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Step into the excitement, drama and romance of days gone by. Historical romance novels are set before the World Wars. Experience the pain and loneliness of a Civil War romance, or the challenges of a young woman in late 19th century society.

Historical romance novels can be set in any timeframe in history and in any geography. Step back into the American Revolution, the European Dark Ages, the French Revolution or Medieval or Victorian England. The characters could be members of a medieval court, an aristocratic family or a gang of misfits. Regardless of when or where the romance is experienced, the hero and heroine still face the same issues of love, loss, regret and renewal. Historical romance novels are just one of the many types of free online romance novels on PublicBookshelf.

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Rating Title/Author

The Romantic
May Sinclair

Rating: 5.0/5
(1 vote cast)

The Romantic
by May Sinclair

Young Charlotte Redhead falls head-over-heels in love with an older man, a married man who is ruthless with her young heart. She strikes out on her own, vowing not to fall so far again. Then she meets John Conway, and try as she might, she is unable to resist his roguish charm.

Category: Historical Romance

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Lorraine, A Romance
Robert W. Chambers

Rating: 0.0/5
(0 votes cast)

Lorraine, A Romance
by Robert W. Chambers

Lorraine is the twofold tale of a young woman and her country. Lorraine is coming of age during dramatic years of war in France. Her growth, conflicts, and eventual renewal are reflected in the struggle of a country fighting for its independence. France, and Lorraine, will never be the same.

Category: Historical Romance

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Havoc
E Phillips Oppenheim

Rating: 5.0/5
(1 vote cast)

Havoc
by E Phillips Oppenheim

Secret plots and forbidden alliances lie behind the politics leading to WWI, and not just between Germany, Russia and Austria. Romantic relationships play a surprising role in the English move to split Russia away from the alliance. What is said behind closed doors sometimes comes out in the open.

Category: Historical Romance

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The Magnificent Adventure
Emerson Hough

Rating: 3.7/5
(3 votes cast)

The Magnificent Adventure
by Emerson Hough

Early American explorers Lewis and Clark ventured into the unknown, willing to risk their physical lives for the frontier. But what of their inner, emotional lives? Here, Meriwether Lewis puts his love on the line for Theodosia, daughter of Aaron Burr.

Category: Historical Romance

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Vendetta
Marie Corelli

Rating: 4.0/5
(4 votes cast)

Vendetta
by Marie Corelli

Nina quickly recovers from the loss of her husband Count Fabio Romani to cholera and turns to his friend Guido Ferrari. The pair want to celebrate their love, but are thwarted by the sudden appearance of an old family friend with a suspicious resemblence to the man they buried not so long ago.

Categories: Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense, Fantasy & Paranormal Romance

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Lo, Michael
Grace Livingston Hill

Rating: 3.0/5
(2 votes cast)

Lo, Michael
by Grace Livingston Hill

True selflessness shines through when young street urchin Michael risks his life to save wealthy Starr Endicott. Years later, he meets Starr in the city again. Ever honorable, he tries to keep his feelings in check, but when a suitor with bad intentions comes after Starr, he cannot stay away.

Categories: Historical Romance, Inspirational Romance

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Three Weeks
Elinor Glyn

Rating: 2.8/5
(5 votes cast)

Three Weeks
by Elinor Glyn

Upper-class Englishman Paul falls for a stranger at a Swiss resort in this vacation romance extraordinaire. Her mysteries include intimations of royal duties awaiting her back home. When she must return to her Slavic homeland, she carries with her more than memories of Paul; she carries the future.

Categories: Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense

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Old Rose and Silver
Myrtle Reed

Rating: 2.3/5
(3 votes cast)

Old Rose and Silver
by Myrtle Reed

Golden maple trees, breathtaking violin music, and beautiful old treasures set the stage for this sentimental romance with a touch of humor. Come along as Rose accompanies Allison on his violin and puts love in the air.

Categories: Historical Romance, Inspirational Romance

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Carnac's Folly
Gilbert Parker

Rating: 2.3/5
(3 votes cast)

Carnac's Folly
by Gilbert Parker

Carnac has a grand time pretending to marry Luzanne during a lively lunch with friends. What he doesn't know is that the judge and ceremony are real enough to make Luzanne into Mrs. Carnac Grier. Her plans for the future are many, while Carnac looks longingly back to his childhood love.

