Book picks similar to
Measure of Devotion by C.F. Frizzell


historical-fiction
romance
arc
historical

Temporary Girl


Robin Alexander - 2018
    And she’s a master flirt. She has no problem meeting women or getting dates. She just can’t hold on to any of the women she goes out with. It’s not because she’s unlikeable, she simply can’t handle commitment. Val Mason is hoping to find the right woman to build a life with. At her best friend’s weeklong pre-wedding party, she meets one who appears to have potential, and she’s hooked. The only problem is, she’s unknowingly hanging her hopes on the Temporary Girl. Robin Alexander has mixed up a summertime cocktail. The ingredients are friendship, secrets, family, friends, love, and a double shot of humor.

Hamilton's Battalion: A Trio of Romances


Rose Lerner - 2017
    Decades later, when Eliza Hamilton collected his soldiers' stories, she discovered that while the war was won at Yorktown, the battle for love took place on many fronts...PROMISED LAND by Rose LernerDonning men's clothing, Rachel left her life behind to fight the British as Corporal Ezra Jacobs--but life catches up with a vengeance when she arrests an old love as a Loyalist spy.At first she thinks Nathan Mendelson hasn't changed one bit: he's annoying, he talks too much, he sticks his handsome nose where it doesn't belong, and he's self-righteously indignant just because Rachel might have faked her own death a little. She'll be lucky if he doesn't spill her secret to the entire Continental Army.Then Nathan shares a secret of his own, one that changes everything...THE PURSUIT OF... by Courtney MilanWhat do a Black American soldier, invalided out at Yorktown, and a British officer who deserted his post have in common? Quite a bit, actually.* They attempted to kill each other the first time they met.* They're liable to try again at some point in the five-hundred mile journey that they're inexplicably sharing.* They are not falling in love with each other.* They are not falling in love with each other.* They are.... Oh, no.THAT COULD BE ENOUGH by Alyssa ColeMercy Alston knows the best thing to do with pesky feelings like "love" and "hope": avoid them at all cost. Serving as a maid to Eliza Hamilton, and an assistant in the woman's stubborn desire to preserve her late husband's legacy, has driven that point home for Mercy—as have her own previous heartbreaks.When Andromeda Stiel shows up at Hamilton Grange for an interview in her grandfather's stead, Mercy's resolution to live a quiet, pain-free life is tested by the beautiful, flirtatious, and entirely overwhelming dressmaker.Andromeda has staid Mercy reconsidering her worldview, but neither is prepared for love—or for what happens when it's not enough.

Gay Pride and Prejudice


Kate Christie - 2012
    Netherfield Hall has just been let to a single man of large fortune. But while it is true that such a man is generally considered to be in want of a wife, it is equally true that not all men desire female companionship, just as not every woman dreams of being married.Like other variations on Jane Austen's classic romance novel, Gay Pride & Prejudice poses a question: What if some among Austen's characters preferred the company of their own sex? In this queer revision of the classic original, Kate Christie offers an alternate version of love, friendship, and marriage for Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and others among their circle of friends. But even as the path to love veers from the straight and narrow, the destination remains much the same.If you have an open mind, dear reader, you may discover the book Jane Austen would likely never have approved, but which, nonetheless, affords a window onto gay and lesbian life in early nineteenth century England.

