Book picks similar to
Friday Dreaming by Elizabeth Bailey


historical-romance
virgin-hero
regency
romance

The Beleagured Earl


Allison Lane - 2000
    But the new owner, the notorious Maxwell Longford, seemed genuinely interested in restoring her ruined estate -- and stealing her heart, as well...

Claiming Lady Brinton


Tess St. John - 2020
    She’s become invisible to London society and is set to begin life anew with another man.The day he married Millicent, Lord Tristan Brinton’s carriage overturned and knocked him unconscious. When he woke, he found himself on a hellish convict ship being treated like a prisoner. He finally escapes that nightmare and returns to London in hopes to learn who put him on that ship and seek justice.But first he must come back from the grave to a wife he knows would rather he remain dead. Can Tristan persuade Millicent he is a different man? Will he get the chance before his abductors silence him forever?

The Unusual Story of the Silent Duchess


Emma Linfield - 2018
    On just such a dark night, a mysterious voiceless girl arrives at the doorstep of the powerful Duke of Rutland, Neil Arnold. Thanks to her, his gloomy soul will see its first sunny days after a very long time. Her silence, though, hides secrets, and whatever evil force made her run for her life that dreadful stormy night is coming after her... The Duke, while still trying to find his way back to happiness, will have to find the strength to protect not only the mysterious stranger that stole his heart but also his innocent daughter. He can't afford to lose the ones he loves for the second time. But the danger is resting closer than he thinks as no one can be trusted.

The Awakening of Miss Henley


Julia Justiss - 2019
    Miss Emma Henley knows she’s neither pretty nor rich enough to land a husband. Instead she’s thrown her passion into good causes. But this season she’s tempted by a flirtation with Lord Theo. The dashing rake is just as determined to stay unwed as she is. It’s scandalous…but if she’s never to marry, perhaps he can show her the pleasures of the marriage bed!

A Bachelor She Loves to Hate


Emily Honeyfield - 2020
    The single bright spot in her desperation comes in the form of a mysterious man who shows up at her door one dark, stormy night and offers her the housekeeper position at his estate. With most of her fortune gone, and bankruptcy hanging over her head, she has to act fast and accept his help. However, upon arriving at his estate, she will realise it is full of dark secrets. While trying hopelessly to bring them to light, an inexplicable desire for her seductive employer will grow in Tabitha's heart. Will she be able to discover Oliver's secrets without upsetting their blossoming affair?Oliver Penderghast has been a bachelor ever since his wife died. Being a vigorous man, who loves to travel all around the continent, he has been named the Spymaster by the very King. Trapped between his hurtful past and lonely future, he is constantly trying to find balance in his turbulent life. When the newly hired housekeeper discovers an abandoned wing in his mysterious estate and hidden passageways that allow people to slip in and out of rooms undetected, hints of a past life come to light... When deep buried secrets come to surface, he must decide if it is worth risking it all for the most attractive Lady in town. Trouble is, once he's tasted her fiery passion, he wants it all...Can he defy everything to be with the woman who conquered his heart and mind?The past always has a way of raising its ugly head and bringing havoc and heartache upon the unsuspecting... Will Oliver manage to fall for Tabitha as madly as she has for him? Or will the skeletons in Oliver's closet overpower the undeniable love and passion that could have grown between them?"A Bachelor She Loves to Hate" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Loving the Lost Duke


Louise Allen - 2017
    A beauty resisting love. Almost seven years ago the young Duke of Calderbrook left England for the self-imposed exile that seemed the only way to save his life. Now Cal is back, a grown man bent on taking back his birthright and discovering who so nearly killed him – even if they prove to be someone he loves. The truth, revenge, then a suitable marriage are Cal’s aims, but his determined quest is stopped in its tracks by Society beauty Sophie Wilmott. He wants Sophie and Sophie, armoured against love by her own secrets, wants Cal. He needs to keep her safe, she needs to guard her heart – but death is waiting at the heart of the Duke’s great house and only courage and love are going to give them the strength to overcome it.

The Hidden Duchess


Bree Verity - 2021
    Set in 1789 in the years leading up to the French Revolution, it is full of intrigue, romance and adventure.────Celeste, Duchesse de Saint Tours, is forced into hiding when she is falsely accused of the murder of her husband. She flees to the south of France, where her distant cousin, Marcel Daunou reluctantly agrees to hide her in plain sight on his farm. However, she must learn to live as a peasant farmer to complete the deception, a feat which appears next to impossible to the haughty Duchess. Especially knowing that the unsettling Marcel is watching over her at every turn. She can’t wait to return to her beloved Paris, and the exquisite, hedonistic lifestyle she has left behind.Marcel knows that he places his loved ones in danger when he agrees to hide Celeste. However, his committee has agreed to hide her in exchange for a large sum of money that will assist their gravely poor community, and since she is his family, he takes responsibility for her. But Republican fervor is running high and Marcel knows if the Duchess is found out, she will be marched back to Paris, and to the guillotine. And his family will face harsh retribution from the agitating revolutionaries for hiding a member of the despised nobility.Forced to work together, Celeste and Marcel discover a passion that they cannot resist. And Celeste discovers a feeling of belonging and acceptance from the people of the village that she has never felt before. She begins to dream about a future with Marcel.When her well-meaning lawyer appears in the village and gives her identity away, it isn’t only Marcel that Celeste stands to lose – it’s her life as well.How can a noble Duchess and a peasant farmer find their happily ever after?

