Books like 'The Pursuit of Pleasure'
Readers who enjoyed The Pursuit of Pleasure by Elizabeth Essex also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical marriage of convenience military georgian m-f commander second chances war betrayal independent heroine
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Kvinnene by Kristin Hannah
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 85 ratingsFrom the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women—at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation... -
![The Secret Midwife by Soraya M. Lane]()
The Secret Midwife by Soraya M. Lane
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsLondon, 1995: When on the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz a news broadcast runs an appeal for information on the identity of a midwife who saved hundreds of lives, Emilia knows it is time to finally tell her story... -
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![The Occupation by Deborah Swift]()
The Occupation by Deborah Swift
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA page-turning historical saga that will pull at your heartstrings! For fans of Freda Lightfoot, Pam Jenoff, Sebastian Faulks and Kate Atkinson. One woman’s secret war against the Nazis. One man’s war against himself… 1940, Jersey When Nazi forces occupy Jersey in the English Channel Islands, Céline Huber, who is married to a German, must decide where her loyalty lies... -
![The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester]()
The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice.England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn't be more different. Skye is a daring and brash pilot, and Liberty the one to defy her at every turn... -
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![The Parisians by Marius Gabriel]()
The Parisians by Marius Gabriel
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsParis, 1940. The Nazis have occupied the city—and the Ritz. The opulent old hotel, so loved by Parisians, is now full of swaggering officers, their minions and their mistresses.For American Olivia Olsen, working as a chambermaid at the hotel means denying her nationality and living a lie, every day bringing the danger of discovery closer... -
![New Neighbors for Coronation Close by Lizzie Lane]()
New Neighbors for Coronation Close by Lizzie Lane
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsBristol 1936Jenny Crawford has resigned herself to a loveless marriage living hand to mouth with their two children. Like many others, husband Roy struggles to find work at the docks but a chance encounter turns his outlook and the family's fortunes around.Not only does he get regular work but they are also allocated a council house on Coronation Close on the outskirts of the city... -
![The German Midwife by Mandy Robotham]()
The German Midwife by Mandy Robotham
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFor readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Kate Furnivall comes a gritty tale of courage, betrayal and love in the most unlikely of places. Germany, 1944. Taken from the camps to serve the Fuhrer himself, Anke Hoff has been assigned as midwife to one of Hitler’s inner circle. If she refuses, her family will die... -
![Fire and Fury for the Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane]()
Fire and Fury for the Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsAs war rages, everyone has to do their bit...Bristol 1941As the clouds of war grow bleaker both at home and abroad, the Tobacco Girls are determined to do their bit for King and Country. To that end Maisie Miles and Bridget Milligan become voluntary ambulance drivers... -
![The Ops Room Girls: An uplifting and romantic WW2 saga by Vicki Beeby]()
The Ops Room Girls: An uplifting and romantic WW2 saga by Vicki Beeby
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen Evie’s dreams come crashing down, she’s determined to still make something of herself in these trying times…It is 1939 and working class Evie Bishop has received a scholarship to study mathematics at Oxford when tragedy turns her life upside down... -
![The Rebel by Tess Thompson]()
The Rebel by Tess Thompson
She watches helplessly as the man she loves leaves to fight with the Allies overseas. He promises her he will return to her alive and well. Will he be able to keep his promise, or will he be yet another lost soldier in a war against tyranny?After four years at a university, Delphia Barnes returns home to Emerson Pass as America prepares to join the war... -
![Wedding Bells at Goodwill House by Fenella J Miller]()
Wedding Bells at Goodwill House by Fenella J Miller
