Book picks similar to
The Veiled Bride by Elizabeth Bailey
historical-romance
regency-romance
regency
marriage-of-convenience
An Inconvenient Match
Susanna Malcolm - 2019
Difficult. Rich. …Is the discourteous manner in which the Earl of Ashland would describe his new wife. In dire financial straits, Ash has sacrificed himself at the altar in order to salvage his lofty family name, grudgingly uniting himself to the wealthy tradeswoman with steel in her spine and ice in her veins. He can’t imagine he’ll ever find anything to admire about her, until a glimpse of the simmering heat beneath her cool façade arouses an undeniable attraction. Indolent. Irresponsible. Drunk. …Is precisely how Honora Botham would label her new husband. Marrying the handsome earl elevated her to a long-coveted status, allowing her to achieve her beloved grandmother’s dreams for the family’s ascent into the nobility. Eager to finally experience the sensual pleasures of marriage, Honora enters into matrimony willingly. But while she’s always admired Ashland’s looks, she can find little to approve of in his indulgent avoidance of responsibility. His indolence and her ambition make for a volatile union, and yet… Mutual desire grows stronger, but is it enough to overcome the discord between them?
Yours Until Dawn
Teresa Medeiros - 2004
Abandoned by the fiancée he adored, the man who once walked like a prince among London's elite secludes himself in his family's mansion, cursing his way through dark days and darker nights. Prim nurse Samantha Wickersham arrives at Fairchild Park to find her new charge behaving more like a beast than a man. Determined to do her duty, she engages the arrogant earl in a battle of both wit and wills. Although he claims she doesn't possess an ounce of womanly softness, she can feel his heart racing at her slightest touch. As Samantha begins to let the light back into Gabriel's life and his heart, they both discover that some secrets -- and some pleasures -- are best explored in the dark ...
The Reasons For Marriage
Stephanie Laurens - 1995
. .Lenore Lester was perfectly content with her quiet country life, caring for her father, and having no desire for marriage. She took steps to remain inconspicuous and tried her best to show indifference - but no avail! The irresistible Duke of Eversleigh had found her out and was quite persistent in his affections . . .The Shy Miss!Notoriously charming Jason, Duke of Eversleigh, could easily see behind Miss Lenore's brilliant disguise. Though the awkward lady hid behind glasses and pulled-back hair, she couldn't cover her beauty. And Jason was ever determined to loosen the hold she had on her heart.
The Heiress Gets a Duke
Harper St. George - 2021
But unlike her peers, it isn't some stuffy British Lord she wants wrapped around her finger--it's Crenshaw Iron Works, the family business. When it's clear that August's outrageously progressive ways render her unsuitable for a respectable match, her parents offer up her younger sister to the highest entitled bidder instead. This simply will not do. August refuses to leave her sister to the mercy of a loveless marriage.Evan Sterling, the Duke of Rothschild, has no intention of walking away from the marriage. He's recently inherited the title only to find his coffers empty, and with countless lives depending on him, he can't walk away from the fortune a Crenshaw heiress would bring him. But after meeting her fiery sister, he realizes Violet isn't the heiress he wants. He wants August, and he always gets what he wants.But August won't go peacefully to her fate. She decides to show Rothschild that she's no typical London wallflower. Little does she realize that every stunt she pulls to make him call off the wedding only makes him like her even more.
The Captain and the Wallflower
Lyn Stone - 2012
Who better than the homeliest young woman left over at the end of the London season? After all, she will require little attention to keep her happy….Lady Grace Renfair leaps at the only chance to escape her emotionally abusive uncle and accepts Caine's proposal. Soon she blooms with confidence and beauty, causing her husband's forbidding exterior to crumble.If she could only reach beyond his scars to the gentleman beneath….
Mistress or Marriage?
Elizabeth Rolls - 2001
But she stirs a passion in him he cannot resist. The solution seems easy, but to take her as his mistress would tarnish her good name -- something he knows she can't afford to lose. But can he afford to lose her?
A Poor Relation
Carola Dunn - 1990
One day, Rowena Caxton was the proud owner and mistress of a large estate. The next, she had lost everything and was forced to take up residence with her only remaining family. Her days became an endless round of fetch and carry, though she would not complain. She was relieved, however, when the arrival of the new Earl of Farleigh interrupted the routine and caused a flurry of excitement in the neighbourhood. She could well understand the excitement generated by the handsome and erudite earl. But she constantly cautioned herself against her runaway heart. After all, what interest could such a man have in a poor relation?
