Book picks similar to
The Matchmakers by Ruth J. Hartman
romance
cats
historical
historical-romance
Finding Lord Farlisle
Cassandra Dean - 2018
Fascinated by spirits, she sets out to investigate rumours of a ghost at Waithe Hall, the haunt of her childhood. Its shuttered corridors stir her own ghosts: memories of the friend she’d lost. Maxim had been her childhood playmate, her kindred spirit, the boy she was beginning to love …but then he'd abandoned her, only to be lost at sea. She never expected to stumble upon a handsome and rough-hewn man who had made the Hall his home, a man she is shocked to discover is Maxim: alive, older...and with no memory of her.The girl he finally remembersEleven years ago, a shipwreck robbed Lord Maxim Farlisle of his memory. Finally remembering himself, he journeys to his childhood home to find Waithe Hall shut and deserted. Unwilling to face what remains of his family, Maxim makes his home in the abandoned hall only to have a determined beauty invade his uneasy peace. This woman insists he remember her and slowly, he does. Once, he and Alexandra had been inseparable, beloved friends who were growing into something more…but the reasons he left still exist, and how can he offer her a broken man?As the two rediscover their connection, the promise of young love burns into an overwhelming passion. But the time apart has scarred them both—will they discover a love that binds them together, or will the past tear them apart forever?
Wife in Name Only
Charlotte M. Brame - 1883
Three o'clock struck. A sweet voice, abrupt and clear, broke the silence of the solemn scene. "Hubert. Where is Hubert? I must see him." "Tell him to come," said Dr. Evans to Dr. Letsom, "but do not tell him there is any danger."[...]".
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.
Venetia
Georgette Heyer - 1958
Intelligent and independent, her future seems safe and predictable. Lovely Venetia despairs of ever meeting the handsome hero of her romantic dreams but is nearly resigned to spinsterhood, thanks to the enormous amount of responsibility she inherited with a Yorkshire estate and an invalid but precocious brother, Aubrey. She lives in comfortable seclusion in rural Yorkshire, she has never been further than Harrogate, nor enjoyed the lackluster attentions of any but her two wearisomely persistent suitors. She can not accept to marry the respectable but dull Edward Yardley - she will only marry for love.Then her long-absent neighbor, thirty-eight-year-old Lord Jasper Damerel, returns home to Yorkshire. In one extraordinary encounter, she meets the infamous neighbor, who she knows only by reputation - a gamester, a shocking rake, and a man of sadly unsteady character - and before she knows better, she finds friendship with a libertine whose way of life has scandalised the North Riding for years. Lord Damerel finds Venetia to be the most truly engaging and wittily perverse female he has encountered in all his life and determined to woo and win her, he pursues her with a passionate abandon that is soon the talk of the ton. And after her encounter with the dashing, dangerous rake, Venetia's well-ordered life is turned upside down, and she embarks upon a courtship with him that scandalises and horrifies the whole community.But Venetia has no intention of losing her heart to the rakish lord until she is sure that beneath his swashbuckling ways and shocking manners lies a tender heart belonging to her. And Lord Damerel would marry her in a heartbeat if he did not think it would ruin her. Then she discovers a shocking family secret that changes everything ... It was therefore particularly provoking to find that occasion, Lord Damerel could make up his mind to be idiotically noble....
The Reluctant Bride
Claire Firth - 2013
She has been sold to the highest bidder so that she may produce an heir for the devilishly handsome and arrogant Earl and she is outraged. How can she have any respect or feelings for a man whose reputation is that of a complete wastrel and philanderer? She resolves to resist him at all costs yet Sophia is totally unprepared for the exquisite pleasure she experiences from her husband’s wicked hands as he introduces her to a world of sexual delight she had no idea existed. For Ralph, when his cousin had suggested he take a wife to heal the rift in his family, it had seemed the perfect solution to his problems. However, he hadn’t counted on choosing someone as spiritedly passionate as Sophia and something inside of him reacts to her in a way that disconcerts him. What started out as a necessary chore soon becomes an exciting challenge as he determines to do what he does best - seduce his young wife and put an end to the estrangement that exists between them. But why is Sophia’s good opinion becoming increasingly important to him? And why does he feel the compulsive need to convince her that he is not the unsavoury character she believes him to be?
