Book picks similar to
The Devil You Know by Sophia Holloway


historical-romance
historical
romance
regency

A Civil Contract


Georgette Heyer - 1961
    When his father, a crony of Prince Regent, is killed in the hunting field, Adam becomes the 6th Viscount Lynton of Fontley Priory, Lincolnshire. But he returns from the Peninsular War to find his magnificent home in disrepair and his family on the brink of ruin, with the broad acres of his ancestral home mortgaged to the hilt. He is madly in love with the beautiful Julia Oversley but soon realises that the drastic measure of a marriage of convenience is the only answer. Enter Mr Jonathan Chawleigh, a City man of apparently unlimited wealth with no social ambitions for himself, but with his eyes firmly fixed on a suitable match for his one and only daughter, the quiet and decidedly plain Jenny Chawleigh. A marriage is arranged.Adam chafes under Mr. Chawleigh's generosity, and Julia's jealous behavior upon hearing of the betrothal nearly brings them all into a scandal. But Adam didn't reckon with the Jenny nobody knew, or the unknown quality that lay hidden behind her demure and plain facade, who bring him comfort and eventually more....

A Heartless Design


Elizabeth Cole - 2013
    Yet men still try to win her, drawn by her sharp wit and intoxicating green eyes. But Cordelia knows a marriage could reveal her deepest secret and truly endanger her life. Besides, she hasn't met a man worth considering, until... Sebastien Thorne, a spy in the service of Crown. One of the elite agents in the group known as the Zodiac, he comes to London determined to solve a mystery with roots on the Continent. He won't let anything distract him. But is Cordelia a distraction, or the key to the mystery? As he learns more about the "heartless" woman, he becomes embroiled in secrets, plots, and a design that could change the future...and Cordelia is at the center of it all.

To Save a Sinner


Adele Clee - 2015
    But when his brother inherits the viscountcy and pleads for his return, the opportunity to show his contempt and loathing for the Society who turned its back on him proves to be far too enticing to resist.When the dishonourable Lucas Dempsey steps into the ballroom after a four-year absence, Helena Ecclestone is quick to label the gentleman a murderous rogue. That is until she stumbles upon a secret conversation and feels a moral obligation to see justice done. But while the ladies swoon over his handsome countenance, Helena is determined to look beyond such superficial features, intrigued to find the true character of the gentleman he hides beneath his arrogant façade.

The Wicked Wager


Anya Wylde - 2012
    A plan that should have brought the lovers together and had them married within a month. It was a simple matter of masquerading as the duke’s gardener, compromising the lady, and then having the duke rush them off to Gretna Green.Alas, he underestimates the duke’s intelligence and the tangled situation on the estate—never had he imagined that compromising a lady could be so difficult.His endeavours lead to a comedy of errors, charades, and knotty love affairs. Yet he forges ahead in spite of pesky house guests, a flea bitten mattress, his lovesick best friend, and a blackmailer.Just when things seem to be going well, someone is murdered (very inconvenient), and he happens to be one of the suspects (extremely inconvenient).His simple plan for winning the wager suddenly becomes … a tad complicated.

Something About Her


Jeannie Ruesch - 2009
    The first involves a woman (don't they always), and the second...well, it also involves a woman and a large sum of stolen money. To clear his family name, Michael must track down his charlatan cousin... the same cousin believed to be dead. She is the one woman he knows he can't have. Blythe Willoughby Ashton has been married for a year, but hasn't been a wife for even a day. When she learns of her husband's death, she just wants to be left alone. Then her husband's cousin shows up uninvited on her doorstep, looking more handsome than any man should.  Falling in love is the last thing she should do, especially when it becomes obvious that the secrets he's keeping could threaten not only her happiness, but her life.

Bella's Band


Alina K. Field - 2014
    His brother’s murder has forced Steven into a new and completely unwanted role, and worse, he has no idea how to salvage his family’s depleted estate. A rumor that his brother had a son by a woman who may be a) the murderer, and b) his brother’s secret wife, sets Steven on a mission to find her, the boy, and—Steven ardently hopes—the proof of a marriage that will set him free. Confirmed spinster Annabelle Harris is a country heiress with a penchant for taking in orphans and helping the downtrodden. Her philanthropy hides her desperate search for her disgraced sister, the mistress to the Earl of Hackwell. When the Earl is murdered, her sister thrusts her child into Annabelle’s care and disappears. Now, with suspicion pointing at the sister, Annabelle has begun a new quest, to find the woman, and clear her name. When their paths converge, the reluctant Earl and the independent spinster find themselves rethinking their goals, and battling the real murderer together.

