Books like 'The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux'
Readers who enjoyed The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux by Mandy Robotham also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary 20th century sassy heroine
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The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsIn one volume, the New York Times–bestselling epic about hardship and female friendship in postwar Naples that has sold over five million copies. Beginning with My Brilliant Friend, the four Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante follow Elena and Lila, from their rough-edged upbringing in Naples, Italy, not long after WWII, through the many stages of their lives—and along paths that diverge wildly... -
The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsSpanning four generations, The Midnight Rose sweeps from the glittering palaces of the great maharajas of India to the majestic stately homes of England, following the extraordinary life of a remarkable girl, Anahita Chaval, from 1911 to the present day . . -
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsSHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD A NEW YORK TIMES Selection for BEST 10 BOOKS OF THE YEARA WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK A PICK FOR THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY'S 2018 BEST BOOKSTHE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT FOR READERS“A page turner...An absorbing and emotionally riveting story about what it’s like to live during times of crisis... -
Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman, Robert Chandler
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsBased around the pivotal WWII battle of Stalingrad (1942-3), where the German advance into Russia was eventually halted by the Red Army, and around an extended family, the Shaposhnikovs, and their many friends and acquaintances, Life and Fate recounts the experience of characters caught up in an immense struggle between opposing armies and ideologies... -
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Fatal Identity by Marie Force
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsEvery family has its secrets… As the first anniversary of her marriage to Vice President Nick Cappuano approaches, Lieutenant Sam Holland is dreaming of Bora Bora—sun, sand and a desperately needed break from the DC grind. But real life has a way of intervening, and Sam soon finds herself taking on one of the most perplexing cases of her career... -
The Sky Beneath Us by Fiona Valpy
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAn inspiring, uplifting story of love and loss, courage and adventure, from the bestselling author of The Skylark’s Secret.1927. Violet Mackenzie-Grant is embarking on her dream of studying at the Edinburgh School of Gardening for Women... -
The Girl with the Diary by Shari J. Ryan
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 24 ratings“What if you never come back?” I asked.“I will find you, Amelia. I promise I will find you.”“What if you die trying?”Nazi-occupied Prague, 1942: Amelia is hiding in her closet when flashlights blind her and she’s captured by the SS. Out on the cobblestone street, she is shoved onto a freight train with hundreds of others. Hours pass as they travel in darkness... -
The Secret Stealers by Jane Healey
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsA female American spy in Nazi-occupied France finds purpose behind enemy lines in a novel of unparalleled danger, love, and daring by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Beantown Girls.Anna Cavanaugh is a restless young widow and brilliant French teacher at a private school in Washington, DC... -
The Storyteller of Casablanca by Fiona Valpy
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn this evocative tale from the bestselling author of The Dressmaker’s Gift, a strange new city offers a young girl hope. Can it also offer a lost soul a second chance?Morocco, 1941. With France having fallen to Nazi occupation, twelve-year-old Josie has fled with her family to Casablanca, where they await safe passage to America... -
The Words We Whisper by Mary Ellen Taylor
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAs a hospice nurse, Zara Mitchell has already seen more death than most people will experience in a lifetime. So when her older sister asks her to help care for their ailing grandmother, Zara agrees—despite strained family relationships.Though pale and tired, Nonna has lost none of her sharp mind... -
Jake Understood by Penelope Ward
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Jake Undone, comes a full-length companion novel and sequel. A different side to the story: Jake’s side. “We’re getting a new roommate,” they said. I thought nothing of it...until she walked in the door. Her hand trembled in mine as she looked at me with fearful eyes. My entire world spun on its axis. Nina.. -
Smolder by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAre you missing the Steel Brothers? Are you yearning for more? Welcome to the next generation! Join the grown children of Jonah, Talon, Ryan, and Marjorie for new adventures, mysteries, and heart-pounding passion... -
The Orphans of Berlin: The BRAND NEW heartbreaking World War 2 historical novel by Jina Bacarr for 2022 by Jina Bacarr
