Book picks similar to
Abandon by Jillian Hunter
romance
historical-romance
historical
romance-historical
How to Tame a Willful Wife
Christy English - 2012
Forbid her from riding astride2. Hide her dueling sword3. Burn all her breeches and buy her silk drawers4. Frisk her for hidden daggers5. Don't get distracted while frisking her for hidden daggers...Anthony Carrington, Earl of Ravensbrook, expects a biddable bride. A man of fiery passion tempered by the rigors of war into steely self-control, he demands obedience from his troops and his future wife. Regardless of how fetching she looks in breeches.Promised to the Earl of Plump Pockets by her impoverished father, Caroline Montague is no simpering miss. She rides a war stallion named Hercules, fights with a blade, and can best most men with both bow and rifle. She finds Anthony autocratic, domineering, and...ridiculously gorgeous.It's a duel of wit and wills in this charming retelling of The Taming of the Shrew. But the question is...who's taming whom?An Excerpt from HOW TO TAME A WILLFUL WIFE: “You need to work on the way you hold a blade,” Lord Ravensbrook said.Caroline turned to find Anthony just beyond the riding ring. He stood with one polished boot raised on the lower rung of the fence. His obsidian hair fell to his collar in rich waves. His chestnut eyes held her as if she belonged to him already.“I have been told I have a great deal of skill with a blade, my lord, both with a rapier and a dagger.”“Then you’ve been lied to. I think we discovered your prowess is lacking when we met last night.”She felt a frisson of irritation at that jibe, but she swallowed it down. “Do you fence, my lord?”“Not with women or youths who do not know enough to hold the proper form.”“And which am I? A woman, or a youth?”“Dressed as you are, I cannot tell.”Caroline laughed, her eyes gleaming with mischief. She knew she had scored a point. In spite of his words, she saw his eyes roaming over the curves of her hips and thighs, the softness of her breasts beneath her vest. He might call her boyish, but he was lying.“Perhaps you will spar with me here.”“I do not tutor amateurs.”“Is that so?”“Not in fencing, at any rate.”She wondered what else he might seek to tutor her in. From the desire in his eyes, she could begin to guess.
Forbidden Legacy
Diana Cosby - 2016
When the English murder Lady Katherine Calbraith’s family, she refuses their demands to wed an English noble to retain her home. Avalon Castle is her birthright, one she’s determined to keep. After Katherine’s daring escape, she’s stunned when Scotland’s king agrees to allow her to return to Avalon, but under the protection of Sir Stephan MacQuistan . . . as the knight’s wife. To reclaim her heritage, Katherine agrees. She accepts her married fate, certain that regardless of the caliber of the man, Stephan may earn her trust, but he’ll never win her love. One of the Knights Templar, Stephan desires no bride, only vengeance for a family lost and a legacy stolen. A profound twist of fate tears apart the Brotherhood he loves, but offers him an opportunity to reclaim his legacy—Avalon Castle. Except to procure his childhood home along with a place to store Templar treasures, he must wed the unsuspecting daughter of the man who killed his family. To settle old scores, Stephan agrees, aware Katherine is merely a means to an end. The passion that arises between them is as dangerous as it is unexpected. When mortal enemies find themselves locked in love’s embrace, Stephan and Katherine must reconsider their mission and everything they once thought to be true.
The Duke's Ugly Duckling (Regency Fairytale Romance #2)
Charity McColl - 2016
She despises her daughter’s blemished looks. Such an ugly duckling is a shame to the house of Knightley among society’s more refined peers. When the young woman turns eighteen her father decides it is high time his daughter marry, but who would even consider such an imperfect girl? It is a troubling question. A passing reference in Regency court to the reclusive Lord Albert Errol, Duke of Whittington, provides a solution. Stewart Knightley approaches the mysterious Duke with an offer to restore his lost fortunes. In return he will take the hand of Florence. Thus begins an unlikely journey that will transform the duckling to a swan. In this original Regency fairytale the classic parable of the Ugly Duckling takes a decidedly romantic Regency turn.
