Love At Love's Command? Readers share 100 books like At Love's Command...

By Karen Witemeyer,

Here are 100 books that At Love's Command fans have personally recommended if you like At Love's Command. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of To Disguise the Truth

Karen Baney Author Of The Roaming Adventurer

From my list on Christian heroines with unconventional jobs.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since great-grandma told me she envied me, being born when women could choose any profession, I developed a deep respect for the women throughout history who have held unconventional roles. I am drawn to books featuring powerful women characters who show a zeal for making their mark on the world in roles like surveyors, ranchers, telephone operators, historians, horse trainers, and more, long before their choices became socially acceptable. As a woman software engineer (and now part-time author), I’ve gained an appreciation for all the women who paved the way for the modern woman.

Karen's book list on Christian heroines with unconventional jobs

Karen Baney Why did Karen love this book?

What I loved about this book was the strong female main character, Eunice Holbrook. She held the unusual job of owning an Inquiry Agency (private detective). What drew me to her character was her powerful personality. From her expert marksmanship with a pistol to her analytical reasoning, she embodied everything unconventional. I instantly connected with her and her plight, so much so that I couldn’t put the book down.

The layers of intrigue, combined with the sweet romance of a couple reunited, warmed my heart and made me smile. The author kept me guessing in this murder mystery historical romance. I especially enjoyed the witty banter between Eunice and Arthur.

By Jen Turano,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked To Disguise the Truth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When a man arrives at the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, anxious to hire them to find a missing heiress, Eunice Holbrooke realizes her past has finally caught up with her . . . and that she may no longer be able to hide under the disguise that has kept her safe for so long.

Arthur Livingston's goal in life is to make his mark on the world as a mining industrialist, but after the man who could help him achieve his goal is murdered, Arthur feels compelled to seek justice for the family--but he's left with more questions than answers…


Book cover of Love on the Line

Karen Baney Author Of The Roaming Adventurer

From my list on Christian heroines with unconventional jobs.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since great-grandma told me she envied me, being born when women could choose any profession, I developed a deep respect for the women throughout history who have held unconventional roles. I am drawn to books featuring powerful women characters who show a zeal for making their mark on the world in roles like surveyors, ranchers, telephone operators, historians, horse trainers, and more, long before their choices became socially acceptable. As a woman software engineer (and now part-time author), I’ve gained an appreciation for all the women who paved the way for the modern woman.

Karen's book list on Christian heroines with unconventional jobs

Karen Baney Why did Karen love this book?

Georgie Gail is one of the most colorful characters I’ve ever read. There is nothing conventional about her personality, profession, or her bird-watching hobby. The author made me feel like Georgie was an old, dear friend very early in the story. I felt her pain over failed relationships and loved her gumption as she tried to provide for herself. The way the author brought a mix of romance and action, while pairing up two opposite main characters with plenty of comedic dialogue, made the story come alive for me. It was one of the most entertaining novels I’ve read in a long time.

By Deeanne Gist,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Love on the Line as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 1904, Texas Ranger Luke Palmer arrives in Brenham, Texas, with one goal-to capture the gang of outlaws led by Frank Comer. Undercover as a telephone repairman, he uses his days on the range to search, not realizing there's another pair of eyes watching him. Georgie Gail, switchboard operator and birder, heads out on a birding expedition, but instead of sighting a painted bunting, her opera glasses capture her telephone man, armed and far away from telephone lines. Palmer is forced to take this alluring troublemaker into his confidence and unwittingly puts her in harm's way. The closer he comes…


Book cover of A Man with a Past

Karen Baney Author Of The Roaming Adventurer

From my list on Christian heroines with unconventional jobs.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since great-grandma told me she envied me, being born when women could choose any profession, I developed a deep respect for the women throughout history who have held unconventional roles. I am drawn to books featuring powerful women characters who show a zeal for making their mark on the world in roles like surveyors, ranchers, telephone operators, historians, horse trainers, and more, long before their choices became socially acceptable. As a woman software engineer (and now part-time author), I’ve gained an appreciation for all the women who paved the way for the modern woman.

Karen's book list on Christian heroines with unconventional jobs

Karen Baney Why did Karen love this book?

In the western territories in 1870, very few authors choose a woman rancher as the heroine. But this author did. She built a strong female rancher full of personality that embodied the complexities of a real woman. I found Cheyenne very relatable. Sometimes she struggled with the balance of being tough and feeling emotion—just like I do in my technology career. I loved experiencing the danger, mayhem, and even the sweet romance right along with Cheyenne. This book has a permanent home in my library, along with the entire series. I loved it that much.

