Book picks similar to
Second Chances by Tess St. John


regency
historical
romance
historical-romance

An Indecent Invitation


Laura Trentham - 2015
    Her father, a preeminent master spy, has been missing for months, and her brother barely survived his final mission for the Crown. Lily is still determined to help find her father, no matter how hard her brother and his best friend try to keep her in the dark.Busy trying to untangle the web of deceit surrounding the Earl of Windor’s disappearance, Crown spy Gray Masterson also has to ensure Lily Drummond, the gangly, awkward child who was his constant shadow growing up, doesn’t get herself ruined at her London debut. But the girl with scraped knees and elbows has evolved into a lush, sensual beauty surrounded by a bevy of suitors.Realizing Lily is going to investigate on her own if he doesn’t let her join the hunt for her missing father, Gray assumes he can give Lily a few minor tasks to pacify her, but he quickly learns she is a valuable asset. Moreover, she fairly crackles with life and warmth—things he craves after his dark years in service.Warning: This book contains spies, scandals, naughty liaisons in houses of ill repute, men who think they know everything and women who know they do not.

Bath Scandal (A Regency Romance)


Joan Smith - 1991
    But it was Southam’s straight-laced fiancée who actually inspired the move, and Lord Southam only came when rumors had Gillie involved with a disreputable fellow. Unfortunately, his lordship mistook Bea for a merry widow… Regency Romance by Joan Smith; originally published by Fawcett Crest

A Fallen Lady


Elizabeth Kingston - 2015
    Even more shockingly, her refusal came on the heels of her scandalous behavior: she and her betrothed were caught in a most compromising position. Leaving her reputation in tatters and her motivations a mystery, Helen withdrew to a simple life in a little village among friends, where her secrets remained hers alone. For reasons of his own, Stephen Hampton, Lord Summerdale, is determined to learn the truth behind the tangled tale of Helen's ruin. There is nothing he abhors so much as scandal - nothing he prizes so well as discretion - and so he is shocked to find, when he tracks Helen down, that he cannot but admire her. Against all expectations, he finds himself forgiving her scandalous history in favor of only being near her. But the bitter past will not relinquish Helen's heart so easily. How can she trust a man so steeped in the culture of high society, who conceals so much? And how can he, so devoted to the appearance of propriety, ever love a fallen lady?

Dying for a Duke


Emma V. Leech - 2017
    Responsible for a large family of younger siblings that his frivolous parents have brought to bankruptcy, his youth was spent clawing back the family fortunes. Now a man in his prime and financially secure he is betrothed to a strict, sensible and cool-headed woman who will never upset the balance of his life or disturb his emotions ... But then Miss Skeffington-Fox arrives. Brought up solely by her rake of a step-father, Benedict is scandalised by everything about the dashing Miss. But as family members in line for the dukedom begin to die at an alarming rate, all fingers point at Benedict, and Miss Skeffington-Fox may be the only one who can save him.

A Warriner to Protect Her


Virginia Heath - 2017
    Ensconced with mysterious Jack behind his manor's walls, soon escape is the last thing on Letty's mind!Jack may be an earl, but his father's exploits have left him with nothing to offer except a tarnished name. He's turned his back on the ton, but with Letty tempting him day and night, he finds himself contemplating the unthinkable -- a society marriage!"

Kiss Me Quick


Margaret Moore - 2003
    Though she knows nothing of men, Diana longs to pen a romantic novel. So she resolves to study the darkly handsome, scandalously seductive lord's every move, to experience the pleasures of his soft kisses and sensuous caresses ... all in the name of research.Who is this infuriating female who is everywhere he turns? Edmond is used to fawning admirers, but this attractive chit seems interested in something other than passion. And the more immune she remains to Edmond's charms, the more enchanted he is by hers. Well, this calls for a serious seduction, for he will be bested by no woman, no matter how bright, witty and delightful! But once he sets Diana's desires gloriously free, how will Edmond contain the yearnings of his own traitorous heart?

Don't Tell a Duke You Love Him


Tammy Andresen - 2019
    At least that is what Lady Lily Ducat's mother continually said. As far as Lily could tell, she was correct. His Grace had a devilish air about him and a brooding silence that no debutante should attempt to tame and certainly not grow an affection for. He was too much man and beyond redemption. Except once they are tossed together after a winter storm, she is dangerously close to declaring her love, because in the dark of night, he was all Lily could see.Maximillian Masters learned long ago to stay far away from dewy eyed maidens. He was too cynical, too experienced, and much too adverse to marriage for such a lady. Which is why he must never see the lovely Lily again, no matter what some ridiculous gypsy predicted. Except, when he is stranded and at the mercy of winter, Lily is there, and the more he sees her, the harder it is to deny temptation.

