Book picks similar to
A Hand for the Duke by Meredith Bond


romance
historical-romance
historical
romance-historical

The Rogue and The Earl's Temptation


Emma V. Leech - 2019
    The notorious Rogue that began it all. Set in Cornwall, 1815. Wild, untamed and isolated. Lawlessness is the order of the day and smuggling is rife. Henrietta always felt most at home in the wilds of the outdoors but even she had no idea how the mysterious and untamed would sweep her away in a moment. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“This book has lots of twists and turns in the plot, and many giggle-making moments - I thoroughly enjoyed it.” ~ Amazon customer review Bewitched by his wicked blue eyes. Henrietta Morton knows to look the other way when the free trading 'gentlemen' are at work. Yet when a notorious pirate bursts into her local village shop, she can avert her eyes no more. Bewitched by his wicked blue eyes, a moment of insanity follows as Henrietta hides the handsome fugitive from the Militia. Her reward is a kiss, lingering and unforgettable. In his haste to flee, the handsome pirate drops a letter, a letter that lays bare a tale of betrayal. When Henrietta’s father gives her hand in marriage to a wealthy and villainous nobleman in return for the payment of his debts, she becomes desperate. Blackmailing a pirate may be her only hope for freedom. The Earl’s Temptation ROGUES & GENTLEMEN: BOOK TWO Alexander Sinclair, Fourth Earl of Falmouth, has a reputation for revelling in vice. Wine, women and gambling are only one side of this dangerous man, for the Earl has a second life, leading a criminal gang, smuggling contraband between France and Cornwall. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A fabulous historical romance […] Ms. Leech has provided readers with a well-written book with amazing characters. Alex and Celeste's story is loaded with drama, action, sizzle, humor and suspense. The Earl's Temptation is book 2 of the Rogues & Gentlemen Series but can be read as a standalone - this is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.” ~ Amazon customer review Seeking ever more risk Alexander often leads his men on their night-time missions. One unlucky night the revenue men appear, and the smugglers sail into a violent storm in an effort to escape, but the ship and all aboard go down. Barely alive Alexander washes ashore on the coast of France. Enter innocent beauty, Celestine Lavelle, the daughter of a noble French family forced to flee their estate during the revolution. Having lost everything, she must work in the kitchens of a coastal brothel. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I loved the characters so much they are so complex and share a wonderful chemistry. Emma Leech created a world so passionate that evokes so much emotions you cannot put down this amazing steamy story” ~ Amazon customer review Desperate and alone, her future is besieged by sin. The discovery of a half-drowned English smuggler on the shore will lead her heart in directions she never dreamed of. Alexander determines to save his beguiling rescuer. He plans her future should be full of everything that is good and honourable… but will the temptation to take her as his own be too hard to resist? The first and second book of the acclaimed Rogues & Gentlemen historical romance series from Emma V Leech, the multi-award-winning Amazon Top 10 romance writer.

A Wallflower's Wish Boxed Set: Three Regency Romances


Maggie Dallen - 2021
    Or at least, she was. But this season her prospects are brighter and, much to her mother's delight, she may just make a match. When the duke she once adored from a distance arrives at the house party she's attending with her friends, she knows for certain her luck has changed.Until she meets him.A Lord for Miss LilyLily’s lord is her long lost friend. He’s also her worst enemy.Lord Merrick is perfectly handsome and charming…but this lord is a complete traitor. Lily knows this for a fact as she is the very person he turned his back on. Now she’s determined to avoid him at the house party she’s been trapped at with her former friend.The only problem? Lord Merrick is like the plague… he just keeps cropping up.A Marquess for Miss MarigoldAll this wounded marquess wants is solitude. Instead, he stumbles across a wallflower…literally.It wasn’t as though Marigold was hiding, she was just…lying low. In an abandon shed. Admidst a houseparty where both her best friends had managed to become engaged.In a few days she can escape to her quiet life a solitude and books. Alone. Forever. But then the prodigal son returns to the manor and charges into her life with the military precision one might expect from a war hero. Even more terrifying, he refuses to ignore her like the rest of society. Of course, he doesn’t.

Secrets of Midnight


Miriam Minger - 1995
    Instead, he finds himself banished to the English countryside of Cornwall, forced by the decrees of his father's will to run his family's tin mines and find a country bride. The very last thing the handsome lord needs is a local lass sticking her nose into his affairs, but that seems to be exactly what the parson's daughter, Corisande Easton, had in mind.

The House of Devon: Regency Romance


Tammy Andresen - 2020
    Rather, the House of Devon takes the romance below stairs, to the people who live, laugh, and love all while they serve. Meet the staff of the House of Devon, and discover how they find their happily ever afters...

