linda Holeman has written some good stuff - The Linnet Bird and The Moonlight cage, plus others
definitely Sharon Penman
if you like earlier history with a bit of crime Arianna Franklin is good too.
On the Regency side - have you tried Mary Jo Putney

I was going to suggest the Lymond books and Katherine, too, with Mary Balogh as a cheesier option, but they've already gone.

There are the Alexander books by Mary Renault which are breathtakingly good if you don't mind the romance being pretty much exclusively between men.

Not really strictly historical or romance, but you might enjoy the Chronicles of St Mary's by Jodi Taylor.

Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor.

Oh and The Song of Achilles is incredible too. Really took my breath away.

Ooo yes Sharon Penman is goon, particularly The Sunne in Splendour.

Thanks for th great suggestions! I've read some of the books/authors mentioned on here, but there's enough new stuff to get me really excited (and maybe stop re-reading Laura Kinsale...)

Definitely The Song of Achilles, definitely Sharon Penman. Here Be Dragons is fantastic.

was contemplating posting a thread like this! Fan of Loretta Chase here, try the maiden lane/Elizabeth Hoyt series - something like 12 books, only a few duds. YY to Song of Achilles - must dust down my copy.

Hallie Rubenhold's 'The French Lesson' is quite good too.

Thanks, have read Loretta chase and maiden lane. If you're into that genre, I adored Grace Burrowes "the captive" and "the traitor" (though I hated the third in the series with a passion!)

Good god, don't subject yourself to Philippa Gregory. Her books are awful, worse than the Outlander lot (if that's possible).

Another recommendation for Sharon Penman though. They're based on historical events, with the main characters being kings and queens, but usually have a romance at their centre. Developed a massive crush on Richard III and Edward IV after reading The Sunne in Splendour.

Ahem. But I love Outlander

Not really exactly the genre you were after but as I remember the Tenant of Wildfell Hall is well worth reading.
In fact think I am going to download it now and give it another read.

Try Marguerite Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian.

Very well written and researched, one of my favourite books.

Please, stay away from Outlander.

That is exactly the genre, though I read it ages ago! literary romance, if that's a thing? I think I'm bored of regency (never thought I'd say that!) so these suggestions are Great.

But I really, really love Outlander!!!