If the Wallflowers and Ravenels series made you a devoted Lisa Kleypas reader, these 13 historical romance authors write with the same warmth, wit, and emotional intelligence.
Lisa Kleypas has been writing historical romance since 1986, when she published Where Dreams Begin at age 21 after winning the Miss Massachusetts pageant. But it was the Wallflowers series — starting with Secrets of a Summer Night — that cemented her as one of the genre’s most beloved authors. Her Ravenels series, beginning with Cold-Hearted Rake, brought her back to the top of bestseller lists, and Devil in Disguise and subsequent books proved she hadn’t lost a step.
What makes Kleypas special is the emotional authenticity of her romances. Her heroes aren’t just handsome and rich — they’re wounded, complicated men who are genuinely changed by the women they fall in love with. Her heroines are smart, resourceful, and fully realized. And the historical settings aren’t just costume drama — Kleypas researches Victorian and Regency England with the attention of a historian, grounding the romance in real social dynamics and economic pressures.
For more recommendations, explore our guides to best romance authors, best dark romance books, and best historical fiction books.
Authors Like Lisa Kleypas
1. Julia Quinn
Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series needs no introduction after the Netflix adaptation turned it into a global phenomenon. The Duke and I is the first of eight novels, each following a different Bridgerton sibling. Quinn’s Regency romances are lighter in tone than Kleypas’ — more comedy of manners than emotional drama — but they share the same commitment to smart heroines and heroes worth rooting for.
Quinn and Kleypas are frequently shelved together for good reason. Both write Regency and Victorian romance with historical accuracy, sharp dialogue, and couples who genuinely like each other as well as desire each other. Quinn’s wit is more overtly comedic, while Kleypas brings more emotional intensity. Most readers of one become readers of both.
“I am tired of being told what I cannot do by men who do nothing.”
Julia Quinn, The Viscount Who Loved Me
2. Eloisa James
Eloisa James is the pen name of Mary Bly, a Shakespeare professor at Fordham University, and her academic background shows in the literary quality of her historical romances. When Beauty Tamed the Beast reimagines Beauty and the Beast in Regency England, and the Desperate Duchesses series is one of the genre’s best.
James shares Kleypas’ ability to write intelligent heroines who are active participants in their own stories rather than waiting to be rescued. Her research into the Georgian and Regency periods is meticulous, and she brings a literary sensibility to romance that elevates the genre. The banter in her books is among the best you’ll find anywhere.
“The problem with being a duke is that everyone expects you to be perfect. The problem with being human is that you never are.”
Eloisa James
3. Tessa Dare
Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove series, starting with A Night to Surrender, is set in a seaside village that’s become a haven for “unconventional” women — bluestockings, wallflowers, and anyone who doesn’t fit polite society’s expectations. When soldiers arrive, romance (and comedy) ensues. Dare is one of the funniest writers in historical romance.
Dare shares Kleypas’ gift for creating couples with genuine chemistry, but her tone is more playful. Her heroines are often eccentric or intellectual, and her heroes are charmed by exactly those qualities. The Duchess Deal and The Wallflower Wager (from the Girl Meets Duke series) are frequently recommended alongside Kleypas’ Wallflowers. If you’re working on your own romance manuscript, Grammarly can help ensure your dialogue sparkles as cleanly on the page as it does in your head.
“You’re a woman of extraordinary talents. Don’t let the world tell you otherwise.”
Tessa Dare
4. Sarah MacLean
Sarah MacLean’s Love by Numbers series and Rules of Scoundrels series bring a feminist edge to Regency romance that feels modern without being anachronistic. A Rogue by Any Other Name features a hero who lost everything in a card game and the childhood friend he’ll do anything to reclaim — including compromise her reputation.
MacLean shares Kleypas’ interest in the economic realities behind Regency society. Her characters aren’t just navigating ballrooms — they’re dealing with property laws, inheritance battles, and the financial vulnerability of women in a system designed to control them. Her heroines are always smarter than the men around them expect, and her heroes learn to appreciate that.
“The thing about falling in love is that if you do it right, you never land.”
Sarah MacLean
5. Courtney Milan
Courtney Milan’s Brothers Sinister series, starting with The Duchess War, features progressive Victorian heroes — a suffragist duke, a mixed-race businessman, a woman who wants to be a scientist. Milan is a former law clerk for Supreme Court justices, and her legal mind shows in the precision of her plotting and the intelligence of her social commentary.
Milan shares Kleypas’ ability to embed real social issues within a romance framework without making the books feel like lectures. Her characters deal with class prejudice, racial discrimination, and gender inequality in ways that feel historically authentic. The romances are genuinely steamy, and the emotional arcs are satisfying. Her self-published works are as polished as anything from a major publisher.
“You are not too much. You are not too difficult. You are exactly enough.”
Courtney Milan
6. Mary Balogh
Mary Balogh has published over 80 Regency and Georgian romances since 1985, making her one of the most prolific and consistently excellent writers in the genre. Slightly Dangerous, the final book in her Bedwyn Saga, features one of historical romance’s best heroes — Wulfric, the icy Duke of Bewcastle, who falls for a completely unsuitable woman.
