11 Best Regency Romance Series to Add to Your Reading List
House of Wallflowers is reader-supported. This article may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. See our Disclosure to learn more.
Regency romance has long been one of the most popular corners of historical romance, and it isn’t hard to understand why. Glittering ballrooms, country estates, strict social rules, witty banter, and plenty of scandal create the perfect setting for unforgettable love stories.
Whether you prefer sprawling family sagas, clever wallflowers, charming rogues, unconventional heroines, or romances with a little more intrigue, the best Regency romance series offer entire worlds to escape into. We’ve gathered 11 of our favorites, from familiar classics to series and authors you may not have discovered yet.
Looking for your next Regency series? These 11 recommendations include enduring favorites, sprawling family sagas, witty romantic adventures, and a few series you may not have discovered yet. Whether you’re new to Regency romance or already have a shelf full of dukes and wallflowers, there’s plenty here to explore.
- Pennyroyal Green by Julie Anne Long
- Windham by Grace Burrowes
- Chance Sisters by Anne Gracie
- The Untouchables by Darcy Burke
- Brothers Sinister by Courtney Milan
- Mayhem in Mayfair by Grace Callaway
- Company of Rogues by Jo Beverley
- The Matchmakers by Candace Camp
- Wallflowers by Lisa Kleypas
- Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
- Bedwyn Saga by Mary Balogh
These recommended series are presented in no particular order – each offers something different to love about Regency romance.
What Makes Regency Romance So Irresistible?
Regency romance is generally set during Britain’s Regency period in the early 19th century, but the appeal goes far beyond the dates. These stories unfold in a society governed by rules – who could be introduced to whom, where an unmarried couple could meet, how courtship unfolded, and what behavior could result in scandal.
Those restrictions are part of what makes the setting so well suited to romance. A dance can carry surprising significance, an unchaperoned encounter can threaten a reputation, and a marriage that begins as a practical arrangement can become something neither person expected. Add London ballrooms, country-house parties, matchmaking mamas, ambitious families, and the occasional incorrigible rake, and there are endless possibilities for romantic tension.
If you’re curious how Regency compares with Georgian, Victorian, Highland, and other settings, explore our Historical Romance Time Periods: Which Era Is Right for You?
The best Regency romance series also offer something a single novel can’t always provide: a world readers can return to. Families grow and change, secondary characters step into their own stories, friendships continue across books, and familiar houses, clubs, villages, and ballrooms begin to feel like places you’ve visited before. That sense of connection – and strong historical world-building – is one of the great pleasures of reading a series.
11 Best Regency Romance Series
Whether you’re completely new to Regency romance or simply looking for another world to disappear into, the series below offer plenty of places to begin. For each recommended series, we’ve featured the first book below to give you an easy place to start.
Pennyroyal Green by Julie Anne Long
Set around the Sussex village of Pennyroyal Green, Julie Anne Long’s sweeping Regency series centers on the Everseas and Redmonds, two prominent families whose long-standing rivalry provides the backdrop for a collection of interconnected romances. Across the series, family loyalties, old secrets, scandals, and unexpected matches bring a large cast of characters together, creating the kind of richly connected world that becomes more rewarding with each book.
2008
Julie Anne Long launches her Pennyroyal Green series with Colin Eversea, a notorious rogue facing the gallows for a murder he insists he didn’t commit. His unexpected rescuer is Madeleine Greenway, a cool-headed mercenary whose real assignment is to kidnap him. When Madeleine becomes a target herself, the unlikely pair must work together to uncover the truth while navigating a dangerous attraction neither expected.
Why We Recommend It
Pennyroyal Green is a wonderful choice for readers who love settling into a large, interconnected romantic world. Julie Anne Long combines witty dialogue and memorable characters with relationships that develop across the series, while the rivalry between the Everseas and Redmonds gives the books an ongoing thread beyond the individual romances. With eleven main novels to explore, there’s plenty of time to become invested in both families and the world surrounding them.
The Windhams by Grace Burrowes
Grace Burrowes’s Windham series introduces the sprawling Windham family, headed by the Duke and Duchess of Moreland, whose children must navigate family expectations, Society, and the complicated business of finding love. Beginning with the three Windham brothers before expanding to their sisters, the series blends close family relationships, emotional storytelling, and interconnected romances that allow familiar characters to remain part of the story as the family grows.
