Book picks similar to
Boston Tangle: Regency Comes to America by Judith Lown
19th-century
historical-american
romance-historical
So Many Partings
Cathy Cash Spellman - 1983
In a small whitewashed cottage on the grounds of a great estate, a baby boy is born. His name is Tom Dalton. He is the son of an Irish peasant and her aristocratic lover. And so begins the story of a family whose past is deeply rooted in the turbulence of Irish history but who thrive and flourish in the America of the twentieth century. From the poverty of the Irish immigrant to the wealth of the self-made man; from the sorrows of a young boy, deserted by fortune and family, to the triumph of a patriarch capable of outwitting Fate itself -- this is the story of Thomas Dalton and the women who touch his life. Driven from his ancestral home in Westmeath by his father's vindictive family, young Tom Dalton leaves Ireland and makes his way to America. Befriended by the founders of the Longshoremen's Union, groomed by one of Tammany's most powerful political bosses, Tom fights his way to a place in the glittering mansions of New York's Fifth Avenue. In a landscape filled with the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, the victors and the victims, So Many Partings tells a story about love and betrayal, about a man and the women who shape him: the bewildered mother who abandoned him to save herself... the gentle wife who had defied her father to marry the man she loves... the shrewd madam who pledges her loyal friendship as well as her love... and finally, the high-spirited granddaughter who inherits a greater legacy than wealth. Set against the richness of Irish-American history, So Many Partings is about a passionate family and the triumphs and tragedies that make them unforgettable.
Where the Lost Wander
Amy Harmon - 2020
Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West. On the trail, she forms an instant connection with John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man straddling two worlds and a stranger in both.But life in a wagon train is fraught with hardship, fear, and death. Even as John and Naomi are drawn to each other, the trials of the journey and their disparate pasts work to keep them apart. John’s heritage gains them safe passage through hostile territory only to come between them as they seek to build a life together.When a horrific tragedy strikes, decimating Naomi’s family and separating her from John, the promises they made are all they have left. Ripped apart, they can’t turn back, they can’t go on, and they can’t let go. Both will have to make terrible sacrifices to find each other, save each other, and eventually…make peace with who they are.
A Proper Companion
Candice Hern - 1995
Why, just about anyone would make a more suitable match...even her own paid companion, Emily Townsend! But if her dear, practical-minded Robert were to back out of the betrothal, the tongues of the ton would never stop wagging...At the very least, the dowager decides, she will extract a promise from her grandson to find Emily a husband. But when the handsome, rakish earl comes to know the charms of Emily Townsend, he suddenly regrets his hasty engagement-and is sorely tempted to win her hand for himself.
Shades of Gray
Carol A. Spradling - 2012
But a woman with no money or family has few options. She quickly learns that her intended groom is not as honorable as Hampton society believes him to be. Beaten by her betrothed, she seeks refuge in the home of the most feared man in town.Accused murderer, Grayson Gregory is more interested in guarding a family secret than clearing his name. When a broken and battered woman collapses on his doorstep, he is reminded of a torturous past he can't escape. Kat may have opened old and festered wounds, but he can’t deny the fire she ignites in him.Kat is determined to uncover the truth about Gray, regardless of what she finds. As their attraction to one another grows, Gray must confront his dark past in order to keep her safe. His secrets unfold, forcing him to choose between a new love, or to remain plagued by the demons of his past.
