Book picks similar to
The Ruthless Rake by Barbara Cartland


romance
barbara-cartland
fiction
historical-romance

The Making of a Gentleman


Ruth Axtell Morren - 2007
    Just moments from the hangman's noose, Jonah Quinn escapes from infamous Newgate Prison. Taking prison volunteer Florence Hathaway hostage is a masterstroke, but Jonah intends to end their acquaintance once he's free. God, however, has other plans.The caring spinster's mission is to turn Jonah's life around. The burly fugitive scoffs at the notion he can be groomed into respectability, much less win a royal pardon. He knows that donning a waistcoat and cravats does not change a man. But a woman's stubborn faith? That can accomplish miracles. Florence sees right into the depths of his roguish heart, and Jonah finds himself wanting to become that man she sees....

Summons to the Chateau D'Arc


Kay Cornelius - 2005
    She finds herself falling for the attractive estate manager, who carries secrets of his own. As the tension grows more unbearable, Ellen will have to risk everything she holds dear to discover the secrets that lurk in the shadows of the Chateau D'Arc.

Fool's Paradise


Tori Phillips - 1996
    But even disguised as the fool's boy apprentice, there was no hiding the fact that she'd fallen hopelessly in love!Though Tarleton's ready wit had won him royal favor, his tongue was tied in the presence of the sweet-voiced Elizabeth—at least about things that truly mattered. For how could he offer the queen's own goddaughter a gift so lowly as his own foolish heart?

Dancing with an Enigmatic Duke


Abigail Agar - 2019
    She quickly realizes that he is willing to sell her off to the first man who offers. She knows she has to act fast! The answer to her problems comes when she makes an elaborate plan with her brother’s closest friend to pretend to be courting. Having the future Duke interested in her will certainly make her more attractive to other potential suitors. What happens though when this unexpected friendship blossoms into something greater, possibly a match made in heaven? Lord Nash Torrington is beset by matches that his mother insists are splendid, but all he really wants is to focus on his business endeavors. However, it is obvious that his mother will not be satisfied until Nash is properly married off whether he likes it or not. When his best friend’s beguiling sister arrives in London, Nash sees a golden opportunity that might just solve both of their problems. Things don’t always go according to plan though and he finds himself surprisingly stricken with Emmeline’s wit and unique beauty. Will he be courageous enough to declare his true feelings? Waltzing across ballroom after ballroom together, Emmeline and Nash will quickly find it hard to believe their courtship is a scheme. Will they be able to make their dreams come true and marry for love?

The Earl's Secret Bargain


Ruth Ann Nordin - 2014
    The gentleman she chooses wins the loser’s estate. It’s the most daring wager at White’s, and quite possibly the most foolish. Toby York, the Earl of Davenport, knew it was a mistake to make the wager when Lord Pennella stormed into White’s bragging that he could get any lady he wished. Toby really should have kept his mouth shut. But he didn’t. And now there are only three things he can do to protect Miss Giles. One, he must get her to choose him instead of Pennella. Two, he must make sure she never finds out about the wager. And three, he must quietly break off the engagement so that she is free to marry a gentleman worthy of her. As long as he doesn’t fall in love with her, there should be no problems. Too bad things never work out the way they’re planned.

Forever Mine


Delilah Marvelle - 2011
    She wants a husband she can trust, someone who will shield her from the darkness of the world. Her heart was broken when her little brother was kidnapped years earlier, and she still carries the pain of his loss.When the handsome Duke of Wentworth makes his feelings for her known, Augustine's past demons warn her away. Besides, every woman in London knows he's devoted to the memory of his late wife. But is it possible he cares for her after all and that their love can bring them the peace they both crave?

Disturbing the Dust: A Variation on Jane Austen's 'Persuasion'


Ivy May Stuart - 2017
    Spinsterhood and a life of obscurity are her daily reality, and then she is struck a powerful blow: the loss of the Elliot’s ancestral home, her beloved Kellynch Hall. Having squandered much of their wealth, the aristocratic Elliots are forced to move out and hand control over to the unpretentious Admiral Croft, and this just as a newly wealthy Captain Wentworth returns to the area. MUCH CAN HAPPEN TO A MAN IN EIGHT YEARS: Wentworth has been at sea, fighting the war against France. He returns a much harder man, for whom marriage is no longer about love but about his comfort and convenience. He is determined to show those who humiliated him just how much times have changed. WHILE LITTLE CHANGES FOR THOSE WHO REMAIN BEHIND: For Anne Elliot the years have taken their toll. A faded beauty, she is frequently ignored or passed over as she silently bears witness to the lives of others. Everyone around her is comfortable, used to the old Anne… But what would happen if all that were to change?