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsJanuary 1941As the residents of Goodwill House feel the hard bite of winter, land girl Charlie Somiton is still glad of the warm friendships she has made there. Not just her fellow land girls, Daphne and Sal, but also dashing local G.P. Dr James Willoughby who looked after Charlie when she was injured at work... -
![People Like Us by Louise Fein]()
People Like Us by Louise Fein
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFor fans of The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See, a spellbinding story of impossible love set against the backdrop of the Nazi regime.As the dutiful daughter of a high-ranking Nazi officer, Hetty Heinrich is keen to play her part in the glorious new Thousand Year Reich... -
![The Girl From the Island by Lorna Cook]()
The Girl From the Island by Lorna Cook
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA world at war.One woman will risk everything.Another will uncover her story.1940: When the island of Guernsey is invaded by the Nazis, two sisters are determined to rebel in any way they can. But when forced to take in a German soldier, they are shocked to find a familiar face on their doorstep – a childhood friend who has now become their enemy... -
![Marriage and Mayhem for the Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane]()
Marriage and Mayhem for the Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDiscover the brand new instalment in Lizzie Lane's bestselling Tobacco Girls series! War is fleeting, but true love last forever...May 1944Hope and excitement is in the air when news breaks of the allied forces landing in Normandy. D Day has arrived. However, the day-to-day struggles for the Tobacco Girls continue.Carole Thomas wants her old life back... -
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![The Riviera House by Natasha Lester]()
The Riviera House by Natasha Lester
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Secret weaves a lush and engrossing novel of World War II inspired by a true story and perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Pam Jenoff. Paris, 1939: The Nazis think Éliane can't understand German. They’re wrong. They think she’s merely cataloging art in a Louvre museum and unaware they’re stealing national treasures for their private collections... -
![The Riviera House by Natasha Lester]()
The Riviera House by Natasha Lester
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Secret weaves a lush and engrossing novel of World War II inspired by a true story and perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Pam Jenoff. Paris, 1939: The Nazis think Éliane can't understand German. They’re wrong. They think she’s merely cataloging art in a Louvre museum and unaware they’re stealing national treasures for their private collections... -
![Storm Clouds Rolling In by Virginia Gaffney, Ginny Dye]()
Storm Clouds Rolling In by Virginia Gaffney, Ginny Dye
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsCarrie Cromwell comes of age as the dark clouds of the Civil War swallow the country. Born with a fiery spirit and a strong mind, she finds herself struggling between the common wisdom of the South and the truth she has discovered. The activities of the Underground Railroad and her close friendships with the Cromwell Plantation slaves create difficult choices... -
![The Code Breaker's Secret by Catherine Law]()
The Code Breaker's Secret by Catherine Law
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsLove and duty, codes and spies... Kent, 1939Soon to marry her childhood sweetheart, Eliza thinks her life is set. But when war breaks out, everything changes and, while helping the soldiers returning from Dunkirk, she bumps into Lewis, an unforgettable stranger from her past... -
![The Grass Crown by Colleen McCullough]()
The Grass Crown by Colleen McCullough
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsIn this great drama, Marius, the general who saved Rome from barbarian invasion and became consul an unprecedented six times, has fallen into decline. Sulla, his closest associate, has withdrawn himself from his commander's circle in preparation for his own bid for power... -
![An Heiress for August by Kathleen Ayers]()
An Heiress for August by Kathleen Ayers
London’s most notorious rake needs to wed.August Wade was never meant to be the Duke of Courtland. Now he’s inherited the title from his uncle along with the poorly managed ducal estates. After months of attempting to remedy the situation, August concludes that he must wed an heiress. Specifically, Miss Hazel Dartmont, only child of an obnoxiously wealthy textile merchant... -
![Heaven and Hell for the Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane]()
