Ready for another Rec League? This one comes from Tanvee and proved to be a little challenging:
Aarya: BAND SINISTER BY KJ CHARLESI’m actually afraid my request is really specific because I mean very literally Frederica-but-with-sex or Arabella-but-with-sex. My favorite Heyers are Frederica, Cotillion and The Unknown Ajax and I’m wondering if someone has taken a stab at retelling a Heyer novel with sex in it. I did read Any Old Diamonds, which was quite close to perfect.
But I know that’s quite a difficult thing to find – so if there are books which have protagonists in close proximity, dealing with relatives and the like, exchanging witty repartee and sexual tension, that would be great!
Okay, I’ll stop screaming but this is exactly what you’re looking for. Charles wrote the book in an homage to Heyer, and it’s a perfect, witty, and queer romance. It stands alone and you’ll enjoy it without knowing anything about Heyer, but it has such clever allusions to Venetia (the younger sibling getting injured and recuperating at neighboring rakish/notorious estate), Sylvester (someone writes a book that portrays the rakish hero as a villain), and more. But the Rec League requester may have already read this since they’ve read Any Old Diamonds.
As to the very specific ask of “X-but-with-sex,” I’ve got nothing. I do think a lot of European historical romance qualifies for the broader part of your request, but that isn’t particularly helpful of me.
Charlotte: I don’t have the answers but I wish I did because I’ve been wishing for These Old Shades ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) with sex since forever.
Amanda: These Old Shades has a very special place in my heart.
Sarah: How come? I’m curious!
Amanda: It was my first Heyer, haha.
Claudia: Hmmm… I’m not sure in terms of Heyer retelling, but in tone and style I believe Stella Riley fits the bill. The Mesalliance is one of my favorite books by her and has some of the elements the reader is looking for, such as close proximity and dealing with family.
And, just to clarify, lots of sexual tension and some on-page sex.
Charlotte: I feel like TOS is also interesting bc it’s identifiable as the source of certain Regency archetypes (the terrifying duke with revenge on his mind) but it’s also, frankly, weirder than most other Heyer. It’s got a real strain of Wilkie Collins melodrama to it.
Amanda: Yeah, I went on to read a few more, but nothing quite matched up to TOS.
Sarah: I have never read this one and I can borrow a copy from the library now. Should I read it?
Amanda: I’m very curious about your thoughts! I read TOS and the “follow up” which is Devil’s Cub.
Catherine: Anne Gracie’s novel The Winter Bride has a hero who is based very clearly on Freddy from Cotillion, but doesn’t quite have the other elements looked for. It’s a fabulous book, though!
Actually, Anne Gracie in general might be a good bet. She tends to have a lot of family groups who are all up in each other’s business. The Perfect Rake ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) has a very Heyeresque feel, and Gideon is not dissimilar to the hero of Venetia.
TOS is also the archetype of the villain who reforms. Slightly. The Duke of Avon is basically the villain from Heyer’s first novel, The Black Moth, with his name changed. In that sense, he’s very much like St. Vincent in Devil in Winter ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) – he even has the backstory of kidnapping and trying to force marriage on the heroine from another book.
…and I’m sorry, because I don’t think any of this is very helpful in terms of answering the request. And I wish I could help, because Heyer-but-with-sex sounds great.
Amanda: It’s a tall order, for sure.
Catherine: On the subject of favourite Heyer, my all time favourite would have to be The Masqueraders. Not only does it have the heroine in breeches trope, it also has a hero in a dress and he manages to be one of the sexiest heroes in all of Heyer, in my opinion, which is hard to pull off. The start is a bit confusing, but it’s worth it.
Susan: I don’t think I’ve ever read a Heyer book (I know, I’m fired), but from what you’re all saying The Ruin of a Rake sounds like it would fit the same beats?
The protagonist wrote a novel where the villain is very obviously based on the rakish love interest, and both of them are trying to heal their relationships with their families
Also there are Schemes, trying to fix reputations, and aggressive book-keeping
Any thoughts on sexier historicals that embody Georgette Heyer?
There is some really well-written Heyer fanfic out there. I remember reading one about Justin Alastair and Hugh Davenant at Oxford, as students – obviously Justin plays for both teams. I forget where I found it, but it was excellent!
I always thought the early Lauren fit the x-rated Heyer model before they got same-same. I will always remember ‘Tangled Reins;’ it had the same kind of family dynamic as Heyer romps, but at the time (and it’s still rare) the oldest sister’s ability to pull one over her new guardian about her sisters being passably good looking remains one of my reading delights and highlights.
