Tag: best romance novels

ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, [amazon_link id="B077LLJ1XN" target="_blank" ]The Chamber of Curiosities[/amazon_link] is now available on Amazon. Be the first to read and review the novel, set in an ancient carnival. The gothic tale  features a a sensuous older woman/ younger man romance.

More about author Anastasia Blackwell at www.anastasiablackwell.com.

In [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] heroine Alexandra Brighton is obsessed with charismatic Ramey Sandeley, a man she met in her early thirties, who is now, as is she, in his forties. However, it is young French artist Andre Labat, a man twenty years her junior, who teaches her about the fragile nature of love and trust, and guides her to bare her darkest secrets and desires. Another character, Luna, is well into her sixties and uses her sex appeal to allure men of all ages.

It is natural for mature women to be drawn to younger men, as they provide greater reproductive prowess, progressive knowledge, and more vibrant protective mechanisms. Society finds derogatory names for women who dare enter into these unions as there is fear by older men that they will be left alone, abandoned for young bucks biting at their heals.

Following are 75 novels featuring mature woman and younger men. Many feature minor age differences. But, I am including these unions, as the romance community (many thanks to Amazon) feel representations of age and status difference are considered unique in context of their cultural history. The list is in no particular order.

Renaissance

1. [amazon_link id="0884110737" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Return to Night [/amazon_link]by Mary Renault - 11 years difference

2.[amazon_link id="0553578669" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] To Please a Lady[/amazon_link] by Susan Johnson - spinster fights against being wooed to marriage

Georgian

3. [amazon_link id="0440245680" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] Outlander[/amazon_link] by Diana Gabaldon (7/91) -- Time Travel -- Claire is older than Jamie.

4. [amazon_link id="0425238792" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Pleasure Me [/amazon_link]by Monica Burns - courtesan is 12 years older that 29 year old lord

Traditional Regency

5. [amazon_link id="0425238792" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Promise of Spring[/amazon_link] by Mary Balogh - h is 10 years older and serious demeanor - mismatched love

6. [amazon_link id="0451199758" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Ramshackle Suitor[/amazon_link] by Nancy Butler

7. [amazon_link id="B000EAC7M0" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Bishop's Daughter [/amazon_link]by Susan Carroll

8. [amazon_link id="0312206453" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Dower House [/amazon_link]by Carola Dunn - story of house for widows and young girl looking for new life 

10. [amazon_link id="0451180941" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]An Immodest Proposal[/amazon_link] by Patricia Oliver - 5 years younger, less educated, charming

12.[amazon_link id="0786250852" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] The Bumblebroth[/amazon_link] by Patricia Wynn -Widow is drawn to the man she chose to wed her daugher

Regency

13. [amazon_link id="0759259402" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]To Wed a Viscount[/amazon_link] by Adrienne Basso - Widow sets out to marry deceased fiancee's younger brother to save house

14.[amazon_link id="0451203801" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] Anthology: In Praise of Younger Men [/amazon_link] by Jo Beverley, Cathy Maxwell, Jaclyn Reding - stories feature mature women with younger men

15. [amazon_link id="0758214758" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Stranger I Married[/amazon_link] by Sylvia Day - widow's MOC turns passionate when husband returns from exile

16. [amazon_link id="006173408X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Talent for Sin[/amazon_link] by Lavinia Kent  - three times a widow with man in early 20's

17. [amazon_link id="0380802325" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Suddenly You [/amazon_link]by Lisa Kleypas (6/01) -30 year old finds love with 25 year old

18. [amazon_link id="B00T253YOI" target="_blank" ]Victor[/amazon_link] by Julia Templeton -Erotica - widow is 38, hero is 10 years younger.