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratings'A moving novel of strength and resistance in the face of evil but also an inspiring journey of resilience after loss.' Erin Litteken, bestselling author of The Memory Keeper of KyivA heartbreaking World War 2 novel that tells the story of two women’s fight for love, family and hope, as the world crumbles around them... -
Virgins of Paradise by Barbara Wood
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Barbara Wood: A magnificent coming-of-age saga about two sisters from an aristocratic Egyptian family who rebel against tradition.Inside a beautiful mansion on Virgins of Paradise Street in post-World War II Cairo, Jasmine and Camelia Rasheed grow to womanhood under the watchful eyes of their grandmother and the other women of the prominent Rasheed family... -
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Take What You Can Carry by Gian Sardar
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsAn aspiring photographer follows her dreams and faces her fears in a poignant novel about finding beauty, promise, and love amid the chaos of war-torn Kurdistan.It’s 1979. Olivia Murray, a secretary at a Los Angeles newspaper, is determined to become a photojournalist and make a difference with her work... -
Stay Tonight by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSterling It’s always been her, and I just never realized. Now that I’m looking at her that way, I can’t unsee it… and I don’t want to. Alyssa has been my best friend since kindergarten, and these intense new feelings could cost me our friendship. She’s the one I share everything with, good or bad. It makes sense to share my life with her... -
Whiskey for Breakfast by Liliana Hart
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe Private Investigator's Handbook Rule #1: Don't break the law Rule #2: See Rule #1 ...And then there's Addison Holmes, who makes up her handbook as she goes along. Addison is licensed to carry and she means business. The only thing getting in her way is a sexy detective, a neighborhood watch from hell, a dead billionaire, a black market sperm bank, and a long lost heir... -
Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsOnce An Eagle is the story of one special man, a soldier named Sam Damon, and his adversary over a lifetime, fellow officer Courtney Massengale. Damon is a professional who puts duty, honor, and the men he commands above self interest. Massengale, however, brilliantly advances by making the right connections behind the lines and in Washington's corridors of power... -
Under a Greek Moon by Carol Kirkwood
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe escapist Sunday Times bestselling debut from the nation’s best loved TV presenter, Carol Kirkwood.‘Loved it! It sizzles with secrets and passion... -
The Oceans Between Us by Gill Thompson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsInspired by heartrending real events, a mother fights to find her son and a child battles for survival in this riveting debut novel.For readers of Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly, The Letter by Kathryn Hughes, and Remember Me by Lesley Pearse.A woman is found wandering injured in London after an air raid.She remembers nothing of who she is... -
These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsFor years, Mitford's sixtysomething rector has been happily married to his parish. Now he's also married to Cynthia, his vivacious next-door neighbor. For Father Tim, life in Mitford has never been so full of surprises. His wife is "aging" his already ancient kitchen walls, not to mention burning his draperies. The mountain boy he's learned to love as his own makes a heartrending decision... -
The Dressmaker's Gift by Fiona Valpy
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsA Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts bestseller.From the bestselling author of The Beekeeper’s Promise comes a gripping story of three young women faced with impossible choices. How will history – and their families – judge them?Paris, 1940. With the city occupied by the Nazis, three young seamstresses go about their normal lives as best they can... -
Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsBestselling author Diane Chamberlain delivers a breakout book about a small southern town fifty years ago, and the darkest—and most hopeful—places in the human heart After losing her parents, fifteen-year-old Ivy Hart is left to care for her grandmother, older sister and nephew as tenants on a small tobacco farm... -
Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAgainst the backdrop of an elegant Cornwall mansion before World War II and a vast continent-spanning canvas during the turbulent war years, this involving story tells of an extraordinary young woman's coming of age, coming to grips with love and sadness, and in every sense of the term, coming home.. -
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The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 59 ratingsLove and secrets collide in Venice during WWII in an enthralling novel of brief encounters and lasting romance by the New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child and Above the Bay of Angels.Caroline Grant is struggling to accept the end of her marriage when she receives an unexpected bequest. Her beloved great-aunt Lettie leaves her a sketchbook, three keys, and a final whisper…Venice... -
