There’s something about a good histrom that just perfectly scratches a certain itch for me. And once I find an author whose books I enjoy, I will binge their entire backlist. That being said, it’s still an area where, at least in tradpub, it’s very cishet and white. So, here I’ve done my utmost to find you 10 recs that are very much not cishet (although they do remain quite white, so if anyone has recs of their own, please do drop them in the comments!). For that time when you just need a good histrom.
The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting
K. J. Charles
Goodreads
Rep: gay mcs
CWs: child abuse, implied domestic abuse
Why Should I Read It?
I could rec almost any of K. J. Charles’ books for this list, but I decided to limit myself to just one. And it had to be this one, really. It’s pure serotonin in book form. I read it twice in the space of about a week when it released. On any given day, I’m thinking about reading it again. It’s your classic histrom trope, where a fortune hunter attempts to seduce a young heiress, only this time, he falls for her protective uncle instead.
After the Wedding
Courtney Milan
Goodreads
Rep: bi mc, f/m, lesbian side characters
Why Should I Read It?
As with the above entry, there are plenty of Courtney Milan’s books I could have chosen here (and it was a really really difficult choice to make). The reason I went for this one in the end was simply because, even two years after reading this book, Cam and Adrian have me in a chokehold. Truly, no one does romance like Courtney Milan does romance.
Reputation
Lex Croucher
Goodreads
Rep: sapphic mc, f/m, biracial Black sapphic character, lesbian character, side f/f, gay character
CWs: sexual assault, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, implied rape, attempted rape
Why Should I Read It?
Slightly more romcom than histrom, I bought this book on a whim, based on the cover really, and absolutely loved it. It’s full of classic histrom tropes, but also full of heart. At its centre, it’s about a young girl coming to know herself (although there is some heavy content along the way). There’s love, and friendship, and also it’s one of those books that causes you to become a physical manifestation of that Saiorse Ronan meme. Because women—
It Takes Two to Tumble
Cat Sebastian
Goodreads
Rep: gay mc, dyslexic gay mc
CWs: past adult-minor relationship
Why Should I Read It?
I read two books in this series (the first and third), and loved both, so I would have included both on this list, if I weren’t keeping to one book per author. As such, this one makes the cut simply because you can’t understand the exquisiteness of the third book without reading it. That being said, it’s still a very enjoyable romance as well. Think single (absentee) father, three hellions as children, and a vicar who likes to flirt, and you’ll have some idea of how this book goes.
Two Wings to Fly Away
Penny Mickelbury
Goodreads
Rep: Black sapphic mc, sapphic li
CWs: period typical racism, racial slurs, violence, descriptions of past slavery
Why Should I Read It?
While this is still, probably, a romance, it is somewhat heavier in content than the others, which I think is worth noting from the start. Really, the central aspect of this book is a slightly unexpected found family (and the romance, of course). It’s about finding a place and a home for yourself, among people you love. And I think that’s beautiful.
Guarding the Countess
Jess Michaels
Goodreads
Rep: bi mcs, m/m/f polyamory
CWs: stalking
Why Should I Read It?
I have two polyamorous recs on this list, and this is the first of those. It follows two protection officers (each in seemingly unrequited love with the other), who are hired by a widow who believes her husband to have been murdered. Of course, over the course of the novella, that protection becomes something more. What struck me most about this book though, was that the bi characters got pagetime talking about being bi and attraction to multiple genders. Also the unrequited love. Some truly beautiful angst.
A Scot’s Surrender
Lily Maxton
Goodreads
Rep: bi mc, gay mc
CWs: period typical homophobia, past disownment
Why Should I Read It?
Slowburning opposites attract romance? Add onto that a mystery subplot, where said opposites must work together to find out who’s framing one of them? And then they fall in love? Some of my favourite tropes all in one here. It’s also a very sweet romance, very tender and very very well done.
That Could Be Enough
Alyssa Cole
Goodreads
Rep: Black lesbian mcs
Why Should I Read It?
It’s truly a travesty that this is the only f/f historical romance we have so far from Alyssa Cole (and I’m not above begging for the potential of more). Think of this one as someone coming into your life and completely upending everything you know. I think those are really my favourite sorts of romance, and Alyssa Cole does it oh so well in just a novella.
The Companion
E. E. Ottoman
Goodreads
Rep: bi trans mc, bi trans li, trans li, f/f/m polyamory
Why Should I Read It?
My prevailing thought about this book is how kind it feels. My favourite romance authors are those who, above all, treat their characters (and by extension their readers, I think) with kindness. And E. E. Ottoman does so spectacularly here. It’s a book about healing, really. About three individuals, each with their own hurts and scars, coming together to help each other in that respect, whether they realise it initially or not.
Her Countess to Cherish
Jane Walsh
Goodreads
Rep: bi mc, bi bigender mc, achillean, lesbian & gnc side characters
Why Should I Read It?
Respectfully, I would like this book entered in under “idiots to lovers”. Not least because, somehow, Beatrice fails to notice that a) she never sees these two “cousins” in the same place at the same time, b) they look pretty similar, more so than you might expect cousins to look, and c) they smell the same. Of course, for the sake of the plot, she doesn’t. But no matter in the end. What I especially loved about this book is how accepting every character in it is. Yes, it doesn’t shy away from the realities of the time (mollhouse raids and homophobia), but the characters that matter love one another without reservation.
What would you rec?
3 Comments
Lay @ bookshelfsoliloquies
Historical romance is probably one of my least read genres but some of these sound so great! I already have Reputation on my TBR and I’ve heard quite a few people really enjoy it so I hope it works for me as well!
readsrainbow
i always find myself coming back to histrom when i want a comfort read tbh! i hope it works out for you too, reputation is probably one of my favourite ones on here!
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