My very sweet MIL sent an Amazon gift certificate my way for my b-day.  $1 for every year, which means I've got, ahem, some dollars to spend. 

I thought I 'd try out some new, to me,  authors with my gift.  I already have some Gaelen Foley and Julia Quinn in my cart, but I'm starting to get a little overwhelmed and now I need help.

I'm a bit of a romance newbie, but here's what I know:  I'm not into contemporary romance.  I've read the Outlander series.  I loved Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase.  I love Colleen Gleason's Gardella Chronicles (regency vampires).  In my mishmash of romance past, I loved Saving Grace by Julie Garwood and Infinity by Maggie Shayne.  Outlander has ruined me for other Scottish romance, I'm afraid, but I'm willing to be proved wrong! 

Any can't miss recommendations?   I've spent a loooong evening adding and removing from my cart, so I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

Outlander is my favorite too, but it's a whole different kind of book from most historical romance.   A somewhat similar kind of interesting historical romance is Sara Donati's Into the Wilderness series, which I also really enjoyed but it set in the 1700s New York area wilderness.

Some other authors that I'd highly recommend are Karen Marie Moning (her highlander series) and Kinley MacGregor  (Master of Desire, Master of Seduction).  I've read a lot of Julie Garwood - but my favorites are Ransom, Mercy and The Bride.

You sound a lot like me when I first rediscovered historical romance just a few short years ago.  I'll recommend the stuff I started out with.  You've already read Lord of Scoundrels - which is a good start.  Here are a few more guaranteed to get you well on your way to becoming a full fledged addict:

More by Loretta Chase you should probably follow with:  The Last Hellion (Avon Romantic Treasure), The Lion's Daughter (Avon historical romance), Captives of the Night

and another series you'll probably like:

Miss Wonderful (Sensation), Mr. Impossible, Lord Perfect, Not Quite A Lady

By Connie Brockway:  The Bridal Season and Bridal Favors

Marsha Canham:  Across a Moonlit Sea and The Iron Rose - it's a series - about pirates...

Through a Dark Mist, In the Shadow of Midnight, and The Last Arrow.  aka: The Robin Hood Trilogy.   If you start with these 2 series and aren't a devoted Marsha Canham fan afterward, I'll... well, nevermind.  You will be.

Hope this helps.

If you like a little humor with your romance, you might try:

 Katie MacAlister's  The Trouble with Harry and Noble Intentions

Also Noble Destiny by Katie MacAlister, which has characters from Noble Intentions.  Julia London's Highlander trilogy is good (2 brothers and a sister and the search for a stolen "beastie").  Pretty much anything by Jillian Hunter and Lisa Kleypas is also good, IMO. 

i would also suggest:

The Devil's Love by Julia London

and the sequel (one of my top 5)

Wicked Angel

Enjoy!

-mew

Ransom by Julie Garwood is one terrific historical.  I also liked The Secret by her too.  Karen Marie Moning and Janet Chapman both have a Highlander/Time travel series you might check into.

Sherri

What I would do, is search people's wish list for books....usually they are great books that everyone really wants to read for a reason.  Then, when you're done with it, you know you can swap it really quickly :)

I like Galen Foley, though her latest Spice series I found a bit disappointing, go with her older books.

A fantastic book by a relatively new author (she had one regency out years ago) is The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne, not to be missed.  My favorite historical last  year and now on my alltime fave list - If His Kiss is Wicked by Jo Goodman.  Mr. Impossible by CHase is such a fun book.

Another Connie Brockway I highly recommend, As You Desire.  Laird of the Mist by Paula Quinn is a very good medieval.

I loved Mr. Impossible.  Rupert is the most adorable hero.  Just got The Spymaster's Lady in the mail from half.com too.  Plan to read it asap.

You guys are GOOD!   More than half the books you suggested are in my TBR pile already!  Now I'm really looking forward to reading them. 

I ended up adding The Spymaster's Lady to my cart.  I hadn't run across that one before.  It sounds fantastic!  I'm going to be updating my wishlist soon with many more of your suggestions :)

Thanks so much for your help.  I just received my copy of The Bleeding Dusk (book 3 in Colleen Gleason's Gardella Chronicles) in the mail today, so I'm off to read.  It's perfect reading weather here......ICE.

Kim

Anything by Lisa Kleypas is great, esp. Wallflowers series, "Devil in Winter" is the best.  Also, Mary Jo Putney, Thunder and Roses and Marsha Canham The Last Arrow (outstanding).  Make sure you order Lord of Fire by Galen Foley (her best); also loved His Wicked Kiss and One Night of Sin.  Laura Kinsale Shadowheart and Flowers from the Storm were great.    Also liked Elizabeth Hoyt Raven Prince and Leopard Prince (not Serpent Prince).  Sounds like our tastes are similar. 

I have Into the Wilderness in my TBR pile.  If I am not misstaken, someone told me that Jamie and Clarie are mentioned, if not encountered in that book.

I also liked Moon Awakening by Lucy Munroe; The Lily Brand and Castle of the Wolf both by Sandra Schwab.  These are unrelated stories.

Julia Quinn is a fantastic historical romance author. Her Bridgerton series are some of my favorite books. You should start with The Duke and I and after that it goes in alphabetical order by the main character's first name (that will make more sense after you read the first one.) She's the author that got me into romance novels in the first place.

Audrey

I like the Bridgerton series too.  I don't think they're all equally good (it's sorta like Stephanie Laurens Cynster series), some are meat & potatoes stuff, a few are exceptional.  Overall, they're all pretty good though.  Julia Quinn is a very good writer, so it's kinda hard for her to write anything really bad.

With regards to the Bridgerton series, the books ARE NOT done in alphabetical order. (as far as the siblings go that is.)  The first book is about Daphne and Hyacinth's book is done before Gregory's. 

Nonetheless, the series as a whole is great.  There were a couple books that I thought were average and a couple that I thought were perfection. (or close)

FYI :  The siblings in question are -  Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth.