Books like 'The Emperor's Babe'
Readers who enjoyed The Emperor's Babe by Bernardine Evaristo also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical romance historical-fiction literary-fiction lgbtq classics roman-empire ancient-civilization poc-mc university
-
The Devil to Pay in the Backlands by João Guimarães Rosa
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLively reminiscences of bandit warfare in the sertao, the still primitive Brazilian back country, told by a wise, retired outlaw chief. ~Worldcat.orgGrande Sertão: Veredas (Portuguese for "Great Backlands: Tracks"; English translation: The Devil to Pay in the Backlands) is a novel published in 1956 by the Brazilian writer João Guimarães Rosa...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult book fiction historical -
Queen of Oak: A Novel of Boudica by Melanie Karsak
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFated to lead a rebellion against Rome.Destined to become a legend.Britain, A.D. 42—Boudica, second daughter of a Celtic king, has little concern for tribal tensions and political intrigues. Called by the gods and the stirrings of her own wild heart, she listens instead to whispers of the oaks. But Boudica would be wiser to heed the warning cries of eagles...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization historical-fiction literary-fiction myths adult book fae fiction -
Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPurple . The foundation of an influential trade in a Roman world dominated by men. One woman rises up to take the reins of success in an incredible journey of courage, grit, and friendship. And along the way, she changes the world. But before she was Lydia, the seller of purple, she was simply a merchant's daughter who loved three things: her father, her ancestral home, and making dye... -
Lady of the Eternal City by Kate Quinn
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNational bestselling author Kate Quinn returns with the long-awaited fourth volume in the Empress of Rome series, an unforgettable new tale of the politics, power, and passion that defined ancient Rome.Elegant, secretive Sabina may be Empress of Rome, but she still stands poised on a knife’s edge... -
-
Wild, Beautiful, and Free by Sophfronia Scott
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom award-winning author Sophfronia Scott comes the story of one young woman’s bold journey to reclaim her birthright and carve out her own place in a world that tells her she doesn’t belong. Born the daughter of an enslaved woman and a Louisiana plantation owner, Jeannette Bébinn is raised alongside her white half sister―until her father suddenly dies... -
Love Poems and Sonnets by William Shakespeare
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe greatest sonnets ever written, by the greatest poet and playwright in the English... -
The Thief by Stephanie Landsem
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Roman centurion longing for peace and a Jewish woman hiding a deadly secret witness a miracle that transforms their lives and leads them to the foot of the cross.My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Nissa is a Jewish woman with a sharp tongue and no hope of marriage...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization historical-fiction roman-empire adult book christian fiction historical -
The Chief's Maiden by Cecelia Mecca
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Scottish chief. An English maiden. Their forbidden love threatens to destroy them both. The Chief The Scottish king gives Toren Kerr a dangerous but important mission—kill the English Warden. The man’s rumored corruption threatens to destroy the fragile peace along the border, and Toren reluctantly agrees to do his duty... -
Snowbound: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Joana Starnes
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA narrow escape and a staggering encounter mere miles from the gates of Pemberley leave Mr Darcy in no doubt: the Fates have grown tired of nudging him gently. And now Elizabeth is in his home. Beside him. Every waking hour of every day.“I missed you. Dreadfully. And now you are here...Categorized as:
historical-fiction retellings literary-fiction romance historical industrial-era regency fiction -
The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe life of a courtesan in Pompeii is glamorous yet perilous...Amara has escaped her life as a slave in the Wolf Den, the city’s most notorious brothel, but now her survival depends on the affections of her patron: a man she might not know as well as she once thought. At night in the home he bought for her, the house with the golden door, Amara’s dreams are haunted by her past...Categorized as:
historical-fiction myths roman-empire ancient-civilization retellings romance fiction historical -
His Lass to Protect by Emma Prince
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTo prove herself, she’ll brave anything. To protect her, he’ll risk everything. As the only woman in King Robert the Bruce’s Bodyguard Corps, Mairin Mackenzie is eager to prove herself. When the King proposes a mission to sow the seeds of civil war in England, Mairin jumps at the chance, even though returning there means confronting the nightmarish trauma of her past... -
Rational Creatures by Christina Boyd
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“But I hate to hear you talking so, like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatures. We none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days...Categorized as:
historical-fiction retellings classics literary-fiction romance historical industrial-era regency -
Sweet Honesty by Joan Vassar