Desperate Measures
Candice Hern - 2010
The story first appeared in the 2010 Anthology The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance. Lydia Bettridge is a young woman suffering the pangs of unrequited love. To capture the attention of Geoffrey Danforth, the man who has stolen her heart but barely notices her, she has resorted to desperate measures with a seemingly clever plan. By engaging the help of Phillip, a friend of her brother's, to play the love-smitten fool in public, she hopes to pique the interest of her unnamed love. But when Geoffrey himself shows up to take Phillip's place, all her careful planning is turned upside down. What's a girl to do but to make the best of it? This short story was originally published in The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance.
No Rest for the Wicked
Cora Lee - 2020
By day, he practices law at the Four Courts and gives reading lessons to the local children. By night he’s the man in the mask, prowling the streets of The Liberties defending the people—his people—from those who would prey upon them. But when his estranged wife appears on his doorstep with a summons from Sir Arthur Wellesley, both of Michael’s worlds are turned upside down. What will happen to The Liberties if he obeys Sir Arthur’s command to meet in Cork? Can he even trust the woman who married then left him five years ago?As a spy for Sir Arthur Wellesley, Joanna Pearson Devlin has executed this same mission flawlessly many times before: locate the subject, transport him safely, and present him to her employer. When Sir Arthur sends her out one more time to bring in her estranged husband, Joanna knows this mission will be anything except flawless. But Napoleon’s agents are everywhere, and Michael is an important part of the team Sir Arthur is assembling to stop them. For the sake of her country, Joanna heads to Dublin even as her discomfort grows. Will she be able to put aside her uncertainties and convince her husband to join the fight? Can they learn to work together again if he agrees?
The Wrong Brother
Bree Wolf
One lady. And a heart torn in two.ISABELLA CARRINGTON has always favoured her mind over her heart.Meeting Charles Dashwood, she quickly decides that he is the one for her. After all, he has all the qualities she appreciates in a man; he is kind, honest, and most of all dependable.However, in the very moment, Isabella whispers her 'I do', her eyes catch the glimpse of another man. A man whose eyes look unnervingly familiar, and yet, stir a longing within her heart and soul she has never known.Just as she gives her hand to Charles Dashwood, her heart is stolen by none other than her husband's notorious twin, ROBERT DASHWOOD, VISCOUNT NORWOOD.When mind and heart do not go hand in hand, can there be a happily ever after?This tale by a USA TODAY bestselling author shows that the heart wants what the heart wants…even at the most inconvenient of times.If you like bittersweet stories about a love so abrupt and unexpected that it unhinges your whole world and leaves you reeling, then you’ll love this instalment of Bree Wolf’s emotionally charged Forbidden Love Novella Series. Download THE WRONG BROTHER for FREE, grab a cup of tea, settle into your favorite reading spot and start this swoon worthy romance now!A Forbidden Love Novella Series#1 The Wrong Brother#2 A Brilliant Rose#3 The Forgotten Wife#4 An Unwelcome Proposal#5 Rules to Be Broken#6 Hearts to Be MendedTo Follow:#7 Winning her Hand#8 Conquering her HeartLove's Second Chance Series#1 Forgotten & Remembered - The Duke's Late Wife (Rosabel & Graham)#2 Cursed & Cherished - The Duke's Wilful Wife (Anna & Edmond)#3 Despised & Desired - The Marquess' Passionate Wife (Ellie & Frederick)#4 Abandoned & Protected - The Marquis' Tenacious Wife (Henrietta & Connor)#5 Ruined & Redeemed - The Earl's Fallen Wife (Charlotte & Sebastian)#6 Betrayed & Blessed - The Viscount's Shrewd Wife (Beth & Tristan)#7 Deceived & Honoured - The Baron’s Vexing Wife (Madeline & Derek)More to follow:#8 Sacrificed & Reclaimed - The Soldier's Daring Widow (Meagan & Edward) (Bonus Novella)
Winning the Wallflower
Eloisa James - 2011
(According to the lady herself.)Titled and irreproachably proper. (According to her fiancé.)Until, overnight, she becomesLady Lucy Towerton:Heiress. (Thanks to an aged aunt’s bequest.)Belle of the ball. (So say the fortune hunters of the ton.)In charge of her own destiny (finally!), Lucy breaks her engagement and makes up her mind never to be proper again…NOTE: This novella is related to "The Duke Is Mine" and includes Olivia Lytton.
