Book picks similar to
Mistress of Raghery by Raine English


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The Beautiful Strangers


Camille Di Maio - 2019
    Kate Morgan, tethered to her family’s failing San Francisco restaurant, is looking for an escape. She gets her chance by honoring a cryptic plea from her grandfather: find the beautiful stranger. The search takes her to Hotel del Coronado, the beachfront landmark on the Southern California coast where filming is underway on the movie Some Like It Hot.For a movie lover like Kate, it’s a fantasy come true. So is the offer of a position at the glamorous hotel. And a new romance is making her heart beat just as fast. But as sure as she is that the Coronado is her future, Kate discovers it’s also where the ghosts of the past have come to stay. Sixty years ago a guest died tragically, and she still haunts the hotel’s halls.As the lives of two women—generations apart—intertwine, Kate’s courageous journey could change more than she ever imagined. And with the Coronado wending its way through her soul, she must follow her dreams…wherever they may lead.

Lady Jayne Disappears


Joanna Davidson Politano - 2017
    Her new family greets her with apathy and even resentment. Only the quiet houseguest, Silas Rotherham, welcomes her company.When Aurelie decides to complete her father's unfinished serial novel, writing the family into the story as unflattering characters, she must keep her identity as Nathaniel Droll hidden while searching for the truth about her mother's disappearance--and perhaps even her father's death.Author Joanna Davidson Politano's stunning debut set in Victorian England will delight readers with its highly original plot, lush setting, vibrant characters, and reluctant romance.

The Widow of Pale Harbor


Hester Fox - 2019
    Gabriel Stone is desperate to escape the ghosts that haunt him in Massachusetts after his wife's death, so he moves to Pale Harbor, Maine, where there is a vacancy for a new minister. Gideon and his late wife had always dreamed of building their own church, and Pale Harbor is the perfect opportunity.But not all is as it seems in the sleepy town of Pale Harbor. Strange, unsettling things have been happening, and the townspeople know that only one person can be responsible: Sophronia Carver, a widow who lives with a spinster maid in the decaying Castle Carver on the edge of town. Sophronia is a recluse, rumored to be a witch who killed her husband.When Gabriel meets her, he knows the charming, beautiful woman cannot be guilty of anything. Together, Gabriel and Sophronia realize that the mysterious events have one thing in common: they all contain an element from the wildly popular stories of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe. And when the events escalate to murder, Gabriel and Sophronia must find the real killer, before it's too late for them both.

Lady Helena Investigates


Jane Steen - 2018
     Step into Lady Helena Whitcombe’s world with the first novel in a series that will blend family saga and mystery-driven action with a slow-burn romance in seven unputdownable investigations. 1881, Sussex. Lady Helena Scott-De Quincy’s marriage to Sir Justin Whitcombe, three years before, gave new purpose to a life almost destroyed by the death of Lady Helena’s first love. After all, shouldn’t the preoccupations of a wife and hostess be sufficient to fulfill any aristocratic female’s dreams? Such a shame their union wasn’t blessed by children . . . but Lady Helena is content with her quiet country life until Sir Justin is found dead in the river overlooked by their grand baroque mansion. The intrusion of attractive, mysterious French physician Armand Fortier, with his meddling theory of murder, into Lady Helena’s first weeks of mourning is bad enough. But with her initial ineffective efforts at investigation and her attempts to revive her long-abandoned interest in herbalism comes the realization that she may have been mistaken about her own family’s past. Every family has its secrets—but as this absorbing series will reveal, the Scott-De Quincy family has more than most. Can Lady Helena survive bereavement the second time around? Can she stand up to her six siblings’ assumption of the right to control her new life as a widow? And what role will Fortier—who, as a physician, is a most unsuitable companion for an earl’s daughter—play in her investigations? A new series by Jane Steen, author of the House of Closed Doors series that has delighted thousands of fans (over 300 5-star reviews on Amazon and over 700 5-star ratings on Goodreads.) If you’re looking for an unputdownable Victorian mystery saga, here’s where you start!

Above the Bay of Angels


Rhys Bowen - 2020
    In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand. It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings.Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself. Best of all, she’s been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. What fortune! Until the threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera, and a member of the queen’s retinue falls ill and dies.Having prepared the royal guest’s last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. An investigation is sure to follow. Her charade will be over. And her new life will come crashing down—if it doesn’t send her to the gallows.