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAtlanta, Georgia, 1950–Michael can’t believe his eyes as he watches the man he loves marry a woman from the back row of Mount Zion Baptist Church. When the beautiful couple is pronounced man and wife, he leaves his home in Georgia for the chance of a better life in New York City.Alexander is just trying to exist in Queens, New York... -
Spring Awakening by Steven Sater, Duncan Sheik
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratings“This brave new musical, haunting and electrifying by turns, restores the mystery, the thrill to that shattering transformation that stirs in all our souls... -
-
The Persian Boy by Mary Renault
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratings“It takes skill to depict, as Miss Renault has done, this half-man, half Courtesan who is so deeply in love with the warrior.”–The Atlantic MonthlyThe Persian Boy traces the last years of Alexander’s life through the eyes of his lover, Bagoas...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction myths retellings university -
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet by Michael Rosen, Jane E. Ray
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe bard's quintessential love story — retold in an elegantly illustrated volume that will appeal both to aficionados of Shakespeare's play and to readers discovering it for the first time. The story has been told "many times by many different people in many different languages," notes Michael Rosen...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction retellings book drama fiction forbidden-love -
Elizabeth: Obstinate, Headstrong Girl by Christina Boyd
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWith timeless verve, the heroine of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet, bares her intimate thoughts while offering biting social commentary through a collection of romantic re-imaginings, sequels, and prequels, set in the Regency to present day by ten popular Austenesque authors...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction retellings adult anthologies audiobook fiction -
Mischief & Mayhem: A Pride & Prejudice Novella by Christie Capps
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHow much trouble could one small baby be? Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are about to find out.Fitzwilliam Darcy avoids unsavory characters, unattached females, and messy babies--until he meets the Bennet family from Longbourn in Hertfordshire. Something about one of the daughters and the only son intrigues him until thoughts of them fill his waking hours and his dreams...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction retellings adult anthologies fiction historical -
Heart of Disaster: A Titanic Novel of love and loss by Rachel Wesson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThursday, April 11, 1912 Inspired by true events, Heart of Disaster is the fictionalized story of the Irish steerage passengers who joined RMS Titanic. The legend says "Thursday's child has far to go" but nobody knew just how troublesome this journey would prove. Four single friends, a newly married couple and a stoker who works in the belly of the gigantic ship meet that fateful night... -
Enamored in Death: A Story of Thanatos and Makaria by Molly Tullis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPerfect for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe, Jennifer Saint’s Elektra, or Scarlett St. Clair's A Touch of Darkness, this story combines romance and Greek mythology in a twist of several famous myths.In the belly of the Underworld, Thanatos has reigned as the God of Death since time immemorial, disregarding his own fearsome reputation and the loneliness that comes with it... -
The Perfect Gentleman by Julie Cooper
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGeorgiana Darcy has gone missing. Lizzy Bennet knows just what to do to find her. ‘Tis no secret that Lizzy Bennet has dreams. The uniquely talented daughter of a woman with a dubious reputation, Lizzy knows she must make her own way in a world that shuns her...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction retellings adult audiobook book fiction -
When the Sun Sleeps by Alix James, Nicole Clarkston
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDisappointed hopes and the kindness of a stranger.Elizabeth Bennet is as content as a girl with a wounded heart can be. Mr. Bingley has returned to Jane with promising attentions, and all is well... except that no one knows what has become of Mr. Darcy...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction retellings adult anthologies fiction historical -
The Darcy Monologues by Christina Boyd, Joana Starnes
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“You must allow me to tell you...” For over two hundred years, Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy has captivated readers’ imaginations as the ultimate catch. Rich. Powerful. Noble. Handsome...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction retellings adult anthologies audiobook fiction -
Queen of the Hollow Hills by Melanie Karsak
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom ancient henges to windswept mountains, dive into a world where pagan gods rule, powerful priestesses weave magic, and fierce Celtic tribes battle for dominance.Britain, AD 38. Having defeated her enemies, Queen Cartimandua works swiftly to stabilize the north. But not all foes yield quietly...Categorized as:
historical-fiction roman-empire ancient-civilization myths romance fantasy historical royalty -
-
The Pasha of Cuisine by Saygın Ersin
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor readers of Ken Follett's Kingsbridge series and Richard C. Morais's The Hundred-Foot Journey, a sweeping tale of love and the magic of food set during the Ottoman Empire.A Pasha of Cuisine is a rare talent in Ottoman lore. Only two, maybe three are born with such a gift every few centuries... -
