julie anne long writes historical romances, but she manages to stay within the accepted plot and character structure for the genre while exploring relationships in a more believable way than many other novelists.

she has a flair for creating strong, layered, interesting characters--no caricatures for her--and her plots (so far--i've read three of her books) are above the fold for intrigue and complexity.

definitely worth the investment--you'll be happy you gave her a shot.