Book picks similar to
For The Love Of A Widow by Christina McKnight


historical-romance
romance
regency
historical-fiction

The Duke's Temptation


Addie Jo Ryleigh - 2015
    A Runner. An Earl. Three men, each born into different circumstances. Each fighting to overcome their own adversity. All striving to change their past. Gabriel St. James, Duke of Wesbrook, desires any birthright other than being the son of a hideous man. Unfortunately, Gabe knows the exact moment he became like his father—a night that has haunted him for seven years. Resigned to his future, he is unprepared when his illegitimate—and more importantly unbeknown—young daughter appears on his London doorstep. With no one to care for her but him. Lady Elizabeth Blakely has loved only one man—her brother’s longtime friend, Gabe St. James. Not even his rakish and, oftentimes, wicked behavior dissuades her. Yet it all seems hopeless as he continues to overlook the woman she has become. When Elizabeth learns Gabe is in need of assistance with his daughter, she seizes the opportunity. Gabe, less than thrilled with the situation—mostly due to his fierce desire for his best friend’s sister—has no option but to concede. Besides, a more sinister threat lurks; someone is blackmailing Gabe with his darkest secret. Through it all, Gabe vows to resist Elizabeth, no matter how tempting. Sometimes it’s better to surrender . . .

Seductive Secrets


Carrie James Haynes - 2012
    Shunned from London society for being the daughter of England’s most notorious spy, Alyce Hythe desires only to clear her father’s name. For years, she has been hidden away from all prying eyes, given a new identity and told to forget who she was. But strange things have been happening causing old rumors to once more be whispered.Long has Lord Julian Casvelyn lived with guilt brought on when his brother was murdered by England’s most infamous traitor. But one eventful night has changed everything Lord Julian believed about his brother’s death. Never did he suspect the woman he has just saved from certain harm is the daughter of that man. Now Julian is caught in midst of a conspiracy and desire for that woman.Thrown together by fate, the two search for answers long denied them and along the way discover a love that can free them both.Previously published as Daughter of Deceit under Carrie James Haynes

The Duke's Daughter


Isabella Thorne - 2017
    A strange twist of Fate brought the unlikely pair together… now nothing will keep them apart.Lady Amelia Atherton is not a woman to be trifled with. Known as the diamond of the Ton, she is beautiful, witty, and the only daughter of the Duke of Ely. The men of the Peerage see her as a prize to be won, and perhaps a way to obtain her father’s influence. Commander Samuel Beresford is the brash, sometimes rude, younger son, of the Earl of Blackburn. A Royal Navy Commander who has little time for the affectations of Society.Two people have never been so mismatched, but when Amelia’s father, The Duke of Ely, dies under mysterious circumstances, and Samuel’s elder brother is poisoned within a mere day of the Duke’s death, both Lady Amelia and Commander Beresford find themselves forced to work together in a desperate search for the culprit.Amelia was always careful to guard her feelings, that is until she met Samuel Beresford. Now everything Lady Amelia once took for granted has been shattered, and with the Dukedom in the hands of her odious Uncle Declan, Amelia and Samuel plan an elaborate ruse, in the hope of drawing out the murderer. Lady Amelia Atherton considered herself as tough as a diamond, but somehow Samuel Beresford has found his way into her heart…Neither could imagine falling in love … now it seems they cannot imagine loving anyone else.

The Demon's Mistress


Jo Beverley - 2001
    When wealthy widow Maria Celestin offers to hire him to pose as her fiance, he agrees, but forbidden passion ignites between them. Dare he reach for happiness? But what will happen when Vandeiman learns the truth about the woman he has come to love?

The Governess' Debut


Wendy May Andrews - 2015
     Orphaned and destitute, gently born Felicia Scott must find a way to keep a roof over her head. No longer able to enter the Marriage Mart, but also not of the servant class, the only option is to find a position as governess. After his spoiled, seven year old daughter has sent off three governesses in the 18 months since her mother died, the Earl of Standish doubts the young, inexperienced Miss Scott could possible manage the position. Since he’s desperate and she comes so highly recommended, the earl agrees to give her a chance. Much to everyone’s amazement, the beautiful, young governess succeeds where the others had failed. The entire household benefits from the calm, including the jaded earl. How does he overcome his arrogance to see his governess’ true value? Previously published by Astraea Press.

