Book picks similar to
The Windflower by Laura London


romance
historical-romance
historical
pirates

As You Desire


Connie Brockway - 1997
    Then she sees the man in black, galloping through the Egyptian desert on a pure white steed. Desdemona could not have conjured a more dashing savior in her wildest fantasies. But an unlikelier hero would be impossible to find: Harry Braxton is a rogue, a scoundrel, and a born opportunist—who has already broken Desdemona’s heart once before. As brilliant as she is beautiful, Desdemona still hasn’t learned how to stay out of trouble—which suits Harry just fine. Running from a painful past, and rumored to be involved in nefarious endeavors, Harry will never be a proper match for Desdemona. But when she catches the eye of his cousin, the irritatingly honorable Lord Blake Ravenscroft, Harry vows to claim his one true desire, once and for all.

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 Matter of Class


Mary Balogh - 2009
    Reginald Mason is wealthy, refined, and, by all accounts, a gentleman. However, he is not a gentleman by title, a factor that pains him and his father within the Regency society that upholds station over all else. That is, until an opportunity for social advancement arises, namely, Lady Annabelle Ashton. Daughter of the Earl of Havercroft, a neighbor and enemy of the Mason family, Annabelle finds herself disgraced by a scandal, one that has left her branded as damaged goods. Besmirched by shame, the earl is only too happy to marry Annabelle off to anyone willing to have her.Though Reginald Mason, Senior, wishes to use Annabelle to propel his family up the social ladder, his son does not wish to marry her, preferring instead to live the wild, single life he is accustomed to. With this, Reginald Senior serves his son an ultimatum: marry Annabelle, or make do without family funds. Having no choice, Reginald consents, and enters into a hostile engagement in which the prospective bride and groom are openly antagonistic, each one resenting the other for their current state of affairs while their respective fathers revel in their suffering.So begins an intoxicating tale rife with dark secrets, deception, and the trials of love—a story in which very little is as it seems.

The Duchess War


Courtney Milan - 2012
    After all, the last time she was the center of attention, it ended badly—so badly that she changed her name to escape her scandalous past. Wallflowers may not be the prettiest of blooms, but at least they don't get trampled. So when a handsome duke comes to town, the last thing she wants is his attention.But that is precisely what she gets.Because Robert Blaisdell, the Duke of Clermont, is not fooled. When Minnie figures out what he’s up to, he realizes there is more to her than her spectacles and her quiet ways. And he’s determined to lay her every secret bare before she can discover his. But this time, one shy miss may prove to be more than his match...

The Pirate and the Pagan


Virginia Henley - 1990
    Wild as a pagan goddess, Lady Summer galloped her stallion along the Cornish coast.  She had dabbled in the smuggler's game to save her family estate, but a wealthy marriage would better serve her purpose now.  Lord Ruark Helford seemed the answer to her reckless prayers.  But as his hot, hungry kisses drew her toward deception and irresistible acts of love, she had to hesitate.  Would this arrogant, handsome lord be her ticket to heaven--or hell?

Thunder & Roses


Mary Jo Putney - 1993
    Desperation drives quiet schoolteacher Clare Morgan to ask the Demon Earl to help save her village. Unwilling to involve himself in the problems of others, Nicholas agrees --- only if Clare will live with him for three months.

The Duke's Holiday


Maggie Fenton - 2014
    And he always gets what he wants. Until he meets Astrid Honeywell. And a giant pig. And a crooked castle in the middle of Yorkshire. Astrid Honeywell, staunch bluestocking, has struggled for years to keep her family together by running the estate and family brewery after her father's death. She is not about to let the tyrannical Duke of Montford steal away all she has worked for because of some antiquated contract between their families. So when the priggish Duke comes to call, she does everything in her power—including setting the family pig on him—to drive him away. She didn't expect him to be so... well, infuriatingly attractive. Every time he scowls at her, she has the most improper desire to kiss him—and a whole lot more. Montford can't decide whether to strangle Astrid or seduce her. The one thing he knows for a fact is that he must resist his powerful attraction for her at all costs. He has a very proper, very demure fiancée waiting for him back in London, after all. But when Astrid is kidnapped by a disgruntled suitor and whisked off to Gretna Green, Montford will do anything to get her back. Will these two drive each other to Bedlam... or can they make it to the altar without killing each other? Includes a fiery heroine, mistaken identities, errant livestock, pompadours, drunken declarations, a touch of smex, and enough witty banter to sink a ship. NOTE: This is a sexy historical romance. Recommended for 18+ due to adult content.