Wilde in Love
Eloisa James - 2017
Arriving home from years abroad, he has no idea of his own celebrity until his boat is met by mobs of screaming ladies. Alaric escapes to his father’s castle, but just as he grasps that he’s not only famous but notorious, he encounters the very private, very witty, Miss Willa Ffynche.Willa presents the façade of a serene young lady to the world. Her love of books and bawdy jokes is purely for the delight of her intimate friends. She wants nothing to do with a man whose private life is splashed over every newspaper.Alaric has never met a woman he wanted for his own . . . until he meets Willa. He’s never lost a battle.But a spirited woman like Willa isn’t going to make it easy. . . .
The Duke's Guide to Correct Behavior
Megan Frampton - 2014
They also whisper that he’s dissolute, devilish, and determinedly unwed. So why, everyone is asking, has he hired a governess?When Miss Lily Russell crosses the threshold of the Duke of Rutherford’s stylish townhouse, she knows she has come face to face with sensual danger. For this is no doting papa. Rather, his behavior is scandalous, and his reputation rightly earned. And his pursuit of her is nearly irresistible—but resist she must for the sake of her pupil.As for the duke himself, it was bad enough when his unknown child landed on his doorstep. Now Lily, with her unassuming beauty, has aroused his most wicked fantasies—and, shockingly, his desire to change his wanton ways. He’s determined to become worthy of her, and so he asks for her help in correcting his behavior. But Lily has a secret, one that, if it becomes known, could change everything…
The Unexpected Earl
Philippa Jane Keyworth - 2012
With her heart still hurting and, more importantly, her pride, Julia must chaperone her younger sister, fend off fortune hunters, orchestrate a fake engagement, and halt an elopement--all whilst keeping the man who jilted her at arm's length. But what Julia doesn't know is that this time, the Earl has no intention of disappearing, and this time, he has more than an explanation to offer....
The Raven Prince
Elizabeth Hoyt - 2006
After an arrogant male on horseback nearly squashes her, she arrives home to learn that she is in dire financial straits.When she must do the unthinkable...The Earl of Swartingham is in a quandary. Having frightened off two secretaries, Edward de Raaf needs someone who can withstand his bad temper and boorish behavior.And find employment.When Anna becomes the earl's secretary, it would seem that both their problems are solved. Then she discovers he plans to visit the most notorious brothel in London for his "manly" needs. Well! Anna sees red—and decides to assuage her "womanly" desires...with the earl as her unknowing lover.
A Rogue by Any Other Name
Sarah MacLean - 2012
Now a partner in London’s most exclusive gaming hell, the cold, ruthless Bourne will do whatever it takes to regain his inheritance—including marrying perfect, proper Lady Penelope Marbury.A broken engagement and years of disappointing courtships have left Penelope with little interest in a quiet, comfortable marriage, and a longing for something more. How lucky that her new husband has access to such unexplored pleasures.Bourne may be a prince of London’s underworld, but he vows to keep Penelope untouched by its wickedness—a challenge indeed as the lady discovers her own desires, and her willingness to wager anything for them... even her heart.
Sweet Enemy
Heather Snow - 2012
Nevertheless, his mother is playing matchmaker and has invited potential brides to visit the family estate. Geoffrey resigns himself to playing host to a gaggle of husband-hunters more interested in his title than in him—until he unexpectedly meets one notable and intriguing exception. Miss Liliana Claremont has no interest in being an earl’s wife, least of all Wentworth’s—the son of the man she believes murdered her father. Liliana is determined to find evidence of the crime, but her behavior rouses the earl’s suspicions as well as her own undeniable attraction to a man she thought was her enemy. As Geoffrey and Liliana explore their growing passion for one another, the truth behind their fathers’ enmity threatens to destroy their newfound love…
His Lady of Castlemora
Joanna Fulford - 2013
But only the very desperate would align her fate with such a man.…Almost broken by the violent ravings of her first husband, the recently widowed but ever beautiful Lady Isabelle is left with no dowry and no hope for the future. Believed to be barren, she is forced into a secret betrothal to the powerful Lord. On one condition—she must be with child before the wedding vows are spoken.…
A Lady Awakened
Cecilia Grant - 2011
. . A Lady Awakened.Newly widowed and desperate to protect her estate and beloved servants from her malevolent brother-in-law, Martha Russell conceives a daring plan. Or rather, a daring plan to conceive. After all, if she has an heir on the way, her future will be secured. Forsaking all she knows of propriety, Martha approaches her neighbor, a London exile with a wicked reputation, and offers a strictly business proposition: a month of illicit interludes . . . for a fee.Theophilus Mirkwood ought to be insulted. Should be appalled. But how can he resist this siren in widow’s weeds, whose offer is simply too outrageously tempting to decline? Determined she’ll get her money’s worth, Theo endeavors to awaken this shamefully neglected beauty to the pleasures of the flesh—only to find her dead set against taking any enjoyment in the scandalous bargain. Surely she can’t resist him forever. But could a lady’s sweet surrender open their hearts to the most unexpected arrival of all . . . love?