19.[amazon_link id="B007SNE16G" target="_blank" ]The Duchess' Lover[/amazon_link] by Julie Beard - heroine is 40, hero is in late 20's

20. [amazon_link id="B00338QEQU" target="_blank" ]Sleeping Beauty[/amazon_link] by Judith Ivory - Courtesan is 8 years older

21. [amazon_link id="B007011984" target="_blank" ]Rebel Baron[/amazon_link] by Shirl Henke  -h 36 - H 30

22.[amazon_link id="B0036S4DWE" target="_blank" ]Brazen[/amazon_link] by Susan Johnson - h is thirty-five with children and as experienced as younger lover

Frontier - Western - Americana

23.  [amazon_link id="B00LYGR9OY" target="_blank" ]Tiger Lil [/amazon_link]by Ellen Archer  Victorian -

24. [amazon_link id="0451407393" target="_blank" ]Summer Fancy[/amazon_link] by Anne Avery - 1895 Colorado - tall, plain women finds love with young farmer

25. [amazon_link id="0843940379" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Spirit Path [/amazon_link]by Madeline Baker 1872  -Hawk 25 and Maggie 32

26. [amazon_link id="0821778153" target="_blank" ]Loving Mercy (Zebra Debut)[/amazon_link] by Teresa Bodwell 1860s Kansas and Colorado

27. [amazon_link id="0812544676" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Randolph Legacy[/amazon_link] by Eileen Charbonneau - 1810s Virginia Post-American Revolution - 9 years difference

28. [amazon_link id="0671744585" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Anthology: The Invitation by Jude Deveraux [/amazon_link]1920/1930s

29. [amazon_link id="B00303JS66" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Rainbow Season[/amazon_link] by Lisa Gregory

30.[amazon_link id="0515117609" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] Last Chance [/amazon_link]by Jill Marie Landis - 1894 Montana

31. [amazon_link id="0553761951" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Courting Miss Hattie[/amazon_link],  Wild Oats, and Simply Jess by Pamela Morsi

32. [amazon_link id="0345447174" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Midnight Confessions[/amazon_link] by Candice Proctor [New Orleans, Civil War] - Widow  is 30 and 5 years older than yankee marshall, who is 25 years.

33. [amazon_link id="0446602493" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]From Fields of Gold [/amazon_link]by Alexandra Ripley (11/94) -- 1900s-1910s - woman is nearly 30 when barely 20-year-old agrees to marry her.

34. [amazon_link id="0373294670" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Christmas Day Family[/amazon_link] by Cheryl St. John - (A) A Western Winter Wonderland - Marvel Anne is 33 and Dr. Seth Paxton 26.

35. [amazon_link id="0425243435" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Tender Texan[/amazon_link] by Jodi Thomas -German widow needs husband to claim land in new world - offers $100 to man to marry for one year - the taker is a boyish lad, but also a seasoned gunslinger

Historical Fiction - Historical Mystery

36.  [amazon_link id="0449219615" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Farrier's Lane[/amazon_link]The Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Mystery Series - Late Victorian England - Charlotte's mother, 53-55 ,meets her longtime lover, Joshua, 40, in this book.

Contemporary - Romantic Suspense

37. [amazon_link id="031238565X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Last Time I Saw Paris[/amazon_link] by Elizabeth Adler. When her surgeon husband tells her there's another woman, Lara Lewis, 40-something, decides to invite a much younger man to go with her on a trip to Paris she had planned for she and her husband as they retraced their honeymoon.

38.  [amazon_link id="B0030CML1Q" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Convincing Silvia[/amazon_link] By Erin Aislinn - Silvia is 46 and Andy is 35. e-book short story.

39. [amazon_link id="096574373X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Night Magic[/amazon_link] by Charlotte Vale Allen ( The secondary character Kitty is 10 years older than Hal. Kitty is/was the housekeeper/nanny for Marissa and Hal is Erik's personal assistant.

40. [amazon_link id="B003370JA8" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Man in the Black Leather Mask [/amazon_link]by Evangeline Anderson - Erotica  - Attorneys Jacqueline (Jax) Emerson and Ryan Cutler: 10 yrs difference.

41. [amazon_link id="0786226188" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Garden of Scandal[/amazon_link] by Jennifer Blake - Beautiful recluse Laurel Bancroft hires Alec Stanton, more than 10 years younger, intelligent, talented and passionate, to help her redesign her garden.

