Raise a Glass: 5 Prohibition-Era Romances We Love

Bitter Spirits, by Jenn Bennett
Aida Palmer is a smart-mouthed medium, using her talents to speak with the dead at a local speakeasy. When bootlegger Winter Magnusson shows up, insisting he’s been hexed and desperately in need of Aida’s assistance, the two team up in an adventure filled with lustful exchanges and meddling ghosts in 1920s San Francisco. With a paranormal mystery and off-the-charts chemistry, this one is great for readers who love vibrant, historical settings with a seamless blend of the supernatural.

It Stings So Sweet, by Stephanie Draven
For a bit of variety and a more erotic take on a historically-set romance, It Stings So Sweet is a wonderful book with three heroines finding romance. Nora is a socialite, desperate to revive her marriage before it heads to ruin. Silent film actress Clara falls for a mysterious WWI pilot, who is surprisingly adventurous in the bedroom. Sophie is part of the working class and feels she will always stay there, until her wealthy boss and heir to a grand family fortune takes an interest in her. With three stories, It Stings So Sweet will appeal to all types of romance lovers.

Roaring Midnight, by Colleen Gleason
Looking for an element of danger during the glamour of the Jazz Age? Macey Gardella has just learned she’s part of a family of vampire hunters, turning her rather carefree life upside down. To make matters even more complicated, Grady, a dreamy newspaper reporter, has been hanging around, asking questions about things that are better left secret. While Macey finds Grady charming, her need for self-preservation and safety often war with the attraction she feels. Plus, she has to learn the ropes of vampire hunting, while dodging her inquisitive landlord.

Speak Easy, by Melanie Harlow

Tiny O’Mara spends her days helping out her father’s bootlegging business, but what she really longs for is to be a freewheeling flapper. When her father is kidnapped by the son of a notorious mobster, Enzo DiFiore, Tiny must figure out a way to keep her father’s operation going while trying to save him. However, things are not always as they seem when it comes to money, power, and the criminal underground. As Tiny uses her attraction to Enzo as a bartering tool, she knows there will come an instance where her time runs out.

Romancing the Rumrunner, by Michelle McLean
Hiding her identity as The Phoenix, Jessica Harlan owns and operates one of the most successful speakeasies in Chicago. By day, she runs a butcher shop, but at night, she’s consumed by staying one step ahead of Prohibition agents. Federal agent Anthony Solomon has gone undercover to take down The Phoenix. All his preparation, though, doesn’t account for the surprise that the infamous “rumrunner” is actually a woman. A fast-paced enemies to lovers romance with a heroine who always stays one step ahead of the people around her.
What romances set during the 1920s would you recommend?