1. Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor rmovement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of the United States. --The Labor Department   

 

The labor movement concerns itself the needs of workers for better wages, reasonable hours and safer working conditions. The labor movement led efforts to stop child labor, give health benefits and provide aid to workers who were injured or retired.

 

The history current and past of the movement is powerful, necessary, and needs wider exposure. It doesn't tell the story of kings and wars but of women, people of color, work, and hope. 

 

Happy Labor Day! Raise a glass to those that fought and fight for an 8 hour day, two days off, an end to child labor, living wage, safe working conditions, retirement, sick leave, paid vacations, ovetime pay. 

 

To all workers, may your labor be valued and your life be treasured. 

 

Here are wonderful romances that explore labor movement.

 

My lists are never in any particular order. Enjoy!

 

1.  An Uncertain Dream (Postcards from Pullman Series #3)  by Judith Miller

 

When Pullman Car Works employees walk out in protest of their wages and high rent, Olivia Mott is torn between her loyalty to the company and her love for Fred DeVault. Amidst the turmoil in Pullman, Fred is asked to act as a local delegate to the national convention of the American Railway Union, but when the delegates vote in favor of a nationwide boycott of the famous Pullman sleeping cars, Olivia wonders if Fred will ever be able to return to the company town. What will become of their growing affection for each other? Who will prevail in the company strike?

 

2. God's Bits of Wood by Ousmane Sembène Not a Romance in the tradionial sense but a love story as married couples fight for lives worth living. 

 

In 1947 the workers on the Dakar-Niger Railway came out on strike. Throughout this novel, written from the workers' perspective, the community social tensions emerge, and increase as the strike lengthens. 

 

3. The Awakening by Jude Deveraux

 

Amanda Caulden led a sheltered life on her father's California ranch -- until the day Hank Montgomery stormed into town. A hot-blooded union organizer with a taste for ladies and fine champagne, he sensed the fire that smoldered beneath her prim, virtuous beauty...and he vowed to make her his. 

Hank's assault on her orderly life made Amanda furious -- and all the more enticing. Slowly, he drew her into a world of sensuous pleasure: sumptuous meals and moonlit dances, carefree laughter and stolen kisses...gently stirring the sleeping embers of passion. But even as a fierce love rose between them, violent rebellion threatened to destroy the Caulden ranch -- and their lives!

 

4. Special Interests by Emma Barry

 

Union organizer Millie Frank's world isn't filled with cocktails and nightclubs…until she's turned into an unwitting minor celebrity. As if being part of a hostage situation wasn't traumatizing enough, now her face is splashed across the news. But Millie's got fresher wounds to nurse—like being shot down by the arrogant bad boy she stupidly hit on.

 

Parker Beckett will do whatever it takes to close a deal for the senate majority leader, including selling out union labor. Charming and smart on the surface, he's also cynical and uncommitted—an asset on the Hill. But something about Millie has stuck with him and when negotiations bring her to his office, Parker breaks his own rules and asks her out.

 

Parker can't understand how Millie has retained her idealism in a place like D.C. Millie can't believe what Parker's willing to sacrifice in order to pass a budget. But as they navigate their political differences, what grows between them looks a lot like a relationship…and maybe even a little like love

 

5. Watch The Hour by J.R. Lindermuth

 

n the 1870s in Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal region, mine owners and their employees, particularly the Irish immigrants, are in conflict over working conditions.Private police forces commissioned by the state but paid by the coal companies are sworn to protect property of the mine owners. The miners know their real purpose is to spy upon targeted agitators and intimidate and break up strikers.The Mollie Maguires, a secret society some see as working to improve the lot of the Irish and which others damn as a terrorist organization, are viewed as an increasing threat. Benjamin Franklin Yeager is a coal company police officer. He does his best to follow orders while trying to be fair to the workers whose lot he sees as little different from his own. Despite his efforts at fairness, Yeager’s job makes him the enemy of the Irish.And that’s the crux of his troubles.For Ben is in love with an Irish girl.

