Romantic fiction that isn't twee or cheesy?

[MissAtomicBomb1]

About to go on holiday and would like something light to read around the pool.

The last romantic fiction type book I read was about 15 years ago - p.s I love you by Celia Aherne. Hated it! I just thought it was really cliched and predictable.

Can anyone recommend anything that they've enjoyed? I love bridgerton on Netflix so if all else fails I'll get a couple of those!

I'd suggest Isla Dewar. I found her books a freshening take on traditional romance novels, and really more about friendships. Not at all twee. The first one I read was Women Talking Dirty which my mum had in a box of books given to her by a family member. I only picked it up as it had a bright pink cover, and didn't have any expectations from it, but was proved wrong. I have pretty much all her books, and am sad there won't be any more (she died in 2021).

Crimson Petal and the White?

Historical romance, which definitely isn't twee. But the writing pace is quick and engaging. Easy enough for the beach without feeling like your brain is bleeding out through your ears

Check out book in.com and freebooksy.com - you can sign up to get daily emails containing free or very cheap (99p) ebooks - you can set up your preferences as to what sort of thing you like and what type of e-reader format you want. I’ve just chosen Google books and I now have a load of free books that I’ve chosen and can download/save on my phone when I need them.
If I don’t like them - no worries, they were free, I just delete. I keep a few downloaded so they are ready when I suddenly want to read, the rest appear in a list on Google books so I put see the blurb and choose what to download next - either in advance or when I have a good WiFi connection!

for trashy romantic reading I’ve enjoyed the Bella Andre Sullivans series, and also several series of American ice Hockey team romances - which surprised me as I hate sports - but the sport is incidental and just a mechanism for having a team of different characters to get to know and see how they progress, and follow through various relationships and their highs and lows. - authors like Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy and Lili Valente are fun reads.

Have you read Katherine by Anya Seton?

If you like Austen and Heyer, then Jude Morgan is a good pick. A Little Folly and Indiscretion are easy, enjoyable and well-written.

My personal favourite is Eva Ibbotson. She wrote a series of historical romance novels which hit all the right notes but have well-drawn characters and are quite thoughtful. The Morning Gift is my favourite, but Songs of Summer, The Secret Countess and A Company of Swans are really enjoyable too.

The series by Elizabeth Howard. Not romance as such but a family saga. Total comfort read.

I second Jennifer Crusie great books, Welcome to Temptation, Bet Me just a couple that are enjoyable. India Holton has some books that are fun, The League of Gentlewomen Witches and the wisteria society of Lady Scoundrels

Second Eva Ibbotson. The setting is always an important part of her books. Some of her children's bpoks, such as Star of Kazan, are worth reading too.

I love Eva Ibbotson but I do think she comes perilously close to twee. I don't mind that, as I enjoy her writing very much, but if that's a main objection of the OP I'm not sure Ibbotson's romance novels will quite cut it. Her kids' books are excellent too.

Heyer is a genius for light comic romances. The Unknown Ajax is great fun with a dash of adventure, choose Venetia for a heroine who rescues herself, The Grand Sophy is almost everyone's favourite (except for a very uncomfortable antisemitic scene, but it's a book of its time) and Cotillion is a good introduction to the world of the ton while also being funny and charming.

Taylor Jenkins Reid does a good line in escapism if not necessarily romance

As a couple of PP's have said if you like historical romance with a decent story and adventure added in you can't beat Georgette Heyer. She was really into the history so the stories are accurate to the prevailing fashions and feel of the various times being written about.

Yes I read it about 30 years ago when I was still at at school! I agree it's brilliant. Love Austen's dry wit and her observations.

I'm going to make a list of all of all of your suggestions and work my way through them I think!

I love a bit of Georgette Heyer but I found myself rather gripped by A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas. Great literature it ain't but it was fab to have that feeling of getting swept up in a story where I wanted to find out when (not if) they'd fall into bed together.

It's not too bad on the cheese stakes as it's based on the ballad of Tam Lin. But it is heavy on the faerie fantasy tropes.

If you prefer your romance with more literary merit (and no faerie bonkage in the bosky glades), I can recommend Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones - a comfort read for me.

I really like reading a Veronica Henry on holiday.

Try The Beach Hut or Love on the Rocks

Georgette Heyer - Jane Austin style with more interesting characters and plots, i just saw another poster mentioned her , i love her books.
Often in the 99p offers on kindle.

I really enjoyed the idea of you. Has recently been made into a film but the book is much deeper and intelligent ( and a lot more raunchy! )

Read Mr Loverman by Bernadine Evangelista.

A proper love story

Lucky you, not having read Georgette Heyer yet. You have all the joy of discovering her. Frederica, and The Nonesuch are my picks.

Another vote for Georgette Heyer (clue in my username 😉) but also Katherine by Anya Seaton, and the Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley.

Try Mary Stewart - E.g. Nine Coaches Waiting, Airs Above Ground, This Rough Magic.
Set in Europe and the UK 1950s - 1970s.
Her books could be classed as Romantic suspense / thrillers. All standalone novels not part of a series (except for her 'Merlin' books).

Mary Stewart - Set in Europe and the UK 1950s - 1970s.

Mediterranean settings at a time, pre-package holidays, when most of her readers wouldn't expect to visit the Greek Islands, and before the islands became mass tourist destinations.

If its not too late and you have already had your holiday, can I recommend anything by Katie Fforde. Always light and amusing and there is usually a decent amount of background to the story apart from just the romance.

Several also cleverly mix two generations of romance, i.e. a 20-something romance side by side with a middle aged woman having a romance. E.g. Going Dutch, A Springtime Affair.

The early Jilly Cooper books with the girls names. Emily, Octavia, Imogen, Harriet etc.

Mary Stewart is brilliant - she's great at brave and resourceful heroines, very romantic locations, romantic suspense/adventure (so gripping) but also intelligent. My Brother Michael and Nine Coaches Waiting are my favourites, though I've read them all. I much enjoyed all the Eva Ibbotson romances, Morning Gift, Song of Summer and Secret Countess I think are the best. Her adult novel Madensky Square, set in Vienna between the wars is a bit grittier but hugely enjoyable evocation of a time and place, with a bittersweet romance in it.