Hah I feel like one of the reasons I have a hard time with modern romances (as opposed to historic) is I have so much less patience in modern ones with “omg just fucking tell him your issue” or “use your fucking cell phone!”, but if there are more significant issues, it’s hard to have a way to fix them reasonably! Like, either it’s something dumb (“I can’t tell you my deep secret about how I hate mushrooms”) or it’s something bigger (“I hate small town life and want to go join Doctors Without Borders and not live in this small town, but you are the mayor and love it here”) that isn’t easily solved (“oh never mind! I love this town too!” negates all your character development, or shows it wasn’t all that important anyway? Whereas historical romances I have more tolerance for not talking to each other or being forced to marry because of manners or whatever.

All of the Bridgerton books are pretty frothy, if I remember right. I think when they were initially published, Quinn's light, modern voice was a real change, but that's hardly the case anymore.

I suggest Tessa Dare's books if you want fun historical with a bit more plot, and a decidedly feminist sensibility (especially the Spindle Cove books).

Tessa Dare has been on my list of authors to try for a while, but I am not allowing myself to buy any more books for at least another month, and I don't think any of her work is available in KU.

“use your fucking cell phone!”,

Seriously, WHY DO ROMANCE PROTAGONISTS NEVER CHARGE THEIR FUCKING PHONES.

Library, Jessica!! They’ve probably got all the Tessa Dare books!

My library's Overdrive account has a bunch of Dare's books, most with waiting lists. Any recommendations for which ones to get in line for?

The only romance authors I read that are writing in a modern setting are Jasmine Guillory and Lucy Parker. Parker usually uses the enemies-to-lovers trope, but it's fun.

Bennett, I would start with either the Spindle Cove books, or the Once Upon a Castle books. Both are fantastic. Her earlier stuff is a little less polished, and her latest series is probably in demand.

Thanks muchly, Any.

Tessa Dare is amazing. I love ALyssa Cole and Sarah MacLean as well.

Do the books have more...plot than the show?

I would say less plot...

Yeah, Shonda introduced some extra complications that were welcome. Although I now think that some of the "extra" in the first season was sort of backstory for what will happen in future seasons - backstory that was not really in the books but fits ok into what was. So I can kind of see how making it into a TV series seemed like a good idea, taking the Fantasy Regency that's there and playing around with it a little.

Having progressed a little farther in the series, I will say that the series structure is pretty clever (which may be why I feel compelled to keep reading). The Lady Whistledown thread goes on for four books and the ones after that are kind of interleaved in time which is interesting, and there are callbacks to previous books and familiar characters pop in to have a pivotal conversation with the current hero, etc. It's not a long arc but it's something.

I think my main objection is that her romantic heroes all seem very the same and are not my cup of tea. Not even an objection it's all just, you know, fine. Very in the okay zone. I can take it or leave it. Except that apparently I have to read the next one and the next one. I'm grateful that it is a complete series and I will actually be done with it, I think.

I will have to check out Tessa Dare, that sounds fun. I think I may have seen Spindle Cove and Once Upon a Castle in my recommendations.

I think I'm more likely to read historical romance than modern, I will have to think about why. There may not be a reason other than that is what I have stumbled upon.