Books like 'This Rotting Heart'
Readers who enjoyed This Rotting Heart by Celeste Baxendell also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy ancient times m-f independent heroine competent heroine sunny hero sweet-hero royalty aristocratic heroine
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Reign & Ruin by J.D. Evans
“All magic is beautiful,” she said, “and terrible. Do you not see the beauty in yours, or the terror in mine? You can stop a heart, and I can stop your breath.” She is heir to a Sultanate that once ruled the world. He is an unwanted prince with the power to destroy. She is order and intellect, a woman fit to rule in a man's place... -
![Troy by Stephen Fry]()
Troy by Stephen Fry
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsThe story of Troy speaks to all of us - the kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, sees the Greeks launch a thousand ships against the city of Troy, to which they will lay siege for ten whole years. It is a terrible war with casualties on all sides as well as strained relations between allies, whose consequences become tragedies... -
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![When We Were Kings by Auryn Hadley]()
When We Were Kings by Auryn Hadley
Born a princess, Leyli never expected to find herself in a gladiatorial arena. Her cousin's plot to secure himself as heir means she got thrown in with the criminals and debtors, sentenced to fight until she either wins her freedom or dies. But Leyli comes from a line of warriors. Raised to be demure and gentle, she might not know how to fight – but she knows how to not give up... -
![When We Were Crowned by Auryn Hadley]()
When We Were Crowned by Auryn Hadley
Long Live the Gladiator Queen! With the crown safely on Leyli's head, her problems should've been over. Her country is safe. Her family is together. What more could a new Queen ask for? Unfortunately, spending her mornings purging her stomach isn't it. Evidently, not even the Queen of Norihame is immune to morning sickness... -
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![When We Were Dancing by Auryn Hadley]()
When We Were Dancing by Auryn Hadley
They called her the Gladiator Queen, the first female heir to the throne of Norihame. Leyli never wanted this, but her cousin's scheming left no other option. He'd killed her brother, trying to claim the throne for himself, and sold her off to be a gladiator, hoping to get rid of her. It didn't work... -
![The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper]()
The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe final, dramatic installment in Elodie Harper's Sunday Times bestselling Wolf Den Trilogy.Amara's journey has taken her far; from enslavement in Pompeii's wolf den brothel to her new life as a high-powered courtesan in Rome, but her story is not over yet. While Amara plays for power in Rome's imperial palace, those dearest to her remain in Pompeii... -
![Joanna by Katrina D. Hamel]()
Joanna by Katrina D. Hamel
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsShe's bound to the infamous Herodian dynasty, but her bold faith will carve her name in the gospel.Joanna must pay the price for her brother's crime. Claimed as a hostage, she's forced from the verdant slopes of her beloved vineyard to serve Herod Antipas' neglected wife. In an opulent palace where Roman culture supersedes the commands of God, Joanna struggles to express her Jewish faith... -
![Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett]()
Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves.Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries...Categorized as:
m-f sunny hero competent heroine royalty independent heroine aristocratic heroine fantasy fae -
![Dreamers by Angela Elwell Hunt]()
Dreamers by Angela Elwell Hunt
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsTuya came as a teenaged slave to Potiphar's household, a personal gift from the Pharaoh. Tall and slender, the young girl had eyes that shone like a stream of gold. She knew nothing about her past, except that she had always been a slave... -
![Dreamers by Angela Elwell Hunt]()
Dreamers by Angela Elwell Hunt
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsIn the exotic land of Pharaoh, Tuya, a slave girl, is sold into servitude as a playmate to a wealthy child. Betrayed and cast out as she ascends into womanhood, Tuya finds herself belonging to Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh's guard. Yet she soon gives her heart to handsome Joseph, a man sold into slavery by his own brothers... -
![Claws and Contrivances by Stephanie Burgis]()
Claws and Contrivances by Stephanie Burgis
Passionate, idealistic Rose Tregarth may have been invited into her uncle's remote home in the heart of Wales as an act of kindness to a poor relation, but it doesn't take her long to realize that her newly-met family members are eccentric, creative, deeply lovable - and in need of all the help they can get... -