The Beleaguered Lord Bourne (Regency Trilogy, #1)
Kasey Michaels - 1986
After years of danger in foreign wars, he was eager to plunge into a campaign of Conquests among the long lists of London lovelies who would give their all to please a man as well-born well-financed, and well-favored as he. Miss Jane Maitland wanted to be wed even less than did the libertine lord. As proud as she was beautiful, she would never let any man enslave her -- much less claim her body, and woe to any foolhardy enough to try. But now the wedding bells were tolling for them both--sounding the call to battle for this militant miss and martial lord in the perfect mismatch.
Memoirs of a Hoyden
Joan Smith - 1988
England seemed tame by comparison, until highwaymen stopped their carriage and stole something from each of the passengers. Lord Kestrel was playing a deep hand what with spies and smugglers--and Marion intended to share the excitement. Regency Romance by Joan Smith; originally published by Fawcett Crest
Rose In Scotland
Joan Overfield - 1998
Her unscrupulous guardian is squandering away her inheritance, and now wants to gain complete control over her dwindling wealth by forcing her to wed his aged crony. But Caroline has found a solution to her woes. Though it means surrendering her long-cherished dream of marrying for love, she agrees to a preemptive temporary union with a devilishly handsome stranger -
a brave and noble Scotsman who believes that love is an illusion.
A Thorny Romance...
Major Hugh MacColme has every reason to hate the British - since the Crown stole his ancestral castle and sent his father and brother into exile. And he never imagined he would end up marrying one of the enemy. But a year spent in the intimate company of an exquisite English rose seems a small price to pay for recovering his birthright. For tender-hearted Caroline, however, the difficult part will be coping with her unexpected desire for this proud and distant man -
and harder still, convincing Hugh that the wife he has no use for is the warm and healing love that he truly needs.
Too Wicked to Wed
Cara Elliott - 2011
But when a chance encounter with London's most notorious rake awakens a secret longing for adventure, she accepts her aunt's invitation for a Season in Town . . . only to find that breaking the rules of the ton has serious consequences.The Earl of Killingworth uses his rakehell reputation to hide the fact that poverty has forced him to work for a living. As the owner of a gambling den and brothel, Connor has no time for glittering ballrooms or innocent young ladies. But after a reckless wager leaves him with a new business partner, he is forced to take a risky gamble . . . Will the cards fall in their favor? Alexa and Connor begin to play a dangerous game of intrigue and deception as they seek to outwit a cunning adversary who wants to put them permanently out of business. But if they are not careful, it is the flames of their own fiery attraction that may destroy them.
The Charm School
Susan Wiggs - 1999
But he'd purposely walked away from everything it afforded him. Driven by his quest to right an old wrong, the fiery, temperamental sea captain barely registers the meek, young woman who comes aboard his ship.To the Swan's motley crew, the tides of attraction clearly flow between the two. Teaching her the charms of a lady, they hope to build the confidence she needs to attract not only their lonely captain's attention, but his heart, as well. For everyone knows the greatest charms are not those of the formal lady, but rather the possibilities of a new world built on love.
Tessa's Touch
Brenda Hiatt - 2004
and touched his heart.
Tessa Seaton has a special gift with horses; with a word and a touch, she can tame and train even the most unbroken and unmannerly of beasts. But when handsome Lord Anthony Northrup gallops into her life, she finds herself faced with a far greater challenge than any horse ever posed.Anthony first assumes Tessa is helping her unscrupulous uncle to sell half-broken horses to unsuspecting gentlemen, but as he comes to know her, he realizes she is motivated by love —for her crippled father and for the horses she trains. Charmed by her spirit and independence, Anthony determines to free her from the trap her uncle has woven so he that can claim her for himself.Tessa’s Touch is loosely linked to my “Saint of Seven Dials” series, featuring some of the characters you may have met in those four books, though not technically a part of that series. It was originally published under the title Taming Tessa.