42. [amazon_link id="1931696578" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Enchanted Cottage [/amazon_link]by Linda Bleser - Liz Riley discovers an enchanted cottage where time stands still. She wakes up to find her youth restored, and her passions ignited by the owner of the cottage - a man she believes is young enough to be her son.

43. [amazon_link id="0061092096" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Love in Another Town [/amazon_link]by Barbara Taylor Bradford- h is 15 years older

44. [amazon_link id="0440243653" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Ladies' Man [/amazon_link]by Suzanne Brockmann - almost 10 year difference.

45. [amazon_link id="0804119538" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Defiant Hero[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="0804119724" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Into the Night[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="0804119716" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Out of Control[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="0425240517" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Breaking Point,[/amazon_link] Trouble Shooters Series -by Suzanne Brockmann -Navy seals - multiple character story lines

46. [amazon_link id="B002MXYLGW" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]What You Won't Do For Love[/amazon_link] by Wendy Coakley-Thompson -Disillusioned Chaney Braxton 36-years-old, meets 28-year-old "tadpole" half black, half Korean veterinarian Devin Rhym, who may be young, but he's got an old soul.

47. [amazon_link id="B0042P57WA" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Object of Love [/amazon_link]by Sharon Cullars - Interracial - Sean Logan, 21-year-old white male, and Lacey Burnham, 42-year-old black mother of his deceased, but ghostly and angry, ex-best friend, Calvin.

48. [amazon_link id="0380784920" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Last True Cowboy[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="0380803097" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]What the Heart Knows[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="B000C4SM4U" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Night Falls Like Silk[/amazon_link], by Kathleen Eagle by Kathleen Eagle.

49. [amazon_link id="0446541923" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Bound to Please[/amazon_link] by Lilli Feisty -Erotica - Ruby Scott, event planner is 37, Mark St. Crow is 29 and plays the piano, rock star.

50. [amazon_link id="0345499719" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Reunion[/amazon_link] by Therese Fowler - Lue Reynolds is 9 years older than Julian Forrester.

51. [amazon_link id="1551664968" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Confession[/amazon_link] by Elizabeth Gage - an unhappy and betrayed wife falls for the young fiance of her only child.

53. [amazon_link id="031298104X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Under the Wire[/amazon_link] by Cindy Gerard -h 10 years older than h 40s/30s. She was his first and only true love and when she left seventeen years ago, she took more than his heart.

54. [amazon_link id="B0006NI3EQ" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Price[/amazon_link] by Joan Johnston - Secondary Romance - she is 53, he is 35

55. [amazon_link id="1583147748" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Love Becomes Her[/amazon_link] by Donna Hill -  he is a basketball millionaire more than half h's age

56. [amazon_link id="0786292261" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Leaving Normal [/amazon_link]by Stef Ann Holm - 9 years difference - Hispanic Hero

57. [amazon_link id="0505523418" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Romeo and Julia [/amazon_link]by Annie Kimberlin - 10 years.

58. [amazon_link id="1410401812" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Fallen From Grace [/amazon_link]by Laura Leone - h is 35 and author of a medieval mystery series, H is 26 and a male prostitute.

59. [amazon_link id="0821750453" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Call it Paradise[/amazon_link]by Mary Jane Lloyd - successful advertising consultant has prominent attorney,as a lover. She meets younger owner of ad agency and their attraction intensifies.

60. [amazon_link id="B000IOEYE6" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Minor Indiscretion [/amazon_link]by Carole Matthews -  38-year-old wife and mother of three has an affair with a gorgeous street artist 15 years her junior

61. [amazon_link id="0380711966" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Tim[/amazon_link] by Colleen McCullough - Mary is a 40-something unremarkable spinster, while Tim is 25-year-old mentally retarded young man who looks like a Greek god.

62. [amazon_link id="0449005275" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Dancing at the Harvest Moon [/amazon_link]by K.C. McKinnon

63. [amazon_link id="1590889355" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Rhythm Divine [/amazon_link]by Judy Mays - 13 years

64. [amazon_link id="0821776851" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]She'll Never Know [/amazon_link] - by Hunter Morgan -A victim of amnesia handsome lifeguard 10 years her junior. And then the first memory flashes return.

