Book picks similar to
Winds of Change by Dionne Haynes


17th-century
goodread-authors
historical-fiction-romance
usa

WINTER OF THE COMET (Molly Titchen Book 1)


Gordon John Thomson - 2014
    The action of this exciting historical mystery romance takes place in the lively and pulsating world of Restoration London, with its bear-baiting and dog-fighting pits, with its taverns and bawdy houses, its libertines and Puritans, its fops and its society beauties. In the cold winter of 1664, the Thames has frozen over, and a great comet has appeared in the skies above the city of London. The comet seems a portent of disaster because England is in a deeply troubled and divided state. The King, Charles II, had been welcomed back as a saviour four years before, but is now resented by increasing numbers of his own people. And war too is looming with the Dutch, England’s great seagoing trade rivals… Molly Titchen is a precocious 16-year-old orange seller at the new King’s Theatre in Drury Lane who dreams of becoming an actress, and strutting the stage in breeches parts. Yet being an actress in the King’s company seems to be a dangerous choice of profession at present as a succession of young actresses die in mysterious circumstances. The leader of the company, Sir Thomas Killigrew, asks a wealthy young physician and merchant, Henry Raven, to investigate the deaths of the actresses. Raven and his lawyer friends Anthony Mawdsley and Adam Strange are regular theatregoers and the three soon become drawn into the mysterious affairs at the King’s theatre. Yet Mawdsley is also chief secretary to the Lord Chancellor, the 1st Earl of Clarendon, and the King’s chief minister, and therefore has his hands full with affairs of state. When a mysterious masked man threatens the life of the King, Mawdsley is forced to turn to his friend Henry Raven for help. Raven in turn needs the help of the aspiring actress Molly, which brings them together in their search for a wicked murderer and a scarred madman with an evil plan for London on his mind...

Cove House


Christine Gordon - 2020
    Where small-town life is full of love, surprises, and second chances. And no one needs a second chance more than Megan Atwood, a chef who lived in New York City for most of her married life. When she leaves her unhappy marriage, she comes home to Bristol Bay with nothing to show for the years she’s been away. Well, nothing except a failed marriage, a failed career, and five years of failed in vitro attempts.Meet her fun-loving and quirky family as they share their triumphs as well as their disasters. Romances and secrets weave through the lives of the cousins at Cove House, keeping everyone on their toes and waiting for the next reveal.Even when finding love again seems hopeless, new love blossoms in this memorable story of how friendships and family can provide the strength to start over.

Beneath a Stormy Sky


AnneMarie Brear - 2019
     Louisa Reynolds loses her brother when their ship goes down in a storm off the west coast of Australia. Stranded and alone on a deserted beach she is rescued by a young aboriginal girl, who keeps her alive, and teaches her the ways of the native people. When eventually Louisa stumbles into the nearest town of Albany, she must gather her strength to start again. Befriended by two men, old gentleman George and the dashing Connor, she finds that life is worth living. The unexpected friendship with both Connor and George gives her new joy. She’s invited to stay at George’s sheep station. However, as a single woman in the company of men, she is soon the talk of gossips. Her feelings for Connor intensify, but when she learns more about him, she is shattered by a revelation and it is gentle George who she suddenly marries. Only, settling into station life comes with its own problems when Louisa realises that George has money problems and is close to losing everything. Confronted by a devastating fire and a gang of bushrangers, Louisa feels as though her world is spinning out of control. Can she save the sheep station, and how long can she deny the love she feels for Connor?

Attracting the Spymaster (His Majesty's Hounds #15)


Arietta Richmond - 2018
     Cecil Carlisle, Baron Setford, has spent 20 years as the King’s spymaster, having put aside love for duty. But now, with the war over, and the world a different place, he has begun to consider the possibility of having a life for himself. He might even succeed, if plotters would stop trying to assassinate the Prince Regent. Anna Trubridge, Dowager Viscountess Farnsworth, is a childless widow who has devoted herself to charitable support of poor unmarried mothers and their children. With her husband near five years gone, she finds herself lonely, and in need of change. What she was thinking of was straightforward, but when the girls who come to her for help bring dangerous information, things become far more complicated. When she takes that information to Baron Setford, he sees only one option, and Lady Farnsworth is recruited as a spy. A pretend courtship seems an appropriate cover. He expected to foil a conspiracy, he did not expect to find himself falling in love with his newest recruit. Will the conspirators keep their secrets long enough to succeed with their plot? Will Anna be trapped by their plans? And if it comes down to it, when Anna’s life is at risk, who will Baron Setford save – the woman he loves, or the Prince he is sworn to protect? If you love Regency romance, with a little bit of mystery and drama thrown in, you'll love the His Majesty's Hounds books! Read the whole series! Claiming the Heart of a Duke Intriguing the Viscount Giving a Heart of Lace Being Lady Harriet's Hero Enchanting the Duke< Redeeming the Marquess Finding the Duke's Heir Winning the Merchant Earl Healing Lord Barton Kissing the Duke of Hearts Loving the Bitter Baron Falling for the Earl Rescuing the Countess Betting on a Lady's Heart Attracting the Spymaster Courting a Spinster for Christmas (Coming soon ) Restoring the Earl's Honour (coming soon) If you love Regency romance, great historical romance, and stories with great characters, you'll love these !

