Book picks similar to
The Reluctant Duke's Dilemma by Trisha Messmer
historical-romance
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A Secret Deal with the Devilish Baron
Lucy Langton - 2019
Fierce like a tiger, she storms into the Baron’s estate to regain her pride and property, but instead of the scandalous scoundrel she expected to meet, she finds a broken man trying to hide his scars. Will she eventually be the one to heal his broken soul?The legends about his bad behavior make the Baron, a person to be feared. When seeing Isabel and intrigued by her reckless personality, he offers a condition in return; she must be a companion to his ailing sister, and live in his estate until he says otherwise. But with every moment he shares with the passionate Isabel, Baron’s bad manners soften into admiration…and more. Will he be able to handle the sizzling passion?Isabel, surprisingly finds out that not everything is as it seems in the Baron’s estate. As time goes by, she finds herself falling for the Baron’s charm, but not before she berates him for his ignoble behavior. Will she be able to make him open his heart to love again? While everything seems to be going out of control, can Isabel take the reins and steer her life towards the future she dreams of?
A Most Eligible Rake of a Duke
Harriet Caves - 2021
Even if that means literally throwing herself at the Duke and risking her own ruination.No man is arguably more broken and debauched than Timothy Burton, the Duke of Marfront. But, according to his father’s will, he needs to wed and produce an heir. Only, he never sleeps with the same woman twice.When Diana finds herself bound to the same man she wanted to frame, she starts discovering not only his tender, guarded heart, but the big secret surrounding his mother’s death. For, she is about to follow her cold trail...
Seduced by an Irresistible Lady
Henrietta Harding - 2018
Managing to blend the boldness that comes with extensive knowledge with the grace expected of a woman of the ton, Helena is thoroughly enjoying balls and parties. Settling down is a farfetched idea for her, however an unexpected turn of events forces her hand and causes her to forsake her plan for a marriage of love. But it won’t be so easy for her...Love always has a grander design and it’s completely fortuitous that Dr. Frederick meets the alluring Helena who takes his heart away. Duty should always take priority, shouldn’t it? Dr. Frederick has no time for love, especially for a lost cause. He has to focus on his studies, however he finds his mind and body acting at odds when he’s around her. The temptation is simply too strong. Will emotion prevail over reason? Will he eventually give in to this overpowering passion?Love threatens to take away her chance to remove her family from financial ruin and Helena cannot stand doing nothing. Love or duty? Will she be strong enough to make a decision that will affect her whole life?"Seduced by an Irresistible Lady" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
The Duke's Marriage of Convenience
Fiona Miers - 2020
This spirited tomboy would rather care for her horses than tend to a husband—even if her betrothed is a dashing Duke. But to save her family, Raven accepts the dull life of a Duchess, and the societal expectations that will surely crush her soul. Her handsome fiancé, with his extravagant stables and shared love of horses, takes her by surprise. And so does the attraction she feels with every whispered word and flammable touch. This once reluctant bride soon yearns for more than a marriage of convenience.Andrew Seymour, Duke of Somerset, is resigned to his fate… he will marry for duty, rather than love. Since the crushing blow of his parents’ deaths, guilt has driven Drew’s every decision. A quiet loveless marriage is all he deserves. But his fiancé is no simpering society Miss. With a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue, she has him bewitched and bewildered. Raven’s joy for life pulls him out of the cold, dark shadows of regret, ready to embrace life again. But Drew’s stubborn streak turns Raven’s passion to anger. And the engagement is broken—along with his heart.Drew is determined to win back the only woman he’s ever loved… before it’s too late. Can Raven forgive Drew and give him a second chance?
