Book picks similar to
Summerton by Becca St. John
mystery
historical-romance
romance
historical-fiction
Quest of Honor
Ellie St. Clair - 2017
Her destiny is to one day assume command of the ship, continuing her father’s legacy of aiding the poor while eluding the Navy Captain who continues to hunt them. She despises the man for his relentless pursuit and is determined to be free of his chase forever.
The naval captain...
Thomas Harrington, second son of the Duke of Ware, joined the Royal Navy to escape from his life in society and find the freedom his soul had been searching for. Instead, he has spent three years attempting to bring the elusive pirate Captain Adams to justice. He disdains everything he believes about the pirate life and will stop at nothing to capture the prey that has eluded him for so long.
Two worlds collide...
The beautiful blonde woman he meets in a tavern haunts Thomas’ daydreams, until he finds her in the unlikeliest of circumstances. The freedom his soul has been searching for and the honor he so upholds clash within him as Thomas and Eleanor fight their desire for one another. As they question everything they’ve ever believed, can they find a way forward together? Quest of Honor is a 41,000-word romance with no cliffhangers, no cheating, and a guaranteed happily ever after! The Kindle version contains one extra story.
Kissing the Enemy
Leighann Dobbs - 2016
As the plain looking older sister, she's practically invisible at social events. Never mind that she has no experience as a spy or that the codebook rests in the possession of one of the most powerful men in England. Freddie has no choice-she's desperate to save her young sister from the lecherous intentions of their guardian and recovering the book is her only option. Tristan Graylocke has never been able to measure up to his brother, the Duke of Tenwick. But being second best has its advantages. No one pressures him to get married and produce an heir, leaving him to carouse at will-an activity that lends itself perfectly to the brothers’ secret lives as spies. When an alluring enemy spy shows up at the house party planned specifically for the purposes of passing along a code book, Tristan finds himself drawn under her spell. Freddie seems innocent and inexperienced. Is her innocence is a clever guise, or is she being coerced by someone? Tristan and Freddie soon find themselves engaged in a seductive game of cat and mouse where each will do what they must for their country, especially if it involves kissing the enemy.
My Fair Duchess
Julie Johnstone - 2014
Never does he imagine hope will come in the form of a quirky, quick-witted lady determined to win the heart of another gentleman.Thanks to a painfully awkward past, Lady Amelia De Vere long ago relinquished the notion she was a flower that had yet to blossom. But when her family faces financial ruin and the man she has always loved is on the verge of marrying another, she’ll try anything to transform herself to capture her childhood love and save her family―including agreeing to participate in a bet between her brother and the notorious, dangerously handsome Duke Of Aversley.Bound by the bet, Amelia and Aversley discover unexpected understanding and passion beyond their wildest dreams, if only they can let go of their pride, put trust in each other and chance losing their hearts.
Silken Threads
Patricia Ryan - 1999
Attacked and disabled by a broken leg, he rents a room in the humble home of Joanna Chapman, a silk merchant’s widow. Joanna, having learned not to trust handsome, charming devils like Graeham, lets him think her husband is still alive in order to keep him at a distance. Mindful of his mission—and the promised reward—Graeham tries to resist his feelings for Joanna, but the white-hot desire simmering between them cannot be denied.Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window
Forbidden Angel
Sandra Lea Rice - 2012
He can follow the dictates of his heart and pursue Angeline and the sensual promise implicit in her eyes, or adhere to the strict moral code he was born to uphold and deny them both. Made to flee England after the murder of his fiancée, Adrian builds an empire in America. When his past and present combine in the form of Angeline Ashley, it’s time to prove his innocence and reclaim what is rightfully his. To do this, he must return to England and prove the guilt of his long-time nemesis, Charles Malcolm.At the death of her father and step-mother, Angeline is given a letter telling her to ‘seek the truth’ and hints at a mystery surrounding her mother and Angeline’s own birth. But when Charles Malcolm, one of England’s most notorious rakes, produces a note against a large gambling debt, Angeline is given two choices; marriage to Charles, or see her father’s name besmirched and her young brother’s future ruined. But Angeline will have neither of those choices. Instead, she chooses to accompany her brother to America and seeks shelter with his guardian, a man she has adored since childhood.When Charles appears in Texas, it becomes obvious that there is more behind his obsession with Angeline than just lust for a beautiful woman.
Lords of London: Books 1-3
Tamara Gill - 2019
A Lady of independence.