 

6. Brass and Iron by Julian Edney

 

 A sweeping romance set against the labor riots of Chicago in the 1890s. The young Wyand returns from war to Chicago. He is broken with war nightmares. 1898 finds big cities in America the same: the ultra-rich live next to the desperate poor, extravagance flaunted in the face of the overcrowded hungry. Wyand finds no work except in one of the hellish southside factories. The poor neighborhoods are awash in brutal labor riots. Wyand stumbles into a labor mutiny where he saves the life of a beautiful worker, Kate, about to be killed by hired goons. She promptly rejects him as an educated boy, not her working class. He is smitten by her spirit and her beauty, and he pursues. She extracts a price for her affections: Wyand has to help her organize another mutiny against the stranglehold of their exploiters. She leads him into the labor turmoil across gang-infested streets. Strikes were illegal and brutally crushed, and twice their organizing is broken, and suffering and hunger fill the streets. But Wyand is hypnotized by Kate’s spirit. Jailed for striking, he returns to the cause and wins the respect of the workers. Seizing the moment after a bloody street battle, he picks up as a street orator and once again rallies the crowd of desperate and broken. Kate is finally impressed. Together the two work tirelessly to get a foothold in the struggle for justice. They plan a third big uprising against deadly obstacles. They once again confront the widespread fear, the factory owners, the law.

 

7. The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott

 

Eager to escape life on her family’s farm, Alice Barrow moves to Lowell in 1832 and throws herself into the hard work demanded of “the mill girls.”  In spite of the long hours, she discovers a vibrant new life and a true friend—a saucy, strong-willed girl name Lovey Cornell.
 
But conditions at the factory become increasingly dangerous, and Alice finds the courage to represent the workers and their grievances.  Although mill owner, Hiram Fiske, pays no heed, Alice attracts the attention of his eldest son, the handsome and reserved Samuel Fiske. Their mutual attraction is intense, tempting Alice to dream of a different future for herself.
 
This dream is shattered when Lovey is found strangled to death. A sensational trial follows, bringing all the unrest that’s brewing to the surface. Alice finds herself torn between her commitment to the girls in the mill and her blossoming relationship with Samuel.  Based on the actual murder of a mill girl and the subsequent trial in 1833.

 

8. Hearts Afire by Sara Luck

 

he toast of New York’s theater world, Sabrina Chadwick dazzled with her raven-haired beauty and brilliant performances. But her rising star came crashing down after a disastrous night of scandal and betrayal that left the young actress with nothing but a broken heart. Now the preacher’s daughter who found glittering success on the stage must begin a new life somewhere she can escape her shattered past as Sabrina Chadwick.

. . . to love’s shining light.

Lincoln Buchannan had no idea that the lovely lady new to Colorado Springs had been a star back East. The wealthy mine owner only knew that Victoria Drumm was stranded without accommodations in a city bustling with gold rush fever! Link offers Tori shelter in his sprawling home and agrees to help track down her brother, a fervent union organizer in nearby Cripple Creek. As desire flares between Tori and her rugged rescuer, so do the demands of striking miners in a violent and historic protest fueled by passionate convictions on both sides.

 

9. Starlight by Carrie Lofty

 

Sir William Christie, ruthless tycoon and notorious ladies' man, is dead. Now his four grown children have gathered for the reading of his will. What lies in store for stepsiblings Vivienne, Alexander, and twins Gareth and Gwyneth? Stunning challenges that will test their fortitude across a royal empire . . . and lead them to the marvelously passionate adventures of their lives.

An esteemed astronomer, Alex Christie, the eldest and most steadfast of the Christie siblings, has never possessed his late father's ruthless business drive. But to protect his frail infant son from his cruel father-in-law's bid for custody, the young widower must undertake Sir William Christie's posthumous million-dollar challenge: to make a Glasgow cotton mill profitable. At sea in an industrial world of sabotage and union agitation, Alex meets Polly Gowan, daughter of a famed union leader, who hopes to seize a mysterious saboteur without involving the police. 

Because a sympathetic mill master would aid her cause, Polly becomes Alex's guide to urban Scotland. From soccer games to pub brawls, Alex sees another side of life, and feels free for the first time to reveal the man--vital and strong--behind his intellectual exterior. Polly is utterly seduced. Their ambitions, however, remain at odds: Alex vows to earn the mill bonus to save his child, while Polly fights for the needs of her people. Is there strength enough in their sparkling passion to bind them together in their quests-- and in a lasting love that conquers all?

 

10. Echoes of Mercy by Kim Vogel Sawyer

 

When a suspicious accident occurs at the famous Dinsmore Chocolate Factory in Sinclair, Kansas, Caroline Lang goes undercover as a factory worker to investigate the circumstances surrounding the event and how the factory treats its youngest employees—the child workers. Caroline’s fervent faith, her difficult childhood, and compassionate heart drove her to her job as an investigator for the Labor Commission and she is compelled to see children freed from such heavy adult responsibilities, to allow them to pursue an education.   
 
