Books like 'Villette'
Readers who enjoyed Villette by Charlotte Brontë also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical dark romance victorian mystery high-school suspense angst horror m-f age difference
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The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 118 ratingsIn The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath’s hauntingly beautiful semi-autobiographical novel, readers are invited into the mind of Esther Greenwood, a young woman whose dreams of literary success unravel into a descent into mental illness... -
![Murder on the Mirrored Lake by Deb Marlowe]()
Murder on the Mirrored Lake by Deb Marlowe
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOld secrets dragged into the light . . . can turn deadly.Someone wants Niall Kier’s secrets exposed—even if they lead to scandal, unrest . . . and murder. Miss Kara Levett has discovered a talent for unearthing secrets and truths, but she’s vowed not to turn it on her friend—and more—Mr. Niall Kier. His secrets are his own, until he chooses to share them... -
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![A Rogue to Remember by Chasity Bowlin, Alexandra Ralph]()
A Rogue to Remember by Chasity Bowlin, Alexandra Ralph
Welcome to Book One in "The Hellion Club", the nickname for the Darrow School, where miscreant noblemen send their illegitimate daughters to keep them out of sight, out of mind, and to make them employable...Categorized as:
suspense mystery victorian historical regency marriage of convenience dark open-door -
![Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer]()
Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsFrom the internationally bestselling author of Kane and Abel and A Prisoner of Birth comes Only Time Will Tell, the first in an ambitious new series that tells the story of one family across generations, across oceans, from heartbreak to triumph. The epic tale of Harry Clifton’s life begins in 1920, with the words “I was told that my father was killed in the war... -
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![The Villain by Victoria Vale]()
The Villain by Victoria Vale
Book 1 of 2 in the Villain Duology, a Dark Regency Erotic Romance duet set in the wilds of Scotland. A heartless villain… Lady Daphne Fairchild braves the journey from London to the wilds of Scotland alone with one purpose in mind: confront the man who purposely and methodically set out to ruin the men of her family...Categorized as:
mystery cruel hero virgin heroine cold hero suspense tortured hero m-f forbidden love -
![The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne]()
The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne
The bravest of heroes. The brashest of rebels. The boldest of lovers. These are the men who risk their hearts and their souls—for the passionate women who dare to love them… He is known only as The Rook. A man with no name, no past, no memories. He awakens in a mass grave, a magnificent dragon tattoo on his muscled forearm the sole clue to his mysterious origins...Categorized as:
victorian friends to lovers virgin heroine angst tortured hero cold hero class difference m-f -
![The Devil in the Duke: A Revelry’s Tempest Novel by K.J. Jackson]()
The Devil in the Duke: A Revelry’s Tempest Novel by K.J. Jackson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA man accustomed to hiding secrets. A woman with a lost past. Love that cannot be denied. A man accustomed to hiding secrets. His dark silver eyes are haunted, and for good reason. Logan Lipinstein lost his wife years ago in the war and has been a living shell of a man ever since, attempting to atone for past sins. Until one fateful day, when she walks past him carrying a basket of bread...Categorized as:
victorian friends to lovers tortured hero regency historical second chances tortured heroine abuse -
![The Cursed Heir: A chilling, gripping historical mystery from bestseller Heather Atkinson by Heather Atkinson]()
The Cursed Heir: A chilling, gripping historical mystery from bestseller Heather Atkinson by Heather Atkinson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratings'I have read ALL Heather Atkinson's books. They are all fantastic.'Edinburgh 1896. At Alardyce House, the family are gathered to celebrate the engagement of the heir to the estate, Robert, to his childhood sweetheart. But what should be a precious memory for his mother Amy, is marred by darkness... -
![The Captive Duke by Grace Burrowes]()
The Captive Duke by Grace Burrowes