65. [amazon_link id="0821761269" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Bewitched[/amazon_link] by Constance O'Day-Flannery - Successful career woman falls in love with a lawyer from turn-of-the-century America. He is younger and angry for being jettisoned a hundred years forward in time.

66. [amazon_link id="B000LP66SO" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Flirting With Forty[/amazon_link] by Jane Porter - divorced mother of two vacations in Hawaii for 40th birthday. Depressed with flabby middle-aged prospects poolside, she finds herself drawn to a younger, tanned and sexy surf instructor.

67. [amazon_link id="0440208297" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]One Summer [/amazon_link]by Karen Robards - a Kentucky school teacher takes a former student under her wing after he is paroled from prison for a crime she does not believe he committed. Their love causes tongues to wag in the small town. Suspense.

68. [amazon_link id="0425239594" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Family Blessings[/amazon_link] by LaVyrle Spencer - a woman answers the front door to learn her son has been killed. The person offering the news is a police officer and also her son's best friend. The young man becomes a surrogate sibling to her to other children and a friend to her. Gradually their love turns to passion and when he proposes she must confront the judgments of others.

69. [amazon_link id="0727890212" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Anything For Love[/amazon_link] by Janelle Taylor - Widow is 47; hero is much younger ex-football star

70. [amazon_link id="0778329593" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Snowfall at Willow Lake[/amazon_link] by Susan Wiggs  - veterinarian is ten years younger than international lawyer.

71. [amazon_link id="037377138X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Anyone but You [/amazon_link]by Jennifer Crusie - light, funny playful - Woman turning 40 looks forward to new life away from stuffy ex husband and suburbs. New life in her own aparment in city brings the "puppy" she desires, and a gorgeous 10 yrs younger E.R. doc sends her hormones raging.

72. [amazon_link id="1934912239" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Meandar Scar[/amazon_link] by Lisa Lickel - woman's husband disappeared 7 years ago. A neighbor, nearly young enough to be her son, returns from law school and helps her with paper work to declare husband dead. Story follows process of loss, grieving, and the transformative power of love, as well as the hurdles a mature woman/younger man relationship can face.

73. [amazon_link id="143270205X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Naked in the Rain[/amazon_link] by Debra Marhowitz -43 year old woman picks up 23 year old stud in bar and takes him home for the night. They become fast friends and she provides him motivation and direction while he helps her come to terms with ghosts of past. Sexy, omance, suspense, pathos.

Alternate World - Science Fiction - Fantasy - Futuristic - Vampire - Paranormal

71. [amazon_link id="0765336065" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Primary Inversion[/amazon_link] by Catherine Asaro

72. [amazon_link id="B00006RGIC" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Ritual of Proof[/amazon_link] by Dara Joy

73. [amazon_link id="0505524996" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Alternate World  - [/amazon_link]by Susan Grant

75. [amazon_link id="B0042P57WA" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Object of Love[/amazon_link] by Sharon Cullars

A mature woman with a younger man is the perfect match.

.

ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, The Chamber of Curiosities is NOW AVAILABLE.  Be the first to read, review, and start discussions on forums. The seductive tale, set in a carnival in an ancient land, features a host of characters with intense love obsessions who experience jealousy and rage at loss of control over beloved.

Ramey Sandeley from [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] experiences his first taste of jealousy when Alexandra Brighton and her son Samuel visit the summer home he shares with his wife Ruth and five young children. Ramey has never heard the word "No" and is not accustomed to being turned down or having romantic feelings towards anyone. He views his business and personal life as a series of conquests, and is always the winner.

His first taste of the bitter drug of jealousy comes on the day Alexandra spends a long afternoon in the arms of seductive young French artist Andre Labat. His confrontation following her liaison illuminates  untapped feelings and reveals a darker, cruel side. Ultimately, jealousy is the agent of transformation and catharsis for both Alexandra and Ramey and sets in motion a string of events with profound consequences.

