Book picks similar to
Chasing Down the Moon by Carla Baku


historical-fiction
china
historical
not-sure

The Devil Meets Lady Veronica Pebblesworth: A Novella


Tanya Wilde - 2016
    After all, he did just inform her to find a husband or be betrothed to the very ambitious—albeit wickedly handsome—hotel owner, Daniel Crane. What the breathtaking devil does not know, however, is that Veronica has already developed an elaborate plan to rid herself of his marriage minded intent. But as Veronica uses her tricks to remove Mr. Crane from her life, it’s hard to remember the reason she wished to do so in the first place. Maybe it’s his devilish smile, or the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her… but somehow Veronica’s thoughts has taken a different direction entirely! The only question is, how far will they both go to ensure their happy ever after.

Ruby McBride


Freda Lightfoot - 2002
    The grand opening of the Manchester Ship Canal is set to be a day of unfettered festivity for Ruby and her younger sister and brother. Even Queen Victoria will be in attendance.But the glories of the ceremony fade into insignificance when their dying mother delivers them to the imposing oak doors of Ignatius House. Abandoned in the not-so-tender care of the nuns, the siblings are soon separated.So when the Board of Guardians force Ruby into a marriage that sends her to a new home upon the Salford waterways, she makes only one vow: to reunite her family whatever the cost. This is an enthralling story of romance and rebellion perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin and Dilly Court. Praise for Ruby McBride ‘An inspiring novel about accepting change and bravely facing the future’ Bangor Chronicle‘Compelling and heart-wrenching’ Hull Daily Mail‘The kind of character-driven saga that delights the Catherine Cookson and Josephine Cox audience’ Peterborough Evening Telegraph‘This book deals with gritty, real-life situations and shows how the heroine’s strength of character triumphs through adversity’ 5* Reader review

The Landlocked Baron


Sahara Kelly - 2017
    But he has no choice other than to say farewell to the sea and accept the title of Baron Ridlington—which includes the almost-ruined estate, and his five resident siblings. He is going to need some help, and soon. It comes in the unexpected form of a nasty crack on the head, a ministering hand and a woman who has hidden herself away in the countryside. Rosaline Henry finds the unconscious Baron strangely appealing, and when he makes an unexpected but practical suggestion - she agrees, as much for him as for herself. Thus begins a voyage of discovery which takes them to new heights of familial creativity, private passion and risky adventure. The sea is in Edmund’s veins, so of course there are ships, spies, fogs and storms, not to mention flirtatious Hussars, a mustache of unsurpassed magnificence, a chicken with unusual preferences…and a fortuitous attack of mal-de-mer! Can Edmund take the helm of a different kind of ship and steer Ridlington back into the calmer waters of the countryside? Of course, but he needs the right woman’s hand on the wheel…

The Northern Lady


Anna Jacobs - 2010
    Brought up in the Northern town of Bardsley, she wants nothing to do with polite society.But Cassandra forms a close relationship with her gentle cousin Susannah, a victim of her mother's pushy, ambitious nature. Susannah, petrified of marrying the charming, wealthy Simeon Giffard, enlists Cassie's help. It is, after all, Cassie for whom Simeon holds a torch, and he appears set on winning the heart of this strong-willed Northern lady… From bestseller Anna Jacobs, this emotional historical saga is perfect for fans of Kitty Neale, Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin.

Tall Chimneys


Allie Cresswell - 2017
    Tall Chimneys is hidden in a damp and gloomy hollow. It is outmoded and inconvenient but Evelyn is determined to save it from the fate of so many stately homes at the time - abandonment or demolition. Occasional echoes of tumult in the wider world reach their sequestered backwater - the strident cries of political extremists, a furore of royal scandal, rumblings of the European war machine. But their isolated spot seems largely untouched. At times life is hard - little more than survival. At times it feels enchanted, almost outside of time itself. The woman and the house shore each other up - until love comes calling, threatening to pull them asunder. Her desertion will spell its demise, but saving Tall Chimneys could mean sacrificing her hope for happiness, even sacrificing herself. A century later, a distant relative crosses the globe to find the house of his ancestors. What he finds in the strange depression of the moor could change the course of his life forever. One woman, one house, one hundred years.

