I love Austen and Heyer and Bronte.
But I also love romances that don't necessarily fall into the category of so-called Great Literature.
I've reached "U" authors, and I admit to being somewhat stymied. Not many "U" authors at all, let alone in romance!
I gave myself permission to go with first names as well as last names and to go to manga (which generally speaking, I have been reviewing separately).
Black Sun by Uki Ogasawara is one of my favorite yaoi manga. One reason is that the characters have distinct personalities and retain those personalities through the 2 volumes. (One problem I note with romance is when characters become instantly "cute"--and follow a script--the moment they fall in love.)
Below is character analysis from one of my earliest posts on this blog:
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Character development plays a role here. Despite his spiritual and idealistic nature, Leonard is more than capable of keeping up with Jamal physically. Leonard may have a sweet and ethereal disposition; his desire for touch, for affection, has been a fundamental aspect of his personality from childhood.
Jamal's larger-than-life persona at first evokes hero-worship from Leonard. But Jamal doesn't want to be set on a pedestal (it's so boring). He provides Leonard with a down-to-earth reality that Leonard never anticipated and finds incredibly restful.
At the end of Black Sun, Leonard still retains his quiet, Gilly-like nature. But he has learned to gently and cleverly tease Jamal back.