The Beauty of St. Kilda


Nicola Italia - 2016
    Having lost her mother in childbirth and her father right before her marriage, she has no choice but to seek a position as a governess. She reaches out to her husband’s family solicitor, Quinn Westbourne, hoping that he may be able to help her. Quinn takes one look at the young and beautiful Emily and decides that a job as a governess will not do. He writes instead to the father-in-law she's never met, and when Leopold Clairmont offers her a place in his home, Quinn agrees to escort Emily to his isolated refuge in St. Kilda. But he did not anticipate how challenging it would be to keep his distance from the grieving widow when all he wants to do is take her in his arms and console her. The two forge a friendship on their journey, and Emily begins to wonder if she could find solace and a live a comfortable life as a widow in her new home. The tiny island of Hirta in the remote cluster of islands known as St. Kilda off the Scottish coast is wild and beautiful, her father-in-law is warm and welcoming, and her sister-in-law offers her much-needed female companionship, but the island is also full of secrets. When Emily learns things about her husband that he never revealed, she wonders if she ever really knew him at all. Torn between her devotion to her departed husband and her growing feelings for Quinn, Emily must decide whether her heart belongs to the living or the dead and find the courage to act before it's too late.

What the Duke Wants


Kristin Vayden - 2014
     Is not three young ladies for wards. Nor is the responsibility for finding them a governess. Thankfully that is delegated to his housekeeper, who he might add is blind as a bat. That really could be the only excuse she has for hiring Carlotta. Because Carlotta is far too beautiful to be a governess. Temptress, yes. Unable to restrain himself—because restraint is not one of his virtues, his reputation is testament of that fact—he finds the young governess far more spirited, opinionated and tempting than he is able to resist. And of course, because he’s an idiot. He falls in love. Never questioning whether she’d be a willing participant. Of course life isn’t that easy, not even when you’re a bloody duke. And after one meddling Lady Southridge, Leads to two fiascos, Three wards decide to take matters into their own hands. Because what the duke wants…is simply to fall in love (preferably with the young woman in mind, falling in love too.)

A Dangerous Nativity


Caroline Warfield - 2015
    Trapped by his brother-in-law’s death into responsibility for his traumatized nephew, grieving sister, and an estate gone to ruin, loneliness overwhelms him. The first-rate husbandry of a neighboring farm and the woman who runs it draw him like a moth to flame. With Christmas coming, can he repair the damaged estate and far more damaged family? Dare he hope for love in the bargain? Catherine Wheatly is content to manage Songbird Cottage and care for her father and brothers. She has long since accepted that marriage and a home of her own are not in her future. She is content—until an interfering earl descends on Songbird determined to unearth their secrets and upend her world.

Building Forever


Cat Cahill - 2019
    A family to save. A love that can’t be.When Emma Daniels’ well-to-do family finds itself destitute, she answers an ad for the Gilbert Company seeking young women to be waitresses at hotel restaurants along remote railroad lines out west. The rules for a Gilbert Girl are strict: work hard, act respectably at all times, and no courting allowed. None of them present a problem for Emma, at least until she meets the hotel’s builder, Monroe Hartley. His smile and teasing manner were the last things Emma expected to find on the Colorado frontier. But as intriguing as he is, Emma would be risking her job – and her family’s lives – if she allowed his attentions.Building this hotel for the Gilbert Company is the perfect opportunity for Monroe. Not only will it advance his career, it barely gives him a moment to drown in guilt over his wife’s death. When Emma arrives, he finds himself drawn to her. But he can’t promise her anything, not unless he wants her to end up with the same fate his wife suffered.Giving in to their feelings would mean losing everything, yet they find themselves growing closer as the summer stretches on. When a man who covets Monroe’s job discovers their secret and threatens to reveal it, they must each decide whether their love is worth uprooting everything they’ve worked so hard for.Building Forever is the first book in the new Gilbert Girls series. Like all of Cat's books, this sweet and clean historical romance will warm your heart and fill you with hope.