Oliver Dinsmore, heir to the Dinsmore candy dynasty, has his own investigation to conduct. Posing as a common worker known as “Ollie Moore,” he aims to find out all he can about the family business before he takes over for his father. Caroline and Oliver become fast friends, but tension mounts when the two find themselves at odds about the roles of child workers. Hiding their identities becomes even more difficult when fate brings them together over three children in desperate need. When all is revealed, will the truth destroy the love starting to grow between them?

 

 

I have more! Check out my Goodreads list: Labor Day: Romance Featuring the Labor Movement.

 

Do you have recs? Gimme! My mind knows there is a Romance that mention Samuel Gompers but dang if I can name it! Help! 

 

I grew up in a train town. Ergo, I love trains. May your journeys always be safe  Let the lullaby of the tracks rock you into wonderful dreams. 

 

 

Here are some wonderful Historical Romance featuring the Railroad. 

 

1. Train From Marietta  by Dorothy Garlock

 

In a Depression-era romance, rugged westerner Tate Castle meets fragilely beautiful Katherine Tyler, a New Orleans native, in a west Texas romp. Kate, who has earned a nursing degree in New York, is California-bound from the Big Easy, on her way to work for an uncle at a San Francisco hospital. Her father's business partner has other plans for her, in order to shake down her rich father. Kate is kidnapped as she steps off the westbound train in Texas for a breather and is held by two desperate outlaws and the mastermind's nephew. Tate, a horse rancher with a handicapped daughter, is hired by Kate's father to find her; her rescuer arrives at a major captivity crisis point. First believing she's too much of a city girl for him, Tate has to change his tune when Kate proves much tougher than she looks during their escape through the wilderness to the nearest town. Among other complications, his strong-willed daughter, who gets tangled up in their flight, doesn't seem likely to have the same change of heart, but all's well that ends well, even in dustiest Texas.

 

2. Shadow's Stand by Sarah McCarty 

 

hadow Ochoa is lying low in the western Kansas Territory, waiting for his fellow Texas Rangers—the Hell's Eight brotherhood—to clear his name. That is, until he's unjustly strung up for horse thieving…and pretty Fei Yen intervenes. Invoking a seldom-used law, the exotic lady prospector claims Shadow as her husband and rides off with the bridegroom shackled to her buckboard.

Savvy, fearless Fei is single-mindedly devoted to her hidden claim and all it promises: wealth, security and freedom. A husband is just a necessary inconvenience and a name on paper to hold the claim she cannot.

Shadow isn't a man to take orders from anyone, especially from lovely Fei—except that the daily friction between them ignites into nightly blazes of all-consuming passion. Soon Shadow is dreaming a little himself: of the life they could have if only Fei could see past the lure of independence. If only bounty hunters weren't closing in on him. If only he's left standing when the impending showdown has ended….

 

3. The Soft Touch by Betina Krahn

 

She is a softhearted Baltimore heiress...

Lovely but disastrously tenderhearted Diamond Wingate has terrible trouble saying "No": to the poor and unfortunate who beg at her gates; to entrepreneurs with big plans and no money; and worse, to the silver-tongued young men who line up to propose marriage. So far she has managed to keep her three fiancés a secret, insisting she cannot marry until she turns twenty-three. But her birthday--and disaster--are looming....

He is a hardheaded Westerner...

Rugged, independent "Bear" McQuaid has never taken a dime he didn't earn by his own hard work. But now his dream of building a railroad, so close to coming true, is about to collapse from lack of funds. Approaching Baltimore's infamous "soft touch," he learns she has other assets as well: a delicate, strawberry blond beauty and shining intelligence--and a fascination for the romance of the railroad. Then Bear uncovers Diamond's embarrassment of riches in fiancés as well as money and charms. Now he must make a choice: finance his dream through a little genteel blackmail, or do it the hard way...by falling in love.

 

4. Behind His Blue Eyes by Kaki Warner

 

Hoping to escape his past, Ethan Hardesty left a career as an architect and went to work for the railroad. Only two things impede his desire to transform Heartbreak Creek into a thriving town once again—a vandal bent on stopping the railroad, and the beautiful but hardheaded woman who won’t sign over the final right-of-way through the canyon.

Audra Pearsall has good reason for not allowing a train to pass within yards of her home, no matter how persuasive the handsome Mr. Hardesty can be. But when vandalism escalates to murder and fear stalks the canyon, Audra doesn’t know who to turn to—until the man she thought was her friend proves to be an enemy, and the man she wouldn’t allow herself to trust becomes her reluctant hero…

 

5. Coming Home for Christmas by Carla Kelly

 

Three soldiers, three generations, finding love at Christmas

1812: A Christmas in Paradise

To save nurse Laura Ortiz from destitution, British naval surgeon Thomas Wilkie has made her an offer this Christmas—a marriage of convenience….

