Book picks similar to
Beloved Stranger by Christina Cordaire
awful-relatives
clean-read
dark-past
historical
Celtic Spirit (Celtic Storm Series)
Ria Cantrell - 2014
All he knew was the pain and suffering he had caused…and the pain he now felt from the fateful fall from the tree limb that now lay splintered beneath him. As certain death was about to befall him, he was granted a chance of redemption. Somehow, he was deemed worthy of a second chance but it would come with a price. The price would plunge him into a world between the living and the dead, where isolation was his only companion. Isolation and time….Those were things he would have an abundance of to ponder the misdeeds he had wrought throughout his life. Old hatreds of the past prevented Derek from opening the path of redemption. Love would be the only thing to save his soul from the endless years spent not quite a man; not quite a ghost. His punishment was severe and an ancient curse prevented him from satisfying his human needs in every sense. He knew want; he knew loneliness. Only in the Tower, protected by the Guardians of the past, could he claim his humanity. The tower held the key to unlock Derek Campbell from the prison of his soul and of his heart. Kiera Callum was running from a failed relationship and a career with a sadistic and abusive boss. The Highlands of Scotland seemed like just the balm to soothe her battered spirit. She never dreamed that taking the menial job as a tour guide would afford her to actually live in the main quarters of Castle Campbell. She also could not imagine that the Keep came complete with a 700 year old spirit. It seemed Kiera ran from many things in her life when the going got tougher. One of those things was her ability to sense the spirits of those who had gone before. She had denied that gift her entire life because it marked her as a freak. Only now there was nowhere to run. Kiera had to finally face everything she had run from in order to help the trapped soul of a medieval man whose presence was the most vital thing she had ever encountered. She would have to learn to trust in the things that could not be explained. Things are not always as they appear… Could love end his torment? Would Kiera be able to open her heart enough to release him from the prison of isolation? Would her love be strong enough to let him go? Celtic Spirit spans six and half centuries where the past and present collide. Love can bridge time and space. Love is eternal.
The Lost Daughter
Iris Cole - 2021
She couldn’t know the terrible price she would pay.Clary’s home is the foundling hospital where she has lived since birth. When a terrible tragedy occurs, Clary is blamed and thrown to the streets with her only possession - a token, left by her birth mother.When Bill Whitely finds Clary beaten in a back alley, he offers her sanctuary, but a startling discovery spurs her forward into a dangerous undertaking.As Clary navigates a forbidden world, secrets and suspicions are rife, forcing her to flee for her life.Alone and destitute on the streets, Clary is lured into a world of debauchery, where she must fight to regain herself and find the answers she is looking for.Will Clary ever discover the truth of her past? And what of Bill? Is he lost to her forever?For fans of Dilly Court and readers who love historical romance.
Healing the Highlander (Tales of the Maxwell Lasses, #2)
Fiona Faris - 2020
Through her research, she dreamed of revolutionizing medicinal practices. With her step-mother’s guidance, Ava worked tirelessly to achieve her goal.But everything changed when her father announced that it was her duty to wed. In fact, there were two potential matches for her coming to meet her.Betrayal never tasted so bitter…Niall MacNeill and Ian MacThomas are the two men fighting for Ava’s hand. While both of them are heirs of lairds, they couldn’t be more different. Niall is ambitious, with an eagerness for leadership and a wish to start his own family. Iain, on the other hand, values the simpler things in life. Riches and political conspiracies weren’t his cup of tea.Ava is called to choose but before she does, a family secret surfaces.Heartbroken, she feels lost and alone.Only one man can truly help her heal, but even he is not to be trusted…What family secret has been buried over the years? And who is the one who’s holding Ava’s fate?Only she can heal him, only he can set her free…
Christmas with the Frosty Lord
Charlotte Darcy - 2017
Can she melt the Frosty Lord Blackwood in time to enjoy her Christmas? Gabriel Blackwood enjoyed certain things but Christmas wasn’t one of them. To Rosalind he is arrogant and she will not take it even from a Dukes son. The man cannot complete one sentence without his familiar jeer and sly, smug, grin? Rosalind however, was not going to put up with such spoiled behavior, Lord or not she would put him in his place and stop him from spoiling the fun of the season. As Gabriel comes to understand his arrogance, he realized something else. Rosalind is, stubborn, headstrong, tough, and beautiful. Suddenly he knew she was just about as perfect a woman as he could wish for. If only she didn’t hate him. Can Gabriel change his attitude enough to break down Rosalind’s barriers? Or will she always be like a dog, guarding a bone? Find out now in Christmas with the Frosty Lord.
