Book picks similar to
Unmasked Heart by Vanessa Riley


historical-romance
romance
historical-fiction
historical

Rogues, Rakes & Jewels


Claudy Conn - 1979
    So when his mother requests that he go to the Isle of Wight to court another eligible woman, Ryker decides on a little game … his cousin Robby will pose as him, and he will pose as his cousin—a rake and a gambler. If the woman falls in love with him, it will be for himself. Only then will he reveal who he is.What the marquis doesn’t expect, however, is someone like Jewelene. Lovely and provocative, intelligent and headstrong, Jewels cares not for status and wealth. Ryker finds her irresistible, and she finds herself falling for the handsome man she believes to be the marquis’ cousin.But Jewelene is playing a game of her own. In a daring bid to repay her family’s debts, each night she poses as Babette, the French card dealer. When Ryker begins flirting with the sultry Babette, Jewelene realizes she has become her own rival. If she reveals the truth, will her house of cards come tumbling down?

Caroline and Julia


Clare Darcy - 1981
    a snare of lies... a savage act of violence... and the very contrary ways of men--all made the irresistible darlings turn to each other for all the help they could get....

The Riddle of Alabaster Royal


Patricia Veryan - 1997
    It is there he meets, in a rather surprising fashion, Lady Francesca and her lovely, if volatile granddaughter, Miss Consuela Jones.Determined to discover who murdered Consuela's father, it seems these two interlopers have made themselves at home. The mystery, Consuela avows, has to do with this estate. And much to his dismay, Jack indeed discovers some devilish doings at the old manse. Moreover, he cannot help but discern that the lovely Consuela is as enticing as the riddle of Alabaster Royal!Patricia Veryan is a winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times

Celtic Cross


Tammy Doherty - 2003
    Matt Donovan does not hesitate to help, despite her unknown past. What happened to this woman? Who is she? Will the man who shot her come riding down the trail after her, shattering peaceful Glenpark, Colorado?When Cristeen wakes, she can remember nothing of her past. Only one thought haunts her day and night: trust no one. Matt fears Cristeen s fierce independence will lead only to tragedy. Can he help Cristeen see the need to trust the Lord before it is too late? Can Cristeen overcome her belief that loving can only bring heartache?Then a madman bent on revenge tracks her down. Matt cannot rescue Cristeen this time. Only the Lord can save her now?if she has enough faith to trust. Can she overcome the past and learn to trust?

Mistress by Mistake


Maggie Robinson - 2010
    . .Charlotte Fallon let her guarded virtue fall once--and she's paid dearly for it ever since. She swore she'd never succumb to men's desires again. But even a village spinster's life miles from temptation can't save her from a sister with no shame whatsoever. Or a heart that longs for more, whatever the cost. . .Sir Michael Bayard found more than he expected in his bed when he finally joined his new mistress. He'd fantasized about her dewy skin and luscious curves, assured her understanding that what passed between them was mere dalliance. But he didn't expect the innocence and heat of her response in his arms. Nor her surprisingly sharp tongue once she was out of them. . .A few days of abandon cannot undo the hard-learned lessons of a lifetime. Nor can an honest passion burn away the restraints of society's judgments. Unless, of course, one believes in nonsense like true love. . .

After the Rain


Rita Gerlach - 2015
    Barrie’s play 'What Every Woman Knows', premiered in Atlantic City and the first Model T rolled off the assembly line in Detroit. It is a year when the world faced one of its worst disasters in history, when the New Year would heal the wounds of loss.Louisa Borden lives a privileged life in Chevy Chase, Maryland, a new and thriving community on the outskirts of Washington, DC for the well-to-do. Against the wishes of her domineering grandmother, she retreats from the prospects of a loveless marriage and instead searches for what she hopes is her calling in life.When her horse is spooked along Rock Creek, she is thrown from the saddle—an embarrassing situation for any affluent young lady. Soaking wet, bruised and humiliated, she is carried up the muddy bank to safety by Jackson O’Neil, a stranger to the city, who changes the course of everything, including the lives of all those around her.

Rogues Always Wear Black


Catherine Mayfair - 2020
    Until he meets Constance. Her strong spirit, quick tongue, and virtuous smile has him question honoring his oath of protecting her or fulfilling his own growing desire …Fearing that her stepfather will find her, Constance decides to trust Stephen and accepts his offer of protection. He is brave, handsome, and his kiss has caused a passion to emerge she did not know existed.Yet, doubts soon arise in her heart, and Constance's faith in Stephen is tested by his lingering touch, for her mother had always warned that Rogues Always Wear Black.The Princess Bride meets Robin Hood in this Steamy Regency Romance adventure.

Secrets


Kristen Heitzmann - 2004
    What happened all those years ago, and what is it she so desperately needs him to find? The old villa in Sonoma holds the answers, but it is now owned by a young woman who neither knows nor cares about his mission. But Rese Barret is a force to contend with, and her own impending storm could sweep him up as their sparring creates a fierce and uncomfortable attraction. From bestselling author Kristen Heitzmann.

The Stranger She Married


Donna Hatch - 2008
    Desperate to save her family from debtor's prison, Alicia vows to marry the first wealthy man to propose. She meets the dashing Lord Amesbury, and her heart whispers that this is the man she is destined to love, but his tainted past may forever stand in their way. Her choices in potential husbands narrow to either a scarred cripple with the heart of a poet, or a handsome rake with a deadly secret.Cole Amesbury is tormented by his own ghosts, and believes he is beyond redemption, yet he cannot deny his attraction for the girl whose genuine goodness touches the heart he'd thought long dead. He fears the scars in his soul cut so deeply that he may never be able to offer Alicia a love that is true.When yet another bizarre mishap threatens her life, Alicia suspects the seemingly unrelated accidents that have plagued her loved ones are actually a killer's attempt to exterminate every member of her family. Despite the threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger to her heart.