Highlander's Wicked Game


Fiona Faris - 2019
    By pretending to be an obedient daughter, she was gathering in secret all the knowledge she could, to make her clan proud. All the knowledge her father didn't share. One fateful night, Marra throws away her caution and attends the Spring Gathering in disguise. Little did she know that her life was about to change... The devilishly handsome Duncan MacGregor didn't want to be Laird. His carefree demeanor aroused worries and doubts in his clan. While searching for fun at the Spring Gathering,he meets the lass that steals his heart. Unbeknownst to Duncan however, she is the last woman he should be meddling with. When Marra is violently abducted and the heartbreaking secret of their true identities comes to light, he has to step up and become the leader he was destined to be... Can these two save their clans and their love before all is consumed by chaos? "Highlander's Wicked Game" is a Historical Scottish romance novel of more than 80,000 words (around 440 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

The Devil's Gift


Laura Landon - 2017
     Jackson Rafferty, second son of the eleventh Earl of Devlin, held his dying brother in his arms and swore he’d avenge his murder. That pact made in blood led him to the back halls of Kingston Manor and the woman who would stand between him and pursuing the man Jack knew had killed his brother. Miss Jenevieve Kingston has a secret. Keeping it is the only thing keeping her father alive. When a rogue by the name of Jack Hawkins comes dangerously close to spoiling everything, Jenna forces him from her home. But not before he has worked his way into her heart. Now he’s back, proving he is not who she thought he was. But how can she trust him after weeks of deception?

Fearless Brides For Unsuspected Ranchers Box Set


Evelyn Boyett - 2020
    Soon after she arrives, Abby discovers that she is now the owner of her father’s large ranch, and she needs to make a decision whether she wants to keep the legacy that is now hers.When the sabotage becomes personal to someone she loves, Abby needs to make a decision that will affect not only her future but those around her. Can Abby and Mac learn how to work together to make the ranch successful while learning how to trust each other and allow love in their hearts?#2 War And Romance In Squaw ValleyBig changes are coming to Squaw Valley, Nevada. Luke Kesler runs a successful horse ranch there and whether he and his neighbors like it or not, the government has approved for the railroad to cut through their land on its way to California.Plans to stop the caravan of railroad workers before the work can be started. The engineer of the plans, Jake Crowley arrives before anyone else, invited to stay with William Granger and his niece, Helen.When Luke realizes Jake will be staying with the lovely Helen, his good friend since childhood and the secret love of his heart, he realizes the railroad isn’t the only thing that is about to change in his life.If he doesn’t tell Helen how he feels soon, he could lose her to the myriad of men about to parade into town.#3 Love And Intrigue In Red CreekWhen Macie Walker’s beloved father is murdered in the sleepy town of Red Creek, New Mexico, her world is shattered. As she and her poor, suffering mother struggle to keep their cattle ranch afloat, she finds both her resolve and her faith in God sorely tested.Jess Ryder still carries the death of his parents with him like a ghost, following him closely no matter how far he roams or how many wrongs he tries to right. The more evil he sees in the world, the more estranged he becomes with the world around him and with God above. Pretty soon, he won’t believe in anything at all, least of all the sheriff's badge he’s long ago tossed aside.When Jess receives a pleading letter from a small village’s minister, however, his sense of duty is piqued and he dons the badge for one more ride. What he finds in Red Creek is far more complicated than he would ever have expected, and not only because something about the town’s murders doesn’t sit right.Macie Walker is stubborn. She doesn’t know when to say when and she certainly doesn’t mind his instructions. The problem is, she might also be exactly what Jess needs if they can manage to solve the Red Creek murders and come out on the other side.Each book features a standalone, clean western historical romance. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after.

Titanic


I.D. Johnson - 2016
     Meg never dreamt she would find herself aboard Titanic, dressed in the borrowed clothes of her lady-in-waiting, hiding from her family, running from her haunting past. Now that she finally has the opportunity to escape it all, she realizes the man she has been engaged to for three years is also aboard the ship. Due to their long distanced relationship, Meg is able to continue her charade, but if Charlie discovers her true identity, she will end up breaking his heart all over again. And the more time Meg spends with Charlie, the more she realizes she's made a terrible mistake; she never should have ran away from him to begin with. Will she find a way to reveal her true identity without destroying their relationship, or will Meg's last chance at true love end up in the abyss? "A captivating love story you'll want to read again and again...." Emma, Beta Reader "Meg and Charlie's love story is one for the ages. If you loved James Cameron's movie, you'll love this book even more...." Liz, Beta Reader

The Dashing Widow


Elizabeth Bramwell - 2016
    Where it not for the gentle guidance of her best friend, Abby doubts she would have survived the Beau Monde's disapproval for even a week - and especially not the critical gaze of the Earl of Gloucester. The man is insufferable, arrogant, and everything that Abby hates about the Ton - except those rare moments when he laughs, and Abby's heart starts to beat in a most uncomfortable rhythm. George, Earl of Gloucester, is horrified at the scrapes his sister's best friend keeps falling into. True not all of them are her fault, but that doesn't change the fact that her actions reflect poorly on his family. Since Mrs Merriweather doesn't have any intentions of leaving London before the Season's end, there's nothing for it but for George to step in and help her navigate the treacherous waters of the Ton. She's impulsive, tempestuous, headstrong and willful; in short, everything that he claims to dislike in a woman... except after spending time with Abigail Merriweather, he's starting to wonder whether her faults are what make her so endearing. Abby and George may be developing a strange sort of friendship, but they come from different worlds that are not entirely compatible. The real question is whether they can get past their own prejudices - and the interference of their friends and family - to find out whether an arrogant Earl and a dashing young widow can fall in love without creating a scandal.