2010
Gayle Windham, Earl of Westhaven, escapes to his London townhouse hoping for a respite from his responsibilities - and his father’s determination to see him married. Instead, he finds himself increasingly drawn to Anna Seaton, his intelligent and mysterious housekeeper. But Anna is guarding secrets that could threaten them both, forcing Gayle to choose between the expectations of his family and the woman who has captured his heart.
Why We Recommend It
The Windhams are a great choice for readers who especially enjoy the family connections that make Regency series so satisfying. Grace Burrowes gives her characters complicated histories and relationships while creating a warm, lived-in family world that stretches well beyond a single romance. With numerous interconnected books and characters, it’s an especially good series for readers looking for a Regency world they can settle into for the long haul.
Chance Sisters by Anne Gracie
Anne Gracie’s Chance Sisters series centers on four young women – two sisters and two close friends – whose precarious circumstances lead them to create a family of their own. An unexpected alliance with the elderly Lady Beatrice Davenham changes their fortunes, opening the door to Society, new possibilities, and four very different romances. Friendship and found family remain at the heart of the series as each of the “Chance sisters” finds her own happily-ever-after.
2013
Governess Abigail Chantry will do whatever it takes to protect her sister and two closest friends from destitution. A desperate break-in leads her not to riches, but to the neglected Lady Beatrice Davenham - and an unconventional arrangement that transforms the four young women into her newly acquired “nieces.” Their scheme is working beautifully until Lady Beatrice’s suspicious nephew, Max, Lord Davenham, returns home and discovers Abby firmly established in his family’s household.
Why We Recommend It
The Chance Sisters is an especially appealing choice for readers who love strong female friendships alongside their romance. The four women begin with very little except their loyalty to one another, giving the series a warm found-family quality that carries from book to book. Anne Gracie balances that sisterhood with humor, emotional depth, and plenty of Regency courtship – making this an easy series to become invested in.
The Untouchables by Darcy Burke
Darcy Burke’s The Untouchables series brings together a group of seemingly unattainable gentlemen and the women who prove they aren’t quite so untouchable after all. Dukes, rogues, wallflowers, and other outsiders move through an interconnected Regency world filled with scandal, second chances, unexpected matches, and recurring characters. With twelve main novels, the series offers plenty of opportunities to watch relationships and friendships develop along the way.
2016
Nearly a decade after a scandal left Eleanor Lockhart’s reputation in ruins, she returns to Society as a paid companion determined to avoid further trouble. Titus St. John, Duke of Kendal, has spent those same years in self-imposed isolation, haunted by his own role in Eleanor’s downfall. When their paths cross again, old regrets and unexpected attraction give them a chance to rewrite a past neither has forgotten.
Why We Recommend It
The Untouchables is an easy recommendation for readers who enjoy familiar Regency tropes with plenty of variety from book to book. Wallflowers and unconventional heroines share the page with elusive bachelors, damaged reputations, and second-chance romances, while the interconnected cast gives the series continuity. It’s also a substantial series, making it a great choice when you want more than just a few books before saying goodbye to the characters.
The Brothers Sinister by Courtney Milan
Courtney Milan’s Brothers Sinister series revolves around a close-knit circle of friends whose tongue-in-cheek name comes from one simple trait: they’re all left-handed. Across four full-length novels and three novellas, Milan pairs romance with ambitious, unconventional characters, including women with interests and aspirations that extend well beyond the marriage mart. The Governess Affair serves as the prequel to the main series and introduces the family connections that carry into the books that follow.
2012
Serena Barton is determined to hold a powerful duke accountable for what he has done to her, but standing in her way is Hugo Marshall, the duke’s ruthlessly ambitious right-hand man. Known as the Wolf of Clermont, Hugo has been ordered to make Serena disappear quietly. Instead, he finds himself increasingly captivated by the one woman who refuses to be intimidated by him.
Why We Recommend It
Brothers Sinister is a great choice for readers who like their Regency romance smart, character-driven, and a little less conventional. Milan gives her heroines plenty of agency while exploring class, ambition, friendship, and social expectations alongside the love stories. The interconnected characters give the series continuity, but each romance brings something distinctly its own.
Mayhem in Mayfair by Grace Callaway
Grace Callaway’s Mayhem in Mayfair series brings a steamier, more suspenseful edge to Regency romance. Across four interconnected stories, unconventional heroines and the men who fall for them venture beyond polite drawing rooms into a London filled with secrets, danger, and intrigue. The romances stand on their own, but recurring characters and connections help establish the larger world that continues through Callaway’s later historical romance series.