Since her cheating husband created a scandal by dying beneath his whore, Darcy de Merle is determined to enjoy widowhood, and refuses to mourn a man she grew to loathe. Setting the ton ablaze, Darcy holds a ball to re-launch herself into Society on the anniversary of his death.Cameron, the Duke of Athelby plays by the rules. Always. He's lived through the terrible consequences of what revelry, carelessness, and lack of respect for one's social position can have on a family. So, when he sees Darcy de Merle skirting the boundaries of respectability, it is only right that he should remind her of the proper etiquette that she should adhere to.Darcy refuses to allow another man to tell her what to do. When the Duke of Athelby chastises her at every turn, reminding her of her social failures, well, there is only one thing to be done about it...seduce the duke and show him there is more to life than the proper conventions set by the ton.A battle of wills ensues where all bets are off, numerous rules are broken and love becomes the ultimate reward.To Madden a Marquess
She saved his life, but can she save him from himself?
Hunter, Marquess of Aaron, has the ton fooled. Outwardly he's a gentleman of position, with good contacts, wealth and charm. Inwardly, he's a mess. His vice--drinking himself into a stupor most days--almost kills him when he steps in front of a hackney cab. His saviour, a most unlikely person, is an angel to gaze at, but with a tongue sharper than his sword cane.Cecilia Smith dislikes idleness and waste. Had she been born male, she would already be working for her father's law firm. So, on a day when she was late for an important meeting at one of her many charities, she was not impressed by having to step in and save a foxed gentleman rogue from being run over.When their social spheres collide, Hunter is both surprised and awed by the capable, beautiful Miss Smith. Cecilia, on the other hand, is left confused and not a little worried by her assumptions about the Marquess and his demons. It is anyone's guess whether these two people from different worlds can form one of their own.To Tempt an Earl
Hamish Doherty, Earl Leighton is having a terrible Season.
A portion of his home burned to the ground, he was attacked outside a gaming hell, and a debutante he cannot stomach is determined they'll wed. It's enough to make any lord head for the hills, but his luck turns worse in the country. A large unpaid bill at an inn and a missing purse later, he's ready to concede defeat to the fickle Fates - until rescue unexpectedly comes from an intoxicatingly beautiful stranger.As the daughter of a successful tradesman, Miss Katherine Martin has no time for peers and their problems. However there is something about this handsome and yet unlucky earl, and when their paths cross again, Lord Leighton offers to repay his debt to her in any way she pleases. Katherine decides one night in his arms will be just right, and yet as two kindred souls find passion together, it seems one night won't be enough. But can a woman of no rank and trade in her blood be enough to Tempt an Earl?
Of Moths and Butterflies
V.R. Christensen - 2011
Gina Shaw is a servant in his uncle’s house. Clearly out of place in the position in which she has been discovered, she becomes a source of fascination . . . and curiosity. A girl with a blighted past and a fortune she deems a curse, Gina has lowered herself in order to find escape from her family and their scheming designs. But when she is found, the stakes suddenly become dire. All Gina wants is the freedom to live her life as she would wish. All her aunts want is the money that comes with her. But there is more than one way to trap an insect. An arranged marriage might turn out profitable for more parties than one. Mr. Hamilton is about to make the acquisition of a lifetime. But will the price be worth it? Can a woman captured and acquired learn to love the man who has bought her?
Lost with a Lord
Emily E.K. Murdoch - 2018
But in all his thirty years, he has never met anyone quite like the fiery Italian Miss Florence Capria. After a riot forces them to take shelter for the night in an intimate small room, can Lord George ignore the growing passion Miss Capria is igniting in his once cold heart? Will being lost with a lord change Florence's destiny forever? This is the first in a series of eight Ravishing Regencies.
How to Capture a Duke
Bianca Blythe - 2016
When her dying Grandmother worries about Fiona’s future, Fiona stammers that she’s secretly engaged. Soon she finds herself promising that she will introduce her husband-to-be by Christmas. One dutiful duke… Percival Carmichael, new Duke of Alfriston, is in a hurry. He’s off to propose to London’s most eligible debutante. After nearly dying at Waterloo, he’s vowed to spend the rest of his life living up to the ton’s expectations. One fallen tree… When Fiona tries to warn a passing coach about a tree in the road, the driver mistakes her for a highwaywoman. Evidently he’s not used to seeing women attired in clothes only suitable for archaeology waving knives. After the driver flees, Fiona decides she may as well borrow the handsome passenger…
Sarah's Duke: and Ellie's Gentleman
Georgiana Louis - 2015
She doesn’t need a great fortune or a title, she would actually prefer not to have to go into London ever again. She has little to offer other than her beauty and a pleasant temperament, but she is hoping that will be enough to secure her a man who will be kind to her. Oliver Lyre is the newly inherited Duke of Lincoln. Born as the spare son, he never expected to inherit his father’s mantle, and has neither the skills nor the desire to enjoy the benefits of his rank. He knows that he must marry a lady befitting of the position, but when he rescues the beautiful Sarah Collins one night, he can’t imagine living without her lovely smile in his life. Should he marry the delectably sweet virgin who would undoubtedly make a horrible Duchess, or do what duty demands of him? Ellie's Gentleman: sweet short story Ellie Sommers is twenty years old, beautiful, lively and intelligent. She has finally returned to her family home after another long London season. She wants nothing more than to stay in her beloved country town and ride her horses. Enter Robert Blakely, a widower and a true gentleman. He has come to spend Christmas with his long-time friend William, Ellie’s father. Robert has no wish to marry again and is shocked to discover his own interest in the beautiful daughter of his friend. The only problem is that he is twice her age and a widower who has convinced himself he will never marry again.
