Book picks similar to
A Trace of Memory by Elizabeth Bailey
historical-romance
historical
romance
elizabeth-bailey
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.
Surrendering to Her Enigmatic Eyes
Abigail Agar - 2019
However, she is about to find out that this is not her only problem... She will soon discover that her father has left behind startling news: Honeyfield Manor, the grand country estate where she lived all her life, has been left to a stranger, the son of an old friend of the Earls'. While she's waiting for the heir's arrival, an unknown man appears uninvited in her home, claiming that the heir is gone. Can she really trust the courageous, charming stranger? Or will her attraction to him end up being her weakness?Matthew Grove has recently lost his mother. He has no other choice than starting anew in London, penniless and bitter. Although his initial intention is to attend to a new business, a meeting with a gentleman, and a coach accident leads him to an entirely different direction. Matthew will be bound to deliver terrible news to a lady he has never met. And even though he knows that he should never dare to dream that a fine lady like her could ever consider him a suitor, his feelings for his new mistress will grow day by day. Can these two heal their wounded hearts, together, in spite of the divide in class and wealth?A terrible accident has brought Caroline and Matthew together, but when fate brings another shocking twist, it seems that they are destined to be apart. Can Matthew protect Caroline from the new threat in her life, solve the mystery, and expose the truth? Or will he be forced to leave the lady of Honeyfield Manor to her fate... forever?
The Inconvenient Duchess
Christine Merrill - 2006
And I'm more tired and hungry than I have ever been in my life. Please let me come home.Compromised and wedded on the same day, Lady Miranda was fast finding married life not to her taste. A decaying manor and a secretive husband were hardly the stuff of girlish dreams. Yet every time she looked at dark, brooding Marcus Radwell, Duke of Haughleigh, she felt inexplicably compelled—and determined—to make their marriage real!
A Duke Under Her Spell
Emma Linfield - 2019
And in her eyes, he found his own...
For as long as Marybeth Wright could remember, the imposing ruins of the ancient castle had always been a place of comfort. With knowledge of herbs and a small cottage passed down to her from her late grandmother, she spends her days in the quiet seclusion of the woods. For Felix Hulford, Duke of Arkley, curing his ailing mother is his life’s purpose. Growing increasingly desperate, he decides to enlist the help of the old sage of the forest, only to discover that there’s nothing old about the striking healer that appears before him. But she seems to be carrying a curse, for her arrival triggers a series of baffling happenings. Determined to discover who is behind the attacks on his sick mother, Marybeth and Felix come face to face with their worst fears. And it all seems to be connected to Marybeth’s parentage and Blackleigh Castle’s fabled treasure…
Summerton
Becca St. John - 2015
It seems like the perfect match: a marriage to restore the Duke of Summerton’s crumbling family estate and give the heiress Caroline Howlett the status of duchess. But the bride doesn’t give a fig for status. Forced into the marriage, Caroline is determined to leave the duke, until a dead body—and the very real threat that she and the duke are the next targets—gets in her way. Can the Duke’s astute aunt, Lady Eleanor, solve the mystery of the deaths before the killers strike again? And can Caroline let down her guard long enough for the Duke’s attractions to penetrate her heart? Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie in this new Regency mystery series with a touch of Gothic romance.
Vow
K.J. Jackson - 2016
And I have attempted it twice. But I am not a man that can stand by that particular vow.” She prayed for death. Stolen from her home, sold for her innocence, all Ara Detton wanted was death. One man stood in her way, Caine Farlington. Ara is forced to survive, forced to rebuild her life. A life that is orderly, busy—with a destiny that is her own. All would be perfect, if not for having to hide her love for the man that once saved her. The man that forced her to live, to survive, to flourish. He refuses to let her go. In search of his missing betrothed, Caine Farlington, the Earl of Newdale, quite by accident, saves Ara from the worst possible fate. Six years later, Ara is an indispensable part of his life—even if he has to curb his need to touch her at every turn. The one you love is not always the one you think you need. Neither one of them is prepared to let the other go. But to remain together, both must find redemption and learn to forgive secrets of the past. Note: The Lords of Action books are each stand-alone stories, and can be read individually in any order. These historical romances are set in the Regency and Victorian eras, and do not shy away from naughty language, scenes with steamy heat, and moments that might possibly make you squirm.
Mistress of Pleasure
Delilah Marvelle - 2008
Her only desire in life is to remain independent, free from men and the shackles of marriage. But when Maybelle lays eyes on Edmund Worthington, the Duke of Rutherford, at a soir e, and hears of his scandalous reputation, she decides he's the perfect person for her to have a tryst with no strings attached.IT MUST BE GIVEN.Unbridled passion has again muddied Edmund Worthington's family name. After his very public dalliance with the strikingly beautiful and sensual Maybelle, his mother insists he marry her. But much to the Duke's surprise, Maybelle scoffs at his proposal. Never has he encountered such a brazen—and maddeningly irresistible—woman. But when Maybelle's grandmother falls ill, forcing Maybelle to take over the operation of her school, Edmund devises a plan to make her his. He enrolls in the school, where no one other than Maybelle must give him expert lessons in carnal pleasure.