My Lady Wayward


Lael St. James - 2001
    James.My Lady WaywardFrom the shelter of St. Swithin's Abbey, Meg Redclift misses her sister Gabriella, and fears the bride-to-be has met with danger. But the world's uncertainties visit the abbey when a handsome, wounded knight appears -- and Meg finds herself overwhelmingly attracted as she restores the stranger to health. If only he could remember who he is.... Left with no idea of his attacker's identity -- or his own -- Gresham Sedgewick fears his shadowed past may be dishonorable, and fights his powerful desire for lovely Meg. But when they are forced to flee the abbey, Gresham is plunged into an urgent quest with the woman who is his greatest temptation -- and perhaps his salvation. Dodging deadly assaults, Gresham must trust his warrior instincts and the passion in his heart to find the truth about himself -- and the freedom to give himself completely to his lady wayward.

The Wife of Walraven


Amanda Panhorst - 2020
    But in this helter-skelter party, schemes to ensnare Lord Walraven and his wealth are afoot.Anna Welbourne has been her brother’s drudge for years now. When she is sent by herself to prepare their ancestral home and its unsuspecting servants for his grand party, she is furious enough to try anything to rid herself of her brother’s cruel guardianship. But among his guests is a man to whom she owes a debt, and she must pay him back. So when, after a raucous game of cards, Anna sees the handsome Lord Walraven being swept off to Gretna Green by a conniving woman, she not only sees a chance to escape her brother, but a way to pay the debt.

The Confessions of a Duchess


Nicola Cornick - 2009
    Even if the arrival of her onetime paramour, Dexter Anstruther, is oh-so-tempting, she knows the secret she's kept from him would destroy any chance at a future together. Young, handsome and scandalously enticing, Dexter suspects Laura has a hidden motive for resisting his charms ... and he intends to expose her, by any means necessary.

Promises


Lisa Kleypas - 1995
    He led her to believe that he loved her too and would be coming back to claim her, but she hasn't really heard from him since. Even still, Lidian stubbornly clings to the hope that he will return for her even though her mother tries her best to dissuade her. After his family reclaims titles and land that had been taken from them decades ago, Lord Eric de Gray is suddenly one of the most sought after bachelors of the ton. He is tired of all the fortune-hunting débutantes following him around and wants a woman who doesn't care about money and prestige. When Lidian treats his sister kindly, Eric finds himself attracted to her, but she seems to want nothing to do with him, claiming that her heart belongs to another. Eric views her as a challenge and pursues her relentlessly, but can he ever hope to earn her love especially after Chance finally returns?

The Transformation of the Bashful Lady


Fanny Finch - 2020
    Neglected by her mother after her father’s death, she lacks the knowledge of social etiquette and proper appearances. But her life will change when she receives proper tutelage from a strange lady.Andrew Clayton, the Marquess of Somerset, is a sworn bachelor, as he had his heart broken once already. But when he witnesses the transformation of a timid girl into a dazzling woman, his views on marriage will fly out of the window.But Sarah is not the only one trying to win Andrew’s heart and her rival will use everything in her arsenal to eliminate the competition…*If you like engaging characters, heart- wrenching twists and turns, and lots of romance, then you’ll love “The Transformation of the Bashful Lady”!

Tempting the Earl


Wendy May Andrews - 2010
    To her astonishment she finds she enjoys the role, but unfortunately finds herself attracted to the haughty young earl. He too struggles with an attraction to his beautiful new maid, but has his mind set on pursuing a courtship with the much more appropriate Lady Claire. Who is Emily? Why is she hiding in the Earl's household? Can a case of mistaken identity lead to true love?

A Duke of a Time


Tamara Gill - 2022
    Society would never approve. But that doesn’t stop them from wanting more…Greyson Everett, future Duke of Derby, has been exiled. Cut off financially and banished to the country by his disapproving father, he’s expected to repent and work like a commoner. If he has any hope of getting back to his real life, he’ll have to stay the course—and stop kissing his employer’s bossy, opinionated, and entirely too lovely daughter. It should be easy. But it’s not…Hailey Woodville is grateful for all the hands that make light work of the chores on her father’s modest estate. Well, she’s grateful for most of them. Greyson is one of the worst workers she’s ever seen. His ineptitude at manual labor is exceeded only by his arrogance—and his beauty. She should stay away. Unfortunately, she cannot…But soon, Greyson will need to determine if the price of happily ever after with Hailey is one that he’s able (and willing) to pay—and Hailey will need to decide if she can forgive Greyson the sins of his rakish past…

Regency Sting


Elizabeth Mansfield - 1980
    The stranger's sunstreaked hair was much too long to be fashionable. His buckskin breeches seemed woefully out of place in a London drawing room.Anne's heart began inexplicably to pound, as she asked: "You are the new Viscount Mainwaring?"The stranger broke into a laugh that seemed to shake the walls."I reckon so, Ma'am. I reckon so..."