Books like 'Marlene'
Readers who enjoyed Marlene by C.W. Gortner also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical 20th century bisexual
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A Kingdom by the Sea by Anna Green
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe final volume of The Heart Rate of a Mouse trilogy.In November 1978, over a year has passed since music icon Ryan Ross announced his retirement from the public eye. He is far from being forgotten, however, as his musical influence can be heard whenever Brendon Roscoe starts singing on the radio. As the frontman of the upcoming band His Side, Brendon was famously discovered by Ross... -
The Secret Midwife by Soraya M. Lane
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsLondon, 1995: When on the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz a news broadcast runs an appeal for information on the identity of a midwife who saved hundreds of lives, Emilia knows it is time to finally tell her story... -
The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 28 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 . . -
My Tender Matador by Pedro Lemebel
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsCentered around the 1986 attempt on the life of Augusto Pinochet, an event that changed Chile forever, My Tender Matador is one of the most explosive, controversial, and popular novels to have been published in that country in decades. It is spring 1986 in the city of Santiago, and Augusto Pinochet is losing his grip on power... -
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The Violinist of Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBased on the unforgettable true story of Alma Rosé, this novel brings to life one of history’s most fearless, inspiring, and courageous heroines.In Auschwitz, every day is a fight for survival. Alma is inmate 50381, the number tattooed on her skin in pale blue ink. She is cooped up with thousands of others, torn from loved ones, trapped in a maze of barbed wire... -
The Rebel by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.74 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe watches helplessly as the man she loves leaves to fight with the Allies overseas. He promises her he will return to her alive and well. Will he be able to keep his promise, or will he be yet another lost soldier in a war against tyranny?After four years at a university, Delphia Barnes returns home to Emerson Pass as America prepares to join the war... -
The Star and the Shamrock by Jean Grainger
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsAriella Bannon has no choice: she must put her precious children, Liesl and Erich, on that train or allow them to become prey for the Nazis. Berlin 1939... -
Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman, Robert Chandler
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 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... -
The Storyteller of Casablanca by Fiona Valpy
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 15 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 Paris Network by Siobhan Curham
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsParis, 1940: He pressed the tattered book into her hands. ‘You must go to the café and ask at the counter for Pierre Duras. Tell him that I sent you. Tell him you’re there to save the people of France... -
Harpers Heroes by Rosie Clarke
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of the Welcome to Harpers Emporium and The Mulberry Lane Series.The Harpers Girls come face to face with the harsh reality of the cruelty of war.Oxford Street, London 1915Sally Harper quietly battles to keep Harpers afloat in the difficult days of the war, whilst husband Ben is working all hours for the War Office... -
The Velvet Ribbon by Nadine Dorries
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn this wonderful third Tarabeg novel, Mary Kate Malone finds that a secret life in the shadows with her great love, Dr Nicholas, brings heartache and sorrows. When disaster strikes unexpectedly, she turns to the only people she can trust, in the only place she feels safe – her Irish family and friends in the west coast village of Tarabeg. But back in Ireland, everything has changed... -
A Ration Book Childhood by Jean Fullerton
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the darkest days of the Blitz, family is more important than ever.With her family struggling amidst the nightly bombing raids in London's East End, Ida Brogan is doing her very best to keep their spirits up. The Blitz has hit the Brogans hard, and rationing is more challenging than ever, but they are doing all they can to help the war effort... -
Where the Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA woman’s future is determined by fate and choice in a gripping WWII novel about danger, triumph, and second chances by the New York Times bestselling author of The Venice Sketchbook and The Tuscan Child.London, 1940. Bombs fall and Josie Banks’s world crumbles around her. Her overbearing husband, Stan, is unreachable, called to service. Her home, a ruin of rubble and ash... -
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The Keeper of Stars by Buck Turner
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWho says you can’t rewrite the stars?1962—Twelve years removed from the summer when she first gave her heart away, Dr. Elizabeth (Ellie) Spencer, Professor of Astronomy at Indiana University, receives a mysterious package that has her asking that very question.Inside the unmarked box is a novel written by Ellie’s first love, Jack Bennett... -
The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice.England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn't be more different. Skye is a daring and brash pilot, and Liberty the one to defy her at every turn... -
Home Sweet Home by Lizzie Lane
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWill they meet again? Frances Sweet can’t really remember her real parents. Brought up by her uncle, her cousins Ruby and Mary have always treated her like their little sister.As the war continues to keep her cousins separated from the men they love – Frances is growing up fast enough to catch the eye of dashing American soldier Declan... -
My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling authors of America’s First Daughter comes the epic story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton—a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy... -