The Groom's Gamble


Jade Lee - 2014
    Caroline Lyncott, great grandaughter of the Duke of Bucklynde, has a secret. Years ago she was attacked and still bears the terrible scars. To escape the scandal and the reminders, she left everything behind to become housekeeper to a Scottish brother and sister. Gregory Murray, the Earl Of Hartfell, has a secret as well – he harbors a deep attraction to his housekeeper, Mrs. Lyncott. He knows she has a past, but doesn’t know how to fix the pain that still haunts her. His investigation leads him to the darkest London gaming hell and a villain too powerful to destroy. Can his love overcome her desperate past? Can she risk her heart despite the evil that still haunts her nightmares?

Kissing the Enemy


Leighann Dobbs - 2016
    As the plain looking older sister, she's practically invisible at social events. Never mind that she has no experience as a spy or that the codebook rests in the possession of one of the most powerful men in England. Freddie has no choice-she's desperate to save her young sister from the lecherous intentions of their guardian and recovering the book is her only option. Tristan Graylocke has never been able to measure up to his brother, the Duke of Tenwick.  But being second best has its advantages. No one pressures him to get married and produce an heir, leaving him to carouse at will-an activity that lends itself perfectly to the brothers’ secret lives as spies. When an alluring enemy spy shows up at the house party planned specifically for the purposes of passing along a code book, Tristan finds himself drawn under her spell. Freddie seems innocent and inexperienced.  Is her innocence is a clever guise, or is she being coerced by someone? Tristan and Freddie soon find themselves engaged in a seductive game of cat and mouse where each will do what they must for their country, especially if it involves kissing the enemy.

A Change of Fortune


Jen Turano - 2012
    Her fortune was the last thing she had left after losing her father, her fiancé, and her faith. Now, masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner, governess-at-large, she's determined to find the man who ran off with her fortune, reclaim the money, and head straight back to London. Mr. Hamilton Beckett, much to his chagrin, is the catch of the season, and all the eyes of New York society—all the female ones, at least—are on him. He has no plans to marry again, especially since his hands are full keeping his business afloat while raising his two children alone. Eliza's hapless attempts to regain her fortune unexpectedly put her right in Hamilton's path. The discovery of a common nemesis causes them to join forces and, before she knows it, Eliza has a whole retinue of people helping her. Eliza's determination not to trust anyone weakens when everyone's antics and bumbling efforts to assist her make her wonder if there might be more important things than her fortune and independence. When all of Hamilton's and Eliza's best-laid plans fall by the wayside, it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God just might have had a better plan in mind all along.

Florence’s Stupendous Spinster’s Society


Charlotte Stone - 2017
    inside he is tormented by the one thing he's never won, not even as a child.Love.It's no wonder he only lets women get so far, allowing them to touch his body but never his soul.That's his plan for his latest conquest, a little lady's maid with a mind as sharp as her tongue.Florence Crew..But when a promise stops him from bedding her for a month, he proposes friendship in order to keep her close.... and maybe gain something deeper than either ever imagined..In order to gain love, both will have to take a risk.Will friendship grow to love?.Page Count: around 330 pages

Lady Honor's Debt


Maggi Andersen - 2015
    That’s all Lady Honor Baxendale wants—for her sisters and for herself. Honor has a bold plan to become financially independent, using a skill she learned at her father’s knee. She seeks the help of a solicitor and is pleased with her choice… as long as she can resist the solicitor himself.Lord Edward Winborne has been happy to come to the aid of his four sisters in the past. But when a neighbor’s daughter, Lady Honor Baxendale, requests his help for a dangerous scheme she has in mind, he feels it his duty to dissuade her. When that fails, he wants to protect her, and then somehow finds he wants to do more. Much more.

Twice a Rake


Catherine Gayle - 2011
    . .When Aurora Hyatt loses her journal in Hyde Park, her ruin is a foregone conclusion. After all, if anyone discovers her writings, they'll find scandalous fantasies involving the newest rake in Town alongside entirely-too-candid thoughts about her typical dreary suitors. Aurora will either be forced into a loveless marriage with the first nodcock to make an offer, or she'll be assigned a permanent position on the shelf. Oh, dear good Lord. What catastrophe will God smote down upon her next?If Niles Thornton, Baron Quinton, desires to maintain any semblance of his current lifestyle, he must fulfill the requirements his grandfather has set for him. First and foremost: he must marry and begin filling his nursery within the year. When he is nearly barreled over by a racing curricle and a journal flies out to land at his feet, his troubles are over. Inside the journals pages, Quin discovers a scandal waiting to happen. Surely a young lady who would write such brazen things in a journal (and then dare to lose it) must recognize the necessity of a hasty marriage, even if the gentleman making the offer is rather less-than-honorable.In a drunken haze, Quin kisses Aurora on a crowded ballroom floor, necessitating their immediate marriage. Quin's troubles are only beginning, however, as Aurora's writings are soon the focus of both gossip rags and drawing room conversation. When word arrives of an even greater scandal following in his wife's wake, will he prove himself a drunken abuser like his father, or will he become the loving husband of Aurora's fantasies?