Regency romance

The Regency-set books written by authors such as Christina Dodd, Eloisa James, and Amanda Quick are generally considered to be Regency Historical works.

The sensual Regency historical romance has been made popular in recent years by Mary Balogh, Jo Beverley, Loretta Chase, as well as Lisa Kleypas, and Stephanie Laurens.

In the early 2000s, both Regencies and other historical romances lost popularity in favor of contemporary settings.

While some long-time readers balked, publishers viewed the inclusion of sex scenes as a means of keeping the subgenre afloat.

Such authors as Balogh, Carla Kelly, Sheila Bishop, Anna Harrington, and Mary Jo Putney all depict the underbelly of Regency society, exploring a variety of social ills in their novels.

Some authors feature seriously troubled heroes and heroines, who suffer from post-battle trauma, alcoholism, depression, and the like.

On the Threshold (1900), by Edmund Leighton , a painting set in the Regency era.