• Best Christian Romance Books,  Best Historical Romance Books

    Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

    Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But happily-ever-after isn’t as simple like in one of her books…

    The life she’s planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend, Gordon, breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real world. Then to top it off, Alice loses her beloved job at the library because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression.

    Fleeing small-town gossip, Alice heads to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the library in the tiny coal-mining village of Acorn. Dropped off by her relatives, Alice volunteers to stay for two weeks to help the librarian, Leslie McDougal.

    But the librarian turns out to be far different than she anticipated–not to mention the four lady librarians who travel to the remote homes to deliver the much-desired books. While Alice is trapped in Acorn against her will, she soon finds that real-life adventure and mystery–and especially romance–are far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.

    One of the author’s inspirations:

    “One of the things I love to do while these ideas and images are simmering is to go outside in the gorgeous spring sunshine and sample God’s creative handiwork. I want the theme of His redemption to flow through all of my novels—how he takes what is broken and cold and dying and fills it with renewed life. And seeing the beauty of rebirth in nature as the snow melts and the new grass and spring leaves began to peek through,inspires me to tell of His goodness and grace all over again”

    Lynn Austin

  • Best Historical Romance Books

    How to Live Happily Ever After by Bree Wolf

    A handsome earl, and an old spinster make for an enticingly happily-ever-after.

    Miss Agnes Bottombrook accepted long ago that she would never marry. Not even when she was still young did gentlemen see anything in her that would appeal to them. Now, at nine-and-twenty years of age, all hope is lost and Agnes is on the shelf for good.

    Out of nowhere, the rakishly handsome—and young, mind you!—Lord Wentford asks Agnes for a dance, shocking not only Agnes but all of London society, most of all, his own mother. Certain that his intentions are far from honorable, Agnes tries her utmost to rebuff the young lord and reveal him as a scoundrel, only seeking her attention to win a bet or wager of some kind.

    Unfortunately, Lord Wentford cannot be rebuffed, no matter how hard Agnes tries, forcing her to contemplate the possibility—remote as it might be—that he might truly…care for her. Without her consent, Agnes finds herself swept off her feet by her most unexpected suitor, doubting her own sanity when desires she thought she had long since abandoned resurface. But will she dare believe him?

    The author’s writing inspiration:

    “Inspiration is another tricky thing, at least tricky to put into words. It’s usually small things, a picture, a song or even a seemingly meaningless sound, a glimpse out the window, a line in a magazine that sets off a flood of ideas invading my mind, screaming at me to pay attention. Most of the time I am intrigued by these thoughts while sometimes I feel like a conquered country unable to keep hostile invaders from…well, invading.”

    Bree Wolf

  • Best Historical Romance Books

    A Highwayman’s Mail Order Bride by Blythe Carver

    The last thing a mail order bride needs is a highwayman’s intervention in the form of a stagecoach robbery.

    When Melissa married John Carter because her family couldn’t afford to feed her, she had no idea of the cruelty of the man. John Carter beats her mercilessly and makes her life a living hell. After seeing an ad in the paper for paid passage westward, she answers the ad in the hopes to use the ticket to escape John Carter, not just for herself, but for the baby she’s carrying. Time is of the essence if she is to marry in time to convince her new husband that the baby she’ll give birth to is his.

    When robbers learn her husband is a wealthy rancher, she’s taken hostage, costing her precious time in a plan that hinges on timeliness. She hates the leader of the highwaymen with a passion and is beyond angry that the time is ticking while he negotiates her ransom.

    Jed Cunningham’s a highwayman, certainly, but one with honor. And a heart, it seems. He can’t stand the idea of sending the stunning feisty Melissa Carter to marry a rich rancher. She’s precisely the kind of woman who needs to be loved.
    But she doesn’t seem to see that.

    A review of the novel:

    “This book was intriguing from the get-go, with seamless writing and detailed descriptions that kept me turning page after page. I really enjoyed this! It definitely won’t be my last from this author.”

    Sydney Winward

  • Best Historical Romance Books

    My Fair Guardian by Suzanne G. Rogers

    Can the guardian succeed in his efforts or will Bethany manage to distract him from his goal—by hook or by crook?

    When Bethany is saddled with an unwanted, unrefined, and decidedly common guardian, she must polish him up before he’s fit for good society. As for Willoughby Winter, all that stands between him and his inheritance is to marry Bethany off. Can he succeed in his efforts before his past becomes known or will she manage to distract him from his goal—by hook or by crook?

    A 5 star review from Goodreads:

    “Her writing evokes a kinder, gentler era where female characters shine. But in this particular novel the male lead, Willoughby Winter, shines just as brightly as he steps into a role similar to that of Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady.”

    Chris Pavesic, Goodreads

  • Best Historical Romance Books

    The Mannequin by Suzanne G. Rogers

    Can a beastly duke and a beautiful mannequin find a fairy-tale ending?

    When she was a poor country girl in a hand-me-down dress, Rosamund saved the Duke of Swanhaven from the brink of despair…only to fall in love with him. Now a celebrated mannequin for an exclusive London dressmaker, her glamorous life is empty without the man to whom she gave her heart. Can these two people from different worlds have a happily ever after?

    A review from the Historical Novel Society:

    “Nicely written and well executed, with high publishing quality, this novel sits seamlessly beside more well-known writers of romance and I enjoyed reading it as much as I have any offering from a New York Times best-selling author.”

    Nicky Galliers, Historical Novel Society

  • Best Historical Romance Books

    Ruse & Romance by Suzanne G. Rogers

    It started as a ruse…

    Unjustly labeled a flirt, Kitty Beaucroft is in need of a fiancé. Lord Philip Butler’s father wants him to settle down before he can become a landowner. With no intention of following through, Kitty and Philip enter into a temporary engagement as a means to an end. Unfortunately, someone knows the truth and is determined to expose them. Will the ruse turn into a romance before it’s too late?

