54 books like The Companion

By Susan Squires,

Here are 54 books that The Companion fans have personally recommended if you like The Companion. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Haunting of a Duke

Emmanuelle de Maupassant Author Of The Lady's Guide to Tempting a Transylvanian Count

From my list on gothic historical romance for Halloween.

Why am I passionate about this?

From staying up late to watch old 'Hammer Horror' classics (only occasionally hiding behind the sofa) to reading the chilling romances of Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart, Emmanuelle knew early in life that Gothic Romance was her jam. Slightly sinister anti-heroes hiding a dark secret still make her swoon, and now she gets to create her own. Mind how you flee!

Emmanuelle's book list on gothic historical romance for Halloween

Emmanuelle de Maupassant Why did Emmanuelle love this book?

Prepare for spicy thrills and spooky chills, mystery, murder, and ghostly goings on in this ‘must-have’ seven-book collection. The first volume takes us to Briarwood Park, an English manor house stalked by a bloodthirsty madman, and a brooding duke accused of a wicked crime. The whole series features steamy, open-door bedroom scenes.

By Chasity Bowlin,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A steamy Regency romance full of spicy thrills and spooky chills. Welcome to Briarwood Park, an English manor house filled with spirits, its halls stalked by a bloodthirsty madman, and a brooding duke accused of the most wicked crime of all... murdering his late wife. The Haunting of a Duke is perfect read for Halloween or any time of the year for those who like their romance served up slightly darker.

Communing with spirits has been both gift and curse to Emme Walters. Now it's made her a killer's target. Emme knows why the Dowager Duchess of Briarleigh invited her…


Book cover of Dark Desires

Emmanuelle de Maupassant Author Of The Lady's Guide to Tempting a Transylvanian Count

From my list on gothic historical romance for Halloween.

Why am I passionate about this?

From staying up late to watch old 'Hammer Horror' classics (only occasionally hiding behind the sofa) to reading the chilling romances of Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart, Emmanuelle knew early in life that Gothic Romance was her jam. Slightly sinister anti-heroes hiding a dark secret still make her swoon, and now she gets to create her own. Mind how you flee!

Emmanuelle's book list on gothic historical romance for Halloween

Emmanuelle de Maupassant Why did Emmanuelle love this book?

This six-book series of standalone stories begins with our heroine accepting a position as assistant to a dangerously attractive anatomist, at his eerie estate. As she struggles with her fierce attraction, she must also face the possibility that her employer is a serial murderer. Fabulously creepy, satisfyingly steamy, and enough twists to keep you page-turning late into the night.

By Eve Silver,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Betrayed by those she trusted, penniless and alone, Darcie Finch is forced to accept a position that no one else dares, as assistant to dangerously attractive Dr. Damien Cole. Ignoring the whispered warnings and rumours that he's a man to fear, she takes her position at his eerie estate where she quickly discovers that nothing is at it seems, least of all her handsome and brooding employer. As Darcie struggles with her fierce attraction to Damien, she must also deal with the blood, the disappearances … and the murders.

With her options dwindling and time running out, Darcie must rely…


Book cover of The Dark One

Emmanuelle de Maupassant Author Of The Lady's Guide to Tempting a Transylvanian Count

From my list on gothic historical romance for Halloween.

Why am I passionate about this?

From staying up late to watch old 'Hammer Horror' classics (only occasionally hiding behind the sofa) to reading the chilling romances of Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart, Emmanuelle knew early in life that Gothic Romance was her jam. Slightly sinister anti-heroes hiding a dark secret still make her swoon, and now she gets to create her own. Mind how you flee!

Emmanuelle's book list on gothic historical romance for Halloween

Emmanuelle de Maupassant Why did Emmanuelle love this book?

A trio of tall, dark, broodingly handsome werewolves await, in this action-packed, high-passion, angsty trilogy indulging the fantasy of ‘the beast within’. A terrifying transformation befalls the men of the Wulf dynasty, and the curse can only be avoided by never falling in love. The perfect premise for romance!

