Book picks similar to
Surrender the Past by Elizabeth Johns
romance
historical-romance
historical-fiction
regency
Susanna's Secret
Joyce Alec - 2020
Can she risk telling the truth?Benedict, the Earl of Knightsbridge is something of a recluse. His mother is insistent that he find a wife, but marriage is the last thing on his mind.Threatening notes arrive at his home every few days, which is why he continues to avoid society. However, when his mother insists that they throw a house party to find him a bride, Benedict has no other choice but to do so.He soon discovers that all is not as terrible as he feared, especially when he finds himself quite taken with one particular young lady.Miss Susanna Millerton is in trouble. As a guest at Lord Knightsbridge's house party, she cannot tell him that she is the one sending the notes, albeit under duress. But when things take a turn for the worse, and Susanna discovers her heart is beginning to twine to his, can she risk telling him the truth? Or will she remain silent and see him sink further into despair?
A Love That Never Tires
Allyson Jeleyne - 2014
As the daughter of a famous archaeologist, she’s been everywhere and seen everything—except London. When the Talbot-Martin team travels there for her father’s investiture, Linley finally gets her wish. But when the time comes to trade her jodhpurs and work boots for silk gowns and kid gloves, she may be in over her head.Even though she can out-ride, out-shoot, and outsmart any girl in London society, Linley is destined to be the failure of the season. No one she meets cares about ancient pottery or lost Buddhist texts, and fundraising efforts for future expeditions keep coming up short. If the Talbot-Martin team doesn’t find money soon, they will be out of a job, and Linley will lose everything she holds dear.Patrick Wolford, Marquess of Kyre (pronounced 'Keer'), is a man who knows his place. Well-connected and respected, he is everything everyone expects him to be, but beneath his façade, he is as neglected and crumbling as the family estate. Now the strain of keeping up appearances is taking its toll. The smart thing would be to marry the heiress nipping at his heels and be done with it, but when he meets Linley Talbot-Martin, who dares to shake up his seemingly proper world, he must choose between the life he’s always known and one he never dared to dream of.
Gabriella
Brenda Hiatt - 1992
. . but won a treasure. Due to a lost wager, the Duke of Ravenham is obliged to bring a pretty little nobody from the country into fashion among the high-sticklers of London Society. Ravenham would never refuse a debt of honor, no matter how unorthodox, so he overlooks Miss Gordon's vulgar relations to do what is necessary, escorting the unsophisticated chit to balls, etc. But what he expects to be an irksome duty turns out to be something quite different as he falls under the spell of his protege's innocent charm. When he lost that wager, he definitely never counted on losing his heart as well! First impressions can be deceiving. Miss Gabriella Gordon only came to London at her mother's and sister's insistence, for she'd much rather assist in running her father's veterinary practice than attempt to fit into fashionable society. No sooner has she arrived in London than the exalted (and exceedingly handsome) Duke of Ravenham comes to call. The reason is less than flattering, however: due to a lost wager, the Duke is forced to bring Gabriella into fashion, a "favor" she would certainly refuse if her family would let her. But the more time she spends in the dashing Duke's company, the more conflicted she feels-- particularly when she discovers they have more in common than she ever dared dream. A sparkling traditional Regency romance from bestselling author Brenda Hiatt.
