Historical Romance Novels Set in Europe

I recently traveled to Italy and France and I couldn’t help but think that these countries would make the perfect setting for romance novels. The gothic spires and quaint cafes of Paris, the rolling hills of Tuscany, the mystique of Venice. I felt like I was on the set of a movie, or in a book. It made me wonder, why aren’t more Romance Novels set in France or Italy? Or more exotic places like Egypt, Greece, or Japan?

In France and Italy, the fascinating local history and the picturesque scenery captivated me. So, why not create a series of Romance Books, not only set in a romantic country, but in a historic time period? Something like the classic pre-war romance Gone with the Wind. This is a dramatic story set in a beautiful, romantic place, during a momentous period in history. I didn’t think that similar romances set in Europe existed until I came across two mystery series set in England during the Interwar period (the period between the two world wars, 1918-1939). The first is Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series and the second is Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness.

Both of these Erotic Books are set in England during the same time period yet they have many differences. This is a testament to the complexity of the era in which they are set. Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs grew up very poor, and as a girl, started working as a servant for a wealthy family. Her life was wretched, until she discovered the library in the family manor. When, one night, her master caught her reading, he introduced her to a famous detective. The detective sensed Maisie’s potential, and began tutoring her.

Bowen’s Lady Georgina, by contrast, was the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She received an excellent education, and was expected to marry somebody of a distinguished background. However, she rebelled against this traditional path.

While each series has a distinctly different personality, they both deal with many of the same issues facing English citizens in the Interwar Period, including unemployment among World War I veterans, the rise of European fascism, and the changing role of women. Both books also contain a fair amount of humor.

The Lady Georgina books are lighthearted while the Maisie Dobbs stories have more of a bleak tone. Maisie and her fiancée were both brutally injured in the war and while Maisie made great improvements socially, she still had to deal with the lower classes.
I have become fascinated with these vignettes of English life during the Interwar period. I’d love to read similar books set in the same time period, but in Italy or France. The historical events in those countries during the Interwar period were equally as dramatic and would make for intriguing plots.