Fires of Destiny


Linda Barlow - 1986
    Ten years as a sellsword and pirate have transformed Roger into a darkly handsome but enigmatic stranger. His sudden return to his father's castle causes a passionate uproar in the bookish and otherwise sensible Alix.Dangerous to know...Surprised by his unlikely desire for his childhood friend, Roger is determined to encase his heart in ice. Haunted by his past and trapped in a lethal web of intrigue, he fears entangling Alix in a plot that could doom them both to a traitor's death.But destiny has set them on colliding paths, and Roger can no more resist the fire in Alix than she can turn away from his increasingly ardent touch.New, revised edition of a classic, award-winning romance.When the original version was published in 1986, Linda Barlow received the Romantic Times award as New Historical Romance Author of the Year. Fires of Destiny was also a finalist for the Rita Award from Romance Writers of America.This special new edition has been revised and edited by the author, but her beloved characters and their sensuous, suspenseful adventures remain the same.Accolades"Linda Barlow's sexy, suspenseful page-turners are pure pleasure to read." Susan Elizabeth Phillips.Jayne Ann Krentz describes Linda as "a wonderful story-teller. She grabs you on the first page and plunges you straight into the tumultuous lives of her fascinating characters.”Catherine Coulter called Fires of Destiny "a bold and clever tapestry, provocative and seductive."Romantic Times said in their 1986 review: "Weaving together a strong historical background, an intriguing mystery subplot, along with a touch of mysticism, Ms. Barlow crafts a marvelously textured novel that mesmerizes the reader on every level. The timeless magic of this outstanding romance will guarantee recognition of Linda Barlow as a powerful writer with the talent to surpass all genre boundaries."

The Dublin Girls: A powerfully heartrending family saga


Cathy Mansell - 2020
    To save them from the workhouse, Nell returns to the family home - a mere two rooms at the top of a condemned tenement.Nell finds work at a biscuit factory and, at first, they scrape through each week. But then eight-year-old Róisín, a delicate from birth, is admitted to hospital with rheumatic fever and fifteen-year-old Kate, rebellious, headstrong and resentful of Nell taking her mother's place, runs away.When Liam finds work in London, Nell stays to struggle on alone - her unwavering devotion to her sisters stronger even than her love for him. She's determined that one day the Dublin girls will be reunited and only then will she be free to follow her heart. Look for more gripping, heartwrenching page-turners from Cathy Mansell - don't miss A Place to Belong, out now.

The Mad Heiress Meets the Duke


Isabella Thorne - 2016
    Nearly a decade ago, when her fiance jilted her, she threw herself down the stairs in a fit of passion, or maybe it was a parapet or perhaps a cliff. The Ton isn’t too sure, but they certainly won’t forgive nor let her forget. Georgette is sure she will never love again, and she hasn’t. Now she is companion to her young cousin and chaperoning her coming out. She has no prospects herself. She only needs a moment to catch her breath, to push away the unhappy thoughts of her own coming out. Georgette walks alone into the garden. She smells cigar smoke and realizes there is a man out here. He is unfamiliar and since she is not introduced, she turns to leave. Not wanting to disturb him, because she knows he will put out his smoke in deference to her, she hurries away, but it is too late. He has seen her and knows her.Meet Charles, Duke of Eversley, Miss Quinby’s long ago fiancé’s dear friend and erstwhile British spy in the continuing war with France. It was the Duke’s waspish younger sister who caught Miss Quinby’s fiancé and married him. Georgette certainly didn’t want to open that wound. Neither did the duke, but a cipher in a potted plant, an English traitor, a young gambler and star-crossed lovers pull the jaded couple together. From the ballrooms of the English Aristocracy to ices at Vauxhall to gambling hells, and secret meetings at the British Museum, they will dare much for king and country. They find a common friendship, but both swear they will never love again…but will they?

White Gardenia


Belinda Alexandra - 2002
    Both mother and daughter must make sacrifices, but is the price too high? Most importantly of all, will they ever find each other again?Rich in incident and historical detail, this is a compelling and beautifully written tale about yearning and forgiveness.White Gardenia announces the arrival of a powerful new talent.

