In the 1980s, there were several well - known authors in the Harlequin romance genre. One was Judith McNaught. Her novels were characterized by their strong - willed characters and complex love stories. Also, Sandra Brown had works that were popular among Harlequin readers. Her books often had elements of mystery combined with romance, which was a trend in some of the Harlequin novels of that decade. These authors contributed to the popularity of the Harlequin - style romance novels in the 1980s.
Well, Danielle Steel was quite popular in the 1980s in the realm of romance novels that were somewhat similar to Harlequin style. Although not strictly Harlequin authors, their works had a lot in common. Another was Nora Roberts. She started making a name for herself in the 80s with her romantic stories that had elements that could be found in Harlequin novels, like strong characters and engaging love stories.
One popular author was Janet Dailey. She wrote many novels during that time that were well - loved by Harlequin readers.