New York Times bestselling author Grace Burrowes dazzles in this sexy Regency romance, featuring:* A tortured duke desperate to find peace* A secret only his quiet young daughter knows* A fearless lady who would do anything for the ones she loves* And of course* Happily ever after!Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia, nearly lost his will to live after the brutal fighting in France... -
![Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt]()
Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt
A MAN OF SIN Devastatingly handsome. Vain. Unscrupulous. Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste to all his plans... -
![Her Villain by S.M. LaViolette]()
Her Villain by S.M. LaViolette
She deserves a hero. How unfortunate that he can only ever be her villain…. David Remington is…lacking. Lacking empathy. Emotion.In fact, it’s what he lacks that makes him such an efficient agent of the Crown. He can carry out any mission—no matter how dark—ruthlessly. Coldly.Until he met her.Calliope Fowler is most inconvenient. Beautiful. Smart... -
![Anger by Lily White]()
Anger by Lily White
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFifth CircleAngerAlso Known as Damon CrossThere is darkness that surrounds this man.One fueled by his past and ignited by his presentHe knows what it means to lose, but he never stops fightingHe wears his heart on his sleeveBut exists within nightmaresHe is shrouded in the name the Inferno gave him.Angry.Feral.Wild and CarelessDamon is an unpredictable storm without rhyme or reason... -
![Savage Kingdom by C. Lymari]()
Savage Kingdom by C. Lymari
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsThe Sekt does not forgive.The Sekt does not forget.Keeper of secrets and dealers of lies.We bow to no king, nations, or men.Crossing us is certain death. • • • • • •He was a mercenary, and I a slave. He wanted to save me, but I liked the pain. We stole, cheated, and lied. Through a savage kingdom, we found a divide. He betrayed me, but so did I... -
![To Have and To Hold by Patricia Gaffney]()
To Have and To Hold by Patricia Gaffney
Suave, cynical, and too handsome for his own good, Sebastian Verlaine never expects to become a magistrate judging the petty crimes of his tenants and neighbors. Nor can the new Viscount D’Aubrey foresee that, when a fallen woman appears before him, he’ll find himself beguiled against all reason to alter her terrible fate... -
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![The Thief's Daughter: An utterly unforgettable and spellbinding historical romance about forbidden love by Victoria Cornwall]()
The Thief's Daughter: An utterly unforgettable and spellbinding historical romance about forbidden love by Victoria Cornwall
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHide from the thief-taker, for if he finds you, he will take you away …Eighteenth-century Cornwall is crippled by debt and poverty, while the gibbet casts a shadow of fear over the land. Yet, when night falls, free traders swarm onto the beaches and smuggling prospers.Terrified by a thief-taker’s warning as a child, Jenna has resolved to be good... -
![Lord of Wicked Intentions by Lorraine Heath]()
Lord of Wicked Intentions by Lorraine Heath
Only one woman can break through his heart of stone... Three young heirs, imprisoned by an unscrupulous uncle, escaped—to the sea, to the streets, to faraway battle—awaiting the day when they would return to reclaim their birthright... Lord Rafe Easton may be of noble blood, but survival taught him to rely only on himself and to love no one...Categorized as:
victorian virgin heroine tortured hero shy heroine class difference angst cold hero super rich hero -
![His Harlot by S.M. LaViolette]()
His Harlot by S.M. LaViolette
What’s the most ruinous mistake a harlot can make?Falling in love with her client …Edward Fanshawe is everything Nora Hudson wants in the bedroom—and everything she should avoid out of it. He gives her the pain, humiliation, and domination she craves from a sexual partner, but his search for the perfect, blue-blooded wife means the last thing Nora should do is fall for him. Except…it’s too late... -
![Masquerade by Joel Abernathy]()
Masquerade by Joel Abernathy
An MM Phantom of the Opera Retelling We 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...Categorized as:
horror first-person-pov victorian cold hero cruel hero tortured hero age difference m-m -
![Decision at Delphi by Helen MacInnes]()
Decision at Delphi by Helen MacInnes
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsKenneth Strang sets out for Sicily and Greece on a seemingly innocent, though fascinating, magazine assignment. But even before his ship sails from New York, the atmosphere becomes charged with sinister omens. In the course of the voyage one mysterious event follows another... -
