Book picks similar to
Intimate Betrayal by Adrienne Basso
historical-romance
romance
historical
adrienne-basso
At the King's Command
Susan Wiggs - 1994
Stephen de Lacey is a cold and bitter widower, long accustomed to the sovereign's capricious and malicious whims. He regards his new bride as utterly inconvenient...though undeniably fetching.But Juliana Romanov is no ordinary thief—she is a Russian princess forced into hiding by the traitorous cabal who slaughtered her family. One day she hopes to return to Muscovy to seek vengeance.What begins as a mockery of a marriage ultimately blossoms into deepest love.
The Wild Marquis
Miranda Neville - 2010
The ladies of the ton would never allow him in their drawing rooms . . . though some of them have welcomed him into their bedchambers. Ejected from his father’s house at the age of sixteen, he now lives a life of wanton pleasure. So what could the Marquis of Chase possibly want with Juliana Merton, a lovely, perfectly upstanding shopkeeper with a mysterious past?A moment’s indiscretion?A night’s passion?Or a lifetime of love?Even the wildest rakes have their weaknesses . . .
All Things Beautiful
Cathy Maxwell - 1994
However, once we do, life opens up. In ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL, I wrote a heroine who, in spite of her fears, her doubts, was willing to risk all—and met a man who fell in love with her spirit. Isn’t that what we all want?”—Cathy Maxwell Lady Julia Markham was the toast of London Society—until an ill-advised attempted elopement ended in betrayal and left her good name in tatters. Now ruined, penniless, and desperate, she has agreed to wed the magnetic and possibly dangerous Brader Wolf. A dashing, phenomenally successful self-made businessman, Brader wants this union to help gain him entry into the drawing rooms of the aristocracy, nothing more. Julia, however, is a woman of rare passion and daring, irresistibly drawn to this enigmatic, infuriating man, and no mere marriage of mutual convenience will do. But how far will the spirited beauty have to go to satisfy a heart that will settle for no less than the love of a lifetime?
A Lady of the West
Linda Howard - 1990
Victoria Waverly, noble daughter of the war-ruined South, is sold in marriage to a ruthless rancher. Honor and pride help her endure life as a wife in name only but nothing can quench her forbidden desire for hired gunman Jake Roper. His gaze is hard, but tenderness he can't hide promises to unveil to Victoria the mysteries of love. Only true love can destroy.... Jake curses his burning need for Victoria, for he wants nothing to stand in the way of his drive to reclaim Sarratt's Kingdom -- the ranch that is his legacy and obsession. But ancient wrongs and blazing passions will bind together the aristocratic beauty and the powerful cowboy. In a bloody land war, they will fight for Jake's birthright...and seize at all costs the love that is their destiny.
Seven Secrets of Seduction
Anne Mallory - 2010
Secret #1: Every good seduction begins with a baited hook . . . Well-educated, but not part of society, Miranda Chase is just as captivated by the erotic pages as everyone else in London. Intrigued by the layers she sees beneath the book's surface, she writes an editorial about it, never realizing that her passionate words will draw an actual viscount to her uncle's bookshop. Maximilian, Viscount Downing, has very particular ideas about passion and sees truth only in desire. He freely flaunts his sensual power and seeks nothing more than another conquest; the one that could justify his entire debauched existence. But Miranda's blend of innocence, trust, and love cause a strange thing to happen on the way to this seduction. Something that just might threaten the very fabric of his jaded heart . . .
Suddenly You
Lisa Kleypas - 2000
When he appeared at her door, she believed he was her gift to herself, hired for one night of passion. Unforgettably handsome, irresistibly virile, he tempted her in ways she never thought possible, but something stopped him from completely fulfilling her dream.Jack Devlin's determination to possess Amanda became greater when she discovered his true identity. But gently bred Amanda craved respectability more than she admitted, while Jack, the cast-off son of a nobleman and London's most notorious businessman, refused to live by society's rules. Yet when fate conspired for them to marry, their worlds collided with a passionate force neither had expected... but both soon craved.
A View to a Kiss
Caroline Linden - 2009
But Mariah, a ravishing beauty thought by all to be the catch of the season, never expected to find true love amid the shadows. The mysterious man she meets there ignites a passion within her she never thought possible. When he starts a clandestine midnight courtship in her bedroom, Mariah is scandalized—and enthralled.Harry Sinclair is a man of secrets who would do anything to protect those in his charge. But when he lays eyes on the stunning Mariah, duty and desire collide. Though every man in London lusts for her, he knows the fiery attraction between them is unparalleled. But in a world where trust can turn to treason and scandal can topple the throne, Harry and Mariah will fight a perilous fight for their precious love—and their lives.
Petals on the River
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss - 1997
A man of secrets accused of a terrible crime ... In a place of new beginnings their destinies are joined --- in a glorious romantic new work from the incomparable storyteller KATHLEEN E. WOODWISSThe fiery and outspoken adopted daughter of one of England's most formidable women, Shemaine O'Hearn has made powerful enemies. And now her adversaries have found a way to remove the hot-blooded beauty from her life of privilege: by falsely convicting Shemaine of thievery, and sending her in shackles to America, where she is to be sold in indentured servitude to the highest bidder.In a bustling port city in the colony of Virginia, she becomes the servant of Gage Thornton --- a shipbuilder with a young child in need of a nanny. And despite whispered rumors condemning the handsome widower for the untimely death of his wife, Shemaine cannot ignore her desire for this caring, generous and enigmatic stranger who silently aches with his growing need for her --- even as grave peril reaches out from across a vast ocean to threaten their flowering love.
