Book picks similar to
His Lordship's Desire by Joan Wolf


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The Courtesan


Julia Justiss - 2005
    Until he encounters Lady Belle, the most beautiful and celebrated courtesan in all of London.After the death of her long-term protector, Belle intends to spurn the entreaties of her London admirers and retreat to her country manor. Then a fencing match gone wrong with the arresting Jack Carrington upsets all her careful plans.Who is the mysterious Belle? A jaded Cyprian seeking a new protector? A kind friend who helps those in need? A mistress of sensual delight who can lead a man into irredeemable folly? Though Belle is a woman Jack can neither afford to keep nor dare to marry, he is willing to risk everything to find out.

Mischief


Amanda Quick - 1996
    That's why she invited Matthias Marshall, infamous Earl of Colchester, to her home in Upper Strickland. Who better than the legendary explorer to help her lay the perfect trap? Her scheme is simple, really: She plans to let it be known that when she inherited her uncle's collection of antiquities, she also inherited a map to a fabulous ancient treasure. She's sure that her enemy would risk financial ruin in pursuit of the mythical artifact. And to make doubly sure the scoundrel took the bait, she wants Colchester to pretend that he's out to seduce Imogene so that he, too, could get his hands on her map.Yet in all of her plotting, Imogene never anticipates Colchester's violent reaction to her request or her own electrifying reaction to him. Neither does she expect that a malevolent threat would emerge from the labyrinth of London--sinister enough to endanger her and Colchester's lives.

Impetuous


Candace Camp - 1998
    Now it is 150 years later, and Cassandra Verrere is desperate to find the riches in order to save her family from poverty. Unfortunately, only a Neville can help her. Clearly, he considers his hatred of her as much his birthright as the dowry is hers--but even an ancient family feud is no match for the passion that soon burns between them.

Seducing the Heiress


Olivia Drake - 2009
    Secretly determined to wed the maharajah's son she left behind in India, Portia ignores the money-hungry bucks who ply her with bouquets and bonbons. But one suitor will not be deterred: Colin Byrd, Viscount Ratcliffe. He is persistent and presumptuous - and wickedly tempting.HE VOWED TO HAVE HERColin has no delusions about romance. He's a rake, a womanizer, and a murderer, and seduction comes as easily to him as breathing. Portia's fortune is an irresistible lure until Colin's mercenary scheme hits a snag. Winning her dowry is no longer enough - he wants her heart and her passion. The more adamant she is in her refusal, the more determined he is to seduce her...PRAISE FOR SEDUCING THE HEIRESS:"This decadent Regency romance debut is carried along by a spunky heroine and sumptuous descriptions of upper-class life." Publishers Weekly "This book has it all: a fabulous hero, a wonderful heroine, and sizzling passion. Read it and watch the sparks fly!" Christina Dodd"Guaranteed to seduce readers everywhere. This book is something truly special, an unforgettable story filled with passion, intrigue, and sweep-you-away romance." Susan WiggsRouge Romance - your first stop for romance books

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?

Never Lie to a Lady


Liz Carlyle - 2007
    Among the swirling glitter of English high society, a scandalous rogue gets more than he bargained for in the lady of his desires.Lord Nash is a creature of the night -- his wealth and title provide but a tenuous entrée into polite society. Notorious for his sophisticated manners and a dark, dashing elegance, rumors abound of the men he has bankrupted and the women he's left heartbroken. But when Nash leaves his lair for a rare foray into the ton, he faces a lure of temptation all his own -- an extraordinary moment of passion with a mysterious lady in the moonlight -- and an obsession that will lead him into a hellish world of smugglers, spies, and intrigue. And as for his damsel in disguise, the witty and beautiful Miss Xanthia Neville, he soon learns, is as unattainable as she is tempting. And now Nash must decide if she is also dangerous. . . .

Perils of the Heart


Jennifer Ashley - 2002
    Her stepbrother’s life--and the life of the rugged sailor she must tempt--depended on her success. Evangeline swore to surrender her body, her virtue . . . anything Austin Blackwell demanded. But she never expected to relinquish her heart. On a mission for the American colonies, Austin suspected the timid temptress was a skilled spy ordered to sabotage his plans. She played the part of an untried miss to perfection, her inexperienced fumbling driving him wild with desire. But after sampling her sweetness, after one harrowing night fraught with passion and peril, the commander vowed to navigate any course to discover the truth. For his soul mutinied at the prospect of sailing into the future without the courageous lady by his side.

Waiting for You


Kasey Michaels - 2000
    Jack was variously annoyed, flattered, and as the years passed and childhood faded, both he and Merry sensed a slow change in their relationship.Friendship, blossoming into love. Love for each other, and a combined love for Coltrane House, fast falling into disrepair by his neglectful father. But one day the estate would be his, and Jack and Merry would make it beautiful again, raise their children there, and live happily ever after.Theirs was the perfect dream, until Jack’s father took him aside to tell him something that sent his son fleeing from Coltrane House, away from Merry, perhaps never to return. Ah, love… why is it never easy?Oh… and then there’s Jack’s quite singular friend from America, and possibly a pair of matchmaking ghosts. Ghosts? Well, certainly – why not? Everyone loves a happy ending!

As an Earl Desires


Lorraine Heath - 2005
    But one man has managed to distract her attention from her schedule of charity endeavors -- and not just because he holds the deed to her estate.The man in question, Archibald Warner, is the new Earl of Sachse. Though at first meeting he suspects his new ward of being nothing more than a social bit of fluff, the more time passes, the more he finds himself drawn to her. But there is something she is hiding from him, and she hesitates to show him her real heart, even though she wishes she could learn to trust him with it. For somehow she knows... if only she can give him the chance, he will teach her everything she could hope to learn about love.

