The Whispering Night


Kathryn Le Veque - 2003
    Under the command of William Marshall, Chancellor of England, Garren is the king's most trusted and loyal servant. When Garren is ordered to marry into a family deeply loyal to Prince John, the knight is understandably reluctant; the House of de Rosa is infamous for its bloodlust and bizarre characters. Upon meeting the Lady Derica de Rosa, however, Garren thinks perhaps that the marriage may not be all that unpalatable. Derica is beautiful and humorous, and Garren is smitten. Upon the eve of the betrothal, however, Garren's identity as a spy is discovered and he is set upon by the de Rosa's. With Derica's help, he escapes execution and together the two of them begin an enormous trek across England and Wales to flee her pursuing family. When William Marshall discovers that Garren has deviated from his orders, he too goes in pursuit of him, undermining Garren's trust with a friend he has known since childhood. Duty soon separates them and Garren stages his own death in battle in order to free himself of William Marshall's directives. But news of his death gets back to Derica, who finds herself a pawn between her family and William Marshall as she grieves for the man she loved and now has lost. It is a race against time for Garren to return to his wife before she is forced to marry another, all in the name of politics.

An Arranged Marriage


Jo Beverley - 1991
    "An Arranged Marriage" is the first of Beverley's beloved tales that began her popular "Company of Rogues" series. Eleanor Chivenham didn't put much past her vile brother, but even she had not anticipated his greedy scheme to dupe a rich earl into mistaking her for a lightskirt! With her reputation in shreds and her future ruined, a defeated Eleanor was forced to agree to a hasty wedding. But marriage to the mysterious Nicholas Delaney was more than she'd bargained for. He doubtless thought the worst of her, but when society gossip soon told her all about his beautiful French mistress, Eleanor tried to act with the cool dignity required in a marriage of convenience. But how long could she hold out against his undeniable charm -- or the secret desires of her heart? For the sake of family honor, Nicolas Delaney agreed to wed a wronged lady. In truth, such chivalry ran counter to his carefully wrought image of a carousing, dissolute rogue -- the guise so vital to his secret political mission. He hoped to keep his new wife in the background until a spy was trapped, but Eleanor's beauty and fighting wit were impossible to ignore. In fact, she presented quite a challenge to his prowess with women -- and a test of his formidable will!

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.

The Earl's Inconvenient Wife


Ruth Ann Nordin - 2012
    Now he is bound by duty to get an heir. Unfortunately, to get the heir, he must find a wife. As luck would have it, he gets caught in a scandalous situation not of his doing, and the next thing he knows, he's married...and to a lady whose family is reported to desire money above all else.Miss Claire Lowell wanted to get married. But she never intended to marry a gentleman who felt trapped into it, and she certainly never thought her family would have a hand in the scandal that forced Lord Roderick's hand in marriage. Can love find a way to thrive under such conditions or will her father's eagerness to see her married off to an earl condemn her to a loveless marriage?

The Black Knave


Patricia Potter - 2000
    And though Rory relishes neither the role of lord nor spouse, he uses both to conceal a dangerous game that no one -- especially his infuriating, fascinating new wife -- can know about... — Highland lass Bethia MacDonell initially despises her dissolute "husband," Rory. A political pawn, she plays at marriage while plotting to escape Braemoor and free her imprisoned brother. Only one person can help her... Named for the playing card he leaves behind, the Black Knave smuggles Jacobites out of Scotland, eluding the English at every turn. But Bethia is determined to find him. Even as she grows closer to the enigmatic Rory, Bethia keeps her plans secret, never suspecting that her hero is nearer than she thinks...

The Duke Identity


Grace Callaway - 2018
    Some dukes are peers of the realm, others lords of London's underworld, but all are relentless in their pursuit of justice, power, and passion. These commanding men will meet their match—in the strong, feisty women who capture their hearts.The Duke IdentityShattered by betrayal, former scholar Harry Kent has made a new life for himself as a police man. Sent on a dangerous covert mission, he must protect a clever and wicked beauty who stands for everything he scorns—and who seduces him with every look of her innocent eyes…A princess of the underworld, Tessa Todd longs for freedom. Yet, fearful of cutthroat enemies, her powerful family keeps her under lock and key. When they assign her a standoffish and damnably handsome new bodyguard, she resists his dominant ways—and a passionate war of wills begins…Thrown together by crisis, Harry and Tessa will test the bounds of desire, loyalty, and trust. On the run from their foes and from their own hearts, they must find salvation in each other—before time runs out.

The Handmaid


Shay Savage - 2016
    Poor Alexandra knows little of how to behave as the wife of a future king and knows nothing of the man who is suddenly her husband.Alexandra knows she is being used as a pawn and must do her best to avoid scheming noblewomen and the scorned princess, accept her position as her husband ascends to the throne, and overcome her fears of the man with whom she now shares a bed.Sir Branford is determined to have it all – the kingdom, a wife of his choosing, and the revenge he seeks for the death of his father. He doesn’t expect the naïve handmaid to become more important than he ever could have foreseen.

Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea


Sophia Nash - 2012
    The scandalous Dukes of the Royal Entourage must make amends. The first step is a heroic rescue.One of England’s most disreputable peers, Alexander Barclay, Duke of Kress, has stumbled upon a perfect opportunity for redemption. Having been exiled to Cornwall by the Prince Regent himself, Barclay discovers lovely Roxanne Vanderhaven clinging to the edge of a cliff, stranded there by her murderous blackguard of a husband . . . just waiting to be rescued.Back on solid ground, Roxanne is desperate for a new life— once she’s retaliated for her husband’s despicable actions. Surprisingly, she finds herself drawn to her unlikely champion, certainly the last man in England she could count on. Yet, the infamous Duke of Kress isn’t quite the scoundrel he seems . . .

