Book picks similar to
A Smuggler's Heart by Danielle Thorne


historical-fiction
proper-romance
historical-romance
history

Forging the Shilling Girl (The Hudson Sagas Book 1)


Emma Hardwick - 2020
    Young, widowed Clare Byrne, is escaping the famine in Ireland. On the coffin ship from Dublin, in the final hours of the journey to England, Clare goes into labour. Weakened and alone, the young, beleaguered mother gives birth near the quayside. Unable to look after the newborn, the child is bought for a single shilling by a curious gentleman, the industrialist Samuel Hudson. What will happen to the young girl? What plans does Mr Hudson have for her? Will the child thrive, or merely survive? Also by Emma Hardwick ----------------------------------- The Urchin of Walton Hall

The Reckless Doctor's Bride


Amelia Rose - 2019
    Will love bring them closer together as they fight to protect what they’ve worked so hard to make? Montana Westward Brides reading order: #0 The Rancher's Fiery Bride #1 The Reckless Doctor's Bride #2 The Rancher's Unexpected Pregnant Bride

The Christmas Bachelor Auction


Rachel John - 2020
    So, when she accidentally bids too high and wins her best friend’s brother, she’s a little freaked out. Mostly because of that one time they kissed and never spoke of it again.Justin Riggs was expecting to chaperone an old lady around town, not worry about hurting Cara when he leaves after Christmas. Of course, that’s not exactly how their conversation goes after the auction. He may have called her out on her crush on him … and added some other accusations that will live to haunt him forever. Now, Cara never wants to talk to him again, and he’s realizing too late that he’d like a lot more than her forgiveness.Cara’s stuck. By winning a date with Justin, she’s also won the marketing headache that goes with it. As much as she’d like to Photoshop their heads together and call it good, the town expects to see them out together having fun. So, Cara has a plan. She'll friendzone the heck out of him, hide her heart where he can’t reach it, and conquer this crush by the time he leaves town.Curl up with this sweet and sassy Christmas tale about mistaken motives and secrets revealed.

Lucky Bet


Anna Reader - 2015
    Escaping to London disguised as a young man, Elizabeth discovers a new world of gambling, duels, cruelty and love. Railing against the limitations of her gender and with her best friend, William, by her side, Elizabeth sets out to win her freedom.

A Lord's Bet of Desire


Meghan Sloan - 2020
    While working at the house of Norman Pembroke, the Duke of Bancroft, she has always dreamt of advancing her life from a humble maid to that of a governess. Despite knowing that this opportunity may never appear, her love for reading is enough to keep the dream alive. But little did she know that fate would bring an unforeseen twist that would make this dream a tangible reality... When Edward, the endearingly attractive brother of the Duke, comes to visit, the last thing she expected was to end up under his roof and away from the only place she's ever known. Laura will inevitably find herself seduced by his ravishing beauty, but will she allow herself to finally surrender to her burning desire for him?Edward Pembroke has always been the opposite of his brother. Being warm and dutiful himself, he was against his brother's love for gambling that was dwindling the Pembroke fortune every day. When he finally decides to confront him about his wayward habit, they both end up engaging in a fateful night of gambling, and Edward wins the prize of taking anything he wants with him. Without a second thought, he chooses Laura, as her fiery nature lightens a spark inside him. Once they move to his house, he can't help but be mesmerised by her every move, willing to do whatever it takes to possess her. Will he manage to turn this promising desire into an everlasting love?Laura and Edward's attraction is impossible to deny, but their evident class differences are threatening their undeniable lust. The more time they spend together, the more they lose their hearts and bodies to one another. Will their passionate connection prove strong enough to shatter the insurmountable obstacles? Or will their heated affair go down in flames before it even sets them on fire?"A Lord's Bet of Desire" is a historical romance novel of approximately 60,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

What Then Is Love


Emilie Loring - 1956
     In all her 23 years, beautiful Patricia Langston had known only the loving devotion lavished upon her by her wealthy, widowed father, a brilliant and respected judge. Then suddenly, her father was accused of taking an enormous bribe. Patricia struggled to clear his name, only to find that her life was crumbling in the turmoil. Until a mysterious, handsome stranger entered and instilled in her the strength she so desperately needed. Praise for Emilie Loring: 'I encourage all fans of romance to make Ms. Loring's acquaintance' - The Scruffy Dog Review Emilie Loring was an American romance author who started writing in 1914 and continued writing until her death in 1951. Following her death, her sons continued to publish her work.

A Kiss at Midsummer


Meg Easton - 2019
    When fun-loving Elise Stevens lost her mother six years ago, she worked hard to score a job at the Royal Palm Resort-the job that would enable her to finish her mother's bucket list. Now she's working hard to get a shot at buying her childhood home back, but only if she can earn the money before they sell to someone else.Billionaire Merit Casselman pours all of his focus into running his business, or at least he does until his business partner decides that Merit needs to refill his creative well and thinks a vacation at The Royal Palm might do the trick. Merit would rather hide out and work, but his business partner also hired a personal activities director to make sure he doesn't.But after connecting with Elise over sandcastles, an unplanned couples spa day, dancing at the Midsummer Ball, and spending every day with her, Merit discovers that there might just be more to life than work.When Merit's business partner offers Elise a bonus that's large enough that she'd be able to put an offer on her childhood home, it feels like a gift dropped into her lap. But when their newfound love threatens each of their lifelong dreams, can their relationship survive?

