Stories by @devahutiraichaliha

Letters to Juliet

Sophie is a young American woman who works for The New Yorker as a fact checker. She goes on a pre-honeymoon with her chef fiancé Victor to Verona, Italy. Victor is unmoved by the romance of Italy and uses his time to research his soon-to-open restaurant, often neglecting Sophie. Sophie discovers that thousands of "letters to Juliet" left in Juliet's Verona courtyard are typically answered by the "Secretaries of Juliet". Sophie asks to join them and accidentally finds an unanswered letter by a Claire Smith from 1957. She answers it and within a week the now-elderly Claire arrives in Verona with her handsome barrister grandson Charlie Wyman. Claire and Sophie take an instant liking to each other, but Charlie and Sophie do not get along.

Lady of Quality

The story describes the romantic relationship between Annis Wychwood, a wealthy spinster, and Oliver Carleton, a rake who cares little for society's opinion of him. The two meet while jointly supervising Carleton's ward, Lucilla. Heyer granted her heroine a level of independence that was rare in Regency times and rare for Heyer's novels. Although the hero's personality is similar to that of many of Heyer's other heroes, in a departure from romance novel convention he experienced little personal growth in the novel; his primary change was to accept that he would like to have a wife.

The Fountain Overflows

The lives of the talented Aubrey children have long been clouded by their father's genius for instability, but his new job in the London suburbs promises, for a time at least, reprieve from scandal and the threat of ruin. Mrs. Aubrey, a former concert pianist, struggles to keep the family afloat, but then she is something of a high-strung eccentric herself, as is all too clear to her daughter Rose, through whose loving but sometimes cruel eyes events are seen. Still, living on the edge holds the promise of the unexpected, and the Aubreys, who encounter furious poltergeists, turn up hidden masterpieces, and come to the aid of a murderess, will find that they have adventure to spare.

Coppelia

Dr. Coppélius is a doctor who has made a life-size dancing doll. It is so lifelike that Franz, a village youth, becomes infatuated with it and sets aside his heart's true desire, Swanhilda. She shows him his folly by dressing as the doll, pretending to make it come to life and ultimately saving him from an untimely end at the hands of the inventor.

Summer

Summer is a novel by Edith Wharton, which was published in 1917. While most novels by Edith Wharton dealt with New York's upper-class society, this is one of two novels by Wharton that were set in New England. Its themes include social class, the role of women in society, destructive relationships, sexual awakening and the desire of its protagonist, named Charity Royall. The novel was rather controversial for its time and is one of the less famous among her novels because of its subject matter.

The Custom of the Country

The Custom of the Country is a 1913 tragicomedy of manners novel by American Edith Wharton. It tells the story of Undine Spragg, a Midwestern girl who attempts to ascend in New York City society. Undine Spragg acts as if she is entitled to a rich, luxurious lifestyle. "Her rise through the ranks of New York society from the nouveau riche demonstrates her ability to use marriage and divorce in order to achieve her desire for social dominance." Undine has allowed a "consumerist society" to shape her personalities as the scenery changes throughout the book. "Wharton personifies consumer culture through Undine Spragg, demonstrating how individual agency gets lost when involved in the system." The word "undine" was created by the medieval author Paracelsus, who used it for female water spirits. The fact that the heroine's initials are "U.S." underlines Wharton's satire on American materialism.

The Reef

The Reef is a 1912 novel by American writer Edith Wharton. It concerns a romance between a widow and her former lover. In early 20th century France, a young widow renews her love with a man until she discovers that he had a past relationship with one of her new employees who is a nanny. This makes the two women accuse each other for particular reasons until the end of the story.

The House of Mirth

The House of Mirth is a 1905 novel by American author Edith Wharton. It tells the story of Lily Bart, a well-born but impoverished woman belonging to New York City's high society around the end of the 19th century. Wharton creates a portrait of a stunning beauty who, though raised and educated to marry well both socially and economically, is reaching her 29th year, an age when her youthful blush is drawing to a close and her marital prospects are becoming ever more limited. The House of Mirth traces Lily's slow two-year social descent from privilege to a tragically lonely existence on the margins of society. In the words of one scholar, Wharton uses Lily as an attack on "an irresponsible, grasping and morally corrupt upper class."

The Highlander's Bride

A series of swashbuckling Outlander-inspired casting suggestions for future historical Scotland-inspired films/series!

