15 Steamy Historical Romance Novels That Will Ignite Your Passion for the Past

I’m turning up the heat with this book list of steamy historical romance novels that are sure to please any historical romance fan!

Don’t expect shy wallflowers or closed-door romance in these steamy historical romance novels that prove that love can be passionate no matter the time period.

If you love to read romance books that aren’t afraid to turn up the heat and add a bit of steaminess like me, then this is the list for you!

For even more steamy historical romance novels, don’t miss my list of erotic historical romance novels where the steam is off the charts.

*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Best Steamy Historical Romance Novels

Again the Magic
by Lisa Kleypas

Lady Aline Marsden was brought up to marry a man of her own class, but from the moment she meets John McKenna, she risks everything to be with him.

Although their love is forbidden, McKenna’s passion for the beautiful Aline is too compelling to deny.

When their secret is discovered, their world is shattered. McKenna is forced to leave forever, unaware that the only reason Aline has given him up is to save him.

Now McKenna has returned, a powerful man determined to take revenge against the woman who broke his heart.

But the magic between them burns as fiercely as ever . . . and as McKenna uncovers Aline’s deepest secret, together they discover a love that will defy Fate itself.

This is Kleypas’ prequel novel to her beloved Wallflower series and is not to be missed! It’s a beautiful second chance romance but actually gives you two couples to route for!

Given the history between McKenna and Aline and the many years they had to suffer apart, you know that emotions are high.

But it’s when those emotions finally boil over that this historical romance gets good and steamy. I loved it!

Truce
by R. L. Mathewson

Elizabeth knows what’s expected of her, perfection. She’s the daughter of an Earl and expected to marry well, say and do the right things with a smile on her face when inside she’s waiting for a chance to escape.

Thanks to an inheritance her godmother left her years ago, her chance will come with her next birthday.

Her hopes of escape abruptly end when Robert, her childhood nemesis that she hasn’t seen since they were children, comes back into her life and does everything within his power to make her pay for their past.

He hated her. At least, Robert tried to hate her, but it was so damn difficult to hate someone that he couldn’t live without.

He tried to ignore her, tried to focus on anything but her, but nothing worked.

Somehow, she made her way into his heart and started to make him want things that he never thought possible, made him smile and laugh even while she drove him out of his mind and started a legacy by turning him into… A Bradford.

OMG, I cannot tell you how much I love this enemies to lovers historical romance! It is seriously one of the best and one of the steamiest and has secured itself on my best romance books of all time list because of it.

Robert and Elizabeth have been enemies since their childhood and that animosity still burns hot now that they are adults.

Their constant antagonism only fuels their intense chemistry and they find they cannot keep their hands off each other.

With all the sneaking around and secrecy, only adds to the steaminess of this historical romance, and that scene with the desk – FIRE!

Never Seduce A Scot
by Maya Banks

Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but outsiders consider her “touched.”

Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn’t speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear.

Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft.

But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come.

Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions.
 
Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul.

As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.

I love all of the historical romances in Banks’ Montgomerys and Armstrongs series but this may be my favorite.

There’s just something so incredibly romantic (and hot!) about a couple that finds a way to communicate with their bodies when words aren’t possible or necessary.

The juxtaposition of Graeme’s size and stature compared to gentle Eveline made this all the more steamy too. I highly recommend it.

Any Duchess Will Do
by Tessa Dare

York, the Duke of Halford, has no desire to wed this season–or any season–but his diabolical mother abducts him to “Spinster Cove” and insists he select a bride from the ladies in residence.

Griff decides to teach her a lesson that will end the marriage debate forever. He chooses the serving girl.

Overworked and struggling, Pauline Simms doesn’t dream about dukes. All she wants is to hang up her barmaid apron and open a bookshop.

That dream becomes a possibility when an arrogant, sinfully attractive duke offers her a small fortune for a week’s employment.

Her duties are simple: submit to his mother’s “duchess training”… and fail miserably.

But in London, Pauline isn’t a miserable failure. She’s a brave, quick-witted, beguiling failure–a woman who ignites Griff’s desire and soothes the darkness in his soul. Keeping Pauline by his side won’t be easy.