    The author on why she switched genres from fantasy to historical romance:

    “There’s an old axiom that says,Watch what the successful people do, and do that.’ So I did. I switched genres and wrote a Victorian romance entitled TheIce Captain’s Daughter. That book was almost an instant bestseller for me, andI never looked back. There are people who write fantasy and do very, very well financially. My head is off to them. For me, I couldn’t make my fantasy books sell.Readers enjoy my historical romance, and so I’ve made a career out of that instead. In the end, I would rather write books that get read then ones that don’t.”

    Suzanne G. Rogers

  • Best Christian Romance Books,  Best Historical Romance Books

    Marrying Miss Marshal: Wild Wyoming Hearts by Lacy Williams

    She’s no lady… And he’s on a quest for revenge.

    Danna Carpenter is town marshal. And a darn good one. Even if she has to handle saloon brawls and rustlers alone. Who needs deputies anyway? All right, she’d welcome the help if any of the men in town would offer it. When a bank robbery goes bad, she has no choice but to accept the help of a city slicker…

    Chas O’Grady came West in search of cattle rustlers and found himself on the trail of a killer–one who took everything from him. Crossing paths with the pretty marshal was happenstance, but he can’t leave her deputy-less when she’s facing such grave danger.

    Everything changes when Chas and Danna are stranded together in a snowstorm. The town council forces a marriage. And attraction turns to something more… Will Chas give up his quest for revenge? Or will he lose the woman he loves forever?

    The author on the struggles of women in her novel:

    “Marrying Miss Marshall is about a woman town marshal in the Wild West. It is loosely based on to real life stories of women in law enforcement in the 1920s. One was a town marshal and one was a County Sheriff. As you can imagine these women faced a lot of obstacles in their careers. They had a really tough time doing the things that they needed to do because they were women, and that was
    something that I wanted readers to be able to experience in my story. My heroine faces a lot of challenges, including prejudice from the people that she’s trying to protect, and really the only person who will help her and come alongside her is the hero who is a tenderfoot from the big city.”

    Lacy Williams

  • Best Historical Romance Books

    The King’s Commander by Cecelia Mecca

    He cared only for duty—until he met the one woman who could claim his heart.

    My mission is clear. I’m to go to Murwood End, the land of the Voyagers, to retrieve the king’s secret son. With the heir dead, it’s our only hope for saving our kingdom from those who would destroy us. But complications arise from the start. No one knows when the king’s son will return from his latest mission, or at least no one will say. And his closest friend—a woman, a Garra—seems to loathe me on sight. A further complication: I’m completely captivated by her. In Meria, Garra practice their healing arts in secret, but there’s nothing covert about this bold, beautiful woman.

    In the beginning, I tell myself I’m only pursuing Aedre Lorenson for her connection to the king’s son, but I know it for a lie. She has awakened something in me, and I’m torn between doing my duty as the king’s commander and following my heart.

    What the author enjoys about writing the historical romance genre:

    “With historicals, I love melding history and fantasy together since the books are, admittedly, a fantasized version of medieval England and Scotland.”

    Cecelia Mecca

  • Best Historical Romance Books

    The Duchess of Chocolate by Sydney Jane Baily

    Step into Rare Confectionery on New Bond Street, where three talented sisters create treats as delectable to the tongue as they are appealing to the eye. One taste is all it takes to be captivated…

    The Duke of Pelham desires an original confection to win the Season’s loveliest lady. Naturally, he turns to London’s premiere chocolatier for assistance. Amity has never had a customer quite like the duke. In status, he’s far above ordinary men, yet he is one of the friendliest, funniest, and most engaging males she has ever met.

    As the duke enters the scrumptious world of confectionery, he discovers the chocolate-maker is as delightful—and tempting—as her creations. While Amity designs the perfect proposal chocolate, her heart begins to wish the duke could be her very own mouthwatering reward. Join Amity and her duke on a chocolate-filled romance in the heart of Mayfair, where nobility often acts in a less-than noble fashion. Will the upper-echelon of society sour their happiness and keep them from the sweetest of endings?

    The author on her writing style:

    “I tend to have a slow pace, with in-depth simmering characterizations, which take time to develop, though my heroes and heroines often recognize an attraction almost instantly. So, I am a character-driven writer, rather than thinking of an entire story first.”

    Sydney Jane Baily

  • Best Historical Romance Books

    Marry in Haste by Anne Gracie

    As pride, duty and passion clash, will these two stubborn hearts find more than they ever dreamed of?

    Major Calbourne Rutherford returns to England on the trail of an assassin, only to find he’s become Lord Ashendon, with the responsibility for vast estates and dependent relatives. Cal can command the toughest of men, but his wild half-sisters are quite another matter. They might just be his undoing.

    When he discovers that Miss Emmaline Westwood, the girls’ former teacher, guides them with ease, Cal offers her a marriage of convenience. But strong-minded and independent Emm is neither as compliant nor as proper as he expected, and Cal finds himself most inconveniently seduced by his convenient wife. to face with Harmony. Over the next several weeks, the two become unlikely friends as Steve learns to love and trust God, and mutual attraction surprises them both. Emm knows they didn’t marry for love, yet beneath her husband’s austere facade, she catches glimpses of a man who takes her breath away.

    The author on the hero and his relationship with his sisters:

    “Poor Cal — he’s used to getting instant obedience from the soldiers under his command, but in this story he discovers that females, especially female relations, are quite a different matter. And besides, heroes need to learn.”

    Anne Gracie