Historical Romance Books
What happens when the charming duke meets the bookworm who refuses to be charmed by him? When Eloise crosses paths with the haughty Duke of Ravendale, their ...
Once, he destroyed her with just a whisper. And now, she plans to ruin them both with a deceitful lie. Lady Clara Mapleton has faith in love - the kind that ...
A Midsummer Night's Rendezvous Travel to the heart of Yorkshire, where the lush rolling hills and majestic estates hold ancient secrets waiting to be ...
A bold beauty. A brooding viscount. And two weeks that may change everything. Lady Alice Pickford is not your average woman. With fiery red hair, a sharp ...
Miss Eleanor Hargrove has always preferred the company of books over ballrooms, her keen intellect and unquenchable curiosity making her stand out from the ...
Caribbean Intrigue Amidst the ongoing war in the Caribbean and the impending British invasion of French-held Guadeloupe, Rhys McNaught has been tasked ...
Amidst the ongoing war in Europe, Dashiell Blackwell, known as the Earl of Ravenwood, operates in secrecy as a key member of The Lion Watch, working ...
Amidst the ongoing war in Europe, Leander Ashby, the brave and enigmatic second son of the Duke of Lionston, has dedicated years to serving as a spy for the ...
Lady Lavender Cavendish, following her husband's unfortunate passing, has no interest in entering into another marriage. She currently resides at ...
The Earl and the Countess of Hampstead Once happily married, the Earl and the Countess of Hampstead's union only lasted six months. Two and a half years ...
Meet the next couple: American Caleb Monteith finds himself in England with the title of Marquess of Haven bestowed upon him - something he never wanted, ...
Welcome to the Ball of Sin series, a collection of four sizzling novellas set at a lavish annual masquerade ball in Victorian England. Rumor has it that a ...
Joseph Aster arrives in Philadelphia with grand ambitions. He is set on becoming a prosperous shipbuilder, regardless of the time it may take. In his ...
Seven scandalous love stories. Seven irresistible rogues. Seven ways passion conquers all. When London's most notorious rakes meet their matches in ...
He believed that his heart was laid to rest alongside his wife and daughter... Malcom (Col) Thornton, known as the Laird Mac Sceachain, finds himself a ...
Two governments are on his tail, both domestic and foreign… It was a terrible time to fall in love... Dr Merlow Thornton has arrived in Pinner to seek ...
Description
Historical romance (also historical novel) is a broad category of fiction in which the plot is set in a historical period. Walter Scott helped popularize this genre in the early 19th century with works such as Rob Roy and Ivanhoe. Literary fiction historical romances continue to be published, with a notable recent example being Wolf Hall (2009), a multi-award-winning novel by English historical novelist Hilary Mantel. It is also a genre of mass-market fiction, related to the broader romantic love genre.
The terms "romance novel" and "historical romance" are ambiguous, as the word "romance" and the related term "romantic" carry multiple meanings. On one hand, there is the mass-market genre of "fiction dealing with love," such as Harlequin romance, and on the other hand, "a romance" can also be defined as "a fictitious narrative in prose or verse, the interest of which turns upon marvelous and uncommon incidents." However, many romances, including the historical romances of Walter Scott, are also frequently called novels, and Scott describes romance as a "kindred term." Adding to the confusion, literary fiction romances, such as Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, often feature a strong love story element. Other European languages do not distinguish between romance and novel: "a novel is le roman, der Roman, il romanzo."