20th Century Historical Romance Books

This list is 14 Best 20th Century Historical Romance Books for those who read and enjoy the best in romantic fiction to give credit to the trailblazing romance authors in the Twentieth Century.

1. The Viscount Who Loved Me: Bridgerton (Bridgertons Book 2)

Author: by Julia Quinn

B00UG8RP22

Avon

April 28, 2015

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A New York Times BestsellerFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn comes the story of Anthony Bridgerton, in the second of her beloved Regency-set novels featuring the charming, powerful Bridgerton family, now a series created by Shondaland for Netflix.

ANTHONY'S STORYThis time the gossip columnists have it wrong. London's most elusive bachelor Anthony Bridgerton hasn't just decided to marryhe's even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended's older sister, Kate Sheffieldthe most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom.

The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate's the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams... Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbandsand Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all.

Kate's determined to protect her sisterbut she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony's lips touch hers, she's suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself...


2. An Offer From a Gentleman: Bridgerton (Bridgertons Book 3)

Author: by Julia Quinn

B00UG8RP2W

Avon (August 25, 2015)

August 25, 2015

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A New York Times BestsellerFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn comes the story of Benedict Bridgerton, in the third of her beloved Regency-set novels featuring the charming, powerful Bridgerton family, now a series created by Shondaland for Netflix.

BENEDICT'S STORYSophie Beckett never dreamed she'd be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ballor that Prince Charming would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother.

But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight. Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any otherexcept, perhaps, this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid's garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation.


3. The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II

Author: by Madeline Martin

Published at: Hanover Square Press; Original edition (April 6, 2021)

ISBN: 978-1335284808

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An irresistible tale which showcases the transformative power of literacy, reminding us of the hope and sanctuary our neighborhood bookstores offer during the perilous trials of war and unrest. KIM MICHELE RICHARDSON, author of The Book Woman of Troublesome CreekAugust 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler's forces sweep across Europe.

Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and drawn curtains that she finds on her arrival are not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she'd wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.

Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreameda force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war. A gorgeously written story of love, friendship, and survival set against the backdrop of WWII-era London.

JILLIAN CANTOR, author of In Another Time and Half LifeA love letter to the power of books to unite us, to hold the world together when it's falling apart around our ears. This fresh take on what London endured during WWII should catapult Madeline Martin to the top tier of historical fiction novelists.


4. The Paris Apartment

Author: by Kelly Bowen

B08F76CXPM

Forever (April 20, 2021)

April 20, 2021

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This heart-wrenching novel about family and war unearths generations of secrets and sacrificesperfect for fans of The Paris Orphan and The Lost Girls of Paris. 2017, London: When Aurelia Leclaire inherits an opulent Paris apartment, she is shocked to discover her grandmother's hidden secretsincluding a treasure trove of famous art and couture gowns.

One obscure painting leads her to Gabriel Seymour, a highly respected art restorer with his own mysterious past. Together they attempt to uncover the truths concealed within the apartment's walls. Paris, 1942: The Germans may occupy the City of Lights, but glamorous Estelle Allard flourishes in a world separate from the hardships of war.

Yet when the Nazis come for her friends, Estelle doesn't hesitate to help those she holds dear, no matter the cost. As she works against the forces intent on destroying her loved ones, she can't know that her actions will have ramifications for generations to come.

Set seventy-five years apart, against a perilous and a prosperous Paris, both Estelle and Lia must unearth hidden courage as they navigate the dangers of a changing world, altering historyand their family's futuresforever.


5. The Missing Sister: They'll Search the World to Find Her (The Seven Sisters)

Author: by Lucinda Riley

B08MFM8857

Macmillan (May 27, 2021)

May 27, 2021

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From the Sunday Times number one bestselling author Lucinda Riley, The Missing Sister is the seventh instalment in the multimillion-copy epic series The Seven Sisters. They'll search the world to find her.'I've loved the Seven Sisters from the get-go and this latest in the series is just as great as the rest ...

As ever there's a brilliant historical subplot' - Daily MailThe six D'Aplise sisters have each been on their own incredible journey to discover their heritage, but they still have one question left unanswered: who and where is the seventh sister?

They only have one clue an image of a star-shaped emerald ring. The search to find the missing sister will take them across the globe from New Zealand to Canada, England, France and Ireland uniting them all in their mission to complete their family at last.

