Book picks similar to
Ante Up by Caroline Lee
romance
western
historical-fiction
historical-romance
A Duke She Can't Refuse
Gemma Blackwood - 2019
Daisy’s loyalty to her friends is always getting her into awkward places. Unfortunately, those places include the bedroom of the stern young Duke of Loxwell, where she is caught hiding by one of society’s most notorious gossips. For mysterious reasons of his own, the duke saves her reputation with a false engagement. There’s only one rule: she can't fall in love with him. Simple enough. What are the chances that the true love Daisy has always dreamed of should turn out to be the strict, strait-laced, surprisingly tender duke with a devastating smile reserved especially for her? Alexander Balfour, the new Duke of Loxwell, lives for honour and duty. The dukedom weighs as heavily on his shoulders as the responsibility of setting an example for his four unruly sisters. And that honour has sealed his fate forever. A fatal mistake in his past means he cannot fall in love without betraying those he holds dearest. Even if Daisy turns his world upside down in a hundred different ways, she cannot save him from his lonely penance. Or can she?
The Alchemy of Night
Nicola Italia - 2017
Nigel Carey, the second son of Lord Marham, is quiet and reserved yet secretly pines to call Emme his own. When Nigel proposes, Emme accepts it without love knowing the match will give her a comfortable life. She is unaware that Nigel's dark and mysterious older brother, Everett, heir to the earldom, also holds a deep desire for her. Arriving a week early to a mutual friend's annual winter house party, Emme and Everett strike up an unexpected friendship, one that quickly leads to romance. As Everett invokes feelings in her she never thought possible, he urges her to break off her engagement to his brother. However, another young woman who has been scheming to force a marriage with the handsome, wealthy, and titled Everett is found dead in the middle of the winter ball. Suddenly everyone has a motive for murder--even Emme. As the inspector assigned to the case tries to unravel the plot, the list of suspects narrows, and Everett is arrested. Convinced of his innocence, Emme embarks on a mission to clear his name. She uncovers overlooked clues and someone suddenly becomes determined to stop her. Emme and Everett must race to unmask the killer before the killer silences Emme forever.
Westward Winds
Linda Bridey - 2014
Her doting parents want her to make a good match with a worthy gentleman and live a respectable life. She is beautiful and intelligent and she comes with a hefty dowry. There is no reason that she shouldn’t be able to find an eligible man and settle down.Tessa herself is the reason. The men who are attempting to court her are, in her opinion, boring and conceited. Not only that, Tessa craves excitement and adventure, of which there is little in her social circles. By chance, she comes across an advertisement for a bride brokerage company seeking eligible women of good breeding to go west and find husbands.One man on the list catches her eye and she begins corresponding with him, eventually agreeing to go to Montana to meet him. She can’t resist the possibility of finding someone different and even if she doesn’t, the adventure itself would be worth her time. Tessa makes a successful escape and sets out to make a new life in Montana.Dean Samuels is a Montana rancher who is in over his head. His ranch is struggling and his two children are unruly and in need of a caretaker. It’s clear to his younger brother, Marcus, that he needs help. He tells Dean about a mail order bride service and convinces him that he should utilize it to find a wife.After his wife, Sarah, had passed away, Dean never intended to marry again. His ranch and his children became his life. However, it becomes apparent that Sadie, his daughter, and his son, Jack, need stability and love. The demands of raising his children and keeping his head above water financially have taken a toll and Dean grudgingly gives in to Marcus’ idea.Sarah had been the love of his life and Dean doesn’t intend to let any other woman into his heart. He’s locked those kinds of emotions deep inside, not wanting to take the chance of getting hurt like that again. Because Dean has trouble expressing his feelings in writing, his younger brother Marcus agrees to help write the letters to Tessa. Dean is happy to leave that part up to him.When Dean and Tessa meet, sparks fly between the two strong willed people. Tessa is disappointed that Dean isn’t the romantic, sophisticated man she was lead to believe he was in the letters she received. Dean is aggravated that she isn’t a meek woman who is easily managed. Never mind the fact that she has no idea of how to take care of children and keep a home.Dean and Tessa struggle to find common ground and make their marriage work. Will they each take the risk and open their hearts to one another? Can their marriage survive and will they find love and contentment in each other? Their future happiness hangs in the balance under the Montana skies.