By Mary Connealy,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Man with a Past as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Falcon Hunt awakens without a past, or at least not one he can recall. He's got brothers he can't remember, and he's interested in the prettiest woman in the area, Cheyenne. Only trouble is, a few flashes of memory make Falcon wonder if he's already married. He can't imagine abandoning a wife. But his pa did just that--twice. When Falcon claims his inheritance in the West, Cheyenne is cut out of the ranch she was raised on, leaving her bitter and angry. And then Falcon kisses her, adding confusion and attraction to the mix.

Soon it's clear someone is gunning…


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Book cover of The Ballad of Falling Rock

The Ballad of Falling Rock by Jordan Dotson,

Truth told, folks still ask if Saul Crabtree sold his soul for the perfect voice. If he sold it to angels or devils. A Bristol newspaper once asked: “Are his love songs closer to heaven than dying?” Others wonder how he wrote a song so sad, everyone who heard it…

Book cover of The Problem Child

Karen Baney Author Of The Roaming Adventurer

From my list on Christian heroines with unconventional jobs.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since great-grandma told me she envied me, being born when women could choose any profession, I developed a deep respect for the women throughout history who have held unconventional roles. I am drawn to books featuring powerful women characters who show a zeal for making their mark on the world in roles like surveyors, ranchers, telephone operators, historians, horse trainers, and more, long before their choices became socially acceptable. As a woman software engineer (and now part-time author), I’ve gained an appreciation for all the women who paved the way for the modern woman.

Karen's book list on Christian heroines with unconventional jobs

Karen Baney Why did Karen love this book?

Cymbeline Barnes is one of the most unconventional female characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Not only was she a veterinarian in the early 1920s, but she also had the aspiration to become a world-champion ski jumper during the Gilded Age. Talk about gumption! I fell in love with her character immediately and rooted for her as she fought against preconceived notions of her family and peers. Her sweet, slow-to-develop romance also drew me into the story. Like myself, she struggled with the right balance between a career and family, at a time before that became a normal struggle for women. I loved how the balance played out, making this another of my favorite stories.

By Tess Thompson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Problem Child as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Cymbeline Barnes declared Viktor Olofsson her arch-enemy when they were children. When he saved her beloved sister, she started to see him as a hero instead. Still, she can't let go of the idea that her destiny is waiting somewhere else in the world.

Viktor Olofsson has cared for Cymbeline his whole life. However, when she continues to rebuff him, he allows himself to entertain the idea of newcomer Emma.

Will Cymbeline come to terms with her life and wake up to the idea of love before it's too late?


Book cover of The Medicine Woman of Galveston

Isabel Tutaine Author Of Song of the Wooden Sparrow

From my list on female doctors.

Why am I passionate about this?

My mother was the only female chemist in a Fortune 500 company for a good two decades before another one was hired. I saw from a front-row seat the misogyny she endured. The result of this experience was that I wrote a novel about a female doctor in 1894. I also ended up in a technical field that was only slightly populated by women, although women dominate it today. I saw the transition because I was involved in it. I think my acceptance in that field happened because of the efforts of the other women who went before me.

Isabel's book list on female doctors

Isabel Tutaine Why did Isabel love this book?

I really enjoyed this book because it plopped me right into the early 1900s when women began wandering into traditionally men’s fields like medicine. I like the delicate folding of the main character’s personal life with her Down Syndrome child and her struggles in her professional life because, face it, work is not everything in life.

This book captures the compromises a single mother has to make and compounds them by adding characters who refuse to believe she’s competent in medicine.

By Amanda Skenandore,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Medicine Woman of Galveston as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In a uniquely vivid story of women in medicine, found family, and conquering fear for readers of Kristin Hannah, Ellen Marie Wiseman, and Audrey Blake, an impoverished former doctor and her disabled son join a traveling medicine show and its family of strangers on a collision course with the deadliest natural disaster in American history – the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. From the acclaimed author of The Nurse's Secret and The Second Life of Mirielle West.

"Perfect on so many levels that I don't even know where to begin." —Addison Armstrong, Author of The War Librarian

Once a trailblazer in…


Book cover of Home Again

Hallie Lee Author Of Paint Me Fearless

From my list on laughter, tears, and characters you can’t forget.

Why am I passionate about this?