By Ronda Thompson,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Born into the cursed Wulf family, Armond Wulf holds little hope of happiness or of love. But when temptation approaches in the form of Lady Rosalind Rutherford, he becomes less sure that he will be able to save her or himself from the darkness within.


Book cover of Too Wicked to Kiss

Emmanuelle de Maupassant Author Of The Lady's Guide to Tempting a Transylvanian Count

From my list on gothic historical romance for Halloween.

Why am I passionate about this?

From staying up late to watch old 'Hammer Horror' classics (only occasionally hiding behind the sofa) to reading the chilling romances of Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart, Emmanuelle knew early in life that Gothic Romance was her jam. Slightly sinister anti-heroes hiding a dark secret still make her swoon, and now she gets to create her own. Mind how you flee!

Emmanuelle's book list on gothic historical romance for Halloween

Emmanuelle de Maupassant Why did Emmanuelle love this book?

From the ravens circling its spires to the gargoyles adorning its roof, Blackberry Manor looms ominously over its rambling grounds. And behind its doors, amid the flickering shadows and secret passageways, danger lies in wait…  Deeply emotional and seriously sexy, these five standalone romances combine mystery with passion. Excellent bedtime reading.

By Erica Ridley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Too Wicked to Kiss as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A darkly romantic gothic mystery with hidden motives and forbidden love from a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author:

"Sensual and witty... A delicious, dark Gothic treat!"
- Eloisa James, New York Times bestselling author

HIS TOUCH HOLDS HER CAPTIVE

From the ravens circling its spires to the gargoyles adorning its roof, Blackberry Manor looms ominously over its rambling grounds. And behind its doors, amid the flickering shadows and secret passageways, danger lies in wait…

TO HIS EVERY DARK DESIRE

Evangeline Pemberton has been invited to a party at the sprawling estate of reclusive Gavin Lioncroft, who is…


Book cover of Sylvester: Or the Wicked Uncle

Annie Burrows Author Of Wooing His Convenient Wife

From my list on when you’re looking for a hero you won’t forget.

Why am I passionate about this?

I began to escape into stories as a child because I was so often ill there wasn’t much else I could do. But that love of sending my mind on a little holiday to a world where everything is a little bit nicer has stuck with me. As a writer, that is what I want to do – to send my readers on a romantic adventure without them having to get out of their chair. And as I fell in love with the landscape of Regency England, through reading so many Heyer novels, that is where I enjoy setting the adventures of my characters.

Annie's book list on when you’re looking for a hero you won’t forget

Annie Burrows Why did Annie love this book?

I love this book for many reasons, one of them being that the heroine is a naïve young author who is having her first book published.

She has used Sylvester, the Duke of Sale, as the model for the villain of her story, because of his “tigerish” eyebrows.  Which wouldn’t have mattered, if her family hadn’t decided they ought to get married.

During the course of their unorthodox courtship, (which involves her flight from him, a curricle accident, the kidnapping of his nephew, and the adoption of a French puppy) the arrogant Duke learns that he can’t have whatever he wants for the snap of his fingers – and it does him a great deal of good.

By Georgette Heyer,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

"Reading Georgette Heyer is the next best thing to reading Jane Austen."―Publishers Weekly

Rank, wealth, and elegance are no match for a young lady who writes novels...


Sylvester, Duke of Salford, has exacting requirements for a bride. Then he meets Phoebe Marlow, a young lady with literary aspirations, and suddenly life becomes very complicated. She meets none of his criteria, and even worse, she has written a novel that is sweeping through the ton and causing all kinds of gossip... and he's the main character!

What Readers Say:

"A truly brilliant Heyer with an adorable and very real heroine and…


Book cover of The Escape

Kathleen Buckley Author Of By Sword and Fan

From my list on navigating family and romance in the Georgian/Regency period.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved history and historical fiction since childhood and have been writing historical fiction/historical romance for about ten years. To give readers a sense of what life was really like almost three hundred years ago, I do extensive research: the weight of a 1717 French musket, the terrain where my story is set, and guardianship law, among other details. Titled men, gentlemen smugglers, and ballrooms are mostly absent because although they’re the stuff of daydreams, our most common problems center around family relationships. Making ends meet, difficult relatives, loyalty to family versus honor, or one’s own best interests or duty offer plenty of scope for conflict (and excitement and romance, too).