The Heart Hears: Kansas MacPhersons (MacPherson Brides Book 4)


Mischelle Creager - 2019
    He needs to banish his distrust of women. War widow Salina Meier Moffett Dunham doesn’t trust men. Shamefully treated by her father and husband, she is on the run with her children to escape a forced marriage or worse—death. In Ainsley, Kansas, she shortens her name to Lena Meier to hide from the man pursuing her. She finds a position as a clerk in the mercantile with the grouchy storekeeper. But there is something within that grumpy man that her heart hears and draws her. She isn’t sure what that thing is until she discovers a book in the storeroom of the mercantile. Returning from the war, Angus MacPherson takes back the running of his mercantile and keeps his distance from the young women in Ainsley. After a run-in with Lena Meier—literally, his buggy ran into her cart, leaving him injured, he agrees to let her work in his store. After all, his MacPherson family creed is to help and protect all widows and orphans. But this woman, this stranger in town, irritates and interests him as no woman has since Amelia, the woman who betrayed him to marry his rich cousin. Matters get worse when his former fiancé, who is now a wealthy widow, returns to Ainsley and wants Angus as her new husband. Can love weave its way through the heart by things unspoken?

The Prussian Captain


Ann Brough - 2017
    But life and love may be found in the most unlikely places—the poverty-stricken streets of Neck End. 1898… Edward turned twenty nine-years-old on the ship. Looking out over the gray water back towards America, his heart ached for both the country he had adopted and loved, and for the woman he had lost there. He was returning to England without having 'made good'. Without any fortune. When Edward meets Gertrude and is captivated by her youth and beauty, his hope for the future is transformed. But this is an era when the rich and poor of England each have their own firmly defined limits. More than any social boundary is a far greater problem—he’s already married. Giving a glimpse into the realities of the very wealthy and the desperately impoverished of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, The Prussian Captain is the story of two opposite lives colliding. One is marked by finery, decorum, servants, and first-class adventures crisscrossing the Atlantic. The other is stuck in a life of abuse, alcoholism, and the depressed state of the working poor of industrialized England. Start reading The Prussian Captain today and discover if Edward and Gertrude risk it all to overcome their stations in life. Will they each find what they are looking for? Find out today!

A Lady's Touch of Sin


Lucy Langton - 2020
    What awaits her is her Aunt Margaret, a tittering woman with an earnest responsibility to find Marta a match, against her wishes. While the blue-eyed beauty desperately tries to escape from her future misery, a very dashing man shows up in her life, but, to her misfortune, he is not the one her Aunt has chosen for her. But when her Aunt insists so much on a particular engagement with a Duke, should she just give up to the tantalizing stranger she just met or should she fight to satisfy the burning passion she holds for him?Baldwin Terrence is a successful businessman and the future heir to his ducal estate. When his best friend's cousin comes unexpectedly to visit, he finds himself surprisingly stricken by her stunning eyes, and the connection between them is electrifying. Her beauty is irresistible and tests his willpower at every turn. She's everything Baldwin is not: a spitfire, compassionate, apt to dream and gossip and live loudly and grandly. Of course, she catches the eye of nearly every important member of society, including the dastardly Duke, Lewis Remington. The only thing he knows is that he is determined to possess her, at any cost. Will he convince her that the haven she's longed for all her life may be lying in his arms?Thus begins a tale of lust and heartache, full of passionate moments. But soon their burning promises are all they have left. Caught between her past and her future, Marta must decide whether she's willing to let go of the life she knew for a love she never thought she would find. But in the end, is the choice actually hers to make? Torn between her Aunt's will and what she desires, she has to choose between the man who sets her heart on fire and the one she despises. But can this undeniable desire between them really be buried? Will their love prove strong enough to shatter every obstacle in their way?

