Best Period Romance Novels

They say life begins after 40, but Cassie ain't feelin' it. Divorced and feeling trapped by her job, she wants to let loose for her friend's tropical beach wedding. She decides to let her hair down and get a little unpredictable. That's when she meets a handsome bartender, Wyatt. Despite a few grey hairs, Wyatt's the liveliest man that Cassie has ever met. She knows that there's got to be more to his life story than just being a bartender, but this is just supposed to be a vacation fling. And after sunny days spent breaking all the rules on the beach together, Cassie realizes that nobody has ever listened to her the way that Wyatt does. His carefree life is enviable, his kisses are intoxicating, and she can almost imagine a life with him. But all vacations come to an end. And when Cassie invites him to visit her hometown, Wyatt reveals that he can never go back. Not to her town. Not to America. Not to civilization. Cassie leaves, confused and heartbroken, wondering just who she got herself involved with. Suddenly, her predictable life gets turned upside down when she sees her picture splashed across the Internet. And when the tabloids come looking for the mature woman who found the lost billionaire, she has no idea what to do... ...until he comes back.

Isabela Ledesma never imagined her life would take such a scandalous turn. Bagong sugat sa puso, matapos iwan ng kanyang first love na si Marco Villamor, napilitan siyang sumama sa isang blind date— at sa gulat niya, nauwi ito sa kasal kay Rafael Santillan, ang ama ng kanyang matalik na kaibigang si Rita. Isang May-December marriage na plano lang sana para maibalik ang kanyang pride at matiyak ang kanyang kinabukasan, ay biglang naging laro ng tukso at pagnanasa. Si Rafael Santillan, isang kaakit-akit at karismatikong bilyonaryo, ay iba sa kanyang inaasahan. Sa likod ng kanyang matipuno at sophisticated na anyo, nakatago ang isang lalaking hindi takot sundan ang kanyang lihim na nagpapalito at nagpapakaba kay Isabela sa bawat sandali. Mula sa awkward na simula hanggang sa mga lihim na sulyap at tensyon sa kasal, bawat eksena ay nagtutulak kay Isabela na balansehin ang kanyang pride, puso, at kaligtasan sa mundo ng mayayamang elitista. Magpapatuloy ba silang manatiling nasa ilalim lang ng kontrata, o haharapin nila ang apoy ng pagnanasa at lihim na damdamin na magbabago sa kanilang buhay magpakailanman?

They call me “The Devil.” Deranged and violent. Gorgeous but frightening. I’m a businessman, so when one of my debtors offers me his fiancé in exchange for a debt settled, I figure why not? The woman will be a quick sell. Repayment comes in the form of a beautiful but haunted young woman. The light in her tempts the darkness inside of me. Teases it, tortures it. I want to hurt her. I want to break her. I want to keep her. Luckily for Celia, she fails to see that there is no goodness in me. And when she attempts to draw me in with her innocence and sweet, naïve heart, I thrive to show her the cruel monster I am. This is a dark mafia romance that contains non-con/dub con, graphic violence, and sexual themes. It is not a standalone novel and ends on a cliffhanger.

She thought she had everything. A fated mate. A future. A home. Until it all came crashing down. He came back with another woman. A baby in her belly. And just like that, Elara was nothing. Framed for a crime she didn't commit, the only end for her was death. But fate isn’t done with her yet. A stranger steps out of the shadows. Not just any man—the Lycan King. Feared. Hated. Untouchable. Part demon. Part vampire. Part wolf. He doesn't save her, he claims her. Offers her a deal she can’t afford to refuse: Be his Luna for one year. She should’ve said no. But he’s cold fire and temptation wrapped in darkness. And when he touches her, it’s not just her body that trembles—it’s her soul. Now, she’s trapped between two monsters: The mate who wants her back… And the king who never plans to let her go. 🔥 Sneak Peek – Elara’s POV: “Tell me to stop,” he growled, his breath hot against my lips. “One-word, little wolf, and I’ll Walk away.” My heart pounded so hard I thought it might crack my ribs. I should say it. I should. But then he touched me—just a whisper of skin against skin—and the air vanished from my lungs. My mind screamed this is a mistake. But my body… my body had already decided. I leaned in, drawn to him like gravity itself had shifted. “I hate you,” I breathed, and it came out too soft, too broken. He gave me a look that made my knees weak. Dangerous. Hungry. “Then hate me,” he murmured, brushing his lips over mine, “while I make you forget every reason you ever did.”

My father’s best friend was my only escape. He became my biggest addiction. After my groom’s arrest at the altar, I fled to my father's world. The only solace I found was in the forbidden eyes of his billionaire best friend. Our secret escape to New York was supposed to be temporary. But his touch became my sanctuary. His whispers became my truth. Now our scandal is about to ignite, threatening everything. I have to choose between the life I was born into… and the man I was born to love.