Based on votes from romance forums the best jealous alpha males in romance literature are as follows (in no order of preference):

1. Jake from [amazon_link id="1476712042" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Beautiful Disaster[/amazon_link] by Jamie McGuire - hot book  fast on the rise

2. Dragos from [amazon_link id="B004Q7DQLS" target="_blank" ]Dragon Bound[/amazon_link]  by Thea Harrison

3. Seth from [amazon_link id="0758205635" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Out of Control[/amazon_link] by Shannon McKenna

4. Lachlain from [amazon_link id="1416509879" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Hunger Like No Other [/amazon_link](Immortals After Dark Series) by Kresly Cole

5. Jacques from [amazon_link id="0843956534" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Dark Desire [/amazon_link](Carpathian Series) by Christine Freehan

6. "Iceman" from [amazon_link id="0312939922" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Dangerous Games [/amazon_link]by Lora Leigh - erotic

7. Lord Ian from [amazon_link id="B004RKXHTK" target="_blank" ]The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie[/amazon_link] by Jennifer Ashly

8. Tristan from [amazon_link id="143890259X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Rose to the Fallen [/amazon_link]by April Bostic

9. Bones from [amazon_link id="0061783196" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Night Huntress Series [/amazon_link]by Jeaniene Frost

10. Raphael from [amazon_link id="B001RDCJBW" target="_blank" ]Guild Hunter Series[/amazon_link] by Nalini Singh

 ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, The Chamber of Curiosities is NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER. The e-book will be delivered to your Kindle on Sunday, May 14, 2017. Be the first to read, review, and start discussions on forums. In the epic love story, set in a carnival in an ancient land, forbidden love is a central theme, and taboos are broken by both hero and heroine, and a host of supporting characters.

In [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] Alexandra Brighton meets Ramey Sandeley months after they each have wed another. They both fall in love at first sight, but it is too late. Ramey's wife is pregnant with their first child, and Alexandra is impregnated that night by her husband. Years later, a world weary, Alexandra journeys to Black Lake to find resolution to the obsession that has kept her captive for years.  She is now single, but he is still married and the father of five children. In addition to the lure of infidelity, the taboo of incest, racial and age differences, and marital bisexuality are also explored.

Below are listed thirty favorite forbidden love romances. Thanks to Amazon romance community for their input.

1.[amazon_link id="1442419954" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] Forbidden [/amazon_link]by Tabith Suzanna - Soon to be released. The novel deals with brother/sister incest in a sensitive manner that is both illuminating and heart breaking

2. [amazon_link id="B002KE46IG" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Thorn Birds[/amazon_link] by Colleen McCullogh - a young priest's faith is tested when he falls in love with a and beautiful woman

3. [amazon_link id="1936594277" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Scarlet Letter [/amazon_link]  by Nathaniel Hawthorne - A Puritan woman has an affair and illegitamate child with priest that leads to her being tagged with the scarlet letter

4. [amazon_link id="B0042P57WA" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Object of Love[/amazon_link] by Sharon Cullars -  a woman's son dies and when his friend returns (now a handsome young man) she finds herself falling for him.

5. [amazon_link id="0553582216" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]By possession[/amazon_link] by Madeline Hunter - a master and his serf

6. [amazon_link id="1585712698" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Indigo Love Spectrum [/amazon_link] by different authors - publisher specializes in romance stories with African American women with white men.

7. [amazon_link id="0440206111" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Through a Dark Mist[/amazon_link]by Marsha Canham -Medieval tale - a young woman is set to be wed in an arranged marriage but falls in love with an outlaw en route

8. [amazon_link id="0425244946" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Surrender[/amazon_link] by Pamela Clare (Mackinnon Rangers Series) - Western -  Religious difference - protestant/catholic. Everyone warns them to stay away from each other, but to no avail

9. [amazon_link id="0425245810" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Untamed[/amazon_link] (Mackinnon Rangers Series) by Pamela Clare - H is a prisoner of war

10. [amazon_link id="0843951699" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Sweet Release[/amazon_link] by Pamela Clare - H is a criminal and h purchases him, trusts and believes in him

11.[amazon_link id="0263868117" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] Stranger[/amazon_link] by Elizabeth Lane - h a widowed mother and H a drifter. She isn't aware that he was with the group of men who killed her husband and tortured her years before

12. [amazon_link id="1419958291" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Lakota Love Song [/amazon_link]- and others, by Madeline Baker. Her novels focus on Native American men and white women

13. [amazon_link id="0743411978" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Fever[/amazon_link] by Katherine Sutcliffe - h is a young heiress of a plantation and H   poor overseer.