1855: O Christmas Tree

A generation later, it's Thomas and Laura's daughter, widowed lone mother Lilian, who's working as a nurse in the Crimea. Christmas seems a long way away—until Major Trey Wharton helps her bring back the festive sparkle.

1877: No Crib for a Bed

Lilian's son Captain Wilkie Wharton is finally on his way home from Fort Laramie. It's a long, arduous, life-changing train journey…which sees him discover his soul mate and the true meaning of Christmas!

 

6. Lady Lavender by Lynna Banning

 

Widow Jeanne Nicolet's beautiful lavender fields are threatened by the advancing railroad. With her livelihood in danger, Jeanne will fight to protect her, and her little daughter's, future.

 

Constantly on the move, surveying the land, suits Colonel Washington Halliday just fine. He can escape the haunting memories of war that have left his emotions as damaged as his injured body.

 

Under the sultry heat of the Western sun, the scent of the purple fields is heady, but not as intoxicating as the lavender lady herself….

 

7. Claiming the Heart by Sara Luck

 

As the Texas and Pacific Railroad expands across the wideopen frontier, a spirited young woman finds a triumphant love amidst the tracks and tumult. 

History in the making . . . 

July 1876: Building a railroad that reaches Fort Worth city limits by a midnight deadline is an all-consuming obsession for track supervisor Gabriel Corrigan—while his socialite wife, Marthalee, daughter of a powerful Louisiana politician, heads home to arrange a marriage annulment. But when Gabe crosses paths with Josie Laclede, a vivacious businesswoman from St. Louis, he sees a sassy lady bold enough to stake her claim in the wild Texas plains—yet soft and sweet enough to win his heart. 

Love for the keeping . . . 

Though her past is a mystery—Josie was a foundling, raised by a kind widower who now runs a shop and hotel with her—Gabe dreams of a bright future with Josie by his side. Tantalized by his gentle kisses, and swept up in the thrilling track-laying race that has all of Fort Worth pitching in, Josie is tempted to fall hard for Gabe. But Marthalee returns, vying for the T&P fortune he stands to make. And when her father offers Gabe a senate seat and a chance to get back into his wellconnected family, a heartbroken Josie vanishes with the prairie breeze. Will their dream of a once-in-a-lifetime love go up in smoke?

 

8. Stowaway Bride by Adrianne Wood

 

Emily Highfill Grant is done with the rules of Boston society. She wants adventure—to see things she’s never seen before—and that’s exactly what she gets when she sneaks onto a train bound for San Francisco and finds herself face-to-face with a handsome, bare-chested stranger . . . who is also her wealthy grandfather’s nemesis.

As stowaways go, the breathtaking woman who turns up in Lucien Delatour’s private Pullman Palace car is most intriguing. Though she refuses to reveal more than her first name, Emily creates a lot of scintillating commotion on their cross country journey. But when Lucien discovers her true identity, the real trouble begins, and he faces a choice between the trailblazing railroad he invested everything in, and the feisty lover who captured his heart.

 

9. The Cowboy Who Caught Her Eye by Lauri Robinson

 

The Shopkeeper's Shame

Pregnant and unmarried, Molly Thorson knows her livelihood is under threat. The last thing she needs is a distracting cowboy swaggering into view. Especially one who knows she has a secret and still looks at her with desire in his eyes.

The Cowboy's Secret

Carter Buchanan knows all about secrets. It's his job to know. And Molly sure has something to hide. But the fear in her eyes touches a place he thought long-ago dead—and now this cowboy can't help but consider exchanging his pistol for a band of gold.…

 

10. The Runaway Heiress by Stef Ann Holm

 

Raised in stfling luxury and determined to escape an arranged marriage, Evelyn Thurgood-Baron masquerades as a lady's maid and hops the next train out of Beaumont, Texas. When her employer turns out to be a wanted man in disguise, she wonders whether scandalous behavior will be her undoing. But Evelyn is all too willing to stand by this stranger, who can offer her nothing but adventure...and a broken heart. 

 

Framed and branded a criminal, New Orleans police lieutenant Luke Devereaux will do anything to get to El Paso and clear his name...even sneak aboard a train while wearing women's clothing. He never bargained on having a maid -- particularly not one with such deep blue eyes. As they cross the harsh Texas terrain, renegade lawman and rebellious lady fall in love. But can Luke overcome betrayal and learn to trust in tomorrow?

