Book picks similar to
The Reformer by Jaima Fixsen
romance
historical
historical-fiction
historical-romance
Her Wicked Ways
Darcy Burke - 2012
By offering him a kiss in lieu of the jewels she had to leave behind, she commits the very type of act that caused her exile. When her dour guardians extend her punishment to performing charitable work at the local orphanage, she's further tempted by the home's owner, a provincial gentleman who stirs her passion in a most wicked way.HE WAS HER DOWNFALLDesperate to save his orphanage from financial catastrophe, Montgomery "Fox" Foxcroft leads a double life as a highwayman. The arrival of wealthy, well-connected Miranda, whose kiss he can't forget, presents a lawful opportunity to increase his coffers. His problems seem solved-until she rejects his suit. Out of options and falling for the heiress, Fox must risk what principles he has left and take advantage of her wicked ways-even if it ruins them both.
Where the Stars Meet the Sea
Heidi Kimball - 2020
A fiery young woman. Neither one's heart will come away unscathed.Juliet Graham fervently counts the days until her twenty-first birthday, when she can claim the inheritance that will grant her the freedom she has always craved and the guardianship of her younger brother. Until then, she is trapped under her aunt Agnes’s domineering will. When forced to accompany the family to a house party at Shaldorn Castle, Juliet’s only objective is to keep to herself. That is, until a chance encounter with a boorish stranger stirs up an unexpected whirlwind of emotions in her. Thrown off-balance, Juliet does the unthinkable: loses her temper and insults the man—who turns out to be her unwilling host, the Duke of Halstead. Fully expecting to be sent away, Juliet is surprised when the brusque and callous duke instead takes an interest in her. Drawn to the duke in unguarded moments, Juliet finds herself more and more intrigued by the man who shuns Society’s rules as completely as she does, and over the next few weeks, their unlikely friendship deepens into a connection neither expected. But even as Juliet comes to recognize her true feelings, her scheming aunt issues an ultimatum that threatens the future she was just beginning to hope for. Juliet must choose: either break the promise she made to herself years ago, or lose the man who has captured her heart and soul.
Poetic Justice
Alicia Rasley - 1994
She must wed, with her pompous uncle's approval, before her next birthday or lose her legacy--the most valuable book collection in all England! Worse, she will forfeit the secret contents of the trunk locked in the family vault. So Jessica concocts an audacious plan. It may be scandalous. It may be ruinous. Or it might work.There isn't a more eligible suitor in all the land than John Dryden. Passing himself off as an importer of rare books, the ex-privateer and dashing rogue is all too happy to accept Jessica's unconventional proposal. It's a plot worthy of Will Shakespeare himself.. and just as likely to go awry. For Dryden hasn't been called a bastard simply because of his birth. The wickedly seductive Jessica has something he wants, and it isn't merely a dusty old chest. It's the key to her heart!
The Singular Mr. Sinclair
Mia Marlowe - 2018
But when it comes to Caroline, one is more than enough...Caroline is about to embark on her third Season, and her parents fear she'll be permanently on the shelf if she fails to make a match this time. Unfortunately for them, that is precisely what Caroline wants! Curious and adventuresome, Caroline longs for a life of travel, excitement, and perhaps even a touch of danger.If only she can remain unmarried until she turns twenty-one, Caroline will inherit her grandmother's bequest and gain her freedom. It's not a staggering amount, but it's enough to fund her dreams without a husband's permission. She has her future all planned out—until Lawrence Sinclair appears on the scene.Intense, intriguing, and handsome, the man reminds Caroline of a caged lion. In fact, the more she knows of him, the more questions she has. And when she learns how dangerous he really is, he may just become her new fascination—the one she can't resist.