Kathleen's book list on navigating family and romance in the Georgian/Regency period

Kathleen Buckley Why did Kathleen love this book?

I like books with strong and sensible female characters and male characters who are not the stereotypical “alpha male,” that’s why I’ve read this book several times.

When widowed Samantha is faced with the prospect of being forced to live with her hateful in-laws, she neither dithers nor worries about the impropriety of fleeing her home with the help of a male acquaintance. Crippled in the Napoleonic wars, he is feeling somewhat oppressed by his own relatives. 

Another “plus” for me is that they do not so much fall in love as slide into it. The tendency of romantic characters to kiss and immediately tumble into lust, if not love, strikes me as unrealistic. I also like good writing and the occasional plot twist, and Mary Balogh excels at both.

By Mary Balogh,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

After surviving the Napoleonic Wars, Sir Benedict Harper is struggling to move on, his body and spirit in need of a healing touch. Never does Ben imagine that hope will come in the form of a beautiful woman who has seen her own share of suffering. After the lingering death of her husband, Samantha McKay is at the mercy of her oppressive in-laws - until she plots an escape to distant Wales to claim a house she has inherited. Being a gentleman, Ben insists that he escort her on the fateful journey. Ben wants Samantha as much as she wants…


Book cover of Wives for Sale: An Ethnographic Study of British Popular Divorce

Alina K. Field Author Of Fated Hearts

From my list on intricacies and perils of divorce in Regency-era.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a writer of Regency Romance fiction with a perfectionist’s zeal to get the details right. Most Regency Romances are tales of aristocrats falling in love and marrying—or marrying and then falling in love! But in real life, romantic love was often not an essential aspect of courtship in this era. Aristocratic families might ensure that a couple was “suited”, but they arranged unions for bloodlines and wealth, and the ties were almost impossible to break. Enjoy these true tales of marriage and divorce, and the two novels of heartbreak, divorce, and happy-ever-after.

Alina's book list on intricacies and perils of divorce in Regency-era

Alina K. Field Why did Alina love this book?

An early novella of mine has the indignant heroine rushing to save a woman from a wife sale at a seedy inn. The enormous cost of legally ending a marriage in the Regency put divorce out of the reach of all but the very wealthy. For the poor, and perhaps the drunks, like Thomas Hardy’s hero in The Mayor of Casterbridge, there was another option for ending a marriage, one with a long though not very respectable tradition. Yes, some Englishmen sold their wives! This book covers the peculiarities of this poor man’s method of ending an unhappy marriage. 

By Samuel Pyeatt Menefee,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wives for Sale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of An Infamous Army

Michelle Cameron Author Of Beyond the Ghetto Gates

From my list on historical fiction books on the French Revolution and Napoleon that portray real life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been fascinated by Napoleon and the French Revolution since I was a teenager. Novels that capture the essence of the struggles of the French people – and especially those that feature Napoleon as a highly layered character – have always called to me. As a Jewish author, I am particularly drawn to a fair representation of Jewish characters in these tales – which frankly, Georgette Heyer does not, as she adheres to stereotypes in describing any Jewish characters. (I only forgive her because her books are so brilliant.)

Michelle's book list on historical fiction books on the French Revolution and Napoleon that portray real life

Michelle Cameron Why did Michelle love this book?

I’m a huge admirer of Georgette Heyer, who single-handedly created the Regency historical romance genre. Her research and knowledge of the time, including aspects of dress, manners, etc., are unsurpassed.

An Infamous Army tells the story of Waterloo from the British perspective, and its battle scenes are so accurate that the novel is actually taught at the British military academy, Sandhurst. Heyer includes characters from her other books in this novel, and it was a surprise and a joy to meet them in this wide-ranging narrative.   