 

Got any more? Gimme! 

 

Vote on the Goodreads list: Rail: Railroads in Historical Romance 

And now for something whimsical or fiecely compeetive and exhilarating, you choose!

 

Bicyles in Romance! 

 

I love how in Hstoricals the bicycle is use as a pivot point in women's freedom of movement and dress. The Rationial Dress Movement brought us bloomers, the ability to move, and not have our long skirts catch on fire. Yea!  Check out: A Bicycle Built For Two by Margaret Brownley  There are also great plots about bike touring in the West: Marci's Desire by Sara Luck.

 

Paranormals need more bicycles: I found one awesome Fantasy Romance about Velodrome Racers: The Velo Races by Emily June Street. I can't help but think of Pod Racing in Starwars. 

 

In Comtemporary Romance, we get everything: The Tour de France, bike couriers, cross counrty biking, mountain biking, Xtreme spots, and heroines with cool baskets on the front of thier daily rider. 

 

Enjoy these wonderful Bike Celebrating Romances!

 

1.  Ride with Me by Ruthie Knox $2.99!

 

When Lexie Marshall places an ad for a cycling companion, she hopes to find someone friendly and fun to cross the TransAmerica Trail with. Instead, she gets Tom Geiger—a lean, sexy loner whose bad attitude threatens to spoil the adventure she’s spent years planning.
 
Roped into the cycling equivalent of a blind date by his sister, Tom doesn’t want to ride with a chatty, go-by-the-map kind of woman, and he certainly doesn’t want to want her. Too bad the sight of Lexie with a bike between her thighs really turns his crank.
 
Even Tom’s stubborn determination to keep Lexie at a distance can’t stop a kiss from leading to endless nights of hotter-than-hot sex. But when the wild ride ends, where will they go next?

 

2. The Midwife's Secret by Kate Bridges

 

If Amanda Ryan's Secret Past Were Known, Her Fresh Start In Life Would Come To A Dead Stop.

 

No one would readily accept a divorced, barren midwife. Not even, she feared, Tom Murdock. For though he'd roused her slumbering womanhood, she could never be the wife he deserved...!

 

Just when his battered faith in human nature was almost restored, Tom Murdock discovered that Amanda Ryan had outright lied to him, destroying their chances for happiness. Or had she? For this feisty, independent woman, who could never give him the family he'd dreamed of, had made him desire things he'd never imagined...!

 

3. Touched To The Heart by Elsa Winckler $2.81!

 

When it comes to men, if physiotherapist Caitlin Sutherland didn't have bad luck, she would have no luck at all. To help cope, Caitlin starts blogging in her spare time, about the types of men she meets and the bad dates she goes on. 

 

While on duty during the annual Wines to Whales bicycle race, a gorgeous, sweaty cyclist walks in and sets her hormones dancing. But he is Don Cavallo; one of the four Cavallo brothers — hotel tycoons, famous as much for their business skills as for the number of beauties regularly seen on their arms.

 

Don Cavallo has his own issues with the other sex. He has yet to find one who is interested in him and not in his money or hotels. But when this sexy physio puts her hands on his back she not only touches his body, but also his heart. 

 

They've both been burned before, but neither of them can stop themselves from playing with fire.

 

4. Stiletto Heels or Bicycle Wheels? by Lindsey Paley $2.99!

 

When stressed out New York executive Rosie Hamilton inherits her Aunt Bernice’s run-down cottage, it couldn’t have come at a better time. With her love life, if she could call it that, exploding in her face and suspension from her job swinging through the corporate jungle, she reckons a couple weeks in Devon could be just the escape she needs from the glamorous, yet trauma-strewn landscape of her life in Manhattan. 

But life hidden away in the thatched lodge is dull, and how can she contemplate tackling the jungle of a garden in her Louboutins and Armani skirt suit? 

Rosie, uncomfortable with the invasion of privacy masquerading as community spirit, yearns to return to her old life of social indifference, until she stumbles upon her aunt’s old, hand-illustrated recipe book. With no other activity to occupy her time, she bakes, bakes, bakes as if her life depends on it. With no form of transport either, Rosie takes to the road on Bernice’s ancient bicycle, warm Devonshire scones in the wicket basket up front. 

