Book picks similar to
The Deserted Heart by Mary Lancaster


romance
historical
historical-romance
regency

Lords of London: Books 1-3


Tamara Gill - 2019
    A Lady of independence. Since her cheating husband created a scandal by dying beneath his whore, Darcy de Merle is determined to enjoy widowhood, and refuses to mourn a man she grew to loathe. Setting the ton ablaze, Darcy holds a ball to re-launch herself into Society on the anniversary of his death.Cameron, the Duke of Athelby plays by the rules. Always. He's lived through the terrible consequences of what revelry, carelessness, and lack of respect for one's social position can have on a family. So, when he sees Darcy de Merle skirting the boundaries of respectability, it is only right that he should remind her of the proper etiquette that she should adhere to.Darcy refuses to allow another man to tell her what to do. When the Duke of Athelby chastises her at every turn, reminding her of her social failures, well, there is only one thing to be done about it...seduce the duke and show him there is more to life than the proper conventions set by the ton.A battle of wills ensues where all bets are off, numerous rules are broken and love becomes the ultimate reward.To Madden a Marquess She saved his life, but can she save him from himself? Hunter, Marquess of Aaron, has the ton fooled. Outwardly he's a gentleman of position, with good contacts, wealth and charm. Inwardly, he's a mess. His vice--drinking himself into a stupor most days--almost kills him when he steps in front of a hackney cab. His saviour, a most unlikely person, is an angel to gaze at, but with a tongue sharper than his sword cane.Cecilia Smith dislikes idleness and waste. Had she been born male, she would already be working for her father's law firm. So, on a day when she was late for an important meeting at one of her many charities, she was not impressed by having to step in and save a foxed gentleman rogue from being run over.When their social spheres collide, Hunter is both surprised and awed by the capable, beautiful Miss Smith. Cecilia, on the other hand, is left confused and not a little worried by her assumptions about the Marquess and his demons. It is anyone's guess whether these two people from different worlds can form one of their own.To Tempt an Earl Hamish Doherty, Earl Leighton is having a terrible Season. A portion of his home burned to the ground, he was attacked outside a gaming hell, and a debutante he cannot stomach is determined they'll wed. It's enough to make any lord head for the hills, but his luck turns worse in the country. A large unpaid bill at an inn and a missing purse later, he's ready to concede defeat to the fickle Fates - until rescue unexpectedly comes from an intoxicatingly beautiful stranger.As the daughter of a successful tradesman, Miss Katherine Martin has no time for peers and their problems. However there is something about this handsome and yet unlucky earl, and when their paths cross again, Lord Leighton offers to repay his debt to her in any way she pleases. Katherine decides one night in his arms will be just right, and yet as two kindred souls find passion together, it seems one night won't be enough. But can a woman of no rank and trade in her blood be enough to Tempt an Earl?

Lady Fiasco


Kathleen Baldwin - 2004
    Without a mother to restrain her, she spends her days riding her horse neck or nothing across her father’s fields and swimming like a sea nymph. But inside a prim and proper Regency sitting room Fiona is bound to overturn the teapot or accidentally trip the footman. Her illustrious Aunt Honore decides to take the hoyden in hand, but amidst the strictures of the Beau Monde, Fiona is a fish out of water. When she was younger, Lord Wesmont was her hero. Sadly, he came home from fighting Napoleon a hardened man. Nothing can breathe life back into his cold heart, nothing except, perhaps, the love of an unusual young woman who regularly turns his life upside-down. Lady Fiasco is a Sweet Traditional Regency Romance.

Mad for Love


Elizabeth Essex - 2016
     Set a thief… Rory Cathcart’s appreciation of the exquisite makes him the perfect man to expose forgeries and root out fraud in London’s tempestuous art world. But when his latest investigation into forged paintings puts him squarely in Mignon du Blois’ shaky sights, he finds himself deep in trouble, and captured by something more powerful than mere beauty. To catch a thief… The moment Mignon stops a rakish thief from making off with one of her father’s brilliant forgeries, she knows she’s found the perfect man to help her steal back a priceless statue, and save her family from unspeakable scandal. She has no intention of falling for Rory’s Caledonian charms, nor his seductive Scottish persuasions. From the drawing rooms of the ton to the auction rooms of the art world, the pair embark on a madcap adventure to save them both from ruin. But will the love they uncover be most priceless treasure of all?

