The Shelves

Romance Historical 20th Century Books

Books selected for readers looking for romance historical 20th century books.

37 booksApril 2, 2026

Part of 470+ tracked lists·76% reader overlap with Family Life Marriage & Divorce Books

1. The Beautiful and the Damned
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Fits this list for its focus on 20th and century.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century Historical Romance
2. The Ice Palace
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mike Vendetti
Fits this list for its focus on 20th and century.
Shelf signal: Marriage & Divorce
3. Madame Bovary
Gustave Flaubert
Fits this list for its focus on 20th and century.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century Historical Romance
4. North and South
Elizabeth Gaskell, Gemma Whelan
Fits this list for its focus on 20th and century.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century Historical Romance
5. Sons and Lovers
D.H. Lawrence
Fits this list for its focus on 20th and century.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century Historical Romance
6. The Fifth Wheel
Olive Higgins Prouty
Fits this list for its focus on 20th and century.
Shelf signal: Gilded-Age Romance
7. The Last Time They Met
Anita Shreve
Fits this list for its focus on 20th and century.
Shelf signal: Later-Life Romance
8. A Certain Age
Beatriz Williams
Fits this list for its focus on romance.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century Historical Romance
9. A Private View
Anita Brookner
Fits this list for its focus on 20th and century.
Shelf signal: Later-Life Romance
10. The Vicar of Wakefield
Oliver Goldsmith, Steven Green
Fits this list for its focus on 20th and century.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century Historical Romance
11. The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick
S. Isabelle
Fits this list for its focus on romance.
Shelf signal: Regency Romance
12. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Anita Loos
Fits this list for its focus on 20th and century.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century Historical Romance
13. All the Pretty Places
Joy Callaway
Included for strong book club alignment with this romance historical 20th century list.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century Historical Fiction
14. The Second Mrs. Astor
Shana Abe
Fits this list for its focus on historical.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century Historical Romance
15. Miss Austen
Gill Hornby
Included for strong book club alignment with this romance historical 20th century list.
Shelf signal: 19th-Century English Fiction
16. The Letter
Kathryn Hughes
Fits this list for its focus on historical.
Shelf signal: World War II & Holocaust
17. The Blue Castle
L. M. Montgomery
Fits this list for its focus on romance.
Shelf signal: Canadian History
18. This Side of Paradise
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Fits this list for its focus on 20th and century.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century American Fiction
19. Overseas
January LaVoy, Beatriz Williams
Included for strong time alignment with this romance historical 20th century list.
Shelf signal: Time-Travel Romance
20. The Ship of Brides
Jojo Moyes, Nicolette McKenzie
Included for strong book club alignment with this romance historical 20th century list.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century Historical Romance
21. The Marriage Portrait: Reese's Book Club
Maggie O'Farrell, Maggie O'Farrell
Included for strong book club alignment with this romance historical 20th century list.
Shelf signal: Renaissance Fiction
22. What the Lady Wants
Renée Rosen
Fits this list for its focus on century.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century Historical Romance
23. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Included for strong book club alignment with this romance historical 20th century list.
Shelf signal: Bisexual Romance
24. Beautiful Little Fools
Jillian Cantor
Included for strong book club alignment with this romance historical 20th century list.
Shelf signal: 20th-Century Historical Romance