Book picks similar to
Deception and Desire by Aubrey Wynne


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Enchanting the Earl


Kathy L. Wheeler - 2021
    The lights are too hot, the corsets too tight. It’s enough to make one faint.Thorne Gray, the earl of Kimpton, has no interest in debutantes, but what the devil is he supposed to do when one swoons at his feet? He catches her before she hits the floor, of course. An intriguing performance to be sure.But a scheming and powerful aunt, determined to see her niece settled before her death, threatens Lorelei’s opportunity to enchant the man of her choosing.

Tristan


Elizabeth Rose - 2020
    unless she is the key to finding a lost treasure. Tristan Fisher and his brothers leave their father's fishing boat and return to a life of piracy, longing for the adventure and riches they once knew. With dwindling supplies and a restless crew, fate finally smiles on them when a storm at sea leaves behind flotsam. However, it is more than just boxes and barrels of supplies they find. Tristan and his brothers fish an old woman out of the water who claims to not only know the whereabouts of a treasure map, but who also says she is their long lost grandmother!Scottish lass, Gavina Drummond's life is turned upside down with one tragedy after another. Now, disguised as a boy and with a treasure map secretly and unwillingly inked on to her back, she finds herself as cabin boy and musician to a dark and dangerous pirate named Tristan. He's not really what she expects and is surprised when he protects her from his cutthroat crew. The handsome man wins her trust and gains her interest.Gavina needs nothing short of a king's treasure to pay back her father's steep gambling debts and to buy back her brother's freedom. Desperate to find the English king's stolen treasure, her only problem is that she can't see the map to read it. With time running out, it is crucial she finds someone to help her soon.Tristan seems the likely choice, since searching for treasure is a trait of his kind. But if Gavina confides in him, she'll have to show him the map. And in order to do that, she'll have to disrobe.Will a dark-hearted pirate discover he's unknowingly brought a woman on board who is also the key to finding his coveted treasure? Or is it not a treasure of silver and gold that he truly desires the most after all?

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 Highlander's Lady (Highlands Forever Book 1)


Aileen Adams - 2019
     Olivia Smythe is the daughter an English earl and a Scottish woman. He has decided that his half-Scottish daughter should go to the Highlands for her own safety to avoid the border skirmishes that plague their area. He’s also pleaded her hand to a cruel Englishman. Laird Boyd MacPherson has no idea the Englishwoman he’s saved from cutthroats is the cousin of a Highland laird. He has no idea the courage and wherewithal that this young half-Scot can muster. He is quick to find out when she runs away and seeks to hide from her betrothed and the rest of the world. Boyd turns the Highlands upside down looking for her, only to find her in the least likely of places.

Highlander Heroes Collection: Books 1-3


Rebecca Ruger - 2020
    To this end, he abducts the daughter of his enemy, hoping to force a marriage and reclaim what is rightfully his. He has no idea that the stubborn lass will turn his world upside-down, and that he will be the one held captive.Half-English Tess Munro has no plans to shame her father and people by wedding MacGregor the Murderer. Despite her tremendous fear and a regrettable liking of his kisses, she staunchly refuses to wed him. She tries often to escape, both Conall and the hateful people of Inesfree, who leave no question about their absolute distrust and dislike of the Munro prisoner.Soon, Conall’s reasons for stealing Tess grow more distant, and Tess’s desire to flee begins to fade, but a threat greater than their own pride will challenge the very fragile existence of their growing desire for each other.Conall MacGregor has conquered many enemies, but can he win the heart of one stubborn lass? The Memory of Her Kiss Anice Lindsay is a novice at Jardine abbey, whose true calling seems to be getting into trouble. Gregor Kincaid, known as The Fist of Scotland, is a fierce warrior and noble companion to William Wallace.Gravely wounded and separated from his army, Gregor stumbles upon the exquisite Anice, locked outside of the nunnery in the midst of one of her regular punishments. His decision to save her has more to do with her beguiling blue eyes than his need of assistance.Anice is only too happy to escape the discontent of Jardine. When the braw chief of the Kincaids rescues her and then promptly collapses from his wounds, she doesn’t think twice about secreting and nursing him until his army comes to collect him.En route to Stonehaven, the Kincaid fortress by the sea, Gregor struggles mightily against his growing desire for Anice while she innocently and happily surrenders to his kisses. Once safely arrived at Stonehaven, Anice learns the reason behind his resistance: he is betrothed to a woman of an enemy highland family, and the wedding must take place to put an end to years of violence.Highland intrigue blooms in the background of the great war for Scottish freedom. Setting aside his feelings for Anice in favor of peace in the Highlands, can Gregor live with his choice to put Anice out of his reach, out of his arms, and out of his heart? The Shadow of Her Smile Ada Moncriefe cannot stand by while her betrothed cruelly executes prisoners. She makes a daring plan to free the Scots warriors in the dungeon, only asking that the brave leader take her with him when they escape. Things go horribly wrong, and Ada pays a dear price for her sacrifice. Broken and scarred afterward, she lives a ghost-like existence, having no idea what her future holds.Jamie MacKenna is haunted by the fact that he was prevented from returning to save his men-at-arms and the lass who’d freed them. With greater fervor, he thrusts himself into the war for Scottish freedom alongside the valiant warrior, William Wallace.More than a year later, he stumbles upon Ada Moncriefe in the Scottish Highlands. His guilt induces him to offer her marriage, and despite the tormenting passion that rages between them, he vows never to love her. Soon though, Ada begins to yearn for something more with her hardened warrior husband.As the sun sets on William Wallace’s fight for Scottish independence, Ada and Jamie must both learn to forgive and to open themselves to love.

