Book picks similar to
The Firstborn by Quenby Olson


historical-romance
romance
historical
regency

A Sensible Lady: A Traditional Regency Romance


Judith Lown - 2012
    So she leases the Dower House from a kindly baron on a neighboring estate, believing that she has successfully met the greatest challenge of her life.How wrong she is! The kindly baron dies. An orphan arrives, whom Katherine accepts as her nephew. She is determined to provide for him, which means she must forget about love and marry a gentleman with money.There are three possibilities.Her cousin, Sir Clive Brampton, is eager to let bygones be bygones and marry Katherine. She would be able to return to her family home and live a life of financial ease. Her nephew would be provided for and launched into a career deemed suitable by Sir Clive. Can Katherine just accept Sir Clive’s generous offer?The Reverend Mr. Augustus Wharton, the newly arrived vicar, listens attentively to Katherine’s anguished musings over the loss of her brother on a distant battlefield in Spain. There are rumors that Mr. Wharton’s present vocation is a stunning contrast to his past as a hard drinking, gambling rake. Katherine dismisses the rumors and wonders if she could live happily with a man for whom she feels only sisterly affection.Finally, there is the new baron, Lord Henry Dracott. Lord Harry, as he is called, is clearly attracted to Katherine. But in spite of their best efforts to be civil to each other, their disagreements end up in arguments. Although there is mutual attraction, Katherine knows that Lord Harry’s heart is buried with his dead wife.Katherine tries to be a sensible lady and accept a practical marriage. But will her heart let her?

Curricle & Chaise


Lizzie Church - 2012
    Even this might have proved tolerable. After all, Lydia was an independent sort of a girl, more than capable of holding her own against importunate tradesmen, and more than happy to bring her younger sister up on her own.It would not do, however. The state in which Lydia discovered the family affairs made independent existence quite out of the question. In spite of all her best efforts, within a few months of her mama’s death, and scarcely out of full mourning, it became apparent to her that there was nothing to be done but to acknowledge the inevitable and appeal to her relations for help….It is 1810. Lydia, now penniless, is forced to seek a home with an aunt and uncle who have no interest in her whatsoever. But there are plenty of others with an interest in her – including the handsome but selfish son of the family – her cousin Charles - and two elegant brothers who live nearby.Each, in his own way, poses an intriguing challenge to her. Luckily Lydia is well able to look after herself but she gets into a number of scrapes which almost cost her any chance of happiness before finally managing to sort things out in the end.

Jane Fairweather: A Madcap Regency Romance (The Fairweather Sisters Book 4)


Anya Wylde - 2021
    

An Embroidered Spoon


Jayne Davis - 2019
    But when her father, Lord Bedley, discovers that the situation in Wales is not what he thought, and that Rhys is in trade, a gulf opens for a pair who’ve come to love each other. Will a difference in class keep them apart?

Bella's Band


Alina K. Field - 2014
    His brother’s murder has forced Steven into a new and completely unwanted role, and worse, he has no idea how to salvage his family’s depleted estate. A rumor that his brother had a son by a woman who may be a) the murderer, and b) his brother’s secret wife, sets Steven on a mission to find her, the boy, and—Steven ardently hopes—the proof of a marriage that will set him free. Confirmed spinster Annabelle Harris is a country heiress with a penchant for taking in orphans and helping the downtrodden. Her philanthropy hides her desperate search for her disgraced sister, the mistress to the Earl of Hackwell. When the Earl is murdered, her sister thrusts her child into Annabelle’s care and disappears. Now, with suspicion pointing at the sister, Annabelle has begun a new quest, to find the woman, and clear her name. When their paths converge, the reluctant Earl and the independent spinster find themselves rethinking their goals, and battling the real murderer together.

