Book picks similar to
Destiny and Desire by Kathryn Kramer


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Surrender the Wind


Elizabeth St. Michel - 2016
     From the award-winning, bestselling author of The Winds of Fate comes a novel about a love that crosses the boundaries of civil war. When Confederate General John Daniel Rourke is severely wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness, he’s captured and sent to a prison camp. On his way there, Union soldiers mistake him for dead and toss him from the train into the New York countryside, where he lands at the feet of Catherine Fitzgerald, a schoolmistress. Rourke wakes to find the mysterious and strong-spirited beauty nursing him back to health. He’s intrigued but unaware of her true identity as the heiress to the Union’s ammunitions manufacturer, and their fiery battle of wits and wills commences. Yet when outside forces begin to envelop them in a larger conspiracy, their own war begins. Torn between family loyalties and manipulated by a powerful leader from the Irish underworld, Catherine and Rourke will have to fight on both sides of the secession line to win the most significant battle of all: the fight for their love. Filled with detailed battle scenes and breathtaking twists, Surrender the Wind has won “the Marlene” and “the Catherine” Romance Writer’s Awards.

Distant Images


Audrey Howard - 2004
    Only those who know them best realize that Milly's dark brown eyes hide a wild, untamed wantonness, while Beth's silvery-grey ones betray her idealism and kindness.But the only man in the room either of them wants is the one who could destroy both their lives. Hugh, sixteenth Lord Thornley, is a rake who needs to marry an heiress to restore the fortune his father gambled away. Even a lowly daughter of a glass manufacturer will do - provided she is biddable and strong and willing to bear the son he needs. Beth, he decides, will make him the perfect wife. But it is Milly who traps him into a loveless marriage - and sets in motion a chain of events that could destroy everything they hold dear.

Forbidden


Christina Phillips - 2010
    She escapes to help her oppressed people, only to be captured by a dangerous, battle-scarred centurion.Charged by his emperor to eliminate the powerful Druids in Britain, Maximus doesn’t expect his mission to be thwarted by the clan’s ethereal princess, Carys. Unaware of her true heritage, he’s enchanted by her beauty and intrigued by her bravery, and while he wants nothing more than to protect her, he reluctantly releases her.Shaken by the encounter, Carys can’t forget the fearless warrior and is convinced her beloved goddess brought Maximus to her for a reason. Although he’s the enemy of her people she can’t stay away, but their clandestine assignations threaten more than their lives.As Carys’ loyalties are twisted, and freedom is no longer her single-minded obsession, the avenging High Druid plans to crush Maximus’ people into oblivion. With time running out, Carys and Maximus must overcome the devastation of war and face the ultimate sacrifice if their forbidden love is to survive.Previously published by Penguin US in 2010

Seminole Song


Vella Munn - 1997
    They are joined there by slaves fleeing cruel plantation owners. One such slave is Calida, who once saved the life of the war chief Panther, and who witnessed her master murder his wife. Soon, Panther and Calida are deeply in love--with enemies closing in on both sides.

The Grand Masquerade


Amanda Hughes - 2014
    It is a life built on secrets, lust, and lies, and Sydnee Sauveterre is at the center of the charade. Used as a source of income at a stand on the Natchez Trace, she escapes at a young age to start a new life in Louisiana. Gifted with visions and a knowledge of Hoodoo, Sydnee must find her way through the quagmire of danger and deceit that is 19th Century New Orleans. She bans together with four friends to create an illusion within the elegant, high society of the Louisiana Creole. It is a risky charade meant to fulfill all of their secret desires, and Sydnee gambles everything, including love, to lead this double life. Will she survive the grand masquerade? "Once again Amanda Hughes splashes the pages with gritty adventure and love stories about audacious women in the 18th and 19th Century. Her page-turning tales will keep you on the edge of your seat as you take wild rides through dramatic and dazzling periods of history."

Missing in Action


Denise Deems - 2012
    Evelyn Blake's Army nursing career is that she has to tell her parents that she's accepted a dashing English pilot's hand in marriage. But when Evelyn's transport plane crashes just hours before one of the biggest operations of World War Two, Evelyn Blake finds herself Missing In Action. Evelyn Blake's adventure finds her forced into Operation Market Garden, where she teams up with a rag tag band of American paratroopers and their brave but infuriating Lieutenant to escape the Germans. But, when Evelyn returns back to her own unit, she is ordered to forget the men who saved her life. Missing in Action is a wartime romance that spans the war in Europe. Lt. Evelyn Blake is a plucky flight nurse, who's experienced in war, but naive in love. Her fiancé, Victor Wellington, is her ideal prince charming, both a Lord and a dashing RAF pilot. But, is he any match for Lt. Patrick Mitchell, All-American officer and sometimes gentleman, who finds Evelyn hiding from the Germans in a cafe in Holland. Rumors swirl. Did Lt. Evelyn Blake really kill five Germans? How about those two marriage certificates? Only Lt. Mitchell and his men know for sure.