Actually, I was referring specifically to Lauren’s ‘Four in Hand’, not ‘Tangled Reins’, though the early books all had that family dynamic shenanigans of that type of Heyer, as well as Dukes channelling Avon.
The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig! Turnip and Arabella are a perfect homage to Freddy & Kitty in Cotillion, but with a very different plot. There is no sex in the book, but there is an accompanying wedding night short story, Away in a Manger.
Cat Sebastian’s “Unmasked By the Marquess” is literally Frederica with sex plus added “crossdressing”/nb character. Cold and cutting Marques meets lovablable scamp who wants her sister to marry well.
A lot of Mary Balogh’s early work had, to my mind, a Heyer feel to it. Especially because, in those earlier books (published from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s), there was often a secondary character where the male was definitely on the beta side. I remember reading my first Balogh in the late 1980s (possibly THE UNWANTED BRIDE) and being surprised at both on-page sex and the hero’s continued relationship with his mistress after his marriage.
I meant to say, “there was often a secondary couple where the male was definitely on the beta side.” Review-before-post is your friend, DDD.
A Gentleman’s Game by Theresa Romain is a nod to The Toll-Gate … a road trip with race horses and a bit more heat than the original.
Cat Sebastian ticks a lot of boxes but especially “It Takes Two to Tumble” which is a Heyeresque tribute to The Sound of Music. (Crusty Sea Captain with kids meets Adorable Vicar) Part of a series of linked family stories “Seducing the Sedgewicks”.
Honestly, just visit AO3 (An Archive of their Own).
You can sort by fandom, by explicitness, by character pairing. There’s Jane Eyre with explicit sex, there’s Doctor Who with explicit sex, there’s Pride and Prejudice with explicit sex, there’s Supernatural and Greek Mythology and Harry Potter and everything else with as explicit a sexual level as the reader is comfortable with.
A number of the fan writers also have professional novels, so it’s a great way to find out new authors–and you know if you like their style before you buy.
Seconding Sophie’s recommendation for Unmasked by the Marquess!
@Bea – as someone who had fun writing Greek Mythology Persephone/Hades Regency AU fic, I second this rec!
I’ve never read any Heyer either, so please forgive an ignorant question: Is “Any Old Diamonds” a homage to a particular Heyer book? I read it and liked it, but I totally missed any Heyer connection.
I think Rose Lerner mentioned in an early podcast that that a reviewer described “In for a Penny” as “Heyer but explicit fellatio?”
I really enjoyed jat_sapphire’s The Wages of Vice, on Archive of Our Own. It’s a close look at Avon and Hugh’s relationship, with strong research on the ‘molly houses’ of the time.
There is indeed some great Heyer fanfic on AO3. Not much of it, but what exists is excellent.
Jane Ashford’s earliest books were Signet Regencies so she’s definitely got the style. Her more recent books are longer historicals with some sex, although not very explicit. I recommend “The Bargain”, it’s very witty, there’s a logical scientist hero and a heroine who operates totally by instinct and makes him want to tear his hair out, a big family all in each other’s business, and a very low angst-quotient.
Maybe also Paula Marshall, “An Improper Duenna”, “Prince of Secrets” or “The Black Sheep’s Bride”, based on her writing style.
Also “The Devil Earl” by Deborah Simmons, it’s a very funny spoof of Gothic novels.
“A thing with feathers” by hazel on AO3 is a modern AU of Devil’s Cub, with explicit sex. It’s delightful.
I still am looking for ToS fanfic that isn’t Justin/Hugh. I literally want ToS but with the reunion scene to be followed by the wedding and sex and no one seems to have done it. And I’m no writer, or I would try
@dreamingintrees
There’s a short Charles/Sophy fic that continues The Grand Sophy in the way you are thinking of for ToS. The Wedding Bed by astolat: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8880568
I second DiscoDollyDeb’s Mary Balogh suggestion. I’ve always felt that the Slightly books were very Heyerish.
A Summer to Remember always makes me think of Frederica for some unknown reason. The plot is nothing alike, but maybe it’s just the way they both make me feel.
Slightly Scandalous actually does remind me of Bath Tangle as the heroines are both bold and a little wild.
Thank you so much everyone!
I’ve read (devoured really) every KJ Charles and Cat Sebastian already. Same with Anne Gracie but the comments have given me a lot of fodder and I’ll start reading these immediately!
@harthad – wrt Any Old Diamonds – I found it more an homage to a way of writing and not to a particular Heyer book. Band Sinister is definitely more Heyer but I didn’t enjoy it as much as Any Old Diamonds.
Thank you everyone!!