Even if Society could accept a serving girl duchess–can a roguish duke convince a serving girl to trust him with her heart?

I adore rags-to-riches type romance books and this one totally gives off My Fair Lady vibes although Pauline is quite the heroine in her own right.

Because Griff is so opposed to marriage, it makes their passion all the more intense. Plus he’s quite dominant so if you like alpha men then this is the steamy historical romance novel for you.

A Kingdom of Dreams
by Judith McNaught

Abducted from her convent school, headstrong Scottish beauty Jennifer Merrick does not easily surrender to Royce Westmoreland, Duke of Claymore. Known as “The Wolf,” his very name strikes terror in the hearts of his enemies.

But proud Jennifer will have nothing to do with the fierce English warrior who holds her captive, this handsome rogue who taunts her with his blazing arrogance.

Boldly she challenges his will—until the night he takes her in his powerful embrace, awakening in her an irresistible hunger.

And suddenly Jennifer finds herself ensnared in a bewildering web…a seductive, dangerous trap of pride, passion, loyalty, and overwhelming love.

I cannot tell you how much I love this historical romance that surprised me with its steaminess.

But when you’re dealing with a strong, young heroine and the man who kidnapped her, you know the tension is going to be intense and their coupling even more so with this forced proximity romance.

It’s one of my favorite romance books of all time for good reason and one you definitely need to add to your TBR list.

The Theory of Earls
by Kathleen Ayers

Three words, uttered by the beautifully rakish Lord Welles, leave Margaret Lainscott speechless.

His improper request, that she play the piano for him in her…underthings is as shocking as it is titillating.

Margaret should never have asked his help in reintroducing her to Lord Carstairs.

But his friend meets all of Margaret’s criteria for a husband; passably attractive, of below-average intelligence, and possessed of an obsessive outdoor hobby which will leave her free to pursue her own life.

Welles is one of London’s most committed bachelors, known for his notorious dealings with women and his part ownership of one of London’s pleasure clubs.

He’s long admired Miss Lainscott’s unrestrained passion at the piano; a passion he suspects is not reserved only for her music.

Welles is certain Miss Lainscott will not entertain his improper request despite the attraction burning between them.

A young lady such as Miss Lainscott would never ruin herself willingly.

And Welles? Nothing would make him compromise his heart…Until a duet with a passionate pianist changes his mind.

If the book summary doesn’t convince you that this is a steamy historical romance novel then I’m not sure what will!

Though for me, I’m not sure what I like more, the fact that Welles asked such an audacious request of Margaret anticipating her turning him down, or the fact that she surprises him and fulfills the request.

Now to discover how her passion for playing the piano translates into a passion in other areas 😊.

If You Deceive
by Kresley Cole

Ethan MacCarrick was a heartbreakingly handsome rake until a powerful nobleman ordered him brutally beaten and his face scarred for a crime he didn’t commit.

Ethan’s reprisal — bankrupting the nobleman and forcing his exile — does little to appease his wrath.

Ten years later, a haughty, mysterious beauty enchants Ethan — the daughter of his enemy.

At last, Ethan will have the revenge he’s craved; he’ll promise her marriage, seduce her, then cast her aside.

When Madeleine van Rowen’s family was suddenly plunged into destitution and dishonor, she steeled herself against further heartache.

She never weakened, never trusted, until a towering, scarred Highlander relentlessly pursues her, breaking down her defenses.

The passion between them burns hotter than Ethan’s fury, and soon he finds he can’t let her go.

But when Madeleine uncovers the truth about him, can Ethan convince her to accept all he now offers — when he once destroyed everything she had?

What is it about alpha male heroes with scars?! Gah, I love them so much and Ethan is a special breed of hero whose quest for vengeance is just as passionate as his need to pleasure Maddie.

This is the steamy historical romance for you if you love romances featuring Scottsmen or love heroes with wounded hearts. It’s divine.

