I love reading about the historical romance during victorian era,
My favourite authors are Julia Quinn and Johanna Lindsey, but these books are more light reading with no real historical evidence.

I would suggest reading Empress Orchid and The Last Empress by Anchee Min, it's a mesmerizing book about the history behind the walls of the forbidden city of China back in the days, more to the feminine point of view. I have read it several times and still love them!