My First Noel


Danelle Harmon - 2016
    Her cold exterior masking a world of hurt, she despairs of ever finding true love. But when a mysterious stranger comes to her, hurt and desperate on a snowy Christmas Eve, she never dreams that opening the door to him will change her life forever... and show her the true meaning of Christmas.A holiday novella set in the De Montforte world, written by the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The De Montfortes.

Undoing One's Enemy


Camille Oster - 2012
    He is determined on the ruination of the family that destroyed his, but his plans conflict with his gentlemanly duties to the remnants of the Hessworth family-Amelia Hessworth and her ailing aunt.Amelia Hessworth's willful pride and determination only increases the stakes as she refuses to accept a fate less than the one she wants. She won't let circumstance or the arrogant man who'd come to throw her out of her home stop her-even as she has little choice in the short term but to rely on support from the man who despises her. In fact, she learns to embrace the freedom outside of Society's strict expectations.To say they don't get on is an understatement, but circumstances can be cruel.

Bride for the Sake of Duty


Bridget Barton - 2020
    To make matters worse, her new husband leaves right after their nuptials on his first trip overseas. After two years of loneliness, Miles returns and he’s even more handsome than she remembers, but he still remains a complete stranger to her. Could she ever grow feelings for him after all this time? Will she eventually get the one thing she has always dreamt of?Miles Fitzroy craves adventure but he has to get wed to honour his father’s wishes. His wife may be breathtaking, but he has no time to get to know her before he leaves for India. Now that he is finally back home, he finds himself longing for something other than the sea. He realizes that it might be the journey of falling in love that has been missing from his life. Could he ever choose the warmth of his beautiful wife over the exciting life of an adventurer?Two strangers are bound together forever, but it won’t be easy to create a genuine bond after their long separation. A string of mishaps and adventures that follow can either bring them together forever or tear them apart for good. Will Eleanor get her wish for a true, heart-melting romance? Will Miles finally find a place to call home in Eleanor’s eyes?"Bride for the Sake of Duty" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

The Unwanted Wedding


Barbara Cartland - 1983
    To refuse is unthinkable, so, in desperation, he agrees to pre-empt his Monarch by cynically marrying Aline’s innocent young niece, Honora. The beautiful Honora is horrified at the prospect of marrying a man she has never met, let alone love, but she has little choice. Heartbroken and facing a life without the love she has always dreamt about, a husband who seems to hate her and a wedding night she dreads, she flees and falls prey to an even worse fate. Now that he might lose her forever, the Duke realises that it is not hate for Honora that beats in his heart. It is love! But has his awakening come too late?

The Double Identity of a Seductive Lady


Henrietta Harding - 2019
    Having no other option, she takes up the position of the cook at the townhouse of the Duke of Northpeak. When the former Duke's solicitor, Mr. Ferguson, offers Sophie a way to earn additional income if she spies on the Duke, who will she trust, when all she sees in the Duke is kindness? To her surprise, she will soon find out that the charming Mr. Ferguson schemes to dishonor the Duke in the hope of claiming his title. With this in mind, will she be able to keep herself distant to his affection?Lord Marcus Kingston, the Duke of Northpeak is a kind man who inherited his title at a very young age. The Duke has always longed to achieve his own happiness, but finding a perfect match to his beloved sister, Margret, must come first. What will happen when his forbidden feelings for his new lady chef are about to explode? How will he be able to resist this undeniable passion, and stay true to his plan at the same time?They have discovered their electrifying connection under very peculiar circumstances, but what will happen if he finds out about her secret identity? Being conquered by two men, will she be able to make the right choice? Was it fate that these two passionate souls would meet?"The Double Identity of a Seductive Lady" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

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.

The Duke's Dilemma (Regency Romance)


Elizabeth Chater - 1986
    When Lady Leslie Endale realizes that her guardian March Wendell is the one responsible for her young brother's awful accidents, she arranges for her siblings to flee to London to be in the protection of Great-Aunt Endale. This seems to be the ideal solution for Lady Leslie until fate brings the Duke of Kenelm to her and he offers a more attractive option for the Endale progeny. He takes a liking to the children while Lady Leslie is enchanted by his charming ways, but can the two find each other's hearts while running from the corrupt March Wendell?

Julia and the Devil


Sahara Kelly - 2016
    His reputation is sinking faster than his finances and if he wants to stay out of the Fleet, there’s only one option – marriage. None of the Ton will have him – he must look elsewhere. Wealthy widow Mistress Julia Willoughby isn’t entranced by the idea of being a dissolute rake’s financial salvation, however she has her own reasons for needing a husband. Passion isn’t one of them…but life, learns Julia, is full of surprises…