There’s nothing that we love more than delving into a great British romance novel, and being transported to another world where all of our fantasies come true.
Whether you want to delve into a Jane Austen style regency book, or a dashing duel between two chivalrous knights, there’s a romance out there for you.
The trouble is, with so many different romance books on the market, it can be difficult to choose one that you’re sure to love. Thankfully, that’s where we come in.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of what we believe to be some of the very best British romance novels that you can get started with reading today.
These range from romance novels from real regency Britain authors, to modern retellings.
To find out more, simply keep reading, as we take a closer look.
Dreaming Of You By Lisa Kleypas
For those of you who haven’t read anything by Lisa Kleypas previously, then we’d like to emphasize that there’s a reason why she’s deemed the queen of the genre.
Nobody can write enthralling heroines and rougeish heroes quite like she does.
Perhaps one of her very best novels is a stand alone called ‘Dreaming Of You’. In this book, we meet our heroine Sophie, who manages to save a man’s life from a group of thugs in one of the most sordid areas of London.
This man is none other than the ever famous, Derek Craven. Derek is the owner of the most popular gambling club in the whole of England, and he wants to know what an innocent young wallflower such as Sophie was doing in such a dangerous place.
Sophie has never met anybody like Derek Craven before, and to say that she’s fascinated by him would be an understatement.
She’s doing some research for her new novella, which is to be based in a gentleman’s gaming establishment, and her work has brought her here.
At first, Derek urges Sophie to leave, stating that it’s no place for a woman such as herself, but she’s not that easily gotten rid of.
A romance begins to form between these two unlikely souls, and Sophie is determined that she will be the first to see what’s underneath Derek’s tough exterior.
This is a great novel to get started with if you want to delve into the works of Lisa Kleypas, most of whom’s books are based in regency or Victorian England.
Persuasion By Jane Austen
Now, we couldn’t exactly move through a British romance novel list without mentioning Jane Austen, could we?
When people first think of Jane Austen, they do so in conjunction with Pride and Prejudice, her most famous novel. But, we think that one of her later works makes a steady rival.
Persuasion follows the journey of Anne Eliot, who is most definitely regarded as a spinster, despite being only 27 years of age.
Anne is content living her life as she always has, by engaging in everyday, and debatably monotonous activities. But, her life is all about to change, as the promise of a former love returns to thrash her reality to pieces.
Captain Wentworth, a distinguished naval officer, and the man that Anne loved when she was 19 comes to stay in Bath, where Anne is also currently residing with a family called the Musgroves.
Anne both dreads and feels elated about his return, and is wholly unsure about how he’ll react to seeing her, especially as she was the one who broke off their engagement, after several instructions by her family, who deemed him too poor to wed.
This is a decision that Anne has regretted ever since, as she’s gone against her own heart. But, will a surprise return by Captain Wentworth, now wealthy and titled, provide a second chance for these two hapless lovers?
If you loved Pride and Prejudice, then we’d recommend that you delve into this one as your second Jane Austen novel.
Romancing Mister Bridgerton By Julia Quinn
Unless you’ve been living under a rock these past few years, then we presume that you’ve seen the regency extravaganza that is the Bridgerton series on Netflix.
If you enjoyed the show, then we recommend that you jump straight into the novels afterward, where the whole thing began.
The book featured here on our list is Penelopoe’s romance story. It’s the fourth in the Bridgerton book series, after Daphne, Anthony, and Benjamin’s stories.
We honestly think that Penelope’s book is the best in the series so far, and features her wistful longing for Colin, who has just returned from his travels abroad.
When Colin returns, he begins to spend more and more time with Penelope, somebody that up until now, he’s simply regarded as his sister Louise’s best friend.
But, he’s now beginning to see her in a new light, witty, clever, and utterly beautiful. Penelope wouldn’t dare dream that Colin would ever fall in love with her, as she’s now very closely approaching spinsterhood, and has been told continuously by her mother that she’s a stone or two overweight.
But, the attraction between these two characters is undeniable, and all of the pieces are finally beginning to fit together.
But, it’s not quite so simple, as one of them is keeping a big secret that threatens to be unearthed, and potentially break them apart in the process.
Lord Of Scoundrels By Loretta Chase
This novel is actually regarded as the best romance book of all time, and it’s really not hard to see why.
This book has even been analyzed in scholarly papers, exploring the nuances of the tale, and how it incorporates a beauty and the beast retelling within its pages.
We recommend that you read this one, simply to experience the joy that is the romance between Jessica Trent and Sebastian, the Marquess of Dain.
When the two of them first meet in an antiques shop, their verbal sparring is unmatched from the very beginning. Superficially, they seem to wholly resent each other, especially seeing as Sebastian has seen to the financial ruin of Jessica’s brother.
But, underneath all of this is a burning passion for one another that simply can’t deny, and must eventually yield to despite themselves.
Sophie manages to get herself into a predicament with Sebastian, where they’re caught in a wholly compromising position.
As a result, these sworn enemies must marry, and become enemies to lovers in the process. If you’re somebody who’s a big fan of fierce, fiery heroines, and rakesh heroes, you’re going to adore this book.
It’s full of passion, and has an incredibly exciting plotline that will keep you on the edge of your seat at each moment.
Nine Rules To Break When Romancing Rake By Sarah Maclean
The last book on our list is the debut novel of author Sarah Maclean. If you haven’t read any of her work before, then we’d recommend that you get started with this novel, which is the first in her love by numbers series.
In this novel, we meet Lady Harrtwell, who, after years and years of following the rules, and being a proper lady, decides that she’s going to go a little wild.
She feels wholly bored with her cross stitching and tea taking, and wants to add a little bit of excitement to her life.
This is when she meets Gabriel St. John, who is in fact, the most roguish man in the entirety of England, and he’s going to help her to achieve this.
The two vow to break every rule on Lady Hartwell’s list, but, the steamy romance that ensues between these two characters may prove to be something a little deeper than raw passion.
This does, however, break one of Lady Harwell’s main rules, that when seeking pleasure, one should never fall hopelessly in love.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, there are a whole host of British romance novels that you can get stuck into today. Whether you want to read a real regency novel, or you want to get stuck into a modern retelling, there’s a book out there for you.
We hope that this list has helped to provide you with the inspiration you need to get reading today.