The Girl from H.O.P.P.E.R.S. by Jaime Hernández
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe 25th anniversary Love and Rockets celebration continues withthis, the second of three volumes collecting the adventures of thespunky Maggie; her annoying, pixie-ish best friend and sometime loverHopey; and their circle of friends, including their bombshell friendPenny Century, Maggie's weirdo mentor Izzy—as well as the aging butstill heroic wrestler Rena Titañon and Maggie's handsome love... -
An Apprenticeship or The Book of Pleasures by Clarice Lispector, Sheila Heti
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWhat to make of a writer who follows the metaphysical heights of her great Passion According to GH with a book that looks suspiciously like a romance novel?In The Apprenticeship, or The Book of Pleasures, Clarice Lispector tries to discover how to bridge the gap between people, or how to even begin to try... -
Whiskey Sour by Liliana Hart
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAddison Holmes is at it again. When priceless Russian gems are stolen on their way to Savannah and the courier is murdered, all the clues lead to back to an escort service that seems above reproach. But looks can be deceiving. Throw in a sexy detective and a dangerous FBI agent, and Addison finds out very quickly that she's in way over her head... -
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsJean Paget, a young Englishwoman living in Malaya, is captured by the invading Japanese and forced on a brutal seven-month death march with dozens of other women and children. A few years after the war, Jean is back in England, the nightmare behind her. However, an unexpected inheritance inspires her to return to Malaya to give something back to the villagers who saved her life... -
Savage Love by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe third and final book on the Savage Trilogy...They say all is fair in love and war, but I really don’t give a damn about fair. In fact, when protecting those I love, fair is the last thing on my mind. Because they also say all is fair in love and war. Now that I’m back in Candace’s life, those who have used her to try to control me, may well put up a final fight, but they will not win... -
All That Glitters by Catrin Collier
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsCornish smuggler Devlin 'Devil' Varcoe braves winter weather and revenue men to fetch the contraband on which Porthinnis depends for survival. Drawn to Jenefer Trevanion, whose father finances the smuggling operation, Devlin is seduced by beautiful wild-child Tamara Gillis. When fire destroys her home, Jenefer is forced to work in the pilchard cellars... -
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 81 ratingsPat Conroy has created a huge, brash thunderstorm of a novel, stinging with honesty and resounding with drama. 'Spanning forty years, this is the story of turbulent Tom Wingo, his gifted and troubled twin sister Savannah, and the dark and violent past of the extraordinary family into which they were born... -
The Enchanted Barn - Grace Livingston Hill [Modern Library Collection Edition] by Grace Livingston Hill
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Hollisters, a bright, spirited, wholesome family, are compelled to move into the country. After many efforts to secure a home, Shirley, eldest of the Hollisters, contrives a way out by renting a magnificent old stone barn at a ridiculously low price, transforming it into a house... -
The Spitfire Girls by Soraya M. Lane
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThree skilled aviators determined to help win the war. Three brave women who know their place is not at home. At the height of World War II, the British Air Transport Auxiliary need help. A group of young women volunteer for action, but the perils of their new job don’t end on the tarmac. Things are tough in the air, but on the ground their abilities as pilots are constantly questioned... -
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The Memory Keeper of Kyiv by Erin Litteken
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPerfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Beekeeper of Aleppo.In the 1930s, Stalin’s activists marched through the Soviet Union, espousing the greatness of collective farming. It was the first step in creating a man-made famine that, in Ukraine, stole almost 4 million lives... -
Her Last Promise by Kathryn Hughes
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsA mysterious letter from Spain. A surprising new beginning... Fall in love this summer with Her Last Promise, a gripping, heartwrenching story of how hope can blossom in the ruins of tragedy and of the redeeming power of love. From No. 1 bestselling author Kathryn Hughes. Tara Richards was just a girl when she lost her mother... -
All My Secrets by Lynn Austin
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBestselling author Lynn Austin returns with a luminous work of historical fiction set amid the opulence of Gilded Age New York, where three generations of women in one family must reckon with the choices they have made and their hopes for the future.New York, 1898... -
Long Way Home by Lynn Austin
