Scandalous Rogues for Rainy Nights

A Most Scandalous Proposal — Ashlyn Macnamara

A wallflower weaponises a fake engagement to escape a betrothal she never wanted — chaos ensues. Julia St. Claire is tired of being London's most forgettable debutante, so when a wager gone sideways leaves her betrothed to a rake she despises, she does the unthinkable: she proposes a fake engagement to someone else. Macnamara writes heroines who refuse to wait for rescue and rogues who don't quite know what hit them. The banter crackles, the stakes feel real, and the "fake" arrangement unravels exactly as you hope it will. Explore our current copy of A Most Scandalous Proposal. Browse more Romance books at Patina.

Mischief — Amanda Quick

A bluestocking fossil-hunter and an antiquities-collecting earl negotiate attraction without losing intellectual ground — Quick at her wittiest. Imogen Waterstone needs a husband who won't flinch at her scientific interests or her tendency to ask questions polite society would rather she didn't. Enter Matthias Marshall, Earl of Colchester, who collects ancient artefacts and appreciates a woman who can hold her own in conversation. Quick (a pseudonym for Jayne Ann Krentz) built her reputation on heroines who refuse to play dumb and heroes who find brains sexy. Mischief delivers exactly that — sharp dialogue, a murder subplot, and zero apologies for centering a romance on equals. Explore our current copy of Mischief. Browse more Romance books at Patina.

Scandalous Again — Christina Dodd

A second-chance romance tangled in Victorian family secrets — Dodd does messy, emotional reconciliation better than most. Part of Dodd's Governess Bride series, Scandalous Again centres a couple who thought they'd put each other firmly in the past — until scandal and family entanglements drag them back into orbit. Dodd writes heroines who've been hurt and heroes who have to earn their way back into trust. The emotional stakes run higher here than in lighter Regency fare; the romance feels hard-won rather than inevitable. If you like your historical romance with actual emotional baggage and a satisfying grovel, this one delivers. Explore our current copy of Scandalous Again. Browse more Romance books at Patina.

A Rogue's Heart — Debra Lee Brown

A headstrong heroine collides with a rogue who underestimates her at his peril — solid Highland steam with backbone. Brown sets this one in the Scottish Highlands, where a determined heroine crashes into a rogue's life and refuses to be charmed into submission. The heat level sits comfortably high, the heroine holds her ground, and the Highland setting adds just enough wildness to justify the emotional intensity. If you've burned through the usual Regency ballroom fare and want something with a bit more geographical grit, A Rogue's Heart hits the spot. Explore our current copy of A Rogue's Heart. Browse more Romance books at Patina.

Rogue's Mistress — Eugenia Riley

Steamy historical romance that doesn't pretend subtlety is the point — Riley leans into the heat without apology. Riley writes the kind of historical romance that announces its intentions early and delivers accordingly. A headstrong heroine, a rake with a past, and enough chemistry to justify the bodice-ripper reputation the genre occasionally earned in the '90s. The emotional arc is present but secondary to the central question: will they or won't they? (They will. Repeatedly. With feeling.) If you want a comfort read that prioritises steam over strategy, this one won't disappoint. Explore our current copy of Rogue's Mistress. Browse more Romance books at Patina.

Her Scandalous Intentions — Sari Robins

A proper English lady with decidedly improper plans — Robins delivers exactly what the title promises. Robins writes heroines who know what they want and aren't waiting for permission to pursue it. In this case, a woman with scandalous intentions meets a man who's both intrigued and slightly alarmed by her directness. The pacing keeps you turning pages, the banter feels earned, and the scandal payoff justifies the setup. It's a mass-market paperback from Avon's historical romance heyday — which means it knows its job and executes it cleanly. Explore our current copy of Her Scandalous Intentions. Browse more Romance books at Patina. As of June 2026, Patina's romance collection includes a rotating stock of scandal-forward historicals — Regency ballrooms, Highland moors, Victorian secrets, and the occasional rake who meets his match. These are the paperbacks that earned their creased spines honestly, passed between friends who knew exactly what they were in the mood for. If you're settling in for a rainy Sydney evening and propriety feels negotiable, any of these will do the job. Shop all Romance books at Patina Paperbacks →

Where can I buy secondhand Regency romance novels in Sydney?

Patina Paperbacks stocks a rotating collection of preloved historical and Regency romance titles — Amanda Quick, Christina Dodd, and dozens of lesser-known authors from the genre's '90s and 2000s heyday. We're Sydney-based and ship Australia-wide, so whether you're in Newtown or Newcastle, the paperbacks arrive at your door. Browse the current romance collection here.

What's the difference between Regency romance and historical romance?

Regency romance specifically sets stories during England's Regency era (1811–1820) and leans heavily on ballroom etiquette, titled rakes, and marriage-plot stakes. Historical romance is the broader umbrella — it can be set anywhere from medieval Scotland to Victorian London to the American West. Both subgenres prioritise the central love story, but Regency has stricter period boundaries and a more codified set of tropes (the wallflower, the rake, the house party, the compromising situation). If you want strict Regency rules, look for authors like Georgette Heyer or Julia Quinn; if you want more flexibility, Christina Dodd and Amanda Quick stretch the timeline a bit.

Are Amanda Quick and Jayne Ann Krentz the same author?

Yes — Amanda Quick is one of three pseudonyms used by Jayne Ann Krentz. She writes contemporary romance under her own name, futuristics as Jayne Castle, and historical romance (mostly Regency-set) as Amanda Quick. The voice stays consistent: smart heroines, competent heroes, snappy dialogue, and plots that don't waste time. If you liked Mischief, the rest of Quick's backlist will feel familiar in the best way.

Do you stock other Christina Dodd historical romances besides Scandalous Again?

Our stock rotates, so the best answer is: check the romance collection regularly. Dodd wrote prolifically in the '90s and 2000s, and her paperbacks turn up often in preloved collections. As of June 2026, we've got a few titles in stock, but availability shifts as books sell and new stock arrives. If you're hunting a specific Dodd title, drop by the site every couple of weeks — odds are decent it'll surface eventually.

What makes a good "scandal" romance vs. a generic Regency romance?

Honestly, it's how much the plot leans into the social consequences of impropriety. A good scandal romance centres the fallout — the ruined reputation, the forced engagement, the public humiliation that drives the lovers together (or apart, then back together). Generic Regency romance might gesture at scandal, but it's window dressing. In a true scandal plot, the stakes are social survival, not just "will they kiss at the ball?" Authors like Ashlyn Macnamara and Sari Robins build entire narratives around reputations on the line, and the tension comes from characters navigating desire against the threat of disgrace. If the heroine's choices could genuinely wreck her future, you're in scandal territory.