BEGINNER'S GUIDE to Fantasy Romance...if you're a historical romance reader

[@books4everafter]

This was great! Yes, please do one for dark fantasy romance 😍

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

Thank you ❤️ Alright, I gotta put some research in 😎

[@MyRomanceHasNoLimits]

I can’t believe you recommended Radiance! It’s my favorite! Any Grace Draven book will be a great way to start. S L Wilson is also a queen of fantasy romance and her covers look like old historicals ❤ loved the comparison, so good!

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

Oh yaa!!! I havent read SL Wilson yet. I keep trying to find a dark atmospheric book.

[@Bookishtravels1]

This was a great Maggie!

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

Aww thanks 🥰

[@AdrianaJSC11]

Love this! My recommendation would be Anastasia by Sophie Lark

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

Oooo really? I havent read that one before. I assumed it was dark.

[@AdrianaJSC11]

@@maggiesbooksandstuff it’s quite sweet, I think you’ll like it!

[@sassycatz4470]

Another good fantasy/paranormal book for historical romance readers to start with, especially if they're into the regency, is Sorcery & Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (2003) by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer. It was originally published 20 years ago, but I managed to buy a copy a little while back. There are also two sequels to this book following the same characters.

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

Oh man, Ive never heard of these before. I imagine their cozy based iff of the titles?

[@sassycatz4470]

Oh yes. I don't recall anything explicit either. In fact, the first book began as a game between two authors who decided to write one another, each taking one of the characters, and that evolved into the book. The book is an epistolary novel -- letters between two young ladies, one in London and one back in the country -- at least for the first part of the book.@@maggiesbooksandstuff

[@KristinKravesBooks]

I love this! I feel like I am still new to fantasy romance but Radiance is my favourite. I think I like my fantasy romance to have some humour and that's why The Mate Games really worked for me. I don't know that I am quite ready for dark romance because I decided to dnf Bleed a Crystal Bloom!

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

Yeah Im picky with dark romance. tBaCB is so weird for me, cause I love how the author writes and her mind, but I hate the romance lol I like dark atmosphere books, which is SO hard to find right now. Everything is dark toxic, and I just dont jive with that, makes me want to slap the hell out if the love interest.

[@Melodys_Inner_Circle]

Great video Maggie! You reminded me how much I loved "Radiance" and want to read the second in the series! I think @Vitareads brings up a good point...Sometimes older YA is a great place to start with fantasy. I enjoyed "Belladonna" by Adalyn Grace which is a YA gothic historical fantasy. I might also recommend "The Winter King" by CL Wilson, which is a fantasy romance, but reads very much like a historical.

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

I havent read enough YA, but I trust you! I keep hearing really good things about Belladonna!!!

[@vitareads]

You did such a great job with this! 💖 If I had to pick a rec, I think I'd go with Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. It's on the sweeter side, and historical with very light fantasy. It's also YA (which I don't usually read) but it reads more grown up, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

Awww thank you

[@lolsaXx]

This was a great help. Thank you.

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

You are very welcome ❤️

[@miyayume_eclectic_dream]

Radiance is my favorite one. Can you link your video with a review as I am curious. Thx 🤗

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

Radiance is one I havent read yet, so I dont have a review. That was one I knew was good from friends

[@megansbooknook519]

Thanks for this great beginner guide! What books would you recommend for someone who has read a lot of fantasy and lots of historical romance and wants fantasy-romance but not with the creatures (humans only please), and not super graphic/dark (but not clean either ;) )? I haven't read ACOTAR and I have been thinking about reading it.

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

To be honest I don't think I have read any fantasy romance where there wasn't at least one creature. ACOTAR does have fairies though, so Im guessing your cool with that. I think out of all of the ones on the list I would go with Half a Soul if you want a cozy, sweet -or- do ACOTAR if you want the grit. On another note though, if you want a Historical Romance that has more action than normal, I would read Shadow Play by Katherine Sutcliffe. That would be all humans in that case, but its not fantasy.

[@bobkeane7966]

Have you read Sense and Sensibility, I know it is a romance but it felt like it was very low key almost like a meet cute Rom-Com.

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

No, Ive just read Pride and Prejudice, but Austen’s dialogue has that sweet comedy feel ❤️

[@bobkeane7966]

Yeah I read Pride and Prejudice too. It's funny I know they are romances but I didn't really see them that way when I read them, maybe because I was viewing them as the classics they are.@@maggiesbooksandstuff

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

Yeah I can see that too, especially because her writing style doesn't feel modern. There's that natural "old world" elegance.@@bobkeane7966

[@BooksToAshes]

Me, completely not a beginner and have never read a historical romance but watching anyway. ❤

[@maggiesbooksandstuff]

Lol your sweet! Im currently reading a historical I think you might like. Its called Shadow Play by Katherine Woodweis. Its got good adventure to it, the guy reminds me of Rick from The Mummy