A few years ago, the last of the U.S. commercial publishing houses stopped producing traditional Regency romances, citing waning public interest and decreased sales. As an avid reader of Regencies, I did my best to transition to what was left to me: historical romances dressed up in Regency garb.

The publishers insisted historical romances set during the Regency period were even better than the old and trusted Regencies I had come to love, but--take it from me--they're a poor substitute. Why? Because they miss the basic elements of what made a Regency romance a Regency romance. Here's what I mean:

1. In a traditional Regency Romance, good manners are everything. No self-respecting hero or heroine would ever dream of being rude. And if, for some reason, they are rude in order to drive the story forward, you can bet the plot will include an appropriate punishment. It's a lesson for today and one I think of every time somebody cuts me off on the freeway or a modern-day man doesn't bother to open a door for me. Where's a well-mannered hero when you need one most?
2. A real Regency Romance is about falling in love. These books are not about sex, they don't catalog body parts, and they never describe her "private treasure" or his "throbbing manhood" (or worse). I once read a review on another online book retailer by a reader who declared of a Regency romance: "This is supposed to be a romance book, but there is little to no romance in it. Yes of course, the people fall in love, but that's it. There is absolutely no sexual content in this book." Are you kidding?!?!? If I have to live in a world where people can't tell the difference between sex and romance, I want to be able to retreat into the pages of a book that reminds me what love is really all about.
3. You can share Regency Romances with your teenaged daughter. Can't say the same about historical romances. In fact, I've read some historicals that I'd be embarrassed to share with my mother, to say nothing of sharing them with my daughter.
4. Regency Romances satisfy the "princess gene." For those of us raised on tales of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, these books give us a chance to relive the fantasy of dressing up for a ball, meeting a handsome prince, overcoming adversity, falling in love, and living happily ever after. In the real world where dreams don't often come true, we can satisfy our inner princess by losing ourselves for a few hours between the pages of a Regency.

Like most genres, Regencies can run the gamut in tone: some are deeply dark and serious while others are light-hearted and fun. My tastes tend to lean toward the latter, and here are some of my favorite authors:

• Georgette Heyer - Especially Sylvester, Frederica, Faro's Daughter and The Grand Sophy.
• Barbara Cartland - Read them all. Just because you should.
• Marion Chesney - Try her Poor Relations series, including Miss Tonks Turns to Crime and Colonel Sandhurst to the Rescue.
• Joan Smith - Find a copy of Aunt Sophy's Diamonds.
• Norma Lee Clark - Along with Dame Barbara, some of the first Regencies I read were by this author. Read Emily, Fanny, Hester, or Mallory.
• Rachelle Edwards - Ditto. This author was quite prolific in the mid- to late-70s. Read any of her Regencies.
• Elizabeth Mansfield - Her Regencies are some of the best you'll find, with wonderful prose, delightful characters, interesting plots and pitch-perfect Regency style.
• Nancy Lawrence - Her books feature very young, unsophisticated heroines that probably appeal to younger readers. But her Once Upon A Christmas actually made me laugh out loud a couple times.
• Patricia Veryan - A highly-regarded  and widely-read Regency author. Read any of her Regencies.

Of course, this list is not all-inclusive and certainly doesn't list all the authors who deserve to be named in a list of "must reads." If you haven't tried a Regency Romance--And I mean a real Regency Romance, not a historical romance posing as a Regency--I hope you'll read one soon . . . and satisfy the inner princess in you.