Passion, betrayal, forbidden love – can a novel get any better? Get a cup of tea and a box of tissues, and settle in for an engrossing read.
Marion Zimmer Bradley: The Mists of Avalon
The Arthurian legend is told from the viewpoint of the women in Arthur’s life.
Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre
A plain governess captures the heart of her employer, not knowing his scandalous secret.
Emily Bronte: Wuthering Heights
The thwarted love between Catherine and Heathcliff destroys their lives, and consumes those of their children.
Marcia Davenport: Valley of Decision
Maid, lover, confidant - Mary Rafferty tells the story of the Scott family, owners of a Pittsburgh iron and steel works.
Diana Gabaldon: Outlander
This time-travel novel spans two centuries, and splits one woman’s heart between two very different men.
Gustav Flaubert: Madame Bovary
A bored wife and mother indulges in a desperate love affair, with tragic conclusions.
M.M. Kaye: The Far Pavilions
In this vibrant story of love and war, an English soldier and half-caste Hindu princess struggle with friendship, family ties, and cultural prejudice.
Colleen McCullough: The Thorn Birds
The doomed love affair between Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph de Bricassart is poignant, passionate, and heart-rending.
Margaret Mitchell: Gone With the Wind
The lives and loves of Ashley, Scarlett, Melanie and Rhett are played out amidst the drama and tragedy of the Civil War.
Boris Pasternak: Doctor Zhivago
Set during the Russian Revolution, this is the story of Lara, and the two men who love her.
Rosamunde Pilcher: The Shell Seekers
From her unconventional childhood to her wartime romance, Penelope has lived on her own terms. As her life ends, she must make choices that might destroy her family.
Annemarie Selinko: Desiree
A chance encounter with a French soldier changes Eugenie’s life forever, and thrusts her into the path of destiny. This novel is based the true story of Napoleon’s first love.
Anya Seton: Green Darkness
Mysticism, betrayal, reincarnation … This novel details a forbidden love that resonates through 400 years, and an evil that threatens to destroy the present as it did the past.
Anya Seton: Katherine
Though it began as an illicit affair, English royalty can trace their roots back to this passionate pair. This is novel is based on the life of Katherine, Duchess of Lancaster.
Leo Tolstoy: Anna Karenina
Tragedy unfolds as Anna rebels against her loveless marriage and embarks in a love affair with the dashing County Vronsky.
Kathleen Winsor: Forever Amber
Penniless and pregnant, Amber must rely on her beauty and charm to make her way in the world. She becomes the mistress of a king, but loses her heart in the process.