Heaven and Hell for the Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsALL NEW from the Tobacco GirlsBRISTOL 1943 and life for the Tobacco Girls isn’t getting any easier...Bridget Milligan has donned a uniform and joined the nursing services where she becomes intrigued with the miracles of modern medicine. She’s also torn between family loyalty, her new career and Lyndon O’Neill, the love of her life... -
![The Time in Between by María Dueñas, Carlos Romão]()
The Time in Between by María Dueñas, Carlos Romão
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsThe Time In Between is a word-of-mouth phenomenon that catapulted María Dueñas, a debut author, to the top of Spain's bestseller lists.This sweeping novel, which combines the storytelling power of The Shadow of the Wind with the irresistible romance of Casablanca, moves at an unstoppable pace. Suddenly left abandoned and penniless in Morocco by her lover, Sira Quiroga forges a new identity... -
![Miss Desirable by Grace Burrowes]()
Miss Desirable by Grace Burrowes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMiss Catherine Fairchild spent much of her life haring about the globe with her diplomat parents, though she grasped at a young age that as a legitimate by-blow, her social standing among Polite Society would be marginal at best... -
![Wartime with the Tram Girls by Lynn Johnson]()
Wartime with the Tram Girls by Lynn Johnson
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 13 ratings‘ Absolutely loved this book from start to finish, I couldn’t put it down ' ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review While the men are off fighting, the women keep the country moving… July 1914 : Britain is in turmoil as WW1 begins to change the world. While the young men disappear off to foreign battlefields, the women left at home throw themselves into jobs meant for the boys... -
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![The Promise by Lesley Pearse]()
The Promise by Lesley Pearse
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLondon 1914 Belle Reilly finally has the life she's dreamed of thanks to a devoted husband in Jimmy and the hat shop she's wanted to own since she was a child. But as the storm clouds of World War One begin to gather, Belle's already turbulent life is to change in ways she never imagined possible... -
![Tamed by the Lyon by Chasity Bowlin]()
Tamed by the Lyon by Chasity Bowlin
It was their first kiss, possibly her first kiss ever. All the more reason to get it right.Abandoned at the altar by her groom in favor of her younger sister, Miss Madeline Keyes has become an object of pity, scorn and scandal. Rather than flee to the countryside to rusticate as a spinster with her less than loving parents, she seeks the aid of Mrs... -
![The Moonstone Marquess by Meara Platt]()
The Moonstone Marquess by Meara Platt
What happens when a battle-scarred hero bent on destroying himself meets an irresistible force by the name of Phoebe?Lady Phoebe Killigrew is appalled by the scandalous country parties their new neighbor, a war hero marquess, is holding at his estate in Moonstone Landing. She has every intention of keeping well away from him, until a governess arrives at her door with his two nieces... -
![The Last Hours in Paris: A Novel by Ruth Druart]()
The Last Hours in Paris: A Novel by Ruth Druart
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsFrom the author of While Paris Slept comes a story of great love, betrayal, and redemption, set in WWII and 1960s France and England."Words are power. They can bring you down, lift you up, make your heart soar, make you fall in love. Or make you hate." Paris 1944 . Elise Chevalier knows what it is to love . . . and to hate... -
![The Girl from Bologna by Siobhan Daiko]()
The Girl from Bologna by Siobhan Daiko
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 11 ratings1944Bologna, Italy , and the streets are crawling with German soldiers. Nineteen-year-old Leila Venturi is shocked into joining the Resistance after her beloved best friend Rebecca, the daughter of a prominent Jewish businessman, is ruthlessly deported to a concentration camp.1981Exchange student Rhiannon Hughes arrives in Bologna and meets Leila, her landlady... -
![The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne]()
The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsFrom the author of The Absolutist, a propulsive novel of the Russian Revolution and the fate of the Romanovs. Part love story, part historical epic, part tragedy, The House of Special Purpose illuminates an empire at the end of its reign. Eighty-year-old Georgy Jachmenev is haunted by his past—a past of death, suffering, and scandal that will stay with him until the end of his days... -