Category: Historical Romance

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The Man Between
Amelia E. Barr

Rating: 3.0/5
(4 votes cast)

The Man Between
by Amelia E. Barr

The bonds of matrimony come in many forms for Ethel Rawdon and her friends. Ethel sees the future in a band of gold, hoping to be united with her beloved Tyrrel. But for Dora, the marriage ties become suffocating, a trap. Her escape takes her through tragedies and heartbreak and back home again.

Category: Historical Romance

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Susan Lenox, Her Fall and Rise
David Graham Phillips

Rating: 3.0/5
(6 votes cast)

Susan Lenox, Her Fall and Rise
by David Graham Phillips

Orphaned at birth, Susan depends on rural relatives who arrange everything, including her marriage. Not inclined to follow the rules, headstrong Susan instead runs away. Relying on a series of questionable men and working a variety of irreputable jobs, Susan makes her way back up in the world.

Category: Historical Romance

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Cecilia, Or Memoirs of an Heiress Volume 3
Fanny Burney

Rating: 1.7/5
(3 votes cast)

Cecilia, Or Memoirs of an Heiress Volume 3
by Fanny Burney

An endless and relentless flow of suitors comes to woo beautiful young heiress Cecilia Beverly. Her challenge is to sort them out, which means uncovering the true story of each. She finds love gone wrong, mistaken identities, and family scandals before she locates true husband material.

Category: Historical Romance

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Cecilia, Or Memoirs of an Heiress Volume 2
Fanny Burney

Rating: 1.8/5
(4 votes cast)

Cecilia, Or Memoirs of an Heiress Volume 2
by Fanny Burney

An endless and relentless flow of suitors comes to woo beautiful young heiress Cecilia Beverly. Her challenge is to sort them out, which means uncovering the true story of each. She finds love gone wrong, mistaken identities, and family scandals before she locates true husband material.

Category: Historical Romance

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Cecilia, Or Memoirs of an Heiress Volume 1
Fanny Burney

Rating: 1.8/5
(4 votes cast)

Cecilia, Or Memoirs of an Heiress Volume 1
by Fanny Burney

An endless and relentless flow of suitors comes to woo beautiful young heiress Cecilia Beverly. Her challenge is to sort them out, which means uncovering the true story of each. She finds love gone wrong, mistaken identities, and family scandals before she locates true husband material.

Category: Historical Romance

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Graham of Claverhouse
Ian Maclaren

Rating: 1.0/5
(2 votes cast)

Graham of Claverhouse
by Ian Maclaren

Princess Mary, daughter of the Duke of York, is to marry William of Orange. Graham of Claverhouse finds himself in service to a conflicted court with an ambitious agenda. Court intrigue is not purely political, and Graham must also oversee the private wars of passion that lurk beneath the politics.

Category: Historical Romance

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Evelina, or the History of a Young Lady
Fanny Burney

Rating: 2.4/5
(5 votes cast)

Evelina, or the History of a Young Lady
by Fanny Burney

Evelina comes from humble beginnings, but has her eye on a distinguished nobleman. To reach him, she must navigate the maze of manners that is 18th century society. Her letters tell the tale of her evolution from an innocent, rural seventeen-year-old into a self-assured society woman.

Category: Historical Romance

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Sir Nigel
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Rating: 1.7/5
(3 votes cast)

Sir Nigel
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

In service to King Edward III, Sir Nigel Loring must prove himself worthy of the hand of his the Lady Mary by performing three deeds in her honor. On his way to the altar, Nigel rescues a woman from dishonor, fights a pirate leader, and battles against the Spanish at sea, among other heroic feats.

Category: Historical Romance

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The Fighting Chance
Robert W. Chambers

Rating: 3.2/5
(5 votes cast)

The Fighting Chance
by Robert W. Chambers

The battle of the bottle has nearly undone the high-society world of Stephen Siward. When young Sylvia Landis enters his life, he thinks he may yet have a chance redeem himself. Sylvia herself, however, is not without challenges, including her unwelcome engagement to the wealthy Howard Quarrier.

Category: Historical Romance

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The Monk
M. G. Lewis

Rating: 2.0/5
(4 votes cast)

The Monk
by M. G. Lewis

Raised in a monastery, Ambrosio becomes a charismatic monk who seems above all scandal. The devil will tempt him, though, in the form of Matilda, a wanton woman who enters his flock disguised as a boy.