Balogh shares Kleypas’ emotional depth. Her books don’t rush the romance — characters fall in love gradually, through conversation and shared experience. The Survivors’ Club series, about soldiers recovering from the Napoleonic Wars, adds genuine pathos to the romance formula. If you like Kleypas’ ability to make you cry, Balogh will do the same.
“Love is not about finding the perfect person. It’s about finding someone who makes you want to be a better one.”
Mary Balogh
7. Beverly Jenkins
Beverly Jenkins is the queen of African American historical romance. Indigo is set on the Underground Railroad, and Breathless takes place in the post-Civil War West. Jenkins writes about periods and communities that mainstream historical romance has largely ignored, and her research is impeccable.
Jenkins shares Kleypas’ commitment to historical accuracy, but she opens up entirely different worlds. Her romances feature Black cowboys, Reconstruction-era entrepreneurs, Victorian-era activists, and women who navigated American history with courage and style. She was named a Romance Writers of America Lifetime Achievement honoree, and her influence on the genre is incalculable.
“Black love stories have always existed. We just need more people to tell them.”
Beverly Jenkins
8. Loretta Chase
Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels regularly tops “best historical romance of all time” lists. Sebastian Ballister, the Marquess of Dain, is one of the genre’s great anti-heroes, and Jessica Trent is one of its great heroines — a woman who shoots him and then negotiates their marriage like a business deal.
Chase shares Kleypas’ gift for creating couples who are genuine equals. Her heroes are often difficult, damaged men, and her heroines are the only people smart enough and stubborn enough to handle them. Mr. Impossible (set in Napoleonic Egypt) and the Dressmakers series show her range, but Lord of Scoundrels remains the essential read.
“I am not going to be the kind of wife who makes a scene. I am going to be the kind of wife who shoots her husband.”
Loretta Chase, Lord of Scoundrels
9. Sabrina Jeffries
Sabrina Jeffries’ School for Heiresses series and Sinful Suitors series are Regency romances built around strong, interconnected communities of women who support each other while navigating the marriage market. A Lady Never Surrenders is one of her best — the final Hellions of Halstead Hall novel, where the most independent sister finally meets her match.
Jeffries shares Kleypas’ focus on female friendship as the backbone of her series. The Wallflowers support each other, and so do Jeffries’ Hellions and Heiresses. Both writers understand that the best romance series aren’t just about individual couples — they’re about communities of women helping each other thrive.
“A lady never surrenders — unless it’s on her own terms.”
Sabrina Jeffries
10. Kerrigan Byrne
Kerrigan Byrne’s Victorian Rebels series, starting with The Highwayman, features dark, brooding Victorian heroes with criminal pasts and the women who refuse to be intimidated by them. Byrne’s books are darker and more atmospheric than most Regency romance, with a Gothic edge that adds tension to the love stories.
Byrne shares Kleypas’ ability to write damaged heroes convincingly. Her protagonists are often violent men trying to become worthy of the women they love, and the transformation feels genuine rather than convenient. The Victorian settings are richly detailed, with the same attention to historical accuracy that Kleypas brings to her work.
“He was the kind of man who burned everything he touched. She was the kind of woman who walked through fire.”
Kerrigan Byrne
11. Sophie Jordan
Sophie Jordan’s Rogue Files series and Forgotten Princesses series combine Regency settings with strong feminist themes. While the Duke Was Sleeping is a witty, fast-paced romance about a shop girl who pretends to be a duke’s fiancée while he’s in a coma — and falls for his illegitimate brother instead.
Jordan shares Kleypas’ talent for creating heroines from disadvantaged backgrounds who navigate aristocratic society through intelligence rather than birth. Her books are fun, fast, and emotionally satisfying, with enough historical detail to ground the fantasy.
“Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t scared. It means you go on anyway.”
Sophie Jordan
12. Joanna Shupe
Joanna Shupe’s Gilded Age series is set in 1890s New York rather than Regency England, which gives her romances a fresh backdrop. A Daring Arrangement features a society miss who scandalizes New York on purpose to escape an arranged marriage. Shupe’s American settings provide different social dynamics than the British-focused norm.
Shupe shares Kleypas’ interest in how money and class shape romantic possibilities. The Gilded Age was America’s equivalent of the Regency — extreme wealth, rigid social rules, and women trying to carve out autonomy within a system designed to keep them dependent. Shupe’s heroines are ambitious, clever, and often working in fields women were excluded from.
“Scandal is just another word for living on your own terms.”
Joanna Shupe
13. Mimi Matthews
Mimi Matthews writes meticulously researched Victorian romance with a gentle touch and genuine warmth. The Siren of Sussex features a half-Indian heroine navigating Victorian London’s fashion scene with the help of a reclusive tailor. Matthews’ Belles of London series continues with the same attention to period detail and social complexity.
Matthews shares Kleypas’ dedication to historical accuracy, and her books often feature characters from backgrounds the genre rarely represents — mixed-race Victorians, working-class entrepreneurs, people with disabilities. Her romances are slower and more tender than some on this list, making them perfect for readers who love the emotional depth of Kleypas’ best work.
“True elegance isn’t about following fashion. It’s about knowing exactly who you are.”
Mimi Matthews