![New Recruits at Goodwill House by Fenella J. Miller]()
New Recruits at Goodwill House by Fenella J. Miller
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMay 1940There are new residents at Goodwill House – WAAF drivers Camilla ‘Millie’ Cunningham and Diane Forsyth, both eager to do their bit for the war effort and excited to be helping the brave boys who fly.And when Millie meets dashing and heroic Spitfire pilot Ted Thorrington, they strike up an instant connection... -
![Daughter of the Reich by Louise Fein]()
Daughter of the Reich by Louise Fein
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsFor fans of The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See, a spellbinding story of impossible love set against the backdrop of the Nazi regime. She must choose between loyalty to her country or a love that could be her destruction… As the dutiful daughter of a high-ranking Nazi officer, Hetty Heinrich is keen to play her part in the glorious new Thousand Year Reich... -
![Caesar's Women by Colleen McCullough]()
Caesar's Women by Colleen McCullough
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Colleen McCullough re-creates an extraordinary epoch before the mighty Republic belonged to Julius Caesar—when Rome's noblewomen were his greatest conquest.His victories were legend—in battle and bedchamber alike. Love was a political weapon he wielded cunningly and ruthlessly in his private war against enemies in the forum... -
![Home Coming by Cat Johnson]()
Home Coming by Cat Johnson
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBailey Knowles needs a fake boyfriend, not a bodyguard, to teach her cheating ex a lesson, even if everyone insists she hire one to fend off the threats she's been getting. Luckily it looks like one unsuspecting Navy SEAL will be perfect to step into the role of both.Quinn Baldwin takes the long road home to visit his family, but instead finds TikTok sensation Bailey Knowles. She needs protection... -
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![Girls on the Line by Aimie K. Runyan]()
Girls on the Line by Aimie K. Runyan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFrom the celebrated author of Daughters of the Night Sky comes a stirring novel inspired by the courage, dedication, and love of the unsung heroines of the Great War. December 1917. As World War I rages in Europe, twenty-four-year-old Ruby Wagner, the jewel in a prominent Philadelphia family, prepares for her upcoming wedding to a society scion... -
![The Lost Dressmaker of Paris by Suzanne Fortin]()
The Lost Dressmaker of Paris by Suzanne Fortin
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen Darcie purchases several old suitcases at auction that had been abandoned in a railway station locker, she doesn't know what to expect.The first is disappointing but as she opens the second, she discovers rare and beautiful dresses for the 1940s, lovingly folded, and a notebook of designs to go with them... -
![Daughters of the Night Sky by Aimie K. Runyan]()
Daughters of the Night Sky by Aimie K. Runyan
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsA novel—inspired by the most celebrated regiment in the Red Army—about a woman’s sacrifice, courage, and love in a time of war. Russia, 1941. Katya Ivanova is a young pilot in a far-flung military academy in the Ural Mountains. From childhood, she’s dreamed of taking to the skies to escape her bleak mountain life... -
![Welcome to Weaver Street by Chrissie Walsh]()
Welcome to Weaver Street by Chrissie Walsh
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIf you love Nadine Dorries and Katie Flynn, you'll love Chrissie Walsh's WWI story of love, loss and triumph!Kitty and Tom Conlon arrive in Liverpool in July 1916 to claim the house Tom’s great-uncle has bequeathed him in his will. The move to England couldn’t have come at a better time. Dublin is in turmoil following the Easter Uprising and Kitty’s brother is now in prison... -
![Weaver Street at War by Chrissie Walsh]()
Weaver Street at War by Chrissie Walsh
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe BRAND NEW release from Chrissie WalshPraise for Chrissie Walsh'Full of joy, sorrow and a big pinch of fun. I loved it' Elizabeth Gill'A captivating story of family, relations and the complexities of life. With truly heart-tugging moments that make you shed a tear... -
![Winter at Bletchley Park by Molly Green]()
Winter at Bletchley Park by Molly Green
