Timeless Historical Romance Novels

Part of the A League of Extraordinary Women series comes the especially extraordinary Lady Lucie — the leader of the Oxford suffragists. But her plan to make history — and hopefully a difference to the women of England — is foiled by Tristan Ballentine, the heir to the Earl of Rochester. When he purchases 50 percent of the London Print newspaper, Lucie knows that under his watch, the suffragists’ report to abolish the Married Woman’s Property Act will never see the light of day. But to her shock, he promises he’ll publish it in exchange for one thing, and one thing only — her.

Mexican heiress Ana María Luna Valdés and her sisters flee Mexico and Napoleon III’s occupation to secretly settle in London. There she meets British politician Gideon Fox. As the grandson of a formerly enslaved woman, Gideon is determined to end British profitability off of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Although their attraction is instant, Ana María is promised to someone else. But when danger becomes imminent, Gideon must step in to protect her — as her husband. Though this may have been a marriage of convenience, the feelings between them are real and just might grow into true love.

A rivalry between two kings can only end in bloodshed. These two real-life kings get a reimagined queer love story in this medieval romance. When King Henry of England steps down from his throne, he is replaced by his spiteful son Richard. King Philip of France must decide if he can trust Richard enough to team up with him to overthrow King Henry once and for all. But the partnership between Richard and Philip becomes far more than just a business affair. Once it seems that they will be kept apart by a war, the two Crowns must choose between their countries and each other.

Loyal to her brother who kept her afloat when their mother died, Nina Finch in turn supports them with her gift of painting — forgeries that is. Once she’s saved up enough money to pursue her true passion of baking, Nina is desperate to leave her paintings in the past. But before she can open up her own bakery, she lands on the radar of an art critic — Alan De-Ath. When he recognizes Nina’s paintings as forgeries, the only baking she might be able to do is from a prison kitchen. Except De-Ath doesn’t know that the paintings are Nina’s. Will he change his mind about the forgeries once he discovers the one who painted them is the same woman he’s falling for?

After Lady Violet houses a secret society of women to practice science, she’s tasked with an even more secret assignment — by order of the Crown. Though this task is low-profile, it’s also highly dangerous — good thing she’s given the handsome officer Arthur Kneland for protection. Despite his commitment to professionalism, Arthur finds it impossible not to fall for Lady Violet, especially once he sees her in her element with the other scientists. But once the impending danger arrives at the laboratory, Arthur must separate his feelings to get the job done — but this proves to be scientifically impossible. Although this may be a historical novel, these love interests certainly have a special kind of chemistry.

After giving us several romances to enjoy for centuries to come, Jane Austen gets her own in this reimagining of her life. With what she earned from writing Emma, a doctor’s orders sends Jane to Cheltenham Spa to recover from her state of illness — but this proves to be less than restful. Between other deathly-ill lodgers, a year-long winter caused by a volcanic eruption that left Europe covered in ash, and a murder, Jane may have to work a little harder than most of her fictional heroines before she gets to her own happily ever after — or a real-life Mr. Darcy.

Despite her beauty, Aphrodite Du Bell resents the pressure to live up to her name, and the goddess it came from — especially because it didn’t keep her former fiancé, the Duke of Everely, from leaving her for another woman. Though Aphrodite may not find love again, she’s called back to London to help her sister with her own societal debut. But when she arrives, the man who jilted her four years before is there too. Now widowed, the Duke wants Aphrodite to be his new wife — but it’s going to take a lot more than a simple apology to earn back her trust — though he may never have lost her love.

Evelyn Maltravers is desperate for a husband for one simple reason — to save her family. Though she has no sort of dowry to make her desirable on the market, she does have one thing that makes her unique — her skill as an equestrian who always rides in style. While Evelyn has horseback riding down, she has her eye out for a certain tailor to make her riding-habits catch the eyes of potential suitors. Ahmad Malik’s talents come out even more when Evelyn becomes his one and only muse. But as feelings for each other begin to develop, they might have more obstacles to leap over than just the ones on horseback.

In seventeenth-century China, Peony dreams of finding a fierce and passionate love — though she’s promised to a man she’s never even met. When her father hosts a performance of The Peony Pavilion, an opera in which the leading lady starves herself to death, hoping for love. At the performance, Peony sees a man who she’s instantly attracted to. Peony follows suit of the opera, depressed over the love she’ll never get to have. But right before her death, she finds out the tragic truth — the unknown man she was promised to was the same man she saw at the opera. After she turns into a ghost, Peony finds that there is still so much she has yet to learn.