The Lonely Lord


Audrey Harrison - 2019
    Do you ever feel set apart from whatever is going on around you? Is it just me who feels lost and unconnected to the world? I have no idea how to connect even if I wished to. Sometimes it feels safer in not quite belonging. Anthony Rusell, Earl of Lever, has to marry before his thirtieth birthday – his father’s will dictates it. A man who has always been socially awkward and at a loss of how to communicate easily with people is determined to marry to save his heritage, but has no real idea of how to avoid making a blundering mess of the situation he is faced with.Mrs Julia Price is a widow escaping from a brutal past of living with an abusive husband. Wishing to give her son everything, while living in straightened circumstances, she is determined to appear as undamaged as she can be. She will no longer be intimidated or treated poorly.Two damaged souls brought together amid a mix of family conflict, old friendships and Bath Society.Dare they risk their hearts? Are they able to forget the trauma of the past? One thing is certain, after meeting, neither will be the same again.….The Lonely Lord is a Regency romance which is topped with a generous dose of humour, chemistry, teasing and tears. If you like complex, but strong characters, a huge dose of romance, with some laughs along the way, then you'll love Audrey Harrison's Regency tale. Everyone deserves that happy ending. Buy The Lonely Lord and fall in love today!

The Key to the Governess's Heart


Abigail Agar - 2020
    Particularly since his daughter, and Beatrice's dearest friend, is meant to be meeting her betrothed that fateful evening. Beatrice is more than excited for her friend, but her life is about to turn upside down when her eyes meet the most handsome Lord she's ever seen. The only problem is that the man she felt connected to for the very first time is her best friend's husband-to-be. Feeling ashamed and disgraced by a situation she never intended to be a part of, will she find the strength to fight her feelings?Lord Peter Hawthorn, the Earl of Willoughby, is nervous but excited to meet the woman he is about to marry. As they start talking, he instantly finds himself attracted to the beautiful, kind, and interesting young Lady. But little did he know that the woman he is falling for is his future wife's governess. They say true love knows no bounds, but will Peter dare to defy cruel society, even if that means he will break another heart? How far is he willing to go for a chance at true love?Beatrice and Peter soon find themselves caught up in the denial of their affections, while complications of their classes and Lord Seton's adamant will make matters even worse. Will this match made in heaven survive against all odds? Or will commitment and society keep them apart forever?"The Key to the Governess's Heart" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

The Duke's Double


Anita Mills - 1988
    That was before he showed his true colors when he accused her of unfaithfulness and dragged her name through the mud of public scandal. That was before she fled to Italy with Adrian's best friend, Gareth Sherwood, who rescued her from the total ruin of her divorce by making her his wife.Now Joanna had returned to England as a ravishing young widow—only to find nothing had changed.Unfair scandal still shrouded her name—and impossible love still burned in her heart....

A Captivating Lady's Love Storm


Bridget Barton - 2020
    After her first dance with a charming gentleman, her instinct tells her that he might be the one. While she can't stop daydreaming about her life by his side, everything is about to change when she discovers that his family is her father's lifelong feud. When her father announces that he will never allow her to see him again, Marianne's life falls into pieces. Desperate to escape her grim future, she tries to find the cause of her father's hate and soothe his resentful heart. Will she manage to put an end to an endless clash? Will she finally have the happy ending she has always been dreaming of?Edmund Stapleton is a kind gentleman with an intrepid mind. Even though he has never enjoyed balls and such social events, he has no choice but to fulfil society's expectations. When he first sees Marianne, he cannot help being smitten by her beauty. But a storm is brewing when he learns that the woman who is about to haunt his dreams would be the daughter of his father's most obnoxious enemy. Will Edmund stick to his father's demand to forget about Marianne, or will he start a relentless pursuit of claiming the woman he loves?Against all odds, Marianne and Edmund do everything in their power to spend a few moments together. But when her father finds out about their secret meetings, furious as he is, he forces her back to the countryside. To make matters worse, he finds an eligible man to betroth her at the earliest opportunity. In the end, will the two romantic souls escape from a terrible fate? Will their love withstand the obstacles that keep them apart?"A Captivating Lady's Love Storm" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

The Widow's Redeemer


Philippa Jane Keyworth - 2012
    A wealthy viscount with an unsavory reputation.London, 1815: After her husband’s untimely death, Letty Burton comes up from the country with her domineering mother-in-law. Hiding a past she wishes to forget and facing an uncertain future, all she wants is to navigate London Society as a silent companion.A chance meeting with London’s most eligible bachelor sets in motion a series of events that will bring her quiet life under the unfriendly scrutiny of the ton. With the net of scandal, debts, and rivals closing in, will she let her dark past dictate her life forever? Will she learn to trust again? And most importantly, will she allow herself to love?

