Books like 'The Handmaid'
Readers who enjoyed The Handmaid by Shay Savage also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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The Unlovely Bride by Alice Coldbreath
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsLenora Montmayne leads a charmed life as the most beautiful woman at King Wymer’s court, surrounded by admirers. And then disaster strikes. The red pox sweeps the summer palace at Caer-Lyones and Lenora’s fair face falls victim to its ravages. Without her looks, what does Lenora have left to her? If ever there was a knight the crowd loves to hate, it’s Garman Orde...Categorized as:
alpha-mc angst historical-fiction marriage-of-convenience medieval royalty steamy adult -
The King & His Queen: Volume 3 by Donna Fletcher
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA King. A Queen. An unforgettable love. Talon is King of the Picts, forefathers of the Highlanders, a fierce warrior, and he needs to find a queen. He need not care for this woman and it would be preferable if he didn’t. She need only bear him an heir thereby securing his reign. With his enemies mounting, war looming, and unrest among his people, he needs no distractions... -
Dragonblade by Kathryn Le Veque
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratings1326 A.D. Tate Crewys de Lara is the son of kings. The illegitimate son of Edward Longshanks, Tate has the qualities of a magnificent king. But fate is cruel, leaving him a mere knight protecting young Edward III during the uncertain days following the horrific murder of Edward II. While gathering allies for the young heir in Northumberland, he meets the Lady Elizabetha “Toby” Cartingdon...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval steamy adult ancient-civilization audiobook book fiction -
The Robber Knight by Robert Thier
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen you are fighting for the freedom of your people, falling in love with your enemy is not a great idea.Sir Reuben, the dreaded robber knight, has long been Ayla’s deadliest enemy. She swore he would hang for his crimes. Now they are both trapped in her castle as the army of a far greater enemy approaches, and they have only one chance: stand together, or fall... -
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His Forsaken Bride by Alice Coldbreath
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFenella Thane is a desperate woman. Her absentee husband of eight years has served her with divorce papers and she looks likely to lose her beloved home and be forced into a convent. There is just one slim chance to avoid this fate, one person of prominence at court who she knows has the ear of the King...Categorized as:
alpha-mc angst historical-fiction marriage-of-convenience medieval steamy adult age-gap -
Besotted by Jody Hedlund
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn a land where being the fairest maiden is a curse . . .A young queen trying to stay alive until she comes of age to rule, and a prince turned into a pauper.Queen Aurora of Mercia has spent her entire life deep in Inglewood Forest, hiding from Warwick’s Queen Margery, who seeks her demise. As the time draws near for Aurora to take the throne, she happens upon a handsome woodcutter...Categorized as:
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Always by Jody Hedlund
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA fierce elite guard. A loyal lady in waiting. They must work together to save three princesses from certain death.On the verge of dying after giving birth to twins, the queen of Mercia pleads with Lady Felicia to save her infant daughters... -
Cage of Destiny by Jennifer Anne Davis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDestined from birth to be the next empress of Emperion, Allyssa grew up at court weighed down by the expectations of the crown. Kingdom and duty always came first. Until now. Having survived the brutal kingdom of Russek, she is given the choice to walk away and live a peaceful, quiet life. But it also means giving up everything she knows and everyone she loves...Categorized as:
alpha-mc angst historical-fiction medieval royalty action-adventure age-gap arranged-marriage -
The Consolation Prize by Alice Coldbreath
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsPrincess Una harbors no illusions about her claims to Karadok’s throne. The days of the royal house of Blechmarsh are done. The last of that ill-fated line, she is just grateful she emerged from the dark days of war with her head still on her shoulders...Categorized as:
historical-fiction marriage-of-convenience medieval royalty adult arranged-marriage audiobook book -
The Rebel's Queen by Tanya Bird
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA rising king. A falling queen. An unimaginable love.Queen Cora is married to a monster. Three years she has played wife, and all she has to show for it is a marked face, an empty womb, and a bitter taste in her mouth best washed away with wine. It is a good thing she is made of something solid, because marriage is a life sentence. Or is it? The rebel prince is coming for the crown... -
Eryx: A Spartan Tale by Jaclyn Osborn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMy father once told me, above all else... Live and die for Sparta. Honor. Loyalty. Duty. These were the things that mattered most. And then Axios came into my life, teaching me other lessons: humility, brotherhood... love. There were moments when the brutal training stripped me of my humanity, where it turned me into a mindless beast of flesh and muscle set to destroy everything in my way... -
Sword of Champions: The House of de Winter Collection by Kathryn Le Veque
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWelcome to the definitive House of de Winter Collection. They call the sword l'Espada - the sword of the ancestors of the House of de Winter. The first born male in every generation carries this sword, infused with a legacy beyond compare... -