Music in the Hills by D. E. Stevenson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter spending time combatting terrorists in Malaya, James Dering returns to Scotland. He starts a new life at Mureth House, the home of his aunt and uncle, Mamie and Jock Johnstone, where he hopes to learn to be a farmer. But he soon learns that picking up farming isn’t an easy task, and is made even more complicated by the unexpected ups and down of rural village life...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book fiction historical -
The Rain Queen by Katherine Scholes
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTwo women, bound by a shocking event, drawn to a vast and beautiful country they cannot forget. Kate Carrington has cut all ties with Africa, the land of her birth. Her past is buried alongside her missionary parents, the last reminders locked safely away in the attic. But when a mysterious woman moves in next door, Kate's carefully constructed world is torn apart...Categorized as:
colonization historical-fiction literary-fiction adult book drama fiction friendship -
Unbound by John Shors
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJohn Shors reimagined one of the world’s greatest love stories—the romance that inspired the Taj Mahal—in his critically acclaimed, international bestseller Beneath a Marble Sky. Now, with Unbound, Shors recreates an ancient and celebrated Chinese legend about a pair of young lovers separated by war and the Great Wall. The year is 1548, and the Chinese Empire faces an imminent Mongol invasion...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization historical-fiction retellings romance historical fiction book adult -
The Course of Honor by Lindsey Davis
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRome in the first century A.D. saw the corrupt and bloody reigns of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, as well as the Year of the Four Emperors. It also saw the rise of Vespasian, the destitute son of a provincial senator who brought peace to the empire after years of strife, court intrigue, and murder...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization classics historical-fiction roman-empire adult audiobook book crime -
Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story by William Shakespeare, Arthur Laurents
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe tragedy of love thwarted by fate has always intrigued writers. In the sixteenth century, William Shakespeare took this theme and fashioned one of the world's great plays: ROMEO AND JULIET. In our own time, Shakespeare's drama has been used as a basis for the overwhelmingly successful musical play WEST SIDE STORY...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction retellings book drama fiction high-school -
Heroides by Ovid
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn the twenty-one poems of the Heroides, Ovid gave voice to the heroines and heroes of epic and myth. These deeply moving literary epistles reveal the happiness and torment of love, as the writers tell of their pain at separation, forgiveness of infidelity or anger at betrayal... -
Anna Karenina Volume 2 by Leo Tolstoy
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 edition. Excerpt: .. -
Le Morte d'Arthur Volume 2: King Arthur and of His Noble Knights of the Round Table by Thomas Malory, D. Gardner
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe full work of Thomas Malory...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction myths university action-adventure adult arthurian -
Nottingham: The True Story of Robyn Hood by Anna Burke
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRobyn Hood didn’t set out to rob the rich, but in Nottingham, nothing ever goes according to plan....After a fateful hunting accident sends her on the run from the law, Robyn finds herself deep in the heart of Sherwood Forest... -
-
Masquerade by Joel Abernathy
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn MM Phantom of the Opera RetellingWe all wear masks. He came to me like a ghost singing songs of the past… An angel, promising redemption. Now I know the truth of the man behind the mask, and Erik’s soul is more broken and twisted than I ever imagined. ~ Even an angel’s wings can be broken. The moment I heard his voice, I knew he was mine. Mine to teach. Mine to mold. Mine to possess... -
Horatio by T.J. Klune
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn October 15, 1979, two men take to the road, leaving their town behind, waiting for the peanut farmer president to come onto the radio to make an important announcement about the future of all mankind. In the hours leading up to the broadcast, Jamie and Harry will look back on their relationship, and what it means to live in defiance like there's no tomorrow... -
The Master's Wall by Sandi Rog
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe fights for his freedom. She fights for her life. Together, they fight for each other. After watching Roman soldiers drag his parents away to their death, David, a young Hebrew, is sold and enslaved to serve at a villa outside of Rome. As David trains to become a skilled fighter, he works hard to please his master and hopes to earn his freedom...Categorized as:
ancient-civilization historical-fiction literary-fiction roman-empire book christian drama fiction -
El Rey de Les Halles by Juliette Benzoni, Francisco Rodriguez de Lecea
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWearing a dress that is splattered with blood and clasping a doll to her chest, Sylvie de Valaines, a four-year-old girl, wanders the streets of the small village of Anet. The year is 1626 and her entire family has just been murdered, likely on the orders of Cardinal Richelieu. When a young boy of 10--Francois de Borbon-Vendome, the prince of Martigues--finds her, he brings her to his castle... -