His Wayward Duchess (The Lady Adventuress, #1)


Daphne du Bois - 2014
    Who better to help him set the crumbling estate to rights? But Miss Millforte is much more than Sylvester, or even she herself, could ever imagine! When Holly turns the tables on him, charming London society and stealing his heart into the bargain, can their marriage take a most inconvenient turn towards love instead? An old-fashioned comedy of manners in which adventure, blackmail, rakish cousins and true love abound…

A Lyon in Her Bed


Amanda Mariel - 2020
    unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON'S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives... and loves.A woman seeking escape…Lady Emiline Hawthorne will do anything to avoid an unwanted union—even marry a stranger. To that end, she goes to The Lyon’s Den to enlist Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon’s help. There is only one problem; Emiline cannot pay the matchmaking fee. A man with a broken heart… Leonard Quinton, 6th Earl of Morton, returned from the war to discover everyone he loved had betrayed him. Now he must beget an heir without risking his heart. He proposes a simple arrangement to the first lady he sees at The Lyon’s Den—The use of her womb in return for his financial support. Two souls, one heart… When Emiline finds the old Countess of Morton’s diary, she learns the secrets of Leonard’s past. Secrets even he does not know. Will their revelation lead to happily ever after, or will they destroy the bonds Leonard and Emiline have formed?

The Conqueror's Dilemma


Elizabeth Bailey - 2012
    Particularly when they belong to a girl perched precariously on the edge of social disaster. Can the Conqueror afford to recognise Miss Tiffany Felton, whose chaperon is a creature beyond acceptance?Wholly at sea among the unfamiliar rules of convention, Tiffany is torn between gratitude for the Conqueror’s help and distress at his crushing rejection. Can the social barriers be breached? Or is Tiffany doomed to yearn hopelessly for what can never be?

Distracting the Duke


Elizabeth Keysian - 2017
    Unfortunately, her vastly opinionated, frustrating, and lamentably beautiful guardian, Lady Clara Tinniswood, keeps distracting him, tempting him to consider a far more tempestuous—and passionate—union. Recently widowed Lady Clara Tinniswood wants only to organize a quiet new life for herself, beyond the control of any man. But one shockingly unguarded moment while confronted by Marcus’s gloriously naked body catapults her headlong into a forbidden passion and threatens to undermine all her well-laid plans. Even if Marcus abandons his sweet ideal and surrenders to his growing desire for Clara, there's one unalterable issue which could destroy their hopes forever...

The Yuletide Countess


Alicia Quigley - 2014
    Her fondness for her family, along with her ability to find joy in everything, endears her to most who know her. On her annual sojourn with Isobel to Ballydendargan, Scotland, Harriet finds more than the peace and quiet of the countryside. She meets Miss Catherine Dalburn, governess to Lord Glencairn’s two children as well as the children themselves. The two women form a friendship and Harriet grows fond of the children. While Isobel pursues her “secret bluestocking” interests and Lord Francis Wheaton arrives in Ballydendargan to continue his pursuit of Isobel’s heart, Harriet finally meets Lord Glencairn. A dashingly handsome man in his later years with twinkling blue eyes and beautiful white hair, he and Harriet become fast friends, united in their desire to see Isobel and Lord Francis finally admit their feelings for each other and marry. Fate has a surprise in store for Harriet, who has long thought herself “on the shelf.” Are her feelings for Lord Glencairn more than friendship? Can he possibly feel the same for her, especially since he all but disappeared from polite society after his wife’s death ten years before? The Yuletide Countess is a “co-quel” or “side-car” to The Secret Bluestocking/A Lady of Passion, in that the much of it happens in parallel with the other books. However, the point of view is strictly Harriet’s.