Book picks similar to
A Chance Encounter by Gayle Buck


romance
regency
historical-romance
regency-romance

Shattered Dreams


Laura Landon - 2010
    When he is offered breeding rights to the Marquess of Fellingsdown’s prize Arabian, El Solidar, if for two weeks he acts as companion to Fellingsdown’s sister, he doesn’t care if the reclusive Lady Elyssa has three chins and a dozen hairy moles, the prize at the end is worth anything he has to endure. But when he meets the elusive Lady Elyssa Prescott, all thoughts of gaining a prize Arabian colt disappear. He realizes he’s met the woman of his dreams - if only he can keep her from discovering the deceit that brought them together and convince her that her imperfections don’t matter to him. Lady Elyssa Prescott knows what it’s like to be ridiculed and shunned. But when Brent Montgomery lets her glimpse a world where her limitations aren’t important, she believes it’s possible for her dreams to become a reality. Until she discovers the man with whom she’s fallen in love was ‘hired’ to offer her everything she’s always dreamed of having.The cruel reality of a love built on deceit shatters both their dreams and threatens to destroy their lives forever.

The Duke Suggests a Scandal


Gemma Blackwood - 2017
    Six years ago he thought himself doomed to misery, ordered into a marriage for money by his profligate father. The space of the past year has found him first fatherless, then a wealthy widower, and finally the unexpected heir to the Dukedom of Westbourne. If only good fortune were contagious! Nothing could be more devastating than the news that his old friend, Catherine Sharp, is about to agree to an unwanted betrothal. A penniless gentleman’s daughter, Catherine aims to give up her own freedom to secure better prospects for her sister. Harry must engineer the scandal of the season to overturn her engagement. Surely a Duke will serve better than any other for Catherine’s marriage of convenience? A scandal is one matter. The heart is quite another. In order to wed her, Harry must convince his childhood sweetheart that their marriage will not be a match of convenience, but love.

Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind


Heidi Ashworth - 2008
    Ginny, who thinks little of the fashionable Sir Anthony, is as eager to be done with the chore as he, but before they arrive at their destination they are stranded by highwaymen and launched into adventure. Forced into each other's company, Ginny begins to sense the passionate nature beneath Sir Anthony's mask of ennui, while his exasperation with the forthright Ginny turns into admiration of her wit and charm. Then beautiful Lucinda Barrington and Lord Avery, a poet, come onto the scene, sparking Ginny's imagination and revealing a way to unmask the true man behind Sir Anthony's frivolous facade. Meanwhile, the dowager duchess has plans of her own for this pair, and her special task turns into a battle of words, wills, and wit.

This Wicked Man


Kate Harper - 2012
    A failed governess, she knows nothing about children and even less about those that are grieving. Thrust into the wilds of Surrey - and the dubious charms of a rundown cottage - she predicts that life will be singularly dull. But that is before she meets her neighbor, a sinfully wicked viscount whose reputation for seduction is legendary. Her well meaning neighbors warn her to stay away and even the man himself seems inclined to think she is a fool to dally with him, but she is convinced that she and Chetwyn have more than just sexual tension in common. What is it about this wicked man that urges her to break the rules? And how can she convince someone who believes himself to be beyond redemption that the heart is always capable of resurrection?

In for a Penny


Rose Lerner - 2010
     Young Lord Nevinstoke enjoys every moment of his deep-gaming, hard-drinking, womanizing life. Then his father is killed in a drunken duel, and Nev inherits a mountain of debts and responsibilities. He vows to leave his wild friends and his mistress behind, start acting respectable—and marry a rich girl. Penelope Brown, a manufacturing heiress, seems the perfect choice. She’s pretty, ladylike, good at accounting, and looking for a marriage based on companionship and mutual esteem, not love. In fact, the only rash thing she’s ever done in her life is accept Nev’s proposal. When the newlyweds arrive at Nev’s family estate, they discover that all the respectability and reason in the world won't be enough to handle a hostile next-door neighbor, mutinous tenants, and Nev’s family's propensity for scandal. In way over their heads, Nev and Penelope have no one to turn to but each other—but to their surprise, that just might be enough.