The Falcon's Rise: A novel of Anne Boleyn


Natalia Richards - 2019
    Thomas secures a place for Anne’s sister, Mary, at the prestigious court of Margaret of Austria, but fate has other plans, and Anne ends up taking her place.At thirteen, Anne yearns for adventure. However, unused to curbing her outspoken tongue and youthful curiosity, she discovers that life at Margaret’s court is not quite how she’d imagined. Experiencing love, loss, jealousy and fear, she soon realises that her future happiness lies in her own hands - and that she must shape her own destiny... The Falcon’s Rise is the first part of a two-part series, beginning the journey with the young Anne Boleyn growing into the woman who captured the heart of a king. Author Interview How did you first become interested in Anne Boleyn? I was always passionate about the history of England, and I first became interested in Anne Boleyn by reading the Tudor books my mother brought from the library. They were always about the six wives of King Henry VIII, but it was Anne Boleyn that captured my imagination when I read ’The King’s Secret Matter,’ by Jean Plaidy’. I was probably about 13 at the time. At the same age, I watched ‘Anne of a Thousand Days’ at the cinema and that was it. I was hooked for life. Of course, in those days, it was Geneviève Bujold, rather than Natalie Dormer in The Tudors, playing Anne. Did you uncover any interesting Tudor facts in your research? It was interesting finding out about people I knew nothing about such as Margaret of Austria and the Emperor. Is there one character in your historical novel that you particularly found interesting? It has to be Margaret of Austria. I knew nothing of her before I started my research, but she comes across as a delightful woman who despite her sorrows, was charming and amusing. I often read her poetry and truly like her. I’m also interested in Charles Brandon, admiring his ability to survive his secret marriage to the king’s sister and escape the Tower of London! What period of Anne Boleyn's life does this fictional history story cover? The book starts in 1497 and ends in 1514. However, I have set Anne's birth in May 1500. What is interesting is that she was born during the reign of the old King Henry VII - founder of the Tudor dynasty - and nine years before his son, Henry, ascended the throne. It had different fashions to how we imagine the later Tudor ones. I think the life-size models of Anne and her nurse in the gallery at Hever Castle illustrate this well. They are still in the medieval style. Is there a more in-depth interview with you and how you researched your books? Yes, its on TheAnneBoleynFiles website, just search for my name - Natalia Richards Any other thoughts? Looking at portraits of Anne Boleyn as a young woman, it is sad to think about the tragic end she came to. But it is not the end of her life that fascinates me, it is the beginning and the many questions it raises. What made her the woman she later became? Why did she attract Henry VIII in the first place and why write about Anne when she has been written about so extensively?

Lone Star Rising


Elmer Kelton - 2003
    In the throes of the War Between the States, Rusty joins the Rangers and searches for the renegades who killed his adoptive father.In Badger Boy, the Rangers are disbanded and Rusty returns to his home on the Red River only to discover that the girl he loves has married another. In a time of personal turmoil as well as the post-war uphheaval in Texas, Rusty's childhood returns to haunt him as he rescues Andy Pickard, called Badger Boy by his Comanche captors.Andy and Rusty ride together in the newly reformed Rangers in The Way of the Coyote, in a time when Texas is overrun with outlaws, Confederate raiders, Ku Klux Klansmen, and marauding Comanches.

Thieves' Honor


Jamaila Brinkley - 2016
    But he’s always hidden in his library, too shy to emerge into society from the shadow of his larger-than-life friends and family. When he’s asked to investigate a crime, he seizes the chance to prove that he’s as cunning and brave as anybody. But he’s quickly out of his depth in London’s underground; especially when he’s confronted with the prettiest thief he’s ever seen. Em Stackpole lives an in-between life; she grew up on the streets, but preys on the Ton by using her skills at illusion to fit in among them at elegant Mayfair events. When Lord Westfield asks for her help finding a missing jewel, she strikes a bargain: she’ll help him learn to think like a criminal if he’ll teach her the magic she needs to get off the streets for good. Falling in love was never part of the deal. But as Em and Thomas navigate magic, Mayfair, and Thomas’ charmingly interfering family, she’ll discover secrets she never knew she had, and the wizard and the thief will have to decide if they can ever be more than just partners-in-crime.

Out of Time


Deborah Truscott - 2011
    Then her uncle dies, leaving her the family’s Revolutionary-era home and, she believes, an escape from her chaotic marriage. But one afternoon, while searching for a rake, she discovers a man in her garden shed — and a free fall through the centuries. As her life spins wildly out of control, Kathleen finds her heart and in the process, her own place in time.

