If you like Philippa Gregory

[Lelophants]

Historical, readable with real themes but not overly graphic or distressing. Can be any point in time as long as interesting. Recomendations?

C. J Sansom, the Shardlake series and anything by Alison Weir.

Just to add, the Shardlake series are Tudor but CJ Sansom has written other historical novels including Winter in Madrid about the Spanish civil War and Dominion an alternative 1950s if Hitler had won the war

I like Susanna Gregory, no relation to Philippa as far as I know. Her medieval murder mysteries are rather good (Matthew Bartholomew series) as are her Thomas Chaloner (although I've only read a few of these) but these are set later, around the time of Charles II .

Another one to try is Pat McIntosh. Her (murder mystery again) novels are set in medieval Glasgow and the language takes a bit of getting used to. I'm Scottish too, but from the east coast, and it took me a wee while to get the rhythm of the language used, but once it clicked into place and I learned the new words (medieval Glaswegian, I presume) I was completely hooked.

Oh another one is Margaret George - her "Autobiography of Henry VIII" is absolutely wonderful. I've got Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I to read yet, but they're enormous books, and the typeface is absolutely miniscule, so I'm yet to tackle them.

Have you read Ken Follet "Kingsbridge" series? And it's probably a moot point as I expect you've already read these, but Hilary Mantel is well worth it too (Wolf Hall). I also second C J Sansom.

Anne Easter Smith does a brilliant York series. (Queen by Right usually first)
Sharon k Penman The Sunne in Splendour
Josephine Tey The Daughter of Time
Con Igguelddn Wars of the Roses

A bit earlier but still in the vein Katherine Anya Seyton

Alison Weir also has a series of Tudor novels and some non fiction books which are also very loose and pretty much like novels for both accuracy and how they read

CJ Sansom, the Matthew Shardlake series is superb. His evocation of the major characters from the turbulent years of Henry V111 is skilfully done. Particularly recommend Revelations and Sovereign.

Elizabeth Chadwick is great, as is Anne O'Brien.

Sharon Penman is great. “Here Be Dragons” is my favourite of hers.