Book picks similar to
Desire's Deception by Kathryn Kramer


historical-romance
romance
tudor-england
tudor-era

The Lady in the Emerald Mask


Hanna Hamilton - 2019
     When Miss Aurora Mitchell, second daughter of the Viscount of Backton, abandons the dance floor for some fresh air, she never expects to find herself alone with a charming stranger in a mysterious dark mask. Ethan Hart, Duke of Durston, is on a mission: discover the identity of the enchanting lady he met on the night of the ball. His trail leads him straight to Backton Manor and into Aurora’s waiting arms, certain that he has found everything he’s been looking for. It all starts with a Masquerade Ball and ends when the masks finally fall off, only for Ethan to realize that he has made a terrible mistake. Aurora was never the one he found and he’s been courting the wrong lady all along... *If you like a realistic yet charming depiction of the Regency and Victorian era, then The Lady in the Emerald Mask is the novel for you. This is Hanna Hamilton's 31st book, a historical Regency romance novel of 80,000 words (around 400 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after. Pick up "The Lady in the Emerald Mask" today to discover Hanna's amazing new story!

When the Black Roses Grow


Angela Christina Archer - 2015
    Nineteen hung to their death on Gallow Hills. One suffocated under bone-crushing stones. All believed to possess the power of witchcraft. In 1692 the fear of witchcraft is spreading around Salem Village. While those who are accused and sentenced face death, everyone else faces the risk of accusations placed upon them. As Emmalynn Hawthorne, the daughter of a woman hung for witchcraft, places a bouquet of flowers upon her mother’s grave, a circle of black roses sprouts out of thin air. Dark magic, the roses strike fear through her heart when Mary Pruett and the handsome newcomer, James DeKane, spy upon her as they pass along the traveling road. Emmalynn flees and her panic soon turns into terror as another vine of black roses sprouts and grows throughout the inside of her home. Is she a witch? Will she be the next accused? James DeKane has secrets of his own—ones that could prove deadly for him and anyone he holds dear. At fault for the untimely death of his parents, he must protect his hidden brother and dying sister, all while fearing that the haunting prophecy bestowed upon him at birth will come to pass. Desperate and fighting the monster deep inside of him, he’s searching for the one love who can alter his destiny.

A Husband for Christmas


Paty Jager - 2015
    Snowballing events cause her to look inside herself and recognize maybe it wasn’t being home she wanted as much as it was to have a home. Mace Walker has his life in order and doesn’t want it disrupted again. Yet, when he discovers a woman stranded in the snow, he has to help her—despite her overbearing and reckless fiancé. In a matter of days, Shayla turns his life upside down and forces him to decide if he should leave town or face the consequences.

The Earl of Windermere Takes a Wife


Jen Yates - 2016
    At her 16th birthday Rogan slayed Jassie’s dreams of becoming his wife and had maintained a strictly platonic friendship between them ever since. At twenty-five she’d waited long enough. Desperation on her part, and a small push from fate, forces Rogan to a point of honor. To save Jassie’s reputation they must marry, but who will save Jassie from the monster unleashed within him when the woman in his arms begins to beg?

Billow Creek Bride


Mary Gair Johnson - 2012
    She knows she cannot stay, but she doesn't want to leave her sister behind. Her only hope is to accept an arranged marriage and pray this man, sure to be homely and elderly, will adopt her sister. The striking Thomas Johnson is anything but homely or elderly. He has come to the orphanage expecting to wed a plain, obedient woman who will be as silent as a shadow in his home. The beautiful, intelligent, and independent Maurine is a complete surprise. Maurine realizes he could have had his pick of women, so why did he come to an orphanage? Their first night together on the return trip to his home, she comes to understand he doesn't want her as a wife, but as a governess to his children. Within days, she is falling in love with a man who refuses to get close to her, a man who is hiding something about the death of his first wife. This is a tale of two sisters: Maurine, who yearns to be loved by the man who took her as his bride, and Rebecca who finds love in the arms of the son of a wealthy Cherokee plantation owner. Billow Creek Bride is a careful blend of laughter and tears, sorrows and joys as these two women discover strength within themselves to meet the challenges of life and love in the 1830's, and the event that would change history known as 'The Trail of Tears.'