The Waylaid Heart
Holly Newman - 1990
Suspecting the culprit traveled in society circles, she diverts attention from eavesdropping and prying with constant and tiresome complaints of illness.But nothing is as it seems...Sir James Branstoke sees straight through Cecilia's feigned fragility. Intrigued by her odd behavior, he believes she has secrets—secrets that could lead to her demise. So, the hunter follows the huntress through society, never imagining that what has started as a chance inquiry could lead to a surprising love greater than either had ever known.But will the cost of uncovering a murderer be too high? Can Cecilia and James reveal the culprit so love can blossom in the end?
My Favorite Major
Ava Stone - 2012
After breaking their betrothal, she flees to London with the hope of starting her life over and putting the past firmly behind her. Battle weary Major Philip Moore finds himself intrigued by the lovely Miss Pritchard. Though he’s recovering from a broken heart of his own, more than just his honor urges him to protect the lady when her nefarious ex-beau arrives in Town with the most wicked of intentions.
Three Lessons in Seduction
Sofie Darling - 2017
Too bad he broke her heart ten years ago.Can he resist a second chance at the love he lost?When Mariana catches the eye of the man at the center of an assassination plot, Nick puts aside their painful past and enlists her to obtain information by any means necessary, even if it means seducing the enemy agent.Even if the thought makes his blood boil.Only by keeping his distance from Mariana these last ten years was he able to pretend indifference to her. With every moment spent with her, he feels his tightly held control slipping . . .Can she trust the spy who broke her heart?Mariana spent the last decade forgetting Nick. Now she has the chance to best him at his own game, an opportunity she can’t resist, even as her view of him begins to shift. Increasingly, she wants nothing more than to seduce her own husband . . .It’s only a matter of time before mad passion ignites, a passion never convincingly extinguished. A passion that insists on surrendering to the yearning of the flesh and, quite possibly, of the heart.
Highland Hearts Collection
Elizabeth Rose - 2018
Highland Spring – Book 1 (Seasons of Fortitude Series) Spring is a warrior of the Gunn Clan who is offered up as a bride to form an alliance with Shaw Gordon – their enemy. It is actually all a ploy to get inside the castle walls. But once Spring meets the chieftain and his three children from his late wife, she starts to care for them and is pulled into a life she never expected. However, her father has been keeping secrets and Spring finds out she has been lied to her entire life. Can a warrior woman find love and happiness as the wife of her enemy when she discovers her entire life has been based on a lie? Lady Renegade – Book 2 (Legacy of the Blade Series) When a horrific battle between the English and the Scots takes Lady Wren’s sight, she is forced to go into hiding with her newborn, and eventually is the leader of a band of renegades. Highlander Storm MacKeefe is tricked into accepting the challenge of hunting down and bringing back the leader of the Renegades. Little does he know he is searching for a blind woman. Two sides meet, but before he knows it, Storm is captured by a blind woman and her army of women warriors. Sometimes losing one’s sight isn’t what makes a person blind. The Baron’s Bounty – Book 2 (Barons of the Cinque Ports Series) After witnessing the murder of the Scottish king, Isobel MacEwen is sent as her cousin’s proxy to marry the English baron, Lord Conlin de Braose. Isobel has a weakness for shoes and has learned to identify people by their shoes and way they walk. She’s seen the murderer’s shoes and now those same boots appear in England and happen to belong to Lord Conlin de Braose. Love, murder, and mayhem are brought to the surface at the marriage of baron and a proxy with a secret love that isn’t supposed to be. Aidan – Book 3 (MadMan MacKeefe Series) Aidan MacKeefe is the keeper of Scotland’s coronation stone, the Stone of Destiny. He uses the stone as his pillow. Kept in secret, the stone is safe until Aidan saves Effie MacDuff from her attackers and brings her back to camp. Effie needs to steal the Stone of Destiny to bring it to the English and save her sister’s life. But along the way she falls in love with Aidan, and her mind becomes confused. One person is willing to die to protect Scotland’s secret, while the other is willing to betray her country to save someone she loves. But when they both let down their guard, the tables take a turn and beliefs are shattered as desires grow stronger, and someone’s destiny is bound to change.
Emma's Chance
Tess St. John - 2011
Emma's maid implores the help of Harmon Westbourne, the Earl of Easton, to rescue Emma from her father's home. But Emma's dilemma doesn't end there.