2011
Lady Helena Harteford’s troubled marriage takes an unexpected turn when she disguises herself and follows her husband, Nicholas Morgan, into the seedier side of Regency London. What begins as an attempt to understand the distance between them becomes a dangerous deception that rekindles their attraction. But when a threat from Nicholas’s past resurfaces, the couple must confront both the secrets between them and the danger closing in around them.
Why We Recommend It
Mayhem in Mayfair adds welcome variety to this list. Grace Callaway combines high-heat romance with mystery and adventure, giving readers plenty of passion alongside the familiar pleasures of Regency society. It’s a particularly good choice for readers who prefer their historical romance steamier, a little darker, and with more danger than the traditional ballroom courtship.
Company of Rogues by Jo Beverley
Jo Beverley’s Company of Rogues series centers on a group of men whose friendship began during their school days and continues into adulthood, when loyalty to one another proves invaluable through romance, scandal, intrigue, and danger. Set primarily during the Regency years, the interconnected series allows members of the Rogues – and characters drawn into their circle – to move in and out of one another’s stories, creating an expansive world that develops across many books.
1991
Eleanor Chivenham accepts an arranged marriage to Nicholas Delaney after her brother’s schemes leave her reputation in ruins. Nicholas has troubles of his own, including a dangerous mission involving a French spy and a carefully cultivated reputation as a rogue. As Eleanor becomes entangled in the intrigue surrounding her new husband, Nicholas reunites his old schoolboy circle, the Company of Rogues, while their marriage begins to develop into something neither expected.
Why We Recommend It
Company of Rogues brings a more classic historical-romance voice to this list. Jo Beverley combines strong historical detail with friendship, adventure, intrigue, and romances that are often more complicated than a straightforward ballroom courtship. The continuing presence of the Rogues gives the series a strong sense of connection, making it especially appealing for readers who enjoy watching a circle of characters evolve over many books.
The Matchmakers by Candace Camp
Candace Camp’s Matchmakers series centers on Lady Francesca Haughston, a society widow with a talent for bringing unlikely couples together. What begins as a wager over whether Francesca can transform an overlooked young woman into one of the season’s most desirable matches leads to a series of romances shaped by matchmaking, social expectations, and unexpected attraction. Francesca remains a connecting presence throughout the four-book series, while her own romantic history gradually comes to the forefront.
2007
With no fortune and little expectation of making a match, Constance Woodley is surprised when a well-connected benefactor takes her under her wing and introduces her to London society. Her transformation soon attracts the attention of Lord Dominic Leighton, a charming and slightly notorious viscount. As an unlikely courtship unfolds amid the scrutiny of the ton, Constance discovers that even the carefully calculated marriage mart can't always account for love.
Why We Recommend It
The Matchmakers is a natural choice for readers who enjoy the Regency marriage mart itself – the maneuvering, introductions, unlikely pairings, and question of who will end up with whom. Candace Camp gives the series continuity through Francesca’s matchmaking while allowing each couple to have a distinct romance, making this a fun choice for readers who especially enjoy courtship and Society-centered stories.
The Wallflowers by Lisa Kleypas
Four young women who have repeatedly found themselves overlooked on the marriage mart decide that waiting politely for husbands isn’t getting them anywhere. Annabelle, Lillian, Evie, and Daisy form an alliance, pooling their friendship, ingenuity, and occasional willingness to bend Society’s rules to help each other find love. Lisa Kleypas carries their friendship across the series, allowing each former supporting character to step into the center of her own romance while the other Wallflowers remain part of her world.
2004
Secrets of a Summer Night introduces four young women who form an unlikely friendship while navigating London society. Annabelle Peyton hopes to secure a wealthy match, but the charismatic Simon Hunt soon upends her carefully laid plans.
Why We Recommend It
Few series make better use of one of Regency romance’s greatest pleasures: watching women navigate a society that gives them plenty of rules and finding their own ways around them. The Wallflowers are funny, loyal, meddlesome, and wonderfully different from one another, making the friendships nearly as compelling as the romances. It’s an especially satisfying choice if you love seeing heroines who begin on the edges of the ballroom eventually command the story.
Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
At the heart of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series are eight siblings – alphabetically named Anthony through Hyacinth – and the lively family surrounding them. Each novel brings another Bridgerton into the marriage mart, where courtship, misunderstandings, scandal, and unexpected matches unfold against a backdrop of London Society. The individual romances change, but the siblings’ teasing, interference, loyalty, and unmistakable affection provide the thread that ties the series together.
