Aug 202009
A chat about underrated historical romance authors on Twitter today makes me want to list historical romance authors who I think are underrated or forgotten. Well, it’s possible that many of those authors’ books may fail the test of time, but they left a huge impact on me at the time.
- Megan Chance
- Candice Proctor
- Meagan McKinney
- Penelope Williamson
- Julia Ross
- Jo Goodman
- Marsha Canham (apart from her Scottish historical romances and Pale Moon Rider, which won mucho praise, but I couldn’t get into it.)
- Barbara Samuels
- Gayle Feyrer
- Taylor Chase (Feyrer’s other pen name)
- Katherine O’Neal
- Danelle Harmon
- Lorraine Heath (older works)
- Betina Krahn
- Cheryl Reavis
- Patricia Potter
- Pamela Morsi
- Beverly Jenkins
- Elizabeth Grayson
- Suzanne Robinson
- Jodi Thomas
- Maggie Osborne
- Susan Carroll
- Jane Ashford (The Bargain)
- Tracy Grant
- Diana Norman
- Diana Brown
- Eva Ibbotson
- Lisa Gregory (for The Rainbow Season alone)
And one Western historical romance I truly enjoyed: Her Heart’s Desire by Rene J. Garrod. It’s a comfort read, and probably the only “screwball comedy” I liked, too.
I’ve only heard of Jo Goodman and Marsha Canham, both of whom I love, although Canham did write a few dodgy Scottish historicals that I didn’t particularly care for.
Oh, I forgot Canham wrote Scottish historical romances. I was thinking of her non-Scottish historical romances. Good point. Will make a note.
Sooooo with you on Cheryl Reavis. She doesn’t write nearly fast enough.
Love, adore and miss Maggie Osborne. Although I guess it’s better that she retired instead of, say, leaving westerns to publish a paranormal romance.
Need to read more Beverly Jenkins. Have only read two of hers so far. Good, strong heroines and great history in the two books I have read.
Sigh, and Pamela Morsi! Loved Courting Miss Hattie…..
I better stop now. I could go on for a while…..
I’m still in denial over Maggie O’s retirement. When she made the announcement, I actually cried, “Noooooooooooo!” I think that cry still echoes inside me.
But Courting Miss Hattie? LOVED IT! Because of Pamela Morsi’s books, I’m on a constant look-out for good roms set in Americana/Frontier and similar settings, e.g. Australia.
You can go on as long as you like, silly. =D
I haven’t read many of the authors on your list. Here are the few that I have read and enjoyed:
Candice Proctor (now writes Regency Mysteries as C.S. Harris)
Maggie Osborne
Jo Goodman
Marsha Canham
Susan Carroll
Tracy Grant
Diana Norman (now writes Medieval Mysteries under the name Ariana Franklin)
Eva Ibbotson
Two others I sorely miss are Joan Wolf and Isolde Martyn.
Pamela Morsi is an author I must try out.