I just reread Madeline Hunter’s marvelous By Possession. (It, like all her Medievals, is no longer available as an ebook, something I hope changes.) I loved the immersion in a time so very different than our own. I’d like to read more set in that era.
What is your favorite Medieval romance? Why? And what are some hidden gems–superb stories set in Medieval times that most may not have heard of?
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I love the Gildenford books by Valerie Anand. The books are a trilogy covering the history leading up to and including the Norman Conquest. First rate story telling paired with historical events are two of my dearest loves. I also enjoyed Anand’s Bridges Over Time books.King of the Wood is another great story taking place during William Rufus’ reign.
Rosemary Sutcliff’s The Lantern Bearers describes the time period in Britain when the Romans left the country -absolutely heartbreaking.
Hereward the Wake’s story is told in An Endless Exile by Mary Lancaster.
Many years ago, I fell into a deep fascination with early English history. Gillian Bradshaw’s excellent Island of Ghosts and her Arthurian trilogy were gateways for me that led to reading some astonishingly wonderful books.
All of these books contain romances in them although I suspect they wouldn’t be considered historical romances now. For me they were my gateways into reading more traditional historical romances.
It’s been years, but I loved Rosemary Sutcliffe’s books!
Dawn Wind is one of my favorites by Sutcliff. Takes place about 100 years after Arthur.
A Bed of Spices by Barbara Samuel!
Long before she penned her famous Virgin River books (1980 something?), Robyn Carr wrote The Troubadour’s Romance. It’s been years since I’ve read it (at least a decade)
and it probably has some un-PC material, but it was my favorite medieval back when I was reading them. Roberta Gellis wrote many excellent medievals, but my favorite was easily Fires of Winter. Gellis did outstanding research, and I always felt I had learned something after reading one of her novels. Rosemary Sutcliff wrote many excellent. books set in this era, but I can’t remember if any were actually romances – I think they were mostly young adult, but they had excellent history in them. Jude Devereux’s A Knight in Shining Armor. Again, I’ve not read it in well over a decade, so it might not be PC, but it remains one of her most popular works. I remember enjoying it quite a bit when it first came out, although it was a bit silly and on the lighter side. I know some of the velvet books by her were downright misogynistic, and some of the storylines shocked me (the hero of one book, I don’t remember which, raped and caused the suicide of a young woman whose brothers later befriended him. I want to vomit just thinking about it.) so watch what you read in her back list.
I’ve never read the Velvet books but that sounds far beyond the pale. Ugh.
Elizabeth Lowell’s Medieval series, containing Untamed, Forbidden & Enchanted are tied for me with Grace Ingram’s (Elizabeth Chadwick) Red Adam’s Lady
My favorite is “For My Lady’s Heart” by Laura Kinsale. Just a wonderful story with a very noble hero.
I had forgotten about that one, but yes, it is one of the very best medieval romances.
That’s the one I’ve chosen as my favourite Medieval romance.
I rarely read historical romance nowadays and haven’t read a new-to-me medieval romance in many years but to date, my favorite medieval romance is A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught with 1st runner up being Honor’s Splendour by Julie Garwood.
Mine exactly!!
Jenna, we are “kindred spirits”, as Anne of Green Gables would say 🙂
Dark Champion and Lord of Midnight by Jo Beverley are my two favorite medieval romances. The heroes are loosely linked so you can stay in the same world.
I’d have to say Judith McNaught’s Kingdom of Dreams and Julie Garwood’s Honor’s Splendour.
Elizabeth Kingston is the only current writer I recommend for this time period. The King’s Man is excellent. I also love Hunter’s work here, as well as Elizabeth Chadwick and Julie Garwood.
I like Kingston a lot.
Almost certainly not medieval, but with a medieval feel, Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks brought good tears to my eyes four times and Eveline has a smile as nice as Ingrid Bergman.
My absolute favorite is KATHERINE by Anya Seton—although I’m undoubtedly cheating a bit because the book is more historical fiction than romance. Katherine was a real person (mistress, later wife, of John of Gaunt and sister-in-law of Geoffrey Chaucer), but you can’t beat the way Seton immerses you in the medieval world of England.
I totally read KATHERINE as a romance, with its HEA, and that’s enough for me. It was a great book, a 5-star reading for me, because of its historical accuracy and the magnificent reconstruction of those times.
Morover, I think that KATHERINE, in a sense, has got the same ‘problem’ as FOR MY LADY’S HEART. They are both historical and romance, but they end in no man’s land, without being recognized by readers of either genre as their own. I believe that they fit precisely into both genres.
They are so good in the historical part that the reader used to, I don’t know, a lightweight as Julie Garwood, could feel overwhelmed and out of their depth.
That’s a really good point.
Never read it. (adds to towering TBR)
Totally agree about Katherine. I have visited her tomb at Lincoln Cathedral and the ruins of the great hall John of Gaunt built for Katherine at Kenilworth Castle. It is one of my personal top 10 novels.