14. [amazon_link id="1461052149" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Star series[/amazon_link] by Patricia Potter - entire series features forbidden love

15. [amazon_link id="1599982099" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Bounty [/amazon_link]by Beth Williamson -  H is hired to capture h, then falls in love

16.[amazon_link id="1420108506" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] Diablo[/amazon_link] by Georgina Gentry - Western - h is a lady and H is a drifter/ gun for hire. H kidnaps h for revenge on her fiance, then  falls in love with her

17. [amazon_link id="0553562266" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Relentless[/amazon_link] by Patricia Potter - she's his captive, the daughter of the man he desires to revenge

18. [amazon_link id="B004D4Y61S" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Heat[/amazon_link] by Heather Killough Walden - h falls for her best friend's brother despite friend's insistence she keep away

19. [amazon_link id="0778329747" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Shelter Mountain[/amazon_link] by Robyn Carr -  H loves h but won't persue her because she's married

20. [amazon_link id="0451225716" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Star Bright [/amazon_link]by Catherine Anderson  h is married to an abusive man and H isn't sure if it's reasonable to act on his feelings

21. [amazon_link id="0373773781" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Heartless[/amazon_link] by Diane Palmer - h and H are step-siblings

22. [amazon_link id="0671795538" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Perfect[/amazon_link] by Judith McNaught - H is a criminal on the run from jail, wanted for murder and h falls for him

23. [amazon_link id="0345517784" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]No Chance[/amazon_link] by Christy Reece- h is very wealthy and H is very poor. Her father forbids them to marry, then when they do he destroys marriage. Eight years later they have a second chance at love.

24. [amazon_link id="0345517768" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Second Chance[/amazon_link] by Christy Reece - H is responsible for her husband's death and knows he should tell her, but gets involved nonetheless

25. [amazon_link id="0345505441" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Run to me[/amazon_link] by Christy Reece - h has amnesia and H knows he should walk away because they have a terrible past, but his love for her is too power to resist

26. [amazon_link id="0425217620" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Unlawful Contact [/amazon_link]by Pamela Clare - H escapes from prison and is wanted by the law and h helps him

27. [amazon_link id="B002QHATS8" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Stealing Midnight[/amazon_link] by Tracy MacNish - h is a strange, abused, and sheltered young woman who has an insane father. h saves H from her father. His feelings for her are marred by fact that she is so strange his family will likely never accept her

28. [amazon_link id="0380811073" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Worth Any Price[/amazon_link] by Lisa Kleypas - H is hired to bring h home to her fiance but instead marries her himself

29. [amazon_link id="B00D7SI6N0" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Last Highwayman [/amazon_link]by Katherine O'Neal - H is an outlaw bandit and h is a duchess. Their love is fierce, although circumstances conspire to keep them apart

30. [amazon_link id="0451406494" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Stealing Heaven[/amazon_link]by Jaclyn Reding - h's family will not allow her to be with H and attempt to marry her off to someone else

31. [amazon_link id="0373126336" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Wife by Contract, Mistress by Demand [/amazon_link]by Carole Mortimer - H is much older than the h and she's loved him since she was in her teens

32.[amazon_link id="1568654650" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Texas Destiny[/amazon_link] - h falls for brother of her fiance

33.[amazon_link id="B004DEPETQ" target="_blank" container="" container_class=""]Passion [/amazon_link](Fallen) by Lauren Kate - paranormal - YA - star crossed lovers over the centuries

34.[amazon_link id="B004LQ0FZO" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Heart of the West[/amazon_link] series by Maggie Brendan - h falls for husband's brother

