It's been awhile since I read them, but I went through a big romance reading phase -- mostly historical. One thing I've noticed is that authors tend to go through a sweet spot in their career -- at first they're getting up to speed on their storytelling, then it takes off, then it gets dragged down, sometimes by having to produce a book a year (and sometimes unfortunately by a disturbing focus on violence against women).

That said, here are a few of the authors/series I remember enjoying: Tessa Dare (Spindle Cove and Stud Club series), Sarah MacLean (Love by Numbers & Rules of Scoundrels series), Sabrina Jeffries (Hellions of Halstead Hall), Lisa Kleypas (Wallflowers)....I loved the first 7 books of Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series, but by book 10 she'd lost me. One of the things I love about historicals is I've learned a lot more women's history from them.

One contemporary writer I enjoyed is Kate Clayborn -- not so adventurous, but in one of her books there was a detailed description of menstrual cramps, so I like to think she's a secret terf!

In contemporaries from the 90s, Kay Hooper is an author whose work I loved before she got into crime/violence etc. If you can find After Caroline or Finding Laura, those were two of my favorites. Nora Roberts had a few hits and a lot more misses, but I liked her Key of Light and Chesapeake Bay series and the stand alone Homeport.

If you're into paranormal, you might try Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series. And a great fantasy/adventure series with romantic elements is Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy.

One problem with romance is finding the older ones, they go out of print so fast. If you don't have a good used bookstore in your area, try Alibris (I refuse to give money to Jeff Bezos).

Anyway, hope you find something you like!

I went through a massive romance phase, but it was mostly mlm and wlw (gay, basically) romance. It was interesting how certain behaviours were just behaviours when both partners are the same sex. Highlighted the sexism in heterosexual romance quite starkly.

To answer your question: I remember enjoying the Poison Study series by Maria V Snyder. I don't remember any egregious stereotypes in that, though it's been a few years since I read them. If you read them, don't read the spin off about Opal, the romance in that annoyed the hell out of me.

Waking Beauty by Dawn K. Lake. More adventure than romance, but romance plays an important part.

I like traditional historical because you know the framework and mores of the time, so what's interesting is how women navigate that to ensure their own happy endings: by finding a man who ultimately is good and does love them and treat them as an equal. And this means so much more in such a more heavily gendered era where women were so restricted.

I find the more modern heroines (1980s onwards) become increasingly more naive despite living in a world where they do have educational and career opportunities. Whereas in the vintage romances (1970s and before) they didn't have so many options. So the HEA of a man/home/family is more understandable than a modern-day career woman ditching her financial independence for some bloke.

Here's a snippet from a 1988 romance which encapsulates the problem of women who can have careers and independence, but give them up:

His eyes shadowed. “But there’s your career, your family.”

“Well, as far as my career is concerned it definitely takes second place now. Somehow ambition seems to fly out of the window when you fall in love.”

Have you used Romance.IO before? It allows you to tailor all kinds of specifics to your taste. I've been on a romance kick too, but I read weird ones and don't wanna creep anyone out with my favorites. lol Happy hunting!

I’m not a big romance reader but I ADORED “Book Lovers” by Emily Henry.

The protagonist is a childfree but that barely comes up. She’s not a “girl-boss” either. She loves her job and her city and her sister and then she finds love.

And Emily Henry is laugh out loud witty. It was totally a great read.