Fortune's Lady


Patricia Gaffney - 1989
    Her father, Patrick, has just been executed for treason against the British Crown. Her aunt, Lady Elizabeth Sinclair, is eager to marry her off rather than bear the expense of sheltering a turncoat's daughter. And when a handsome young patriot named Philip Riordan enters her life, Cass knows he is destined to complicate matters further. Riordan wants her to enter the spy game, to provide valuable information about her father's plot against the monarchy in order to save the king's life. But the intelligence game is never a simple one, and even a heart as jaded as Cass's may not be safe from the charms of Philip Riordan, renowned cad, Member of Parliament . . . and die-hard loyalist.

The Brat


Lynsay Sands - 2007
    It was said she was stunningly beautiful, with bright blue eyes, golden hair and a sweet smile. It was also said that the king had doted on the girl and spoiled her rotten. Despite his need, when Sir Balan saw her howling and sobbing, Murie was the last person he wanted to wed.But all that glitters is not gold, and sometimes diamonds look very, very rough. There was more to Murie than met the eye, and Balan soon learned that he'd be lucky indeed to deserve such a bride. Yet he was not the only one to discern the truth, and the other hopeful hubby was not quite as honorable. A plot was afoot. Soon would come a reckoning, a time to show who was chivalrous, who was a cad and who had won the love of a heart unspoiled.

The Courtesan


Julia Justiss - 2005
    Until he encounters Lady Belle, the most beautiful and celebrated courtesan in all of London.After the death of her long-term protector, Belle intends to spurn the entreaties of her London admirers and retreat to her country manor. Then a fencing match gone wrong with the arresting Jack Carrington upsets all her careful plans.Who is the mysterious Belle? A jaded Cyprian seeking a new protector? A kind friend who helps those in need? A mistress of sensual delight who can lead a man into irredeemable folly? Though Belle is a woman Jack can neither afford to keep nor dare to marry, he is willing to risk everything to find out.

The Hidden Duchess


Bree Verity - 2021
    Set in 1789 in the years leading up to the French Revolution, it is full of intrigue, romance and adventure.────Celeste, Duchesse de Saint Tours, is forced into hiding when she is falsely accused of the murder of her husband. She flees to the south of France, where her distant cousin, Marcel Daunou reluctantly agrees to hide her in plain sight on his farm. However, she must learn to live as a peasant farmer to complete the deception, a feat which appears next to impossible to the haughty Duchess. Especially knowing that the unsettling Marcel is watching over her at every turn. She can’t wait to return to her beloved Paris, and the exquisite, hedonistic lifestyle she has left behind.Marcel knows that he places his loved ones in danger when he agrees to hide Celeste. However, his committee has agreed to hide her in exchange for a large sum of money that will assist their gravely poor community, and since she is his family, he takes responsibility for her. But Republican fervor is running high and Marcel knows if the Duchess is found out, she will be marched back to Paris, and to the guillotine. And his family will face harsh retribution from the agitating revolutionaries for hiding a member of the despised nobility.Forced to work together, Celeste and Marcel discover a passion that they cannot resist. And Celeste discovers a feeling of belonging and acceptance from the people of the village that she has never felt before. She begins to dream about a future with Marcel.When her well-meaning lawyer appears in the village and gives her identity away, it isn’t only Marcel that Celeste stands to lose – it’s her life as well.How can a noble Duchess and a peasant farmer find their happily ever after?

Deceived


Bertrice Small - 1998
    Now, her treasure was about to be threatened...by Velerian Hawkesworth, Duke of Farminster, who came to claim the heiress promised to him in a marriage contract. But the free-spirited beauty had no intention of letting some pompus duke carry her off to a cold and gloomy country. Soon, she and her sister Cally, who had always yearned for the luxurious life of a duchess, had switched places.

Angel in a Red Dress


Judith Ivory - 1988
    He was as graceful as a panther, as confident as a lion-and as lusty as a tomcat. But no matter how much the golden-haired innocent told herself he was a rich, abhorrent womanizer, she couldn't resist his sensual, practiced advances. And even as her sweet lips protested each caress, her womanly curves eagerly welcomed his arousing embrace! AT LAST THEY LOVEDWith danger his constant companion, hot-blooded Adrien Hunt lived life to the hilt. His days were fraught with plots, pistols and swords, and his nights were filled with warm and willing wenches. But when he first saw the spirited nymph Christina Bower, even the experienced knave had to admit she was more enticing than any of his previous conquests. Ignoring her modest, prim "no," Adrien began his gentle assault on her senses, liberating her passions, setting free her inhibitions... and guaranteeing that in a moment more they'd share the magic of her Starlit Surrender!

Magnolia


Diana Palmer - 1996
    Claire Lang loved her life there, but one man’s presence unsettled her very soul. John Hawthorn’s dark eyes and lean, handsome face captivated Claire more than she wanted to admit. And when tragedy struck, Claire found herself desperate enough to marry him—a man who didn’t retrn her passionate love her. But Claire aroused fierce, unexpected desires in her elusive husband. And once she had tasted his kisses and savored his lovemaking, she dared to fight for him as a sizzling scandal threatened to engulf them and the love she began to believe could be theirs.