Book picks similar to
The Difficult Life of a Regency Spinster: DAPHNE by Susan Speers
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Her Celtic Captor
Ashe Barker - 2017
When Brynhild refuses to do as she is told, he wastes no time in baring her bottom for a thorough switching, and he makes it quite clear that she can expect even more painful and humiliating punishments if she continues to defy him.Though her hatred of the Celts runs deep, Taranc's stern dominance awakens desires in Brynhild that she thought she would never feel again, and when he takes her in his arms and claims her properly it is more pleasurable than she would have thought possible. But though her passion for him grows by the day, can she ever truly love a man whose people are enemies of her own?Publisher's Note: Her Celtic Captor is a stand-alone sequel to Her Rogue Viking and Her Dark Viking. It includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.
Eleanor
Sydney Jane Baily - 2019
Luckily, she has a dashing hero to assist her. But his puzzling past may tear them apart.Eleanor Blackwood is thrilled to spend time at her best friend’s country estate. Angsley Hall overflows with the breathtaking natural beauty of fields, forests, and a mighty river, as well as with a mystery or two. She’s even more delighted by the unexpected arrival of the man who has secretly captured her heart.Grayson O’Connor is not immune to Eleanor’s charms. True, she still climbs trees and acts rashly, but she also has a quick wit and joyful humor. Yet with his own past cloaked in shadows, he’s not convinced he has the right to pursue this innocent spirit.Amidst a week of drenching squalls, they begin an intriguing treasure hunt based on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Gold Bug. Danger becomes all too real with midnight intruders, shots in the dark, and a perilously swollen river cresting its banks. Unlike Poe’s story of pirate booty, Eleanor and Gray discover the greatest treasure is the precious human heart—theirs to cherish or to tear apart.Engaging characters, attention to period detail, and passionate romance with a touch of intrigue—you’ll find it all in the stories by USA Today bestselling writer Sydney Jane Baily.(Note: This story was first published as part of the USA Today Bestselling Boxed set, The Midnight Hour: All Hallows' Brides, October 2019)
The Doctor's Daughter
Amy Blizzard - 2010
Boston native Dr. John Carson is their only hope. Molded by a lifetime of pain and loss, John is impersonal and withdrawn, and treats symptoms instead of people. When he arrives in Templeton, he finds he must work with Sarah Bethel, the late doctor's daughter who has been treating the ill, and his staunch attitude is challenged. She is bright, caring, dedicated to her neighbors, and has a temper that matches his! He is mesmerized by the woman whose fiery spirit infuriates him and inherent compassion intrigues him. Will Sarah's kindness be enough to heal the scars of the past and allow John to open his heart and create a new future?
Friendship and Folly
Meredith Allady - 2004
Does the cover of your preferred historical reading matter traditionally feature either a woman in danger of a ‘wardrobe malfunction’ or a man who has misplaced his shirt (or at least his buttons), or both? 2. When you say to your friends, “Oh, I just love Mr. Darcy!” are you, in fact, thinking of Colin Firth jumping into a BBC fish pond, rather than Jane Austen’s intricate creation, who had been ‘a selfish being all his life, in practice, though not in principle’? 3. Do you deplore the fact that Jane Austen was herself the daughter of a clergyman, and that, however delightfully ironic her writing and witty her observations, she insisted on adhering to the somewhat priggish view that a charming rake was not a hero, but a villain--and also demonstrated other symptoms of ‘outdated morality’? 4. If you dutifully plowed through "Mansfield Park", were you horrified to discover that Henry Crawford was not, after all, the hero? 5. And finally, like Winnie-the-Pooh, do you find it is “more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like ‘What about lunch?’”--and, perforce, more fun to read them, as well? If you answered yes to all, or even most, of the above questions, DO NOT BUY THIS TITLE IN ANY FORM. You won’t enjoy it, and, thus embittered by this needless waste of your time and funds, your only satisfaction will be to write a scathing review of a book that was never intended for your delectation in the first place.From the back cover: The year was 1805; the place, England. Napoleon was scheming how to wrest control of the Channel from the British Navy so that he might at last invade the island "nation of shopkeepers" that kept interfering with his plans to dominate all of Europe. Lord Nelson was chasing the Emperor's fleet across the oceans in a hunt that would shortly culminate in the battle of Trafalgar. But on a quiet estate in Warwickshire, "just near enough to Stratford to take a proprietary interest in its immortal Bard," Ann Northcott was much more concerned with her mother's schemes. Those schemes would send Ann and her friend Julia Parry far away from their beloved Merriweather, on a turbulent voyage into a fashionable London season. For both of them, it would prove to be a journey of discovery into the true nature of Friendship and Folly.