The Duke


Gaelen Foley - 2000
    Even if it means jeopardizing his reputation by engaging in a scandalous affair with London's most provocative courtesan—the desirable but aloof Belinda Hamilton.Bel has used her intelligence and wit to charm the city's titled gentlemen, while struggling to put the pieces of her life back together. She needs a protector, so she accepts Hawk's invitation to become his mistress in name only. He asks nothing of her body, but seeks her help in snaring the same man who shattered her virtue. Together they tempt the unforgiving wrath of society—until their risky charade turns into a dangerous attraction, and Bel must make a devastating decision that could ruin her last chance at love. . . .

The Raven Prince


Elizabeth Hoyt - 2006
    After an arrogant male on horseback nearly squashes her, she arrives home to learn that she is in dire financial straits.When she must do the unthinkable...The Earl of Swartingham is in a quandary. Having frightened off two secretaries, Edward de Raaf needs someone who can withstand his bad temper and boorish behavior.And find employment.When Anna becomes the earl's secretary, it would seem that both their problems are solved. Then she discovers he plans to visit the most notorious brothel in London for his "manly" needs. Well! Anna sees red—and decides to assuage her "womanly" desires...with the earl as her unknowing lover.

Devil's Bride


Stephanie Laurens - 1998
    No one dreamed this scandalous rake would ever take a bride. And as society mamas swooned at the loss of England′s most eligible bachelor, Devil′s infamous Cynster cousins began to place wagers on the wedding date.But Honoria wasn′t about to bend society′s demands and marry a man "just" because they′d been found together virtually unchaperoned. No, she craved adventure, and while solving the murder of a young Cynster cousin fit the bill for a while, she decided that once the crime was solved she′d go off to see the world. But the scalding heat of her unsated desire for Devil soon had Honoria craving a very different sort of excitement. Could her passion for Devil cause her to embrace the enchanting peril of a lifelong adventure of the heart?

Comanche Moon


Catherine Anderson - 1991
    But Loretta can only see him as the enemy who has kidnapped her, and she refuses to succumb to his control—or his touch.Despite the hatred between their peoples, Loretta and Hunter gradually find their enmity changing to respect and care. In the midst of such conflict, it will take all the force of their love to find a safe haven.

Lord and Lady Spy


Shana Galen - 2011
    But he isn't the only one with secrets...She's Been Outsmarting Him For Years...Now that the Napoleonic wars have come to an end, daring secret agent Lady Sophia Smythe can hardly bear the thought of returning home to her tedious husband. Until she discovers in the dark of night that he's not who she thinks he is after all.

The Care and Taming of a Rogue


Suzanne Enoch - 2009
    Rugged adventurer Bennett Wolfe, once presumed dead, has returned to London. He only has eyes for the exceedingly proper Philippa . . . and so she must teach him some manners before temptation sweeps her away . . .

A Duke in Shining Armor


Loretta Chase - 2017
    Most are upstanding members of Society. And then there’s the trio known as Their Dis-Graces.Hugh Philemon Ancaster, seventh Duke of Ripley, will never win prizes for virtue. But even he draws the line at running off with his best friend’s bride. All he’s trying to do is recapture the slightly inebriated Lady Olympia Hightower and return her to her intended bridegroom.For reasons that elude her, bookish, bespectacled Olympia is supposed to marry a gorgeous rake of a duke. The ton is flabbergasted. Her family’s ecstatic. And Olympia? She’s climbing out of a window, bent on a getaway. But tall, dark, and exasperating Ripley is hot on her trail, determined to bring her back to his friend. For once, the world-famous hellion is trying to do the honorable thing.So why does Olympia have to make it so deliciously difficult for him . . . ?

The Captain of All Pleasures


Kresley Cole - 2003
    His sizzling kisses leave her longing, but after they share a night of passion, his subsequent disdain makes her blood boil. Nicole vows to take her revenge—by helping her father beat Sutherland in a high-stakes competition: the Great Circle Race from England to Australia.Nicole's scheme is thrown overboard after her father is wrongly imprisoned, yet she remains undaunted—taking to the high seas with her father's ship. But a storm wrecks her plans, and she finds herself a virtual prisoner aboard Sutherland's vessel. And while her mind tells her she should escape, her body urges her to surrender.