She even has time to date! Austin, her aunt’s handsome, sharp-suited solicitor is straight from her New York wish list of boyfriend material; and Charlie, the local luxury Spa Hotel’s general maintenance guy, definitely not her type, irritatingly chirpy and lacking in life’s ambition. 

With recipes from Aunt Bernice’s own baking book for you to try at home; Corporate Manhattan or rural Devon? Austin or Charlie? ‘Stiletto Heels or Bicycles Wheels?’ Which would you choose?

 

5. The Velo Races by Emily June Street

 

Cutthroat velocipede racing enthralls the citizens of Seren, and Emmeline Escot was born to ride. There’s only one problem: she’s a girl. Serenias—the high-born women of the city—live tightly laced lives, cloistered by their families before marriage, rigidly controlled by their husbands after. 

Emmeline watches her twin brother gain success as a professional racing jockey while her own life grows increasingly narrow. Yet her hunger to ride never dies. Ever more stifled by the rules of her life, Emmeline rebels—with stunning consequences. 

Can her dream to race survive scandal, scrutiny, and heartbreak?

 

6. Chain Reaction by Ross Goldstein

 

Three years ago, rising cycling star Cal Scott abruptly quit the T Mobile team and returned home to California, determined to abandon cycling forever. At least that was his intention. Now Cal’s father has an offer for him: Come to Italy, bring your bike, do some recreational cycling, watch a race, no strings attached.

But Cal suspects that nothing from his bulldog-defense-attorney father comes without strings; after all, the trip coincides with Bassano del Grappa’s torturous race up the ferocious slopes of Monte Grappa. A win could mean re-entry into the pro cycling echelon, and on a personal level, heal the painful memories that preceded his decision to abandon a cycling career at the brink of success. In Bassano del Grappa, when his father introduces Cal to his old friend Gianni Di Salvo, former Giro d’Italia winner and famed cycling coach, Cal is proven right. Di Salvo offers all the support and coaching Cal needs to win the race, if Cal can get his head and heart “right” with competing again.

Di Salvo’s Squadra Diavolo team is full of brutally competitive local riders, and Cal’s fire for good fight still burns hot—as does his flame for Di Salvo’s beautiful ciclista daughter, Daniella. Pressured by rumors and coaxed by Daniella’s friendship, Cal undertakes a quest to purge himself of the past, fall in love, and win the race. On the journey, he just might learn that beyond the cutthroat side of pro cycling is the essence of the sport: being pushed beyond one’s limit to achieve the impossible.

 

7. A Bicycle Built For Two (Beaus and Buttons) by Margaret Brownley $3.99!

 

No one can pedal a bicycle around turn-of-the-century New York without a license, so Amanda Blackwell's cycling school has become all the rage. The innovative establishment provides an income for the independent miss and her brother Donny, a special child. But in one afternoon, everything goes to hade in a handbasket. Amanda's uncle is suing to put Donny into an institution and Damian Newcastle, the handsomest man she ever met, rides into her life to ruin everything. 

Architect Damian Newcastle has a dream—to build the highest skyscraper in New York so his wheelchair-bound son can see "the world" from atop the building. He just needs the land occupied by Amanda's cycling school to do it. But the building collapse that ruined his father's company caused Amanda's father's death. He and Amanda are supposed to be enemies, yet they are experiencing an overwhelming desire neither can put the brakes on. If only they can ride tandem on the byways of love, they have this chance of a lifetime to heal their hearts. 

 

8. The Story Guy (Novella) by Mary Ann Rivers 99 cents!

 

I will meet you on Wednesdays at noon in Celebration Park. Kissing only.
 
Carrie West is happy with her life . . . isn’t she? But when she sees this provocative online ad, the thirtysomething librarian can’t help but be tempted. After all, the photo of the anonymous poster is far too attractive to ignore. And when Wednesday finally arrives, it brings a first kiss that’s hotter than any she’s ever imagined. Brian Newburgh is an attorney, but there’s more to his life . . . that he won't share with Carrie. Determined to have more than just Wednesdays, Carrie embarks on a quest to learn Brian’s story, certain that he will be worth the cost. But is she ready to gamble her heart on a man who just might be The One . . . even though she has no idea how their love story will end?

 

 

9.  Marci's Desire by Sara Luck

 

 

 Do you have more? Gimme! Vote for the best of the best on my Goodreads list: Bicycles in Romance.

 

 

 

It takes a brave hero or heroine to escape the the horror of breaking covenants- infideilty, abadonment, addiction, neglect, belittlement, cruelty, abuse through divorce before this century and the last. 

 

For you history buffs, check out this great article The Heartbreaking History of Divorce. 

