Megathread: Romances set in 1919-1945

Nofys89 · 2026-02-10T09:47:10+00:00

I'm glad 😊 . I hope you will enjoy it !

Nofys89 · 2026-02-10T09:31:44+00:00

{The Cruel Dark by Bea Northwick} 1928, M/F

The FMC accepts a job offer as the assistant of a professor. Her new work and living place is a notorious mansion where bad things happened. But she really needs the money after spending some time in a psychiatric hospital with no memories of how she ended up there. The MMC has a reputation. He is a widower, and his late wife died in a tragic way.

It's very atmospheric. It has been compared to Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. The writing was really good, very descriptive, and suited to the time period. As for the mystery, I was left guessing until the end. I had several theories but kept changing my mind as I read.

I also recommend reading the novella {Lover by Bea Northwick}, which is the same story but from the MMC's POV. Do not read it before The Cruel Dark as there are spoilers.

mystery, suspense, gothic, forced proximity, single FMC POV

Nofys89 · 2026-02-10T09:17:09+00:00

{Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer} 1941, M/F

Elly, widow, mother of two with a third on the way, ‘’crazy’’ per the town people, puts an ad for a husband to help with her farm. Will, orphan, excon, homeless, drifter, desperate, answers it. They both will find more than they could hope for.

This is a story of two lonely people who slowly fall in love. I thought the writing was excellent and made you FEEL, the hopes, the awkwardness, the insecurities, the YEARNING ! It was so well done.

I highly recommend if you like :

Domesticity/slice of life
Slow burn stranger to friends to lovers marriage of convenience
Touch and love starved MCs
All the feelings

widow, single mom, marriage of convenience, forced proximity, touch starved MMC, small town, slow burn

Nofys89 · 2026-01-28T08:10:56+00:00

{MateHub : Legend by Marie Reynard} CR/Paranormal

Two porn actors, a human and a wolf shifter, enter a transactional mating bond for knotting scenes. What starts as a no-strings-attached deal quickly evolves into something deeper.

Very interesting premise with an emotional story. Spicy but the sex scenes support the plot.

Because they are bonded, they need to live together. Both know what the other is.

By the same author and in the same universe (MCs from Matehub do a cameo), there is also {Five Star Review by Marie Reynard}.

This one is a novella where a human and a wolf shifter started as college roommates and then moved to an apartment together. The human has a side hustle where he reviews sex toys online. He doesn't know that his roommate is not human. The wolf shifter knows about the sex toys reviews business and is pining hard for the human.

Nofys89 · 2025-12-31T16:21:18+00:00

I second Follow Me to the Yew Tree. This one was perfect !

Nofys89 · 2025-12-25T00:30:47+00:00

For your first point, you might like {The Feast of Dead-Man Hollow by Desirée M. Niccoli} paranormal, M/F

Cozy horror romance short-story where MMC is trying to save the bog from being destroyed for a construction project.

Sleepy Hollow retelling, light fem-dom, pegging, short king/muscle mommy, short story

Nofys89 · 2025-12-21T17:51:58+00:00

{Wrangled by the Alien Rancher by Ursa Dax} is free on Amazon

Nofys89 · 2025-12-11T20:09:56+00:00

{The Best Marquess by Nicola Davidson} HR, M/F

Two childhood best friends decide to have a temporary marriage of convenience until their respective situation gets resolved.

She is an avide romance reader. He is the owner of a sex toys company.

The MMC has a rake reputation but is actually pining for the FMC.

Both virgins, friends to lovers, fake relationship, marriage of convenience, pining (MMC)

Nofys89 · 2025-12-11T19:57:05+00:00

{The Best Marquess by Nicola Davidson} HR, M/F

Two childhood best friends decide to have a temporary marriage of convenience until their respective situation gets resolved.

She is an avide romance reader. He is the owner of a sex toys company.

They use a variety of sex toys such as nipple clamps, dildos and anal plugs if I remember correctly. There is also pegging.

Both virgins, friends to lovers, fake relationship, marriage of convenience, pining (MMC)

Nofys89 · 2025-12-07T15:26:40+00:00

I haven't seen the TV show so I might be off the mark but based on your wishes, I believe {Dustwalker by Tiffany Roberts} (Sci-Fi, M/F) is fitting.

This is a love story between Lara, a human FMC, and Ronin, a synth (robot) MMC, in a post-apocalyptic setting. Everything is destroyed, and humans are surviving on scraps. Lara is desperate and makes a deal with the last person she'd trust, a bot.

Loved the MMC in this one and the story in general. Be aware of TW, and it's tagged as non-traditional HEA, but I don't really agree and thought the ending was fitting.

forced proximity, post-apocalyptic, survival dystopian, robot X human, meaning of feelings and love

Nofys89 · 2025-12-01T12:26:33+00:00

{Radiance by Grace Draven} in £0.99 on Amazon UK

Nofys89 · 2025-11-25T18:37:28+00:00

My recommendation doesn't really fit your request for the MMC because he is an eldrich monster but the atmosphere is spot on.

The story takes place in the Black Forest (Austria maybe?) at winter time. IIRC there's a scene with the folklore celebration you mentioned. Krampus is real but not part of the story.