The Highlander Series

With her signature blend of sensual fantasy, thrilling adventure, and breathtaking magic, Karen Marie Moning—the #1 New York Times bestselling author —is the reigning queen of paranormal romance. Here are the seven novels in her spellbinding Highlander series, featuring passionate love stories with a time-travel twist.

Bad Girls and Wicked Women

Bad Girls & Wicked Women: The Most Powerful, Shocking, Amazing, Thrilling & Dangerous Women of All Time is an historic survey of 22 of the most ruthless and ambitious women in history. These are sassy, brilliant, magnetic, cunning and tough-as-nails women who defied the social mores of their eras. These anti-heroines battled against the odds and often against the status quo, succeeding in turning the power structure, if only for a short time, directly on its head. Some were cruel, some were visionary and some were blinded by ambition or love. (Murdoch Books)

Outlander

It focuses on the Second World War-era nurse Claire Randall, who travels through time to 18th century Scotland and finds adventure and romance with the dashing Jamie Fraser.

Love Again

The story centres on a woman who, after tragically losing her fiancé, starts to send romantic texts to his old cell. It turns out the number has been reassigned to a man across town suffering from a similar heartbreak. The two meet and feel an undeniable connection, but can’t seem to leave the past behind.

The Painter's Daughter

Captain Stephen Overtree is accustomed to taking on his brother's neglected duties. Home on leave, he's sent to find Wesley. Knowing his brother rented a cottage from a fellow painter, he travels to Devonshire and meets Miss Dupont, the painter's daughter. He's startled to recognize her from a miniature portrait he carries with him--one of Wesley's discarded works. But his happiness plummets when he realizes Wesley has left her with child and sailed away to Italy in search of a new muse. Desperate for a way to escape her predicament, Sophie Dupont agrees to marry a stranger and travel to his family's estate. But at Overtree Hall, her problems are just beginning. Will she regret marrying Captain Overtree when a repentant Wesley returns? Or will she find herself torn between the father of her child and her growing affection for the husband she barely knows?

The Spanish Bride

This story is based on the true story of Brigade-Major Harry Smith and his wife Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith.

Fenisa's Hook

Based on the tenth tale of the eighth day of Boccaccio’s Decameron, it has been called a picaresque play, works that exhibit an uncharacteristic moral freedom. It focuses on merchants, the circulation of bodies and merchandise, and the seductive power of art. Boccaccio's tale is about a trickster who is tricked Lope uses Boccaccio's story for the main plot of his play, where Fenisa, a courtesan in Palermo attempts to woo the rich merchant Lucindo in order to gain his riches. A secondary plot includes Dinarda who is dressed as a man and has come to Palermo in search of the man who seduced her and left her behind. Fenisa ends up falling for this Dinarda who is disguised as don Juan de Lara. While Fenisa is able to trick Lucindo the first time around, he comes back to Sicily a second time and this time he tricks her. In the end, Dinarda finds and marries her Albano, while Fenisa is left without a spouse and without money.

Life Is a Dream

The story focuses on the fictional Segismundo, Prince of Poland, who has been imprisoned in a tower by his father, King Basilio, following a dire prophecy that the prince would bring disaster to the country and death to the King. Basilio briefly frees Segismundo, but when the prince goes on a rampage, the king imprisons him again, persuading him that it was all a dream.

Peribáñez and the Commander of Ocaña

Tragicomedy about a peasant named Peribáñez, and a Comendador (Spanish article) (knight commander) who falls in love with his wife Casilda. Ultimately Peribáñez must kill the Comendador in order to protect his wife from his advances.

The Steel of Madrid

A common man, Lisardo, and a noblewoman, Belisa, are two young lovers. They first meet after Belisa fainted in order to get away from Octavio; she triggered this fainting spell by ingesting Steel Water. After the water "cured" her, she meets Lisardo and believes it was love at first sight. The issue that arises then, involves Belisa's father, who has promised her to Octavio. With the knowledge that Belisa is often around her Aunt Teodora, Lisardo's good friend Reselo, pretends to court Teodora. This provides Lisardo with the opportunity to meet with Belisa. This action by Reselo infuriates his lover Marcela who is in the midst of being courted by Florencio. In the end after a series of trials coming from miscommunication and understanding the two lovers are married.

Madness in Valencia

The story of two lovers who, one fleeing from the Spanish army and the other from an oppressive father, feign insanity and seek refuge in the asylum of Valencia