The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell
Samantha James - 2007
A man of intense passions, he resolved to deny his emotions and desires forever, taking refuge in the wilds of the moorlands and shutting himself off from the world. But on one extraordinary night, on a rare trip to London, the unthinkable occurs. An intoxicatingly beautiful stranger stirs the sensuous hunger he has sworn to resist. Simon Blackwell believed that no woman could tempt him. No woman . . . save Annabel McBride. Annabel knows nothing of Simon's secret pain. But one irresistible kiss plunges her into marriage with a man she scarcely knows, a man who hides a shattered past. She can feel the blistering heat of the fire that smolders within this exquisitely handsome man, making her yearn for much more than the union in name only he has promised her. But Simon dares not love again—for fragile love can be lost in an instant. And now Annabel must find a way to open his heart to the most glorious risk of all . . .
Miss Wonderful
Loretta Chase - 2004
To prove he is not an idle fop only concerned with sartorial pleasures, Alistair agrees to help his old friend, Lord Gordmor, by traveling to the wilds of Derbyshire to convince Gordmor's neighbors to support the nobleman's proposal to build a canal. Upon arriving, Alistair, a famous war hero and eligible bachelor, finds everyone couldn't be nicer, everyone except for respectable, practical, spinsterish Mirabel Oldridge. The last thing Mirabel wants is for her tranquil little corner of England to be destroyed by a noisy, nasty canal, and she is prepared to use every weapon at her disposal--including her disheveled coiffure and unstylish wardrobe--to stop Alistair.
The Duke's Daughters
Amanda Scott - 2013
She has no choice but to obey her father, the Duke, who wants Cecily to marry the one man who can assure the family’s social and financial positions: the arrogant and infuriating Viscount Ravenwood, who has been her enemy since childhood. A marriage of convenience is all she expects from their pairing—she has no idea that Ravenwood conceals a deep secret, or just how determined he will be to claim her heart. Cecily’s sister, Lady Brittany, is relieved that she doesn’t have to take part in the husband hunt in London’s marriage mart—though as a duke’s daughter, she is considered a prime catch. Comfortably engaged to amiable Lord Anthony Faringdon, she knows that though they may not be a love match, she and Tony will get along just fine—that is, until she meets his best friend, the darkly handsome Marquess of Cheriton, whose eyes pierce her very soul. Brittany’s comfortable life and perfect plans will be overturned by her increasingly passionate feelings for the irresistibly charming Marquess.
The Runaway Princess
Christina Dodd - 1999
But with an unforseen inheritance, she can afford one perfect summer--a summer she will spend the rest of her life remembering. She buys herself expensive clothes, travels abroad, and presents herself as a lady of mystery.MarriageBut she quickly discovers her mistake, for a darkly handsome man appears at her bedroom door, claiming to be a Crown Prince--and her fiance.Or the Ever After of Her Dreams?One look into her eyes, and the prince recognizes her. She is his betrothed, the runaway Princess of Serephinia. All her denials cannot change that, or alter the passion that burgeons between them. To fullfil their destinies, the prince will do anything--abduct her, coerce her, or, best of all seduce his reluctant bride into his royal world of peril, promise and passion.
A Dangerous Love
Sabrina Jeffries - 2000
But Griff didn't reckon on the brazen, voluptuous Rosalind, who could tempt even a saint into sinning, and Griff is no saint. She was determined to unmask him..
The Marquis at Midnight
Kate Harper - 2011
Her mystery man is perfect right up until the moment he removes his mask and Grace discovers she has made a terrible mistake. She had danced, and has been kissed, by the very devil himself, the Marquis of Morvyn. The man responsible for her husband's death...A missing necklace, a friend in trouble and the dangerous machinations of a French spy complicate Grace's life even more. Can she withstand a man who seems destined to challenge her heart? Or will she succumb to the passion that threatens to overwhelm all of her good intentions?