The most recommended historical romance novels

This book has everything—fast-faced adventure, political intrigue, historical insights, and a searing romance that keeps the pages turning! The story follows Keren, a female scribe in the home of the biblical Daniel during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. After a tragic accident, Keren finds herself hiding in Persia, heartbroken and searching for a new purpose and place to flourish. When she ends up tutoring an unusual boy, she finds her purpose in protecting the boy’s true identity from those who want to kill him.

I appreciated how the author touched upon major biblical heroes and historical events but through the eyes of fictional characters. The romance thread was unique and interesting, making this a compelling read.

Set in precolonial Hausaland, this novel tells the gripping tale of a man on a relentless quest for revenge. The story resonated with me for several reasons, not the least of which was its pre-colonial setting that offered a glimpse into the past.

Ekwensi’s straightforward prose weaves a vibrant tapestry that is rich with cultural details. His portrayal of bravery, determination, and an unwavering sense of justice captivated me from the outset. Reflecting the oral traditions characteristic of Ekwensi’s writing style, the novel imparts social commentary and moral lessons in a manner that I found both entertaining and thought-provoking. 

Jane Austen would have made such a great therapist! Her razor-sharp observations, combined with profound insights into people and relationships, make this book an all-time favorite of mine. I love her descriptions of falling in (and out of) love and how fallible each of her characters is, reminding us of our humanity–especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

What also strikes me is how true it is that pride, image, and status can still play out in our more modern relationships today. This book feels very old-fashioned in places, but it warns us how easily we can hurt other people and damage relationships, sometimes irrevocably. There’s a lot to learn from Emma, and I enjoy seeing relationships depicted in fiction, where so much can be explored through a fascinating and absorbing story, too.

Patricia Wentworth is one of the most atmospheric writers I’ve read.

This is the first in her Miss Silver series, featuring an elderly lady who looks a lot like Miss Marple but pre-dates her. While still within the cozy genre, parts of this book, especially the opening section, where the mysterious man in the gray mask makes his first appearance, can make your spine tingle with that delicious feeling of tension that only a good mystery book brings.

Like Miss Marple, Miss Silver is adept at deducing what the various protagonists might do based on her reading of their psychology, but the characters are much better fleshed out in these books, as is the period in which it is set. And the romance is a definite bonus.

The Late Mrs. Willoughby is the second in Claudia Gray’s series featuring Jane Austen’s characters solving mysteries. (The first was The Murder of Mr. Wickham.)

The two chief detectives are Jonathan Darcy, son, of course, of Elizabeth and Darcy; and Juliet Tilney, daughter of Catherine and Henry, and the dynamic between the two is lively and often hilarious. You don’t have to be a Jane Austen fan to enjoy these books, but if you do love Austen’s characters, this is a new way to appreciate them!

I first read this book when I was going through a bad period in my life when I felt my work as an academic was going nowhere.

The sprawling, absorbing plot of The Improbability of Love took me to another place. The novel is set in London, a city that I know well, and it has a huge variety of characters from all walks of life. Some of writing is very funny, which cheered me enormously.

The painting in question is by Antoine Watteau, and it was found by our heroine Annie in a junk shop. 

More beautifully written magic realism, with compelling characters and a fascinating plot. Fowley-Doyle uses the obliqueness of the supernatural and the compelling tropes of a mystery story to explore Ireland's troubled history with women and children. There's something of the road trip to this one, with a warm, supportive, found-family providing kindness and companionship to the main character in a story that otherwise might be too bleak to bear. Release yourself to the prose and to the experience, let the book carry you. It’ll be worth the journey.

This book makes me think, made me cry, and challenged me at a deep level. It's not your typical boy meets girl HEA romance, but something far deeper and more meaningful. Its message will resonate through time. God is worth trusting even if it doesn't look like how we thought or hoped. This is the kind of faith that is a light on a hill. This novel is blinding light.

I struggled to pick just one Gill Paul novel as I’ve hugely enjoyed every one I’ve read.

Ultimately, I love to learn something new from a book and, whilst I’d heard of the Romanovs, I knew very little about Russian history and the Revolution. Obviously, with historical fiction, parts are invented – and the main plot twist with this is a theory that has been disproven – so you have to be discerning with what you take as fact.

But historical fiction is such a wonderful way to learn about different eras, and Gill Paul brings worlds and people to life so evocatively.

I loved the lyrical, lush language and deep characterization in this well-crafted novel and was wholly immersed into the culture and ways of the early colonial period. The novel is very well researched and thoughtful as it ruminates on sexuality and religion.