Guest post written by Her Knight at the Museum author Bryn Donovan
Bryn Donovan is the author of several romance novels, including Sunrise Cabin, a Publishers Weekly bestseller. She’s also written nonfiction books and the story treatments for two Hallmark Channel movies. Her work has appeared in McSweeney’s, Writer’s Digest, and many literary journals. A former executive editor in publishing, she earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. She’s a voracious reader, a rescue dog lover, and a hopeless romantic who lives in the Chicago area and blogs about writing and positivity.
About Her Knight at the Museum: A centuries-long curse is no match for rom-com shenanigans when a medieval knight is brought to life in modern-day Chicago.
The best medieval romance novels make us believe in honor and courtly love. Although I’m a romance author, my first love as a young reader was fantasy, including a lot of books based on medieval history and Arthurian legend. That’s why my new romcom novel Her Knight at the Museum, about a medieval knight who comes to life again in the twenty-first century, is truly the book of my heart.
Here are just seven of the best medieval romances out there!
By Arrangement by Madeline Hunter
This is one of the the first romance novels I ever read, and it helped convert me into a fan of the genre! It was also Hunter’s debut romance. I love how she manages to write realistically and romantically at the same time.
Red Blossom in Snow by Jeannie Lin
A historical romantic suspense novel set in Tang Dynasty China, 850 A.D., this has the atmospheric setting and lyrical prose that the author is known for, and it packs an emotional punch.
The Warrior’s Reluctant Wife by Lissa Morgan
The heroine is coerced into a marriage of state, but the romance develops believably and naturally. I loved the remote, slightly wild setting in Wales, 1157 A.D., and I fell hard for the kind-hearted hero.
The Royal Game by Anne O’Brien
I was first drawn to this story because it takes place in 1444, which was more or less the era of my knight hero in Her Knight at the Museum before he was turned into a stone statue. (Fun fact: I chose that period because they had the best-looking armor.) The Royal Game is very much a first installment, and strictly speaking, it’s more of a historical fiction novel, but I had to include it. I had read about the Pastons in history books, and I thought O’Brien did a fantastic job of bringing them to life!
And Be My Love by Rebecca Ruger
This is the first book in a series in which modern women travel back in time to medieval Scotland. It’s no surprise that I love time travel and a touch of magic, and the main characters were easy to root for.
Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor
Kinley MacGregor is better known as contemporary paranormal romance novelist Sherrilyn Kenyon, and she brought the same humor and drama to this historical series.
Agnes Moor’s Wild Knight by Alyssa Cole
Alyssa Cole has written across eras and across genres, and she’s always one of my favorites! I love her psychological realism and her well-drawn characters. This interracial Highlander romance is based on the historical incident known as the Wild Knight and the Black Lady.
Thanks so much for stopping by, and if you have other favorites, let me know on social media! Unlike these heroines, I’m very modern, so you can find me basically everywhere. Happy reading!
