Book picks similar to
Dark Heart by Elizabeth Ellen Carter


historical-romance
historical-fiction
romance
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Ain't No Sunshine


Leslie DuBois - 2010
    Those words adorned every building in Livingston, Virginia during the summer of 1963 confusing and angering five-year-old Stephen Phillips. Those words told him that what he felt for his colored neighbor Ruthie was wrong. As a teenager, Ruthie becomes the only ray of sunshine in his abusive life and he is not willing to let her go without a fight, a fight that could lead to murder.

Miss Amelia Lands a Duke


Sandy Raven - 2014
    And the man her aunt is stalking is none other than the wealthy widower, the Duke of Caversham. Horrified by her aunt’s behavior, Amelia decides to hide away in their host’s library and gardens for the duration of their visit. On an evening walk through the maze she meets an older gentleman who intrigues and arouses her. She flees without learning his name, only to stumble across that same handsome gentleman in the library days later, where to Amelia's astonishment, he kisses her. And she kisses him back! Amelia and the duke are caught in their passionate embrace by her aunt. Embarrassed at her own wanton behavior, Amelia flees the room believing he’s used her to avoid her aunt. After confronting her aunt, the duke does what he believes is the honorable thing and makes plans to marry Amelia. Only he never asks her.

Their Kidnapped Bride


Vanessa Vale - 2015
    Money, social standing and the protection of her step-brother. Or so she thought. When she discovers his dark secrets, he turns on her and sells her to a western brothel to keep her quiet. There, she's forced to work or participate in an auction. A virgin auction...and she's the prize.One look at Emma James and Whitmore Kane and Ian Stewart know she would belong to them. Marriage was the only way to truly claim her...so they bid and bid well. As their bride, they return to the Bridgewater Ranch and teach her the ways to please not one husband, but two. But danger has tracked Ian around the world and threatens their newfound relationship. Together, can they fight the demons of the past while forging a future?>This is the first book in the Bridgewater Ménage Series, where you'll meet all of the men in Kane and Ian's army regiment and discover their unusual beliefs on marriage. Read the entire series to follow along as the men, two or three at a time, claim their brides. Bridgewater: Where ménage meets marriage.

A Scandalous Portrait


Callie Hutton - 2021
    . .The Earl of Huntington (Hunt) is a silent partner in a successful gambling hell run by his two brothers. A well-respected member of the ton, he moves about in Society as an unknown agent for the Crown on its most sensitive matters.Lady Diana is a long-time friend of Hunt's with the ability to embroil herself in difficult matters that require his assistance. Once again she needs his help, but this situation could be a major scandal if discovered.Against his better judgment, Hunt agrees to her scheme, but this time the circumstances cause him to see the woman he’d always considered just a friend in a different way. The passion and desire that sparks between them must be squelched since she would never do as his Countess. . . .Scandal follows her every move.

Shameless


Jennifer Blake - 1994
    She barely recognizes the warrior who returns to their small town, an ex-military, multi-decorated hero with pain in his eyes. But the battle between them has just begun.A takeover bid is pending for the local paper mill. Camilla swears to stop the sale, rallying the town behind her on environmental issues. Reid, as operating owner, is concerned for the workers. Added to the mix is Camilla's almost ex-husband who wants her back -- mainly because he believes a loophole in the law may make her the beneficiary of millions from the buyout. But hate and love are close kin, and daytime combat between Reid and Camilla gives way to nighttime desire. That is, until Camilla's estranged husband turns up dead. As the town erupts with gossip about the convenience of his passing, she and Reid are faced with a choice. They can join forces to unmask the killer -- or allow the murderer to drive them apart forever.

Highlander's Wicked Game


Fiona Faris - 2019
    By pretending to be an obedient daughter, she was gathering in secret all the knowledge she could, to make her clan proud. All the knowledge her father didn't share. One fateful night, Marra throws away her caution and attends the Spring Gathering in disguise. Little did she know that her life was about to change... The devilishly handsome Duncan MacGregor didn't want to be Laird. His carefree demeanor aroused worries and doubts in his clan. While searching for fun at the Spring Gathering,he meets the lass that steals his heart. Unbeknownst to Duncan however, she is the last woman he should be meddling with. When Marra is violently abducted and the heartbreaking secret of their true identities comes to light, he has to step up and become the leader he was destined to be... Can these two save their clans and their love before all is consumed by chaos? "Highlander's Wicked Game" is a Historical Scottish romance novel of more than 80,000 words (around 440 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

The Beauty Bride


Claire Delacroix - 2005
    And he has no choice but to see them all wed in haste.Lady Madeline’s heart is not for sale…especially not to a notorious outlaw like Rhys FitzHenry. Yet Madeline’s hand has been sold, to none other than this battle-weary warrior with a price on his head. A more dutiful maiden might cede to the Laird’s command and meekly accept her fate, but Madeline has never been obedient. She decides to run away, though she never dreams that Rhys will pursue her.She does not expect this taciturn man to woo her with fanciful stories, much less that each of his enthralling tales will reveal a scar upon his shielded soul. She never imagines that a man like Rhys could imperil her own heart while revealing so little of his own feelings. When Rhys’ past threatens his future, Madeline takes a leap of faith. She dares to believe him innocent—and risks her own life to pursue a passion more priceless than the rarest gem.

Sweet Release


Pamela Clare - 2003
    Though Cassie hated the slave trade, her Virginia plantation demanded the labor, and she knew this fevered man would surely die if she left him. But as his wounds healed and his muscled chest bronzed from the sun, Cassie realized Cole Braden was far more dangerous than his papers had indicated --- for he could steal her breath with a glance or lay siege to her senses with a touch.Abducted, beaten, and given a new name, Alec went from master of an English shipbuilding empire to fourteen years of indentured servitude in the American colonies. There, he was known as Cole Braden, a convicted ravisher and defiler of women. And while he longed to ravish the auburn-haired beauty who owned him, he knew his one hope of earning her love --- and his freedom --- was to prove his true identity. Only then could he turn the tables and attain his ... Sweet Release.