Katherine's Arrangement


Blossom Turner - 2020
    Josiah Richardson seems almost too good to believe. He’ll provide a home, work for her pa, and a new beginning for her family...if only Katherine will accept his proposal. A marriage of convenience is the last thing she wants, but there doesn’t seem to be a better option for her family or herself. Setting aside her dreams of love, Katherine agrees to the arrangement.The gentleman in Josiah Richardson can no more force his frightened bride into his bed, than he can force her into loving him, so he sets out to gently woo her. He works hard to befriend her, to earn her trust and win her love.Katherine is pleasantly surprised to find herself drawn to the man she thought she would never love, until an unexpected friendship tears apart all they’ve worked for. Where once the promise of love had budded between Josiah and Katherine, now they wonder what to do with their so-called marriage. Is love strong enough to weave its healing power through two broken hearts?

A Marriage by Chance


Carolyn Davidson - 2002
    J. T. Flannery. Then trouble struck the ranch, and Chloe had no choice but to accept J.T.'s offer of marriage — no matter how inconvenient!The only thing the stubborn beauty wanted less than a business partner was a husband, but it looked as if she was about to be saddled with both! But as the battle of wills between the two began to heat up, so did their mutual passion!

Nellie


Cynthia Woolf - 2014
    In post civil-war New York, the men are scarce and none want the burden of a wife with children. Her dead husband's family is wealthy, and cruel. Desperate to escape their influence, and eager for a home, a husband, and a stable life for her children, Nellie decides to make a new life in San Francisco as a mail order bride. Saloon owner Blake Malone is a bachelor and likes it that way. He worked hard for everything he has, but the San Francisco City Council won’t approve his plans to build a family emporium unless he is a family man himself. The solution? A mail order bride from New York who will bring him a ready-made family, stability, and the council's approval. Blake expects his future wife to care for his home and, other than helping him impress the city council, to stay out of his business. He expects life as usual. What he gets is an unexpected desire to win Nellie's heart, a dangerous threat to his new bride, and a rich benefactor determined to steal his new family out from under him. Blake believed his battle for success a hard one. But he will discover that the battle to win Nellie's heart and keep his family safe is going to take everything he's got.

Somerset


Leila Meacham - 2013
    "From birth, Jessica had eschewed the role to which she'd been born. Was it because she sensed that her father's indulgence was compensation for his disappointment in her? Jessica thought too much, questioned, challenged, rebelled. Sometimes Eunice thought her daughter should have been born a male." Born into the wealthiest and most influential family in 1830s South Carolina, Jessica Wyndham was expected to look appealing, act with decorum, and marry a suitably prominent and respectable man. However, her outspoken opinions and unflagging sense of justice make her a difficult-and dangerous-firebrand, especially for slavery-dependent Carson Wyndham. Jessica's testing of her powerful father's love is only the beginning of the pain, passion, and triumph she will experience on a journey with the indomitable, land-obsessed Silas Toliver and headstrong Jeremy Warwick to a wild new land called Texas. PRAISE FOR LEILA MEACHAM "Discovering Leila Meacham and her spectacular talent is akin to discovering gold. With this novel she has become a national treasure." -- Huffington Post "Rich with American history and pitch-perfect storytelling, fans and new readers alike will find themselves absorbed in the family saga that Meacham has proven-once again-talented in telling." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Secret Vows


Mary Reed McCall - 2001
    It is not fear that causes the proud lady to tremble as she stands before her soon-to-be spouse, Baron Grayson de Camville, but her unforeseen desire for this powerful, yet gentle, knight -- a fevered wanting that she cannot deny.Punishment awaits Catherine should she fail, yet how can she betray this handsome stranger -- her husband, honorable and true -- who, with soft words and soul-shattering kisses, has taken her heart willing prisoner ? There is no escaping the rapture of Gray's caress. The passionate hero she intended to deceive is the man she is destined to adore -- and no enemy's dark scheme will rob her of that ecstasy. For only by surrendering to love will Catherine and Gray truly be free.