His Lady to Protect


Justine Covington - 2020
    Her trust… When Nate promises to protect his best friend’s little sister from her traitorous uncle, he knows it’s the least he can do to atone for his past sins. And if a marriage of convenience is the most efficient way to guarantee her safety? So be it. He’s ready for anything…except how quickly his lovely new bride would steal his heart… Susannah never intended to marry the man who led her brother to his death. The fact that she once loved him? Irrelevant. She just can’t allow herself to trust him again. But it’s not long before she starts to wonder if there’s more to Nate than meets the eye. What if he’s not the villain she assumed he was? And if that’s the case…can her poor, beleaguered heart survive another inevitable fall? Nate and Susannah have much to overcome if they have any hope of finding their way to happily ever after. But what if trust is simply a luxury neither can afford? Buy His Lady to Protect to read the first in an exciting new series centered around six friends from Eton and set in the infamous Regency period.

Scandal


Carolyn Jewel - 2009
    But when he meets Sophie Evans, the young wife of a fellow libertine, even he is shocked by his reaction. This unconventional and intelligent woman proves to be far more than an amusing distraction - she threatens to drive him to distraction. Unlike the women who usually fall at Banallt's feet, and into his bed, Sophie refuses to be seduced. And soon Banallt desires her more than ever - and for more than an illicit affair.Years later, the widowed Sophie is free, and Banallt is determined to win the woman he still loves. Unfortunately, she doesn't believe his declaration of love and chivalrous offer of marriage - her heart has already been broken by her scoundrel of a husband. And yet, Sophie is tempted to indulge in the torrid affair she's always fantasized about. Caught between her logical mind and her long-denied desire, Sophie must thwart Banallt's seduction - or risk being consumed by the one man she should avoid at all costs...* Booklist

The Earl Returns


Lillian Marek - 2020
    Can he stay alive? After three years as an involuntary seaman in the Royal Navy, the Earl of Merton returns to an England roiled by unrest. The end of the war has brought economic hardship and unemployment. Merton starts a shipyard, bringing employment to his neighbors but embarrassment to his family. They want him to marry suitably and settle down to a normal aristocratic life. He is not interested...until he meets Miranda Rokeby.Miranda is the daughter of a Boston shipowner visiting her English relatives. She has an American disdain for useless aristocrats...until she meets Merton.Together, they may be able to overcome the opposition of their families, but they have another problem. Someone is trying to kill the Earl of Merton.

The Hellion


Christi Caldwell - 2018
    His fury and passion burn even hotter when he meets Cleopatra Killoran, a tart-mouthed vixen who mocks him at every turn. If she were anyone else but the enemy, she’d ignite a desire in him that would be impossible to control.No one can make Cleopatra do anything. That said, she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her siblings―even if that means being sponsored by their rivals for a season in order to land a noble husband. But she will not allow her head to be turned by the infuriating and darkly handsome Adair Thorne.There’s only one thing that threatens the rules of the game: Cleopatra’s secret. It could unravel the families’ tenuous truce and shatter the unpredictably sinful romance mounting between the hellion…and a scoundrel who could pass for the devil himself.

An Unlikely Duchess


Nadine Millard - 2014
    He is not aware but a contract exists between the two families that states Edward must marry their eldest daughter. On the day of his arrival Edward, who is yet to be made aware of the contract, meets Lady Rebecca, Caroline’s younger sister under very unusual circumstances. Edward cannot stop thinking about Lady Rebecca but she is completely unsuited to being a duchess. However, she becomes rather a toast of the Ton and Edward realises that he cannot stand idly by and watch Rebecca marry someone else. He cannot marry her but does not want her to marry anyone else! Ultimately, Edward must decide; will he admit his true feelings for Rebecca? Will he defy his responsibilities and duties, his idea of a “proper” duchess and follow his heart?

Lyon's Prey


Anna St. Claire - 2020
    unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON'S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives... and loves.Haunted by his wife’s death, he vowed to never marry again...until he meets her! Evan Prescott, the fifth Earl of Clarendon lost his wife during the birth of their child. Broken, Evan seeks solace in the Lyon’s Den, a world of drink, cards, and excess—where wins and losses are easier to navigate than responsibilities. Overconfident and in his cups, he makes a bet that will change his life. Still mourning the loss of her father and elder brother… Lady Charlotte Grisham saves her young brother from the path of a speeding carriage. In a fit of pique, she throws propriety to the wind and storms up the steps of the owner’s London townhouse—and meets the man that upends her world.The stars align when his high stakes bet and her lapse in judgement give the Black Widow of Whitehall the perfect opportunity to spin her web of hearts, while untold danger lurks a step behind. Can a marriage of convenience give rise to love in time to avoid deadly disaster? (Note: This is an introductory novella to the Rakes of Mayhem Series - The Earl of Excess, Book One, coming soon!)