Escaping the Duke


Melanie Rose Clarke - 2021
    Under the guise of a lord, she sends messages to Edmund Hawkins, the powerful Duke of Bradenton. He doesn’t know his informant is a lady, even as he investigates to uncover her identity. When her father demands she find a husband, she cannot choose Edmund, who would demand total surrender. But when he catches her spying, she may not have a choice. Edmund is intrigued by the beautiful lady caught snooping through a dangerous lord’s home. Lady Priscilla may act the perfect duke’s daughter, but fiery mystery burns beneath the flawless façade. He sees the passion she cannot hide, the spirited woman who would make the perfect duchess. He will discover her every secret. Then, he will make her his.

Last Dance in London


Sydney Jane Baily - 2021
    Too bad for him, clever and impossibly desirable Julia Sudbury shows up in his bedroom.Like a shadow, Julia slips from Mayfair's ballrooms into the nobility's private chambers where nothing is more appealing than a spare piece of jewelry. Earrings, necklaces, and cravat pins, oh my!With Julia's bad behavior tarnishing his reputation in ways he'd never imagined, Jasper goes on the run to escape the brutal gossips shredding his family name.It's enough to make a cocky rake wish he were safely married! Who will tame whom?

Rakes Always Kiss First


Catherine Mayfair - 2020
    The man is boastful, rude and devilishly handsome. Worst of all, he has stolen a kiss that causes Mary to desire more.Lord Anthony Greyson knows the rumors concerning him and his rakish ways and cares not. He has spirited many women to his bed, and his eye is now on Mary. Wooing the innocent woman with a kiss, he has no doubt he will soon add her to his list of conquests, and he is certain she will not have the strength to resist.Upon learning of several unsavory rumors, Mary is tasked to spy on Anthony, and she readily agrees. Doing so will prove she is more than a pretty thing for others to admire. More importantly, she will be able to prove to herself she can resist the rake’s charms.Anthony soon becomes enchanted with the secretive woman and desires to know more about her and what she is hiding…And for Mary, she begins to wonder if Anthony is the cruel man about whom the ton whispers. Or is he the gentleman she secretly wishes him to be?

The Way the Wallflower Wed


Eva Devon - 2020
    The rakes, rogues, and dukes won't know what's hit them...Lady Pippa Post is one of London's most woeful wallflowers. With a father who has lost it all and an intellect as sharp as a cutlass, she's firmly on the shelf.But Pippa has no desire to retire to a wilting life in the country, even if she adores learning dead languages and pouring over ancient tomes. So, when a position opens, curating the Earl of Roxly's ever growing Egyptian collection, she knows exactly what must be done. But she doesn't expect that Roxly's rugged demeanor and wicked wit will entice her into a game of passion.Lord David Drake, Earl of Roxly, has no time for shrinking violets. He has no time for Londoners at all! He's a man of power, passion, and purpose. In but a short time, he is determined to leave English shores behind and return to the Nile he loves so well... But when a waspish wallflower shows up, determined to take care of his artifacts, he's intrigued and shocked to find that she is a mystery to be discovered... And adventurer that he is, there's nothing Roxly loves more than a mystery.Will Pippa shrink from a chance at love with this wild brute of a lord... or will the wallflower wed?

The Heart of an Earl


K.J. Jackson - 2020
    Ripped from her family years ago by a pirate captain, Lady Julianna knows a thing or two about surviving. But she’s grasping at the last threads of staying alive after the captain dies and leaves her at the mercy of the pirate crew. She hides his death—as the second the crew of the Red Dragon discovers the captain is dead, survival will be the least of her worries. But the ruse can only work for so long. Just when her hope is nearly lost, their ship is attacked and she spies a way out. A way out in the form of one tall, strong sailor that just may be her salvation—or her biggest mistake. A long lost earl determined to stay adrift. Desmond Phillips gave up any hope of living a normal life years ago when his wife and unborn baby died. Losing himself among the crew of a privateering ship, all in England gave him up for dead—just as he and his shattered heart preferred it. Two lost souls meet. In the midst of a battle at sea, a sprite of a woman drops onto Des, begging for his help. He saves her and inherits the duty to bring her home safely. As the journey to deliver Lady Julianna home to England unfolds, these two lost souls find unlikely kindred spirits in each other, and the cold, broken shards of Des’s heart begin to heal. But the curse of an ancient box haunts their every move—their very lives. If they manage to break the curse of the Box of Draupnir, they may just be rewarded with an undying love. Note: The novels in the Box of Draupnir series by K.J. Jackson are each stand-alone stories and can be read individually in any order. These historical romances are set in the Regency and Victorian eras, and do not shy away from scenes with steamy heat, occasional naughty language, and moments that might possibly make you squirm.

