Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group discussion

Are you into rakes and virgins?
Do you like gothic storylines with dark and tortured heroes?
Do you prefer light and witty Regencies?

Let us know what you enjoy as far as historical romance.

One of my favourite historical romances is Sins of a Wicked Duke by Sophie Jordan

What did you like about Sins of a Wicked Duke, Jessie?

I liked that I could see them fall in love. Plus the fact that he was a handsome rake who fell completely in love with her didn't hurt. The epilogue was good

I have that in my tbr pile, Jessie.

What storylines do you like in general?

My favorite HR storylines:

Spinster/old maid/wallflower meets dark/tortured/roguish hero
Marriage of convenience turns to love
Beauty and the beast
I love westerns!!!!
When the hero and heroine are from opposite walks of life but fall in love
Unrequited lovers
Exotic settings/other countries
Medieval
Turn of the century/Early 20th Century
Victorian

I like rakes and virgins

I like a variety. It would probably be easier to say what I don't like. A lot depends on my mood, too. Sometimes I want that light, witty regency and other times I want something heavier. Something dark but not too dark.

I like rakes but sometimes I get tired of the same ole, same ole. I still prefer the virgin heroine but it won't ruin the story if she's not. One of my faves is the stodgy proper bachelor and the young carefree spirit. Like the Sabrina storyline or It Happened One Autumn. Love medieval period romance. And there's something about a good ole western....

edited to add...

also love
The beauty and the beast
Ugly duckling to a swan/Pygmalion
Cinderella
Other fairy tale retellings
Tortured/scarred hero
Spinster/Wallflower
Gunslinger/lawman in the west
Loner/hermit forced to share his home with heroine
Medieval
Western
Georgian/Regency
Victorian

I prefer a virgin heroine as well, Pamela. I have to admit, I am getting less enthralled with a very young ingenue heroine as I get older. That's why I like the spinster/old maid storyline more.

I love medievals as well!

I'm not as into rakes. I don't mind a rake that has depth, but I get bored when the rake is just a bored nobleman with nothing better to do than fornicate and carouse.

I think that's why Lisa Kleypas works so well for me. Most of her heroes are self-made and industrious.

I think Anne Stuart does rakes very well. They truly are rakes in the sense of the word!

I'd actually like to see more celibate/virgin heroes.

I like the "rakes" who aren't always what they seem. Like the ones who are really spies and use their debauched lifestyle as a cover.

Diseases (STDs) were a big problem back in those days so the idea of a true rake isn't too pretty.

I think celibate/virgin heroes can definitely be attractive. I got a few faves in that category.

Yeah, I find promiscuous heroes a real turnoff, which is why rakes don't work for me unless they are done especially well.

I don't have a lot of experiance with historial romance but I have found that the ones that I like are set in exotic locations. I am usually not a huge fan of ones set in America. I also found that I want some action in the story. I am not a big fan of books that only focus on the hero and heroines relationship. I don't mind rakes. In fact, they usually have a sense of humor that I really enjoy in a hero. I also like dark heroes or as they say anti-heroes.

Historical Romance with a hint of BDSM (for some reason it still bowls me over to think that some of the most erotic things happened years ago)

Paranormal Romance: If there is a ghost, mind reader, new species I'm all for it.

Alpha male loses his heart to defiant female (and of course has to cave in for loves sake *school gurl sigh)

Females gives up everything to cut strings between her and ex, only to find a better new guy with so much more just before rock bottom.

Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "My favorite HR storylines:

Spinster/old maid/wallflower meets dark/tortured/roguish hero
Marriage of convenience turns to love
Beauty and the beast
I love westerns!!!!
When the hero and heroine ar..."

I'm with you Danielle through and through.. I haven't really read a good western in years but your post makes me think I should pick one up.. any recommendations?

Natina, my favorite western historical author is Jodi Thomas.

Her books aren't particularly steamy, but the romance and the characters and settings are great.

Jodi Thomas

I love the tortured hero - beauty & the beast books. Love them in all genres.

Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "Natina, my favorite western historical author is Jodi Thomas.

Her books aren't particularly steamy, but the romance and the characters and settings are great.

Jodi Thomas"

Thanks planning to spend independence day submerged in smut books and charred hot dogs.. America is so beautiful!!

Love the reforming of the rakes! I prefer my historicals on the lighter side, though. The society dramas and all that :)

You're welcome, Natina.

I love a historical where the H/H are married quickly and then fall in love slowly. Either through an arranged marriage/marriage of convenience or through being caught in a comprimising position though the latter is my favorite. The characters already have passion between them and the relationship unfolds from there. There's just nothing that can compare to that in contemporary novels, other than the "waking up married in Vegas" plotline that I'm not a big fan of.

Love that too, Remy!

Marriage of Convenience - especially with unrequited love
Mail Order Brides
H/h disliking each other but thrown together
Ugly Ducking male or female
Female who's heavyset or a little plump
The Rake who really is misunderstood
The REALLY BAD bad guy who becomes the hero

A mail order bride/marriage of convenience story will get me every time. I also love a good beauty is in the eye of the beholder story, especially where some kind of physical deformity is involved.

I absolutely love the "Rakes and virgins" storylines. If the heroines are simple and beautiful in their own unique way, the story is much more enjoyable. An experience man who is used to high class beauties falls for a simple lass. Beautiful idea.