I’d second Stella Riley. I mainlined her earlier this year prior to a surgery. Very much in the veins of family saga/comedy/several couples type, and proper Georgian not regency.
Late to the conversation, but there was a third Heyer in the TOS, Devil’s Cub sequence – An Infamous Army (the heroine is the granddaughter, I think, of the hero in Devil’s Cub). Also, I heard that the depiction of the Battle of Waterloo was used at the British military academy.
In response to Todd: An Infamous Army is a sequel of sorts to Regency Buck as well, with the reappearance of the Audley family, most notably Charles Audley as the hero. And yes, Barbara is the granddaughter of Vidal and Mary. I’m not surprised to hear that the battle scenes are used as a template for understanding Waterloo – it is both detailed and very easy to comprehend even for a person with little military experience/interest.
Lisa Kleypas’ Hathaway series (cis/het) is a wonderful mix of sexy romance and family trials and tribulations with a sense of humour. My favourite line of all time may be a heroine who is listing off all her best points to sell herself to the hero and finishes with “And I can pick up small objects with my toes which is a remarkably useful skill”.
I adored Mesalliance by Stella Riley. The hero especially was very much like a Heyer hero and if you like narration it’s done by the sexy voice of Alex Wyndham. My favorite Heyer was Talisman Ring which was tightly plotted and so so funny followed closely by Unknown Ajax. I always felt Sherry Thomas’s His at Night had the same Ajax vibe with the Hero being perceived as an idiot when he’s actually pretending. Add in some excellent sex scenes. Unfortunately I’ve never found a comparable book for Talisman Ring.
Stella Riley’s The Parfait Knight is perfect, but I was disappointed in Mesalliance because of the “big” misunderstanding” trope. Rockliffe deserved better IMO.
I would suggest Jo Beverly’s Rogues for Regency and The Mallorens for Georgian. The Marquess of Rothar book Devilish is a superb romance.
It’s hard to compare with Heyer though many have tried. That Teresa Romaine book seemed “more” than an homage to me, I was truly annoyed by her audacity.
Mary Jo Putney’s early books could also fill the bill: The Rake and The Bargain or Petals in a Storm. All were written in the late eighties and hold up well.
I have read Frederica too many times to count it’s so good. The audio book is also very good. Sometimes I read bits of Heyer’s books for a laugh. The card scene in The Unknown Ajax makes me laugh just thinking about it.
It would be a dream for someone to appear on the scene who can write with Heyer’s skill and humor, but with a little sexual spice.
I have the opposite question. Which Georgette Heyer should I try since I have written of my love of Stella Riley on here?
@Cassandra, thank you!
I’ve always thought Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels read like sexy Austen or Heyer fan fic. I quite like her Carsington series.
If you like books that are mostly closed door but still have sexual tension without mental lusting, I recommend Sherwood Anderson’s Rondo Allegro and Danse de la Folie. I think these would work for Stella Riley fans. I also think some of Fiona Hill’s Regencies would be of interest.
Correction: Sherwood Smith (not Anderson).
One of my sisters is a big Heyer fan so I often try out potential books ahead of recommending them. Within the last year Foxing The Geese by Janet Woods and My lady Governess by Elise Clarke were perhaps the best of these and though certainly no one has as dab a hand at amusing slang the plots feel Heyeresque. The sex isn’t overly explicit but neither fades to black.
What a great question and so many new books to seek out. JudyW — The Talisman Ring is one of my favorite Heyer books. I was always saddened that Sarah’s brother, Sir Hugh didn’t get a sequel. I also have great affection for The Masqueraders and Sylvester. My paperback copies of Frederica and Cotillion have fallen apart and had to be replaced. I think that I read Devil’s Cub before I read These Old Shade, back in the 70s, when I first discovered Heyer at the library.
Lauren Willig’s 3rd and 4th Pink Carnation books have sister heroines and include a plot point from the Devil’s Cub. I also think that Lord Vaughn is a version of the Duke of Avon — worldly and sarcastic — although his heroine is definitely not like Leonie!
Off topic, but I think this link to an article by Sherwood Smith on the links between Austen and Heyer would be of interest.
https://bookviewcafe.com/blog/2010/08/29/the-romance-of-the-regency-jane-austen-georgette-heyer-and-silver-fork-novels/
Love’s Charade by Jane Feather is straight up ToS with sex. It and many other Avon-like recommendations came to me from this very blog:
https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2016/10/rec-league-historical-alphas/
[…] Our conversation about Georgette Heyer sent me back to my Heyer shelf, so I’m now reading The Masqueraders ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and I […]