Awkward
Gurpreet Kaur - 2020
This book could make you cringe with awkwardness or it could melt your heart. The chances of the latter happening are minute. Read at your own risk.** Comedy topped with a whole lot of awkwardness and a tiny-winy bit of romance.**
Amy Wingate's Journal
Marcia Willett - 1996
In the process, her life obligingly becomes eventful enough to provide some interesting reading. But it is the tantalising allusions to her past – so at odds with her appearance as the stereotyped retired schoolmistress – that intrigue, delight, and eventually reveal a woman of surprising qualities. Praise for Marcia Willett: ‘Poignantly told’ – Evening Herald Willa Marsh was born in Somerset and lives in a Georgian parsonage in Devon with her husband and two Newfoundlands. As Marcia Willett, she also writes well-reviewed novels published by Headline.
Luke's Montana Bride
Maya Stirling - 2015
The Brothers of Montana series. Three brothers and their search for love Montana 1887A friendship that could turn to loveGrowing up in the small town of Montana Falls, Amber Scott and Luke Dunbar had always been friends, even if sometimes it had seemed like they were enemies . Then Amber left to become a nurse, and Luke believed he'd lost her forever. Now that she's back in Montana Falls, both Luke and Amber discover they need each other like never before. Handsome lawman Luke Dunbar knows that reunions don't always go smoothly. Especially if the woman he believes to be his one and only love is determined to resist his every attempt to show her just how much she means to him.Can Luke seize his second chance at love, and can Amber overcome the barriers to finding a happy ever after with a friend who is now so close to becoming the love of her life?Each novel in the series is a complete standalone story with a happy ending and no cliffhangers.
Valhalla Cupcakes (The Cursed Painting #1)
Cassidy Cayman - 2016
Now she’s got loansharks breathing down her neck for a hundred thousand dollars she doesn’t even owe, and her five hundred year old painting of a sexy Viking just came to life. Fortunately for her, he has to do whatever she says, and pretty soon, he’s stirring up more than just cupcake batter. A lighthearted, steamy standalone romance with no cliffhanger!
Westward Courage
A.T. Butler - 2021
Caroline Harper has everything she could want--wealth, position, the attention of an eligible bachelor. When her brother’s news destroys all of that, Caroline must decide what kind of life she wants to create for herself. As the Harpers make their way along the grueling thousands of miles of Oregon Trail, Caroline discovers strength, poise and potential she didn’t realize she possessed. Strength that perhaps was not in a spoiled city girl at all. But will it be enough to survive and bring Caroline and her brother all the way to Oregon?
A Match for Lady Constance
Judith Lown - 2005
She has beauty, a generous dowry, and an impressive family name to recommend her. Her mother fears Constance will soon--gasp!--be relegated to the shelf. However, Lady Constance is in no hurry to wed. She has exacting requirements for a husband and intends to marry only when she finds the perfect gentleman-one that is worthy. She delights in her ability to control her own destiny. Until an encounter with a shadowy emigre, that is.Constance is certain that she can gracefully extricate herself from an unwanted engagement, while at the same time find a suitable mate for her friend and protect her innocent maid from the wiles of a sophisticated Frenchman. But can she protect her own heart from the attractions of her mysterious fiancé?