The Highwayman
by Kerrington Byrne

Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of Victorian London’s wealthiest, most influential men who will stop at nothing to wreak vengeance on those who’ve wronged him…and will fight to the ultimate end to seize what he wants.

The lovely, still innocent widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie is no exception-and soon Dorian whisks the beautiful lass away to his sanctuary in the wild Highlands.

But Farah is no one’s puppet. She possesses a powerful secret-one that threatens her very life.

When being held captive by Dorian proves to be the only way to keep Farah safe from those who would see her in a grave, Dorian makes Farah a scandalous proposition: marry him for protection in exchange for using her secret to help him exact revenge on his enemies.

But what the Blackheart of Ben More never could have imagined is that Farah has terms of her own, igniting a tempestuous desire that consumes them both.

Could it be that the woman he captured is the only one who can touch the black heart he’d long thought forgotten?

This is definitely one steamy historical romance where Byrne doesn’t hold much back, especially when it comes to Dorian’s back story.

There’s honestly so much at play in this romance, a second chance romance, a mystery, a kidnapping, and lust OMG!

You won’t be disappointed if you’re looking for some steamy scenes in this one but it does deal with some heavy subject matter so just check the trigger warnings.

Passion For the Game
by Sylvia Day

Infamous for satisfying his limitless wants and desires, Christopher is a free man again. And this time he’s on a mission to engage, deceive and seduce the one woman as ruthless as he is when it comes to dangerous games of passion . . .

Far from innocent in the ways of men, Maria is one step ahead of Christopher’s every move. It doesn’t mean she isn’t enjoying every delicious look, every unbridled kiss, every moment of abandon.

Neither of them could have imagined the moment when they would meet their match—or that they would surrender to each other again and again.

Well hello, dirty-talking pirate! Christopher is determined to find the evidence to frame Maria, the black widow, but she’s onto his schemes and their back-and-forth is HOT!

If you want to read about two characters with intense chemistry, then look no further than Maria and Christopher in this steamy historical romance set in the Georgian era.

A Wicked Kind of Husband
by Mia Vincy

It was the ideal marriage of convenience … until they met

Cassandra DeWitt has seen her husband only once—on their wedding day two years earlier—and this arrangement suits her perfectly.

She has no interest in the rude, badly behaved man she married only to secure her inheritance. She certainly has no interest in his ban on her going to London.

Why, he’ll never even know she is there.

Until he shows up in London too, and Cassandra finds herself sharing a house with the most infuriating man in England.

Joshua DeWitt has his life exactly how he wants it. He has no need of a wife disrupting everything, especially a wife intent on reforming his behavior.

He certainly has no need of a wife who is intolerably amiable, insufferably reasonable … and irresistibly kissable.

As the unlikely couple team up to battle a malicious lawsuit and launch Cassandra’s wayward sister, passion flares between them.

Soon the day must come for them to part … but what if one of them wants their marriage to become real?

Oh boy does this book have feelings! It’s such a great opposites attract, marriage of convenience romance where things turn increasingly steamy once Joshua and Cassandra actually start living under the same roof. Definitely check it out!

Wicked in His Arms
by Stacy Reid

Tobias Walcott, the Earl of Blade, has learned it is best to exercise rigid control over his passions and emotions in all that he does.

Uncaring that it makes him seem cool and aloof to most in the ton, he is content with his desire to only woo agreeable and demur females.

Then unforeseen circumstances see him trapped in a closet at a house party with the last woman he would ever make his countess.

Lady Olivia Sherwood is everything he should not desire in a female—unconventional, too decisive, and utterly without decorum.

But passion ignites between them and they are discovered. Honor demands they wed, and while Tobias finds himself unwillingly drawn to the bewitching beauty, he must do everything not to tempt the passion that burns in him for her, lest it leads to disastrous consequences.

Oh, the ‘ole excuse that you’re trapped in a closet together that forces two into marriage. I love it, especially where this hero is fighting his own inner demands and doesn’t want a woman who challenges him but that’s exactly what he gets in Olivia.

Anytime you find a historical romance with a headstrong heroine, you can pretty much guarantee that it’s going to be a steamy one. And boy is it!

