I, at once, love themes and common character traits and at the same time grow weary of them.

A shy hero in Historical Romance seems just the thing to lift the clouds.

Here are some amazing Shy Heroes of Historical Romance!

1. Nothing Else Matters by Susan Sizemore 

In the turbulent twelfth century, politics and pressure from their fathers force French courtier Eleanor and English border knight Stian of Harelby into a marriage that neither wants. He sees her as a colorless mouse. To her, he is an uncouth barbarian. She searches desperately for a way to have the marriage annulled while trying to adjust to life in a cold northern fortress. Lured by an attraction to Eleanor's lovely sister, Stian tries to ignore his wife. But passion soon sparks between them, and with it a growing respect for each other. But when their newfound love is threatened by a war with the Scots that rouses Stian's most barbaric instincts, they must both fight to hold onto what truly matters—each other

2. Simple Jess by Pamela Morsi

Given an ultimatum by her interfering neighbors--to find a husband by Christmas or have one selected for her--reluctant widow Althea Winsloe searches for a possible mate and finds herself drawn to Simple Jess, a sweet and gentle man of less-than-average intelligence.


Proclaimed “a refreshing new voice in romance” by Jude Deveraux, award-winning author Pamela Morsi has charmed millions with her touching stories of simple pleasures and heartfelt romances. Her novels, including Garters, Wild Oats and Something Shady, have won her rave reviews and loyal fans. Now, she presents an endearing story about what can happen when love turns up in the most unlikely place…

The last thing widow Althea Winsloe wanted to do was remarry. Unfortunately, her meddlesome mountain neighbors had other plans. So, one autumn night they banded together and gave Althea a shocking ultimatum: She was to find herself a husband by Christmas…or the town would do it for her! Althea knew she had her choice of any single man in Marrying Stone, Arkansas. Yet the only one she felt truly comfortable with was Simple Jess. Sweet, gentle, Jess wasn’t as smart as your average man. But his tender manner stirred Althea’s heart in ways she had never dreamed possible.

It would take a miracle to find a husband in Marrying Stone. But sometimes miracles are right under your nose …

3. Always to Remember by Lorraine Heath 

Branded a traitor and imprisoned for refusing to fight for the Confederacy, Clayton Holland returns home to Cedar Grove, only to be spurned by the townspeople, except for vengeful Meg Warner, who finds her hatred and grief transformed by love.

4. Touched By Fire by Kathleen O'Reilly 

The hero from his childhood stories personifies the man Colin Wescott, Earl of Haverwood wants to be. As a spy for England, he believes that if he chases Napoleon’s dragons, the evil blood of his father will remain at bay. Afraid he is wrong, he won’t let anyone get close enough to find out. When Colin is forced to find a wife, he searches for the perfect candidate, a mild-mannered woman, not too fetching. A woman completely unlike the notorious Miss Sarah Banks, who has awakened the dragon inside him. 

When the twittering gossips pounce upon the rumors of the eligible Earl and the most notorious Miss Banks, he enters into a marriage of convince, a high-stakes battle of wills between the two. Sarah has thrown the dice, gambling that she can overcome the walls that Colin maintains around his heart, but can she? Or will the secret of Colin's heritage destroy them both?

5. Bone Deep by Bonnie Dee 

In the aftermath of WWII, widowed Sarah is dragged to a carnival by friends where she’s riveted by the unearthly gaze of the tattooed man in the freak show. When this sensitive soul hides in her hayloft after escaping imprisonment by the evil carnival owner, Sarah shelters Tom on her farm. Deeply drawn to the quiet yet powerfully magnetic man, Sarah fights her attraction while learning about his mysterious past and gentle nature. 

When a child goes missing, Tom uses his psychic gift to find her, but his assistance doesn’t stop the locals’ mistrust of such an exotic stranger. Small-town prejudice tears the lovers apart and a very real threat from the carnival owner endangers them both. Can Tom and Sarah rise above obstacles of fear and hatred to create the family both have always craved? 

6. The Reluctant Cavalier by Karen Harbaugh 

Three gentlemen are interested in Miss Annabella Smith—the proud Duke of Stratton, the libertine Sir Quentin Barnaby and the pleasant Mr. Wentworth with his passion for growing roses. When Annabella dances at a masked ball with a Cavalier, she loses her heart to him, but is unable to find out if he is one of the gentlemen interested in her—or someone else entirely.

7. The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn

Sarah Pleinsworth can’t forgive Hugh Prentice for the duel he fought three years ago that nearly destroyed her family, sent her cousin fleeing, and left Hugh himself with a badly injured leg. That’s fine with Hugh, who can’t tolerate Sarah’s dramatic ways. But when the two are forced to spend a week together, they find that unexpected kisses, and mutual passion, may have the power to change both of their minds.

8. The Way Home by Megan Chance 

Eliza Beaudry was determined to leave Richmond and poverty behind, and if that meant trading a few kisses for her freedom, she was more than willing to do so. When handsome gambler Cole Wallace sauntered into town, she saw in him her savior. But Cole’s daydreams didn’t include the poor daughter of a sharecropper, no matter how pretty, and when he left Richmond, he left Eliza behind, penniless, and in a world of trouble.

With no other choices, Eliza turned to Cole’s shy brother Aaron. He was nothing like the man of her dreams, nor was his farm in the middle of a Texas nowhere. But there was something about him ... and suddenly Eliza found herself questioning the life she’d always wanted and wondering ... could her dreams change?

9. Rising Wind  by Cindy Holby 

Last of the Duncans, leaving behind the highlands for the New World at the tender age of ten, Connor Duncan quickly learned that only the fit and the fortunate survive. He was both, becoming a scout and an expert marksman...a man to be reckoned with. He knew his way through the backwoods as well as any Shawnee, but he was far less comfortable in the drawing rooms of Williamsburg. What was a rough-hewn frontiersman like he to do with a sheltered beauty like the governor's niece/ But there seemed to be no way to avoid the "Virgin-Widow", especially when she insisited on accompanying him on a dangerous mission through the wilderness to Fort Savannah. Neither capture, not torture, nor the violent birth pangs of a young nation could keep them apart or stop the founding of a brand new dynasty of Duncans.

10. Who Will Take This Man?  by Jacquie D'Alessandro 

Philip Whitmore, Viscount Greybourne, has been deserted at the altar, and Meredith Chilton-Grizedale, the Matchmaker of Mayfair, is ruined. This was the most anticipated wedding of the Season and would have secured her position. But now the word is out that the groom-to-be is cursed, making him the Most Unmarriageable Man in England. If Meredith is to have any hope of a future, she'll need to help him break this curse and marry him off. Unfortunately, the only woman he now wants is Meredith—the Most Unmarriageable Woman in England!

Please recommend your favorite! 

To vote for the best of the best, go to the Goodreads list: Shy Heroes of Historical Romance. 

To enjoy some Shy Hero Eye Candy, wander on over to my Shy Heroes of Romance Pinterest Board.