Harlots is back! The intense, female-driven historical drama about life in 18th century England has returned to Hulu for season two, and the conflict continues to heat up between rival brothel madams Margaret Wells (Samantha Morton) and Lydia Quigley (Lydia Manville). When we left these women last season, double-crosses and new alliances abounded on all sides. Margaret’s daughter and rising courtesan Charlotte (Downton Abbey’s Jessica Brown Findlay) had seemingly aligned with Lydia, only to reveal that she plans to topple her mother’s competition from the inside. Meanwhile, her younger sister Lucy (Eloise Smyth) wrestles with whether or not she wants to participate in the family business.
There are plenty of new faces this season two, including actress Liv Tyler as Lady Isabella Fitzwilliam, a courtesan who experiences a lot of the same trials as the other women but operates within a different sphere of influence. In celebration of Harlots’ return, we’re giving you 7 romances you can read to get you in the spirit of this excellent series.