35. [amazon_link id="B002T4J8VM" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]November of the Heart[/amazon_link] by LaVryle Spencer - H is rich, H poor

36.[amazon_link id="B000FCKKLW" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Secret Pearl[/amazon_link] by Mary Balogh - Regency - H is married, after night of paid love he asks h to work in home

37. [amazon_link id="B005ACL6CE" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]One Summer [/amazon_link]by Karen Robarbs - teacher and student - five years age difference - H paroled prison for murder of girlfriend, h believes him innocent

38. [amazon_link id="978-0425212899" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Grave Sight[/amazon_link] - paranormal that gradually unveils step sibling romance
Forbidden Love is so Sweet:

The Following is a list compiled by the Manchester Library, and so offers an English opinion (and they are masters of the genre) of the best written written romance novels in genre of contemporary gothic suspense,  romantic suspense, modern romantic thriller, historical romance, modern romantic suspense.

I will soon be compiling a list with an American perspective of what consititutes the best romance novels of all time.

Not listed in order of preference:

1. [amazon_link id="0312339666" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Sailing to Capri[/amazon_link]  An English tycoon dies mysteriously and leaves a note naming six people he suspects might have wanted him dead, by Elizabeth Adler.

2. [amazon_link id="1560540966" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Scarlet Thread[/amazon_link] A British nurse and an American soldier meet, fall in love, and secretly marry during the Second World War. Years after the events of war separate them, a chance meeting brings the couple together to consider their lost love, by Evelyn Anthony.

3. [amazon_link id="B002QVRCE8" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Tregaron's Daughter[/amazon_link] A young woman from a small English village finds romance and mystery when she embarks on a voyage to Venice, by Madeleine Brent.

4. [amazon_link id="B000GH2YPG" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Rebecca[/amazon_link]  Classic Gothic tale of love and deception, by Daphne du Maurier

5. [amazon_link id="B002QPB3JY" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Darkwater[/amazon_link] Gothic romance with deep mystery and danger by Dorothy Eden

6. [amazon_link id="B000I762C0" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Property of a Gentleman[/amazon_link]  Set in England's Lake District, this novel revolves around the world of art and antiques, by Catherine Gaskin

7. [amazon_link id="0449240975" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Savannah Purchase[/amazon_link]  Savannah in the early 19th century is the setting for this novel of romance and intrigue, by Jane Aiken Hodge.

8. [amazon_link id="0385242999" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Silk Vendetta[/amazon_link] Historical romantic suspense set in 19th century England, by Victoria Holt

9. [amazon_link id="B000MN0CSA" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Shrouded Walls and the Dark Shore[/amazon_link]  Two spellbinding tales of romance, danger and death , by Susan Howatch

10.  [amazon_link id="0786235047" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]I Came to the Highlands[/amazon_link]  During the 1700s, with a heavy heart, a young woman leaves America and her true love to accompany her ill and destitute father to his family's castle in the Scottish Highlands. Unwelcome at the castle after her father's death, she is certain her life is in danger, by Velda Johnston

11. [amazon_link id="0816144036" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on the Left Bank[/amazon_link] In this late 19th century historical novel set in Paris, a young American woman faces many dangers as she seeks to solve a horrifying crime...a classic combination of Gothic romance and suspense. 

12. [amazon_link id="B000JI1QQK" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Shattered Silk[/amazon_link] The world of vintage couture is the setting for this suspenseful tale of romance and intrigue, by Barbara Michaels

13. [amazon_link id="006074748X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Airs Above the Ground[/amazon_link]. . .[amazon_link id="0345468988" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Stormy Petrol[/amazon_link] Mystery, danger and love await the reader of novels written by this classic romantic suspense author Mary Stewart

14. [amazon_link id="0449005119" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Turquoise Mask[/amazon_link] In this novel by a master of romantic suspense, a woman returns to New Mexico to uncover secrets surrounding her mother's death, by Phyllis Whitney

15. [amazon_link id="0312081561" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]China Silk[/amazon_link] Despite warnings, a young girl accepts a marriage proposal from a British government official stationed in colonial Hong Kong in the 1920s, by Anne Worboys

CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC SUSPENSE 

16. [amazon_link id="1416537775" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Hello Darkness[/amazon_link]. . . [amazon_link id="0743466764" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]White Hot[/amazon_link]. . .[amazon_link id="1416593527" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Chill Factor[/amazon_link] . . . [amazon_link id="1416523324" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Ricochet[/amazon_link]Popular author Sandra Brown delights fans with her fast-paced romantic thrillers.