Categories: Historical Romance, Fantasy & Paranormal Romance

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This Side of Paradise
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Rating: 2.5/5
(6 votes cast)

This Side of Paradise
by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Amory Blaine is a romancer, seducing attractive women at Princeton and in New York after World War I. He learns of true love the hard way, though, falling for women who cannot reciprocate. His deepest relationship may in the end be with himself.

Category: Historical Romance

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The Little Lady of the Big House
Jack London

Rating: 2.6/5
(5 votes cast)

The Little Lady of the Big House
by Jack London

A love triangle on a California ranch sounds very modern, yet the story of Paula Forrest and her lovers is nearly a hundred years old. Scandalous in its time, the tale follows Paula and the two men she cannot choose between: her husband and her lover.

Category: Historical Romance

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The Secret of the Storm Country
Grace Miller White

Rating: 3.4/5
(9 votes cast)

The Secret of the Storm Country
by Grace Miller White

Simple, strong Tessibel Skinner keeps secret her marriage to Frederick Graves even when his parents force him to marry an heiress. Even when pregnant, Tess refuses to betray Frederick as a bigamist. But what will she make of her new admirer, Mr. Young?

Category: Historical Romance

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The Half-Hearted
John Buchan

Rating: 2.3/5
(3 votes cast)

The Half-Hearted
by John Buchan

As the nineteenth century draws to a close, Lewis Haystoun finally decides to start living the life he has only read and written about. He meets Alice Wishart at a Scottish country house party and soon finds himself taking off on adventures in Kashmir, seeking success with a new love and a new land.

Category: Historical Romance

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Tess of the Storm Country
Grace Miller White

Rating: 3.0/5
(5 votes cast)

Tess of the Storm Country
by Grace Miller White

Never accepted by the high society of Ithaca, Tess is still shocked when her father, a squatter, is accused of murder. Barefoot and innocent, Tess sets out into the world to clear his name, forever changing the shape of life for herself and all she touches.

Categories: Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense

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The Street of Seven Stars
Mary Roberts Rinehart

Rating: 2.0/5
(4 votes cast)

The Street of Seven Stars
by Mary Roberts Rinehart

Violin student Harmony Wells is alone in Vienna when her funds dry up. When she meets a medical resident who offers the frugal solution of sharing a household, she accepts. Even with an older woman joining them for propriety, the unusual living arrangements cause quite a scandal.

Category: Historical Romance

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The Suitors of Yvonne
Rafael Sabatini

Rating: 2.3/5
(3 votes cast)

The Suitors of Yvonne
by Rafael Sabatini

Swashbuckling swordplay and suspense surround Yvonne St. Albaret de Canaples and her would-be lovers in the very first romance novel written by Rafael Sabatini. Even when the beautiful Yvonne is disguised, she attracts love-struck men who would do anything to be near her.

Category: Historical Romance

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An Eye for an Eye
Anthony Trollope

Rating: 1.0/5
(2 votes cast)

An Eye for an Eye
by Anthony Trollope

When Fred Neville becomes heir to the Earl of Scroope, he is sworn to marry a woman deemed suitable for carrying on the family name. But when he meets Irish beauty Kate, who has a dark family history, he is torn between the call of love and the bonds of duty.

Category: Historical Romance

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Love Eternal
Henry Rider Haggard

Rating: 1.8/5
(5 votes cast)

Love Eternal
by Henry Rider Haggard

Timeless passion takes on new dimensions in this romance between two souls bound together regardless of the eras or bodies they inhabit. The physical world limits their union, but changes are at hand to bring them together forever in the spirit realm.

Categories: Historical Romance, Fantasy & Paranormal Romance

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Rose O'Paradise
Grace Miller White

Rating: 3.7/5
(22 votes cast)

Rose O'Paradise
by Grace Miller White

Due to inherit a fortune on her eighteenth birthday, Rose finds herself the subject of much attention from three men. Should she trust the father who has been absent her whole life, the uncle who may be responsible for his absence, or her new suitor?

Categories: Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense

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Cloudy Jewel
Grace Livingston Hill

Rating: 2.6/5
(10 votes cast)

Cloudy Jewel
by Grace Livingston Hill

Believing she will forever be merely the spinster aunt, Julia settles in as a servant in her sister's house. She is about to become much more than a servant to her niece and nephew, and along with them learns lessons on love in both the human and spiritual realms.