May It Please Your Lordship


Toby Potts - 2012
    Stirring speeches to rapt juries, triumphant press interviews and enormous fees paid by grateful clients. He can see it all. But unfortunately, he has reckoned without Judge 'Bonkers' Clarke, The Honourable Mr 'Sourpuss' Boniface and a range of other equally terrifying, grumpy and borderline insane judges - not to mention tricky solicitors, bent coppers and dodgy defendants.

Aroon


M.B. Gibson - 2016
    A desolate maid. And one cold corpse. Richard Lynche, heir of an 18th century Tipperary estate, can find no peace. His bookish ways disgust his bullying letch of a father. His heartsick mother sinks ever-deeper into a drug-induced lethargy. The teen’s only solace are the loving arms of the homesick new maid, Eveleen. Meanwhile jealousy, lust, and oppression lead to gruesome visions, causing Richard to question his own sanity. Desperate to prevail over his demons, he determines there is only one way to stop the torture—a killing. Aroon is a cauldron of old-fashioned Irish stew. Spiced heavily with Downton Abbey, sprinkled with Shakespeare’s Hamlet and a dash of The Godfather’s Michael Corleone, it explores the underbelly of life during the Protestant Ascendancy.

Calloway Cove


Tia Souders - 2020
    Can the promise of happily ever after keep her there?Andi is tired of merely existing. She’s ready to live. So she jumps at the chance to honor her mother’s dying wish and finally pursue her dream of becoming a published author. And what better place to do that than Bayshore Beach? Discovering that literary legend Ford Delaney is in town and in need of an assistant feels like proof she’s doing the right thing.But achieving her dreams might not be as easy as she’d hoped.Because it’s not long before Andi’s unsupportive boyfriend arrives to stir up trouble (along with her emotions), she realizes her best friends are in crisis, and her attraction to her new boss starts feeling anything but professional.Can Andi get everything she wants out of her new life without making painful sacrifices along the way? Or will she learn that some relationships—and some dreams—were never meant to be? Calloway Cove, book one in the Bayshore Beach series, is a clean, lightly angsty, romantic women’s fiction read featuring a heroine running towards a new future, a hero running from a troubled past, and all the friends who help them along the way.

The Lady of the Lighthouse


Abby Ayles - 2020
    He wishes to bring truth to light. But there is love waiting for them by the Lighthouse and it is about to set them free... Diana Douglass, daughter of the Earl of Winthrop, is desperate to escape the grim future others planned for her. After she is forced to marry her father’s loathsome partner she is left with no other choice but to flee, unaware of the shadows that haunt her every step... Oliver Evans, son of the Duke of Meriwood, has built a life as a lighthouse keeper. The peace of the sea has allowed him to pursue his passion for writing, and has shunned the attention of those who wish to harm him. When Diana starts working as a maid to his establishment, he finds her attention to be the most pleasurable distraction. Now, with both their identities in danger and uncertain of what the future holds, Oliver and Diana must find a way to unfold their complicated feelings if they wish to win a chance at happiness. But secrets never stay buried for long and they will both have to face their greatest fears when their past comes back to haunt them... Diana will once again find herself facing a loveless future filled with misery and Oliver will face a huge dilemma: abandon Diana to her fate or leave his sanctuary and face his own demons in order to save her…

Second Wind


Alison Henderson - 2019
    She lands a job in an art gallery in picturesque Carmel-by-the-Sea and begins a new life.After her ex’s body washes up on the beach, Laurel finds herself dragged into a scheme involving money-laundering Russians, a pair of amiable biker gang members, and a good-looking government number-cruncher who’s more comfortable in a T-shirt and shorts than a suit.As a forensic accountant for the FBI, Jake Carlson is used to nailing bad guys by following the money trail. His current investigation is floundering until he meets Laurel McDowell, a young woman with connections to an alarming number of his suspects. Is she a witness, an accomplice, or a victim? All he has to do is to keep her alive long enough to find out.

