Destiny — Sally Beauman

Edouard and Helene. When they met it was more than coincidence. When they fell in love it was more than passion. When they thought they'd lost it all, they should have known they were wrong--they should have known it was Destiny.

I first read this book when I was a teenager (14? 15?) It was HIGHLY inappropriate and if my mother had known what it was about, she'd have taken it away before i got through the first chapter. But it has remained one of my favorite books of all time and I reread it every year or so. It's a love story, for sure, but not exactly a romance and ends more hopeful than a true HEA.