Miss Adeline's Match


Joanna Barker - 2019
    But when her closest friend, Charity Edgeworth, breaks off her arranged marriage without explanation, even Adeline's superior skills are put to the test. Charity's father banishes the two young women to the country, sending Adeline with a charge to find Charity a husband or suffer dire consequences. As Adeline takes on the role of reluctant matchmaker, she discovers more than one obstacle in her path. Not only does Charity prefer escaping in books to socializing, but Adeline soon finds her own attentions distracted by the standoffish—and irritatingly handsome—Mr. Evan Whitfield. Amidst an eventful foxhunt and the unexpected arrival of Charity's former betrothed, Adeline simply doesn't have time for a battle of wits with Evan. But the two are continually drawn together until Adeline begins to question her tightly guarded convictions about love and marriage. However, when secrets are revealed and truths made known, Adeline must face her most fearsome obstacle yet: herself.

Lady by Chance


Cheryl Bolen - 2000
    But there's no question that Anna's silken touch has bewitched the powerful lord who has become her husband, and no question that she craves every moment in his arms.

3 Christmas Regency Romances: The Duke, the Earl, and the Joker


Charlotte Darcy - 2017
     A Christmas to Remember Juliet Whitehall, is the eldest daughter of the Earl of Forbes. Being clumsy and tongue-tied she is in no rush to find a suitor. Who would risk taking on such a jinxed wife? Her clumsiness would only get worse when the Duke of Richfield comes to stay at their family home and of course he was coming for Christmas. Edward Burton, had lost his father, and suddenly found himself with the title of the Duke of Richfield. After being invited to stay with the Earl and Countess of Forbes, for the Christmas period, he found himself being cast in the role of a Duke in a play. He is hesitant in his role but then disaster strikes. Can a Christmas Miracle bring two unlikely and yet perfect people together in this sweet Regency romance? Christmas Masquerade Kate Whitehall, lost her joy for Christmas, when her sister Juliet married and left home. Life seemed duller. Christmas, was going to be even worse, until a friend suggested they attend a few masquerade balls. Dressed up, and behind a full mask, Kate was able to let go of her sadness just a little but could still not find the joy in the season. That was, until the man in the terrifying black mask engaged her in conversation… interesting conversation. His deep voice, strong body, and obvious intelligence became something Kate wanted more of. Yet he disappeared, not returning when he said he would. Left a little distraught she must wonder why he had shunned her? Had she done something to offend him? She cannot get him out of her mind and wants to know who was the man in the frightful mask …and would she get to meet him again?” Find out in Christmas Masquerade. The Best Time of Year Stella Lawson had played an integral part in arranging the courtships, leading to the marriages of her best friends, the sisters Juliet and Kate Whitehall. This year at Christmas, all was not going well. Their brother and a dear friend to her also, Adam Whitehall, was being pushed into courtships by his dear mama, with ladies he didn’t even know. Ladies he didn’t want to know. Stella agrees to aid him in putting off his mother’s future consorts by persuading them that Adam is a buffoon. Yet the more she helps, the more Adam seems like the perfect man, it’s a pity he’s only a friend… or is he? Find out in this collection of sweet Christmas romances.

The Weaver Takes a Wife


Sheri Cobb South - 1999
    When her father gambles away his fortune, the duke's only chance for recouping his losses lies in marrying off Lady Helen to any man wealthy enough to take a bride with nothing to recommend her but a lovely face and an eight-hundred-year-old pedigree. Enter Mr. Ethan Brundy, once an illegitimate workhouse orphan, now owner of a Lancashire textile mill and one of England's richest men. When he glimpses Lady Helen at Covent Garden Theatre, he is instantly smitten and vows to marry her. But this commonest of commoners will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to win the heart of his aristocratic bride.