![The Laughing Cavalier (The Scarlet Pimpernel (chronological order) #0.4) by Emmuska Orczy]()
The Laughing Cavalier (The Scarlet Pimpernel (chronological order) #0.4) by Emmuska Orczy
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThis 1913 adventure tale, The Laughing Cavalier, centres on Percy Blakeney, a foreign adventurer and the progenitor of Baroness Orczy's well-known figure, the Scarlet Pimpernel. Frans Hals' artwork The Laughing Cavalier served as the model for a section of the story, which takes place in Holland between 1623 and 1624... -
![On Good Authority by Briana Una McGuckin]()
On Good Authority by Briana Una McGuckin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRepressed desires, irresistible obsessions, and perception-twisting games.When lady’s maid Marian Osley and footman Valentine Hobbs assume their positions at the cliff-top estate of Valor Rise, they already share a history. Raised together as paupers in a London workhouse, they escaped through games of imaginary crimes and sublime punishment... -
![On Good Authority by Briana Una McGuckin]()
On Good Authority by Briana Una McGuckin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRepressed desires, irresistible obsessions, and perception-twisting games.When lady’s maid Marian Osley and footman Valentine Hobbs assume their positions at the cliff-top estate of Valor Rise, they already share a history. Raised together as paupers in a London workhouse, they escaped through games of imaginary crimes and sublime punishment... -
![Once in a Blue Moon by Penelope Williamson]()
Once in a Blue Moon by Penelope Williamson
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThose who knew spoke of the infamous Trelawny men in hushed, shocked whispers. But to flame-haired Jessalyn Letty, wild, captivating child of the storm-tossed Cornish moors, McCady Trelawny was the most fascinating man she had ever met. Few knew of the dream that burned in McCady's secret soul - a dream destined to change the world. But Jessalyn knew and shared his passion...Categorized as:
victorian shy heroine virgin heroine cruel hero historical dark regency strong heroine -
![Her Wanton Wager by Grace Callaway]()
Her Wanton Wager by Grace Callaway
An Heiress on a Mission… After two failed Seasons, Persephone Fines has vowed to reform her hoydenish ways. But when her beloved brother falls into the clutches of wicked gamester Gavin Hunt, she must take action. Hunt offers her a shocking proposition: he will release her brother… if she can resist six nights of seduction... -
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![Ethan: Lord of Scandals by Grace Burrowes]()
Ethan: Lord of Scandals by Grace Burrowes
Ethan Grey's life was shattered... Estranged from his family, widowed, and weary from fighting his troubled past, Ethan Grey now has a chance to replace loneliness with love. His sons' beautiful and stubborn governess might help him battle his ghosts, but it's been a long time since he let himself get close to anyone. Alice Portman has more in common with Ethan than she can comfortably admit... -
![The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale]()
The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale
THE SHADOW Wealthy, powerful and majestically handsome, he is a man of dark secrets--a master of the ancient martial arts of an exotic distant land. Scarred by a childhood of shocking degradation, he has sworn to love chastely... but burns with the fires of unfulfilled passion... -
![The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett]()
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
Rated: 3.91 of 5 stars · 68 ratingsSam Spade is hired by the fragrant Miss Wonderley to track down her sister, who has eloped with a louse called Floyd Thursby... -
![Lemonade by Nina Pennacchi]()
Lemonade by Nina Pennacchi
As a young woman in Victorian England, Anna Champion knows all too well the social mores that value prettiness over sense, and etiquette over honesty. But when she stands up to the boorishness of dashing Christopher Davenport at a summertime ball, Anna unwittingly attracts his wrath—and becomes entangled in his malicious scheming...Categorized as:
victorian virgin heroine cruel hero competent heroine poor heroine tortured hero angst m-f -
![Gabriel's Woman by Robin Schone]()
Gabriel's Woman by Robin Schone
In the erotic tour de force The Lover, readers met not only brooding, passionate Michel des Anges, but his lifelong friend―the mysterious Gabriel, a man with a past as dark as the London night. Now, renowned author Robin Schone explores one of her most talked-about characters in a novel that reveals the blackest secrets of a man's soul...and the explosive heart of a woman's desire... -