Forever Claimed by Betty Shreffler, Betty Legend
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaptured by my enemy and held in his captivity, I have two choices; play his games to survive or die fighting. Surrendering my body or territory to him is not an option. Determined to outlast his manipulations, I utilize every advantage no matter how treacherous. Only my enemy holds the key piece of leverage necessary to break me down to my core, leaving me questioning every move I make... -
Beholden by Jody Hedlund
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn a land where being the fairest maiden is a curse . . .A beautiful noblewoman with a terrible secret, and a prince subjected to slavery.Upon the death of her wealthy father, Lady Gabriella is condemned to work in Warwick’s gem mine. As she struggles to survive the dangerous conditions, her kindness and beauty shine as brightly as the jewels the slaves excavate... -
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An Inconvenient Vow by Alice Coldbreath
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNever did Sabina Burrell imagine that foiling a plot against her sister would lead to her having to wed the arrogant Sir Jeffree de Crecy! She has never met such a loathsome man, and that included her late, unlamented husband!Sir Jeffree, raised in the expectation of succeeding to his uncle’s title, is appalled to become ensnared in a scheme to discredit his uncle’s new bride... -
The Dark Knight's Captive Bride by Natasha Wild
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsShe is the daughter of his enemy... and the keeper of his heart.Richard de Claiborne, the dark earl of Dunsmore, serves King Edward Plantagenet well. Sworn to obey his king's every order, he nevertheless chafes at the command he wed the daughter of his enemy — a man who slew his father in cold blood. But King Edward wants peace in his lands, and he will stop at nothing to get it...Categorized as:
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The Captain's Prize by Tanya Bird
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLove is for the weak of mind. Astra is queen of the Companion world. She has been at the king’s side for ten years, but his interest is waning. If she can just hold on a little longer, she will take her rightful place as mentor and never share a man’s bed again. But a single game of cards threatens to bring her future to ruins... -
Le Roi Du Sang by Tiana Laveen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIMPORTANT NOTE: This book contains adult content. Please be advised. This book is 452 pages long. ROI & REIN DU SANG BLURB Alexandre Marseille was born during the Hundred Year War in France, a member of the royal House of Valois. His parents, both ruthless underworld monarchs, instilled endurance in their children above all else... -
The Chataine's Guardian by Robin Hardy
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn the tenth birthday of Chataine Dierdre, her father, Karel, appoints a guardian for her--Roman, a captain of the guard. Karel is aware of the Lystran law that, at age 17, Chataine must choose the man she will marry. But he never dreams her choice might be Roman, the homely soldier who calls himself a "Christian... -
Storm & Shield by J.D. Evans
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“All you see is that I run. Why haven’t you realized I always come back?” She is lightning and storm. A spy, driven out of her home by a tyrant ruler. He is granite and earth. A guard, ordered to keep her contained.To protect herself and her family, she’s learned to go unnoticed, unseen...Categorized as:
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Lords of the Highlands: Seven Great Highland Romances by Kathryn Le Veque, Eliza Knight
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWelcome to the LORDS OF THE HIGHLANDS collection – a melding of hearts and swords, of passion and power, and of great heroes and heroines born and bred in the highlands of Scotland. Lose yourself in the majesty and romance of this great historical romance collection brought to you by seven top historical romance authors... -
She Who Would be King by Kim Pritekel
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCateline is the twenty-one-year-old daughter of a nobleman in fourteenth-century France. It's a time when children aren't seen as those to be loved and cherished, but instead are used as pawns and bargaining chips on the chessboard of control and privilege.She is married off to a prince in the country of Sursha, a Gaelic-speaking island nation near Ireland... -
Unmasking the Curse by Chelle Cypress
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLoathed and feared. Sold into a hateful marriage. Can she escape a prison to embrace her power and unexpected love?Arianna Park is resigned to misery. Bound to an enchanted porcelain mask to contain a devastating curse, she’s set to wed a venomous man for the sake of her destitute family... -
The Duke’s Stolen Bride: A Historical Regency Romance Novel by Harriet Caves
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“Make me your villain then. But like it or not, you are my wife, and you will obey.” To save her sister’s future, Lady Evangeline agrees to marry her childhood friend, a man she doesn’t love. But her plans are shattered when the notorious Duke of Eldermoor storms into the church, claiming her fiancé is already married… To his sister!Duke Hugh will stop at nothing to avenge his sister’s ruin...Categorized as:
revenge royalty historical-fiction romance historical fantasy fiction industrial-era -
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The Queen's Huntsman by Tanya Anne Crosby
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAll hope for the future seems lost when Gwendolyn’s prince turns out to be anything but charming. Only now, having united the draig banners, Gwendolyn realizes too late that Loc is not her one true love...Discovering his bride's hair is not gold, Prince Loc reveals his true nature. Ambitious and cruel, he never coveted his ill-favored Cornish Bride... -
