“How steamy is this historical romance?”

For many romance readers, that is the first question they ask. If you’re asking because you want to make sure there is enough steam for you, then this is the blog post for you. If you prefer romances that keep anything more than kissing off the page, then go ahead and click away now. 

On this page, I’m keeping a running list of the best steamy historical romance novels I read. Some of these are starter books for who I consider the best historical romance authors, and others are stand-outs you absolutely need to read this very minute. 

What does “steamy romance” mean anyway?

“Steamy romance” means something different to every reader. If you really want to get granular break-downs of how many scenes are in each book and even what kind of “steamy acts” you can expect, I recommend checking out the private Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats group over Facebook (or following the admins on Goodreads). 

For our purposes, I’m defining steamy as anything with multiple scenes featuring on-page physical intimacy. In other words, these are all steamy historical romance books that are appropriate for 18 years and older. 

The Best Steamy Historical Romances (and Steamy Historical Romance Authors) I Loved

Looking for free online steamy historical romances? Jump here.

From Eva Leigh

You can count on Eva Leigh to write historical romances with lots of on-page intimacy where each character has specific sexual personalities and preferences. 

From Tessa Dare

Tessa Dare is known for her light touch. She writes heartfelt romances that are funny as well as sexy. You can always count on her characters to get it on! Here are a few of my favorites:

From Cat Sebastian

When you’re reading a Cat Sebastian, you know you will have nuanced characters - and plenty of on-page steam. Some of the stand-outs for me are:

From Mia Vincy

If you love a regency romance, you need to try out Mia Vincy. Not only are her characters and plots nearly perfect, but there are plenty of scenes that will make you fan yourself. My favorites are:

From Scarlett Peckham

I have a hunch that one of Scarlett Peckham’s goals in life is to help readers reclaim some sex positivity with her steamy historical romances. In these books, you’ll find characters who own their sexuality. The ones that live rent-free in my mind are:

From Rose Lerner

Rose Lerner writes beautifully-research historical romances with sex scenes that pop. Including a few erotica novellas! Here are some of her full-length novels that I love:

Some Standouts

Confession: I often read just one book by an author before moving on, because I want to try so many authors! Here are a few of the best steamy historical romance novels that I’ve read as standalones:

My Steamy Historical Romances 

If you don’t mind me tooting my own horn, I write some pretty dang steamy historical romance novels, too! 

Try out my steamy series, The Prestons:

Free Online Steamy Historical Romances

If you’re looking for some free steamy reads, I’ve got two that you can download online for free right now!