17. [amazon_link id="0778323536" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Grave Mistake[/amazon_link]A novel of mystery, deceit and desire set in contemporary New Orleans, by Stella Cameron 

18. [amazon_link id="B004HMYA12" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Cove[/amazon_link]. . . [amazon_link id="B004HMRBEA" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Maze[/amazon_link]. . . [amazon_link id="B004HMWP2S" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Target[/amazon_link] Historical romance author Catherine Coulter delivers suspense and romance in her first three FBI thrillers.

19. [amazon_link id="0060727284" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Illusions[/amazon_link] The breathtaking mountains of Aspen, Colorado, form the backdrop for this romantic thriller by Janet Dailey

20. [amazon_link id="B0012V66BS" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Slow Burn, Murder List, Killjoy[/amazon_link]
An author known for her historical romances pleases her fans with novels of contemporary romantic suspense - Julie Garwood.

21. [amazon_link id="1414310552" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Danger in the Shadows[/amazon_link]In this novel with Christian fiction overtones, a woman in an FBI witness protection program faces danger when she finds herself falling in love.
 

22. [amazon_link id="B0039Q3FD6" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Prior Bad Acts[/amazon_link] Readers will find spine-chilling suspense and seductive romance in Tami Hoag's thrillers set in Minnesota. 

23. [amazon_link id="0553383841" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Haunting Rachel[/amazon_link] Gothic overtones mark this modern romantic thriller, by Kay Hooper

24. [amazon_link id="0743537521" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Open Season[/amazon_link]A small-town librarian, looking for a lover and trying to reinvent her boring life, faces danger when she becomes the target of a killer, by Linda Howard.

25. [amazon_link id="0515131741" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Lost and Found[/amazon_link]The world of art and antiques is the setting for Jayne Ann Krentz's novel of mystery and romance.

26. [amazon_link id="0060829834" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Wrong Hostage[/amazon_link]. . . [amazon_link id="0060504196" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Always Time to Die[/amazon_link] Elizabeth Lowell is an award-winning master of contemporary romantic suspense, and this duo is sure to please her many fans.

27.  [amazon_link id="0821763415" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]In The Dark[/amazon_link] A young woman is named sole beneficiary in her estranged aunt's will and then is suspected of murder when her aunt suddenly disappears. Can she trust the handsome investigator to whom she is is helplessly drawn?, by Meagan McKinney.

28. [amazon_link id="0446602485" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Night Train to Memphis[/amazon_link] More mystery than romance, this fifth installment in Elizabeth Peters' popular series features art professor, Vicky Bliss.

29. [amazon_link id="0440225043" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Midnight Hour[/amazon_link] . . . [amazon_link id="0671786601" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]To Trust a Stranger[/amazon_link] Fast-paced suspense with emphasis on romance, by Karen Robards

30. [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] An obsession with a charismatic man leads an American woman on a seductive and harrowing journey through the Montreal underground.

31. [amazon_link id="0515133973" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Midnight Bayou[/amazon_link]  A winning combination of romance and mystery in New Orleans, by Nora Roberts

32. [amazon_link id="0553264613" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Hot Ice[/amazon_link] Exotic Madagascar setting...hot passion... highly-charged suspense, by Nora Roberts. 

33. [amazon_link id="0778321541" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Expose[/amazon_link]. . . [amazon_link id="155166836X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Last Lover[/amazon_link] TV journalist Sally Harrington is featured in this contemporary romantic suspense series
by Connecticut author, Laura Van Wormer.

Courtesy of Manchester Public Library