The Time Slip Girl


Elizabeth Andre - 2015
    Agnes, a beautiful London shop girl, takes in the bewildered 21st century American lesbian, but, as Dara begins to accept that she is stuck in 1908, she also begins to accept that she has feelings for Agnes that go beyond gratitude. And the longer Dara stays, the harder Agnes finds it to hide her growing love for the accidental time traveller from the future. Will they overcome grief and prejudice to acknowledge their true feelings for one another? Or will Dara be snatched back to the 21st century before they can express their love?Excerpt:“When? When is this?” Dara asked, gesturing at the room.“It’s June 18th, miss,” Agnes said. “You really didn’t know?”Dara closed her eyes. “The year. What year, please?”“It’s 1908, miss,” Agnes said.Dara opened her eyes, opened her messenger bag, and pulled out her cell phone. She pushed the button to activate the main screen. It didn’t have a signal or the time and date. The battery was at 80 percent. She looked over at Agnes, whose eyes had gone wide. Agnes leaned over in her chair, trying to get a better look at the phone. Dara tapped a few buttons to pull up the photos she had stored on her phone. Yes, they were still there. The photos of Nick, their parents, and their friends were still there. The many pictures of Jenny, with and without Dara, were there. With Agnes still gazing at her and the phone intently, Dara went to her phone’s contacts and dialed Nick’s number. Nothing.“That still doesn’t mean I’m not dreaming,” she muttered.“Perhaps I should make us both some tea, miss.”Dara nodded yes, although she figured she could do with something a good deal stronger than tea. Agnes bustled out of the room.“Oh my God,” Dara said when she was alone. Her eyes darted around the room, taking it all in, the flower-patterned curtains on the one window, the shabby wardrobe standing in the corner, the night stand, the wooden chair, a small desk, the plain iron bed frame and the bedclothes that adorned it. One part of her couldn’t believe it was true, but another part could. That part urged her to accept the truth. It will go much easier on you if you do and soon, it said.She thought of her brother, who was probably frantic with worry wondering where she was. What would he tell their parents if he didn’t find her before they were supposed to fly out of Heathrow next week? Then there were her friends and the co-workers she actually liked. Most of all, though, there was Jenny. Jenny had been dead for over a year, so it wasn’t the fact that she wouldn’t see Jenny again that upset her. She had accepted that. No, it was the fact that she might never see the places she associated with Jenny ever again. She may never see all the little gifts Jenny had given her during their time together. In a panic, she clutched at the thin gold chain she wore around her neck. She kept her engagement ring on that chain. At least she had that. She kissed it tenderly and wept.

The Clinch


Nicole Disney - 2021
    When the master of the dojang offered to train Eden as a live-in student, he started her on a journey that would eventually lead her to become the UFC featherweight champion of the world. Eden loves competing and coaching the underprivileged kids of her community, but just as she’s getting comfortable with her champion title, a new martial artist from a legendary family comes roaring onto the scene with a dynasty on her shoulders. Brooklyn Shaw is a loud, cocky, aggressive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu genius who’s also unfortunately pretty dreamy. Brooklyn and Eden’s rivalry attracts worldwide attention, but as they spend time together, Eden sees past Brooklyn’s showmanship to who she really is. They ought to be perfect for one another, but can either really fall in love with the person standing in the way of her dreams?

Miss Match


Fiona Riley - 2016
    a few years ago, she never imagined her matchmaking business would be booming while her own love life floundered. When her business partner drags her out of hiding to attend the wedding of one of their successful client matches, she meets a dancer with a dark past and a penchant for secrecy who excites her in a way she hadn’t thought possible. Samantha wonders if Lucinda Moss is the key to solving not one but two matches that have eluded Samantha since everything around her fell apart or if she is destined to find love for everyone but herself.In a world where nothing is constant, Lucinda has learned to keep herself emotionally at arm’s length and given up on the chance to find true happiness. Can the notorious Miss Match help her forget her troubled past?

You and Me


Jade Winters - 2021
    Frustrated, heartbroken and caught in the headlights, the last thing Alice needs is another relationship, but there’s something about Kerry which draws her in. As time passes, professional ethics are tested and lines blur as Alice and Kerry grow closer.However, when Alice discovers Kerry’s secret, she decides that fate may have brought them together… but fate, it appears, has a mind of its own…

Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure


Courtney Milan - 2019
    Bertrice Martin—a widow, some seventy-three years young—has kept her youthful-ish appearance with the most powerful of home remedies: daily doses of spite, regular baths in man-tears, and refusing to give so much as a single damn about her Terrible Nephew. Then proper, correct Miss Violetta Beauchamps, a sprightly young thing of nine and sixty, crashes into her life. The Terrible Nephew is living in her rooming house, and Violetta wants him gone. Mrs. Martin isn’t about to start giving damns, not even for someone as intriguing as Miss Violetta. But she hatches another plan—to make her nephew sorry, to make Miss Violetta smile, and to have the finest adventure of all time. If she makes Terrible Men angry and wins the hand of a lovely lady in the process? Those are just added bonuses. Author’s Note: Sometimes I write villains who are subtle and nuanced. This is not one of those times. The Terrible Nephew is terrible, and terrible things happen to him. Sometime villains really are bad and wrong, and sometimes, we want them to suffer a lot of consequences.

Love's Falling Star


B.D. Grayson - 2021
    With her gorgeous stage presence and pitch-perfect voice, she’s earned her countless awards and sold out shows. But being famous hasn’t changed the fact that her favorite place to write music is in the quiet confines of libraries. Everything changes the moment she meets college student Vanessa and her fast-paced, very closeted world of country music is turned upside down.Vanessa Wallace, a serious pre-med student, aspires to becoming a pediatric oncologist. During a late-night session at the campus library, an annoying hum coming from a secluded section leads to an encounter with Lochlan Paige. Little does Vanessa know she is about to take off on a whirlwind adventure that may end in love…or loss.

