6 Historical Romances by Indie Authors to Try After Bridgerton

Erica Ridley, 2022

Why: Erica Ridley is a “hybrid” author who publishes some books with a traditional publisher and some books independently. This novella kicks off an independent series she published in collaboration with Grace Burrowes. Each book is about a different couple in a British seaside town. In An Affair By the Sea, the heroine has invented a fake fiancee to entertain her cousins when a man who fits the bill suddenly appears. This is fun, quick, and very tender!

Charlie Lane, Wicked Widows, 2023

Why: Charlie Lane is a master of the “cinnamon roll hero” - aka, a romance hero who isn’t afraid of his feelings. In this novella, the hero is a horse rider for the circus, and the heroine is a widow who is just looking for some excitement in her life. The perfect recipe for a fun novella that delivers some steam, as well!

Katherine Grant, 2024

Why: Take a different approach to historical romance with my epistolary novella! In this quick read, governess Louisa Hoggart is hot and bothered by the arrival of opera singer Elena Zilio at a house party. Through a series of letters, journal entries, and other ephemera, the reader finds out if these two women can find a way into each other’s hearts.

Annabelle Anders, 2019

Why: Annabelle Anders delivers a delightful and tender romp in this story of a heroine who desperately wants a child yet doesn’t quite understand the consequences of seducing a man when he is drunk. These two characters are intelligent, competent, and vulnerable in the best ways, so that even when they are making classically misinformed romance decisions, you are rooting for them to find their way back to each other.

Alivia Fleur, 2023

Why: Alivia Fleur’s friends-to-lovers romance sparkles with chemistry when our hero returns to London after years apart. You also get the fun dynamics of a Victorian romance where the earl is convinced he can’t marry his working-class neighbor, only to keep falling deeper in love with her every time he sees her!

Courtney Milan, 2015

Why: Once Upon a Marquess is classic Courtney Milan: interesting characters, funny dialogue, and hot chemistry in the face of somewhat grim realities. This kicks off her series about a British family caught up in the Opium Wars, so if you want to learn about a different corner of history and enjoy characters who are trying to do their best in the wake of their father’s bad decisions, you won’t want to miss this book!