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All of us need a break sometimes. A lovely, happy, non-stressful break. For me, that often means reading a great book. I enjoy chick movies and chick lit as much as the next girl, but sometimes it is hard to find books without sex scenes in them. I enjoy well written clean romance books that have a few laughs and that aren’t cheesy.
In this post, I will share my top 7 favorite romance authors (most of these are Regency style)–and they will give you LOTS of relaxing, happy, clean reading. They usually have kissing to one degree or another, but it ends there.
Note: I have read every book I recommend from each author (and more in most cases), but I can’t guarantee that EVERY book these authors write will be clean. But they generally have my trust.
1. Julianne Donaldson:
Oh, swoon! Julianne’s books are amazing! The only problem- there aren’t enough of them! Julianne is a busy mother to her five children and she puts them first (as she should), so writing sometimes takes a back burner. I have never met anyone who likes this genre and does not LOVE Julianne. Run, don’t walk to your library or Amazon 1-click buying option! 😉
Recommended books: Edenbrooke (a happy, funny love story)and Blackmoore (more of a brooding, melancholy love story)– both are tops on my list!
2. Sarah Eden:
This girl is a writing machine, and I am so glad! I’m pretty sure I have read all of her books and her sharp and witty writing is hilarious! She has several series of books that carry through different families and their friends, so it is fun to see what happens in the lives of all of her characters.
Recommended books: Seeking Persephone, Courting Miss Lancaster, The Lady and the Highway Man, The Sheriffs of Savage Wells.
3. Josie Kipack:
This talented lady also has a series of dessert inspired mystery novels. I am also enjoying her new series on how famous authors and poets met their spouses.
Recommended Books: Forever and Ever (based on Longfellow), Lady of the Lakes ( Sir Walter Scott), Lord Fenton’s Folly
4. Rachael Anderson:
This author is a new one to me, but she has a bunch of books for free on the Kindle Unlimited program with Amazon = awesome!
Recommended books: The Fall of Lord Drayson (loved this plot line!), The Rise of Miss Notley
5. Kristi Ann Hunter:
Another new-to-me author, I’m liking what I’m reading!
Recommended books: Noble Masquerade, An Elegant Facade
6. Jennifer Moore:
This woman is quickly becoming one of my favorites. She includes sailing in several of her books and her uncommon plot ideas are fun.
Recommended books: Becoming Lady Lockwood, Lady Emma’s Campaign
7. Nancy Campbell Allen:
This author is really fun. She has story ideas I had never considered before. She also writes across a wide variety of genres.
Recommended reads: Beauty and the Clockwork Beast (a delightful steampunk novel, though a bit darker), My Fair Gentleman
A few quick tips:
- NEVER let your husband (or sons) read these. They are clean, but he will make EVERYTHING sound cheesy and make fun of you! And then you will feel silly. (True story!) 😉
- Kindle Unlimited saves me a lot of money. It is $9.99/month, but when I compare that to the library late fees I rack up, this is a bargain! Sad, but true. (My library should have an entire wing named after me.) Kindle Unlimited is kind of like a digital Amazon library card. You can check a book out for free (after the monthly fee) and then return it. Not all books are available, but many are. Read as many books as you like, but you have a limit on how many you can have “checked out” at one time.
- When trying to find new books that are clean, look at the 1 star reviews. People who don’t like sex scenes in books will frequently post their reviews there. So will people who don’t like squeaky clean books.
- The Timeless Regency Collection is great, as is the Timeless Romance Anthology Collection. These are short stories that are a quick read if you don’t really have time for a whole book. Also, each one has a different theme, which is kind of fun, too.
- ​Anything under the “A Proper Romance” publishing imprint by Shadow Mountain is clean and good quality. I especially enjoy these books.
P.S. I also want to do a little shout out to my friend Jenni Archibald. If you are in the mood for a fun fairy tale twist, be sure to check out her book, Terribly Charming. It’s a super fun, clean read!
This is a great list to be a part of, I love these writer’s as well. Thanks for including me!
Thanks for providing such great material! I love your other series as well, but I just focused on this genre. Keep up the amazing work!
Thanks for the list! I am always looking for good authors so l am excited to check these out. And thanks for the P.S. mention of my book, Jennifer!
Of course! Katie and I had so much fun reading it!
Marcia Lynn McClure is another favorite of mine. She has many different “kinds” of stories, from Western to modern day. She is on my list of faves along with these authors.
Cool! I’ll have to check her out!
I love the authors you’ve mentioned! Two more of my favorite authors include Melanie Jacobson and Nichole Van.
Thanks for the suggestions- I’m always looking for new authors!
Nice, thank you! I’m always looking for new and great people to read!
I also recommend Nichole Van “House of Oaks” series as well. I also like Rebecca Connolly who has a great clean regency series about 5 friends. Funny and romantic. I also love Tamara Leigh. She has a midevil series “Age of Faith” that is clean. Becky Wade is another modern day author.
Fantastic! Thanks for the recommendations!
Wow Jen thanks for putting together this list. I can’t wait to open my kindle app and start searching for these titles!
I second the Becky Wade suggestion. Especially the book Meant to be Mine. Such a cute story.
I second the Becky Wade suggestion. Especially the book Meant to be Mine. Such a cute story.
I second the Becky Wade suggestion. Especially the book Meant to be Mine. Such a cute story.
I second the Becky Wade suggestion. Especially the book Meant to be Mine. Such a cute story.
I second the Becky Wade suggestion. Especially the book Meant to be Mine. Such a cute story.
Oh man, Edenbrooke and Blackmoore! I try to resist the urge to read them yearly. This is a great list, can’t wait to work my way through it.