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratings‘Draws you in from the start and doesn’t let you go until the end’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Wonderfully written and oozing wartime spirit. Couldn’t ask for more!’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐The second inspiring novel in the heartwarming and hopeful Bletchley Park Girls series from the queen of saga, Molly Green…When Rosie Frost was jilted on her wedding day, she didn’t think life could get any worse... -
![Skybound by Aleksandr Voinov]()
Skybound by Aleksandr Voinov
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsGermany, 1945. The Third Reich is on its knees as Allied forces bomb Berlin to break the last resistance. Yet on an airfield near Berlin, the battle is far from over for a young mechanic, Felix, who’s attached to a squadron of fighter pilots. He’s especially attached to fighter ace Baldur Vogt, a man he admires and secretly loves... -
![Forever Betrothed, Never the Bride by Christi Caldwell]()
Forever Betrothed, Never the Bride by Christi Caldwell
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsHopeless romantic, Lady Emmaline Fitzhugh, is tired of sitting with the wallflowers, waiting for her betrothed to come to his senses and marry her. When Emmaline reads one too many reports of his scandalous liaisons in the gossip rags, she takes matters into her own hands... -
![The Lieutenant's Girl by Shari J. Ryan]()
The Lieutenant's Girl by Shari J. Ryan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsPearl Harbor, 1941. War planes hurtle across the horizon, skimming the clouds. Gunpowder fills the air as the earth shatters. Everett’s hands cup my cheeks. “If I lose you, Elizabeth, please know that the time I’ve spent with you has been worth every second I’ve been alive... -
![The Broken Vow by Luisa A. Jones]()
The Broken Vow by Luisa A. Jones
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsMarriage was what Charlotte had been brought up to. After all, it provided a happy ending for all the heroines in the novels she sometimes read. So it would be for her… right?Born into luxury, Charlotte Fitznorton has always known a life filled with lavish parties and a line of suitors, all part of a future neatly laid out for her by her father, Sir Lucien... -
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![The War Pianist by Mandy Robotham]()
The War Pianist by Mandy Robotham
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsPianist: NOUN. Informal. A person who operates or controls a radio transmitter – often in code.July, 1940Blitz-ridden London: Marnie Fern’s life is torn apart when her grandfather is killed in an air raid... -
![Miss Dignified by Grace Burrowes]()
Miss Dignified by Grace Burrowes
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsLydia Lovelace has taken the housekeeper’s post in the London home of Captain Dylan Powell. The captain is short on charm, but he’s known for his rapport with, and support of, former soldiers trying to make a peacetime life in London... -
![The Wartime Bookshop by Lesley Eames]()
The Wartime Bookshop by Lesley Eames
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe first in a series of nostalgic and heart-warming WWII saga novels about a community-run bookshop in a small Hertfordshire village, perfect for fans of Donna Douglas and Elaine Everest.Alice moves to the village of Churchwood with her retired father just as WWII breaks out... -
![Captured by Mary Lancaster]()
Captured by Mary Lancaster
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAwakening life and love… On the sudden death of her oppressive father in a duel, the cool and distant Lady Hera Severne finds herself floundering in her new freedom, and instantly attracted to sardonic doctor, Justin Rivers. Determined to change her life, she travels incognito to Lincolnshire, to take up a post as companion to Lady Astley and learn about life.But nothing is as she imagined it... -
![A Daughter's Choice by Cathy Sharp]()
A Daughter's Choice by Cathy Sharp
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHeartache and hardship in London’s East End, from the bestselling author of The Orphans of Halfpenny StreetKathy Cole, is a determined young woman. She refuses to stay at home with her bitter, drunken father and is instead determined to do her bit for the men in the Great War by training to be a nurse... -
![Irish Eyes by Hope C. Tarr]()
Irish Eyes by Hope C. Tarr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAran Islands 1898.Eighteen-year-old Rose O’Neill leaves her beloved Ireland and boards a steamer bound for New York City. She’s starting a new life with Adam, the American soldier who’s sworn to marry her.But when she arrives at New York Harbour Rose finds herself abandoned, pregnant and alone...
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