The Duke Who Loved Me: On His Majesty's Secret Service Book 1
Patricia Barletta - 2018
Lady Jessica Carlton can’t afford to lose. Known as the Lady Fortuna, she wagers it all each night at the most notorious gaming hell in London, run by the French émigré, Madame du Barré. Jessica has built a reputation as one of the best gamblers in the ton. But she derives no joy in winning and must hand over everything she makes to her stepmother, Margaret. If Jessica loses, Margaret will force her into a loveless marriage and keep her from seeing her younger brother. Since the death of her father, the Earl of Braeleigh, Jessica is the only person who can protect twelve-year-old Jason, from Margaret’s machinations. She must win at any cost. But Jessica never expected to lose to the handsome Damien Trevor, Duke of Wyndham. In a rash attempt to keep her winnings, she deals from the bottom of the deck. The Duke catches her sleight of hand and demands satisfaction—or he will have her evicted from the gaming hell. Desperate, Jessica agrees to pay Wyndham back—by spending a night in his bed. Damien is captivated by the blue-eyed, raven-haired beauty who cheated so smoothly. Her mysterious identity intrigues him, but her furtive trips out of London raise his suspicions. As the English spy, Le Chat, Damien is given the task of uncovering and toppling espionage networks on behalf of His Majesty, King George. Could the lovely Jessica be smuggling English secrets to the French? Passion brings Damien and Jessica together. Secrets and lies threaten to tear them apart. As fate deals them a deadly hand, can they trust in each other and believe the truth in their hearts? The Duke Who Loved Me is a substantially revised and re-edited re-release of Ecstasy’s Gamble, originally published in 1990, under Patricia Barletta’s pen-name, Amy Christopher.
The Major Meets His Match
Annie Burrows - 2017
Recently titled, ex-military and required to wed, Jake views ton ladies with a cynical eye... Until he falls upon--quite literally--Lady Harriet Inskip.After years of being overlooked, Harriet cannot believe that Lord Becconsall is the only person to truly see her. But between his taunts and her fiery disposition, it's soon clear that the major has finally met his match!Brides for Bachelors Eligible rakes walk down the aisle!
California Bound
Frank Kelso - 2017
Jeb & Zach are God-fearing, hard-working, honest southern boys--if you don’t count stealing Gen. Sherman’s horse. A border war raged on the Rio Bravo near Eagle Pass TX! Cattle rustled! Ranches burnt! Innocents killed or kidnapped! Confronting 2 Cortina men in a saloon turns ugly … Jeb is wounded … one Cortina man escapes to alert Cortina. A young widow tends Jeb in healing after the Doc sews him. Jeb and Zach take a shine to the bold and sassy lady. “Aww, man. After all the time we been together, are we gonna fight over a woman” … “No fight needed,” Jeb said. “She’s gonna decide, then get us think it was our idea.” … “She always does,” Zach replied. Jeb & Zach trick Cortina to rescue Rebecca but Cortina cross the Rio Bravo to take Eagle Pass hostage! Either Jeb & Zach surrender to him or he burns the town! Will they ever get to California?
I Close My Eyes (Closed Book 1)
Regina Puckett - 2017
But there she stands, attempting to shut out the rest of the world by simply closing her eyes, but the duke understands better than most that life is never that simple. The last thing Jane wants is a husband, until she opens her eyes to find the scarred and much too handsome stranger secluded in her chosen quiet corner. Why can’t the obstinate man understand she just needs a brief moment of solitude before returning to face her tormentors? But no matter how many times she tells him to go away, he remains. So is it her fault that her father misunderstands the young duke’s intentions? Whilst marriage isn’t on Phillip—as she learns the duke is called—or Jane’s mind, when society’s trials and tribulations come, they soon become each other’s touchstone, and by it discover that joy is tantalisingly within their grasp, although others seem intent on thwarting their every wish.
Sunshine and Shadows
Katie Flynn - 2014
The Kildares are poor but happy. But when their croft is wrested from them, Daisy's Aunt Jane, who is housekeeper to Dr and Mrs Venables, offers to take Daisy back to Liverpool so that the child can be a companion to her employers' orphaned niece, Cynthia.
Daisy is a tomboy, young for her age, self-willed and hot-tempered. In Ireland she was seldom in school but often in trouble. Now, however, she tells herself that she must conform. She begins to work hard in school, and though she and Cynthia don't get along, she meets Jake, the chauffeur's son, and life in Liverpool becomes easier to bear.
When Jake goes to university, Daisy means to follow suit, but war intervenes and instead, she starts work at a munitions factory, and falls in love for the very first time...