A Lady's Vanishing Choices


Wareeze Woodson - 2015
    She thinks she has escaped undetected, but danger follows her. Lord Rivton is in search of a spy and must investigate Bethany’s family, his closest neighbor. Both at cross purposes, the sparks fly, and when he rescues her, he places her in a compromising position. They marry as expected, but their road is not smooth. She is still in mortal danger. He must find and capture the killer/spy while trying to save his wife. A tattered string weaves together this tale of murder, abduction, and espionage.

Wallflower


Catherine Gayle - 2011
    She is plump, plain, pleasant . . . and thoroughly unappealing to any of the men of the ton—apart from fortune hunters. A self-appointed wallflower, she has every intention of remaining one. Tabitha made a vow of spinsterhood with her cousins when they were girls, and she refuses to go back on her word. So far, she’s proven herself quite adept at warding off the blasted fortune hunters’ pursuits.Noah deLancie, Marquess of Devonport, would prefer to marry for love and companionship—he’s a gentleman through and through—but circumstances have forced his hand: he needs money as badly as he needs a bride. When Noah’s brother-in-law suggests pursuit of his sister, Tabitha, a woman with a dowry large enough to cause even Croesus to blush and who is tantalizingly good company to boot, Noah stumbles into the future he hopes to secure. He’ll stop at nothing to convince Tabitha to marry him.Nothing, that is, except perhaps the barrel of a dueling pistol, held to his face by his ladylove.

The Night Before Scandal


Scarlett Scott - 2019
     Lord Harry Marlow reluctantly attends a Christmas house party hosted by his brother and his sister-in-law, who also happens to be the woman he once longed to wed himself. He’s not pleased by the prospect of holly and mistletoe and merrymaking any more than he is with the reminder of the love he could have had. But his dismay doesn’t last for long when a mysterious stranger in the midst of a blizzard captures his interest. Lady Alexandra Danvers is unabashedly eccentric. Nothing and no man interests her more than her scientific pursuits. Until she meets the sinfully handsome Lord Harry, that is. When sparks fly between the unlikely pairing, scandal isn’t far behind. Will Lord Harry and Lady Alexandra find true love together by Christmas day? Length: novella Note: Previously appeared in the collection Seduced Under the Mistletoe. This is an extended version never before published.

A Fool Again


Eloisa James - 2011
    Now, a few years later, she attends the funeral of her elderly husband (not the man she ran away to marry) and who does she see but The One Who Got Away! Can they make their love work this time around or will Genevieve be A Fool Again?

The Hanover Square Affair


Ashley Gardner - 2003
    Cavalry captain Gabriel Lacey returns to Regency London from the Napoleonic wars, burned out, fighting melancholia, his career ended. His interest is perked when he learns of a missing girl, possibly kidnapped by a prominent member of Parliament. Lacey's search for the girl leads to the discovery of murder, corruption, and dealings with a leader of the underworld. He faces his own disorientation transitioning from a soldier's life to the civilian world at the same time, redefining his role with his former commanding officer and making new friends--from the top of society to the street girls of Covent Garden.#1 of the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries series.This is a full-length novel, e-version of The Hanover Square Affair, previously published in print by Berkley Prime Crime.

The Wedding Duel


Katy Madison - 2002
     A Holt Medallion nominee for Best First Book First published by Kensington Publishing Corp. THE WEDDING DUEL It was meant to be a duel like any other—defend a lady's reputation, teach a scamp a lesson in honor, and win the day. But from the first moment Keene Davies raises the cursed pistol things go awry. The shot goes astray, he wounds his best friend, and his displeased father threatens to disinherit him—unless he marries a scandalous little hoyden named Sophie. Unbeknownst to Keene, Sophie Farthing has grown into a lovely young woman, albeit one still inclined to fall into scrapes. Her high spirits and tendency to ride hell bent for leather lead her into more than one disaster, but she's bound to make the most of this unexpected marriage to Keene. She's determined to teach her husband that honor begins with the heart, not the handle of a pistol, and that passion should go hand in glove with love...