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
Duke of a Gilded Age
S.G. Rogers - 2013
Assigned to the task is his attorney’s daughter, prim Belle Oakhurst. As they travel to England together on a luxurious ocean liner, their tempestuous relationship encounters more than rough seas. Although Wesley is increasingly attracted to Belle, she is already engaged. While Belle begins to regret her hasty promise to marry, she is bound by honor and duty to keep her pledge. Furthermore, a thoughtless fabrication on her part threatens to expose her as a liar. Neither Wesley nor Belle can foresee that their voyage across the Atlantic will be fraught with peril, and will cost more than one man his life.(Same book as ASIN: B00DO5DAPK, but with new cover)
A Stolen Kiss
M.A. Nichols - 2020
A forced engagement. Can it become something more?Lily Kingsley accepts that she is destined to be a spinster—but not until she gets her first kiss. And she knows the perfect gentleman to enlist. Unfortunately, she kisses the wrong one and ends up in the arms of an overbearing and exceptionally frustrating merchant.When busybodies catch them in their illicit embrace, an engagement is the only solution, but Lily doesn’t want a fiancé who’s only doing his duty. And she certainly doesn’t want a gentleman far too used to getting his own way. She simply must make him see how ill-suited they are.But why is the fellow so determined to see their engagement through?Jack Hatcher hates surprises, but when a beguiling lady mistakes him for someone else and launches herself into his arms, he discovers not all surprises are bad. Marriage was not in Jack’s plans, but Lily stirs something inside him he never expected to feel.But with his fiancé desperate to break with him and a new enemy working to woo Lily away, Jack discovers force of will won’t keep her by his side. Can he find a way to win her heart before it’s lost forever?
The Victorian Love series is a spin-off series that follows the children of the heroes and heroines of the Regency Love Series. Each book in both series is a standalone sweet historical romance and can be read in any order.
A Fallen Lady
Elizabeth Kingston - 2015
Even more shockingly, her refusal came on the heels of her scandalous behavior: she and her betrothed were caught in a most compromising position. Leaving her reputation in tatters and her motivations a mystery, Helen withdrew to a simple life in a little village among friends, where her secrets remained hers alone. For reasons of his own, Stephen Hampton, Lord Summerdale, is determined to learn the truth behind the tangled tale of Helen's ruin. There is nothing he abhors so much as scandal - nothing he prizes so well as discretion - and so he is shocked to find, when he tracks Helen down, that he cannot but admire her. Against all expectations, he finds himself forgiving her scandalous history in favor of only being near her. But the bitter past will not relinquish Helen's heart so easily. How can she trust a man so steeped in the culture of high society, who conceals so much? And how can he, so devoted to the appearance of propriety, ever love a fallen lady?
The Love List
Deb Marlowe - 2013
Now, as all of Europe celebrates the end of the long wars, the scheming Lord Marstoke has revived it--and transformed it into a weapon.A List no respectable lady wishes to be on . . .Miss Brynne Wilmott escaped the monstrous Marstoke once, with the inadvertent aide of Nathan Russell, the Duke of Aldmere, and the incredible generosity of Hestia Wright, the former courtesan pledged to help any woman in trouble. But now Marstoke's Love List is threatening her new future--and forging her into a weapon made to destroy her friend.The Request a certain Duke has no wish to hear . . .The Duke of Aldmere doesn't believe in meddling. Fate has proved that interfering in personal matters only leads to bigger trouble. He has no wish to involve himself in Brynne Wilmott's affairs, despite her spirited beauty and damned tempting mouth. But she's discovered that his brother is mixed up in this business as well. Reluctantly, they agree to work together.Their search leads them through some of London's most dangerous haunts and it quickly becomes clear that Marstoke's plans are more twisted and treasonous than anyone has suspected. Yet the danger and intrique are as nothing compared to the effect than Nathan and Brynne have on each other . . .
Miss Moseley the Matchmaker
Caylen McQueen - 2012
Her unrivaled eye for romance has led many couples toward their happy endings. Molly prides herself on being a remarkable matchmaker… until Lord Rocksavage asks for an impossible favor.Molly and Lord Rocksavage have been friends since childhood, but there is something he doesn’t know: she is secretly in love with him. When he asks Molly to play matchmaker for him, her world is turned upside down. How is she supposed to find a wife for the man she’s loved her entire life?Her life is further complicated by the arrival of Julian Crawford, a reserved older gentleman who makes her question what she really wants…
The Impossible Ward
Dorothy Mack - 1978
Can headstrong Marianne find her place in respectable society?
