100 Books Like My Dearest Enemy

Sapphic historical romances are few and far between, especially ones as intelligently written and historically grounded as Olivia Waite’s. My favorite moves beyond the typical Regency ballroom setting with its slow-burn romance between two 40-something women. Penelope’s a rural beekeeper, and Agatha a London printer, one whose worrisomely politically radical son might be putting her business in danger.

I admire both the lovely writing and the intelligently grounded historical setting (the story takes place against the backdrop of the Queen Caroline affair and the post-Napoleonic repression of the English press). Above all, I appreciate Waite’s deftly crafted and utterly appealing characters, two unconventional business owners who both enjoy their work almost as much as they do one another.

After life as an unpaid servant to her clergyman cousin, Annabelle Archer’s ecstatic to win a scholarship to Oxford from the National Society for Women’s Suffrage—even if accepting means participating in the group’s political campaigning. A drive to sway influential gentleman to the cause lands Annabelle and her new suffragist friends at a house party given by the haughty Duke of Montgomery, a man far more interested in winning back the family properties his father lost gambling than in debating married women’s property rights. Until he starts debating with Annabelle…

A familiar story, plot-wise. The joy here comes from Dunmore's lovely writing, deft characterizations, and the palpable tension she creates between two people on opposite sides who fall into desperate, exhilarating, and completely unwanted love.

I first read Cole’s novella in early 2017, when tensions between white women and women of color over planning the Women’s March were all over the news. This book helped me to understand those tensions in a way that nonfiction accounts simply hadn’t.

In early 20th century Harlem, Black whorehouse owner Bertha takes care to teach her employees how government works, so they’ll be ready to cast their ballots when New York finally grants women the vote. The “good” women of the Colored Women’s Voting League aren’t pleased by the wishes of “bad” Bertha and her girls to join their efforts, especially when Bertha calls out the racism of their purported white “allies.” Bertha’s budding romance with undocumented alien Amir, a Bengali Muslim, compellingly reinforces the larger political themes of the book.

I could pick any historical romance by Milan and feel happy giving it a spot on this list. Because Milan’s stories are deeply invested in exploring how social strictures and structures function to keep women in their “rightful” (i.e., subordinate) place.

In my favorite, Mark Turner has recently been knighted by Queen Victoria for his philosophical treatise, A Gentleman’s Practical Guide to Chastity, an honor that makes him a rock star to myriad young Englishmen. When a rival offers a reward to anyone who can prove she’s seduced the morally upright Mark, courtesan Jessica Farleigh takes up the challenge.

While Mark’s fans and neighbors find the virgin philosopher and fallen woman an appalling mismatch, Mark does not shy away from his attraction, simultaneously offering a witty yet biting critique of the double standard on male and female sexual behavior.

I love the humor in writing or reading. A subject can be related to when we see the funny side of a situation in real life. This is there in spades in the first sentence. Not for the prudish.

Suzy and her capers are spot on, shocking at times, but always plausible. The dialogue is well-written. Not roses and chocolates but the real capers of relationships and the bedroom. The conversation between her conquests and friends is perfect. I couldn’t stop smiling.

If you want sweet hearts and polite, formal wooing, this is not your book. However, the realistic reality and hazards of life that jump on us are all part of this story. A modern romp to make you think your love life isn’t that bad after all.

Historical romance set in the world of C.S. Lewis at Oxford University: what’s not to love?

I am a fan of historical fiction and love to live history vicariously through the experiences of well-crafted characters, and in this case, real people. This thoroughly researched and masterfully written novel tells the story of the unlikely friendship turned marriage of Christian apologist and author C.S. Lewis to an American Jewish divorcée, Joy Davidman. 

This poignant love story has been told before in play and film versions, but this is the first time I experienced the story from Joy’s POV.

I found myself simultaneously sympathizing with and being exasperated by Joy. She was a complex and brilliant woman, and I’m very impressed with Patti Callahan’s own brilliance and chutzpah in writing, most convincingly, Joy’s story in a first-person narration.

I am not a fan of fantasy, but this is magical realism at its best. Not too much, not too little, just enough to remind everyone that the spirits are still working on behalf of true love and goodness and that justice prevails despite all obstacles…like a fairy tale with complications. Just my cup of tea. 

How realistic is it that food transmits any emotions the cook may be feeling while making the food? This idea captivated me immediately; it was something I had never thought about. And yet, growing up in my family, women always made the food. So again, a very female tale.

In the beginning, Tita, the heroine, is passionate and in love, but she succumbs to tradition and rejects true love and passion to submit to tradition, which dictates she takes care of her mother. In time, Tita learns to disobey the injustice of that tradition… show more.

I love to read about artists in Paris in the 1930s. And this book is about a woman who tries to leave the world of modeling to become a photographer, and then she morphs again into one of the only WW2 journalists.

Lee Miller was a real person and she fell in love with Surrealist Man Ray in Paris. 

Reading Jasmine Guillory’s books is one of the first times I’ve been able to relate to modern fictional main characters as a Black woman. This book has steamy romance (whew) but also has characters who are able to learn from each other and grow together, which makes the romantic element that much sweeter.

Throw in a dash of local politics (it’s still enjoyable, I swear!) and the media attention that comes with that, and I was hooked! A main character who seems to have it together but is still grappling with how others perceive her and her past. Who can’t relate to that? Plus, I can’t resist a couple that finds their connection in the bedroom (or office) and through exploring food spots together and bonding over local places. 

I loved the premise of this funny, charming romcom, where two babies are born on New Year’s Eve, one minute apart in the same hospital. Minnie is a feisty, lovable heroine, and when she meets Quinn again when they’re both thirty, the dynamic sets the pages on fire.

I loved how the book was sprinkled with star-crossed lovers, fate, and the sense of magic and things being meant to be.

The surrounding cast of characters is also brilliant, and I felt like I knew them all by the end. It’s so heartwarming and romantic, and a book that’s dusted with stardust.