The Irish Bride


Alexis Harrington - 2003
    But when a family crisis forces her hand, she finds herself Aidan's wife, boarding a ship bound for America-leaving Ireland and Liam behind. Secretly, Farrell resolves that it will be a marriage in name only...Could He Make Her Trust In Love Again?Aidan harbors a taste for adventure and an unrequited love for Farrell Kirwan. He will not be deterred and knows that he can win her trust and heart. But a menace that has been tracking them from all the way back home threatens to destroy everything they have built together unless they can join forces and place their faith in each other-and the power of love...

Harp on the Willow (Mt. Laurel Memories)


B.J. Hoff - 2018
    Daniel Kavanagh settled down in the quaint town of Mount Laurel and established a medical practice there. The single doctor has been nursing an unrequited crush on Serena Norman, the local schoolteacher. Just down the road lies the coal mining town of Owenduffy, considered by most in Mount Laurel to be a backwoods hamlet. When the mine company's doctor abandons his post, Daniel agrees to visit one day a week, much to the consternation of his fellow residents, including his secret love, Serena. Addie Rose, the daughter of an Owenduffy coal miner, has a gift for caring for others. When a receptionist position in Daniel's office suddenly becomes available, what windows of opportunity will God open for Addie Rose—just a job, a possible career as a nurse, or maybe something more? Harp on the Willow is a touching tale of true love, the kind that can only come from a Savior who first loved us.

The Earl, the Lady and the Song of Love


Fanny Finch - 2021
    Through the pain and suffering, she finally saw clearly: love is not essential for a successful marriage. Or so she thought…Asking her father to secure a good match for her, since her choices had disappointed her so, and having resigned from the tiresome games of courtings, Imogen meets the handsome Earl of Kensington. Their arrangement seems to be smooth until her heart betrays her and she is close to breaking her vow never to love again…The undeniable attraction between them and the bright future ahead of them are hindered solely by the scars of her past until Imogen looks inside her and faces the truth that’s been right in front of her the whole time: this is the man she was always meant to be with…

What to Do with a Duke


Sally MacKenzie - 2015
    So when Cat hears that the town’s infamous Spinster House is open for a new resident, she jumps at the chance to put all this marriage business behind her. But first she must make arrangements with her prospective landlord, Marcus, the Duke of Hart—the most handsome man she’s ever seen, and the only man who’s ever impressed her in the least…With her wit, independent spirit, and not least of all her beauty, Marcus can’t help but be stirred by Cat. It’s terribly unfortunate he’s not looking to marry, given the centuries-old curse that left his family with the Spinster House to begin with. No duke shall live to see his heir’s birth. But is there a chance the curse could be broken—in true fairy-tale fashion—by an act of true love? The race to Happily Ever After is about to begin…

The Trick to Time


Kit de Waal - 2018
    She crafts beautiful, handmade wooden dolls in her workshop in a sleepy seaside town. Every doll is special. Every doll has a name. And every doll has a hidden meaning, from a past Mona has never accepted.Each new doll takes Mona back to a different time entirely - back to Birmingham, in 1972. Back to the thrill of being a young Irish girl in a big city, with a new job and a room of her own in a busy boarding house. Back to her first night out in town, where she meets William, a gentle Irish boy with an easy smile and an open face. Back to their whirlwind marriage, and unexpected pregnancy. And finally, to the tragedy that tore them apart.

What the Duke is Hiding


Edith Byrd - 2021
    And so, he is given a job working the vineyards, despite the secrecy surrounding his fate and his past…Johnathan Bashford is grateful for the opportunity to hide in the small property of the Tillmans. A Duke he may be, but lately, the attempts of his life have been more frequent, and laying low is his only option…But in an unexpected twist of fate, Johnathan and Madeleine will turn out to be each other’s perfect match. The only thing standing in their way are the secrets of his past, and when those come to the surface it may be too late for them both…Johnathan and Madeleine might not get a chance to untangle this mess, as those on the hunt for the lost Duke have finally caught his scent and they are closing in…And this time they are determined to finish what they started.*If you like engaging characters, heart- wrenching twists and turns, and lots of romance, then you’ll love “What the Duke is Hiding”!