 

Here are some wonderful Historical Romacne Novels where the hero or herorine is divorced or seeking one and the HEA is with a new love. 

 

My lists are never in any particular order. 

 

1. Enchanted Afternoon by Susan Wiggs

 

Beautiful, charming and respected as the wife of an ambitious senator, Helena Cabot Barnes is the leading lady of Saratoga Springs. But beneath the facade lies a terrible deception. Helena married for all the wrong reasons – and discovered too late that her husband is a dangerous man. Fearing for her safety, she ends her marriage and flees to legendary Moon Lake Lodge, where she creates a refuge for other women in need of a safe haven. And there she finds the courage within to become the woman she was meant to be. 

 

But Helena can’t outrun her past. 

 

In desperation, she turns to Michael Rowan, a man she once loved, a man who broke her heart. A brilliant inventor, Michael is still ruggedly handsome, still defiantly unconventional. For Helena, the road to trusting Michael again is long and hard. And danger lies ahead. But Michael has just discovered a shattering truth... and a reason to stay and fight for the woman he once lost.

 

 

2. Cry For Passion by Robin Schone

 

Married twelve years to a man who does not desire her, Rose Clarring is dying of loneliness. She seeks the help of renowned barrister Jack Lodoun to challenge English Parliament and win her a divorce. Cynical and haunted by personal tragedy, Jack will only take the case if Rose can prove to him that there exists a passion that supersedes marital vows.

And so meeting by meeting...touch by touch...the two embark on a journey of discovery that leads to intimacies neither could have imagined: sex that knows no sin; love that has no limitations; a carnal bond which heals both grief and guilt. Together Rose and Jack will explore the ultimate in pleasure, but what must they sacrifice to claim the passion they so desperately desire?

 

3. The Bride Says No by Cathy Maxwell

 

What happens when a bride says no? 

 

He is the bastard son of a duke, arrogant, handsome, a little bit dangerous, and, of course, one of the most sought-after bachelors in London. He is also about to be publically jilted by some chit of a girl! Blake Stephens' pride isn't about to let him be humiliated, so he charges after his bride to the wilds of Scotland, determined to bring her to the altar.

 

What happens when the heart says yes? 

 

He is promised to one woman, but discovers his soul stirred by . . . the chit's sister! Lady Aileen Davidson's reputation was ruined ages ago, which is why she's buried herself in the country, but her fiery spirit and bold beauty threaten to bring Blake to his knees, making him wonder if he has proposed to the wrong lass.

 

And now he must make a choice: marry for honor . . . or marry for love?

 

4. Wild Oats by Pamela Morsi $2.99! 

 

Territory bachelor, Jedwin Sparrow, was merely hoping to sow some wild oats. And from what he’d heard, a logical place to start might be the cottage of Mrs. Cora Briggs, a notorious divorcee. 

Cora’s first instinct was to slap his face! Then a better plan occurred to her. Why not call the tune and string him along. What better way to exact revenge on those gossipy hens than to ensnare one of their own in that wicked web of lies. 

An unexpected love story, two people who discover the truth about themselves within the heart of each other.

 

5. One Wicked Sin by Nicola Cornick

Once the toast of the ton, Lottie Cummings is now notorious for being divorced. Shunned by society, the destitute beauty is lured to become a Covent Garden courtesan. Until a dangerous rake saves her with a scandalous offer.

The illegitimate son of a duke, Ethan Ryder rose to the ranks of Napoleon's most trusted cavalry officer—until his capture landed him in England as a prisoner of war. Now on parole, Ethan is planning his most audacious coup yet. But he needs Lottie's help to create a spectacular diversion. Yet their pact ignites a passionate bond that may scandalize even these two wicked souls….

 

6. Tallie's Hero by Sara Luck

 

wept up in adventure . . . 

With nothing left for him in Texas after his fiancée breaks his heart, Jeb Tuhill heads to Wyoming’s Big Horn Mountains to work the huge ranching operation of wealthy English squire Moreton Frewen. In an attempt to lure investors to the beautiful, and oftentimes dangerous, American West, Frewen and Jeb travel to England. The British gentry don’t impress Jeb much, but one spirited lady lassoes his attention with her intellect and charm. 

Bound together by passion . . . 