Never Play with a Rakish Duke
Emily Honeyfield - 2020
What she wishes for is a gentleman of staid propriety, who can take care of her and provide her with a life full of love and passion. But, when a devilish Duke puts in an offer for her hand in marriage, she is forced to reconsider her position entirely. The prospect fills Isabella with horror as the rumours of the Duke's wicked past run wild; rumours that have been the fodder of society gossip for years...How can her father just hand her over to such a rake? When she gets to know his real self, will she be able to lay aside her doubts for a chance at love?Jasper Blackbourne's life turned upside down when his childhood best friend and his mother died one after the other. With his life shattered into a million pieces, he took these losses to heart and has never been the same ever since. No matter how hard his father tried, he could barely manage to keep public opinion in his favor. Jasper knows he has no choice but to give up his life as a bachelor and settle for something less than a passionate affair. But when he finds out he is about to marry a very seductive young Lady, he finds himself trapped in a painful dilemma. Could this fiery Lady be the salvation he has been looking for? Or will he be condemned to live in pain forever?As Isabella gets to discover the most magnetic man she has ever met, she is petrified that her heart could be fooled. Even though he makes her blood run like fire whenever he touches her, it takes time to see his old ways slowly turning into love and affection. Can she ever hope to win his trust, along with his heart? Or are they doomed to a life of perpetual longing?
Where He Leads
Angela Castillo - 2019
Compared to an arranged marriage to the odious Bernard Regent, a prairie schooner on the Oregon Trail doesn't seem like such a bad trade to Amethyst Kent. When desperate Martha Davis reveals her need for a mother's helper on the trail, Ami decides to up and leave the pampered life she's always known for a land of freedom. But trail life is hardly a tea party, and Ami must draw from the deepest wells of her faith to survive. With the sunset always before her, and Shiloh Talon, a handsome trail scout, guiding the way, she might just make it through.
Beneath a Blazing Sky
Amanda Hughes - 2020
The dawning of the Twentieth Century, and it is a world in chaos. Raised on Coney Island among scoundrels, cheats, and dreamers, Piper Albrecht is apprenticed to violence at an early age. Not until she is rescued by her aunt and moves to the elegant Upper East Side of Manhattan does she experience a different life, the life of a well-educated, forward-thinking young woman. But the roller coaster ride is far from over. After building the most fashionable millinery house in America, Piper spearheads relief efforts in Belgium during The Great War, bringing food to civilians trapped behind enemy lines. Once again, she is immersed in turmoil, misery, and violence. Partnering with her is Bret Collier, a charismatic adventurer, who hides not only his past but his future. She is drawn to his easy charm and cavalier exterior, but this American is not who he appears to be. Choosing the right path can mean life or death for Piper, and she must move swiftly because the war is intensifying, and her entire world is on fire.Join Amanda Hughes with another host of unforgettable characters on a wild ride in Beneath the Blazing Sky.
Miss Gabriel's Gambit
Rita Boucher - 1993
Chess has been the ruination of her life ending her engagement, filching her fortune and reducing her to poor relation. But when she finds herself falling in love with chessmaster David Rutherford, the new Lord Donhill, Sylvia stakes her heart, her future and her reputation on the riskiest gambit of all.
Secrets of Midnight
Miriam Minger - 1995
Instead, he finds himself banished to the English countryside of Cornwall, forced by the decrees of his father's will to run his family's tin mines and find a country bride. The very last thing the handsome lord needs is a local lass sticking her nose into his affairs, but that seems to be exactly what the parson's daughter, Corisande Easton, had in mind.
Twice Upon A Time
Lisa Ann Verge - 1994
Utterly wonderful!" -- RT Book Reviews "A love story that transcends all boundaries." -- The Medieval Chronicle Legendary warrior Conor of Ulster defies his people to make the exiled Brigid of Morna his queen—until a shattering act of treachery destroys their world. Driven to the ends of the earth, Conor lives a thousand lifetimes in the fading hope that—one day, somehow—he’ll find Brigid once again. Finalist "Best Time Travel" -- RT Book Reviews "One of the Year's Best Reads" -- The Readers’ Voice Finalist, three categories, Affaire de Coeur Reviewers’ Choice Awards
Engaging Love
Abby Ayles - 2018
John Radcliffe, heir to the earldom of Mountbank, must find a wife to show his father his seriousness towards his inherited responsibilities, or he will be disowned. When the two meet, they seem to hit it off—and they don’t have much of a choice when it comes to their hearts. They agree to marry, only later to realize that they are completely ill-suited for one another. Natalie is sociable, prone to gossip, and doesn’t take anything seriously. John takes things too seriously, thinks he’s always right, and is far more focused on his guilt about his past behavior than his new bride-to-be. As the two of them try to make do with one another, they find that they’re still drawn towards each other despite their frustrations. Perhaps they might even genuinely want to be with one another. But it’s all just for the sake of propriety… right? "Engaging Love" is a historical regency romance novel of approximately 90,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after. Enjoy!