Shelter from the Storm by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNineteen-year-old April Wilton has just enlisted in the WRENs in Portsmouth, where she works servicing engines on ships. She finds herself immersed in dockyard life and surrounded by soldiers - from England and America. The atmosphere is one of spontaneity and impulsiveness, brought on by the unpredictability of war... -
The Girl with the Diary by Shari J. Ryan
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 14 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 Dance Teacher of Paris by Suzanne Fortin
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 14 ratings'But how will I look after them? Where can I hide them?' She looked up at me and didn't try to stop the tears from falling. 'I'm begging you. Please, save our children.'Paris, 1942. As the Germans occupy the city she calls home, Adele Basset is determined to keep her pupils' spirits up. Their dance class offers a moment of solace in the dark days of occupation... -
The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 11 ratings“We must die standing up for something.”“And what are we standing up for?”“The most important thing there is. Freedom.”Millions of people walked through Auschwitz’s gates, but she was the first woman who escaped. This powerful novel tells the inspiring true story of Mala Zimetbaum, whose heroism will never be forgotten, and whose fate altered the course of history…Nobody leaves Auschwitz alive... -
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 41 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... -
Chasing Moonlight by Raven St. Pierre
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBestselling author, Raven St. Pierre, returns with the third standalone in a breathtaking family saga filled with love, acceptance, and adversity. Jesse Peterson lives by the sweat of his brow and doesn’t hold back from defending his beliefs—even if that means getting dirty and breaking a few noses in the process... -
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Within These Walls of Sorrow: A Novel of World War II Poland by Amanda Barratt
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"As superbly written as it is haunting in its truth." --Kate Breslin, best-selling author of For Such a TimeZosia Lewandowska knows the brutal realities of war all too well. Within weeks of Germany's invasion of her Polish homeland, she lost the man she loves... -
All My Tomorrows by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe compelling new Second World War novel from the author of Always in My Heart. In defending herself against her brutal husband, eighteen-year-old Ruby Clark is forced to flee London. She has no idea where Cliffehaven is, or what she will find there, but she knows that she will never be able to return home again. At first it seems she's fallen on her feet... -
The Bridge to Holy Cross by Paullina Simons
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThe Bridge to Holy Cross is a powerful story of love and hope -- a passionate and epic love story from the Russian-born author of The Bronze Horseman. The world at war ...two people in love. Tatiana is eighteen years old and pregnant when she miraculously escapes war-torn Leningrad to the West, believing herself to be a widow... -
The Words We Whisper by Mary Ellen Taylor
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 12 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... -
Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThis eBook has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Bertie returns to London from several weeks in Cannes spent in the company of his Aunt Dahlia Travers and her daughter Angela... -
The Lost Letters of Aisling by Cynthia Ellingsen
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA woman faces the past she fled in a heart-stirring novel about unforgettable love and indomitable courage by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper.Rainey’s grandmother makes a startling Take me home. To Ireland, the country she fled post–World War II. Though they’re inseparably close, Rainey knows few of her grandmother’s secrets... -
Stormy Days On Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLondon 1950Peggy Ronoscki is happily settling into life running her guesthouse on Mulberry Lane, surrounded by close friends and family. Life just seems too good…But then disaster strikes.Pip, her beloved son is left in a coma following a devastating car crash and a young girl collapses in the market leaving Peggy no option but to nurse her back to health... -
Sealed With a Loving Kiss by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe gripping new Second World War novel from Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author of While We're Apart.After the death of her parents in a bombing raid, Mary Jones discovers a secret in the pages of father’s diaries. Her search for the truth brings her to Cliffehaven on the south coast... -
Finding Friends on Beamer Street: The start of a brand new historical saga series by Sheila Riley for 2022 by Sheila Riley
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe start of a brand new series from Sheila Riley, bestselling author of the Reckoner's Row saga series!Liverpool 1921 Pregnant, Mary Jane Starlings secret wedding to Paddy Redfern ends in disaster when her fiancé is murdered on the way to the church. Paddy’s wayward twin ‘Red’ intercepts Mary Jane and warns that they must flee Ireland for fear of reprisals from her family, never to return... -
The Parisians by Marius Gabriel
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsParis, 1940. The Nazis have occupied the city—and the Ritz. The opulent old hotel, so loved by Parisians, is now full of swaggering officers, their minions and their mistresses.For American Olivia Olsen, working as a chambermaid at the hotel means denying her nationality and living a lie, every day bringing the danger of discovery closer... -
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Just Once: A Novel by Karen Kingsbury
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe #1 New York Times bestselling author “known for her deeply heartfelt novels” ( Woman’s World ) writes a sweeping World War II love story about a young woman torn between two brothers.In 1941, beautiful Irvel Holland is too focused on her secret to take much notice of the war raging overseas... -