Categories: Historical Romance, Inspirational Romance

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How To Cook Husbands
Elizabeth Strong Worthington

Rating: 2.7/5
(6 votes cast)

How To Cook Husbands
by Elizabeth Strong Worthington

Relationship advice never goes out of style, as we see in this light, humorous look at the care and management of husbands from over 100 years ago. What happens when one woman follows the recipe for cooking up a husband? The results could be delicious or disastrous.

Categories: Humor, Historical Romance

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The Glimpses of the Moon
Edith Wharton

Rating: 1.0/5
(6 votes cast)

The Glimpses of the Moon
by Edith Wharton

Having no money, Nick and Susy join in marriage with a plan to live luxuriously off the riches of their wealthy friends. Money matters settled, they also agree to pursue romance outside the marriage. What they have not planned for, however, is the real romance that blossoms between them.

Category: Historical Romance

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The Ashiel Mystery
Mrs. Charles Bryce

Rating: 2.6/5
(7 votes cast)

The Ashiel Mystery
by Mrs. Charles Bryce

Sir Arthur Byrne returns to London from the Black Sea, suffering an illness that has sapped his energy and appetite. When he meets the widow Meredith, his passions are reignited. Satisfying them means entering a world of disguises, secret passages, and hidden identities.

Categories: Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense

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In Secret
Robert W. Chambers

Rating: 2.2/5
(11 votes cast)

In Secret
by Robert W. Chambers

Miss Evelyn Erith has many resources, including a mansion, a chauffeur and a butler. But her most impressive asset is her mind, as she has a talent for cryptography. As a secret agent, she also falls into a secret romance in the forests of Switzerland at the beginning of World War I.

Categories: Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense

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Graustark
George Barr McCutcheon

Rating: 2.2/5
(9 votes cast)

Graustark
by George Barr McCutcheon

An arranged marriage awaits Princess Yetive and Prince Lorenz when the prince is mysteriously murdered. The accused assassin is none other than the true love of the Princess, American Grenfall Lorry. To avoid execution and marry the Princess, Lorry must clear his name with the royalty of Graustark.

Categories: Historical Romance, Fantasy & Paranormal Romance

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A Poor Wise Man
Mary Roberts Rinehart

Rating: 1.8/5
(8 votes cast)

A Poor Wise Man
by Mary Roberts Rinehart

After a year working with soldiers, Lily Cardew returns home transformed from girl to young woman. Her family isn't prepared for her new boldness, or for her newfound friend, Willy Cameron. Her family may not approve of his lack of wealth and fame, but Lily sees what is truly important, his heart.

Categories: Historical Romance, Inspirational Romance

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The Black Tulip
Alexandre Dumas, pere

Rating: 2.1/5
(10 votes cast)

The Black Tulip
by Alexandre Dumas, pere

Flowers for the lady? When Cornelius van Baerle seeks to grow a rare black tulip he takes the notion to a new height. Originally grown for its beauty, the black blossom is worth a fortune in a contest held in the Netherlands. For Cornelius, the promise of wealth pales before his love for Rosa.

Categories: Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense

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Greatheart
Ethel May Dell

Rating: 1.5/5
(6 votes cast)

Greatheart
by Ethel May Dell

Powerful Sir Eustace doesn't expect competition for his lady from the likes of his quiet, limping brother Stumpy. Of course the lady would choose him. But on the wedding eve, Stumpy surprises everyone with his inner strength. Which brother will be the lucky groom in the end?

Category: Historical Romance

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The Lilac Sunbonnet
Samuel Rutherford Crockett

Rating: 1.2/5
(6 votes cast)

The Lilac Sunbonnet
by Samuel Rutherford Crockett

The story of Ralph Paden and Winsome Charteris is a sweet love story, tempered with a good dose of Scottish humor. Even as churchmen and politicians clash in age-old feuds, the young lovers pursue their passion singlemindedly, making the politics of the day seem trivial compared to their union.

Category: Historical Romance

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The Magnificent Montez
Horace Wyndham

Rating: 1.2/5
(6 votes cast)

The Magnificent Montez
by Horace Wyndham

A story based on the infamous Lola Montez -- dancer, singer, and courtesan in the mid-1840s -- always features her flirtations and indiscretions. But unlike other fictional accounts of her life, The Magnificent Montez suggests that she might have turned to the straight and narrow in the end.

