-- Think of England (early 1900s country house mystery/romance, standalone) -- The Will Darling trilogy (1920s spy/thriller romance, note: the first book doesn't resolve the whole plot or romance arc, as it all unfolds over the course of the trilogy) -- The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (regency romance between a fortune hunter and a grumpy, overprotective nobleman, first in a series but stands alone) -- Bend Sinister (light-hearted regency romance between a notorious rake and a sheltered young man who ends up staying in his country house, standalone) -- A Seditious Affair (regency romance, though this book focuses on a radical bookseller and an uptight government official, third book in the series, but I think it stands alone as long as you don't mind mild spoilers for who gets together in previous books in the series)
Now, I tend to love regency tropes, which you said you're likely to avoid, so I don't know if the above will conflict with some of your own romance preferences. But I hope those give you some suggestions to consider! :)
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-- Think of England (early 1900s country house mystery/romance, standalone)
-- The Will Darling trilogy (1920s spy/thriller romance, note: the first book doesn't resolve the whole plot or romance arc, as it all unfolds over the course of the trilogy)
-- The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (regency romance between a fortune hunter and a grumpy, overprotective nobleman, first in a series but stands alone)
-- Bend Sinister (light-hearted regency romance between a notorious rake and a sheltered young man who ends up staying in his country house, standalone)
-- A Seditious Affair (regency romance, though this book focuses on a radical bookseller and an uptight government official, third book in the series, but I think it stands alone as long as you don't mind mild spoilers for who gets together in previous books in the series)
Now, I tend to love regency tropes, which you said you're likely to avoid, so I don't know if the above will conflict with some of your own romance preferences. But I hope those give you some suggestions to consider! :)