Sarah's Duke: and Ellie's Gentleman
Georgiana Louis - 2015
She doesn’t need a great fortune or a title, she would actually prefer not to have to go into London ever again. She has little to offer other than her beauty and a pleasant temperament, but she is hoping that will be enough to secure her a man who will be kind to her. Oliver Lyre is the newly inherited Duke of Lincoln. Born as the spare son, he never expected to inherit his father’s mantle, and has neither the skills nor the desire to enjoy the benefits of his rank. He knows that he must marry a lady befitting of the position, but when he rescues the beautiful Sarah Collins one night, he can’t imagine living without her lovely smile in his life. Should he marry the delectably sweet virgin who would undoubtedly make a horrible Duchess, or do what duty demands of him? Ellie's Gentleman: sweet short story Ellie Sommers is twenty years old, beautiful, lively and intelligent. She has finally returned to her family home after another long London season. She wants nothing more than to stay in her beloved country town and ride her horses. Enter Robert Blakely, a widower and a true gentleman. He has come to spend Christmas with his long-time friend William, Ellie’s father. Robert has no wish to marry again and is shocked to discover his own interest in the beautiful daughter of his friend. The only problem is that he is twice her age and a widower who has convinced himself he will never marry again.
Millie and the Marksman
Kari Trumbo - 2019
Baker Millie Coco just wants Hawk Bauer out of her life for good. He’s the head of the ruthless Bauer gang, but also the brother to the town doctor. A man who wants her affections. Millie would rather have neither man, but agrees to convince Hawk his life could be better on this side of the jail cell. Hawk Bauer’s name, earned through gun battles and a long string of crime, is his most prized possession. When he’s shot and winds up in the small settlement of Redemption Bluff, he finds a brother he thought was dead, and worse, he’s thrown off the family name. An insult that cuts deeper than the abandonment. To spite his brother, Hawk vows to steal the woman he loves. But will Millie’s charm prove too strong even for Hawk? Start this sweet, romantic, western series filled with hope and second chances.
The Look of Love
Meara Platt - 2019
A dingy old book tucked away in an old Regency London bookshop holds magic and love for those who use the 'recipes'! When Lady Olivia Gosling finds The Book of Love in a musty bookshop, she is most eager to try out its love “recipes” on someone safe. Did she say safe? Well, Beast isn’t really safe, but with her odious guardian about to marry her off to one of his unsavory friends, Olivia needs her childhood friend to fall in love with her... fast. If Beast can love her, then any man she chooses will surely do the same. Alexander Beastling, Duke of Hartford, is known as Beast among the ton. He is big and muscled, and there is a dark aura of mystery about him that he makes no effort to dispel. Now that he’s returned from battle, he’s appalled to learn of the marriage plans Lady Olivia’s loathsome guardian has for her. Beast has decided that he will help her find a proper husband, even if it means putting up with her ridiculous experiments taken out of a book she refers to as The Book of Love. Olivia calls them magical recipes for love. Is it possible they actually work? Because suddenly, Beast can’t seem to get Olivia out of his mind... or his heart. Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Daughter of Joy
Kathleen Morgan - 1999
BUT THE ONE WHO KNOWS THEM BEST MAY HAVE OTHER PLANS ...Abigail Stanton's whole life was rooted in her faith, a faith she now clings to solely to survive. In the wake of losing her husband and young son, Abby sets out alone, bereft and heartsick, to discover what God wants her to do. When he leads her to Conor MacKay's doorstep, though, the very foundation of her beliefs starts to shift.As the volatile rancher's new housekeeper, Abby is supposed to keep his affairs --- and his equally capricious little girl --- in order. Why, then, does she feel confusion, passion, desire, and anything but order every time they are together? Conor tries to hide his own seething emotions beneath a cold facade, but there is something about his prim new housekeeper that sets him on edge. And the more ruthlessly he attacks Abby's faith, the more his defenses crack.As Abby and Conor draw closer to the flame of their attraction, they must grapple with their deepest beliefs and fears. In opening their hearts again, both risk even greater loss for a chance at the greatest love of all.
Lonesome Valley Bride
G.L. Snodgrass - 2019
And it could be all his if he only married a woman he had never met. Jack Tanner had drifted from job to job. A natural loner, the last thing he ever expected was to end up married to a stranger and owning a beautiful valley. And now, just as he was beginning to put down roots for the first time in his life, someone wanted to take it all away from him. He’d die before he let that happen. Mail-order bride, Jenny O’Neil was coming west to marry Nathanial Parker only to find out he had been murdered. And here was this tall cowboy telling her that Nathanial had left his valley to them. But only if they married. A business arrangement, Mr. Tanner called it. Not a true marriage. But what choice did she have? Penniless, no home to go back to, alone in a different world. She had already committed herself to marry a stranger. Although, she had never imagined marrying a man like this. Tall, rough around the edges, with eyes that touched her soul. Someone has killed and would try to kill again to get their valley. Struggling together, the two of them will fight for what is theirs. All the while, growing closer. Both of them wanting more than a cold business arrangement. Both of them coming to want a true marriage.