The Duchess Hunt
Jennifer Haymore - 2013
Rumors and innuendo have darkened the House of Trent for decades, and it has fallen to Simon to restore his tattered family name. He lives by a strict code of honor, but when he is called home to investigate his mother's disappearance, the distinguished duke will tangle with temptation. For there waits the only woman he has ever loved-and the last woman he should desire . . .Sarah Osborne has spent her life dreaming of Simon's touch. But dukes do not long for lady's maids--or so Sarah believes, until a stolen kiss sparks a passion that could be her ultimate undoing. As the couple begins a forbidden romance, a cunning enemy plots to destroy the duke and everything he loves. Now, caught in a blackmailer's web, Simon faces an agonizing choice: Sacrifice his family's future, or break Sarah's heart.
Her Errant Earl
Scarlett Scott - 2013
After he suddenly returns, determined to prove to her he's a changed man, she's not about to forgive him, trust him, or succumb to his scorching kisses.A future duke trapped by obligationWill has devoted his life to enraging his loathsome father by creating one scandal after the next. Duty forces him back to the wife he resents, but he isn't prepared for the raw desire she makes him feel. Seducing her will hardly be a tedious task. Guarding his heart, however, is another matter entirely.A marriage of convenience no moreWhat begins in deception and necessity turns into an attraction neither can deny. Can their newfound passion keep them together forever, or will the truth tear them apart? Wicked Husbands Book OneIf you enjoy steamy Regency and Victorian romance and second chance love stories,don't miss the Wicked Husbands series. Fiercely independent, dazzlingly beautiful, and married to handsome scoundrels, these American heiresses are ready to turn the tables on the insufferable English lords they've wed. What happens when their wicked husbands start falling for the wives they never thought they wanted?Corsets come off, bed chambers ignite, the passion sizzles,and more than one stubborn English rake gets reformed by love.
Lord of Desire
Paula Quinn - 2005
Darkly handsome and sensual, Lord Brand Risande-known as "The Passionate"-is temptation incarnate. But his prowess on the battlefield and in the bedchamber hides a bitter secret: the betrayal that has sealed his heart. Now as this most feared warrior rides out to possess the lands he has won in war, he engages his most formidable enemy ever. And One Woman's Destiny. Lady Brynnafar Dumont is prepared to do anything to protect her people-even seduce the savage Norman knight who defeated her father. Prepared to face down a cold-blooded beast, she instead confronts a wickedly attractive scoundrel who wants nothing to do with her. It's enough to sting a lady's pride...and strengthen her resolve. Innocent as she is, now she must use all her charms to defeat Lord Brand in the only battle worth fighting-the one for his love.
Duke of Deception
Stephie Smith - 2012
Lady Louisa Barrick will do anything to save her estate and the village that depends on it, but when she tries to use a rakish privateer in her scheme, things don't turn out as planned. A duke masquerading as a privateer ... Jonathan Derek Wentworth has a scheme of his own: to track down the ton-based smuggling gang responsible for his father's death. When he's caught in a compromising situation with Lady Louisa, he decides it's better to marry her than to risk being ostracized by the London society whose invitations are vital to his plan. But Louisa refuses to marry him, unless he meets her terms, one of which is a month-long reprieve from consummation. Intent on seduction, Derek doesn't count on his unexpected jealousy wreaking havoc with his emotions, his marriage, and his masquerade. Lucy, still grieving the death of her father, wants desperately to avoid another heartbreak, but fears she may have schemed herself into a marriage with the one man destined to break her heart: a man who isn't what he seems, who obviously can't be trusted, and who will surely leave her the first chance he gets.
Just One Kiss
Samantha James - 1996
But it is a stranger who greets the penniless miss at her intended's door—the true owner of the grand Boston mansion, Nathaniel's handsome, secretive and insufferable older brother, Morgan.Just One KissThe cruel treachery of a disloyal sibling left Morgan angry and bitter—but he takes in the cad's forsaken fiancée nonetheless. And when one stolen kiss threatens scandal, he offers to wed the proud, golden-haired beauty himself. But Elizabeth is devoted to a rogue. And Morgan must first conquer his own pain and suspicion to know a passion that can thaw a frozen heart...and a love that can heal all wounds.
To Marry the Duke
Julianne MacLean - 2003
Though I fear I am making social blunders left and right I am having some measure of success in my (or rather, Mother's) objective. Mother is beside herself with glee at the attentions I have been receiving from a few gentlemen she finds supremely suitable as husband material. But my dearest sister, it is so hard for me to even look at any gentleman but a certain duke, who, if I may confess, makes my heart beat so that I fear it can be seen across a ballroom. He is James Langdon, the Duke of Wentworth, and though I may sound dramatic, he makes me feel as no man ever has before. But I must push these feelings away. I sometimes hear whispers about his dark past, and he is quietly called the Dangerous Duke. Oh Clara! I am secretly overjoyed that he may love me, and at the same time terrified of his attentions. I have waited so long for my true love, and now I must resist him to protect my heart. If only I knew how to proceed… Your devoted sister, Sophia
Unforgivable
Joanna Chambers - 2013
But when the masks come off, Rose finds herself in a quandary.Gil does not recognise her.And for the first time since their wedding day, he desires her...***This revised (2022) edition establishes Unforgivable as the first in the Unmasked series. No significant alterations have been made to the original story, however the book has been lightly revised throughout.