FOR MY LADY’S HEART, by Laura Kinsale, hands down! I loved it because it’s the perfect blend of romance and a believable historical reconstruction. It was amazing.
Why? It could be because I love historical novels outside the romance genre (Druon, Vidal, Haase, Graves, those authors) and here I saw a blend of two of my favourite genres in just one book.
Moreover I read this book in a Spanish translation that was superb, with literary quality. Usually, romance novels are destroyed by very low quality translations. But with Kinsale they usually used good translators, and it shows.
I know that not everybody feels the same about this book, they either love it or hate it. Many fans of romance novels may find it difficult, and the protagonist unbearably cold and unfriendly. On the other hand, those who love ‘serious’ historical novel may consider it a waste, to spend so much talent in recreating a historically accurate environment to tell ‘a simple love story’.
But for my it was just perfect.
I liked Shadowheart more. I could relate better to the heroine.
I liked this one too very much. As a matter of fact, I like all of Laura Kinsale
Generally, yes.
I find Seize the Fire a bit complicated. I understood where both leads were coming from, but they were quite unlikeable as a couple. Just too different, grating agendas. It got solved well, I was impressed with the outcome, but I still do not actually like that book. The heroine was too blue-eyed idealistically stupid for too long, and I find such people extremely irritating in real life, too.
Kinsale wrote her too well 😉 she was so realistic to me, that I was fervently agreeing with the hero about her idiocy – she is a victim of the author´s gift, in a way
I love Seize the Fire – but, as with all Kinsale’s books, I came late to the party which meant I was able to do them all in audio, so the stories had the added benefit of the wonderful narration by Nicholas Boulton.
It was pretty convoluted. At one point, they end up in Antarctica and even get to see the penguins! From Antarctica to the Levant to somewhere in East Europe!
I loved FMLH but Shadowheart was a huge disappointment. Any time a FMC enjoys her rape, that is a instant DNF for me. Awful.
The very thoughtful review here goes into that, and also into why the book can be unbearable. I get that, it is very well explained,
And, as we’ve been discussing on another thread, it’s a book in which the importance of religion in the society of the time is not underplayed or ignored. I wrote a review of the audiobook version and remember really struggling because it’s problematic but beautifully written, and the story outside the romance is so compelling.
Agree!
Goodreads says I’ve never read this–I thought I’d read all Kinsale’s work. Thanks for the nudge!
Give it a go in audio – Nicholas Boulton is brilliant. (I think I reviewed it for us, actually).
“looks around furtively”
I have never listened to a romance…..
Unless Outlander, book one, counts.
Mind. Blown. 😉 Well, LK and NB is the perfect place to start!
Same here. I don’t listen to many audiobooks in general (usually only if we’re driving a great distance, then my husband & I will generally choose a mystery to listen to on our drive), plus I think a lot of the conventions of romance (especially ones with explicit on-page sex) just wouldn’t work for me if I were listening to them (although I have absolutely no problem reading same). Go figure.
I’m an impatient listener–I need really dense books that require attention as an audiobook user.
Me too!
YESS Kinsale!
Rope Dancer by Roberta Gellis
Fabulous telling of a romance among commoners, not depressing yet real.so much life detail, how things worked, it also has kindness, bigotry, all of it just right for a great romance set in the Middle Ages. Firm historical roots, yet not anything but a romance.
All her other medieval stories are of nobles or higher ranking persons, also good, but often much more a historical with a romance, her focus on history.
This is a regular reread, comfortable despite the harsh realities.
I had a hard time getting through Masques of Gold. Maybe I’ll see if Rope Dancer is a better fit for me. Thanks!
It is a very different book.
I liked MoG a lot as well, but it hits a different spot, and I need to pay much more attention to stuff when reading – lots of history baked in.
I will never, never not love Roberta Gellis medievals and this one is amazing.
It’s always gonna be the Roselynde Chronicles by Roberta Gellis. Runner up is Jill Barnett’s Wild/Wicked/Wonderful trilogy.
OH AND GENTLE WARRIOR BY JULIE GARWOOD
I was wracking my brains to answer this one, but I think I generally go for historical fiction rather than romance when it comes to the medieval era. Others have mentioned Kinsale’s For My Lady’s Heart and Elizabeth Kingston’s books – and those are the ones that came immediately to mind for me. Sharon Penman and Elizabeth Chadwick are my go-tos for medieval HF. I also loved Katharine. I remember reading and enjoying some medievals by Norah Lofts back in my teens – although again, I think they are probably more HF than HR.
For My Lady’s Heart by Laura Kinsale will always be my touchstone, but I also enjoyed Uncommon Vows by Mary Jo Putney, Keeper of the Dream by Penelope Williamson, and A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught. I know there are others that stand out but, these days, I’m more into contemporaries so I don’t read or think as much about historical romances as I used to and so my memory is fuzzy.
If I had to pick only one it would be Desire by Amanda Quick.
Top recs:
Also enjoyable reads:
I loved Simon The Coldheart! Time for a reread.