Mistletoe Masquerade: A Ridlington Christmas Novella
Sahara Kelly - 2017
But then again, he wasn’t sure if butlers were inappropriately touched by titled guests that often. He sighed. Being a butler was turning out to be quite a bit more complicated than he’d anticipated... Paul DeVoreaux, the Inchworthy hunting box, near Pineneedle Drift, December 1814 They’re not butler or housekeeper; in fact, they’re not servants at all. Yet that is the pretense they must observe if their real identities and their whereabouts are to remain a secret. For Paul DeVoreaux and Harriet Selkirk, fleeing London and the Ton is the best and safest idea at this particular time in their lives. A small hunting box in December is an even better one. Or so they think. Thrust into the roles for which they are ill-prepared, Paul becomes a surprisingly effective butler, and Harriet assumes the role of housekeeper to the best of her ability. The arriving house party seems to find nothing amiss, and the seasonal revelries begin. Unfortunately, the guests are nothing if not frisky, and Paul and Harriet find themselves forced into yet another masquerade. But this one isn’t quite as simple as donning a lace cap, or answering the front door… A Ridlington Christmas Novella – A stand-alone holiday romance featuring characters introduced in the “Six Pearls of Baron Ridlington” series by Sahara Kelly. Please check the Amazon page devoted to these books for more details.
To Woo an Heiress Boxed Set
Lindsay Randall - 2015
Includes: Lady Lissa's Liaison: Too many suitors hungering her newly-acquired inheritance, Lady Lissa Lovington plants a devious rumor: she's had a liaison with the notorious Earl of Wylde. The rumor works like a charm, until the mercurial Lord Wylde returns to turn the tables. Miss Marcie's Mischief: After escaping Mistress Cheltenham's School for Young Ladies on the eve of Saint Valentine's Day, heiress Marcie Darlington is nearly run down by the London Mail Coach, commandeered by the Marquis of Sherringham. Both are trying to escape a scheming Cupid. Neither will succeed. A Dangerous Courtship: Traveling to the Yorkshire moors by horseback to investigate another of her naïve friends' suitors, Veronica is set upon by a pack of wild dogs—and rescued by a handsome stranger who also seems on the brink of madness. Reviews: "Ms. Randall displays a wonderful talent for writing humor." ~Rendezvous To Woo an Heiress, in series order Lady Lissa's Liaison Miss Marcie's Mischief A Dangerous Courtship Miss Meredith's Marriage Also by Lindsay Randall Rescued by a Cowboy Slow Dance with a Cowboy For Love of a Princess Meet Lindsay Randall By day, Lindsay is a development writer for a private university. By night, she pursues her passion—writing romance. She's written twelve novels and has received a Reviewers Choice Award from RT BookReviews.
Merry Misrule
Ellie St. Clair - 2020
For Joanna remains scarred by the pranks Lord Elijah Kentmore pulled on her all those years ago. She does, however, long for a Christmas with her closest friend, one in which she can, for a brief holiday, enjoy a respite from her work as a seamstress and appreciate the extravagance of Christmas in the home of a marquess.Lord Elijah Kentmore has returned home from war just in time for Christmas, only to find that nothing has changed at Briercrest Hall, while he is but a shadow of the man he used to be. Many of his memories of old have fled, only to be replaced by others he wouldn’t wish upon anyone. All he wants now is to be respected for the man he has become, instead of the man he used to be. When Elijah attempts to capture the beautiful, mysterious woman under the mistletoe, he is shocked by her dismissal—and by the news that the ugly duckling turned swan is, in fact, his sister’s friend Joanna. Now all he wants for Christmas is to win her over and convince her that he is not the man she remembers. Can he ever earn the forgiveness of a woman he so wronged?
The Measure of Katie Calloway
Serena B. Miller - 2011
To protect herself and her young brother from her violent and unstable husband, she flees north, finding anonymity and sanctuary as the cook in a Northwoods lumber camp. The camp owner, Robert Foster, wonders if the lovely woman he's hired has the grit to survive the never-ending work and harsh conditions of a remote pine forest in winter. Katie wonders if she can keep her past a secret from a man she is slowly growing to love.With grace and skill, Serena Miller brings to life a bygone era. From the ethereal, snowy forest and the warm cook-stove to the rowdy shanty boys and the jagged edges of the saw, every detail is perfectly rendered, transporting the reader back to the time when pine was king, men were made of iron, and rivers were choked with logs on the way to the sawmills. Readers will have a hard time leaving the Northwoods when they turn the last page.