Too Soon the Night: A Novel of Empress Theodora (The Theodora Duology Book 2)


James Conroyd Martin - 2021
    

Persimmon Apricot, Gunfighter


Jason S Litz - 2020
    Resistant to the label of Gunfighter, Persimmon vehemently rejects offers to be a gun for hire, preferring to drift aimlessly in a futile effort to outrun his memories. It takes a young boy and his widowed mother to give Persimmon purpose once more. Befriended by a failed writer, the pair take a reluctant journey across the country to help her. What they discover is that happiness sometimes carries a steep price tag. Saving the widow will cost more than they could have imagined. Persimmon must decide whether or not to make the purchase, even if that means paying with his life.

The Crown Jewels Conspiracy


John Paul Davis - 2017
    - STEVEN SORA, author of The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar, The Lost Colony of the Templars, Secret Societies of America's EliteA well-researched, original and fascinating work - a real page-turner. - GRAHAM PHILLIPS, bestselling author of The End of Eden, Merlin and the Discovery of Avalon, The Templars and the Ark of the Covenant, Alexander the Great, The Moses Legacy, The Marian Conspiracy, Act of GodFROM THE BACK PAGEIn Medieval England the defence of the realm in times of need rested on the shoulders of twelve men - a secret brotherhood of knights, who answered only to the ruler of England. They were called The White Hart.As they are now...In the hot late summer of 1666, a strange document is delivered to the King of England. The writing, though easy to read, refers to an obscure promise: a great fireworks display will soon take place, culminating in a pure body of flame higher than St Paul's.A week later and with the City of London burned to rubble, the hunt is on for its mysterious sender.Present day: When flames are spotted inside a modern building located at the exact site of Thomas Farriner's bakery in Pudding Lane on the anniversary of the Great Fire, few are prepared that this is just the first phase of the greatest terror attack in living memory. But when information reaches the Prime Minister of a second fire spreading in Edinburgh and a break-in at the Tower of London, it isn't long before chaos ensues.For White Hart agents Mike Hansen and Kit Masterson, the escalating attacks are just the start of a bizarre sequence of events that threaten to send the present and past on a collision course. A forgotten foe has finally resurfaced, their ancient threat being carried out. Armed with both the latest in modern technology and cryptic clues from the nation's dark past, they have no choice but to tackle the threat head on, while also frantically attempting to solve a centuries' old puzzle before it's too late. If successful, they could yet save both cities from certain destruction.But only by uncovering one of history's best-kept secrets can they prevent the past from repeating itself. . .

Three Faces in the Mirror


Veronica Mixon - 2020
    A daughter her husband knows nothing about.

This Rough Ocean


Ann Swinfen - 2015
    Bands of renegade soldiers and broken men roam the countryside, looting, burning and raping. In Parliament, former allies are torn apart after six years of bloody conflict. Will there be peace instead of war, or a military take-over of the country? John Swynfen, a rising young MP and one of the leaders of the moderate party, is working for peace, but only if safeguards can be established to protect Parliament and control the powers of the king. Ranged against him and his friends are Oliver Cromwell and his son-in-law Henry Ireton, intent on seizing power by the sword and destroying not only the monarchy but the elected government. Within a few weeks, London is occupied by Cromwell's army, parliamentary government is in ruins, the king is executed. And John Swynfen is a prisoner. Anne Swynfen travels home from Westminster to Staffordshire with her young children through a desperate winter. There, uncertain whether she will ever see her husband again, she takes charge of the large estate, where starvation looms due to bad harvests, and violent danger threatens from outlaws and the armies of both sides. While she struggles against prejudice to do a man's job, John is shot, beaten, shackled, humiliated and tortured. Tempted by golden promises if he recants, threatened with death if he does not, he tries to cling to his sanity and his beliefs. When he finally escapes, he begins a terrible journey home across war-torn England to find his wife. This is a story about keeping faith – many kinds of faith – in the face of terror, anguish and despair.

Shades of Brilliance


Eleanor Chance - 2020
    With her drunk of a father missing and her mother dead, it falls upon Celeste to protect her younger brothers and sister from starvation. When the burden becomes overwhelming, and Celeste makes plans to escape her wretched life, her wealthy aunt appears and whisks her off to work as a nanny to young Federigo Benetto.One day as Celeste escorts Federigo to his art lesson with Maestro Luciano Vicente, the maestro discovers a sketch drawn by Celeste. He immediately recognizes her raw artistic talent and begs her to become his secret protégé. Celeste consents and soon becomes obsessed as she hones her abilities under the watchful eye of Luciano, whom she secretly loves. She carries on blissfully until their arrangement is discovered and she is thrown out onto the street with nothing. Will she survive in a world working against her to achieve her dreams and win the heart of the nobleman she loves?