The Seduction of Molly O’Flaherty
by Sierra Simone

One playboy billionaire. One heartbroken heiress. One sham marriage. What could go wrong?

That’s what notorious playboy Silas Cecil-Coke thinks as he returns to England to persuade Molly O’Flaherty to marry him.

Certainly, their brief fling last year ended in heartbreak (and a black eye), but matters are different now.

Molly must marry to save her company, and Silas is determined that he’ll be the man she chooses.

Between the bitter memories and the competing suitors, Silas discovers that wooing a bride is no easy task, unless, of course, he decides to stop playing fair…

This is book one in Simone’s London Lovers series of shorter novellas which is highly steamy but might not be everyone’s cup of tea given some of the subject matter.

But if you’ve read any of Simone’s contemporary work, you know that she doesn’t hold much back when it comes to her romances and this one is no different. This steamy historical romance novel will give you a taste of more that is to come!

Surrender to Sin
by Nicola Davidson

To save her, he must ruin her. Lord Sebastian St. John, dedicated bachelor and a co-owner of Fallen, the most scandalous pleasure club in London, is known as Sin for good reason.

Orphaned by a shocking accident, Sin long ago vowed a life of solitude and decadence. Yet when Lady Grace Carrington begs for his help destroying her reputation, Sin can’t turn the ton’s most proper lady away.

Obedient daughter, wife, and young widow, Grace has had enough of being controlled.

After her father arranges a second loveless marriage to an eminently respectable ancient, Grace plans a fortnight of defiance and self-ruination to stop the wedding.

But as Grace enters the heady, risky world of an affair with Sin, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him—and she soon realizes two weeks won’t be nearly enough.

A lady desperate for ruination? Yes, please! Queue the steaminess factor on this one as we’ve got the man who’s ready and able to step up to the task 😊.

This steamy historical romance will surely have you fanning yourself from page to page as it’s a shorter novel that packs quite a punch.

Shanna
by Kathleen Woodiwiss

A pact is sealed in secret behind the foreboding walls of Newgate Prison. In return for one night of unparalleled pleasure, a dashing condemned criminal consents to wed a beautiful heiress, thereby rescuing her from an impending and abhorred arranged union.

But in the fading echoes of hollow wedding vows, a solemn promise is broken, as a sensuous free spirit takes flight to a lush Caribbean paradise, abandoning the stranger she married to face the gallows unfulfilled.

Ruark Beauchamp’s destiny is now eternally intertwined with that of the tempestuous, intoxicating Shanna.

He will be free . . . and he will find her. For no iron ever forged can imprison his resolute passion. And no hangman’s noose will keep Ruark from the bride— and ecstasy—that he craves. 

Escape to the Caribbean Islands circa the 1700s in this steamy historical romance similar to the Taming of the Shrew because that’s what Shanna is! At least to some….

But I give it to the woman that she had a good idea about marrying someone who was facing the gallows so that she’d become an instant widow, only that’s not quite how things turn out!

The Lion’s Lady
by Julie Garwood

Christina Bennett has taken London society by storm but the ravishing beauty has kept her mysterious past shrouded in secrecy.

When the arrogant nobleman, Lyon, Marquis of Lyonwood, steals a sensuous kiss, however, he believes he tastes the wild fire smoldering beneath Christina’s cool charm and swears to possess her.

But the feisty and defiant Christina cannot be so easily conquered. Mistress of her own heart and fortune, she resists Lyon’s passionate caresses and refuses to surrender to his desire for if she does, she must also forsake her precious secret and her promised destiny.

How lucky are heroines in steamy historical romance novels who have to marry for their inheritance and luck out with the best and hottest heroes?! Am I right?

Well, I have to hand it to Christina for finding her match when she needed it. Plus, I am intrigued about her past in that Christina lived with a Native American tribe and was raised as one of them.

Garwood is one of my favorite historical romance authors so I highly recommend this book!

I hope this book list has given you a lot of new options to bring some steaminess into your life! Do you have a favorite steamy historical romance novel you love? Share in the comments below!

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