Some fantasy with romance:
Mary Robinette Kowal: Shades of Milk and Honey
(often described as Jane Austen with magic)
Lois McMaster Bujold: The Talisman Ring
(Renaissance-ish Italy)
Patricia Wrede: A Matter of Magic
(Regency with magic)
K.J. Charles: The Magpie Lord
1800s England with magic. Some explicit sex scenes. The author has made the first book in the series free now because of the epidemic. Enemies to lovers.
Quote:
He looked like a clerk, the ten-a-penny kind who drudged in every counting house, except that he had tawny-gold eyes that were vividly glowing in his pale rigid face, and they were staring at Crane with something that looked extraordinarily like hate.
“I’m Lucien Vaudrey,” said Crane, extending his hand.
“You’re Lord Crane,” said the visitor, not extending his. “I had to be sure. But you’re a Vaudrey of Lychdale, aren’t you?”
Crane looked at the naked hostility in the other man’s face and posture, and strolled to a conclusion, since he hardly needed to jump.
“I take it you’ve encountered my brother, Hector,” he said. “Or possibly my father.”
“Both.” The little man spat the word out. “Oh, I’ve encountered your family alright. It’s something of an irony to be sent to help one of you.”
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Zen Cho: Sorcerer to the Crown
which contains what may be my favourite paragraph in a book ever:
Quote:
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Prunella had once thought life in London would be all flirting and balls and dresses, hitting attentive suitors on the shoulder with a fan, and breakfasting late upon bowls of chocolate. She sighed now for her naďveté. Little had she known life in London was in fact all hexes and murder and thaumaturgical politics, and she would always be rising early for some reason or other!
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