The Duke's Inconvenient Bride
Eva Grace - 2018
When one of the Duke's former lovers manipulates it so that Raff and Catherine are caught in a compromising situation the pair are forced into a hasty marriage of convenience, one that Catherine fears will end in disaster. Raff William James D'Alton, Sixth Duke of Albright had always been a huge admirer of wives --provided that they belonged to other men, of course. When his old love takes her revenge by forcing him into an unwanted marriage with a dowdy spinster, Raff vows that he will not let an inconvenient thing like a bride ruin his bachelor lifestyle. However, as time passes Raff and Catherine begin to realise that the sparks that fly between the pair have more to do with attraction than tension and that this inconvenient marriage might just have a happy ending --if only they'll allow it.
Someone to Remember
Mary Balogh - 2019
To Matilda, who considers herself the aging spinster daughter, marriage is laughable--love is a game for the young, after all. But her modest, quiet life of order unravels when a dashing gentleman from her past reappears, threatening to charm his way into her heart yet again.Charles Sawyer, Viscount Dirkson, does not expect to see Matilda Westcott thirty-six years after their failed romance. Moreover, he does not expect decades-old feelings to emerge at the very sight of her. When encountering Matilda at a dinner hosted by the Earl of Riverdale, he finds himself as fascinated by her as he was the first day they met, and wonders if, after all these years, they have a chance at happiness together. Charles is determined to crack the hard exterior Matilda has built for over three decades or risk losing her once again...
Laced By Love
Linda Carroll-Bradd - 2016
The day after the troupe arrives in tiny Morgan’s Crossing, the manager takes all the money and leaves town. By opening a dressmaker shop, Cinnia hopes to make the home she’s always wanted, but Nola, the older sister who has made the decisions for the orphaned sisters, disagrees. Leather worker Nicolai Andrusha is living in hiding as Nic Andrews until the patent on his family’s tanning process is approved. Although he’s under a mandate to keep a low profile, he’s intrigued by the red-haired performer. Controversy arises when miners claim they paid the manager for private appointments with the female performers. Will Nicolai defy his family obligation to help the stranded beauty who has caught his eye?
Heir to Edenbrooke
Julianne Donaldson - 2015
He would much rather carve out his own destiny than live under the constraints of that position. But when his older brother dies unexpectedly, Philip's life is turned upside down as duty requires him to give up the life he planned. Philip takes on his new role as the most sought-after bachelor in London with alternating reluctance, boredom, and resentment. But all that changes the night fate leads him to an inn, where he meets the incomparable Marianne Daventry.
For Love of a Laird
Mia Pride - 2019
She may never know true love, but her people will finally know peace. However, when tragedy strikes more than once, and Elizabeth is pawned from laird to laird, unexpected desires for one man threaten to compromise her dutiful existence, forcing her to defy the rules. As the spare to the heir, Robert Irvine understands his obligation to the clan during these volatile times. But, marrying his brother’s beautiful widow is more than he bargained for, and nothing he is prepared for. When all he never wanted becomes all he ever needed, Robert suddenly stands to lose it all. When war is a constant threat, and a marriage to Elizabeth is the key to peace, Robert will do all he can to secure both, until he discovers she has done something that may destroy them both.
Irvines of Drum
Book 1 - For Love of a Laird Book 2 - Like a Laird to a Flame Book 3 - Maid for the Knight
Mail Order Bride And The Gift of Children (A Western Historical Romance Book) (Evergreen Frontier)
Florence Linnington - 2020