Recently, I was scrolling online, and I saw a reader pose an interesting question: “Where is the history in my historical romances?”

Vanessa Riley is one author for whom her readers never have to ask this question. Although she writes in several historical subgenres—romance, mystery, and biographical fiction—each story feels both grounded in the time and full of imagination. “The reason I love the Regency is because I’ve read over 10,000 books in that era, written in that era, written by modern people for that era. I love it all,” she said. “And there’s room for so much more storytelling.”

Riley has become an expert in the Regency, compiling research on everything from weapons to drugs and medications to furniture and fashion—and that’s not even touching the complex social and political climate that defined this time period. Something that features prominently in her work is that the era was much more diverse than modern schooling and media have led us to believe.

“It shocks me that the truth is there if you care to know,” she said. “I revere history. I feel very privileged to tell these stories. … Everybody is entitled to tell the story the way they want to tell it. You don’t have to go cradle the grave like me, but be aware of the choices you make.”

She’s also passionate about showcasing women in her work—not just brave ones taking on enormous tasks (though there are quite a few of those!) but also funny women, messy women, women who love thrills and drama, women who see the world in ways that men cannot. “Women, I find, have that power of observation, mainly because we’re made to be quiet most of the time. So, we’re always observing and looking and observing and looking.”

Her dedication to walking the line between fact and fiction gives her readers the fully immersive experience of stepping right into the, and .