Book picks similar to
The Duke's Unexpected Bride by Lara Temple


historical-romance
historical
romance
regency

Lady with a Black Umbrella


Mary Balogh - 1989
    But it does grow worse when a little slip of a lady clad only in a flannel nightgown and wielding a large black man's umbrella comes to his rescue and puts his assailants to rout and then--after he has left--pays his reckoning at the inn plus the money he lost the evening before in a card game with a fellow guest plus what he owed the barmaid with whom he spent the night. The ensuing gossip is almost too much humiliation for Giles to bear. Yet when he finds and confronts Daisy Morrison in London, far from being cowed by his displeasure, she declares with sunny good nature that if he insists upon repaying the slight favour she was able to do for him, then he can recommend a lady sponsor to her so that she may find a husband for her younger sister among the gentlemen of the ton. Inexplicably, Giles finds himself agreeing. His troubles are only just beginning.

My Fair Princess


Vanessa Kelly - 2016
    Now, in a delightfully witty new series, she introduces The Improper Princesses—three young women descended from royalty, each bound for her own thrilling adventure . . .Despite being the illegitimate daughter of a prince, Gillian Dryden is happily ignorant of all social graces. After growing up wild in Italy, Gillian has been ordered home to England to find a suitable husband. And Charles Valentine Penley, the excessively proper, distractingly handsome Duke of Leverton, has agreed to help transform her from a willful tomboy to a blushing debutante.Powerful and sophisticated, Charles can make or break reputations with a well-placed word. But his new protégée, with her habit of hunting bandits and punching earls, is a walking scandal. The ton is aghast . . . but Charles is thoroughly intrigued. Tasked with taking the hoyden in hand, he longs to take her in his arms instead. Can such an outrageous attraction possibly lead to a fairytale ending?

The Nobody


Diane Farr - 1999
    Unwittingly, she becomes the savior of an enigmatic man who suddenly approaches and kisses her to evade the violent scoundrels stalking him. Terrified and aghast at his audacity, she abandons him to his fate, only to discover his identity as a roguish nobleman engaged to the very woman who insulted her! She finds herself drawn into a web of frightening intrigue, in which the only way out is to trust the desire in her heart....

The Veiled Bride


Elizabeth Bailey - 1999
    Then her new husband turns to face her -- and the truth is revealed. A cruel scar disfigures his otherwise handsome features. She's committed herself to an embittered man who wants a marriage based on convenience alone...

A Worthy Wife


Barbara Metzger - 2000
    Aurora soon learns, however, that the match is too good to be true when the nuptials are interrupted--by the brother of the groom's wife!Kenyon Warriner, Earl of Windham, is determined to foil that bigamous bounder Podell, before he disgraces another innocent female as he did Kenyon's own sister. The earl will save Miss McPhee's honor.Even if he must wed her himself...

It Takes Two to Tangle


Theresa Romain - 2013
    Wounded and battle weary, he decides that the right wife is all he needs. Selecting the most desirable lady in the ton, Henry turns to her best friend and companion to help him with his suit…Is a Terrible Mistake…Young and beautiful, war widow Frances Whittier is no stranger to social intrigue. She finds Henry Middlebrook courageous and manly, unlike the foppish aristocrats she is used to, and is inspired to exercise her considerable wit on his behalf. But she may be too clever for her own good, and Frances discovers that she has set in motion a complicated train of events that’s only going to break her own heart…

The Marriage Wager


Candace Camp - 2007
    No longer in the first blush of youth and without a marriage portion, Miss Constance Woodley can scarcely imagine why one of the leading lights of London society should take an interest in the likes of her. But under her benefactor’s guiding hand, she’s transformed into a captivating creature who catches the eye of the handsome, charming and ever-so-slightly notorious Lord Dominic Leighton. And before the shocked eyes of the entire ton, the “nobody” and the rakish viscount show that even in the heartless world of the marriage mart, when love is at stake, all bets are off.

The Bride Says No


Cathy Maxwell - 2014
    However, he’s not one to give up without a fight, and now that he’s met a woman he wants to marry, nothing on earth could convince him to let Aileen go.

