Who are the "Grandes Dames" of the romance genre?

rubbs hands eagerly Ahhh there are so many! Jane Austin (of course), Kathleen Woodwiss, Mary Stewart (gothic), Ann Radcliff (gothic).

Those are quite old- were you thinking more modern?

Well, some of Anne Rice’s stuff is, um, “romance”.

I was gonna say Nora Roberts, but the OP beat me to it!

I’m not very familiar with the genre so it’s difficult to say. Have you checked Amazon.com‘s romance page?

Hmm…Sherrilyn Kenyon, Danielle Steel, and Diana Gabaldon are popping up.

Barbara Cartland, who was Princess Diana’s grandmother or aunt?

How could I forget Cartland? Oh the shame!

You guys all get great answers for knowing these boring old people.

Oh, and along the same lines as Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan.

MaryJanice Davidson is “rising” as a notable name.

Can you tell that I mostly only read paranormal romances, if ever??

Georgette Heyer is the ‘gtande dame” of the Regency romance.

I mainly read sci-fi/fantasy these days, but even when I was devouring historical romance novels, I burned out on Barbara Cartland after just a couple books – her formula was creaky and repetitve IMO.

I used to like Georgette Heyer a lot.

Phyllis A Whitney is another.

And Victoria Holt another in that gothicky/romancey genre.

Danielle Steel has to fit in there somewhere. as much as I hate to say it