Arabian Pearl


Emma Wildes - 2007
    Claire is given a beautiful slave for his pleasure. Unusual customs aside, he finds himself in a terrible dilemma. Not only is she English, but the daughter of a friend. In order to rescue her from captivity, he must use her like a harem girl in every way possible... Lady Celia Davenport has been abducted, sold into slavery, and now finds herself in the bed of an Infidel lord. If she gives him erotic pleasure with subservient eagerness, there is a glimmer of hope in her future. Anxious to escape, she finds that perhaps sexual servitude isn't the prison she once imagined. Besides, every time she gives her lover satisfaction, she receives a rare and valuable pearl as a reward. An English lord and a lovely slave find that circumstance and fate have a hand in granting those rare Arabian Pearls... Genre: Erotic Historical [contains graphic sexual content and adult language]Length: Novella  (25,000 words) 5 Kisses: "The Regency era has never been sexier than what you’ll experience in Arabian Pearl. Emma Wildes’ unique writing style is edgy and erotic. Robert’s tenderness is sweet and sexy while Celia’s acceptance of him and her situation is both moving and emotional. These two sensual characters create enough heat to warm you on the coldest of nights and will have you reaching for ice when things get too hot. I anxiously look forward to the remaining stories in the Brothers of the Absinthe Club series. If they’re anything like Arabian Pearl, I'll need to free up more space on my Keeper shelf!" —Kerin, Two Lips Reviews 5 Hearts: "WOW!! Arabian Pearl is an amazing story. When Celia realizes the situation, she offers herself to Robert. Ms. Wildes has an incredible storytelling talent and she shows it here. Celia is a beautiful and innocent young woman who is seduced by Robert, a handsome and knowledgeable man. Their sexual encounters are beyond erotic; each night for twelve nights Robert teaches Celia something new. I was trembling in my chair as I read about their exploits. Celia grows in this story from an innocent child to an adult and sexually aware young woman. Robert knows that what he is doing is against all the rules of his society, but he does not want Celia punished and thrown into a far corner of the harem. Although they are not allowed to discuss their lives in England, they manage to get to know each other in whispers. I was simply enthralled by this story and I highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys a beautiful, graphic and erotic love story." —Marcy Arbitman, The Romance Studio 5 Angels: "This reader found Arabian Pearl a most interesting read that not only charms but titillates as well. This fascinating tale allows the reader to escape into a world of sultans, harems, and a beautiful love slave with her English lord. Even though Celia and Robert’s story is so much different from the other beautiful women in Celia’s predicament, I found my heart going out to those women who couldn’t be helped and had to suffer their fate when they were sold into slavery. Emma Wildes blends some wonderful characters, romance, and a bit of history to make a sensual read that keeps the readers interest. She paints characters with so much emotion that touch the reader, especially the poor women in bondage, yet she creates a very poignant love story between Celia and Robert that is remarkably breathtaking making this one excellent read." —Linda L., Fallen Angel Reviews

The Earl and the Highwayman's Daughter


Maggi Andersen - 2012
    Outsmarting her father, the earl takes Eugenia to live in his beautiful country estate, Lilac Court. But what does he really want from her? It seems there’s a mystery attached to an emerald necklace, which he wishes her to wear at a London ball. Could Eugenia be the daughter of a powerful duke, but born on the wrong side of the blanket? Her mother refused to tell her. As Brendan, Earl of Trentham, works to bring down a hated foe, he and his sister instruct Eugenia in the ways of the ton. She is beautiful and, despite the cloud over her birth, will be desired by many men. Why doesn’t that prospect make him happy? A Reader's Opinion "The Earl and the Highwayman's Daughter is indeed a Cinderella story with Eugenia as our young beauty and the Earl as her "prince." I was delighted to spend a few hours with the characters while they navigated their way through society's dos and don'ts, all in the name of hope and sweet romance." Books & Benches

Daughter of Twin Oaks


Lauraine Snelling - 2000
    No longer safe at Twin Oaks, she embarks on a perilous journey, taking on the momentous responsibility for the lives and welfare of all who go with her. They ride at night and hide during the day, dodging both Confederate and Union troops along the way. Encountering hunger, sickness, and the devastation of war, they finally arrive in Missouri only to discover that the situation there puts them in even greater danger. Discouraged, disillusioned, and facing a severe testing of her faith, Jesselynn will stop at nothing to save her family, the horses, and whatever remains of Twin Oaks.

The Hummingbird and the Sea


Jenny Bond - 2021
    Loyalties are tested and families are divided as individuals battle to deliver themselves from hardship, prejudice and injustice.Based on a true story of Puritans and pirates, The Hummingbird and the Sea is a powerful tale of love, faith, hidden passions and the eternal search for freedom.