Lady Mary's Dangerous Encounter


Cheryl Bolen - 2021
    Lady Mary Beresford has impetuously set off on her own for Vienna. Vexed with the headstrong woman he’s yet to meet, Stephen despairs of ever catching up with the maddening lady. They eventually meet at an inn in the Alps, where the guests’ progress has been impeded by two matters: a blizzard—and Lady Mary’s refusal to leave until she’s found an elderly fellow traveler who has disappeared.Mary’s infuriated that everyone at the inn is in a conspiracy to deny the woman ever existed and to imply Mary invented her. Just when every person at the inn is against her, the handsome Lord Stephen arrives and becomes her champion. Stephen doesn’t tell her he’s been sent by her brother, nor does he actually believe her preposterous story. Until there’s an attempt on her life...

Tempted by His Kiss


Tracy Anne Warren - 2009
    This tempestuous family is famous for scandal and legendary at love…Orphaned beauty Meg Amberley is caught in a snowstorm, and takes refuge at the estate of Lord Cade Byron. Haunted by his past, Cade has buried himself in the country. Then Meg—with her lush curves and soft, blonde hair—invades his house and his life. With her reputation compromised, he proposes a pretend engagement and a London Season where she can find a husband. But as their charade deepens, Cade can’t let her go . . . vowing to tempt her with a kiss that just may lead to forever.

The Mudlark


Delle Jacobs - 2002
    The first time she straggles home sopping wet after wading into a freezing stream to save a drowning kitten, she walks right into the handsomest man she has ever seen.  He's also the most arrogant man she's ever met. And worse, her father has been conspiring with his father on their marriage since they were babes. Never mind that she had planned to marry Donald. Likewise, Tristan has no intention of marrying a loose screw like Izzy, who when she is not driving him crazy might expose the secret injury that could cost him his Guards commission. The only thing they have in common is their grim determination not to marry each other, and their only escape is the plot they concoct, a double elopement with a switch at the end, each of them marrying their original betrotheds. But she intrigues him, makes him laugh, makes him feel alive. And somewhere along the way, Tristan learns to let go of his deep immense sorrow and loss from the war, and replace it with love and joy.

The Key to a Lord's Heart


Alice Kirks - 2020
    However, she is far more fascinated by reading than attending balls, while holding a book club meeting to discuss the latest in English literature makes her the happiest. Even though her passion for books had always been embraced by her parents in the past, her father is now fed up with her churlish refusals to settle down and decides to take matters into his own hands. Could her one chance at true love be among the sea of men her father invites to win her hand?Henry Beckham has never been the one to seek the attention of ladies. He is content with living his life the way he pleases and a wife would only get in the way. His parents have different expectations, though, that include him producing an heir to carry on the family legacy. Henry is inevitably introduced with the terrifying ultimatum of marrying by the end of the year or forfeiting his title and fortune to his younger brother. All seems to be lost for him, until he receives an intriguing invitation from Lord Bolingbroke to attend a book club meeting in order to win his daughter's hand. Could this unknown woman secure his fortune and capture his lonely heart?They have both expected a completely different life, one without love and romance. Now that every one of their dull expectations has given place to the profound revelation of true love, they are in awe of what they had been missing all along. Regardless of how undeniable their connection is, it is also tainted by dark secrets and contrasting priorities. Will Henry manage to break down Helena's walls and win her heart? Will the powerful light of their romance dissipate the threats that lurk around?"The Key to a Lord's Heart" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Dukes of War (Books 1-2): Historical Romance Collection


Erica Ridley - 2020
    Why, the latest on-dit is that rakish Viscount Sheffield is canceling the fête of the year because he hasn't time for silly soirees. He doesn't need time—he needs her!The Earl's Defiant WallflowerOliver York returns from war to find his father dead, his finances in arrears, and himself the new Earl of Carlisle. If he doesn't marry an heiress—and fast!—he and his tenants are going to be pitching tents down by the Thames. He definitely shouldn't be trading kisses with a penniless debutante... no matter how captivating she is!

Hell Hath No Fury


Annabelle Anders - 2017
    Someone else.All he saw in Cecily was her dowry. But he’s in for the shock of his life, because in order to keep the money, he has to keep her. With nothing to lose, Cecily sets out to seduce her husband’s cousin, Stephen Nottingham, in an attempt to goad the earl into divorcing her. Little does she realize that Stephen would turn out to be everything her husband was not: Honorable, loyal, trustworthy…Handsome as sin.Stephen only returned to England for one reason—save his cousin’s estate from financial ruin. Instead, he finds himself face to face with his cousins beautiful and scorned wife. Only now that he's home, he isn’t sure what to do first, strangle his cousin, or kiss his wife. His honor is about to be questioned, right along with his self-control. Amid snakes, duels and a good catfight, Cecily realizes the game she’s playing has high stakes indeed.  There are only a few ways for a marriage to end in Regency England and none of them come without a high price. Is she willing to pay it? Is Stephen? A ‘Happily Ever After’ hangs in the balance, because, yes, love can conquer all, but sometimes it needs a little bit of help.