Hidden in the Heart


Beth Andrews - 2006
    High-spirited Lydia expects a very dull visit, but her sojourn to the village of Diddlington is not as idyllic as she anticipates . . .A charred and bludgeoned corpse is found in the woods, and suspicion falls on Lydia’s aunt’s suitor, an intriguing Frenchman. Convinced of his innocence, Lydia enlists the help of her new friend, John Savidge, to catch the real killer. But before their dangerous adventure ends there will be more than one unexpected discovery.

Never Doubt a Duke


Maggi Andersen - 2020
    Stir in an explosive, passionate attraction. Sparks fly! Welcome to book one in this exciting new series by Maggi Andersen! Read for Free in Kindle Unlimited!Lady Nellie Dountry, and Charles, His Grace, Duke of Shewsbury have had their hearts broken in the past. Neither is prepared to chance love again. When they are compelled to marry because of an agreement made long ago by their fathers, they are both determined to resist falling in love. Convinced that it’s mere desire which draws them together, both are surprised by their jealousy.Nellie finds Charles irresistibly attractive, but other women do too. They circle like sharks. Aware that Charles’s former fiancée, who had broken his heart some years ago, is now a widow and on the hunt for a lover, Nellie struggles to trust him while she fears she is falling in love with him.Charles was more than pleased with his choice of bride, but he wishes she wasn’t so difficult to understand. One minute she’s hot for him, the next as remote from him as a chalet in the Alps. Why he wants to get close surprises him; he planned for his marriage to be little more than one of polite indifference. But Nellie is so dashed beguiling!

The Road to Winterhill


Gloria Gay - 2016
    George’s Cathedral, the clergyman’s voice rang out unnaturally loud: “Do you, Richard Branston, Earl of Berrington, take this woman, Belinda Presleigh, of Hunsley Manor, as your lawful wedded wife, to love and honor until death do you part?”The few wedding guests crowding around them waited for Berrington’s response which was long in coming. Belinda saw their smirks and heard their muffled laughter. She felt the sting of tears in her eyes at the long pause and realized she could not undo what she had done. The awful deed had come to roost in her heart. She wished he would say no. She’d rather be jilted than that awful hesitation in which everyone looked at each other, some with smirks of “I told you so.”Finally, Lord Berrington’s voice rang out—loud, impatient and clear: “I do.”Society shuns Belinda Presley when her mother’s scheme results in a forced offer of marriage from Richard Branston, the Earl of Berrington, the man she loves in secret.Warm conversations during the day and passionate nights of love at night on their three-days’ journey give Belinda the only happiness she has ever known. Yet on arriving at Winterhill, Belinda feels the family’s animosity, as the earl, unaware of the danger she leaves her in and still resentful, returns to London.Her only friend, Lord Wilbur, and solitary walks, are her solace, but Belinda’s enemies’ hatred soon place her in extreme peril.

Notorious


Minerva Spencer - 2020
    Drusilla Clare is full of opinions about why a woman shouldn't marry. But that doesn't stop the rush of desire she feels each time her best friend's brother, notorious rake Gabriel Marlington, crosses her path. So imagine her dismay when she finds herself in the clutches of a scoundrel, only to be rescued by Gabriel himself. And when Gabriel's heartless—and heart-pounding—proposal comes, it's enough to make Dru's formidable resolve crumble... ...is a smitten husband. She's sharp-tongued, exasperating—and due to one careless moment—about to become his wife. Still, something about Drusilla has Gabriel intrigued. First there's the delicious flush of her skin every time she delivers a barb—and then the surprisingly sensual feel of her in his arms. Gabriel even finds himself challenged by her unusual philosophies. And when he discovers a clandestine rival for Dru's affection, his temperature flares even hotter. But the real threat to their happiness is one neither of the newlyweds sees coming. If they're to save their future—and their very lives—they'll need to trust in each other and their growing love.

Midnight Marriage


Lucinda Brant - 2010
    To his delight, he discovers she is everything he’d hoped for. Unaware they are already married, Deb is content with her independent life. Julian’s challenge is to have her accept him on his merit, even though she has no choice at all. The future of the Roxton dukedom depends upon it.Set in the opulent world of the aristocracy and inspired by real events, Lucinda Brant delivers another lavish 18th-century experience in her trademark style—heart-wrenching drama with a happily ever after.