![Queen of Ash and Iron by Melanie Karsak]()
Queen of Ash and Iron by Melanie Karsak
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFated to lead a rebellion against Rome.Destined to become a legend.Britain, A.D. 47All at once, everything changes.The rebellion of the Northern Iceni under King Caturix results in dire consequences for Boudica. Without Aulus Plautius’s protection, Boudica must face the new, more severe Roman Governor Scapula... -
![Shield-Maiden: Under the Howling Moon by Melanie Karsak]()
Shield-Maiden: Under the Howling Moon by Melanie Karsak
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsChosen by Odin. Destined for Valhalla. In my dreams, Odin whispers to me. He tells me I’m destined to wield a legendary sword.He tells me my road will bring me to Valhalla.But when I wake, I’m only Hervor. Fatherless. Unloved. Unwanted. Jarl Bjartmar, my grandfather, calls me cursed. My mother, her memories stolen by the gods, has forgotten me... -
![The Blackthorn Queen by Melanie Karsak]()
The Blackthorn Queen by Melanie Karsak
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBritain, AD 38, Princess Cartimandua—Carti—of the Brigantes tribe faces an uncertain future when her father’s sudden death ignites turmoil. Suspicion falls on the Crow People of the Votadini tribe, straining the fragile peace between the factions. But they’re not the only ones bearing a grudge. A tangled web of political games soon unfolds... -
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![The Daughter of Rome by Angela Elwell Hunt]()
The Daughter of Rome by Angela Elwell Hunt
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn Nero's Rome, Calandra helps her father, a renowned sculptor, complete the most significant commission of his illustrious career. But then a catastrophic fire nearly destroys the imperial city, leaving Calandra reliant on a group of Christians--unusual individuals unlike any she has encountered before... -
![Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson]()
Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson
Nice Victorian ladies don’t run off to find legendary lost cities.One trifling little arrest shouldn’t have cost Ellie Mallory her job, but it’s only the latest in a line of injustices facing any educated woman with archaeological ambitions.When Ellie stumbles across the map to a mysterious ancient city, she knows she’s holding her chance to revolutionize Pre-Colombian history...Categorized as:
m-f competent heroine independent heroine fantasy historical victorian length-long forced proximity -
![Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey]()
Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
Once there were great magicians born to the Maghuin Dhonn, the folk of the Brown Bear, the oldest tribe in Alba. But generations ago, the greatest of them all broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now only small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such gifts - the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow...Categorized as:
competent heroine independent heroine m-f fantasy magic bisexual friends to lovers first-person-pov -
![The Prince of Secrets by A.J. Lancaster]()
The Prince of Secrets by A.J. Lancaster
Well-bred women should not be seen kissing their butlers. Even when the butler in question is secretly a fae prince. Wyn knows falling for Hetta Valstar is a bad idea. She's not only human but the new magically bonded ruler of Stariel Estate. If their relationship gets out, it'll cause a scandal that could ruin their attempts to sort out the estate's crumbling finances... -
![He Who Lifts the Skies by Kacy Barnett-Gramckow]()
He Who Lifts the Skies by Kacy Barnett-Gramckow
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPowerful imagery creates a 'you are there' immersion in the story of the post-Flood world. Kacy Barnett-Gramckow fans raved about her extraordinary job of moving the Flood off the Sunday School flannelgraph board and into life in the Heavens Before... -
![Wormwood Abbey by Christina Baehr]()
Wormwood Abbey by Christina Baehr
As a Victorian clergyman’s daughter, Edith Worms has seen everything — until a mythical salamander tumbles out of the fireplace into her lap. When a letter arrives from estranged relatives, Edith is swept away to a crumbling gothic Abbey in the wilds of Yorkshire...Categorized as:
m-f competent heroine independent heroine fantasy mystery historical victorian christian -
![The Forgotten Palace by Alexandra Walsh]()
The Forgotten Palace by Alexandra Walsh
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn an underground labyrinth a lost soul wanders, waiting for revenge, waiting for love… London 1900Alice Webster has made the worst decision of her life. When her Aunt Agatha offers her the chance to go on a Grand Tour she jumps at the opportunity to get away from the glare of scandal... -