Trusting Her Righteous Heart
Lorelei Brogan - 2020
However, her plans go askew when she finds out that her husband-to-be lied about who he really is. Determined to leave him and in a moment of desperation, she meets Julian, a wealthy man who promises to help her escape her misery, and offers her a job as a chef on his father's ranch. Even though Savannah is suspicious at first, she trusts her instinct and quickly finds a place to call home and someone to count on. Will she finally take the leap to real love or will the social differences be too much to handle?Julian is a successful rancher who grew up in high society but truly believes in social equality of all classes. When he meets Savannah, he feels an inevitable need to protect her. Hiring her at his ranch seems like the perfect way to keep her safe. Unavoidable feelings will grow as they get to know each other, and Julian will quickly find himself surprisingly stricken with her wit and unique beauty. If their incompatible worlds unite, a chance at love may be finally within reach...Will obstacles such as status clash, spiteful schemes, and past trauma keep him from following his heart?Julian and Savannah are about to find themselves in a whirlwind of powerful emotions. She has to accept his aristocratic upbringing and he has to be willing to see her for who she really is. Serious decisions must be made if they want to find a way to make their two worlds one...With such a difficult beginning, can they ever hope to understand one another, let alone find love?"Trusting Her Righteous Heart" is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
The Blackmailed Beauty
Ilene Withers - 2013
There, an unwanted encounter with the local viscount turns into an assault. Claire fights back and escapes with her virtue intact only to be blackmailed by his sister, Lady Regina, who witnessed the attack. Claire now faces ruin if she does not meet the terms of the blackmail – convince the Earl of Roydon to marry her, even though a long-standing arrangement has matched him with Lady Regina. Noel Mallory, the Duke of Lamborton, meets Claire and is immediately enamored by her. He becomes frustrated, however, when she alternately seems to welcome his attentions and spurn them. Worse, she seems to be seeking the attentions of his best friend, the Earl of Roydon. Noel sets out to win Claire’s love and discover the reason behind her confusing behavior.
Elizabeth Chater Regency Romance Collection #2
Elizabeth Chater - 2013
When her father's dies, she's left as the guardian to her younger brother, Sholto Grant, who, through his drinking and gambling, loses the family property to the infamous Devil Fallon. Griselda devises a scheme to regain the family estate, but she must first win a wager between her and the most notorious gamester in London . . . and not fall in love with him.THE KING’S DOLLThe Duke of Landsdale and his mother are sent a written request from the King of England to take in and support the Comtesse and her beautiful daughter, Tiri. The Duke's mother is enraged by the inconvenience and endeavors to make life as difficult as possible for her unwanted houseguests. To be rid of them once and for all, she begins by searching for the first available bachelor to marry off Tiri, but she's horrified to discover that the young tart has caught the eye of her son the Duke.LADY DEARBORN’S DEBUTClea Bradford’s Aunt, Lady Floss Dearborn, intends on marrying off her niece, though it’s no easy deed finding a suitable parti for a young lady who stands six feet of height, not counting the golden halo of blond hair. Lady Floss goes so far as to announce her niece’s engagement to Glendon, though he couldn't be more wrong for her niece and more right for her! When Lord Ranulf gets wind of a Dearborn entering the Ton, he believes he’s been given a chance at revenge for a wrong committed against him by Lady Floss Dearborn. But he mistakes Clea for the Lady, and suddenly there’s a lot more at stake than Clea’s reputation . . . it just may be her life.LORD RANDAL’S TIGERLord Randal found Chloe living in a horse’s stable, dressed in rags. Despite her impoverished appearance, she claims to have an affinity with horses and will one day teach children to ride and care for them properly—as soon as she can get away from her abusive half-brother. Lord Randal is charmed by the big beautiful cat eyes and devises a plan to masquerade her as his servant, to have her become his “tiger”. After she’s cleaned up, he finds himself besot by her beauty, and as the young girl grows into a capable woman, she attracts more attention than just that of Lord Randal.
My Lord Raven: Knights of the Royal Household
Jan Scarbrough - 2008
Rumors abound that this savage is responsible for the deaths of Lady Catrin’s father and brother. How can she allow her sweet cousin to wed a murderer? Bran ap Madog, bastard son of a Welsh prince, has devoted his life to serving the English king. His badge is the raven, a creature that feeds off rotting spoils, just as Bran feeds off the spoils of war. Now he wants a reward for his service: a wealthy wife and the land and power she can bring him. But there’s another side to the rapacious black birds Bran has chosen for his badge. Social and family-oriented, ravens mate for life. Which gives them something Bran never had—a family, a sense of belonging, and a rightful place in the world. Bran has fought for everything he’s ever had. But his last battle, with his new wife, may cost him the one thing he isn’t prepared to lose: his heart.
The Quiet Wards
Lucilla Andrews - 1956
But who took it? Twenty-one-year-old Nurse Gillian Snow finds her career in jeopardy when a dangerous drug disappears from the drug cupboard under her care. The situation also affects her romance with dashing house-surgeon Peter Kier. Moved from her ward to do other duties, Gillian experiences the happiness and heartache that comes from nursing both children and accident victims. As she struggles to understand who took the drug, and why, Gillian finds support and truth from some unexpected quarters. The Quiet Wards is the third novel by the bestselling hospital fiction author Lucilla Andrews. For the first time, Lucilla's novels are now available as ebooks (with new print editions available from 2018). More at www.lucillaandrews.com Perfect for fans of Donna Douglas and her Nightingales series, Jean Fullerton, Maggie Hope and Nadine Dorries.