Rebeccah and the Highwayman


Barbara Davies - 2008
    Mistress Rebeccah Dutton never dreamed that several encounters with the notorious highwayman Blue-Eyed Nick on the deserted heaths around London would turn her respectable world upside down. When she discovers the highwayman is actually a woman named Kate, her curiosity about the dashing thief turns to fascination. Kate has to deal with a thieftaker snapping at her heels and secrets from her past before Rebeccah can become better acquainted with this intriguing highwaywoman. Will Kate avoid the shadow of Tyburn long enough for Rebeccah to explore this twist of fate?

After the Fire


Emily Smith - 2016
    The tragic loss of her partner, Kam, has left her bitter and angry, her work and fellow -EMT Jake O’Harrigan the only pieces of her life she still cares about. Until rookie firefighter Logan Curtis moves to town, and onto Connor’s scene, and threatens to rattle the walls Connor has long since put up.Hotshot Logan has never had a problem getting women to notice her. But when Connor trips her radar, she realizes Connor may be more than just another notch on her bedpost.But how could anyone compete with Kam’s memory?Sometimes, you have to wait until after the fire to see just what’s worth saving.

All the Little Moments


G. Benson - 2015
    Everything changes abruptly when her brother’s and sister-in-law’s deaths devastate her and her family. Left responsible for her young niece and nephew, Anna finds herself dumped and alone in Melbourne, a city she doesn’t even like. She tries to navigate the shock of looking after two children battling with their grief while managing her own. Filled with self-doubt, Anna feels as if she’s making a mess of the entire thing, especially when she collides with a long-legged stranger. Anna barely has time to brush her teeth in the morning, let alone to date a woman—least of all one who has no idea about the two kids under her care. Just when Anna finally starts to feel as if she’s getting some control of the situation, the biggest fight begins and Anna really has to step up once and for all.

The Raven and the Banshee


Carolyn Elizabeth - 2022
    With a sharp mind and sharper tongue, she constantly defies family and society expectations with no regard for the consequences.Branna Kelly, only child of an Irish immigrant sailor, is hopelessly in love with Julia and imagines their life together as captains of their own fate. Left brokenhearted after Julia’s rejection, she embarks on a journey to chart a new shipping route to the Caribbean. Before Julia can explain her decision, Branna’s ship is overrun by merciless pirates. All hands are presumed lost.Fifteen years later, Julia is running the Farrow Company and sailing with the crew on her newest ship when an encounter with pirates leaves her the lone survivor to be rescued by the infamous Raven, hard-hearted captain of the mercenary ship, Banshee. Julia is shocked to discover her rescuer wears a familiar face.The Raven and the Banshee is a passionate tale of vengeance, forgiveness and second chance love in a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas.Content note: the book contains one brief scene of sexual assault and one mention of rape.

Club Storyville


Riley Lashea - 2014
    Her grandmother Mary - Nan to those close to her - does them all. She drinks what she wants, speaks when she wants, and doesn't hesitate to help a colored boy on the street with no concern for who might see. In awe of her grandmother, Elizabeth also wants to be a good daughter, and no one is more concerned with what people think than her mother, so different from Nan it's sometimes hard to believe she came from the woman's womb. When Nan gets sick and needs full-time care, she invites Yankee nurse Ariel Brandt into their lives. Smart, funny and beautiful, Ariel is a lot like Nan in a lot of ways, and Elizabeth is drawn to her at once. As her feelings for Ariel grow out of her control, Elizabeth finds herself torn between her own desires and the deeply-ingrained rules of the society in which she lives. Her brother at war, a new suitor trying to court her, and Ariel keeping a safe distance, Elizabeth is charged with an errand. Nan wants her to travel to New Orleans to find someone she once knew and pass along a wooden box that holds an important letter. Can the unexpected journey into Nan's past help Elizabeth find her future?

Unicorn Tracks


Julia Ember - 2016
    Surrounding herself with nature and the mystical animals inhabiting the savannah not only allows Mnemba’s tracking skills to shine, it helps her to hide from the terrible memories that haunt her. Mnemba is employed to guide Mr. Harving and his daughter, Kara, through the wilderness as they study unicorns. The young women are drawn to each other, despite that fact that Kara is betrothed. During their research, they discover a conspiracy by a group of poachers to capture the Unicorns and exploit their supernatural strength to build a railway. Together, they must find a way to protect the creatures Kara adores while resisting the love they know they can never indulge.