I am a product of my times, which means I was indoctrinated on love triangle teams. Team Edward or Team Jacob? Team Dean or Team Jess? Team Michael or Team Rafael? Love triangles that pull the heroine between the solid guy and the bad guy were kind of a mainstay of media in my teens (and all you need to know about me is I will always be Team Good Guy).
When I started reading romance novels, I expected there to be a lot of love triangles. I was surprised that it is signaled so early on to the reader who the end-goal couple was. I actually am very grateful for that, because in love triangle stories, the heroine almost never ends up with the guy I’m rooting for. (Most recently, I have become very ardently #TeamYoungStringer from the TV Sanditon adaptation.)
That said, there are historical romance novels out there that give you the same angst of a traditional love triangle. In most of these, the hero loves another woman. Check out the list here:
The Husband Trap by Tracy Anne Warren
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.87
The Parent Trap, but make it romance.
Violet is the shy twin in glasses. Her sister is the one marrying dreamy Adrian. Except Jeanette decides the morning of the wedding she doesn't want to go through with it, so they pull the ultimate switch, and Violet marries him instead. Everything is great - except her husband has no idea he married the wrong sister.
This love triangle is a little subtle because Adrian doesn’t even realize he is part of it, but most of Violet’s narration is angst about whether he likes her for her or not. If you love unrequited anxiety (and can tolerate anticipated awkwardness), you’ll love it.
Bedding Lord Ned by Sally MacKenzie
Average Goodreads rating: 3.61
Fans of unrequited love, unite. This love triangle is between two childhood friends and a dead wife. Ellie has loved Ned since forever, but he married her friend, and even now 4 years a widower, he has yet to notice Ellie. Most of her narration is spent wishing he would notice her while his is spent being an idiot. That said, it is a humorous novel with crazy animal-related hijinx, so if this is your cup of tea, you will love it.
A Convenient Fiction by Mimi Matthews
Average Goodreads rating: 4.29
The love triangle here is between Alex, Laura, and the woman Alex thinks she should marry for her money. This book opens with an arresting opening scene: Laura is happily submerged in a pond when Alex "saves" her. She is angry; he is scared. It has the magical charm of Anne of Green Gables. From there, the plot unfurls in the summery English countryside. Alex is there to court Laura's best friend. Laura is suspicious, but distracted by her own worries. Alex is distracted by Laura. It was interesting to be centered in a hero who is essentially selfish, without seeing him as an alpha-hole. Laura, meanwhile, is enchanting and self-sufficient. I pretty much devoured this book! (Be aware that it is closed-door romance.)
The Gilded Web by Mary Balogh
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.58
Are you ready for a crazy love triangle? The heroine is kidnapped by one brother, rescued by another, proposed to by both, denies them both, accepts one, and the other keeps badgering her to marry him instead. Of all the books on the list, this one kept me guessing to the end. I definitely rooted for the hero (he is the nice guy, after all), even though he was sort of in love with another woman at the beginning, but the heroine seemed much more into his brother at times. I’m going to be honest: this book wasn’t for me. However, I’ve seen a lot of reviews that love it, so if you like a traditional regency romance and an out-there plot, check it out!
The Ideal Countess by Katherine Grant (me!)
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.43
I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I did exorcise some of my devils while writing the love triangle in The Ideal Countess. See, I always root for the nice guy in love triangles, and he almost always ends up friendzoned. So I wrote a love triangle where even addicts to bad guys would root for the nice guy. And it worked - overwhelmingly, I hear how much everyone loves Hugh, and how dumb Alice is for even entertaining the duke.
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