Book picks similar to
Valentina by Fern Michaels


historical-romance
bodice-ripper
romance
fern-michaels

Silent Honor


Danielle Steel - 1996
    history: the internment of Japanese-Americans during WW II. In 1941, 18-year-old Hiroko Takashimaya, the beautiful, painfully shy daughter of a modern-thinking professor and a tradition-bound mother, is sent from her home in Kyoto to live in California with her American cousins and attend a prestigious women's college. Terribly homesick yet determined to make her parents proud, dutiful Hiroko begins to adjust to her new life and even does the unthinkable when she falls in love with Peter Jenkins, a handsome American professor. The joys of Peter's love painfully contrast with the humiliation Hiroko suffers at the hands of her racially prejudiced school mates, but worse is to come when war breaks out and Hiroko and her cousins are sent to segregated camps. Separated from Peter, now a soldier fighting in Europe, Hiroko sheds her sheltered, girlhood innocence and evolves into a strong, independent woman. Steel's slapdash prose and stereotypical characterization produce a formulaic tale, albeit more earnest and didactic than her usual fare, but she does succeed in telling a poignant story.

Pure and Untouched


Barbara Cartland - 1981
    He looked for Anoushka, but at first he could not see her. Then he realised she was beside him in the bed, sound asleep.For the moment he was astonished. Then he realised there was nowhere else she could have slept, except on a hard wooden chair, and because the bed was large, there was quite a gap between them.The Duke turned over cautiously and looked at her. Her eyelashes were dark against her cheeks, her hair was tumbled over the pillow.Then because he could not help himself, because everything seemed far away in another world, he raised himself towards her.

Fires of Destiny


Linda Barlow - 1986
    Ten years as a sellsword and pirate have transformed Roger into a darkly handsome but enigmatic stranger. His sudden return to his father's castle causes a passionate uproar in the bookish and otherwise sensible Alix.Dangerous to know...Surprised by his unlikely desire for his childhood friend, Roger is determined to encase his heart in ice. Haunted by his past and trapped in a lethal web of intrigue, he fears entangling Alix in a plot that could doom them both to a traitor's death.But destiny has set them on colliding paths, and Roger can no more resist the fire in Alix than she can turn away from his increasingly ardent touch.New, revised edition of a classic, award-winning romance.When the original version was published in 1986, Linda Barlow received the Romantic Times award as New Historical Romance Author of the Year. Fires of Destiny was also a finalist for the Rita Award from Romance Writers of America.This special new edition has been revised and edited by the author, but her beloved characters and their sensuous, suspenseful adventures remain the same.Accolades"Linda Barlow's sexy, suspenseful page-turners are pure pleasure to read." Susan Elizabeth Phillips.Jayne Ann Krentz describes Linda as "a wonderful story-teller. She grabs you on the first page and plunges you straight into the tumultuous lives of her fascinating characters.”Catherine Coulter called Fires of Destiny "a bold and clever tapestry, provocative and seductive."Romantic Times said in their 1986 review: "Weaving together a strong historical background, an intriguing mystery subplot, along with a touch of mysticism, Ms. Barlow crafts a marvelously textured novel that mesmerizes the reader on every level. The timeless magic of this outstanding romance will guarantee recognition of Linda Barlow as a powerful writer with the talent to surpass all genre boundaries."

The Taming


Aleen Malcolm - 1979
    With the pure, unspoiled spirit of a child and the ripening womanhood of a temptress, she was an irresistible challenge to every man who met her....AS STRONG AND PROUD AS THE SCOTTISH COAST...was Alex -- the dashing son of a highland warrior; tormented by a tragic past, he had vowed to live only for today. Until that windswept night when the emerald-eyed, fiery-spirited Cameron charged into his world atop a rearing black stallion....Together they crossed the Scottish isle from the raw, sea-worn cliffs and endless moors to the lavish mirrored halls of Edinburgh's high society. Together they plunged toward the inevitable moment that would rule their lives forever -- and carry their hearts to the rapturous brink of...THE TAMINGThe immortal tale of a man and a woman who dared to share a dangerous love, a reckless destiny.

The Woman in the Moonlight


Patricia Morrisroe - 2020
    Countess Julie Guicciardi’s life is about to change forever. The spirited eighteen-year-old is taking piano lessons with Ludwig van Beethoven, the most talented piano virtuoso in the musical capital of Europe. She is captivated by his volatile genius, while he is drawn to her curiosity and disarming candor. Between them, a unique romance. But Beethoven has a secret he’s yet to share, and Julie is harboring a secret of her own, one so scandalous it could destroy their perfect love story.When Beethoven discovers the truth, he sets his emotions to music, composing a mournful opus that will become the Moonlight Sonata. The haunting refrain will follow Julie for the rest of her life.Set against the rich backdrop of nineteenth-century Vienna, The Woman in the Moonlight is an exhilarating ode to eternal passion. An epic tale of love, loss, rivalry, and political intrigue. A stirring portrait of a titan who wrestled with the gods and a woman who defied convention to inspire him.

My Lady InnKeeper


Barbara Metzger - 1985
    Lord Cheyne was a man on the same mission. And soon, he and Lyndell were of the same mind! Regency romance.