Snowflakes in Summer


Elizabeth Preston - 2019
    I might be the only person in Scotland that’s not fussed, one way or the other. But my friend, Lily, loves the idea. That’s how I wound up on the set, cast as an extra in a low budget movie set in a castle. I’m a freshly-trained history teacher about to begin my new career. History’s my passion and soon I’ll get to teach it all day long. There are so many other, more important things I should be doing right now, rather than standing in line waiting for a costume, then waiting for hair, then waiting for makeup. When I agreed to this, to be part of the crowd scene, Lily was thrilled and promised me a special time. She delivered on that promise-rather too well. Sure, I love history, but that doesn’t mean I’m prepared to be thrust back in time, into our dark past. That’s what happens to me though. I suddenly find myself living the humble and horribly dangerous life of a Scottish lass in 1263. I was not ready for this. I’m a modern woman who likes modern things. I love the idea that there’s a doctor around the corner waiting to cure me. If I had to choose a place and time in history to stop for a while, it wouldn’t be medieval Scotland. That's the end of the Viking era. It’s a tumultuous time in history when the Vikings still own small bits of Scotland, and are determined to hold on, no matter the cost. The Scots are equally as stubborn. Nevertheless, this is where I end up, forced to deal with lawlessness, disease, lack of education, and an entirely foreign sort of man. In these wayward times, men are not like they are in my own century. Here, they’re wilder and a whole lot more frightening. I need to find my way home before something really bad happens to me. I’m not blending in well in the past. Laird Bern is curious and itching to know more. He plans to keep me indefinitely, I think. But that’s not happening because I’m determined to get home again, back to my own time, to the place I belong. Someone else has noticed me too—Storr, the Viking leader. It’s bad enough to be caught between warring Vikings and Scotsmen, but somehow I also find myself trapped in a tug of love. Do I want an ambitious Viking leader or a rugged, Scottish laird, one that is hellbent on getting his own way? What I want is to go home.

Kisses and Rogues: Four Regency Stories


Anthea Lawson - 2012
    but she never suspects how delicious each kiss will be.MAID FOR SCANDALMiss Anna Harcourt disguises herself as a maid to be near the man she think she loves, but little does she know how far this charade will lead her ... or how close to scandal.THE PIANO TUTOR Encouraged by her scandalous friend to take a lover, Lady Diana Waverly finds that the new piano tutor is more than he seems - especially when it comes to passion.TO WED THE EARLMiss Miranda Price detests her neighbor Edward Havens, the rakish Earl of Edgerton--but when he catches her breaking into his library at midnight, secrets are revealed that will change the course of their lives... forever.

Sinful Pleasures


Kristi Jun - 2018
    Giles, she cursed the day she let a man dictate her life...Amelia Knight was given the chance to start anew in Scotland to live with her wealthy grandmother but not without a price. She must never reveal her past to anyone and must marry for a title to have access to her very large inheritance. To secure a husband, she heads to the glamourous Regency London with a plan to ensure her independence and risks everything she vowed never to do: fall in love.Born to privilege, he is forced back to London to remedy the family debt and shame and to fulfill a deathbed promise to his beloved brother...Emotionally scarred and devastatingly handsome, Richard, the Earl Blackthorn, saw the horrors of a broken marriage first-hand. He has no plan to marry or remain in London. When an heiress devises a plan that will ensure their freedom from marriage in two years and pay off his inherited debt, he agrees to marry. Until an unknown threat forces him to face the one question he isn’t willing to consider and open his heart to new possibilities.

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.

Fate Plays Dangerous Games (Mornington Park #1)


K.E. Chaloner - 2017
     After escaping the days of terror in France, Cherie Beaumont has spent eight years hiding in China before she arrives in England, looking for a peaceful and quiet life. She does not need a man in her life that can turn her head, as she can fight as well as any man with a rapier. But when she finds herself the house guest of the Duke of Mornington and the strong emotional attraction hard to dismiss, she does not see the danger creeping towards her. Jack Blackenhawke, the Duke of Mornington life is well structured and very organised, spending all his time in parliament believing it is his duty to help the people England obtain better lives. He does not need a wife or heir as he has seven brothers and he most certainly does not need a woman who tempts his mind to be diverted, so he cannot think straight. Especially when she holds dangerous secrets that could not only place his family in danger, but could get them all killed.

The Fairy Tale Bride


Kelly McClymer - 2000
    But when her brother's love match is thwarted by the impossibly proper Duke of Kerstone, Miranda sets off to convince the duke to champion her brother's cause for love. Unfortunately, he is too proper to consider love a suitable reason for marriage, and too proper not to marry Miranda when they find themselves compromised. Now, Miranda has a second chance for happily-ever-after, if she can uncover her new husband's darkest secret.