Book picks similar to
Cherish the Dream by Jodi Thomas


romance
historical
western
historical-romance

Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I


Hazel Gaynor - 2017
    England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris.But as history tells us, it all happened so differently…Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how?—and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father’s newspaper business. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene?Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him…

The Tea Planter's Bride


Rosemary Rogers - 1995
    To one she is promised -- a man of wealth and power and property. Yet another will own her heart.He is Grant Hamilton, a daring and unpredictable American rogue who senses a kindred spirit in the stunning, copper-eyed beauty whom he has agreed to escort through London's social whirl. Yet Grant is determined to resist his own secret yearnings for the exuisite enchantress. For there isdanger in a love that can know no bounds -- and in a passion that could only lead to shattering ruin...or ecstasy.

A Dangerous Man


Connie Brockway - 1996
    Mercy Coltrane, a brash young American woman, travels to England to search for her estranged brother.  Strident in her quest, she seeks out the help of Hart Moreland, whom she knew years ago as Duke the Gunslinger, the hired gun her father enlisted to protect his land.  Now Earl of Perth, Hart is back in his native England in a hard-earned position of respect and power, and the last thing he wants is a reminder of his dishonorable past.  But Mercy Coltrane proves to be much more than just a painful reminder of the life he left behind.  Vibrant, beautiful, and witty, Mercy embodies the life of happiness that Hart desperately craves.  Connie Brockway is an author who understands the underlying fantasy of romance and dazzles readers with her emotional perception of love.  She writes with keen intelligence about the most important desires of the human heart.

Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War


Heather WebbMarci Jefferson - 2016
    . .November 11, 1918. After four long, dark years of fighting, the Great War ends at last, and the world is forever changed. For soldiers, loved ones, and survivors, the years ahead stretch with new promise, even as their hearts are marked by all those who have been lost.As families come back together, lovers reunite, and strangers take solace in each other, everyone has a story to tell.In this moving, unforgettable collection, nine top historical fiction authors share stories of love, strength, and renewal as hope takes root in a fall of poppies.Featuring:Jessica BrockmoleHazel GaynorEvangeline HollandMarci JeffersonKate KerriganJennifer RobsonHeather WebbBeatriz WilliamsLauren Willig

You Belong to My Heart


Nan Ryan - 1996
    His ran dirt poor and red. That didn't matter to them. But it did to those whose devious trap destroyed their young love.From Innocence to EcstasyAs the Civil War raged, a different kind of war exploded in Mary Ellen Preble's mansion on the Mississippi. Captain Clay Knight had returned, seizing her home as Union headquarters, captivating her body with a fire unquenched by time. How long could she fight the ecstasy of loving this cold-hearted, hot-blooded man who wanted her back in his bed...but never back in his heart?

Royal Bride


Joan Wolf - 2001
    His next challenge is to find an English wife with the political connections he needs to keep his country safe. When the object of his pursuit runs off with his cousin, Augustus turns to the woman's younger sister, Charity Beaufort. Yet the strong-willed Charity is resistant to being a state pawn, even as duty demands her betrothal to the mysterious prince. Swept into a dazzling world of palaces and court intrigue, Charity suddenly finds herself awakening to new passions in her husband's arms. But for Charity this royal marriage of convenience will not be enough --- unless she can win her dazzling husband's heart and soul.

Tomorrow the Glory


Shannon Drake - 1988
    They live only for the promise of tomorrow --- and a love that will burn forever in both their hearts.

Captivated


Robin Schone - 1999
    A LADY'S PLEASURE by Robin SchoneSeeking shelter from a storm, Colonel Robert Coally intrudes on Abigail Wynfred while she is reading a book that would surely raise more than one eyebrow in London society. When the lonely Abigail confides in him that she aches for the touch of a man, Robert takes her on a breathless journey filled with sensual surprises surpassing even the most scandalous of fictional exploits.DARK DESIRES by Thea DevineDrue Caledon despises her new husband Courtland Summerville, the man she was forced to marry, and vows to remain loyal to her true love, Gerard Lenoir. But Court intends to make Drue his in body and spirit by introducing her to the pleasures of the flesh—tantalizing her until she has no choice but to surrender to his every desire.BOUND AND DETERMINED by Susan JohnsonThe Princess Marko has kidnapped Hugh Dalsany, Marquis of Crewe. Now Hugh finds himself her prisoner, shackled to a bedpost. But it isn't long before he becomes a very willing captive, succumbing to her expert skills in seduction.ECSTASY by Bertrice SmallDagon, Prince of Aramis, had been betrayed by his twin brother and sold into slavery. He vowed to escape his tortured life and seek revenge, until he was brought to Kava. Now Dagon is under the rapturous spell of the women who rule this kingdom and of its queen, the irresistible Kelida whose wickedly lascivious games leave him begging for more.

Scandal of the Black Rose


Debra Mullins - 2006
    But what they discover is forbidden passion and a dangerous desire.