Paper Roses
Amanda Cabot - 2009
Leaving the past behind in Philadelphia, mail-order bride Sarah arrives in San Antonio ready to greet her groom, Austin Canfield, a man she has never met but whose letters have won her heart from afar. But there is one problem--he has died. And Sarah cannot go back East.As Sarah tries to reconcile herself to a future that is drastically changed, Austin's brother, Clay, struggles with his own muddled plans. Though he dislikes working on the family ranch and longs for a different life, Clay is driven to avenge his brother's death. But something between them is growing and neither Clay nor Sarah is ready to admit it. Book 1 of the Texas Dreams series, Paper Roses will sweep readers into the Hill Country with a tale of love and loss, closed doors and beautiful possibilities that will leave them wanting more.
Accidentally, Love
Kate Harper - 2014
Having seen her siblings sublime happiness with their own partners, she is prepared to wait until she finds her soul mate.
Still, she believes the Earl of Allingham has potential, right up until she meets Kirkwood, the earl's illegitimate older brother. He is nothing like his goodnatured brother. Indeed, he is not like any man Audrey has ever met and, while there is no doubt he is extremely attractive, she decides that she dislikes him immensely. And she continues to dislike him, even after he kisses her senseless...
It should have been the most disastrous night of her life. It certainly turned her life upside down. Because no matter how one looks at it, a nice girl never falls in love with a bastard...
Dear reader - I was not going to do an Audrey book. Indeed, I wasn't going to do a Marcus one either, but a lot of people were curious about to know what happened to him after he returned to England. Actually, Millie was the only other Hathaway I had planned to follow up with (and yes, her story is in the making) but I felt I couldn't let poor Audrey miss out completely so I decided on a novella that ended up rather longer than intended. In fact, this is either a long novella or a short book. Stayed tuned for That Hathaway Girl, Millie's story...
Sixty Acres and a Bride
Regina Jennings - 2012
Only now the county is demanding back taxes and the women have only three months to pay.Though facing eviction, Rosa falls in love with the countryside and the wonderful extended family who want only her best. They welcome her vivacious spirit and try to help her navigate puzzling American customs. She can't help but stand out, though, and her beauty captures attention. Where some offer help with dangerous strings attached, only one man seems honorable. But when Weston Garner, still grieving his own lost love, is unprepared to give his heart, Rosa must decide to what lengths she will go to save her future.
Diamond
Ruth Ryan Langan - 1995
It had to be hate, no matter what her newfound sisters claimed. For what else could make her blood burn as hot as a prairie fire?Diamond was a hellcat bent on revenge. Yet Adam looked beyond the glittering hardness, that she showed her wranglers, and saw a woman as soft and free as a Texas breeze.Diamond, Pearl, Jade and Ruby, The Jewels of Texas. Four sisters as wild and vibrant as the untamed land they're fighting to protect.
From a Distance
Tamera Alexander - 2008
and the secret you've spent a lifetime guarding is finally laid bare? Determined to become one of the country's premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life.Daniel Ranslett is a man shackled by his Confederate past, and he'll do anything to protect his land, and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He's a man of his word, but repaying that debt could reveal secrets from his past he would prefer remain buried.Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth's lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met from a distance.
High Plains Holiday
Simone Beaudelaire - 2018
He is young, handsome, and single.To church organist Kristina Heitschmidt, Reverend Cody Williams is nothing but trouble, especially as his first move is trying to take control of the music away from her.But Kristina is not about to give up her life’s work. With Christmas fast approaching, it appears the two are at a stalemate - until a sudden blizzard traps them together in the church overnight.Forced at last to deal with each other, they realize that the explosive feelings between them are really symptoms of an overwhelming passion that just might lead to the love of a lifetime.
This western romance includes explicit sex scenes.
Praise from readers:
★★★★★ - "The story of Cody and Kristina was terrific... Simone Beaudelaire's writing is captivating. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series."
★★★★★ - "This was a really great book. It explored the beginning of a historical marriage in a unique and sexy way. The writing was top notch and the characters will live on with me."
★★★★★ - "I really enjoyed this sweet, steamy romance."