You arent pleased by certain narratives, so you dont have to read them. They are still quite good. And another fan of Zemindar! Meredith Duran. I miss Linnea Sinclair. This is why I get so miffed when authors get pilloried on Twitter, like theyre wholly responsible for iffy content they were probably pushed into writing in the first place in order to secure that next advance. Im also grateful to my other favorite (veteran) authors who still write, despite whatever challenges they face: Meljean Brook aka Milla Vane, Loretta Chase, for example. She is the author of eleven novels, all published by Pocket Books. And thats totally fine, but there arent authors who have replaced the type of writing they represent. Writing snarky humor that is actually funny is a gift and a lot of the copycats think that merely making the heroine swear a lot or be sarcastic in situations that might get them killed substitutes for clever writing. And I distinctly remember reading one of their blog posts saying they can never get enough Regency. All interesting variables to think about, but such a study probably wouldnt be practical. I too wish shed write more romance! I loved her work. I also think that perhaps the lack of meatiness may, at least now, have something to do with the fact that most authors in the genre are putting out at least two books a year. Im happy to keep trying out newish authors who are still full of creativity and whose style hasnt worn out its welcome for me. A self-publisher getting into a brick and mortar store would be extremely rare, which means non-internet shoppers have a limited selection of popular tropes, themes, and so forth. I would be surprised to learn that Im the only one who has been seeing those books there for years. Whether the decision was based on sales (or lack thereof) or the desire for the Next Big Thing, Im sorry I no longer get to read some of these favorites. I may have come across as a bit harsh, but I actually do like the Harlequin Historical line. Mia Vincys name came to mind as recent HR author I discovered here, and she totally blew me away with her quality writing. And at a furious pace. She has a stable of narrators that she rotates through her books, bringing in new ones on a regular basis. I was seconded some years ago by my company to Kiev in the Ukraine and I took them with me to read again during what was a very long and very cold winter. I think someone said Sorenson was publishing under another name, but I could never really verify if that were the case.