...time to enjoy a little something spooky. My family was never big into Halloween growing up. I mean, we liked the free candy, but my mother wasn't fond of the holiday overall, so it wasn't a BIG DEAL. But despite that, I've always loved stories with a little bit of spookiness to them. Nothing horrid, or horribly scary - just a taste of the other-worldly. Imagine my displeasure, then, when I discovered just how FEW historical romances fit that bill. I had to really go looking for historical romances with a touch of Fae/Magic/Ghosts. And I determined that if I was looking for such stories, especially as Autumn arrives with chilly nights and hot chocolate evenings, others must be looking for them, too. So here is my list of THIRTEEN (pretty amazing how I got to that auspicious number, right?) CLEAN historical romance novels with a little taste of SPOOKINESS. (Affiliate links have been used in this post.)  A Haunting at Havenwood by Sally Britton Yes, I'm going to mention my book. I had so much fun writing this book, with a chilly setting near the woods, in the midst of fall. If you love a good ghost story, without any of the creepy components, this book will fit the bill. The ghosts are the bickering ancestors of the hero, who is himself an author and most reluctant to be disturbed, and the heroine...? Well, she has some changing to do. Nothing will keep Louisa from searching for an ancient fortune. Except perhaps a phantom who turns out to be a most eligible bachelor.  An Unlikely Match by Sarah M. Eden I have loved every book Sarah has written, and this one is no exception. In this ghost story, a young heir finds that he's inherited more than an estate - he's inherited a lovely ghost. But why does she haunt the castle when she seems like such a pleasant person? (This has a happily ever after, I promise.) "...A deep and abiding affection grows between the two, tempered by the unbreakable barrier that separates them. They cannot possibly hope for a happily ever after. There can be no future between a man yet living and a woman long dead. But how can Nickolas possibly give Gwen up? And how can Gwen face an eternity without Nickolas?"
 All Hallows' Eve Collection A Timeless Romance Anthology With novellas written by Sarah M. Eden, Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, Lisa Mangum, Jordan McCollum, and Elana Johnson. You will NOT find a better collection of somewhat-spooky, but entirely sweet, and squeaky clean romances. Reading this collection is like taking the entire bowl of Halloween Candy and finding it full of the GOOD stuff. You're going to love these stories.
After scandalizing London with her improper behavior and jilting two suitors, Nell Belden is about to do it again. This time she rejects the very wealthy, utterly insufferable nobleman her financially strapped guardians have been pressuring her to marry. Banished to their isolated Cornwall estate, Nell is awakened one night by an unusual apparition. But her midnight visitor is no phantom. He is Captain Henry Thorne, sixth Earl of Thornbury. The new Lord of Thorndene has returned to his crumbling family seat to live in isolation, far from the horrors of war. Nell is intrigued by this wounded soldier who has no desire to take his rightful place in society. As the weeks pass and fascination flames into dangerous desire, Nell realizes she must leave—or risk losing her heart to the one man who can never belong to her.
 The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen It's been a few years since I've read this one, but I well remember the creepy-factor of the (possibly) haunted house, as well as the twists and turns in the story... Here's part of the summary: Facing financial ruin, Abigail and her father search for more affordable lodgings, until a strange solicitor arrives with an astounding offer: the use of a distant manor house abandoned for eighteen years. The Fosters journey to imposing Pembrooke Park and are startled to find it entombed as it was abruptly left: tea cups encrusted with dry tea, moth-eaten clothes in wardrobes, a doll's house left mid-play... The handsome local curate welcomes them, but though he and his family seem acquainted with the manor's past, the only information they offer is a stern warning: Beware trespassers drawn by rumors that Pembrooke Park contains a secret room filled with treasure.
What about you? Can you think of any other historical romances you would add to this Halloween list?
5 Comments
Beverly Smith
10/10/2020 09:17:53 am
Thanks so much for the suggestions! I’ve enjoyed reading half of them previously & look forward to reading the others. An extra bonus is that many are on the kindle unlimited list.
Luci Jamison
10/10/2020 01:40:57 pm
The other two books by Nancy Campbell Allen in the series of Beauty and the Clockwork Beast.
B. Pirkle
10/27/2020 03:55:21 pm
Please remove me from this list!
Kathy Thompson
11/11/2020 03:04:07 pm
At this moment I have just finished reading my first ghostly romance, and I can't wait to read more.
Babette Hankin
11/18/2020 01:59:03 pm
It's not exactly historical, although the ghost is. One of my favorites is Miles by Melissa R. L. Simonin. There are also two others I remember fondly from long ago that I wish I could find again. Perhaps someone reading this will recognize them. One, not a romance, was a children's book I read in the seventies. There were some children who met two ghost children in the ruins of a house and eventually had to go back in time to save them from dying in a house fire. Another I read in the eighties when I was reading books by Dorothy Eden and Victoria Holt. A young woman goes to stay with an elderly woman and her sons. The elderly woman's husband was murdered, and his ghost paces the floor to wake people up when his wife's life is in danger. In the end he physically manifests to protect his wife and the heroine from the murderer until the hero can arrive. I think the author's last name began with F or somewhere in the vicinity. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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AuthorI write clean and sweet Historical Romance Novels, I live in the desert, I'm a mom of four, madly in love with my husband, and I love to read! Affiliate Links Used In PostsArchives
August 2021
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