10 books like A World Such as Heaven Intended

Sometimes what we seek is right in front of us, while we’re looking and wondering elsewhere. That’s what happens to the heroine of Julia’s Gifts by Ellen Gable. She’s so determined to bring a daydream to life that she almost misses the real thing. This first book in the Great War Great Love series takes place during World War I. The story reminds readers that the light and hope of love remain bright even amid the horrors of war. You’ll cheer for the hero and heroine to stay connected when the war threatens their love just as it starts to grow. A special element in this book is the inclusion of beautiful, original sonnets, something I’ve never before encountered in a historical romance.

In Pieces is the first of a two-book series. The romance develops in this book while subplots thicken. I was quickly drawn to the characters and early American setting. I felt immersed in the ambience of the Boston waterfront during the Federalist years. Themes of redemption, forgiveness and understanding weave through the novel and affect more than the hero and heroine. For example, the hero’s family grapples with his growing interest in Catholicism. As the love story reaches resolution, another subplot deepens: a need for American spies to help protect the young country. I ended the book feeling as though the characters had become friends. In Pieces is subtitled Molly Chase Book 1 and fits the Christian historical fiction genre as well as Catholic historical romance.

I didn’t realize Playing By Heart was a Young Adult book until I finished reading. I was too engrossed in the story about a musical prodigy in 18th century Italy. The romance arc is central but subdued, as the heroine is still a young teenager when this coming-of-age story begins. Her behavior is shaped by family, faith and cultural restrictions. The story placed me in the world of Italian nobility as I followed the heroine and her sisteras they received above-average educations for their time. (Their father has a reason.) Mature adults will enjoy this book. At least I did! I was delighted to learn the main character and her sister are based on real sisters who were 18th century Italian musical and academic prodigies.

This is a touching story about love and forgiveness, of oneself as well as of others. The novel is partially historical: the narrative shifts between the 1940s and the present day. The storylines are linked by a beautiful rose ring that is important to the heroines in both eras. Both storylines include love, loss, and love re-found, but not before the modern-day heroine must face what her heart is truly telling her. More than one character finds the redemption that true forgiveness can bring, but each also discovers the journey can be challenging. This novel drops a surprise twist in the middle, so keep your eyes open! I had tears in my eyes when the stories converged and brought closure.

You may know this strange story as a film, but the different narrators in this gothic tale of John McBurney, a wounded Union soldier being washed and nursed by a group of young girls in Martha Farnworth’s remote school is full of the same sexual tension I hoped to conjure up in my book. What could be more beguiling than the juxtaposition of sheltered women carrying out intimate tasks on a man weakened by injury?

There is never enough alternate history. Particularly alternate history that doesn’t focus either on the Nazis winning World War II or the South winning the American Civil War. Thankfully we have Egalia’s Daughters, yet another forward-thinking novel from the seventies. Set in a world where gender norms are swapped around entirely, its male characters wear special testicle bras and adorn their beards with flowers (I do like that last part). Of course, this woman-dominated world is no less homophobic than our own, and as part of their gender rebellion, the men form relationships with one another, in various configurations. It’s a delightful read, with its gender reversals a mirror reflection of our own society.

Kathleen Woodiwiss was the queen of epic historical romance, an expert at writing long, adventurous epics. I always impatiently waited for her next book to be released. Written in 1979, it is an old bodice ripper, but it was re-released in 2009. The brave, independent Alaina has always stayed with me. She’s a feisty, smart, and stubborn rebel. Cole is an honorable, brave, and kind Yankee surgeon. I am a huge fan of books that make the main characters work hard to find true love, and this one is a great example of an enemies to lovers tale.

It’s set during the Civil War. I loved the humor, action, and thrills!

Look. I could tell you it’s a modern-day gothic. I could tell you it wields its heresy to illuminate the true meaning of God. I could tell you she writes with the clarity of an imprisoned martyr watching the pyre being assembled outside her window. But, really, I just want you to know that I read Sierra Simone with a goofy smile on my face, marveling at how she makes the bonkers believable. She’s a surreal realist. There’s an energy here that’s simply unmatched. The book vibrates. And if you make it through Priest, might I suggest her New Camelot trilogy, which tackles the only thing more sacred than the Catholic church: the American presidency.

In Secret Love by F. Burn, Richard Cunningham is a different kind of bad boy—a student in his final year of high school who develops a crush on learning support assistant Francesca Gabel. Richard is a challenging guy, pushing the limits and not giving up on chasing Francesca, despite dating someone else closer to his age. When he finishes school and travels, their friendship continues, but he wants more from Francesca, who is a young woman trying to find her path in life. I was hooked all the way to the end, and loved the tease in each chapter, not knowing if the two will end up together until the end. The relationship suspense was brilliantly plotted. 

I listened to this novel while gardening during the pandemic and found it utterly absorbing and heartbreaking. It surprised me with its twists and turns, humor, and pathos. Roy and his wife Celestial are newlyweds in Atlanta living a life of ordinary young marriage challenges, planning to have children, and what career moves to make. After Roy is falsely accused of a crime, found guilty, and sentenced to twelve years in prison, the two must find a way to move forward after the American Dream for them is shattered. The sophisticated, stirring novel asks the question, what does one spouse owe another when the state takes away their freedom? By turns heartbreaking, funny, and wise, American Marriage was an Oprah pick and long-listed for the National Book Award. A year ago I did an event with Tayari and probably gushed over this novel to the point of personal embarrassment!