Eulogy's Secret


Grace Elliot - 2011
    Penniless and alone she seeks the help of her estranged brother, Lord Lucien Devlin. But Devlin throws Eulogy onto the streets and the mercy of a passing stranger, Jack Huntley, who becomes an unlikely ally. As Eulogy seeks the truth behind her birth, she is drawn into the world of art and artists, where her morals are challenged and nothing is as it seems.Jack Huntley: bitter, cynical and betrayed in love. He believes women are devious, scheming, untrustworthy creatures - and when he rescues a naïve Miss from being raped, his life is about to change forever. There is something about Miss Foster that haunts him and challenges his emotions. But despite their growing attraction, Eulogy will not share her secret, which means he cannot trust her. Caught in a deadlock, both denying their true feelings, events take a sinister turn as someone seeks to silence Eulogy...permanently.

Tempt Me at Midnight


Lauren Royal - 2014
    But when the man she's loved since her girlhood returns from a long spell abroad, she quite suddenly finds herself hoping the fine lord her brother has picked for her won't propose. She decides that if he does, she'll quite improperly turn him down—that is, until the man of her hopes and dreams informs her he has no intention of marrying her.The last time Tristan Nesbitt saw Alexandra, he was a common man with no hope of ever wedding the daughter of a marquess. Seven years later, he's now Lord Hawkridge, which should make him eminently suitable for the woman who long ago captured his heart. But a dreadful scandal has tarnished his name in England—a scandal so horrid that marrying Alexandra would ruin not only her flawless reputation but her whole family. For Alexandra's own good, he must fight his relentless desires and stay far away…

A Maid for the Grieving Highlander


NOT A BOOK - 2018
    Called into service at Caisteal Tioram by the recently widowed Eoin MacDonald, heir to the powerful Clanranald, she finds herself cast into an alien world against a backdrop of family trauma and larger political intrigue, at a time when her own destiny has become uncertain.Facing persecution over their forbidden love, can Catriona and Eoin overcome the obstacles?Will Eoin keep his birthright and stay at Castle Tioram or forsake his own family?

A Gentleman of Substance


Deborah Hale - 1999
    When Lucy Rushton's lover was killed in battle, she wed his brother, the formidable viscount Drake Strickland, to protect her unborn child. The marriage tore her heart, yet after their vows were sealed, Lucy saw another side of her stern husband -- a compassionate gentleman of substance who lured her in ways Jeremy never had!Duty-bound to care for lovely Lucy, Drake never expected sharing his home would warm his cold, bare life. And when her eyes flashed with provocative beauty, sending an irresistible invitation, he longed to believe his wife's heart was wholly his.

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...

The Treasure Bride


Rebecca Hagan Lee - 2017
    The powerful railroad tycoon has given up all hope of escaping his nightmares. But when he opens his hotel room door, he finds not a memory, but a flesh-and-blood woman. A woman who makes him ache to take her into his arms and dry her tears… Elizabeth Sadler came to San Francisco with a heart full of hope. After her dreams of a bright future are dashed, she finds unlikely solace in the arms of a stranger. A stranger who just happens to be looking for a governess for his four motherless daughters. Although she tries to resist their charms, Elizabeth soon finds James’s little girls — his “Treasures” — sneaking their way past her defenses. But it’s their handsome father who poses an even greater danger to her battered heart as Elizabeth finds his stolen kisses and tender touches utterly irresistible. As the shadows of the past gather around them, James and Elizabeth must decide just how many dangers they’re willing to brave to claim the greatest treasure of all—true love. Book 1 of the Gold Coast Brides series, which includes THE TREASURE BRIDE, THE SILK BRIDE, THE HEIRESS BRIDE and THE IRISH BRIDE

A Most Suitable Duchess


Patricia Bray - 2001
    His brother, Reginald, suggests an advertisement in the papers, something Marcus refuses to consider—until a wine-fueled evening when he pens one in jest. Now, in a horrible mix-up, the ad has been printed and Marcus is mortified. At all of twenty-one years, Penelope's spinsterhood seems confirmed; she'll never find a man she can marry. But her half-brother thinks otherwise, and without her knowledge, he answers the Duke of Torringford's advertisement for a wife and signs her name to it. When an announcement of her upcoming wedding to the Duke appears in the papers, Penelope knows she must take her place as his wife, or her honor will be ruined. But it will be a marriage in name only, that she's sure of; until the handsome good looks and warm smile of her new husband make her heart pound in a most unsettling way...

From Ruin to Riches


Louise Allen - 2013
    Certain he is close to death, William Hadfield, Lord Dereham, sees Julia as the perfect woman to care for his beloved estate when he is gone—if she will first become his wife…. Marriage is Julia's salvation—as Lady Hadfield, she can finally escape her sins. Until three years later, when the husband she believes to be dead returns, as handsome and strong as ever and intent on claiming the wedding night they never had! "Allen reaches into readers' hearts." —RT Book Reviews on Married to a Stranger