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this portrait of war and its aftermath, a young woman searches for the truth her childhood friend won't discuss after returning from World War II, revealing a story of courage, friendship, and faith.Peggy Serrano couldn't wait for her best friend to come home from the war... -
Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 33 ratings“Spence-Ash has written the novel in eight points of view, but each character is utterly three-dimensional and distinct. This debut novel captivated me from start to finish... -
Sail by M. Mabie
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis isn’t just a two-year long one-night stand. It’s my life. This is my life. Our life. It isn’t just some careless affair. I’ve made the worst decisions a woman could, but I’ll earn my second chance. She can try keeping all the guilt for herself, but I’m just as much to blame. Loving Casey wasn’t my biggest mistake. Fighting it for so long was... -
The Good Doctor of Warsaw by Elisabeth Gifford
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSet in the ghettos of wartime Warsaw, this is a sweeping, poignant and heartbreaking tale, based on the true story of one of World War II's quiet heroes - Dr Janusz Korczak.'You do not leave a sick child alone to face the dark and you do not leave a child at a time like this.'Deeply in love and about to marry, students Misha and Sophia flee a Warsaw under Nazi occupation for a chance at freedom... -
The Lost Lights of St Kilda by Elisabeth Gifford
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 24 ratings1927: When Fred Lawson takes a summer job on St. Kilda, little does he realize that he has joined the last community to ever live on that beautiful, isolated island. Only three years later, St. Kilda will be evacuated, the islanders near dead from starvation. But for Fred, memories of that summer - and the island woman, Chrissie, with whom he falls in love - will never leave him... -
The Last Party at Silverton Hall by Rachel Burton
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsA gripping and heartbreaking tale of family, duty and the secrets we keep from those we love most. Perfect for fans of Rachel Hore, Lorna Cook and Kathryn Hughes.Two women. Two centuries. A life-changing night...1952: Vivien and Max collide in the thick London smog... -
Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFrom bestselling author Mary Ellen Taylor comes a story about profound loss, hard truths, and an overgrown greenhouse full of old secrets. Adrift in the wake of her father’s death, a failed marriage, and multiple miscarriages, Libby McKenzie feels truly alone. Though her new life as a wedding photographer provides a semblance of purpose, it’s also a distraction from her profound pain... -
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Of Marriageable Age by Sharon Maas
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsA spellbinding story of forbidden love, spanning three continents and three decades. Set against the Independence struggles of two British colonies, Of Marriageable Age is ultimately a story of personal triumph against a brutal fate, brought to life by a multicultural cast of characters:Savitri, intuitive and charismatic, grows up among the servants of a pre-war English household in the Raj... -
I'll Be Seeing You: A spellbinding and emotional wartime novel of love and secrets by Margaret Mayhew
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhen Juliet Porter's mother dies, she leaves Juliet some old letters and a photograph which shatter all her previously-held beliefs. They show that her real father was an American bomber pilot in the second world war, some forty years before, and that he had met her mother while serving in England... -
And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (Thorndike Press Large Print Core Series) by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 26 ratings"A whirlwind courtship and fairytale wedding to John F. Kennedy propel young Jacqueline Bouvier into a startling new world of power and politics. Filled with incredible highs and unimaginable challenges, Jackie learns to hone her survival skills. Her grace and grit help catapult JFK from the Senate to the Oval Office... -
The Lies We Leave Behind by Noelle Salazar
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFor readers of Kate Quinn and Beatriz Williams, this sweeping story follows a fearless nurse who must leave love behind when duty calls her back to the front. Somewhere in the Pacific, 1943. Kate Campbell is a nurse who bravely flies back and forth from the front to rescue wounded soldiers, amid long days, harsh conditions and often dangerous weather... -
Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsA National Best Seller! Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler is a soaring debut interweaving the story of a heartbreaking, forbidden love in 1930s Kentucky with an unlikely modern-day friendship Eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle McAllister has a favor to ask her hairdresser Dorrie Curtis. It's a big one... -
The Hotel on the Riviera by Carol Kirkwood
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsBy the sapphire blue waters of the French Riviera, a decades-long secret is about to be revealed…Wayward Greek heiress, Ariana Theodosis, inherits the Hotel du Soleil as part of a mysterious legacy. Captivated by its faded glamour, she hopes it offers her the chance to start again...
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