An Unsuitable Duchess


Laurie Benson - 2016
    So, when a rare moment of solitude at a particularly tedious ball is interrupted, she's disappointed…until she lays eyes on a very handsome stranger! Julian Carlisle, Duke of Lyonsdale, is destined for a dull marriage of convenience, and Katrina couldn't be further from the docile, blue-blooded bride he needs. An affair would be scandalous, but could there be a way for this highly unsuitable woman to become Julian's perfect duchess after all?  Secret Lives of the Ton  What Society doesn't know…

Suddenly You


Lisa Kleypas - 2000
    When he appeared at her door, she believed he was her gift to herself, hired for one night of passion. Unforgettably handsome, irresistibly virile, he tempted her in ways she never thought possible, but something stopped him from completely fulfilling her dream.Jack Devlin's determination to possess Amanda became greater when she discovered his true identity. But gently bred Amanda craved respectability more than she admitted, while Jack, the cast-off son of a nobleman and London's most notorious businessman, refused to live by society's rules. Yet when fate conspired for them to marry, their worlds collided with a passionate force neither had expected... but both soon craved.

The Duchess Hunt


Jennifer Haymore - 2013
    Rumors and innuendo have darkened the House of Trent for decades, and it has fallen to Simon to restore his tattered family name. He lives by a strict code of honor, but when he is called home to investigate his mother's disappearance, the distinguished duke will tangle with temptation. For there waits the only woman he has ever loved-and the last woman he should desire . . .Sarah Osborne has spent her life dreaming of Simon's touch. But dukes do not long for lady's maids--or so Sarah believes, until a stolen kiss sparks a passion that could be her ultimate undoing. As the couple begins a forbidden romance, a cunning enemy plots to destroy the duke and everything he loves. Now, caught in a blackmailer's web, Simon faces an agonizing choice: Sacrifice his family's future, or break Sarah's heart.

How to Disgrace a Lady


Bronwyn Scott - 2012
    Caught in a—far less than usually—compromising situation with Lady Alixe Burke, this so-called gentleman is tasked by her father with making his daughter marriageable!Lady Alixe, more happy in the library than the ballroom, is most definitely left-on-the-shelf material. He'll never walk away from a wager, but Merrick's expertise extends way beyond society etiquette. Never before entrusted with a woman's modesty, Merrick sets about teaching her everything he know

The Duke's Disaster


Grace Burrowes - 2015
    Lady Thea’s mature, sensible and even rather attractive—what could possibly go wrong?As a lady fallen on hard times, Thea doesn’t expect tender sentiments from His Grace, but she does wish Noah had courted her trust, lest her past turn their hastily arranged marriage into a life of shared regrets. Is His Grace courting a convenient wife, or a beautiful disaster?

Her Christmas Earl


Anna Campbell - 2014
    Now her reputation hangs by a thread and only a hurried marriage can rescue her. Is the Earl of Erskine the heartless libertine the world believes? Or will Philippa discover unexpected honor in a man notorious for his wild ways?Blair Hume, the dissolute Earl of Erskine, has had his eye on the intriguing Miss Sanders since he arrived at this deadly dull house party. Now a reckless act delivers this beguiling woman into his hands as a delightful Christmas gift. Is fate offering him a fleeting Yuletide diversion? Or will this Christmas Eve encounter spark a passion that lasts a lifetime?

Her Best Friend, the Duke


Laura Martin - 2020
    After years of waiting for him, she’s finally admitted defeat and decided to find a husband. James suggests she practice her nonexistent flirtation skills on him, which seems like a good idea—until she must pull away to avoid a shattered heart. Their pretend attraction has begun to feel alarmingly real!“What a book, I’m in love… My goodness, I am feeling all hot and bothered… Ms. Martin has created a beautiful story that has real heart and lots of love, her writing is full of passion for the story and the character’s.”—Chicks, Rogues and Scandals on Reunited with his Long-Lost Cinderella “She immerses readers in the world and scandals of the ton with realistic settings, authentic dialogue and twists and turns that keep the action moving.” —RT Book Reviews on An Earl to Save Her Reputation