100 Books Like Yvonne, Lady of Cassio

Ms. Patzer’s writing is lilting and emotional in its building of character and setting in old Italy. You’ll feel you are right there as a young woman struggles with her mysterious past, a forbidden love, and the cruel superstitions that stand in her way. I rooted for Olivia, who has no idea what danger her very birth has caused.

I fell in love with the atmosphere and plot. Also, the different setting not normally seen in most historicals: 13th century Tuscany. I could taste the food, smell the aromas, and see the sweeping countryside. The life in a convent felt authentic, and the drama, the heroine’s determination to discover her past, kept me reading.

I’m a fan of Daphne du Maurier and Mary Stewart, and The Baron’s Wife reminded me of those stellar authors. A young wife, a mysterious, windswept residence, a man with a shady past, Ms. Andersen weaves these details together in an intriguing plot. Her descriptions of the ocean-battered shores of Cornwall at Wolfram Abbey, and the murder that may or may not have happened at Laura’s new husband’s hands, had me gripped to my seat. Laura grows braver each day as she tries to solve the mystery and believe in her husband. Emotionally charged, this novel is a nail-biter. This is Victorian Gothic at its best. One of my favorites.

This western showcases three strong and determined women of completely different backgrounds. I found something to appreciate about each one. Clara is under suspicion for poisoning her husband and flees west to start a new life. Selfish Mary Rose joins her, to put her past with husbands to rest. Emma finds them on the trail, falls in, but hides a terrible secret. Ms. Howard’s writing is clean and straightforward and always kept me engaged. How can they pool their resources and reach their goals? I liked how they came to trust and protect, no matter their flaws. Ms. Howard is excellent at characterization and this story taught me about female empowerment in difficult times. They thrive without help from men. As a horse lover, I enjoyed Emma’s horse training skills. 

Ms. Swift’s lyrical writing immediately enthralled me in this unusual story. Alice, stuck in an arranged marriage in 1660 England, uses her skills to protect an orchid called the Lady’s Slipper. But her nemesis, Richard, also her landlord, wants it for other reasons. Their animosity changes to attraction, and I loved the emotions between them. Ms. Swift writes with skill about the Quakers, the era, and a forbidden love. She easily weaves history with heartbreak, and I devoured this story, never wanting it to end. The drama never drags, and I could not put it down. Later, I met Ms. Swift at a writers’ conference, and she’s a sweet, humble woman. One of my all-time favorite novels.

The great thing about this book is that it combines fast-paced adventure with authentic historical detail – particularly relating to the “classic” medieval themes of castles, battles, and sieges.

It’s a time-travel children’s book that was originally published in 1951 but was republished in 2015, and features as its main character a “contemporary” boy named Peter who, wandering around the ruins of a Welsh castle, finds himself transported back to the 1300s when his Norman ancestors held the castle and he was none other than the oldest son of Sir Roger de Blois.

As the inhabitants of the castle face a rebellion, Peter must learn how to hawk, fight, and shoot a longbow; fascinating aspects of medieval life that come alive on the page thanks to vivid writing by the author.

This book describes and shows what life was like in a 14th-century castle. If you have ever wondered how hundreds of people lived and worked in a castle then this is the book. The mind-boggling detail in the illustrations keeps me poring over them for ages. Each page reveals a cut-away of the castle interior from turrets to dungeons! All the books in this series are incredible in their detail and knowledge.

I first came upon this book about twenty years ago, and it's one I've read cover-to-cover so many times that the cover is barely still attached.

It starts in the year 1218, when a Welsh princess, Eleyne, is born in a castle amidst a huge fire. The story follows her very eventful life through marriages, politics, and love affairs with Kings. And as you'd expect from medieval times, it's hardly plain sailing. As a woman, she doesn't hold much power over her own life, and there are many throughout the story who make it their mission to break her spirit–but no matter how hard they try or what they put her through, they all fail.

She is fierce and powerful and my rebellious side felt such a strong connection with her. It's a long book but one I'd highly recommend to anyone who loves powerful women and historical fiction. 

This book is essential to understanding the feudal system, and how life revolved around the myriad castles dotted throughout the countryside of England and Wales.

They focus on one castle in particular, but the structure of the society around the castle was somewhat universal, with the lord and lady of the castle, to the workers in the castle, the village that was nearby that would take refuge inside the castle walls if necessary during battles.

I found this an essential book when I was researching my book, which features a castle named Wodesley. What would meals be like there, entertainment, daily life?

Flavia de Luce is surely one of the most original—and the most delightful—detective characters ever written. The precocious eleven-year-old lives in a crumbling manor house in the English countryside, with her vague father, beastly older sisters, and faithful retainer Dogger. Her interest in chemistry—and death—tend her get her into trouble on a regular basis. In this book, Flavia is on the scene when the body of the church organist turns up in the medieval tomb of St Tancred, the parish church’s patron saint. Predictably, she sets out to solve the murder, tearing about the village on her faithful bicycle Gladys. Alan Bradley evokes a world—rural England in the 1950s—that many of us would love to return to (in spite of the murders!) and has created an unforgettable heroine. If you enjoy mysteries that make you smile, rather than… show more.

Waterfall takes a 21st-century girl, Gabriella, and mysteriously places her in medieval Italy. Gabi’s journey is unexpected and exciting! While the title might be misleading, you won’t be disappointed when you’re introduced to this teenage girl who’s grown up with archeologist parents learning how to wield a sword. Finding herself in the fourteenth century, Gabi literally lands in the middle of a battle, she meets a knight-prince, and her summer has only begun.