Did you know that: Romance is the best-selling book genre in the English language.
That being said, to explore the topic further, the question you must ask is: What “type” of romance novel do you enjoy reading?
My preference is historical romance, set in say the 16th to 19th century, in Europe, with an intense plot that keeps you engaged, a passionate romance that unfolds, and where you also learn little tidbits and trivia about life during that period of history.
Here are four (4) romance novel you should add to your reading list:
- A Rose in Winter - Set in 1792 England. Erienne Fleming's father forces her into an arranged marriage with the mysterious and disfigured Lord Saxton to settle his gambling debts. It's almost like a beauty and the beast tale. She begin to see the gentle side of her husband and is drawn to him, although she's never seen him in the daylight. But Erienne also meets Christopher Seton, a handsome American, and is attracted to him. Can she be in love with another man and betray her husband? She feels strongly toward both of them. But which one does she truly love?
- Shanna - Shanna Trahern, makes a desperate attempt to avoid an arranged marriage by contracting a marriage with Ruark Beauchamp, a condemned prisoner, facing the gallows. She reasons she’ll be a widow in a short time, and her father can not easily marry her off. As a widow, she has a certain liberty. However, Ruark does not die. He manages to escape and decides to find Shanna and claim her as his wife. She is legally his wife.
- Skye O'Malley - Skye O'Malley, is a beautiful and strong-willed Irish heiress, who is forced into a marriage with a brutish lout. On her wedding night, the lord claims the droit du seigneur ('right of the lord'), meaning he can be the first to bed the virgin. The lord wanted to do more than bed her, he wanted her for his own. But Skye's life is filled with dramatic twists and turns. She encounters several lovers. At the beginning of the novel, she was a young innocent teenager. By the end of the novel, she was 28 years old and had lived quite an adventurous life, pirates and all!
- The Velvet Promise - Set in 1502 England. A marriage is arranged between Judith Revedoune, a noblewoman, and Gavin Montgomery, a powerful and handsome lord. Their relationship does not get off to a good start, but once they worked through their misunderstandings, they fall in love. Finding their path to happiness is not easy, but once Judith and Gavin learn to trust and love each other, they develop a heartfelt and enduring romance.
(Book cover images found on Good Reads)