A Husband for Margaret
Ruth Ann Nordin - 2010
This light-hearted tender romance is the sequel to A Bride for Tom.
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.
No Place for a Lady
Maggie Brendan - 2009
After the death of her father, Crystal is relieved to be leaving the troubles of her Georgia life behind to visit her aunt's cattle ranch. Despite being raised as a proper Southern belle, Crystal is determined to hold her own in this wild land—even if a certain handsome foreman named Luke doubts her abilities.Just when she thinks she's getting a handle on the constant male attention from the cowhands and the catty barbs from some of the local young women, tragedy strikes. And saving the ranch from a greedy neighboring landowner means Crystal must take charge of a cattle drive, ready or not. Can she rise to the challenge? Or will she head back to Georgia defeated?
The Bounty
Beth Williamson - 2006
After three years, the notorious bounty hunter Tyler Calhoun catches up with the elusive lady outlaw. The intensity of their dislike for each other is only matched by the growing passion they cannot seem to control. A loner by nature, a cold hard hunter by choice, Tyler fights his feelings for his prisoner the only way he knows how--by denying them. He's not prepared for how deeply his feelings will run, or how hard it will be to hold her life in his hands. Pursued by two hapless cowboys bent on taking Nicky in themselves, Nicky and Tyler are forced to turn to each other for aid, trust, and comfort as their journey progresses on its rocky road. Caught in a web of lies and murder, they hold on to each other as they travel to Wyoming to confront the man that brought them together. Tyler has to decide if his love for her is worth more than the bounty he was sent to find. Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, some violence.
Love by the Letter
Melissa Jagears - 2013
He's been too busy helping to provide for his family. Now that he's heading west, Dex is hoping to start a family of his own. However, his attempt to acquire a mail-order bride fails miserably when the lady writes back ridiculing his terrible spelling. Rachel Oliver may be the last person he wants to know what a dunce he is, but she's also the smartest woman in town--and it's clear he needs her help.Rachel Oliver has lingered in town for three years secretly mooning over Dex Stanton, but now she's done. If the fool wants to write to a mail-order bride company, so be it. Once she begins giving Dex lessons, however, Rachel realizes she may not be prepared to give up just yet.As their time together runs short, can two of the most stubborn people in town set aside their pride long enough to find love?Love by the Letter is a companion novella to A Bride for Keeps, Melissa Jagears's full-length debut novel available fall 2013. Includes an extended sneak peek at A Bride for Keeps.
Brighter than Gold
Cynthia Wright - 1990
Spirited Katie MacKenzie helps her father run a saloon and writes articles for the local newspaper about the Griffin, a Robin Hood-style highwayman who robs the unscrupulous mine owners and gives back to the townspeople. Irresistibly roguish Jack Adams, an adventurer with a dark secret, rides into the sleepy Sierra town one summer day and changes everything.A powerful attraction smolders and burns between Jack and Katie despite their efforts to resist, but when a tragic death occurs during one of the Griffin's stagecoach robberies, Katie is haunted by thoughts of revenge. Can Jack reconcile his life in Columbia with his surprising true identity in San Francisco... and will this couple find their way to happiness in spite of the dangerous secrets that separate them? Journey back to Civil War-era California with Jack, Katie, and historical characters like Samuel Clemens for a passionate & adventurous romance that will keep you turning the pages to the very end!
The Charmer
C.J. Archer - 2013
Charming. Devastating. He was the last man she needed, but the only one she wanted. Orlando Holt has never assassinated a woman before. The lovely, feisty Lady Lynden will be his first. She's supposed to be a vicious murderess, but when Orlando begins to have doubts, he sets out to discover the identity of the person who hired him. What he learns will turn his world upside down, and propel him headlong into love with a woman who's immune to his charms. Twice widowed by the age of twenty-four, Lady Susanna Lynden has had enough of charming men. Her last husband knew all the right things to say to get her to the marriage bed…then made her life miserable. Money may be scarce and her house falling down around her, but the exotic fruit from her orange trees will keep poverty away. Except someone is thwarting her at every turn. Someone who may even want her dead. The books in the Assassins Guild series are: #1 The Charmer #2 The Rebel #3 The Saint #4 The Sinner