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Sorry, my only rec is from about 110 years ago... fans of Downton Abbey would love this:
Amanda/Miranda by Richard Peck.
If you look for this, make sure you don't get the "young adult/abridged" version. (It's not racy but I guess there are some "mature" themes). I've re-read this book a number of times.
I can get into both as long as they're good so recommend away.
I should probably state that I like humans in my romance novels, so please no novels about vampires or other non-human creatures.
Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series defies categorization. It's mainly historical fiction with a time travel twist, but the characters are definitely human. There is a spin-off series and some short stories, too. The main series has seven big fat books, and the next is due later this year.
You really need to go to another site that's more romance oriented. I like All About Romance - For Romance Novel Lovers - the site is dedicated to romance books without the snark you'll often find in most sites. It has information about upcoming books, special title listing section that groups readers recommended books within certain themes, etc. I'm not affiliated to that site in any shape or form, just a fellow romance reader recommending one helpful site to another.
Regarding recommendation, I highly recommend Jennifer Donnelly's "The Tea Rose", set in 1888 East End London and New York. Here's the book blurb from Amazon:
Quote:
East London, 1888 - a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores, and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night, where bright hopes meet the darkest truths. Here, by the whispering waters of the Thames, Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, hopes to own a shop one day, together with her lifelong love, Joe Bristow, a costermonger's son. With nothing but their faith in each other to spur them on, Fiona and Joe struggle, save, and sacrifice to achieve their dreams.
But Fiona's life is shattered when the actions of a dark and brutal man take from her nearly everything-and everyone-she holds dear. Fearing her own death, she is forced to flee London for New York. There, her indomitable spirit propels her rise from a modest West Side shop-front to the top of Manhattan's tea trade. But Fiona's old ghosts do not rest quietly, and to silence them, she must venture back to the London of her childhood, where a deadly confrontation with her past becomes the key to her future.
I also just finished Kristan Higgins' new release, "The Best Man", and it was a really good read. It's set in contemporary NY state's finger lakes region. It's a funny but sometimes poignant story. Here's the book blurb from Amazon:
Quote:
Faith Holland left her hometown after being jilted at the altar. Now a little older and wiser, she's ready to return to the Blue Heron Winery, her family's vineyard, to confront the ghosts of her past, and maybe enjoy a glass of red. After all, there's some great scenery there….
Any of Kathleen Woodiwiss books are good bodess rippers. I enjoy Dorothea Benton Franks for good beach reading.
Kathleen Woodiwiss is one of my favorite historical romance authors. I like "Shanna" best. I've read it probably 3 times.
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