Birthday Witch


Billie Dale
    This is how I planned to spend my fortieth birthday. A mercurial milestone page turning where life should be getting easier. I will not let today get me down even with being tossed back into the cesspool of dating by a cheating ex-husband.“Tra-la-la, forty will be my new twenty-five,” or so I thought until the hottest man on the planet appears through a portal door in my kitchen. Introducing a sultry vampire, a stunningly beautiful Goddess and a pointy-eared alien into the delusional delirium spewing from his luscious lips.“Shayden Reigh, you’re the next contestant on This is Your Life. You’re our new queen and you must save the land of Erigate.”The land of what with the who? These people are speaking but I’m not comprehending what they’re selling.I, Shayden Reigh, armed with nothing more than a smart mouth, sassy wit, a cocky cat who hates me have no clue what in h-e-double hockey sticks I’m doing. But they say I must prepare to fight.The Gods have chosen, armed me with new magic and assigned an ego-driven hot guardian named Luke, who insists only I can tip the scale to victory and save his precious world.No pressure there, right?Magic is real, different realms exist and I’m the most powerful witch in the universe.The Gods set me, a newly single mom, on the path to the throne but I must figure out how to save it first.

Alana


Monica Barrie - 1986
    The Civil War ravaged her plantation, her life and the man she was to marry before the war, but could not take away her dreams. Alana Belfores vowed to rebuild her plantation, Riverbend, no matter the cost! But it was not until Rafe Montgomery rode into her lonely life, bringing her fiancé home, broken in mind and body, did she know the touch that sears...the kiss that devours...and the ecstasy that consumes the body and damns the soul.TAGS: Historical Romance, Romance, Civil War, plantations, Slavery, Antebellum, Charleston, The South, Love Story, Epic Romance

Finding Shelter in her Arms


Aurora Hanson - 2020
    Alone and destitute, Kate fears for the future until she is convinced to head west on her own as a mail-order bride. However, nothing is as it seems and she soon realizes that her life has taken the wrong turn. Her husband makes her feel like something is seriously wrong. What are the challenges lying deep down that she will have to deal with? Coming face to face with a terrifying, well-hidden truth out of nowhere, will affect her life and marriage forever...Troy Kelley has been trying to cope with his father's sudden loss and his false accusations that linger in town. He has been struggling with isolation and loneliness that keeps haunting him since a treacherous woman broke his heart. When he realizes that he has to open his heart to Kate or else he'll end up in a loveless life, will it be too late? Is he actually ready to share his journey and his secrets or has revenge completely absorbed him?Moving to the Wyoming Territory was supposed to be the beginning of a new and happy chapter, but to Kate, everything seems to be falling apart. At the same time, succumbing to love had never been part of Troy's plan, as there are too many loose ends to tie up. Will this marriage of seeming convenience evolve into real love? Will Troy be able to protect Kate from his dangerous past? When her life gets in danger will he manage to intervene in time or will it be too late?"Finding Shelter in her Arms" is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Unconquerable Callie


Deann Smallwood - 2013
    She is also a dreamer. Her greatest hope is to reach a new life in South Pass City, Wyoming, where she can open a bakery and live an independent life. To be successful, she will need her greatest deception to date, a mythical fiancé who waits at the end of the line. As a woman alone, she has to prove to Seth McCallister, the wagon master, that she has the wherewithal and the stamina to survive months of drought, dust, hardships, and even the risk of death.Seth McCallister is mystified by the audacity and determination of Callie Collins. His initial distrust and concern for Callie, a woman traveling alone, opens first to admiration, then friendship, then love, a love that he is forced to hold at bay. What he doesn’t realize is that there is no fiancé. To make matters worse, Callie develops feelings for Seth McCallister, too. Yet she feels certain that once he realizes her deception, he’ll turn away, ashamed of his love and trust in her.

The Chieftain's Choice


Elaine Manders - 2019
    She is the daughter of a notorious traitor who decimated the clan during a post-Jacobite uprising. Having grown up lonely and unloved, she’s astonished when the dying and much revered chieftain of Clan Carmichael chooses her to wed his younger son. She’s perplexed when the older son and heir, Gavin Carmichael, arrives to claim her as his bride. Hasn’t her beautiful cousin, Vanora, the heiress of Gilmour Hall, boasted since girlhood she will marry Gavin to enjoin their bordering lands? Gavin expects nothing more from his arranged marriage to Alana than a compliant wife who will produce the future heir and an escape from her malicious, deceitful cousin. He underestimates Vanora’s schemes, however. Trouble erupts between the Carmichael and Gilmour clans. With rumors swirling of tainted blood and witchcraft, Alana becomes a prisoner in her own home. Attacks on his wife stir Gavin’s protective nature, and his feelings quickly turn to love. But it will take a higher power to save Alana from the evil hidden behind the walls of Gilmour Hall.

Devil Black


Laura Strickland - 2012
    But when her coach is held up and she is abducted by a dangerous highwayman, she faces an unexpected choice: suffer the loveless union to which she has resigned herself, or marry this ruthless, Scottish outlaw who can ignite her desire with a single touch.They call him "Diabhal Dubh" - Devil Black - and he spends his days terrorizing the countryside, trying to outdistance the memories that torture him. The King has decreed he must settle and take a wife. And when he steals the alluring woman betrothed to his enemy, Dougal MacRae sees a way to both answer the King's demand and obtain the revenge he has sought so long...