My Dearest Enemy


Connie Brockway - 1998
    Breathtakingly romantic, startlingly original, Connie Brockway's novels have captured the hearts of readers and the raves of critics everywhere.  Now she brings you a unique and unforgettable love story that begins with a series of letters between a world-weary adventurer and the woman whose love brings him home.Dear Mr.  Thorne,        I give you fair warning.  I intend to do whatever I must to abide by your late uncle's will and win Mill House.  Though I know he never expected me to succeed, and for whatever reasons is using me to shame you, I accept his challenge.  For the next five years, I will profitably manage this estate.  I will deliver to you an allowance and I will prove that women are just as capable as men.  And at the end, I shall accept Mill House as my reward.Sincerely,Lillian BedeMy Dear Miss Bede,        Forgive me if I fail to shudder.  Pray, do whatever you bloody well want, can, or must.  I shall look forward to making your acquaintance in my lawyer's office five years hence, when I take possession of Mill House.Avery Thorne

The Marquess of Cakes


Heather Hiestand - 2013
    Yet she is unaware that with each morsel—and flash of ankle—she is seducing the handsome marquess frequenting her father’s tea shop. Unmarried at twenty-six, Alys’s first love is the family business. But thoughts of the gentleman’s touch are driving her to distraction…With his weakness for sugar, the Marquess of Hatbrook can imagine no more desirable woman than one scented with cake and spice. Mistaking Alys for a mere waitress, he has no doubt she would make a most delicious mistress. And when he finds himself in need of an heir, he plans to make her his convenient bride. Yet as they satisfy their craving for one another, business and pleasure suddenly collide. Will Hatbrook’s passion for sweets—and for Alys—be his heart’s undoing?85,000 words

Barely a Bride


Rebecca Hagan Lee - 2003
    But when he is suddenly called off to war, he has no choice but to obey his father’s wishes and find a wife… Just days later, he marries the lovely Lady Alyssa. For a man committed only to his freedom, she seems a perfect—and perfectly undemanding—bride. Intelligent and self-sufficient, Alyssa craves her independence just as much as Griffin loves his. But as the irresistible attraction between them flourishes with every look and touch, they discover there is something they desire even more than a loveless marriage of convenience—the passion they find in each other’s arms…

The Elusive Wife


Callie Hutton - 2013
    However, he doesn’t remember what she looks like because he was blind drunk at his arranged wedding and hasn’t seen her since.The fascinating Lady Olivia has captured the Earl’s attention. Newly arrived from the country to stay with her school friend for the Season, she is appalled to discover that her husband, Lord Coventry, doesn't even recognize her. She's not about to tell the arrogant arse that she is his wife. Instead, she flirts with him by night and has her modiste send her mounting bills to him by day.Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned… Too bad this woman finds her husband nearly irresistible.

The Penniless Bride


Nicola Cornick - 2003
    TO WEDDED BLISS?Lord Robert Selborne intended to kiss the chimney sweep's daughter for luck at his cousin's wedding ... not marry her! But of all the ladies assembled, she was the only one who captured his interest. And unless she became his wife in name only, he would forfeit his inheritance ...Having been raised by a brutal father on the London streets, Jemima Jewell had few illusions about life and love. Until Rob's lips met hers in a soul-stirring kiss and he impulsively made her his wife.And his penniless bride now hoped her love would provide Rob with a fortune far greater than the one he sought ...