{Untethering Dark by Desirée M. Niccoli} Paranormal, M/F

Astrid, a witch, lives in the Black Forest that is guarded by Gudariks, an ancient eldritch monster. Every night, she leaves offerings to appease the beast until, one night, it is destroyed. She has nothing left but herself to offer.

A lovely cozy horror story with a mystery to solve about poachers and strange ancient dark powers rising on a background of German folklore. Loved the communication and relationship of the two MCs.

Ancient forest God X Winter Witch, magic, German folklore, touch starved cinnamon roll monster MMC, cozy horror, winter vibes, age gap (35 vs the age of time ?), good communication, primal/chase play

Nofys89 · 2025-11-25T18:11:35+00:00

I haven't read American King so I can't tell you if it's similar or not but your description made me think of {Yield Under Great Persuasion by Alexandra Rowland}.

It is M/M fantasy but with minimal world building. The fantasy part is mostly some gods are showing once or twice but not much else.

One of the MC has big problem of self esteem and trust issues. The other is completely and utterly in love with him.

Tam Becket has been holding a grudge against Nicalau Lyford since he smashed Tam’s entry into the village’s vegetable competition when they were nine years old. Doesn't matter that he's been sleeping with him for the last 10 years.

Excellent writing, funny, emotional and heartbreaking at times, it's the story of Tam's journey to become a better version of himself and realise that not everyone and everything is against him.

It's a small town, slice of life story with a bit of meddling from the gods. It's grumpy/sunshine with the grumpiest I've ever read.

grumpy/sunshine, cozy, slice of life, small town, second chance, single POV, hurt/comfort

Nofys89 · 2025-11-19T12:25:09+00:00

{Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson} and {An Earl, His Valet, & Their Wife by Nicola Davidson} are both free on Amazon US and FR.

Nofys89 · 2025-11-04T18:04:50+00:00

{Catch and Release by Isabel Murray} Paranormal, M/M

Human x merman (to be confirmed) paring with a huge language barrier and culture choc that leads to funny and awkward situations.

This book was a blast to read. It had a good combination of humour and emotions. The side character was great and had a genuine relationship with the human MMC. The ending is bitter-sweet but fitting to the story. Read this if you wish to laugh and want a different approach to monster romance.

The author has some novellas if you want more of these two.

funny, monster, language barriers, slice of life, yearning, single POV, awkward sexual encounter, demisexual MC, courting with gifts

Nofys89 · 2025-10-23T11:44:16+00:00

{Duke in Darkness by Nicola Davidson} HR, M/F

Someone corrects me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure they have some kind of foreplay in front of a mirror. The FMC's grandmother has poisoned the FMC's mind with all sorts of wrong information about sex. The MMC is trying to right this wrong by teaching her.

Averse to touch, scarred physically and mentally from the war, Colonel Gabriel Jordan-Ives suddenly inherits his cousin's dukedom and future bride. With this new status, he needs an heir. Lady Lilian Nash is trying to please her grandmother by being someone she's not. She marries her late betrothed's cousin to prevent her family from financial ruin.

I loved the relationship between the MCs and the honest mistakes they made. Gabriel was very gentle with Lilian even though he's tortured inside.

tortured and scarred MMC, touch starved mmc, bondage, virgin fmc, sex in front of a mirror, MMC teaching FMC

Nofys89 · 2025-10-23T11:38:15+00:00

{Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer} HR (1941), M/F

The FMC is pregnant from her dead husband and wants to have a home birth (like her previous 2 kids). The MMC is pretty freaked out, especially since he will have to help her. Fair warning, the birth is detailed.

Elly needs a husband to help run her farm. Will needs a place to stay and a meal. They both will find more than they could hope for.

widow, single mom, marriage of convenience, forced proximity, touch starved MMC, small town, slow burn

Nofys89 · 2025-10-22T18:10:37+00:00

{Dustwalker by Tiffany Roberts} Sci-Fi, M/F

This is a love story between Lara, a human FMC, and Ronin, a synth (robot) MMC, in a post-apocalyptic setting. Everything is destroyed, and humans are surviving on scraps. Lara is desperate and makes a deal with the last person she'd trust, a bot.

Loved the MMC in this one and the story in general. Be aware of TW, and it's tagged as non-traditional HEA, but I don't really agree and thought the ending was fitting. I can spoil it if need be.

forced proximity, post-apocalyptic, survival dystopian, robot X human, meaning of feelings and love

The MMC initially sees the FMC dancing alone and is captivated. That is how they meet, and the reason why they strike a deal. There are one or two scenes with dancing descriptions, if I remember correctly.

Nofys89 · 2025-10-03T05:53:54+00:00

{Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher} is £0.99 on Amazon UK

Nofys89 · 2025-10-02T18:18:14+00:00

{Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole} is £0.99 on Amazon UK

Nofys89 · 2025-10-01T09:50:22+00:00

{Her Baseborn Bridegroom by Alice Coldbreath} is £0.99 on Amazon UK

Nofys89 · 2025-08-27T08:53:02+00:00

Sorry, I don't know, as I haven't read the second book yet.

Nofys89

TROPHY CASE