Novels about humanity move me, as I love the messiness and complexities of imperfection. Because I’m passionate about reading these kinds of books, I’m also passionate about writing them. My first book, Paint Me Fearless, debuted at #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Release List in Christian Contemporary Fiction in 2021. It seemed readers found relevance in subjects like challenging family dynamics, weight issues, crippling insecurity, and the repercussions of abuse. My subsequent books continue in this vein. I aspire to write stories that reflect universal emotions like heartache and grief, but also joy and laughter. One reviewer described my books as a “rollicking good time,” which was a good day because I strive to entertain. 

Hallie's book list on laughter, tears, and characters you can’t forget

Hallie Lee Why did Hallie love this book?

I read Home Again many years ago, and while I love all of Kristin Hannah’s books, this story in particular combined everything I love—ill-fated love, mother-daughter conflict, friendship, sibling rivalry, and an utterly shocking ending.

Madelaine Hillyard is a heart surgeon whose relationship with her teenage daughter, Lina, is strained. The DeMarco brothers, one a priest and one a bad boy, are a crucial part of Madelaine and Lina’s past, and as the plot evolves, I admit I fell a little in love with both of them. 
A relatable, heartbreaking story full of humanity, Home Again hits all the marks…and makes you believe in miracles again.  

By Kristin Hannah,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Home Again as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the New York Times bestselling author The Four Winds, a moving, powerful novel about the fragile threads that bind together our lives and the astonishing potential of second chances

“A tender, beautifully told story of emotional growth, forgiveness [and] the possibility of miracles.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Madelaine Hillyard is a world-famous heart surgeon at the top of her game. Her personal life is far less successful. A loving but overworked single mom, she is constantly at odds with her teenage daughter. At sixteen, Lina is confused, angry, and fast becoming a stranger to her mother—a rebel desperate to find…


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Book cover of Love and Chocolate

Love and Chocolate by Linda Shenton Matchett,

Ilsa Krause and her siblings are stunned to discover their father left massive debt behind upon his death. To help pay off their creditors, she takes a job at Beck’s Chocolates, the company her father despised. To make matters worse, her boss is Ernst Webber, her high school love who…

Book cover of The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine

Heather Clark Author Of Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath

From my list on group biographies of women.

Why am I passionate about this?

Heather Clark is the author of Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath which was a finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award in Biography, and a Book of the Year at The Guardian, O the Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The Times (London), Lit Hub, Good Morning America Book Club, and elsewhere. She is currently working on a new group biography about the Boston years of Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Adrienne Rich, and Maxine Kumin, under contract with Knopf. She is a professor of Contemporary Poetry at the University of Huddersfield in Yorkshire, England.

Heather's book list on group biographies of women

Heather Clark Why did Heather love this book?

Janice P. Nimura digs deep into the diaries and letters of the Blackwell sisters, who were among the very first women in America to be trained as doctors. The book reads like a novel without sacrificing historical accuracy and scholarly rigor. I found myself deeply moved by the sisters’ struggles to be taken seriously as physicians in an entirely male world. Jeered in lecture halls and treated as curiosities off-campus, they maintained a dignified courage and a relentless work ethic. Eventually, they shamed their skeptics and opened the doors for future generations of women doctors. This is a compelling tale told well.

By Janice P. Nimura,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Doctors Blackwell as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Elizabeth Blackwell believed from an early age that she was destined for a mission beyond the scope of "ordinary" womanhood. Though the world at first recoiled at the notion of a woman studying medicine, her intelligence and intensity ultimately won her the acceptance of the male medical establishment. In 1849, she became the first woman in America to receive an M.D. She was soon joined in her iconic achievement by her younger sister, Emily, who was actually the more brilliant physician.

Exploring the sisters' allies, enemies, and enduring partnership, Janice P. Nimura presents a story of trial and triumph. Together,…


Book cover of The Waiting Room

Jacinta Halloran Author Of Dissection

From my list on doctors that show their professional struggles.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a family physician and therapist, but I was a book-lover first. At age seventeen, I had to choose between studying medicine or literature, and I chose a profession with a clear-cut career path. But books and writing never lost their hold, and I began to write seriously in my late thirties. I’ve had four novels published, and I’m well into my fifth. Being a writer makes me a better doctor, more empathic and curious, and more engaged with patients’ narratives. Medicine is such a rich and fascinating field, and I feel privileged to write about it from an insider’s point of view.

Jacinta's book list on doctors that show their professional struggles

Jacinta Halloran Why did Jacinta love this book?

I loved this evocative and moving novel, winner of the Voss Literary Prize, for its accurate portrayal of the personal conflict that doctors often struggle with (particularly female doctors) as they try to balance the demands of work and family life.