Triskelion


Avril Borthiry - 2014
    Where the legend ends, the story begins... Lancashire, England, AD 1480 The story of England's last wolf plays a large part in Kate's life. The man who killed the wolf is her father, Sir John Harrington, lord and master of Wraysholme Manor. Strangely, though, her knowledge of the tale is all second-hand. Her father, for unknown reasons, refuses to speak of exactly what happened the day the wolf was killed. Nor will he speak of Kate's mother, who died soon after giving birth. So, Kate is left to wonder about her past, although lately her curiosity has been overshadowed by a series of unusual dreams. Indeed, her lonely heart has been captured by the handsome stranger who speaks to her in sleep. But he is not the only man who haunts her nights. There is another who lurks in the shadows of her subconscious. Who is he, and why does she feel so threatened by him? When Kate is brutally snatched from her home, she begins to understand the meaning behind her dreams and the incredible truth about her past. Her captor is a man void of emotion and without conscience, yet Kate finds herself irresistibly drawn to his dark charisma. As the reason for her kidnapping is revealed, Kate is faced with a decision. Will she find the courage to make the right choice? Can the love of a gentle heart hope to save an unfeeling and corrupted soul? Perhaps – especially if their destinies were preordained long ago. The death of the wolf, it seems, is part of an much older legend.

Always I'll Remember


Rita Bradshaw - 2005
    But life for Abby is a constant struggle against her dominant and selfish mother, Nora, who is jealous of Abby's beauty and success. When war breaks out, all their lives change forever. In the furore of patriotism that follows, James signs up and Abby swears to wait for him, joining the land army to do her bit. But when Abby's father is involved in a dreadful accident, a terrible secret that Nora has been carrying for years is revealed, tearing the family apart. After receiving heartbreaking news of James, Abby begins to wonder if she will ever find happiness. Only time will tell if there are better days ahead...

Saving The Broken Highlander


Ann Marie Scott - 2019
    Caitlyn despises him immediately.He may be brave and imposing, but this man is also curt, overbearing and unable to open up to women. Was it up to her, she wouldn't choose to spend an hour with him, but at this point, he is her only hope for saving her mother.When they reach his castle, she can not imagine what is concealed inside.In one of the rooms, Caitlyn will find a fragile and isolated young lass who had not seen the sunlight for months. That's what's left from Ava, Alastair's beautiful sister after bandits attempted to rape her.The two of them come close, and Ava will decides to reveal the truth about her brother's tormented past and the horrendous games of fate that shaped his character. Caitlyn has never met a person she can't touch with her kind heart, but this man seems to have lost all lust for life.When the bandits that attacked Ava return, Alastair, will have to face his external and internal demons or lose everything he loves. "Saving the Broken Highlander" is a standalone story packed with emotion, romance, and redemption, set on the beautiful backdrop of the Scottish Highlands.

Willow Grove Abbey


Mary Christian Payne - 2013
     This fast-paced novel focuses upon the life of the primary character, Lady Sophia Somerville, who begins life as the daughter of the charismatic but unscrupulous Earl Nigel Somerville and his wife, the breathtaking, but rage-prone Countess Pamela Somerville. Sophia’s journey of growth begins with her attendance at The Ashwick Park School, followed by her much anticipated debutante season, both of which become watershed moments in her life. Written in the first person, this book is rich in historical detail about the fascinating era in which she lives, and the reader experiences those tumultuous times through Sophia’s eyes. Willow Grove Abbey is a love story which faces tremendous obstacles due to Sophia’s parent’s refusal to give their blessing to a marriage between their daughter and the man she adores, physician and RAF Group Captain, Spencer Stanton. It is also the story of her relationship with school mate and dearest friend, Edwina Phillips, which takes the reader from the joyous times of youth in the 1930’s to heartbreaking betrayal. The interaction between these two individuals forms the core of this character-driven book. Lastly, it is the story of a highly esteemed British family, which appears to be the epitome of grace, charm and dignity, when in reality, they are intensely flawed. Sophia struggles with her lifelong need for parental approval versus her emerging values and morals, while long held family secrets emerge and threaten to destroy the Somerville family. She is faced with an untenable decision... whether to hold fast to her values and accept permanent estrangement from her family, or continue to be the dependent, young girl her parents have always insisted that she be. As she grows, she is faced with the daunting challenge of attempting to comprehend, forgive, and unconditionally love her profoundly imperfect family. .