Mail Order Brides Rescue Series Box Set Books 1-4


Jo Grafford - 2021
    She could pass as a twin to Hannah Merrill, his former partner whom he thought he lost in a fire. If she's still alive, it can only mean one thing — that she faked her own death — leaving Gabe precious little time to track down the missing beauty before the past she’s been running from finally catches up to her.Book 2: Cold-Feet CallieWhen a runaway bride meets a true cowboy...Tennyson Barra, a claim jumper turned rancher, is ready to settle down with a wife and family of his own. He figures the easiest way to find the perfect woman is to let the Boomtown Mail Order Brides Company do the searching for him. He never counted on his prospective bride being kidnapped by highwaymen on her journey out West. Or being the man sent to rescue her — only to discover she never intended to follow through with their marriage contract in the first place…Book 3: Fiery FelicityWhen love and the law collide…Levi Barra receives a telegram warning him to pay off a loan he wasn’t aware existed or risk losing his ranch. Since his sister has been badgering him about finding a good woman to marry, he decides the quickest way to solve both his problems is to advertise for a mail-order bride with a background in law.Book 4: Misunderstood MegA lonely federal marshal working undercover, a wealthy heiress posing as a mail-order bride, a marriage of convenience that turns out to be anything but convenient…Meg Gladstone is a wealthy heiress who’s never tasted life outside the palatial fortress where she was raised for her own safety. The moment her late father’s shipping dynasty transfers to his business partner, she pursues her dream of living an normal, ordinary life. On a whim, she walks into a mail-order bride agency to inquire who would employ such an outlandish means to find a husband. To her surprise, the matchmaker spins a tale about love, family, and acceptance — all the things she longs for that her money can’t buy.★ A sweet western historical romantic suspense series with humor, heart, and happily-ever-afters! Each title can be read as a standalone. ★

True Love for the Reluctant Earl


Eleanor Keating - 2020
    When faced with a suitor who is only seeking her wealth, will she choose to follow her heart or end up locked in a loveless marriage forever? When Edward was sent away from Bellham Manor to join the military after an argument with his father, he never expected to return to London. Forced back by his father's death - he must fulfill a mysterious stipulation or risk losing everything that’s rightfully his. He must find a bride of noble birth within ninety days. Having already lost one woman he loved dearly, Edward does not want to marry for convenience.Lady Adelaide has lived her whole life being told what to do and how to do it by her overbearing, relentless mother, the Duchess of Strafford. The duke and duchess are determined that she will find a husband during this London season, but their daughter is unconventional; she cares nothing for the trappings of the ton or the strictures of the society. Fate brings our heroes to meet unexpectedly, in the dark, alone - then again in a great ball...but all is not what it seems! Nefarious forces are conspiring to keep them apart and destroy their newfound interest and happiness. Will their love be enough to flourish despite the constraints and expectations of society?

An Unlikely Love Story


Ellie Hall - 2021
    Maxwell doesn’t care about rules, rather recipes. But will he whip one up for a happily ever after?My full name is Hazel Loves, yes really, but I have no interest in relationships. In fact, I live by three rules:1. Never meet the pets, parents, or best friend.2. Never date the same guy twice.3. Never fall in love.That's a lot of nevers. I thought I was a rebel and not above breaking rules until I broke my own.A vanilla latte with a heart in the foam formed a crack in my exterior. Then the batch of chocolate chip cookies softened something inside. Never mind, scratch that, it was Maxwell—my neighbor.As I struggle with being strong, single, and on the scene and the mushy, melty, romantic within, I try desperately not to fall in love. But what's wrong with falling if you have someone with dark tousled hair, refined yet ruggedly handsome features, and chiseled arms to catch you?Nothing. Nothing at all.Scratch that. Everything.

The Untold Tale of the Winter Duchess


Emma Linfield - 2019
     When her husband falls victim to poison right in front of her eyes, she becomes not only a widow but also the prime suspect. Desperate to escape prosecution for a crime she never committed, she is left with no other choice: she flees. Sebastian Hughes, Duke of Parkforton, is on the hunt for a governess for his two unruly brothers. He never expected to find one in a horse shed behind his manor. Especially not one as beautiful and well-mannered as Lillian. Constables start knocking on the door, looking for a lady, whose description strangely resembles Sebastian's newly-hired governess. When Lillian falls gravely ill with symptoms suspiciously similar to her husband's right before his death, it becomes apparent that not even a Duke's estate is safe from an enemy that comes from the inside. To unravel Ariadne's Thread, deep they must go, into the wine cellars where the sun doesn't glow...

Of Twisted Fates


Heather Chapman - 2020
    The small pool of suitors in their seaside village of Bridlington offer very little in the way of suitable companionship. Isabelle quickly learns, however, that daughters of country physicians are not considered suitable for gentlemen of means. Discouraged, Isabelle believes a house-party invitation from Anna Somerville, a wealthy and accomplished friend, is her last providential hope—until she realizes the man she has come to care for is the desired match of her friend.Simon Windham has spent the last two years of his life on a tour of Europe, in part hoping that Anna, the younger sister of his best friend, would finally find interest in a gentleman other than himself. He is not so fortunate, however. Upon arriving at Haven’s Landing, Simon immediately befriends Isabelle, the strange young woman he met in a London bookshop. Their connection is immediate, but to seek out her attention would be to not only betray long-time family friends, but his parents expectations as well.As the month-long party draws to a close, Simon and Isabelle struggle to overcome their feelings for one another. Has fate thrown them together to secure their happiness or their misery in knowing their match would mean the unhappiness of others they love?Of Twisted Fates is part of the KINSLEY SISTERS series, a set of stand-alone regency-romance novels by Heather Chapman and Jo Perry that follows three sisters as they find love. Look for the complete collection:Of Twisted Fates (Aug. 28)Of Cloudless Climes and Starry SkiesOf Tangled Hearts