This is the first book in this completed duet - The story of Tatiana Nikolaev! My husband. His secrets. Our tragedy. I thought I knew him. I didn’t. I thought he was trustworthy. He wasn’t. But nothing in this world is as it seems. I caught the attention of the most notorious man in the underworld. Konstantin wasn’t the type to be ignored. He commanded his criminal empire with an iron fist but he had secrets of his own. But I was Tatiana Nikolaev. I’d never bend to a man’s will or be used as a pawn. Not again. The moment I tempted the fates and played with fire, life spiraled out of control. My only way of survival was to trust again. But could I?

“Tell me you hate me,” Mikhail whispered, aggressively pressing the side of my face against his expensive wooden table. I inhaled sharply, fighting back the moan in my throat. “I…” I wanted to force the words out, because I did. I hated him with every fiber of my being, with every drop of the blood in my veins. At the same time, I didn't. I had never put a label on the other thing I felt for him. He would never feel the same, and he would scorn me. “Say it, Marlowe. Say you hate me.” He dared, thrusting hard into me and stealing my breath. “Oh my God,” I cried out, pushing my ass backwards to meet his thrusts despite myself. “You can't say it, can you?” He laughed scornfully. “I… hate you.” I managed, inhaling sharply. He tugged my hair, fucking me harder. “No, you don't.” I couldn't argue, because an earth shattering orgasm snuck up on me and blinded my thoughts. When I recovered, I realized he was not completely wrong. *** *** *** Marlowe had a simple, happy life up until her late teens when she was about to go to college. Her father was murdered in cold blood and her mother fell apart. She was left to take care of herself and her mother, and all her dreams were shattered. She is kidnapped and sold to someone she once knew and was in love with. Mikhail Romanov. He is an entirely different person now. But Marlowe is an angel and she can melt the hardest of hearts. They fall in love with each other, but with this romance comes a revelation of secrets that shatter Marlowe and all that's left of her is a woman that is filled with hatred and anger, and desperate for revenge.

My father has chosen me to succeed him in the family business. But if I want the job, it comes with stipulations. And one of those stipulations is to never mix business with pleasure. AKA, don't sleep with anyone on the job. My father leads by example, and not once have I ever seen him get involved with anyone, not even his beautiful assistant. That was an easy rule to follow...until Axel. Axel is an expert distributor, someone who knows how to get our product past the ruthless regulations mandated by the government. My father has never had a partner, but he makes an exception for Axel because he's good at what he does. But the second our eyes meet...there's fire. He's by far the most handsome man I've ever seen, and his I couldn't care less attitude makes me weak. But I put up boundaries and reject his advances. But this man doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. One night together becomes the precursor to the most passionate affair of my life. If my father discovers our secret, it'll cost me my career...and it'll cost Axel his life. To make matters worse, I'm falling for this man...and I think he's falling for me too.

Julia is brokenhearted after being abandoned by her husband for another woman. This leads her into a steamy one-night stand with a mysteriously gorgeous stranger who takes her breath away. Just when she thinks she’s left that wild night behind, he turns out to be her son’s best friend. Michael wants her—and will stop at nothing to make her his. And just when she finally gives in to Michael’s persistent temptation, Gilbert, her husband, returns, demanding his wife back. Julia decides to keep her dangerous affair a secret from her family. To make matters worse, she discovers that she and her daughter, Olivia, are in love with the same man. Julia tries to break things off to protect her relationship with her daughter. But Michael makes it clear that she’s the one he wants, and he’s ready to move heaven and earth to be with her. He chooses to fight for her—and for their unconventional love—until the very end. Their forbidden secret affair brings nothing but trouble. Will Julia choose her family and career over her second chance at love—or will she risk losing it all? His jaw tensed. “I wish I could control what you’re doing to me. I wish I had a stop button inside my head—just so I could wake up for even one day without thinking about you. But I can’t.” “I’m married, Michael.” He took my hand. “I don’t see any ring on your finger. If I were your husband, Julia,” he breathed with longing, “I’d never be away from you.”

Arturo Abruzzi tore the world apart to find the woman that he loved, who mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Feeling empty without her. Cold. Numb. Hollow. Feeling like he was better off dead. Better off six feet under the ground. And there were times when he would provoke his assassin to pull the trigger. Wishing that his suffering would be put to an end. Asking God to drag him straight to hell. After all, hell was the resting place for criminals like him, wasn't it? The final destination for Mafia men? But years later, fate caused their paths to collide again. To cross again. Except this time, she was married to someone else...