The Damask Rose by Carol McGrath
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings'You lay hands on a princess of the realm? It is treason.'' But this princess disobeys her King. Treason indeed.'A beloved wife. A hated queen. A journey to her destiny . . .If you love JOANNA COURTNEY, ELIZABETH CHADWICK and PHILIPPA GREGORY, you'll devour the highly-anticipated second novel in Carol McGrath's ROSE Trilogy !* ' Fascinating . . -
Tamed for Her Pleasure by L.V. Lane
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen the king of a barbarian horde turns out to be unexpectedly hot…All I wanted to do was stop a war.A sensible princess would have talked to her father and beseeched him to see sense. Instead, I do what I absolutely should not take my horse and leave the safety of my castle to parley with the enemy myself... -
Measure of Strength by C. Faron
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPublicly, Jason Wadsworth is a young steel magnate. Privately, he is slowly unraveling. Gripped by depression, he is haunted by the memory of Kale, the slave he sold and the man who still holds his heart. Jason clings to his only source of comfort: the belief that he sent Kale away to a better life.As grim as Jason’s life is, Kale has fared worse. Each day is a brutal struggle... -
The King's Executioner by Donna Fletcher
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe King of the Pict has entered into an agreement with Cathbad, Overlord of the Western Region to wed his daughter Anin. Blyth, Anin’s mother, has given her husband four fine sons and King Talon hopes Anin will do the same for him. Unfortunately, Anin’s mother wants no part of the agreement. She intends for her daughter to pick a husband of her own choosing as the women of her tribe do...Categorized as:
alpha-mc historical-fiction medieval royalty adult ancient-civilization book fiction -
The Shadow Queen by Bertrice Small
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMourn me but briefly.Then find your destiny, Lara, my love, my life.Now let me go.With those words, the spirit of Magnus Hauk, Dominus of Terah, leaves his body--and thus the fate of a nation rests upon the faerie woman Lara's shoulders.While Lara's son Prince Taj is well loved by the people of Terah, he is too young to rule, and Lara must obey Magnus's dying command and govern in his stead... -
The Huntress by Carrie Cotten
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBetrayed by their allies, the last of the Picts have escaped to the innermost part of an endless, dark forest, content to remain hidden there forever. Made queen at just a child, Cyrene has given all of her life and heart to the task of making sure her people are never terrorized again...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval marriage-of-convenience royalty romance fantasy christian fiction -
Fight for Freedom by K.M. Shea
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsASIN moved from less recent edition hereThe ballads lie. Robin Hood, the Bold and Brave Outlaw of Sherwood Forest, is cowardly, spineless, and a girl. Robyn left her band of Merry Men after losing an archery contest against Little John and runs to the last place her men would expect: the courts of Prince John...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval royalty action-adventure book fairy-tale female-author fiction -
Betrothed to the Beast by Elina Emerald
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Reformed Rogues series follows the lives of three fearsome Highland Warriors who form a bond stronger than any blood tie. Watch as each one loses their hardened hearts to three formidable women. The books can be read as a stand alone or a complete series.Highland Chieftain Beiste MacGregor is a ruthlessly ambitious warrior with the viciousness of a beast... -
Shadow Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAs a member of the Knights of the Realm, Reid swore an oath to protect her king only to discover he harbors a traitorous agenda.Being a woman raised in a man’s world, Reid thought becoming a Knight would give her purpose and strength. So far, it has done nothing but give her trouble... -
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Dream of Me/Believe in Me by Josie Litton
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsComplete in one breathtaking volume — Books One and Two of an unforgettable historical romance series by an exciting new authorThey were two Viking lords, the brothers Wolf and Dragon, bound both by blood and by a shared ambition to end the war with their lifelong enemies, the Saxons... -
Sea of Ruin by Pam Godwin
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBennett Sharp is on the run. Wanted for piracy, she fears neither God nor death nor man. Except Priest Farrell. The unfaithful, stormy-eyed libertine hunts her with terrifying possessiveness. Nothing will stop him from coming for her. Not his unforgivable betrayal. Not when she's captured by the ice-cold pirate hunter, Lord Ashley Cutler. She must escape Ashley's prison and Priest's deceit...Categorized as:
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Shadows and Strongholds by Elizabeth Chadwick
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA medieval tale of pride and strife, of coming-of-age in a world where chivalry is a luxury seldom afforded, especially by men of power.England, 1148---ten-year-old Brunin FitzWarin is an awkward misfit in his own family. A quiet child, he is tormented by his brothers and loathed by his powerful and autocratic grandmother...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval royalty 21st-century action-adventure book fiction historical -
A Warlord's Heart by Michelle Howard