Regency England
Marianne Carstairs has unexpectedly inherited a fortune from a father she has never known. In the will, her trustee — Marquess Justin Raymond — is tasked with introducing her into respectable society. But as the manager of her family’s farm, Marianne is reluctant to leave behind her life of freedom and independence. What’s more, she finds Justin high-handed and stubborn. At the insistence of her grandfather, Marianne agrees to stay with Justin and his family at their Somerset estate, Lunswick Hall. But as their relationship grows stormy, Justin sees that it might prove impossible to turn his ward into a debutante… The Impossible Ward by Dorothy Mack is a classic Regency Romance with a spirited, intelligent heroine.
Merely Magic
Patricia Rice - 2000
Both her class and calling have isolated her from companionship and love. But according to legend, her beloved village cannot thrive without a magical Malcolm in residence.Drogo Ives, Earl of Ives and Wystan, cares only for honor, science, and reason--unlike his unruly brothers and the illogical and untrustworthy female of the species. Love and marriage are two unknowns he has no desire to explore. His married brother can inherit.But fate and Drogo’s meddling stepsister bring Drogo and Ninian together for one night...with shattering consequences. Having dealt with the inconvenient result of his father’s bastards, Drogo has vowed to marry any woman who carries his child—and now the irresistible Ninian does. Only, the last time a Malcolm married an Ives, disaster destroyed Wystan and both their families. With all the odds against them, can they find a place where science and mystery meet, and build a bridge into a future where love saves both their families and their homes?
Rosemary or Too Clever to Love
G.L. Robinson - 2020
The plain governess, the romantic Miss, the stern but handsome guardian, a midnight chase, a woman in britches, a gloomy castle. Throw in a bit of Vivaldi and some French philosophy, and you have it all!When Marianne's father dies, she and her governess Rosemary are forced to go and live with her guardian the Earl of Broome. The Earl has strict ideas about how young ladies should behave. He isn't impressed by the romantic notions Marianne has absorbed straight from the pages of a Gothic novel. And her governess is not only dowdy but perfectly ready to put him in his place, especially regarding his ideas about the education of women. But when the Earl's interest in Rosemary blossoms just as Marianne falls in love with the last person he would ever agree to her marrying, where will it all end?Read Rosemary or Too Clever to Love to see how this tangle is sorted out.In spite of its light-hearted and often humorous tone, this charming novel raises questions about women's education and philosophy. Book Group discussion topic have been included at the end.
Caught
Christina J. Michaels - 2017
I plan to look for more by this author. - Top Contributor: Historical Fiction Books With proper manners and impeccable breeding, the beautiful Miss Alison Brooke should be the envy of London's 18th-century royal society. When villainy occurs, an unexpected hero comes to her aid. But rumors result, and Miss Brooke finds herself in the center of tawdry gossip. Her rescuer, Robert Anderson, Viscount Charmaine, is preoccupied with troubled finances, an ill father, and defense of the Crown. Problematically, Charmaine's best friend, Marquis Anthony Farrington, is clandestinely helping fund the American Revolution. Miss Brooke's large dowry tempts both men. Her father, however, wants his daughter to marry for love, not money. Without her father's permission for marriage, is Miss Broke ready to relinquish her privileged life for love? In this realistic tale of historical fiction brimming with wealth and uncertain allegiances, society's obligations draw them together, along with Miss Brooke's constant companion, the timid Miss Brenda Boswell. When Charmaine discovers proof of Farrington's betrayal, he is forced to choose between friendship and patriotism. Shots are fired, tears fall, and love conquers all in this remarkable historical romance.
The Promise of Miss Spencer
Sarah L. McConkie - 2020
Yet when her father suddenly becomes ill, she agrees to his dying wish—to marry Mr. Lacy and secure her future. Cast suddenly into a mourning period, Suzanna and Mr. Lacy agree to keep their engagement a secret until the proper six months have passed. But when Suzanna and Mr. Lacy find themselves thrown together with Miss Grysham and her handsome uncle Lord Haversley, everything becomes complicated. If only Lord Haversley didn’t expose his true bravery. If only there wasn’t so much more to him than a gaudy Lord in Parliament. If only he would leave Suzanna alone. As the threat of smallpox looms close, all four friends must work together—and apart—to save the lives of those they love. Forced into keeping a promise, or securing the promise of her future, Suzanna must reconcile her obligations with her heart as she searches for a love she never had.