2000
Determined to avoid London's relentless matchmaking season, Daphne Bridgerton agrees to a pretend courtship with the enigmatic Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Their carefully arranged deception soon gives way to genuine affection in the unforgettable romance that begins the beloved Bridgerton series.
Why We Recommend It
Bridgerton is Regency romance at its most social: crowded ballrooms, ambitious matchmaking, whispered gossip, large families, and courtships conducted under the watchful eyes of seemingly everyone. Julia Quinn’s humor keeps the books buoyant, while the continuing family relationships make each new romance feel like another chapter in a much larger story. If you enjoy spending as much time with the family as with the couple falling in love, this series delivers that in abundance.
The Bedwyn Saga by Mary Balogh
Mary Balogh’s Bedwyn Saga follows the six aristocratic Bedwyn siblings, a formidable family headed by the reserved and commanding Duke of Bewcastle. Beginning with Aidan Bedwyn’s unexpected encounter with a fiercely independent widow, the series gradually moves through the siblings while revealing more of the personalities and vulnerabilities beneath the family’s imposing exterior. Each romance stands on its own while contributing another piece to the larger portrait of the Bedwyn family.
2003
After promising a dying soldier he would protect his sister, Aidan Bedwyn offers Eve Morris a marriage of convenience to save her home and reputation. What begins as a practical arrangement gradually becomes something neither expected as duty gives way to love.
Why We Recommend It
The Bedwyn Saga is an excellent counterpoint to the lighter, more playful side of Regency romance represented elsewhere on this list. Mary Balogh gives her relationships room to develop slowly, with emotional restraint, complicated family dynamics, and characters whose feelings aren’t always immediately apparent. Watching those carefully maintained defenses come down is much of the pleasure – and makes the series especially rewarding for readers who prefer a more emotionally layered Regency romance.
One of the pleasures of Regency romance is discovering just how much variety can exist within the same historical setting. Some of these series are lighthearted and witty, others are more emotional or adventurous, but each offers its own reason to spend a little more time in Regency England.
And once you find a series you love, there’s usually another family, rogue, wallflower, or scandal waiting just around the corner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Regency romance series to start with?
If you’re completely new to Regency romance, Bridgerton by Julia Quinn and Wallflowers by Lisa Kleypas are both wonderfully accessible starting points. Bridgerton offers humor, family relationships, and plenty of romantic matchmaking, while Wallflowers centers on four unlikely friends helping one another find love. From there, you can explore the other series on this list to discover which style of Regency romance you enjoy most.
Do you need to read Regency romance series in order?
It depends on the series. Most Regency romance novels feature a complete romance and happily-ever-after for a different couple in each book, so they can often be enjoyed individually. However, recurring characters, friendships, family relationships, and ongoing storylines develop throughout a series, making publication order the best choice whenever possible.
What is the difference between Regency romance and historical romance?
Historical romance is the broader genre and can take place during many different periods and in many locations. Regency romance is a type of historical romance set during or around Britain’s Regency era in the early 19th century. Its distinctive social customs, aristocratic society, courtship rules, and settings have made it one of historical romance’s most popular subgenres.
Are all Regency romances about dukes and aristocrats?
Not at all. Dukes, earls, and other members of the aristocracy certainly appear frequently, but Regency romance also features merchants, soldiers, spies, working women, widows, bluestockings, wallflowers, and characters living outside the highest levels of society. One of the pleasures of exploring different series is discovering how differently authors interpret the same historical world.
Are Regency romance books always steamy?
No. Regency romance ranges from closed-door and relatively sweet stories to books with much more explicit romantic content. The level of steam varies considerably by author and series, so readers can find Regency romances across a wide range of heat levels.
Is Bridgerton a Regency romance series?
Yes. Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels are Regency romances set primarily in early 19th-century England. The series centers on the eight Bridgerton siblings and their individual love stories and has introduced an enormous new audience to Regency romance.
Before You Close the Book
One of the best things about finding a Regency romance series you love is knowing more stories are waiting when you turn the final page. Familiar characters return, friendships and families grow, and a fictional world that began with one romance can quickly become somewhere you can’t wait to revisit.
Whether you begin with an old favorite or discover a completely new author on this list, we hope these series lead you to plenty of glittering ballrooms, country estates, troublesome rakes, clever heroines, and happily-ever-afters.
Enjoying House of Wallflowers? Unlock the free Wallflowers Library for printable reading orders, exclusive author guides, and a growing collection of historical romance resources. New printables and reader tools are added regularly, so there’s always something new to discover.