![The Price of Desire (Lady Rivendale's Connections, Book Four): Regency Romance by Jo Goodman]()
The Price of Desire (Lady Rivendale's Connections, Book Four): Regency Romance by Jo Goodman
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsForbidden Desires and a Hidden Past Collide in The Price of Desire, by Jo Goodman a Historical Regency Romance from Jo GoodmanNo stranger to society's scandalous whispers, Griffin Wright-Jones, Viscount Breckenridge, operates a gaming hell teeming with temptation—a sanctuary for those eager to test their luck... -
![Breathless by Anne Stuart]()
Breathless by Anne Stuart
Ruined beyond repair and shunned by London society, lovely Miranda Rohan rebelliously embraces the freedom that comes from having nothing left to lose. However, this dangerous course throws her under the power of the darkly enigmatic Lucien de Malheur—known to many as the Scorpion...Categorized as:
victorian tortured hero cruel hero m-f historical strong heroine rape from hate to love -
![A Private Gentleman by Heidi Cullinan]()
A Private Gentleman by Heidi Cullinan
Rated: 3.85 of 5 stars · 23 ratings"To seal their bond, they must break the ties that bind. " Painfully introverted and rendered nearly mute by a heavy stammer, Lord George Albert Westin rarely ventures any farther than the club or his beloved gardens... -
![One Summer by Karen Robards]()
One Summer by Karen Robards
High school teacher Rachel Grant believed in her student Johnny Harris's innocence even after he was convicted of murdering his girlfriend. Now, 10 years later, he's out on parole and Rachel has taken him under her wing, even finding a job for him. It isn't long before their relationship changes and Rachel and Johnny become much more intimate... -
![The Deal by Ann Owen]()
The Deal by Ann Owen
London, 1851. Guy Spencer, the fourth Earl of Ashbourne, deeply hates Jane Hartwell, the girl with whom he shared his childhood. And as the economic problems of the Hartwell family push Jane to ask for his help, Guy offers her a wicked deal: he will save her father from prison, in return she will become his sex slave for six months...Categorized as:
victorian virgin heroine class difference cold hero super rich hero poor heroine cruel hero m-f -
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![The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian]()
The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian
Rated: 3.84 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsA luxurious African safari turns deadly for a Hollywood starlet and her entourage in this riveting historical thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant Tanzania, 1964... -
![The Portrait by Megan Chance]()
The Portrait by Megan Chance
The reigning master of the New York art world, Jonas Whitaker was brilliant and compelling, a man of dark passions and uncontrollable emotions. Terrified of his own dangerous nature, and scarred by the horror of his past, he hid behind his talent in a world of glittering emptiness--until Imogene Carter pushed her way into his life... -
![A Gentleman Tutor by Harper Fox, Callum Hale]()
A Gentleman Tutor by Harper Fox, Callum Hale
Rated: 3.73 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor Frank Harte, impoverished schoolteacher, January in London means a yearly fight to survive. A former soldier, his injuries have barred him from all but the lowest-paid posts, and the cold incapacitates him still more. The chance to work as tutor to Viscount Gracewater, son of the famous big-game hunting Earl, comes as a lifeline to Frank... -
![Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin]()
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
A chilling, mesmerizing novel that combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the detail and drama of historical fiction. In medieval Cambridge, England, four children have been murdered. The crimes are immediately blamed on the town's Jewish community, taken as evidence that Jews sacrifice Christian children in blasphemous ceremonies...Categorized as:
suspense mystery independent heroine competent heroine contemporary dark medieval historical -
![Dreaming of You by Jennifer McNare]()
Dreaming of You by Jennifer McNare
Their passion was ignited by a treachery neither of them could have ever foreseen, yet it resulted in a love that was destined to last forever… To secure the wellbeing of her beloved family, Melody Settrington agrees to marry Charles Cavendish, the elderly Earl of Edgington, despite her reservations...Categorized as:
virgin heroine victorian shy heroine m-f forbidden love tortured hero angst age difference -
![The Price Of Desire by Jo Goodman]()
The Price Of Desire by Jo Goodman