It follows a day in the life of pregnant family physician Dr. Dina Ronen as she attends to the diverse needs of her patients and her young family while struggling to reconcile with the demanding ghosts of her personal and collective past. This is a beautifully constructed and visceral work from Australian family physician Leah Kaminsky.

By Leah Kaminsky,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Waiting Room as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“The Waiting Room is both haunted, and haunting.”—Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March

The Waiting Room unfolds over the course of a single, life-changing day, but the story it tells spans five decades, three continents, and one family’s compelling history of love, war, and survival

As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, Dina’s present has always been haunted by her parents’ pasts. She becomes a doctor, emigrates, and builds a family of her own, yet no matter how hard she tries to move on, their ghosts keep pulling her back. A dark, wry sense of humor helps Dina maintain her…


Book cover of Scarpetta

Richard P. Wenzel Author Of Labyrinth of Terror

From my list on medical mysteries health impact expert solvers.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an Infectious Diseases specialist and epidemiologist, I became aware of the clandestine bio-weapons program in Russia when exposed—after the fall of the Soviet Union. I began to look at data and lecture on the potential problem before 9/11. I familiarized myself with the biology behind likely successful pathogens, including antibiotic resistance, inability to make a vaccine, and enhanced virulence designs. I also have a passion for Greek mythology that I wanted to stitch into a publication. This is the background for my book. 

Richard's book list on medical mysteries health impact expert solvers

Richard P. Wenzel Why did Richard love this book?

A best-selling crime writer, Cornwell outlines the fascinating story of a forensic pathologist about to uncover the strange story of an injured man in a hospital’s psychiatric ward. What Cornwell does as well or better than most authors is explain the excellent and latest technological testing to clarify events and identify the cause of the mystery.

By Patricia Cornwell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Scarpetta as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14.

What is this book about?

From America's #1 bestselling crime writers comes an extraordinary #1 New York Times bestselling Kay Scarpetta novel.

Leaving behind her private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina, Kay Scarpetta accepts an assignment in New York City, where the NYPD has asked her to examine an injured man on Bellevue Hospital's psychiatric prison ward. The handcuffed and chained patient, Oscar Bane, has specifically asked for her, and when she literally has her gloved hands on him, he begins to talk-and the story he has to tell turns out to be one of the most bizarre she has ever heard.

The…


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Book cover of Songbird

Songbird by Laci Barry Post,

It's 1943, and World War II has gripped the nation, including the Stilwell family in Jacksonville, Alabama. Rationing, bomb drills, patriotism, and a changing South barrage their way of life. Neighboring Fort McClellan has brought the world to their doorstep in the form of young soldiers from all over the…

Book cover of A Double Life

Nicole Bokat Author Of Will End in Fire

From my list on domestic suspense that upends the meaning of family.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a novelist with a PhD in Literature from NYU. My background is Modern British, and I’ve always been drawn to literary stylists. But, over the years, I’ve developed a passion for reading and writing novels that deal with themes of betrayal either within families or between close friends. I’m drawn to domestic suspense in which the characters’ psychological growth isn’t secondary to the plot.

Nicole's book list on domestic suspense that upends the meaning of family

Nicole Bokat Why did Nicole love this book?

Flynn Berry’s book is another example of this author’s ability to make me care deeply for her character while also sweeping me into a mysterious plot.

While keeping up a fast pace, the author delves into fascinating themes: how a close family member can betray you, how a sociopath can escape society and reinvent himself, and how one recovers from the trauma of a murderous past.

By Flynn Berry,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Double Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A THRILLING PAGE-TURNER' Paula Hawkins
'SHOCKING AND SATISFYING' New York Times, Editor's Choice
'WHAT A BOOK!' Clare Mackintosh
'BEAUTIFULLY PACED AND SATISFYINGLY OMINOUS' Observer

'Confirms the promise of Berry's debut, Under the Harrow... Mesmerisingly effective' The Sunday Times | 'Shocking' Guardian | 'Berry gives the well-worn story of Lord Lucan a fresh twist with this clever tale' i (Best Beach Reads for Summer) | 'A compulsive page-turner' Daily Mail | 'A damning dissection on class and privilege. Fans of Elizabeth Day's The Party will love this' Sarra Manning, Red Online | 'Psychological suspense has a new reigning queen' New York…


Book cover of To Disguise the Truth
Book cover of Love on the Line
Book cover of A Man with a Past

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Interested in female doctors, the American West, and Texas?

Female Doctors 30 books
The American West 143 books
Texas 226 books