Tallie Somerset is a bestselling novelist who is forced into a divorce by the improprieties of her husband, a British lord. Fleeing the scandal, she takes a trip to New York with a friend who later convinces her to travel to Wyoming. Captivated by the big sky of the plains—and the handsome cowboy who calls it home—Tallie might be persuaded to leave England, and its bad memories, behind. But Jeb thinks she is still married, and she is afraid to tell him about the shame of her divorce. Tallie models the hero of her latest novel on Jeb . . . but can she make him her hero for a lifetime?

 

7. Scandal of the Year by Laura Lee Guhrke

 

One tryst was all she wanted . . .

 

From their very first meeting, Julia knew that Aidan Carr, the oh-so-proper Duke of Trathen, had a bit of the devil in him, a devil who secretly yearned for what he could not have, a devil who harbored a desire for her. So when she needed to be caught in a compromising situation, Aidan was the answer to her prayers.

 

One tryst just wasn't enough . . .

Aidan is supposed to be looking for a bride, yet his scandalous liaison with Julia is all he can think about. Hot, erotic memories of kissing her skin, falling into her bed, pulling her naked body on top of his own continue to torment and tempt him. What is it about this brazen seductress that he finds so hard to resist? And how can he stop himself from falling into her bed a second time?

 

8.The Lawman Takes a Wife by Anne Avery

 

Sheriff DeWitt Gavin was quite an assortment of surprises to merchant Molly Calhan. Saddled with a scandalous past and a giant-size sweet tooth, he also had a truly giving heart. Now if only she could convince him to give his heart to her…!

 

Witt Gavin had enough to handle, being the new lawman in a town rife with gossip and kids convinced bank robbers were hiding down every alley. His one daily treat was a visit to Molly Calhan's candy counter. But was it the confections that drew him—or the sweet shopkeeper herself?

 

9. Impulse by Candace Camp

 

Torn from the arms of the woman he loved and cast into the night by her highborn family, Cam Monroe vowed revenge on those who had wronged him.

Fifteen years later, after amassing a small fortune of his own, Cam returns to England with but one ambition. Now the power is his, power to ruin the Stanhope family if they refuse his demands. And what he demands is simple: that Angela Stanhope be his wife.

Then the mysterious "accidents" begin. Are the Stanhopes trying once again to remove him from their lives? Or is it someone from Cam's past, someone desperate enough to kill to prevent him from uncovering a shocking lie?

 

10. The Bedding Proposal by Tracy Anne Warren

 

Lord Leo Byron is bored with the aristocratic company he keeps; he needs a distraction, preferably in the form of a beautiful new female companion. So when he sets eyes on fascinating and scandalous divorcée Lady Thalia Lennox, he’s determined to make her intimate acquaintance. But the spirited woman seems to have no intention of accepting his advances no matter how much he chases—or how hard he falls....

Once a darling of Society, Thalia Lennox now lives on its fringes. The cruel lies that gave her a notoriously wild reputation have also left her with a broken heart and led to a solemn vow to swear off men. Still, Leo Byron’s bold overtures are deliciously tempting, and, for the first time, she finds herself wondering whether it just might be worth the risk to let the attractive rake into her life—and her bed....

 

 

Have a recommendation? Let me know!

 

Vote for the best of the best on my Goodreads list:  The D Word: Divorce in Historical Romance 

I gave this a C+ at AAR, so 3.5 stars here. Adventure in the National Parks! Romance! Exploration of changing roles for women! Lots of nature photography! Marci's Desire certainly sounded like a historical with a lot going for it and I went into the book thinking it would be a lot of fun to read. Sadly, for a book with so much going on , it ended up being a surprisingly slow read.Marcia (Marci) Winters is a likable, if slightly vapid, young college student at Wells College in the 1890s. Her father works in the Treasury Department in DC and as the daughter of an influential man, she's enjoyed a decidedly sheltered life. Her primary plans seem to involve enjoying her time at Wells and then marrying Stanton Caldwell, an ambitious political operative. At the beginning of the story, Marci has been chosen as part of a group of students to go to West Point for a mixer with the cadets.The cadet to whom Marci is assigned, Myles Cade McDowell, makes an immediate impression on her. They share a wonderful time together and become fast friends with chemistry that hints at more, despite Marci making it clear that she has plans with another. Myles, who grew up in poverty following the death of his soldier father, recognizes the vast social divide between him and Marci, but he cannot help developing feelings for her.Their magical time together might have ended up just being a great big mutual crush if not for what happens next. Marci ends up having to leave Wells in disgrace as, true to the time period, the college is scandalized to learn that she spent time at her escort's barracks without a chaperone. That Marci never actually entered the building makes no difference - back to DC she goes. This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: http://likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookReview.pl?BookReviewId=9635