Best Historical Romances set in an Exotic Locale

OK, so it’s August and you’re home and you’re bored. Maybe the kids are going back to school. You want an adventure, an around the world trip, or perhaps an ocean voyage—without leaving your living room. And you want a good love story. But you’re tired of those set mostly in England, Scotland, Ireland and America? Well, I have just the list for you!

My mother taught me to read when I was four and told me I could travel the world through books. She was right. And were she still alive, she would love this list I’ve created just for you daydreamers out there who long to travel…historical romances by some great authors set in exotic locales. Though some might begin (or end) in England or America, they will quickly take you to another time and another place! And all have been rated 4 or 5 stars by me:

A Secret Rose by Laura Parker (Australia)

Across a Moonlit Sea, The Iron Rose and The Following Sea, trilogy by Marsha Canham (the Caribbean and the Spanish Main)

Beyond Innocence by Joanna Lloyd (Australia)

Beyond Sunrise by Candice Proctor (the South Pacific, Polynesian islands)

Bianca by Bertrice Small, 1^st in the Silk Merchant’s Daughters series (Florence, Italy and the Black Sea)

Blue Moon by Parris Afton Bonds (Mexico)

Broken Wing by Judith James (France, North Africa and the Mediterranean)

Dark Torment by Karen Robards (Australia)

Devil’s Embrace and Devil’s Daughter by Catherine Coulter (Italy and the Mediterranean)

Falling Stars by Anita Mills (Russia)

Falsely Accused by Margaret Tanner (Australia)

Fields of the Sun by Nadine Crenshaw (Morocco, the Atlantic Ocean and Brazil)

Forever and a Lifetime by Jennifer Horsman (Switzerland)

Fortune’s Mistress, Fortune’s Flame and Fortune’s Bride by Judith E. French (Caribbean and Panama)

Gypsy Jewel by Patricia McAllister (Black Sea, Moscow)

Harcourt’s Mountain by Elaine Dodge (British Columbia, Canada)

Hearts Beguiled by Penelope Williamson (France)

Island Flame by Karen Robards (various exotic ports between Lisbon and America)

Lady of Fire and Fire and Steel by Anita Mills (Normandy)

Lady of Fire by Valerie Vayle (the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Turkey and France)

Night in Eden by Candice Proctor (Australia)

Night Shadow by Laura Renken (the Caribbean and the Spanish Main)

No Gentle Love by Rebecca Brandewyne (Ireland, France, Africa, India and China)

Notorious Angel by Jennifer Blake (Nicaragua)

On the Night of the Seventh Moon by Victoria Holt (Germany)

Oriana by Valerie Vayle (France, Caribbean)

Rangoon by Christine Monson (Burma)

September Moon by Candice Proctor (Australian outback)

Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss (Caribbean isle)

Silk and Secrets and Veils of Silk by Mary Jo Putney (Uzbekistan, Persia, India)

Sleep in the Woods by Dorothy Eden (New Zealand)

Splendor by Brenda Joyce (Russia)

The Book of Seven Delights by Betina Krahn (Morocco)

The Book of True Desires by Betina Krahn (Cuba and Mexico)

The Captain of All Pleasures by Kresley Cole (the High Seas from England to Australia) and the sequel, The Price of Pleasure (Oceania and Cape Town, South Africa)

The Captive by Victoria Holt (the Middle East)

The Demon Lover by Victoria Holt (France)

The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran (India)

The Flesh and The Devil by Teresa Denys (Spain)

The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne (France)

The Golden Barbarian by Iris Johansen (the Balkans and Sedikhan, a mythical desert country)

The Hidden Heart by Laura Kinsale (South America, Tahiti and the Pacific)

The India Fan by Victoria Holt (India)

The Jacaranda Tree by Rebecca Brandewyne (Australia)

The Kadin by Bertrice Small (Turkey)

The Legend of the Gypsy Hawk by Sally Malcolm (fictional island off Africa)

The Lily and the Falcon by Jannine Corte-Petska (Italy)

The Lion's Daughter by Loretta Chase (Albania)

The Lion’s Embrace by Marie Laval (Algeria)

The Silver Devil by Teresa Denys (Italy)

The Spanish Rose by Shirlee Busbee (Jamaica, the Caribbean)

The Storm and the Splendor by Jennifer Blake (Algiers)

The Warrior by Judith E. French (Egypt)

The Wind and the Sea by Marsha Canham (North Africa, the High Seas)

The Wind Dancer by Iris Johansen (Italy) and the sequel, Storm Winds (France)

This Fiery Splendor by Christine Monson (India)

Till Dawn Tames the Night by Meagan McKinney (the High Seas and the Caribbean)

Under Gypsy Skies by Kathryn Kramer (Spain)

Velvet is the Night by Elizabeth Thornton (France)

Whispers of Heaven by Candice Proctor (Tasmania)

For my own books set in exotic locales, I recommend Racing With The Wind (Paris), Wind Raven (the High Seas, Bermuda, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean) and To Tame the Wind (France).

For more romances on the high seas featuring Pirates and Privateers and Vikings, see those specific “best” lists (the links are on the right side of my blog).