Alexander: A Seventh Son Novel
Kirsten Osbourne - 2018
Her own power is insignificant enough in her eyes that she trains to be a healer under the expert tutelage of her mother. When a child is brought to the castle where she lives, she knows she doesn’t have the skills to heal him, and her mother’s powers—and her own—will need to be revealed to a handsome knight. Alexander Lain is the seventh son of a seventh son, and as such he has luck on his side in everything he does. When he finds a peasant child burning with fever, her parents burning in a hovel nearby, he takes the child, hoping to find someone who can heal her. He’s pointed toward the castle and Lady Lina, and he takes the child there, finding it convenient that his errand was taking him to the same place. What he sees in his first hour in the castle astounds him, but it doesn’t keep him from an attraction for the young lady there. Will he be able to convince her—and her father—she’s meant to be his bride? Or will his luck finally run out? *Note this romance contains a mild sex scene*
The Loyal Heart
Merry Farmer - 2011
Several problems. Her childhood love, Ethan, has returned home from the Crusades, but he’s more interested in winning his land back than wooing her. She has to rescue a pair of nuns who are being held prisoner in Derby Castle’s tower by the sadistic Sheriff Buxton. And to top it all off, she’s developing scandalous feelings for Buxton’s lackey, the dark and devilish Crispin. Faced with all that what’s a girl to do but don her disguise as the Derbywood Bandit and take matters into her own hands?Sir Crispin is at his wit’s end. Not only does he have his hands full keeping Buxton from killing half the shire, now his arch nemesis, the Derbywood Bandit, has joined forces with his old rival Ethan. And that’s nothing compared to the burning torch he carries for his ex-fiancé, Lady Aubrey. He would do anything to win Aubrey’s love …… until he suspects that there could be a closer connection between Aubrey and the Derbywood Bandit than anyone knows.
Her Three Suitors
Anneka R. Walker - 2019
Sophia never expected to grow out of her awkwardness and be nicknamed society’s darling Golden-locks during her first London Season. Now, three of the most eligible men of the ton are invited to her house party in hopes of securing a most advantageous match. Shortly before they arrive, Sophia stumbles upon her birth record and an alarming discrepancy. She is determined to discover the identity of her real mother at all costs. Can she choose someone to marry before her secret is out, and her reputation is ruined forever? Terrance is a second son of an Earl with no great inheritance and no abundance of charm. When pitted against his brother and his best friend as a suitor for Sophia’s hand, Terrance isn’t even going to pretend to be a contestant. Again and again, fate throws Terrance into Sophia’s path until Terrance realizes two things: Sophia is hiding something and, despite his stubborn nature, he is most definitely in love with her. If he chooses to fight for her, he’ll risk losing the brotherhood he’s relied on all his life.
After the Kiss
Suzanne Enoch - 2008
. .Sullivan Waring wants only two things: his rightful inheritance, and revenge against the man who stole it from him. By day, Sullivan is the most respected horse breeder in England; by night, he plunders the "ton"'s most opulent homes to reclaim his late mother's beautiful paintings. His quest is going swimmingly . . . until the night he's discovered by Lady Isabel Chalsey. Clad only in a revealing nightdress, she's an entrancingly different kind of plunder, and how can a thief resist stealing a kiss?A Curious Lady . . .Surprised by a masked man in her own home, Isabel should be quaking with fear. Instead the sight of the sinfully handsome Sullivan makes her tremble with excitement. Who is this man, and why is he so set on this reckless pursuit? Lady Isabel loves a challenge, and she'll dare anything to uncover Sullivan's secret--but she may instead convince him that she is the greatest prize of all.
Must Love Dukes
Elizabeth Michels - 2014
Blackmailed by the Mad Duke of Thornwood into accepting one wild dare after another...all because of a pocket watch. Desperate to recover her beloved father's pawned timepiece, Lily did something reckless and dangerous and delicious—something that led to a night she'd never forget.He has a Reputation for ScandalWhen Devon Grey, Duke of Thornwood, runs into a mesmerizing, intoxicating, thieving woman who literally stole from his bedchamber—with his new pocket watch—Devon plots his revenge. If the daring wench likes to play games, he's happy to oblige. After all, what's the use of being the Mad Duke if you can't have some fun? But the last laugh might just be on him...