![Stardust Child by Melissa Cave]()
Stardust Child by Melissa Cave
A bloody summer ends in a dangerous harvest in Stardust Child, Book 2 of the Empire of the Stars. Having finally come to terms with their marriage, Remin and Ophele face new challenges as Lord and Lady of the Andelin Valley, where the monstrous devils have wreaked havoc on their land.A perilous journey...Categorized as:
m-f aristocratic heroine sweet-hero historical fantasy medieval demons age difference -
![The Plight of a Scottish Lass by Keira Montclair]()
The Plight of a Scottish Lass by Keira Montclair
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn his quest for vengeance, a Scottish chieftain finds something unexpected. Love.Thane MacQuarie, chieftain of Clan MacQuarie, has his sights set on taking over Duart Castle and exacting vengeance on the mother who abandoned him. But when he witnesses a cruel man leave his wife, Tamsin Garvie, to drown on a rock in the sea, Thane can’t ignore the plight of the red-haired beauty... -
![Castle of the Winds by Christina Baehr]()
Castle of the Winds by Christina Baehr
At Midsummer’s Eve, the Red Dragon will choose his bride.Following this mysterious invitation, Edith sets off on a quest to the Castle of the Winds to find a lost family of dragon keepers in the mountains of Wild Wales. But all is not as it seems. Edith must guard her own hidden power, or she might not return to her friends in Ormdale—including the man who has come to love her...Categorized as:
m-f independent heroine sweet-hero fantasy new adult historical glimpses-kisses victorian -
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![The Myths of Ophelia by Nicole Platania]()
The Myths of Ophelia by Nicole Platania
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBook 4 in the Epic Romantic Fantasy series, The Curse of Ophelia... -
![Amnesty by Lara Elena Donnelly]()
Amnesty by Lara Elena Donnelly
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe revolution has come and gone, with Amberlough City striving to rebuild itself from the ashes. The Ospies have been ousted, and the very face of the nation has been changed in the process. Now, a rising politician is determined to bring Amberlough’s traitors to justice. Including double agent Cyril DePaul. Everyone believes Cyril deserves to suffer for his crimes.. -
![Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt by Stephanie Marie Thornton]()
Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsEgypt, 1400s BC. The pharaoh’s pampered second daughter, lively, intelligent Hatshepsut, delights in racing her chariot through the marketplace and testing her archery skills in the Nile’s marshlands. But the death of her elder sister, Neferubity, in a gruesome accident arising from Hatshepsut’s games forces her to confront her guilt...and sets her on a profoundly changed course...Categorized as:
ancient times royalty historical superheroes fantasy legends & fairy tales christian length-long -
![Wildwood Larkwing by Shari L. Tapscott]()
Wildwood Larkwing by Shari L. Tapscott
This is a previously-published edition - ASIN: B072MRYC3W“Till death do us part” might come sooner than Lucia imagined. After living her entire life on the outside looking in, Lucia has finally ventured into the world of Kalae’s nobility...Categorized as:
m-f competent heroine independent heroine sunny hero royalty fantasy new adult pirates -
![The Honor of Duty by A. R. Rend]()
The Honor of Duty by A. R. Rend
Phillip had spent his life living by his mother’s code of honor. One she had instilled in not just him but her household staff, her soldiers under her command as a general, and all his siblings.One that called to the familial bonds and the importance of putting those above all else. Second only to the land and the crown.If he was being honest with himself, Phillip valued that code of honor... -
![The Wall by Adrian Goldsworthy]()
The Wall by Adrian Goldsworthy
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBritannia, AD 117: Roman centurion Flavius Ferox is trying to live a quiet life of dignified leisure, overseeing his wife's estate and doing his best to resist the urge to murder an annoying neighbour – until someone else does it for him... -
![The Majestic Impostor by Tanya Bird]()
The Majestic Impostor by Tanya Bird
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA relentless love. An impossible choice. Companions are the kingdom’s most beautiful and educated women—possessions of Syrasan’s royal men. Aldara has left the Companion life behind her. Having returned south to her family, she thought all ties to her prince severed. She was wrong. Now she has a secret—one she must keep in order to protect the people she loves...Categorized as:
m-f competent heroine sweet-hero royalty fantasy historical medieval class difference -