Category: Historical Romance

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Spring Torrents
Ivan Turgenev

Rating: 1.0/5
(6 votes cast)

Spring Torrents
by Ivan Turgenev

Young Russian landowner Dimitry Sanin falls so in love with a German girl that he gives up his Russian estate to come and work in her family pastry shop. They seem destined to marry until Dimitry is ensnared by a sophisticated older woman who has other plans for him.

Category: Historical Romance

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The Shadow of the East
Edith Maude Hull

Rating: 1.2/5
(6 votes cast)

The Shadow of the East
by Edith Maude Hull

Englishman Barry Craven is in India when he falls in love with Indian girl and marries her. But when an old sweetheart arrives on the scene, Craven is torn between the two. The choice he must make will have dire consequences for one of the women and put Craven himself in danger.

Category: Historical Romance

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A Knight of the Nineteenth Century
Edward Payson Roe

Rating: 1.0/5
(6 votes cast)

A Knight of the Nineteenth Century
by Edward Payson Roe

Sometimes the most challenging, and important, quest a knight can embark on is the quest to settle his own soul. Meeting the graceful Laura Romeyn is one of the challenges facing Egbert Haldane. Will he be distracted by her serene beauty, or inspired by her life of refinement and faith?

Categories: Historical Romance, Inspirational Romance

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Diane of the Green Van
Leona Dalrymple

Rating: 2.8/5
(14 votes cast)

Diane of the Green Van
by Leona Dalrymple

Who is Diane Westfall? An heiress, the daughter of a Seminole Indian woman, and a nature lover. Is she also in line to the throne of Houdania? Cousin Carl would rather she was royal so he might inherit the Westfall fortune. But her sweetheart Philip wants to be with Diane whatever the outcome.

Categories: Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense

Tristan and Iseult
Joseph Bedier

Rating: 2.3/5
(10 votes cast)

Tristan and Iseult
by Joseph Bedier

A Cornish knight and an Irish princess fall in love in this medieval legend that may have formed the foundation for the King Arthur stories. The chivalric Tristan and the beautiful Iseult fall in love under the power of a magic spell so strong they will sacrifice everything to be together.

Categories: Historical Romance, Fantasy & Paranormal Romance

The Great Impersonation
E Phillips Oppenheim

Rating: 2.5/5
(11 votes cast)

The Great Impersonation
by E Phillips Oppenheim

Englishman Sir Everard Dominey and German Baron von Ragastein switch places in Africa and Germany during the years leading to World War I. Their secret seems safe until the mentally ill wife of Dominey questions the identity of the man who claims to be her husband. Who will believe her?

Categories: Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense

The Hidden Hand
Mrs. Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth

Rating: 1.0/5
(6 votes cast)

The Hidden Hand
by Mrs. Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth

Street-wise Capitola Black is an adventurer who feels trapped in the sprawling mansion of her rich guardian with nothing to do. Never fear, for action follows Black Cap wherever she goes, involving her in love affairs, kidnappings, and even duels.

Category: Historical Romance

Scaramouche
Rafael Sabatini

Rating: 2.2/5
(6 votes cast)

Scaramouche
by Rafael Sabatini

A young aristocrat finds himself in the middle of battles romantic and revolutionary as the French Revolution begins. He embraces every role that comes his way: the theater's Scaramouche, a clever lawyer, a cutthroat politician, a skilled swordsman, and a passionate lover.

Category: Historical Romance

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Mistress Wilding
Rafael Sabatini

Rating: 1.8/5
(8 votes cast)

Mistress Wilding
by Rafael Sabatini

The charming Anthony Wilding pursues a young lady who is suspicious of his reputation as a rogue. This same rogue spirit leads him to help the Duke of Monmouth rise up against King James. While foes oppose his every move, the chivalrous Wilding may yet succeed in politics and passion.

Category: Historical Romance

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Villette
Charlotte Bronte

Rating: 1.7/5
(13 votes cast)

Villette
by Charlotte Bronte

Lucy Snowe escapes tragedy at home for the apparent safety of teaching at a boarding school in the city of Villette. Many challenges await, including learning French, untangling mistaken identities, grappling with ghosts, and reluctantly falling in love with her own headmaster.

Category: Historical Romance

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