Scandalous


Jenna Petersen - 2005
    So she is devastated to discover the nobleman she's engaged to has a secret he's kept from her: a wife! Suddenly Katherine's enmeshed in a scandal that has the ton buzzing—and forced to accept a most unconventional proposal from the notorious seducer Dominic Mallory, her faithless fiancé's brother… and precisely the sort of rake she has sworn to avoid!Charming and dangerously sensual, Dominic has desired the stunning beauty from the first moment he spied her. Now, with Katherine's reputation in tatters, it's the ideal opportunity to bed her—though it will take wedding vows to do so. But can a rogue be reformed by the unleashed passion of a normally reserved lady? And can a marriage made for all the wrong reasons flame into the love match of the season?

The Reluctant Suitor


Kathleen E. Woodiwiss - 2003
    As a young girl, she was wounded by Colton's stubborn refusal to comply with his father's wishes and by his angry departure. He was too proud and too stubborn to accept a future not of his own choosing. Rather than submit, he fled from his ancestral home for a life of adventure and danger as an officer in the British army.The years have been immensely kind to Lady Adriana. No longer the plain, thin tomboy Colton had spurned, she has blossomed into an uncommon beauty desired by nearly every eligible bachelor in the land. Yet the only man she desires is the decorated hero who has finally come home to claim his rightful title. Arrogant, unmoved, and seductive as ever, he remains averse to the idea of their betrothal in spite of his growing desire for her.To demonstrate his belief that love cannot be forced, Colton agrees to court Lady Adriana for ninety days, after which time he will be allowed to keep his precious freedom if he so wishes. But much has changed since he balked at his father's plans. Forced into a courtship with this stunning, spirited woman, who is as different today from the young chit he left behind as spring is to winter, the heroic heart that was once closed to Adriana is moved by her charm, her grace, and her sensuality ... and begins to yield. But a secret from Colton's past may doom their burgeoning love ... even as the treacherous schemes of a sinister rival threaten to steal the remarkable lady from his arms forever.A lush and spellbinding story of passion and betrayal that grandly sweeps the reader into the magnificent ballrooms and intimate boudoirs of Regency England, The Reluctant Suitor is romance as only the incomparable Kathleen Woodiwiss can deliver it -- a love story that will dwell in the reader's heart and memory forever and stand proudly as one of the author's very best.

Desperately Seeking a Duke


Celeste Bradley - 2008
    But Phoebe, who's still trying to make good after a romantic scandal, also has her two cousins to contend with. They're all competing for the same money, maybe even the same men. ..until Phoebe meets her match in the terribly handsome and charming Rafe Marbrook.When she receives a marriage proposal from the Marquis of Brookhaven, Phoebe is thrilled to learn that Rafe is headed for dukedom…and accepts his offer. There's only one problem: It's from Rafe's older, less captivating brother, Calder. Now Phoebe finds herself on the verge of yet another scandal as she faces a desperate choice: Marry Calder for his money—or follow her own heart? Each way can only lead to trouble…

The Book of Scandal


Julia London - 2008
    But when he hears gossip that his estranged wife, Evelyn, is about to be named in The Book of Scandal, he has no choice but to remove her from London to protect her and himself from charges of treason -- even if it calls for abduction! While Evelyn has no legal recourse against the man who broke her heart years ago but is still considered her lord and master, she is no longer the immature girl Nathan married. Her enforced homecoming quickly turns into a battle of wills that tears down her husband's defenses and lays bare the passion that still burns between them. Before it is too late, Nathan must confront powerful adversaries as he convinces Evelyn that she is not only his wife, but the one woman he will love for all time.

The Runaway Duke


Julie Anne Long - 2004
    She's wretched at embroidery, pitiful at the pianoforte, and entirely too informed about the human body, courtesy of her father's scientific journals. And now she's been compromised by a dandy she despises! When her parents arrange a hasty marriage, there is only one man she can turn to for help. Rescued!No one knows that Irish groom Connor Riordan is the fifth Duke of Dunbrooke, "killed" in action at Waterloo, and he wants it to stay that way. But a true gentleman never turns away a damsel in distress. Soon Connor and Rebecca dash away—only to be pursued by bumbling highwaymen, a scheming duchess, and Rebecca's fiancé. Ravished! Being with the beautiful and desirable Rebecca jeopardizes Connor's secret every day—and tests his willpower every night. For if ever there was a reason to bring the Duke of Dunbrooke back from the dead, it would be to make Miss Tremaine his Duchess!

Lady of Skye


Patricia Cabot - 2000
    Reilly Stanton, eighth Marquis of Stillworth, must mend his injured pride by proving himself a hero -- and not a drunken wastrel, as his former fiance claimed. Against all sane advice, the Londoner takes a medical post in a tiny fishing village on the remote Isle of Skye -- and is convinced that he can cope with the primitive conditions, horrendous Highland weather, and rampant illness. But Miss Brenna Donnegal is another matter entirely.... Try as he might, Reilly cannot ignore the toweringly tall lady with flaming chestnut locks and an equally fiery will. She has filled her father's former role as the local physician, and is more than annoyed to find the urbane Dr. Stanton taking over her work and her father's cottage. By fair means or foul, she will give the usurper his comeuppance. But what begins as a sparking tug-of-war between two proud hearts soon flames to a passionate fire... Critically acclaimed author Patricia Cabot delivers an exquisitely warm and witty novel of love set against the dramatic backdrop of Scotland's magnificent Isle of Skye.