By Georgette Heyer,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked An Infamous Army as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer!

'The greatest writer who ever lived' ANTONIA FRASER
'My generation's Julia Quinn' ADJOA ANDOH
'One of the wittiest, most insightful and rewarding prose writers imaginable' STEPHEN FRY
___________

1815, and the British and French armies are massing ahead of one of the greatest battles of all time ...

Occupied by the British, Brussels however is en fete.

And Lady Barbara Childe, renowned for being as fashionable as she is beautiful, is at the centre of all that is fashionable and light-hearted.

When she meets Charles Audley, the dashing aide de camp to…


Book cover of The Grand Sophy

Sally Page Author Of The Keeper of Stories

From my list on losing yourself in on a rainy day.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a writer who will never give you a sad ending! I love books that reflect on life (the good and the bad) but that look for the positive in people. My experience has taught me that there is so much good to find—and as I explore in my debut novel, The Keeper of Stories, everyone has a story to tell. My first novel was published when I was 60, so I am also a believer that you should never underestimate anyone. And I love to see that reflected in books.

Sally's book list on losing yourself in on a rainy day

Sally Page Why did Sally love this book?

My mother had every one of Georgette Heyer’s regency novels, and I inherited them. They are witty, romantic, and satisfying. When I feel sad I dive beneath their covers and lose myself in them. I also remember my mum. The Grand Sophy was her favourite, it is the story of an extraordinary young woman who has a gift for sorting out other people’s problems – whether they want her to or not!

By Georgette Heyer,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Grand Sophy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer!

'The greatest writer who ever lived' ANTONIA FRASER
'One of my perennial comfort authors. Heyer's books are as incisively witty and quietly subversive as any of Jane Austen's' JOANNE HARRIS
'Absolutely delicious tales of Regency heroes. . . Utter, immersive escapism' SOPHIE KINSELLA
__________________

The charming Sophia Stanton-Lacy is a force to be reckoned with.

When Sophy is sent to stay with her London relatives, she finds her cousins in quite the tangle.

Cecilia is besotted with an attractive but feather-brained poet, Hubert has fallen foul of a money-lender, and the ruthlessly…


Book cover of Cotillion

Suzanne Allain Author Of Miss Lattimore's Letter

From my list on books for Jane Austen fans.

Why am I passionate about this?

I stumbled across Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice when I was twelve years old and fell in love with her humorous, witty writing and quirky characters. I saved my allowance and bought an omnibus of her complete works, but it wasn’t enough: I was hooked and wanted to read more books like hers. A decade later, I started to write books like hers, and my first Regency-set romantic comedy was published in 2001. The movie Mr. Malcolm’s List, based on my novel, was released in theaters in 2022, and I had the pleasure of hearing people laughing as they watched it, as I had so often laughed while reading Austen’s work.

Suzanne's book list on books for Jane Austen fans

Suzanne Allain Why did Suzanne love this book?

Georgette Heyer was the first author to pay homage to Austen by writing comedic love stories set in the Georgian/Regency era. Since Heyer wrote them a century after Austen, she’s considered one of the earliest writers of historical romance.

In this book, a dashing gentleman doesn’t turn out to be all he was cracked up to be, and a naïve young woman learns what qualities are truly desirable in a husband. It’s an absolute blast and very sweet. 

By Georgette Heyer,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer!

'The greatest writer who ever lived' Antonia Fraser
'One of my perennial comfort authors. Heyer's books are as incisively witty and quietly subversive as any of Jane Austen's' Joanne Harris
'Georgette Heyer is second to none' Sunday Times
_________________

Kitty Charing's life-changing inheritance comes with a catch.

Her eccentric and childless guardian, Mr. Penicuik, is leaving Kitty all of his vast fortune - but with one condition. She must marry one of his five grand-nephews.

However, Kitty's clear favourite - the rakish Jack Westruther - doesn't appear at all interested in the…


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