USA Today bestselling author Jo Goodman delivers a deliciously wicked tale of forbidden desire that knows no limits. Olivia Cole is devastated to learn that her ne'er-do-well brother has promised her to the operator of a London gaming hall as payment of his debts. Olivia accepts her fate-even if it means that her reputation will suffer from living among rogues and gamblers... -
![Ritual Sins by Anne Stuart]()
Ritual Sins by Anne Stuart
Rachel Connery is on a seek-and-destroy mission, out for revenge against the mysterious, charismatic man who enticed millions of dollars from her dying mother and cheated her out of her inheritance. She wants retribution and is willing to use every seductive trick at her disposal to obtain it...Categorized as:
mystery tortured hero suspense cruel hero historical contemporary tortured heroine vengeance -
![Scandal by Carolyn Jewel]()
Scandal by Carolyn Jewel
From an author known for her "pulse-pounding action, well-drawn characters, and sexy romance",* comes the tale of a proper young widow and the rake who is out to steal her heart... The Earl of Banallt is no stranger to scandal. But when he meets Sophie Evans, the young wife of a fellow libertine, even he is shocked by his reaction... -
![Reckless by Anne Stuart]()
Reckless by Anne Stuart
Adrian Alistair Rohan lost his faith, and now, a dedicated member of the depraved Heavenly Host, he loses himself in his only pleasure: the seduction and debauchery of beautiful women. Rich, charming and devastatingly skilled in the arts of love, he never fails in his conquests... until Charlotte Spenser... -
![Dreamboat by MalevolentReverie]()
Dreamboat by MalevolentReverie
Rated: 3.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsRey/Ben Solo | Kylo RenA new family moves in to Rey’s cul de sac. She is roped in to babysitting their son, and while his flighty mother is out, Rey is frequently left alone in the house with his cold, strict father, Mr. Solo—who also happens to be her father’s boss...Categorized as:
age difference angst tortured hero daddy-kink dark historical breeding sweet heroine -
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![Lions And Lace by Meagan McKinney]()
Lions And Lace by Meagan McKinney
SHE PLAYED BY HIGH SOCIETY'S RULES The gaslight's glow lit Alana Van Alen's golden hair. Born to luxury, she belonged with the Astors and the Vanderbilts at cotillions and soirees. But she shivered with fear and something more as she faced the handsome, ruthless Trevor Sheridan... -
![The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted]()
The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Rated: 3.72 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsLucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day…a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known... -
![The Submission of Little Emmie by Zoe Blake]()
The Submission of Little Emmie by Zoe Blake
Alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here and here.Amazon #1 Bestseller! "I want you to listen very carefully. According to the law, I own you. I am responsible for every facet of your life. I clothe, feed and shelter you. You do nothing without my knowledge or permission. Some men treat a marriage as a partnership; I am not one of those men. This is not a partnership... -
![Walking on Glass by Iain Banks]()
Walking on Glass by Iain Banks
Rated: 3.70 of 5 stars · 29 ratings'Her eyes were black, wide as though with some sustained surprise, the skin from their outer corners to her small ears taut. Her lips were pale, and nearly too full for her small mouth, like something bled but bruised. He had never seen anyone or anything quite so beautiful in his life.' Graham Park is in love. But Sara Fitch is an enigma to him, a creature of almost perverse mystery... -
![A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott]()
A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott
Rated: 3.68 of 5 stars · 31 ratings"I'd gladly sell my soul to Satan for a year of freedom," shouts impulsive Rosamond Vivian to her heartless grandfather. Suddenly, on a dark night, a moody stranger shows up at Rosamond's isolated island home, ready to believe her when she says she will... -
![Dragonwyck by Anya Seton]()
Dragonwyck by Anya Seton
Rated: 3.68 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA novel of seduction, mystery, and danger set in New York’s Hudson Valley in the nineteenth century, by the author of Foxfire. There was, on the Hudson, a way of life such as this, and there was a house not unlike Dragonwyck . . . In the spring of 1844, the Wells family receives a letter from a distant relative, the wealthy landowner Nicholas Van Ryn...
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