Who among us ladies hasn’t dreamed of a knight in shining armor? A valiant hero living in a time when valor prevailed and a woman of character who loved him. (I did say we were dreaming, right?) These historical novels will take you there.
 
Since the medieval period in European history spanned the 5th century to the 15th century, all the stories on my list take place during that time and all have been rated 4, 4.5 or 5 stars. So, enjoy The Best Medieval Romances list.

Join my readers group on Facebook where you can win great stuff! Right now there's a contest going on for those who post a review of my new release, Summer Warrior! See the FB group here.

Hares and rabbits existed together in medieval England, however, the rabbit was a rare beast and much sought after for both its meat and its fur. And, unlike the hare, the rabbit is not believed to be native to Britain, but was deliberately introduced. (There are no written records of them in Britain before Norman times, the 11th century.)
 
I have several novels in which the characters hunt for hares. Rogue Knight and Summer Warrior (my most recent novel), are two of them. Rogue Knight is set in Yorkshire in 1069-70 when William the Conqueror came north to claim Northumbria. He engaged in a terrifying campaign we know today as the “Harrying of the North”, causing the deaths of as many as 100,000 people. Summer Warrior is set in the Scottish Highlands and Isles and in England in the 12th century. See more.
 

In Summer Warrior, book 1 in The Clan Donald Saga (my new release!), David, King of Scots, invites Somerled to take part in a hunt in the woods near Irvine where the king is holding court. As the morning of the hunt arrives, Somerled observes,
 
The day presented all they could hope for in weather, the sky nearly cloudless and the leaves on the trees that had changed with autumn were ablaze with red, yellow and gold. The air, too, spoke of autumn, being dry and crisp.
 
While the king and his guests break their fast on the riverbank, as was the custom if the day was fair, the huntsmen went forth to seek out the mature stags with great antlers. Somerled and Ragnhild, the Princess of Man, have brought their bows and quivers of arrows, eagerly awaiting the hunt.
 
Many kinds of dogs and hounds might be used in a hunt in the 12th century. Edward of Norwich, the second Duke of York, who wrote medieval English hunting manuals, listed five types of medieval dogs used in aristocratic hunting: the spaniel, the mastiff, the running hound, the alaunt and the greyhound. See More.

Book 1 in the Clan Donald Saga is here and available for preorder at a discount until release day, October 7.

Somerled’s parentage was noble, of the Kings of Dublin, the royal house of Argyll and the great Ard Ri, the High Kings of Ireland. But when the Norse invaded Argyll and the Isles, his family’s fortunes fell with those of his people. When all hope seemed lost, he rose from the mists of Morvern to rally the Gaels, the Scots and the Irish.

Sweeping across Argyll and the Isles like a fast-moving storm, brilliant in strategy and fearless in battle, Somerled began retaking his ancestral lands, driving away the invaders and freeing the people from the Norse stranglehold. In doing so, he would win the title Somerle Mor, Somerled the Mighty, Lord of Argyll, Kintyre and Lorne and, eventually, Lord of the Isles.

The unforgettable saga of the Norse-Gael who forged the Kingdom of the Isles and won he heart of a Norse king’s daughter. See it on Amazon. Read an excerpt.

 It’s the end of August and you’re home and you’re bored. You want an adventure, an around the world trip, or perhaps an ocean voyage—without leaving your living room. And you want a good love story. But you’re tired of those set mostly in England, Scotland, Ireland and America. Well, I have just the list for you!

My mother taught me to read when I was four and told me I could travel the world through books. She was right. And were she still alive, she would love this list I’ve created just for you daydreamers out there who long to travel… historical romances by some great authors set in exotic locales. Though some might begin (or end) in England or America, they will quickly take you to another time and another place! See the list.

The Agents of the Crown series of 5 Regency romances! On Amazon.

“Walker stuns with her gift for storytelling, magically entwining historic fact and fiction to create a thought-provoking, sensual romance, one that will stay with you.” – Chicks, Rogues & Scandals

Racing with the Wind (Hugh, Lord Ormond, and Lady Mary Campbell, set in 1816 in London and the court of Louis XVIII)
Against the Wind (Sir Martin Powell and Katherine, Lady Egerton, set in England 1817, the Pentrich Rebellion)
Wind Raven (Jean Nicholas Powell and Miss Tara McConnell, set in London, the Caribbean and Baltimore, 1817)
A Secret Scottish Christmas (the Powell twin brothers, set in Scotland as spies Robbie and Nash vie for the love of Aileen Stephen, 1819)
Rogue's Holiday (the Cato Street Conspiracy and "the other Powell twin" meets the hoyden, Miss Chastity Reynolds, in Brighton, 1820)

The award-winning Donet Trilogy of Georgian romances set in England and France with ship captain heroes!
On Amazon

“The Donet Trilogy has everything you’d ever want in historical romance. From spies, smugglers and pirates to masked balls and opulent palaces—what more could you ask for? Regan has created an immersive world packed with well-researched historical detail and a cast of characters that you really grow to love.” 
– Reading in Wellies
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I first discovered Western romances by reading those written by my favorite authors who also wrote stories set in other eras. Since then, I have become a true fan of the subgenre and find myself every now and then reaching for a good romance from the Old West. I love those Indian and gun-slinging heroes. So, it seemed a “best” list was in order to share some of these wonderful stories with you. See the list on Historical Romance Review.

“It is a coat of arms, the tartan, worn proudly for all men to see and take warning. And the plaid is an admirable piece of invention, serving as a suit of clothes or a blanket for sleeping or a braw protection against the wildest storm.” — Jan Cox Speas, My Lord Monleigh

What Scottish or Highlander historical romance would be complete without men wearing plaid? But did you know that many of the tartans we recognize today were the creations of tailors during the reign of Queen Victoria? Nevertheless, the basic concept of the plaid and the wearing of the kilt have their origin in the early Scottish and Irish clans and families, so we can take heart. Based on my own research, I know the Highlanders were wearing plaid trews in the 12th century. Read more.

Geddes MacGregor once wrote, “No one in Scotland can escape from the past. It is everywhere, haunting like a ghost.” Scotland’s past is the subject of this best list, romance novels set in Scotland, most in that magical part of Scotland called the Highlands. Some have a Scot as a hero or heroine. The best are set deep in Scotland’s history. All are rated 4 or 5 stars. See the list here: https://reganromancereview.blogspot.com/2020/05/best-scottish-historical-romances.html