A Fallen Lady


Elizabeth Kingston - 2015
    Even more shockingly, her refusal came on the heels of her scandalous behavior: she and her betrothed were caught in a most compromising position. Leaving her reputation in tatters and her motivations a mystery, Helen withdrew to a simple life in a little village among friends, where her secrets remained hers alone. For reasons of his own, Stephen Hampton, Lord Summerdale, is determined to learn the truth behind the tangled tale of Helen's ruin. There is nothing he abhors so much as scandal - nothing he prizes so well as discretion - and so he is shocked to find, when he tracks Helen down, that he cannot but admire her. Against all expectations, he finds himself forgiving her scandalous history in favor of only being near her. But the bitter past will not relinquish Helen's heart so easily. How can she trust a man so steeped in the culture of high society, who conceals so much? And how can he, so devoted to the appearance of propriety, ever love a fallen lady?

Before the Season Ends


Linore Rose Burkard - 2005
    High society, the gentry, the working classes-they all knew their place. From coaches and curricles to Almack's and Regent's Park, from lorgnettes and quizzing glasses to Drury Lane and Pall Mall, it's all here, from chambermaids to the Prince Regent himself! Add Miss Ariana Forsythe to the intoxicating mix of fun and inspiration, and what do you have? The first Christian Inspirational Regency on the market today! Welcome to this delightful world, and prepare to fall in love with Ariana and her cohorts. From her home in the village of Chesterton to the very ballroom of Carlton House, you will follow her adventures and journey of faith to the edge-of-your-seat ending!

Friday's Child


Georgette Heyer - 1944
    Rebellious young Sherry could not gain his inheritance until he married, he leaves his mother's house and on a passionate impulse, he vowed to marry the next woman he saw. But the very first woman he sees is his life-long friend Hero Wantage, a young and charmingly unsophisticated girl. To orphaned, pixie-ish Hero, who has secretly loved him since childhood, it seemed like a star-studded dream when dashing Lord Sheringham asked her to be his bride--for although she knew it was a marriage of convenience (his convenience), it eliminated the depressing prospect of life as a governess. It seems that this marriage might solve all their problems.Back in London, Hero soon discovers the glamorous social scene and strives to make a name for herself among the right circles. But their marriage soon became a frenetic comedy of errors, as Hero tried to keep up with the fashionable and very unfamiliar society in which she now found herself. From chariot races to gambling tables to exclusive drawing rooms, an exasperated Sherry followed in his wife's wake, trying to clear the air after her well-intentioned but scatterbrained escapades. But when Sherry intervenes, fearing she’ll embarrass them both, misunderstandings pile up, friendships are tested and hearts are pushed to breaking point. And it was with great surprise that both Hero and Sherry discovered that even a marriage of convenience can turn into a love affair, under certain circumstances....

Fairchild


Jaima Fixsen - 2013
    They should have a son and if it can be managed, he should be handsome. Cleverness isn’t important. Daughters in limited quantities are fine so long as they are pretty. Bastards are inconvenient and best ignored. It's not a big problem, unless you are one. Unfortunately, Sophy is. Sick of her outcast role, she escapes her father’s house, only to fall from her horse during a spring storm. Injured, soaked, and shivering, she stumbles to a stranger’s door—Tom, a blunt edged merchant from a family of vulgar upstarts. Mistaking Sophy for the genuine article, he takes her in. Sophy can’t resist twisting the truth. Soon she’s caught in her own snare—and it might just be a noose.

At the Bride Hunt Ball


Olivia Parker - 2008
    . .To Gabriel Devine, Duke of Wolverest, the bonds of marriage are nothing more than shackles. But if he's to remain a lifelong bachelor, that leaves only his younger brother to carry on the family name. Inviting the ton's most eligible ladies to an elegant ball, Gabriel is certain any one of them would be all too eager to become the next duchess and provide an heir—leaving Gabriel to continue his ecstatic pursuit of pleasure.To Catch a Rogue . . .Her social-climbing stepmother would give anything to have Madelyn Haywood betrothed to a future duke. But Madelyn believes the brothers Devine to be nothing more than heartless rogues—especially Gabriel, whose rakish reputation precedes him. He is nothing more than a slave to passion, and she will not be conquered by his caresses—and yet his wicked ways tempt her so . . .