In doing so, they will slowly unearth a story of love, strength and sacrifice that began almost one hundred years ago, as other brave young women risk everything to change the world around them. Praise for The Seven Sisters series:'The Seven Sisters series is heart-wrenching, uplifting and utterly enthralling' - Lucy Foley'Well researched and compelling on an epic scale' - Sunday Express 'There's something magical about these stories' - Prima'Addictive storytelling' - Woman & Home'A masterclass in beautiful writing' - The Sun

6. The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband: A Bridgerton Prequel (The Rokesbys Book 2)

Author: by Julia Quinn

B01N9E9D2F

Piatkus (May 30, 2017)

May 30, 2017

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RETURN TO THE WORLD OF THE BRIDGERTONS ... Go back to where it all began with the second book in Sunday Times bestselling author Julia Quinn's dazzlingly witty Bridgerton prequel series. A generation before the Bridgertons, there were the Rokesbys ... While you were sleeping ...

With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health.

But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie ...

I told everyone I was your wifeWhen Edward comes to, he's more than a little confused. The blow to his head knocked out six months of his memory, but surely he would recall getting married. He knows who Cecilia Harcourt is - even if he does not recall her face - and with everyone calling her his wife, he decides it must be true, even though he'd always assumed he'd marry his neighbor back in England.


7. The Secret Messenger: The gripping historical fiction novel from the international bestseller

Author: by Mandy Robotham

B07RPNHL4D

Avon (December 12, 2019)

December 12, 2019

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The highly awaited new novel from the internationally bestselling author of The German Midwife (also published as A Woman of War). Venice, 1943The world is at war, and Stella Jilani is leading a double life. By day she works in the lion's den as a typist for the Reich; by night, she risks her life as a messenger for the Italian resistance.

Against all odds, Stella must impart Nazi secrets, smuggle essential supplies and produce an underground newspaper on her beloved typewriter. But when German commander General Breugal becomes suspicious, it seems he will stop at nothing to find the mole, and Stella knows her future could be in jeopardy.

London, 2017Years later, Luisa Belmont finds a mysterious old typewriter in her attic. Determined to find out who it belonged to, Luisa delves into the past and uncovers a story of fierce love, unimaginable sacrifice and, ultimately, the worst kind of betrayalSet between German-occupied 1940s Venice and modern-day London, this is a fascinating tale of the bravery of everyday women in the darkest corners of WWII, for readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris.


8. Subtle Blood (The Will Darling Adventures Book 3)

Author: by KJ Charles

B094TL3GJX

KJC Books (June 23, 2021)

June 23, 2021

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Will Darling is all right. His business is doing well, and so is his illicit relationship with Kim Secretan-disgraced aristocrat, ex-spy, amateur book-dealer. It's starting to feel like he's got his life under control. And then a brutal murder in a gentleman's club plunges them back into the shadow world of crime, deception, and the power of privilege.

Worse, it brings them up against Kim's noble, hostile family, and his upper-class life where Will can never belong. With old and new enemies against them, and secrets on every side, Will and Kim have to fight for each other harder than everor be torn apart for good.


9. First Comes Scandal: A Bridgerton Prequel (The Rokesbys Book 4)

Author: by Julia Quinn

B07T8DJZLG

Piatkus (April 21, 2020)

April 21, 2020

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RETURN TO THE WORLD OF THE BRIDGERTONS ... She was given two choices ... Georgiana Bridgerton isn't against the idea of marriage. She'd just thought she'd have some say in the matter. But with her reputation hanging by a thread after she's abducted for her dowry, Georgie is given two options: live out her life as a spinster or marry the rogue who has ruined her life.

Enter Option #3As the fourth son of an earl, Nicholas Rokesby is prepared to chart his own course. He has a life in Edinburgh, where he's close to completing his medical studies, and he has no time - or interest - to find a wife.

But when he discovers that Georgie Bridgerton - his literal girl-next-door - is facing ruin, he knows what he must do. A Marriage of ConvenienceIt might not have been the most romantic of proposals, but Nicholas never thought she'd say no.

Georgie doesn't want to be anyone's sacrifice, and besides, they could never think of each other as anything more than childhood friends ...Could they? But as they embark upon their unorthodox courtship they discover a new twist to the age-old rhyme.

10. The Other Miss Bridgerton: A Bridgerton Prequel (Rokesbys Series Book 3)

Author: by Julia Quinn

B0716WQCN8

English

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn continues her Bridgerton prequel series with a new novel following the adventures-and love stories-of the Bridgerton and Rokesby families. She was in the wrong place... Fiercely independent and adventurous, Poppy Bridgerton will only wed a suitor whose keen intellect and interests match her own.