Yesterday's Dawn


Theresa Scott - 1994
    But when it came to subduing one helpless female, he found himself at a distinct disadvantage. Never had he realized the power of beguiling green eyes, soft curves and berry-red lips to weaken a man’s resolve. He had claimed he would make the stolen woman his captive, but he soon learned he would never enjoy her alluring body unless he could first win her elusive heart.

No Angel


Penny Vincenzi - 2000
    Celia Lytton is the beautiful and strong-willed daughter of wealthy aristocrats and she is used to getting her way. She moves through life making difficult and often dangerous decisions that affect herself and others-her husband, Oliver, and their children; the destitute Sylvia Miller, whose life is transformed by Celia's intrusion; as well as Oliver's daunting elder sister, who is not all she appears to be; and Sebastian Brooke, for whom Celia makes the most dangerous decision of all. Set against the tumultuous backdrop of London and New York in the First World War, No Angel is, as British Good Housekeeping wrote, "an absorbing page-turner, packed with believable characters and satisfyingly extreme villains, eccentrics, and manipulators." Readers of Maeve Binchy, Barbara Taylor Bradford, and Anita Shreve will fall in love with this epic, un-put-downable novel.With more than 3.5 million copies sold, Penny Vincenzi is one of the world's preeminent writers of popular fiction-and American readers no longer have to miss out on the fun. With the publication of No Angel, a novel introducing the engaging cast of characters in the Lytton family, Overlook opens a thrilling new dimension to this author's already illustrious career.

Beyond the Moon


Catherine Taylor - 2019
    Part war story, part timeslip, part love story – and at the same time a meditation on the themes of war, mental illness, identity and art, Beyond The Moon is an intelligent, captivating debut novel, perfect for book clubs.In 1916 1st Lieutenant Robert Lovett is a patient at Coldbrook Hall military hospital in Sussex, England. A gifted artist, he’s been wounded fighting in the Great War. Shell shocked and suffering from hysterical blindness he can no longer see his own face, let alone paint, and life seems increasingly hopeless. A century later in 2017, medical student Louisa Casson has just lost her beloved grandmother – her only family. Heartbroken, she drowns her sorrows in alcohol on the South Downs cliffs – only to fall accidentally part-way down. Doctors fear she may have attempted suicide, and Louisa finds herself involuntarily admitted to Coldbrook Hall – now a psychiatric hospital, an unfriendly and chaotic place.Then one day, while secretly exploring the old Victorian hospital’s ruined, abandoned wing, Louisa hears a voice calling for help, and stumbles across a dark, old-fashioned hospital room. Inside, lying on the floor, is a mysterious, sightless young man, who tells her he was hurt at the Battle of the Somme, a WW1 battle a century ago. And that his name is Lieutenant Robert Lovett…*NB Contains graphic descriptions of war violence and injuries, as well as profanity and mild sex.

Just One Kiss


Samantha James - 1996
    But it is a stranger who greets the penniless miss at her intended's door—the true owner of the grand Boston mansion, Nathaniel's handsome, secretive and insufferable older brother, Morgan.Just One KissThe cruel treachery of a disloyal sibling left Morgan angry and bitter—but he takes in the cad's forsaken fiancée nonetheless. And when one stolen kiss threatens scandal, he offers to wed the proud, golden-haired beauty himself. But Elizabeth is devoted to a rogue. And Morgan must first conquer his own pain and suspicion to know a passion that can thaw a frozen heart...and a love that can heal all wounds.

Letters from Skye


Jessica Brockmole - 2013
      March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.   June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.

A Novella Collection


Courtney Milan - 2013
     The Governess Affair Three months ago, governess Serena Barton was sacked. Now she's demanding compensation from the man responsible: a petty, selfish duke. But it's not the duke she fears. Hugo Marshall handles all the duke's dirty business, and he's been ordered to get rid of her by fair means or foul. If only he didn't find her so compelling... A Kiss for Midwinter Miss Lydia Charingford is always cheerful, and never more so than at Christmas time. Still, no matter how hard she smiles, she can't forget the dark secret that nearly ruined her life. But someone else knows the truth of those dark days: the sarcastic Doctor Jonas Grantham. She wants nothing to do with him...or the butterflies that take flight in her stomach every time he looks her way... What Happened at Midnight Fleeing the consequences of her father's embezzlement, Mary Chartley takes a position as a lady's companion, only to find herself a virtual prisoner at Doyle's Grange, her employer's house. And then the nightmare truly begins: the man she loves, who also happens to be the man from whom her father stole, shows up at her door seeking recompense. And she has no way to pay him... The Lady Always Wins Railway financier Simon Davenant has waited seven years for a second chance with Virginia Croswell, his childhood sweetheart and best friend. He's not about to let his impending financial ruin destroy the opportunity. This time, he'll do anything he can to secure her hand in marriage--even if it means losing her heart for good.