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt should have been a simple trip ...Vaan reluctantly agreed to his mate’s decision to travel without him to the neighboring Raasa compounds on a series of good faith visits. He will pursue her until he wins ...Warlord Ramar will not let love slip through his grasp now that it’s within reach. As a Kabanian Warlord he’s prepared to battle for what he wants. Blood will spill .. -
Alexander: A Seventh Son Novel by Kirsten Osbourne
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMadelina is the youngest daughter of a Norman conqueror and a woman of power. Her own power is insignificant enough in her eyes that she trains to be a healer under the expert tutelage of her mother. When a child is brought to the castle where she lives, she knows she doesn’t have the skills to heal him, and her mother’s powers—and her own—will need to be revealed to a handsome knight... -
Sword of Rage by Jennifer Anne Davis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHarley has three goals—stay alive, avenge her brother’s death, and overthrow the traitorous king.When Harley receives an invitation to the royal castle for her cousin’s birthday, she’s elated at the offer. As the queen’s niece, she’s expected to make an appearance, but this will also be her first time attending a formal function as a married woman...Categorized as:
alpha-mc historical-fiction medieval book enemies-to-lovers female-mc fiction historical -
Warrior by Violette Dubrinsky
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOutspoken, loyal, and skilled with the sword, Princess Jaisyn St. Ives of Lytheria is no princess of fairytales. After the unexpected death of her father, Jaisyn takes control of the kingdom, expecting to be called upon to defend her claim to a throne previously held by men... -
Flower In The Palace by Jordan Silver
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDisclaimer: This book is loosely based on the Korean Drama The Moon The Embraces The Sun. Though the basic storyline is similar, the story, scenes and characters are all mine. Prince Jai of Zihan was soon to be named Crown Prince once his father ascended the throne. At seventeen he was an accomplished young man who had learned at his father and grandfather’s knees the ways of an emperor...Categorized as:
historical-fiction medieval revenge action-adventure adult age-gap ancient-civilization book -
Heart's Ease by Susan Fanetti
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe follow-up to the bestselling Viking romance, God's Eye.When raiders from the North land in Olga’s world and take it over, she is captured and made a slave. She and her people suffer at the hands of creatures that seem more beasts than men, and not even her talent and skill as a healer can help them.But one barbarian, big and golden, seems different from the others... -
Rebel by Linda Windsor
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWith Merlin dead, the succession undecided, and the Celtic church on the defensive from Rome, intrigue sweeps the court of the High King Arthur. But it’s battlefield news that consumes Queen Gwenhyfar’s young scribe, Kella O’Toole: her fiancé is dead and her father gone missing. Determined to find him at all costs, Kella defies the queen’s orders and sets out for Pictish territory...Categorized as:
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Caressed by Shadows by Amanda J. Greene
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBlack Knight, Falcon Kenwrec is powerful, relentless, and fiercely loyal, his only allegiance – to his king. But he is torn between duty and desire when the war between the vampire clans and the Red Order hunters escalates and the enemy captures the one woman he longs to claim as his own, Sonya Rebane, Queen of the Voidukas Clan... -
Lady in Waiting by Melody Tyden
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs princess of a small, wealthy, medieval kingdom, Cordelia always knew her marriage would be a political matter. She doesn't expect love. All she wants is a husband who will let her continue to pursue her own interests rather than trapping her in an endless cycle of domesticity, but even these small hopes seem dashed when she meets the prince she's expected to marry...Categorized as:
medieval historical-fiction royalty romance historical fantasy fiction friends-to-lovers -
Cold Sands by 牧云岚卿
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe’s just a low-ranking deputy general and he’s a prince. They meet on the battlefield but it turns out to be the beginning of a complicated and beautiful story.Murong Yu is a very confident man – until he meets Han Xin.There’s nothing he cannot get; there’s nothing he cannot destroy.To let live or not, is all up to him... -
Knight's Prize by Sarah McKerrigan
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe certainly seems meek and soft-spoken, unlike her warrior sisters. But once the sun goes down, Miriel of Rivenloch becomes "The Shadow," the bold, mysterious renegade who robs the rich to give to the poor...Categorized as:
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The King's Equal (Trophy Chapter Books (Paperback)) by Katherine Paterson
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWho is she?A dying king makes his son his heir--on one condition. Vain Prince Raphael must marry a woman who is his equal in beauty, intelligence, and wealth...Where is this woman?A search throughout the kingdom proves fruitless. Then the lovely Rosamund appears at the palace, as if by magic, and Raphael is certain he has found his wife... -
Anwen of Primewood by Shari L. Tapscott
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt's never wise for a lady to run away in the middle of the night with a smooth-talking man with a questionable heritage—it's even worse to give that man your family's greatest treasure.After making a chain of bad decisions, Lady Anwen of Primewood finds herself in Lauramore, posing as a tambourine girl while she attempts to track down the man who wooed her, robbed her, and left her in the woods...Categorized as:
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