Unintended: A Pride and Prejudice Accident by Alix James, Nicole Clarkston
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat if... the person who caught you in your most embarrassing moment is also the one your heart was meant to find? It was never supposed to happen. Elizabeth Bennet never planned to get trapped in a ridiculous situation, and she certainly never intended for the person who found her to be a dizzyingly handsome... tall... and odiously haughty man who seems to regret ever meeting her...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction retellings adult anthologies female-mc fiction -
Queen of Winter: A Pride and Prejudice Novella by Alix James, Nicole Clarkston
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWinter is a curse, bringing nothing but cold and darkness.Until he meets the Queen.Elizabeth Bennet is at the end of her strength. A frantic search for her missing sister Lydia has led her into danger she could never have imagined. Alone, injured, and lost, she stumbles into a snowstorm and loses hope. And then she loses conciousness...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction retellings adult anthologies fiction historical -
Fluch Der Begierde by May McGoldrick
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWANTED…for crimes against the king. In retaliation for the brutality of the English troops. The Irish rebel Egan is fighting back, leading a secret group of revolutionaries—and building his legend across the country. REJECTED…by his own family. Jane Purefoy is a woman with a past. The daughter of an English magistrate, she watched her Irish lover die on the gallows... -
Call It Hope: Variations on a Jane Austen Christmas by Susan Adriani
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThere is no one’s society I find more acceptable than your own; no one whose friendship I have longed for as I have longed for yours.AS CHRISTMAS APPROACHES, it appears to Elizabeth Bennet that only Shakespeare himself could have devised a more wretched comedy of errors... -
Extra Scenes by S.A. Chakraborty
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn addition to the main trilogy books, there have been a number of alternate, deleted, or extra scenes involving the main characters that have been posted online by the author. Some were pre-order bonuses, fluff written during the Covid-19 quarantine, or old scenes that got cut from the final book script.As a treat for readers in the lead-up to the publication of The Empire of Gold, S.A... -
Becoming by Jeanne Reames
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo boys, one heroic bond, and the molding of Greece’s greatest son. Before he became known as Alexander the Great, he was Alexandros, the teenage son of the king of Makedon. Rather than living a life of luxury, as prince he has to be better and learn faster than his peers, tackling problems without any help...Categorized as:
historical-fiction lgbtq myths ancient-civilization retellings classics romance historical -
-
The Heartless Divine by Varsha Ravi
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this unexpected twist on mythology inspired by Sangam India, reincarnated lovers find themselves bound together, connected to their past by a centuries old tragedy that only one of them remembers. In the ruthless martial empire of Naja, Suri is the crown’s unfailing blade. But the princess dreams of a life exploring the lands beyond the borders, unshackled by blood... -
Goldene Zwanziger, dreckige Wahrheiten by Anna Basener
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDas neue Audible Original Hörspiel entführt in die Halbwelt der 1920er Jahre in Berlin: Die berühmte deutschstämmige Hollywoodschauspielerin Hedi (Jeanette Hain) sitzt in einem Frauengefängnis in Hollywood. Sie hat einen Mann erschossen... -
The Incandescent Threads by Richard Zimler
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom the acclaimed author of The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon and The Warsaw Anagrams comes an unforgettable, deeply moving ode to solidarity, heroism and the kind of love capable of overcoming humanity’s greatest horror. The latest novel in the Sephardic Cycle, a group of independent works that explore the lives of different branches and generations of a Portuguese-Jewish family, the Zarcos... -
A White Bird Flying by Bess Streeter Aldrich
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAbbie Deal, the matriarch of a pioneer Nebraska family, has died at the beginning of A White Bird Flying, leaving her china and heavy furniture to others and to her granddaughter Laura the secret of her dream of finer things...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction book family fiction historical literary -
A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity by Amy D'Orazio
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIs not the very meaning of love that it surpasses every objection against it? Jilted. Never did Mr. Darcy imagine it could happen to him. But it has, and by Elizabeth Bennet, the woman who first hated and rejected him but then came to love him—he believed—and agree to be his wife. Alas, it is a short-lived, ill-fated romance that ends nearly as soon as it has begun. No reason is given...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction literary-fiction retellings adult audiobook book fiction -
Of A Sunday Evening by Amy D'Orazio
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"I declare I do not know a more awful object than Darcy, on particular occasions, and in particular places; at his own house especially, and of a Sunday evening, when he has nothing to do...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction retellings adult anthologies fiction historical industrial-era
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.