Bewitched by the Bluestocking


Jillian Eaton - 2021
    until a gorgeous, soaking-wet American shows up and demands he help her find a stolen family heirloom. Having had his heart crushed once before by a beautiful woman, Kincaid has no intention of tempting fate a second time. But Joanna Thorncroft isn’t about to take no for an answer.Joanna has to find her mother’s ring and discover the secrets it contains. Secrets that have brought her all the way across the Atlantic and onto the doorstep of a sinfully handsome detective. While falling in love is the furthest thing from her mind, fiercely independent Joanna can’t help but find herself drawn to Kincaid...and the blazing passion that soon threatens to consume them. But when the scandalous truth about the ring’s history is unveiled, it changes both the past and the present. If Joanna and Kincaid want a future together, they must risk everything to get it…including their hearts.

Masks of Desire


Fenna Edgewood - 2021
    Her childhood sweetheart, Henry Gardner, is handsome, kind, and passionately in love with her. Or so she believes, until one day she is told everything she knows about Henry is a lie. In an instant, their long-time engagement is broken and Caroline's world is shattered.Henry Gardner has been told that the girl he's loved all his life has cruelly betrayed him. But no matter what she may have done, his love for her will not dim. The only problem? She's about to marry someone else. Less than twenty-four hours until he’ll lose her for good... Stealing an earl's bride on the eve of her wedding might be an insurmountable challenge for some men, but Henry is determined to make sure Caroline knows that forever is a promise he means to keep. Even if doing so comes at a perilous price. One boy. One girl. One future they must fight for together. Her one true love may have returned, but after all he's put her through, Caroline has no intention of falling back into his arms. But when she stumbles onto a terrible family secret, Caroline must make a leap of faith and put her heart in the hands of the one man she swore she'd never trust again. Book Details Please Note: Masks of Desire was previously released as a free short story of five-thousand words. This fifty-thousand-word-plus novel contains many revisions as well as new revelations and insights for readers of the Gardner Girls series. It may be read as a prequel or a final sequel to the series.

The Reluctant Duke's Dilemma


Trisha Messmer - 2020
    She longed to be free. Pressured by forces beyond their control, will they give in to forbidden desire?England, 1823. After establishing a successful practice in America, Dr. Harry Radcliffe swore he wouldn’t set foot on British soil again. But when he’s named the Duke of Ashton after his callous brother’s sudden death, he begrudgingly returns to the pretentious world he detests. And his pledge to his dying mother to find a wife is thrown into chaos when he meets his stunning sister-in-law.Margaret Radcliffe finally escaped her abusive marriage. Yet her late husband’s final cruel act left her penniless, with her only option to remarry... the one thing she vowed she’d never do again. But the new duke’s startlingly familiar features awaken yearnings she thought long-forgotten, dangling the heartbreaking whisper of a passion impossible to fulfill.Although convinced the accusations that she murdered her husband are only salacious gossip, Harry's real torment comes when he wishes for a union that would make them outcasts. But even when they finally submit to their simmering attraction, Margaret’s dream of happily-ever-after may be derailed by society’s schemes.Can a scandalous affair turn into a lifetime of love?The Reluctant Duke's Dilemma is the suspenseful first book in The Hope Clinic Regency romance series. If you like swoon-worthy heroes, uplifting humor, and heroines beating the odds, then you’ll adore Trisha Messmer’s tale of tortured hearts.

Lost with a Lord


Emily E.K. Murdoch - 2018
     But in all his thirty years, he has never met anyone quite like the fiery Italian Miss Florence Capria. After a riot forces them to take shelter for the night in an intimate small room, can Lord George ignore the growing passion Miss Capria is igniting in his once cold heart? Will being lost with a lord change Florence's destiny forever? This is the first in a series of eight Ravishing Regencies.

Highlander’s Buried Identity


Shona Thompson - 2020
    Since he was a child there was a mystery about his true identity, but he was not willing to talk about it, not even to the woman who found him and raised him.When a beautiful lass needs his help, he will find himself into trouble…Sine refuses to live as her father wants. She may be the only child of the Laird of the Duncan Clan, but she is too rebellious to listen to his commands. When her life is in danger, one mysterious man with different colored eyes will become her protector.No matter how reactive she is to the decision of having a guard, she will soon realize that her feelings for Finlay are much more complicated. But her father has different plans for her life and a rich suitor soon arrives to claim her…When Finlay sees her future husband, he knows she must be protected at all costs. But that means he should reveal who he really is… Can he take that risk?He always preferred his solitude, until he met her…"Highlander’s Buried Identity" is a STANDALONE Historical Scottish romance novel. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.*If you like brawny Highland warriors with a soft heart, and steamy romantic stories depicting the majestic and mysterious Scottish Highlands, then Highlander’s Buried Identity is the perfect novel for you.