Modern Good Reads discussion

As far as I'm concerned the Georgette Heyer Regency romances are the classics. I know many will point to Jane Austen.

I read Jane Austen and 'the usual suspects' in the Nineteenth Century Women Writers while at university ( a course which, I guess, set my internal template for how a romance novel should work). I love Austen (although Emma Woodhouse annoys the hell out of me), and I actually read Charlotte Bronte's Villette before attending uni (definitely my favourite of the sisters' books, and the only novel of the era where the female protagonist's situation actually gets progressively better through the whole narrative). Apologies to the fans (and they are legion), but don't get me started on Wuthering Heights.

I agree with Kathy, though. I don't think Georgette Heyer set out to formularise the modern romantic story, but she really is the high water-mark for me. Pick up any one of her Regency-era stories (she also wrote a couple of novels set in other periods, such as the English Civil War), and you'll be struck by her light touch. Heyer had a wonderful way of conveying details of her characters through what was left unsaid as much as what she presented on the page.

My wife introduced me to Heyer around the time we started courting. I confess I've only read a couple (and listened to a few more - Jess likes to listen to spoken-word books while cross-stitching).

The take-away for me from Heyer's novels is that the love-interests don't need to feel the heat of passion from the get-go; in fact, often they can't stand each other (shades of Elizabeth and D'arcy), which only adds to the delicious frustration of the reader. Part of the joy of these stories is recognising the suitability of the 'eventual pair' belong together long before they realise it themselves.

I have to say that my favorite regency romance authors are (in this order): Judith McNaught, Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn and Gaelen Foley. Has anyone read any of their books and if so, which was your favorite?

Lisa Kleypas is just about my favourite historical romance author, though her books aren't actually set in the Regency (they're set just after that time period).
My all-time favourite book by her is

She has a few series that are loosely connected. The read order is this:
Again the Magic
Secrets of a Summer Night
It Happened One Autumn
Devil in Winter
Scandal in Spring
Mine Till Midnight
Seduce Me at Sunrise
Tempt Me at Twilight
Married By Morning
Love in the Afternoon

I would also recommend her theatre books:
Somewhere I'll Find You
Because You're Mine

Favourites by other authors include these:

I am just writing a Regency romance...I never would have believed all the research you need to do...new respect for all these authors.

As a matter of note it's actually one of the genres that I hate written in US English. I had to give up on a book recently because of the US isms used and mistakes made. It made it look ridiculous.

The book was set in Regency London with all the usual stuff like, giving the cut, balls, Lords, Earls etc. but it also included travelling '4 blocks' in a carriage, the dreaded word 'amazing' left right and centre, getting the line of inheritance so badly wrong but the most heinous crime was the wrong form of address. It only takes a quick look in Google to find out the right one if unsure...and it sounds terrible if you get it wrong...wince worthy!

I normally don't mind if there are USisms in a book and I expect that US readers make allowances for UK authors too, but this is just one area where I can't stand it.