The Ops Room Girls: An uplifting and romantic WW2 saga by Vicki Beeby
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhen Evie’s dreams come crashing down, she’s determined to still make something of herself in these trying times…It is 1939 and working class Evie Bishop has received a scholarship to study mathematics at Oxford when tragedy turns her life upside down... -
The Skylark's Secret by Fiona Valpy
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsLoch Ewe, 1940. When gamekeeper’s daughter Flora’s remote highland village finds itself the base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys, life in her close-knit community changes forever. In defiance of his disapproving father, the laird’s son falls in love with Flora, and as tensions build in their disrupted home, any chance of their happiness seems doomed... -
The German Midwife by Mandy Robotham
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFor readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Kate Furnivall comes a gritty tale of courage, betrayal and love in the most unlikely of places. Germany, 1944. Taken from the camps to serve the Fuhrer himself, Anke Hoff has been assigned as midwife to one of Hitler’s inner circle. If she refuses, her family will die... -
The Hat Girl's Heartbreak by Lindsey Hutchinson
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWill it be tears or triumph for the Hat Girl from Silver Street?It’s been five years since Ella Bancroft lost the love of her life, Harper Fortescue, and despite her friends’ encouragement, she’s still not been able to move on. The one thing keeping Ella smiling is the success of her hat shop, Ivella... -
The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsFrom the Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author comes the latest instalment in the epic multimillion-selling series, The Seven Sisters.The story of Merope, the missing sister, is waiting to be told . . -
Murder in an Irish Castle by Verity Bright
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIrish whiskey, rolling green hills, a traditional Christmas feast and… a murder? Lady Swift will need the luck of the Irish to survive this holiday season!Christmas, 1924. Lady Eleanor Swift has received a rather unexpected invitation to the village Christmas party in the tiny, rural hamlet of Derrydee in the west of Ireland... -
When the World Goes Quiet by Gian Sardar
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsIn the final days of World War I, an aspiring artist’s courageous journey is just beginning in a powerful novel about love, danger, and survival by the author of Take What You Can Carry.It’s 1918 in German-occupied Bruges, Belgium. With luck, Evelien will make it to the end of the war and be given what she was a prized painting in exchange for safeguarding her employer’s possessions... -
The Orphan Twins by Lesley Eames
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThey only had each other . . . until they were torn apart. London, 1910. Lily is ten years old when she realises her grandmother, a washerwoman in the backstreets of London's Bermondsey, is seriously ill. She's determined to do what can she can to help and keep her grandmother's illness a secret – even from her beloved twin, Artie... -
Rainy Days for the Harpers Girls: A brand NEW saga from bestseller Rosie Clarke by Rosie Clarke
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 12 ratings1914 Oxford Street, London - There are hard times ahead for the Harpers Girls...It is two years since Harpers Emporium opened its doors and life is good for Sally and Ben Harper as they look forward to the arrival of their first child.Beth Burrows is settling into married life with Jack and is gradually recovering from her miscarriage and Aunt’s tragic death... -
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As the Sun Breaks Through by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratings**************PRE-ORDER NOW:THE FIFTEENTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEANCliffehaven, June 1944As the planes continue to circle over Cliffehaven, Peggy Reilly’s sister Doris must seek refuge after a V-1 blast destroys her home... -
As the Sun Breaks Through by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratings************** PRE-ORDER NOW: THE FIFTEENTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEAN A fabulous, heart-warming Second World War novel in Ellie Dean's bestselling Cliffehaven series (previously called the Beach View Boarding House series)... -
On a Turning Tide by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCliffehaven, October 1944 As the Allied troops draw closer to victory, life at Beach View Boarding House is still full of uncertainty. Rosie’s plans for her wedding to Ron Reilly are plagued with misunderstandings. And when Ron takes on a secret assignment just days before they are due to say their vows, it seems their plans for a future together may be doomed... -
Abiding Hope by Jennifer H. Westall
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." After three years of bloodshed in the jungles of the Philippines, guerrilla leader, Matthew Doyle, finds himself on the brink of freedom. The Americans are coming, bringing with them the promise of an end to the terror inflicted by the Japanese army on his mind, body, and soul... -
A Place Called Home by Ellie Dean
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's 1945. Victory has been declared and those who have been away during the war are finally coming home to Cliffehaven. Peggy Reilly is over the moon that her husband Jim is safely back from Burma. But the horrors that he has endured over many years are taking their toll, and adjusting to life at Beach View will not be an easy task... -
When the World Goes Quiet: A Novel by Gian Sardar
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn the final days of World War I, an aspiring artist’s courageous journey is just beginning in a powerful novel about love, danger, and survival by the author of Take What You Can Carry . It’s 1918 in German-occupied Bruges, Belgium. With luck, Evelien will make it to the end of the war and be given what she was a prized painting in exchange for safeguarding her employer’s possessions...
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