Christmas in the Duke's Arms
Julie Johnstone - 2021
Her father is dying, and her cousin is trying to force her into marriage in order to obtain her inheritance. Desperate, she seeks out the Duke of Westhaven, a widower who gossip says needs a wealthy wife immediately to save his family from ruin. She offers him a bargain: his name and protection for her money, with an assurance that she has no interest in the emotionally skittish rake’s affection. And it’s the truth. Though she did secretly hold a tendre for the man once, she wisely quashed it when she discovered he was not a noble knight in shining armor but an undeniable, uncaring rogue.Nic would rather drink poison than marry again. Yet, he’s suddenly in the untenable position of needing to wed to protect his sister’s future. So when a virtual stranger crashes the dinner party where he’s seeking a bride who wants as little to do with him as he does with her, and the woman offers a marriage with no attachments, he eagerly accepts. It’s the perfect solution for a man who believes love is for fools. They’ll wed and live their separate lives.But when a surprising stipulation to Sophia’s inheritance comes to light, the disenchanted duke and determined lady are forced to spend more time together than planned. And what started as a calculated match between a retired dreamer and a jaded rogue may end up being the very thing that brings them the love they lost faith they’d ever find.
Forced Into Marriage (Pioneer Series Book 4)
Ruth Ann Nordin - 2017
A pregnant survivor. Can they turn an unwanted marriage… into love? Wyoming, 1866. Brandon Herman wants to drink away his heartache. Divorced, disgraced, and out of work, the last thing he wants to do is marry again. When he’s strong-armed into marrying a Crow Indian woman, he only thinks of running away… until he learns his bride-to-be is nine months pregnant… Lokni doesn’t trust her pale-skinned husband. After all, his kind raided her tribe, killed her loved ones, and stole her freedom. If it weren’t for the contractions, she would've already left her intoxicated groom. But until the baby is born, Lokni must bide her time and plan her escape… As the unlikely couple embarks across the untamed West, Brandon’s support helps their friendship to blossom. They start to realize that it’s more than the baby that draws them together. But on the trail to a brighter future, not everybody they meet is interested in their happily ever after… Forced into Marriage is a historical western romance set in a more realistic Wild West. If you like spirited characters, journeys of exploration, and the healing power of family, then you’ll love Ruth Ann Nordin’s stirring tale. Buy Forced into Marriage to set a course for romance today! PLEASE NOTE: Forced into Marriage is book 4 in the Pioneer Series. Book 1: Wagon Trail Bride Book 2: The Marriage Agreement Book 3: Groom for Hire Book 4: Forced into Marriage
For a Mother's Sins
Diane Allen - 2013
Among them are three very different women – tough widow Molly, honest and God-fearing Mary Pratt, and Helen Parker, downtrodden by her husband and seeking a better life. When tragedy strikes, the lives of the three women are bound together, and each is forced to confront the secrets and calamities that threaten to tear their families apart.
Plum Pudding & Poison: A Harriet Honeywood Christmas Novella
Kate Harper - 2017
She wants cheerful fires, snow-filled landscapes and pleasant company, all of which seems entirely possible. But her dreams of a perfect Christmas are thrown into chaos with the arrival of Sylvia Morwell, a girl who is universally disliked by everybody who knows her. Unfortunately, that includes most of Harry's guests and suddenly, the atmosphere could could be cut with a knife! As uncomfortable as this may be, things take a turn for the worst when her unwelcome house guest is murdered, done to death with a poisoned plum pie. Once again Harry, Aubrey, Charlie and Darcy must delve deep to discover the killer that lurks in their midst. And they must move fast before Harry's Christmas is entirely ruined!
Regency Chase Family Boxed Set: Lost in Temptation, Tempting Juliana, and The Art of Temptation
Lauren Royal - 2012
But when the man she's loved since her girlhood returns from a long spell abroad, she quite suddenly finds herself hoping the fine lord her brother has picked for her won't propose…TEMPTING JULIANA - London, 1816 - There's nothing Lady Juliana Chase wants more than to see her loved ones happy. So why is everyone ignoring her good intentions and shaking up her sensible plans?THE ART OF TEMPTATION - London, 1817 - Though Lady Corinna Chase is more interested in pursuing her art than finding a husband, she can't help but take notice of the handsome Irishman who's moved in next door. When it soon becomes evident that her new neighbor isn't who he says he is, rather than expose him, she finds herself drawn into the hoax.
The Wagon
Morgan Dawson - 2016
After discovering that she has only a few weeks to get the crop off the field to save the family farm, she has to make decisions that will affect them all. With help from a man she meets along the way, she works to do whatever she can to save her family. She learns to trust, and she finds a strength she never knew she had. Could she possibly find love during the most difficult time of her life? And, can she save her family from losing everything they have fought so hard to get?