Win, Lose, or Darcy
Jennifer Joy - 2016
Darcy!Mrs. Bennet wins the lottery! When the battle ensues over how to invest their new wealth, Elizabeth Bennet sees an opportunity to reunite her heartbroken sister with Mr. Bingley in London. Once in town, Elizabeth befriends Miss Sophia Kingsley, a highly influential young lady in the beau monde, and soon finds herself in the midst of a society intolerant of her family’s improprieties.Fitzwilliam Darcy is drawn to Elizabeth Bennet’s charming wit— despite her appalling family. But with the Season fast approaching, the competition to win Elizabeth’s affection intensifies as Mr. Gerard Gordon makes his intentions clear.Will Mrs. Bennet´s gambling and Mr. Bennet’s indolence ruin Elizabeth´s chances of love and happiness before the London Season begins? Will Mr. Darcy overcome his pride and the manipulations of his friends in order to marry the woman of his choice?Win, lose, or draw, our dear couple finds their happily ever after… we hope.*This is a light-hearted, sweet romance based on Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice.
The Highlander's Lady (Highlands Forever Book 1)
Aileen Adams - 2019
Olivia Smythe is the daughter an English earl and a Scottish woman. He has decided that his half-Scottish daughter should go to the Highlands for her own safety to avoid the border skirmishes that plague their area. He’s also pleaded her hand to a cruel Englishman. Laird Boyd MacPherson has no idea the Englishwoman he’s saved from cutthroats is the cousin of a Highland laird. He has no idea the courage and wherewithal that this young half-Scot can muster. He is quick to find out when she runs away and seeks to hide from her betrothed and the rest of the world. Boyd turns the Highlands upside down looking for her, only to find her in the least likely of places.
Meant to Be Mine
Cara Maxwell - 2019
unless your wayward fiancé refuses to marry you. What’s a quiet country wallflower to do?Compelled by duty...Kelly Collins wants nothing more than to return to her quiet life in the countryside. When the fate of her family and home are in jeopardy, she has no choice but to travel to London in search of her wayward fiancé. But the man she finds in London is not the boy she remembers from her youth. He arouses feelings in her she never imagined. Before long, it isn’t just her home, but also her heart, that is at risk.Prisoner to the past...The aloof Theodore, Earl of Willingham, knows that nothing good comes from marriage. He scoffs at the notions of love and happily ever after. Then the captivating Miss Collins unexpectedly reenters his life, and another side of him starts to awaken. But Theo is haunted by a painful past that refuses to be forgotten. Can he master his darkest demons, and accept that he and Kelly really might be... meant to be?Meant to Be Mine is a historical Regency arranged marriage, second-chance romance.----------The Hesitant Husbands is a steamy Regency romance series. Each book can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone romance novel. Meant to Be Mine is the second book chronologically.
Masks of Desire
Fenna Edgewood - 2021
Her childhood sweetheart, Henry Gardner, is handsome, kind, and passionately in love with her. Or so she believes, until one day she is told everything she knows about Henry is a lie. In an instant, their long-time engagement is broken and Caroline's world is shattered.Henry Gardner has been told that the girl he's loved all his life has cruelly betrayed him. But no matter what she may have done, his love for her will not dim. The only problem? She's about to marry someone else.
Less than twenty-four hours until he’ll lose her for good...
Stealing an earl's bride on the eve of her wedding might be an insurmountable challenge for some men, but Henry is determined to make sure Caroline knows that forever is a promise he means to keep. Even if doing so comes at a perilous price.
One boy. One girl. One future they must fight for together.
Her one true love may have returned, but after all he's put her through, Caroline has no intention of falling back into his arms. But when she stumbles onto a terrible family secret, Caroline must make a leap of faith and put her heart in the hands of the one man she swore she'd never trust again.
Book Details
Please Note: Masks of Desire was previously released as a free short story of five-thousand words. This fifty-thousand-word-plus novel contains many revisions as well as new revelations and insights for readers of the Gardner Girls series. It may be read as a prequel or a final sequel to the series.