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.
Waking Up with a Rake
Connie Mason - 2013
These wickedly debauched rakes will rumple sheets and cause a scandal. But they just might fall into their own trap...After he's falsely blamed for a botched assignment during war, former cavalry officer Rhys Warrick turns his back on "honor." He spends his nights in brothels doing his best to live down to the expectations of his disapproving family. But one last mission could restore the reputation he's so thoroughly sullied. All he has to do is seduce and ruin Miss Olivia Symon, and his military record will be cleared. For a man with Rhys's reputation, ravishing the delectably innocent miss should be easy. But Olivia's honesty and bold curiosity stir more than Rhys's desire. Suddenly the heart he thought he left on the battlefield is about to surrender...
You're the Rogue That I Want
Samantha Holt - 2016
Never. But when Miss Hannah St. John strides into his life demanding—yes, demanding—he help her, he’s certain she’s more challenge than even he can handle. Hannah is determined to transport an artifact from France—one that will change everything—even if it means working with a lawless man like Red. Nothing is more important than preserving history. Nothing. Not even the touch of a smuggler who inconceivably makes her stomach twist. When it becomes clear the irritating bluestocking will do anything for this blasted artifact and needs saving from herself, the earl-turned-smuggler steps in. Carting a cursed stone across the country with a know-it-all woman is not Red’s idea of fun, particularly when their journey runs far from smoothly…so why does he find himself enjoying her company just a little too much? You're the Rogue that I Want is book 1 in the Rogues of Redmere series. It can be read as a standalone story and has a HEA. It includes some steamy content.
The Viscount in Hiding
Emma Evans - 2018
Ashamed of his behaviour he hides away in his country seat, determined to become a sensible gentleman, no longer caught up by whichever eligible young lady catches his eye. The only problem? A beautiful tenant named Julia who is living in his gatehouse. William knows that he should have very little to do with his tenants but he simply cannot get her out of his mind. The more time he spends, the more he wants to know her despite their difference in status. A sudden accident leads to a whole new life for Julia, who is loathe to tell him much about herself, despite their intimate connection. When the truth finally comes out and Julia confesses all, William must decide what to do with the lady who has stolen his heart. Authors Note: This is a clean, stand-alone romance with an HEA. If you love clean Regency-era romances you will love The Viscount in Hiding!
Sixteen Scandals
Sophie Jordan - 2021
But when her parents decide to delay her debut into English society, Prim hatches a plan to go rogue on the night of her sixteenth birthday.Donning a mask, Prim escapes to the infamous Vauxhall Gardens for one wild night. When her cover is nearly blown, a mysterious stranger intercedes, and Prim finds an unexpected partner in mischief . . . and romance. But when it’s revealed her new ally isn’t who he says he is, her one night of fun may last past dawn.
Loving the Marquess
Suzanna Medeiros - 2013
Marry the desperate Louisa Evans, saving her and her siblings from ruin, and produce an heir. But when he proposes, Nicholas doesn’t tell her the real reason they must wed so quickly.They are married when Louisa learns the Marquess doesn’t intend to father his future heir himself. Drawn to her new husband in a way she never expected, Louisa has no intention of agreeing to his scandalous proposition. Instead, she shows him that what is developing between them goes far beyond a typical marriage of convenience.Nicholas never imagined he would fall in love with Louisa. Despite the distance he tries to put between them, one thing soon becomes clear—he will never allow another man to touch her. Even if it dooms his family’s future.
Lady Falls
Renee Bernard - 2014
Plucked from an orphanage by a scheming earl, she has been raised like a thoroughbred, groomed for one purpose: Revenge. Unfortunately, the Earl of Trent never let her in on the plan, so when she meets the man of her dreams, Sir Phillip Warrick, she has no idea that every lesson, every tutor and every impulsive inch of her was crafted for his seduction and destruction. What she does know is that love is the prize she wants most and that nothing should stand in a woman’s way to getting what she wants. Phillip Warrick is simply trying to recover his friendship with the earl, unaware that the man has spent years laying the foundation for destroying Phillip’s peace of mind. What he does know is that the earl’s ward, Raven Wells, is mesmerizing, fascinating and apparently without reserve. Witty, beautiful, impulsive and impossible—she is like a siren beckoning him to forget the rules and seize only the pleasures of the moment. Together, their love will set in motion a series of events that no one can foresee. Revenge creates more than one victim, but also more than one winner. Raven Wells will be transformed into a force of nature the likes of which Victorian London has never experienced before. LADY FALLS is the birth of the Black Rose and the end of innocence. ** From acclaimed USA Today bestselling author, Renee Bernard, comes a new trilogy of gothic power and twisted sensuality. Here’s a slice of historical romance not generally found in the mainstream—so pull up a chair, settle in for a good read and hang on!
The Earl's Runaway Governess
Catherine Tinley - 2019
But then she meets her new employer, Ash, Earl of Kingswood, and she immediately knows his handsome good looks are a danger of their own! Brusque on first meeting, Ash quickly shows his compassionate side. Yet Marianne doesn’t dare reveal the truth! Unless Ash really could be the safe haven she’s been looking for…