![Greybrow Serpent by Shari L. Tapscott]()
Greybrow Serpent by Shari L. Tapscott
The captain of the Greybrow Serpent is the last man Lucia’s willing to trust. But he’s the only one who can save her. Lucia’s dreamed of finding Avery for a solid two months. In every one of her fantasies, the dashing captain has been on the deadly end of her dagger. Unfortunately, their reunion is not all she hoped it would be...Categorized as:
m-f competent heroine independent heroine sunny hero royalty humor new adult fantasy -
![Song of Silk and Scars by Violet Froste]()
Song of Silk and Scars by Violet Froste
Naria just wants to be free.Trapped in the palace, she would rather die than become a courtesan, but she refuses to be a slave all her life either.Ivan is the greatest warrior in Karscha.He is ruthless and used to absolute obedience. Nothing and nobody can call his power to account.So when Ivan is sent to a mission to an enemy kingdom, he expects everything to go exactly according to his plan... -
![Titans of War by Wilbur Smith, Mark Chadbourn]()
Titans of War by Wilbur Smith, Mark Chadbourn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA brand-new Ancient Egyptian epic from the master of adventure, Wilbur Smith. Global bestselling author of River God and The New Kingdom, Wilbur Smith, returns with the next epic book in his brand-new Ancient Egyptian series.AN UNSTOPPABLE ENEMY. A CIVILISATION IN RUINS. A QUEST FOR SALVATION... -
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![Half-Blood Academy The Complete Series by Meg Xuemei X]()
Half-Blood Academy The Complete Series by Meg Xuemei X
“We need to mate,” I said firmly.“How?” the demigod of war asked, darting his wild glance at the iron bars between us then at me.Rule #1: Keep your head down and don't mess with the four gorgeous demigods who rule the school.Rule #2: When the demigods try to kill you, lie down..Categorized as:
ancient times m-f competent heroine fantasy new adult historical from hate to love length-epic -
![The Lost Valor of Love by E.A. Carter]()
The Lost Valor of Love by E.A. Carter
An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here.Growing up during the centuries-long conflict between the empires of Egypt and Hatti, the young princess Istara is taken hostage by the King of Hatti to secure the loyalty of her father, the King of Kadesh to the empire. Soon her new life in Hatti's glittering capital becomes all she knows...Categorized as:
ancient times aristocratic heroine royalty fantasy historical new adult magic other-man-woman -
![For the Gods' Sake by Rory L. Scott]()
For the Gods' Sake by Rory L. Scott
For the Gods' Sake is a fake dating, reluctant allies fantasy romance novel. It is the third book in the Tempt the Gods series and can be read as a standalone, but it is recommended to read the recap at the beginning of the book.A god and a princess. Working together.The Greek and Roman gods have co-existed for over two thousand years until the unthinkable happens... -
![Island of Ghosts by Gillian Bradshaw]()
Island of Ghosts by Gillian Bradshaw
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsAriantes is a Sarmatian, a barbarian warrior-prince, uprooted from his home and customs and thrust into the honorless lands of the Romans. The victims of a wartime pact struck with the emperor Marcus Aurelius to ensure the future of Sarmatia, Ariantes and his troop of accomplished horsemen are sent to Hadrian's Wall... -
![Ares by Carly Spade]()
Ares by Carly Spade
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMMA fighter Harmony “Harm” Makos steps into the ring every day for more than the fame and glory of the fight. For her, it’s the alternative to therapy. An opportunity to tame the constant beast struggling to break free. Hardened by a broken home and high school ridicule, she’s learned to control the fury but it always lurks beneath the surface...Categorized as:
ancient times m-f contemporary fantasy legends & fairy tales historical tall-heroine length-medium -
![The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish: Canji Baojun De Zhangxin Yu Chong (Novel) Vol. 1 by Xue Shan Fei Hu]()
The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish: Canji Baojun De Zhangxin Yu Chong (Novel) Vol. 1 by Xue Shan Fei Hu
After Li Yu stays up all night to read an engrossing webnovel, he finally falls asleep–only to wake up in the world of the novel itself. And not as himself, but as a helpless fish! Shocked and dismayed, Li Yu quickly realizes that he must live in a tank owned by Mu Tianchi, the tyrant of the novel who never speaks... -
![Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier]()
Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier
Bored and restless in London's Restoration Court, Lady Dona escapes into the British countryside with her restlessness and thirst for adventure as her only guides.Eventually Dona lands in remote Navron, looking for peace of mind in its solitary woods and hidden creeks. She finds the passion her spirit craves in the love of a daring French pirate who is being hunted by all of Cornwall...Categorized as:
m-f independent heroine aristocratic heroine historical 20th century mystery suspense pirates -
![The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora by Stephanie Marie Thornton]()
The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWhere Theodora went, trouble followed… In sixth-century Constantinople, one woman, Theodora, defied every convention and all the odds and rose from common theater tart to empress of a great kingdom, the most powerful woman the Roman Empire would ever know...Categorized as:
royalty ancient times historical fantasy legends & fairy tales christian length-long audiobook -
![Feast of Sorrow by Crystal King]()
Feast of Sorrow by Crystal King
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSet amongst the scandal, wealth, and upstairs-downstairs politics of a Roman family, Crystal King’s seminal debut features the man who inspired the world’s oldest cookbook and the ambition that led to his destruction.On a blistering day in the twenty-sixth year of Augustus Caesar’s reign, a young chef, Thrasius, is acquired for the exorbitant price of twenty thousand denarii... -
![The Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland]()
The Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsAfter a failed escape attempt, the princess of a tiny kingdom begins to reevaluate her life. Caroline, a former marathon runner who dropped out of school at fourteen to pursue an Olympic medal, was the perfect candidate for a tiara: shapely, disciplined, accustomed to public attention, and utterly uneducated. When she meets Finn, the handsome prince of a small European kingdom, her fate is sealed... -
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![The Pasha of Cuisine: A Novel by Saygun Ersin]()
The Pasha of Cuisine: A Novel by Saygun Ersin
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA deliciously sweeping, satisfyingly succulent novel full of passion, intrigue, history, politics, astrology, medicine, and the magic of a perfect meal.A Pasha of Cuisine is a rare talent in Ottoman lore. Only two, maybe three are born with such a gift every few centuries... -
![The Trickster's Heart: A Story of Hermes and Hercules by Molly Tullis]()
The Trickster's Heart: A Story of Hermes and Hercules by Molly Tullis
Across the Greek world, Hermes is known as the trickster. After centuries, he's leaned into the title and ignored the unfair reputation that comes with it. Hercules, the mortal hero, has already gained a fearsome reputation of his own. When he needs help to finish his last labor and gain immortality, there's only one god who will be able to help...Categorized as:
ancient times historical legends & fairy tales fantasy explicit-plentiful length-short -
![These Immortal Truths by Rachelle Raeta]()
These Immortal Truths by Rachelle Raeta
Both epic and intimate, These Immortal Truths is a powerful and romantic historical fantasy that explores not only what it means to live forever, but what it means to live fully.A shapeshifting god. A divine peach. And a woman gifted with forever.Anna is used to hunger and hardship...Categorized as:
m-f competent heroine historical fantasy length-medium sweet heroine magic open-door -
![Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle by Manda Scott]()
Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle by Manda Scott
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsDreaming the Eagle is the first part of the gloriously imagined epic trilogy of the life of Boudica. Boudica means Bringer of Victory (from the early Celtic word "boudeg"). She is the last defender of the Celtic culture in Britain; the only woman openly to lead her warriors into battle and to stand successfully against the might of Imperial Rome - and triumph... -
![The Bull of Min by Libbie Hawker, L.M. Ironside]()
The Bull of Min by Libbie Hawker, L.M. Ironside
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 11 ratings“I know,” Satiah called. Her voice was musical, light, confident as a king's. “It's the Bull of Min you remember, Thutmose. You remember, and you fear.” Conspiracy and treason simmer in the northern reaches of the Two Lands. Thutmose is crippled by guilt over past wrongs. Hatshepsut is subdued by the grief of betrayal and loss... -
![Mountain of Mirrors and Starlight by Katherine Macdonald]()
Mountain of Mirrors and Starlight by Katherine Macdonald
Mirror, Mirror, way down deepWhat ancient secrets do you keep?When Aislinn Ardenthorn, Princess of Faerie, volunteers to track down a mortal prince that's been kidnapped by dwarves, the last thing she expects is for the prince to baulk at the offer of rescue...
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