Great list, Sherri! Cosign!

Yeah, Sherri basically wrote my list for me, too.

LOL! What can I say - I'm easily bored. I require good reading!

I love the Ugly Duckling theme everywhere, historicals or contemp :)

My list is growing as my "read" shelf expands, but here's what I've got so far.

1800s frontier/Western storyline
Native-American hero (think Catherine Anderson Comanche series)
Scotland
time travel
paranormal (this is a new "love" of mine)
virgin or less-experienced hero
bad-boy hero purposefully gentles his ways to show a heroine with a difficult past what love is all about

Love your list, Rachel!

Natina wrote: "Historical Romance with a hint of BDSM (for some reason it still bowls me over to think that some of the most erotic things happened years ago)

Paranormal Romance: If there is a ghost, mind reade..."

Natina, can you recommend any BDSM related historicals?

Aruana

Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "My favorite HR storylines:

Spinster/old maid/wallflower meets dark/tortured/roguish hero
Marriage of convenience turns to love
Beauty and the beast
I love westerns!!!!..."

A western author I have read recently and liked :

Tessa Berkley

I have a wide ranging reading taste also. I think I have a pile of books in every type you all have mentioned! lol! Can someone say "book addict"?

I love the tortured hero books
and rakes and virgins ones also .

big fan of regency romances

Ashley wrote: "I absolutely love the "Rakes and virgins" storylines. If the heroines are simple and beautiful in their own unique way, the story is much more enjoyable. An experience man who is used to high class..."

Totally agree Ashley. The more historical romance I read the more I like the rake story line. I also really like when their is more to them than what meets the eye. Like they are using their "lifestyle" to cover for something else.

I used to like the rakes and virgins but now evolved to tortured hero/spinster moralist like in Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas (overly naive virgins are starting to grate on my nerves as I get older)
Loooove unrequited love stories like: When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn
Employer/Employee or different walks of life is an automatic narrative hook for me (my very favorite being Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke) --- I should add stodgy hero/sassy heroine to that one
Oh, oh...lovers/enemies. Can't forget that one

I definitely prefer the tortured hero and spinster stories more than the innocent damsel in distress

1) I loveee spinsters with gunslingers, bar owners, cowboy drifters, ranchers ( preferably not rich) who turn all mushy and good
2) loveeee highlanders and virgins
3) lovvveeee those with beasts meaning belligerent guys who also turn out all mushy
4) tortured souls who need loving
5) love stories that includes disabilities
6) gothic
7) mail order brides
8) marriage of conviennce ( ..sigh...can never spell this word right..) that turns happily ever after
9) christian ones too...have a read a few Amish ones and they were so sweet
..and finally
10) those who lives in isolated places all lonely waiting for that one special person.....
Ok another one
11) beauty and the beast...well she does not have to be a beauty....even better
;)
Tired of reading love stories all about perfect people and rich ones...they no longer appeal to me

Yeah, I'm not feeling the young debutante historical heroine much anymore. I like a virgin heroine still, but I just like her to be a little older.

I appreciate all the lists, Ladies.

Stefanie, I am a sucker for all things British.

...sorry...it is me again...also love reading about battling single mum, pregnant girls being rescued by nice guys...preferably cowboys or someone like that

;)

Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "Yeah, I'm not feeling the young debutante historical heroine much anymore. I like a virgin heroine still, but I just like her to be a little older.

I appreciate all the lists, Ladies.

Stefanie, ..."

...and I am a sucker for all American .....in jeans, cowboys, rangers, sherish...sounds sooo exotic and dreamy...I blame 'Bonanza" series that i watched when i was a budding teenager....

I love the Old West and modern westerns as well, Lily. I love literary cowboys. Don't meet that many real cowboys, even though I live in Texas!

I'm a sucker for the Regency Spy Thrillers particularly if the heroine is the spy.

I also love the woman masquerading as a man theme too though that's much harder to pull off.

Oh and paranormal regencies hehe...

Yeah, I like the woman in pants theme too. Not too many with the hero dressed as a woman out there though.

The Highland Pleasure Series was really good. Each Brothers has their unique plot. Theres action, mystery, tear jerking story and great love scenes. Each book never failed. The lords of Vice was great but fell off on book 4, hoping that book 5 makes up for great characters and plots that you expect from the series. Who doesn’t love a naughty Rake and sweet virgin, but the virgins in these books have a mind of their own and wants and the Rakes in these books are oh so naughty!

I was first turned on to Regency romances by Georgette Heyer. They are quite different nowadays, but I still enjoy the details about manners, clothing, rank, etc., no matter how sensual or otherwise wide open. I picked up my first Dara Joy many years later because she turned that trope around in a paranormal.

I just read Duty: a novel of Rhynan, and it reminded how much I like the marriage theme in medievals, where the hero has to marry the heroine when he conquers her people. The hero in this book was a really good guy. Very noble and caring.

is great for the spinster/badboy romance. The chemistry in this book was fantastic. I truly rooted for River and Edge to get their happy ending.

I love rakes and virgins, especially in a Scottish setting and the earlier the time period the better.
I really love history and I am part Scottish, so when I read historical romance I learn a little something about my heritage.