Slightly Married
Mary Balogh - 2003
But this proud nobleman also possesses a loyal, passionate heart—and it is this fierce loyalty that has brought Colonel Lord Aidan to Ringwood Manor to honor a dying soldier's request. Having promised to comfort and protect the man's sister, Aidan never expected to find a headstrong, fiercely independent woman who wants no part of his protection... nor did he expect the feelings this beguiling creature would ignite in his guarded heart. And when a relative threatens to turn Eve out of her home, Aidan gallantly makes her an offer she can't refuse: marry him... if only to save her home. And now, as all of London breathlessly awaits the transformation of the new Lady Aidan Bedwyn, the strangest thing happens: With one touch, one searing embrace, Aidan and Eve's “business arrangement” is about to be transformed into something slightly surprising.
Miss Quinn's Quandary
Shirley Marks - 2007
After the day-long journey, the only place for the weary travelers to sleep is the barn of an over-booked inn with only a single vacancy. Larissa, who has no intention of sleeping on a pile of straw, steps forward, claiming to be newly wed to Sir Randall Trent, baronet and unwitting accomplice in Larissa's scheme for adventure, in order to claim the last empty room. Convinced they will never see one another again and that no one will be the wiser about their little white lie, Larissa and Sir Randall part ways, though not before Sir Randall can bestow upon Larissa a passionate kiss that sends her reeling. Both are surprised to be thrown together again so soon in London for the Season. When their secret is discovered, Larissa and Sir Randall are forced to band together in the face of a crime spree in which Sir Randall is implicated. Life is about to offer Larissa an adventure unlike any she had ever imagined.
To Catch A Spinster
Megan Bryce - 2012
She has her studies and her duties, what need does she have of a husband? With five sisters married she knows the reality does not live up to the promise, and does not need to personally experiment with the state to know she would be ill-suited to it. However, she finds herself envious of at least one aspect of marriage. But to experience the physical side of marriage, one doesn't need a husband, all one needs is the right man...Nathaniel Jenkins knows his duty. Marry a young girl from a respectable family and father an heir, no matter how cold the endless parade of suitable girls leaves him. But a shocking proposal from a scholarly spinster leaves him wondering if unsuitable is just what he's looking for. Can he convince his spinster that marriage is the greatest experiment of all?
The Persistent Suitor
Rachel McNeely - 2015
She’s ramshackle, always says what she thinks and prefers riding and fishing over sewing and social graces. Grayson Lyall, Marquis of Carraway, is Society’s ideal of a perfect gentleman. He’s handsome, wealthy and considered a war hero by everyone but himself. A gentleman, that is, until he sets eyes on the intriguingly different Lady Juliana, emotionally jilted and humiliated and under pressure to change everything about herself. For her, he is quite willing to play the hero to a reluctant damsel in distress. But nothing is ever easy with Lady Juliana. It will take persistence.
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.
Flame and Ember
M.A. Nichols - 2018
After years of searching, he finally found love. Unfortunately, she wed another, and now, it’s time to settle for someone with whom he can share his life. Love is no longer an option for a man whose heart is irrevocably broken.Mina Ashbrook longs to marry for love but knows she’s too old, too plump, and too plain to catch a gentleman’s eye. And a marriage of convenience is better than being a spinster sister living off her brother’s charity. Simon may not love her now, but Mina knows there’s hope—if she can convince him that love comes in many forms.Will Mina find a way to heal Simon’s heart? Or will the shadows of the past keep them from finding happiness together?
Though part of the Regency Love series, each book is a standalone sweet romance and can be read in any order.
Lady Fiasco
Kathleen Baldwin - 2004
Without a mother to restrain her, she spends her days riding her horse neck or nothing across her father’s fields and swimming like a sea nymph. But inside a prim and proper Regency sitting room Fiona is bound to overturn the teapot or accidentally trip the footman. Her illustrious Aunt Honore decides to take the hoyden in hand, but amidst the strictures of the Beau Monde, Fiona is a fish out of water. When she was younger, Lord Wesmont was her hero. Sadly, he came home from fighting Napoleon a hardened man. Nothing can breathe life back into his cold heart, nothing except, perhaps, the love of an unusual young woman who regularly turns his life upside-down. Lady Fiasco is a Sweet Traditional Regency Romance.