The Defiant Bride


Leslie Hachtel - 2015
    Praying the king will not retaliate against her father, she seeks refuge in the forest and learns to fend for herself. When William, a warrior knight, is felled by an arrow, she saves his life and arranges his rescue before fleeing to avoid discovery.William awakes from his injury to be told he imagined the beautiful woman in the forest. Besotted and determined to make her his own, he hunts her down and tricks her into marrying him, intent on turning her defiance into love. But even as he begins to succeed, their enemies join forces to end the marriage—even if it means that Dariana must die.When Dariana is abducted, William must track her down to fight for her life and their happiness. And, Dariana, once the most defiant of brides, must channel her own strength of will into survival, both for herself—and for the child she now carries.

The Transformation of the Bashful Lady


Fanny Finch - 2020
    Neglected by her mother after her father’s death, she lacks the knowledge of social etiquette and proper appearances. But her life will change when she receives proper tutelage from a strange lady.Andrew Clayton, the Marquess of Somerset, is a sworn bachelor, as he had his heart broken once already. But when he witnesses the transformation of a timid girl into a dazzling woman, his views on marriage will fly out of the window.But Sarah is not the only one trying to win Andrew’s heart and her rival will use everything in her arsenal to eliminate the competition…*If you like engaging characters, heart- wrenching twists and turns, and lots of romance, then you’ll love “The Transformation of the Bashful Lady”!

Ensnare


Leah Moyes - 2021
    One chance to escape. Who will pay the price? 13 August 1961.Nationale Volksarmee soldiers roll barbed wire across a war-torn city—families are separated, livelihoods destroyed, and death comes easily as crippling fear paralyzes the occupants of both sides of the Berlin Wall. In one fate driven moment, Fifteen-year-old Ella Kühn must make the agonizing decision to remain with her dying father or flee with her brother and best friend to the West.Caught in the crossfire of duty and survival, Ella’s enforced occupation exposes her to the evil workings of the secret police and the deadly plans of a destructive regime. Torn between loyalty and temptation, she seeks comfort in the belief she will be reunited with one man, while another challenges her heart.Will Ella risk her life for freedom? Or will her restless soul find comfort in the shadows of East Berlin?Ensnare, the first book in the "Berlin Butterfly" series, is a story of life, love, survival, and the struggle of living through the early years of the Berlin Wall. Readers will be captivated with Ella's strength, determination, and vulnerability as she opens her heart amidst a dangerous and terrifying journey.Fans of Historical and German war fiction will love this extraordinary twentieth-century political drama.

Spit of a Minute


Linda Dickson - 2013
    Her aging parents have already slipped into a great depression of their own. Her brothers named her 'Queenie' and it stuck. Queenie steps from the barn to welcome a man from a neighboring farm. A frustrated man drunk on corn liquor and rage.Three children, an alcoholic husband and a monkey later, she's living in the city and struggling to keep a clean house and beans on the stove when the "Eye-talian" pilot from New York City asks her opinion on fryer hens in the grocery. He's smooth. He takes her to places with white table cloths.World War II deploys the pilot to Europe and Queenie to the Big Apple. Survival on the streets of NYC for Queenie and her baby girl, Abba Gee, is a war story of another kind. Queenie makes decisions without options. Her's is a story of what can happen to any of us if we are not paying attention."Told from a Southern point of view, funny, sad, and partially true. Queenie is the grandmother I did not know. A lifetime of rumors and over heard gossip painted this character. Others speak of grandmothers who smelled of talcum powder and passed on receipes while Queenie's legacy echos stories of grit and how life can change in the Spit of a Minute.""Dickson's language is palpably evocative of the period--you could vividly imagine the scenes in sepia, peopled by those long-ago characters that now only exist as memory.""Dickson writes with a relaxed, leisurely cadence with confidence in her own literary powers. She effectively simulates the feel and mood of the South, as well as the hustle and bustle of the city--something about the writing, not the plot, that reminds me so much of Harper Lee's classic `To Kill a Mockingbird.'"Dickson's compelling narrative subtly shifts in tone and texture according to the changes in time, and this is one of the qualities in her writing that makes me hope she actually writes more, and soon."

The Salt Covenants


Sylvia Bambola - 2015
    But when she is noticed by Friar Alonso at La Casa Santa, the Holy House, she is forced to flee the Inquisition by entering into a loveless marriage and sailing with Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World. But all too soon Isabel is forced to struggle alone in her new life and new faith. With all the risks and hardships how is she to survive? And will she ever find love in this strange land? And what of the dangerous Enrique Vivar? Will his hidden agenda cost her her life?