Sadly, none of the fools from her London season qualify. While visiting a friend on the Dorset coast, Poppy is pleasantly surprised to discover a smugglers' hideaway tucked inside a cave. But her delight turns to dismay when two pirates kidnap her and take her aboard a ship, leaving her bound and gagged on the captain's bedHe found her at the wrong time...

Known to society as a rascal and reckless privateer, Captain Andrew James Rokesby actually transports essential goods and documents for the British government. Setting sail on a time-sensitive voyage to Portugal, he's stunned to find a woman waiting for him in his cabin.

Surely, his imagination is getting the better of him. But no, she is very realand his duty to the Crown means he's stuck with her. Can two wrongs make the most perfect right? When Andrew learns that she is a Bridgerton, he knows he will likely have to wed her to avert a scandalthough Poppy has no idea that he is the son of an earl and neighbor to her aristocratic cousins in Kent.

11. The Girls in the Attic

Author: by Marius Gabriel

B08LMN5TVG

June 1, 2021

English

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The bestselling author of The Designer presents a sweeping story of blind faith, family allegiance and how love makes one man question everything he thought he knew. Max Wolff is a committed soldier of the Reich. So when he is sent home wounded, only to discover that his mother is sheltering two young Jewish women in their home, he is outraged.

His mother's act of mercy is a gross betrayal of everything Max stands for. He has dedicated his life to Nazism, fighting to atone for the shame of his anti-Hitler father's imprisonment. It's his duty to turn the sisters over to the Gestapo.

But he hesitates, and the longer Max fails to do his duty, the harder it becomes. When Allied bombers fill the skies of Germany, Max is forced to abandon all dogma and face the brutality of war in order to defend precious lives.

But what will it cost him?

12. I'll Be Seeing You: A spellbinding and emotional wartime novel of love and secrets

Author: by Margaret Mayhew

B00593M5E2

July 31, 2011

English

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An enthralling novel of love and secrets from the Second World War, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn and Fiona Valpy. READERS ARE LOVING I'LL BE SEEING YOU!"I consider Margaret Mayhew to be an exceptional author and this is one of her best offerings!" - 5 STARS"Exceptional story kept me enthralled until the end.

I loved the way this book was written." - 5 STARS"This is the first book I have read by Margaret Meyhew. It won't be the last." - 5 STARS"Absolutely loved this story, so much so I just stayed up all night reading it , desperate to see how it unfolded, yet hating seeing it come to an end.

So well written and researched." - 5 STARS*WHAT IF EVERYTHING YOU BELIEVED TURNED OUT TO BE A LIE? 1992: When Juliet Porter's mother dies, she leaves her some old letters and a photograph which shatter everything Juliet thought she knew about her upbringing.

Discovering her real father was an American bomber pilot who met her mother while serving in England during the Second World War, she sets out to trace him... 1944: Daisy, Juliet's mother, is in the WAAF and plans to marry the American bomber pilot she has fallen deeply in love with once his tour is over.

13. The Lady Has a Past

Author: by Amanda Quick

B08FH9S2W9

Berkley (May 4, 2021)

May 4, 2021

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Beauty and glamour meet deception and revenge in this electrifying novel by New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick. Investigative apprentice Lyra Brazier, the newest resident of Burning Cove, is unsettled when her boss suddenly disappears. Lyra knows something has happened to Raina Kirk, and tracks down her last known appearance at an exclusive hotel and health spa.

The health spa is known for its luxurious offerings and prestigious clientele, and the wealthy, socialite background Lyra desperately wanted to leave behind is perfect for this undercover job. What Lyra lacks in investigative experience she makes up for in gut instinct, and her gut isn't happy that she's saddled with a partner by Luther Pell, Raina's dangerous lover, who wants to bring in someone with more experience to help.

Instead of the suave, pistol-packing private eye she expected, though, Simon Cage is a mild-mannered antiquarian book dealer with a quiet, academic air, and a cool, remote gaze. Lyra suspects that Simon is much more than what he seems, and her instincts are confirmed when they arrive at the spa and pose as a couple: Simon has a unique gift that allows him to detect secrets, a skill that is crucial in finding Raina.

14. The Giver of Stars: A Novel

Author: by Jojo Moyes

Pamela Dorman Books

English

400 pages

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | A REESE WITHERSPOON X HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICKA great narrative about personal strength and really captures how books bring communities together. Reese WitherspoonFrom the author of The Last Letter from Your Lover, soon to be a major motion picture on Netflix, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond in Depression-era AmericaAlice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve, hoping to escape her stifling life in England.

But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt's new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything.

They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. What happens to them-and to the men they love-becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity, and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention.