Book picks similar to
The Duke's Bride by Joanne Wadsworth


historical-romance
romance
historical
regency

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.

Gambling on the Duke's Daughter


Diana Bold - 2007
    Desperate for a little peace, he sells his commission and returns to England but soon finds himself angry and adrift in London Society. When an old nemesis challenges him to a wager -- he must get Lady Natalia Sinclair to dance with him twice in one evening -- he is willing to play along. The daughter of a duke, Lady Natalia Sinclair fears her enormous dowry is the only thing that draws her many suitors. But heroic Captain Blake seems different. Unfortunately, she soon realizes his smile is false, his interest superficial. Dylan sees Natalia's rejection as a challenge, and the stakes increase when he discovers his elder brother Michael is wooing the duke's daughter as well. Passed over for Michael too many times, he's determined to prove he can be first in somebody's heart. As the lines between the wager and attraction blur, can Dylan and Natalia find the courage to take the biggest gamble of all -- love?

The Perfect Debutante


Annabelle Anders - 2019
    Refined. The answer to all her family's woes. But beneath her flawless complexion, behind her mesmerizing eyes, she hides a secret shame.Stanton promised to marry the woman of his father’s choice by the age of thirty and that time has finally come. To his surprise and delight, the chosen lady is the perfect debutante, for him anyhow, and he couldn’t be happier... until he discovers the scars that make no sense – scars that shatter the illusion of perfection.LIES, greed and blood lay waste to a most promising marriage. Can their love overcome the ravages of guilt and carry them through life’s imperfections?

Don't Tie the Knot


Bianca Blythe - 2018
    Never mind that his brother is already engaged, and they’ll lose their family’s estate if he marries someone else. Hamish will just have to find a way to stop the wedding. Georgiana Butterworth is startled when a handsome Scotsman breaks into her bedroom and brandishes money. Evidently he’s mistaken her for her newly engaged sister and is trying to bribe her into not marrying his brother. Georgiana knows one thing: she won’t permit this man to ruin her sister’s chance for everlasting happiness. Hamish may be determined to stop the wedding, but Georgiana is intent to make certain the wedding happens, no matter what she has to do to distract him.

Gabriella


Brenda Hiatt - 1992
    . . but won a treasure. Due to a lost wager, the Duke of Ravenham is obliged to bring a pretty little nobody from the country into fashion among the high-sticklers of London Society. Ravenham would never refuse a debt of honor, no matter how unorthodox, so he overlooks Miss Gordon's vulgar relations to do what is necessary, escorting the unsophisticated chit to balls, etc. But what he expects to be an irksome duty turns out to be something quite different as he falls under the spell of his protege's innocent charm. When he lost that wager, he definitely never counted on losing his heart as well! First impressions can be deceiving. Miss Gabriella Gordon only came to London at her mother's and sister's insistence, for she'd much rather assist in running her father's veterinary practice than attempt to fit into fashionable society. No sooner has she arrived in London than the exalted (and exceedingly handsome) Duke of Ravenham comes to call. The reason is less than flattering, however: due to a lost wager, the Duke is forced to bring Gabriella into fashion, a "favor" she would certainly refuse if her family would let her. But the more time she spends in the dashing Duke's company, the more conflicted she feels-- particularly when she discovers they have more in common than she ever dared dream. A sparkling traditional Regency romance from bestselling author Brenda Hiatt.

One Wild Dawn


Dayna Quince - 2018
     The younger brother of the Duke of Selbourne, Lord Roderick Andrews finds himself tiring of the same old debauchery and longs for the one woman who does not swoon at his feet. One wild dawn, driven by a stolen kiss, Anne and Roderick are swept away by desire. Anne dares to hope her dream of love may come true, only to find that Roderick was so drunk that he doesn’t remember what happened! Can Roderick rekindle the passion they'd found and redeem himself to Anne or is their one chance at happiness gone with Roderick's memories? One Wild Dawn is the first book in Dayna’s new Regency Romance series, The Northumberland Nine. If you like redeemable rogues, strong heroines, and riveting romance, then you’ll love Dayna Quince’s new series. Romance awaits, discover this new series today!

Shunned No More


Christina McKnight - 2014
    Eight years later, she has her life in order: a fulfilling business, a few trusted friends, and no plans to return to London society. What she doesn’t expect is to come face to face with her past.A Lord Betrayed by One…Brock Spencer, Earl of Haversham, only wants vengeance. Recently returned from his military service to the King, his plans include repairing his family estate, finding a bride, and destroying the girl responsible for the untimely death of his twin brothers. What he doesn’t anticipate is falling in love with the only woman who should never be part of his future.An Impossible Match, Destined to Be…

A Taste of Seduction


Mary Campisi - 2011
    He won’t loosen his cravat unless the bedroom door is firmly closed. She believes in love, second chances, and happily ever after. He believes in keeping a safe distance from anything that resembles an emotion. Indeed, they have nothing in common but an undeniable desire for one another they can’t ignore, and an ailing “father” who will employ any means to bring them together.Unfortunately, not everyone wishes to see a union between Francie and Alexander, and they will stop at nothing to keep this couple apart.

Lord of Chance


Erica Ridley - 2017
    In Scotland, her estranged father’s noble blood will finally make her a respectable debutante. Except she finds herself accidentally wed to a devil-may-care rogue with a sinful smile. He’s the last thing she needs…and everything her traitorous heart desires.Charming rake Anthony Fairfax is on holiday to seek his fortune…and escape his creditors. When an irresistible Lady Luck wins him in a game of chance—and a slight mishap has them leg-shackled by dawn—the tables have finally turned in his favor. But when past demons catch up to them, holding on to new love will mean destroying their dreams forever.

Not So Sweet Maria


Jessica Spencer - 2017
    They do not know Lady Maria despises the hypocritical ways of Polite Society and is trying to sail away to America! Though the granddaughter of a duke, Lady Maria is a Child of Scandal because her mother was an American commoner. She blames the duke and the duchess for her parents’ death. Had they not disowned them, they would not have died of a virulent fever in America, leaving her an orphan at the age of five.She has not forgotten the coldness she had met with as a child, and how there were those who examined her features for tainted blood, and disparaged her mother to her face.She agrees to an arranged match to ward off her persistent suitors, treating the engagement as a sham one to be ended at her convenience. Then, most unexpectedly, she finds love with a commoner. Only he isn’t a commoner but the Earl of Daventon. Gareth, Earl of Daventon is no stranger to Scandal. Rumour has it that his father had banished his mother for adulterous behavior. He remembers his mother as a sweet, gentle woman and knows the late earl yearned until his last breath to have her back. Love is a quagmire and I shall not be caught in it, he decides. But love finds him. The object of his ardour is a mysterious young woman who dresses like a shop girl and behaves like a lady. Lord Daventon remedies the situation by accepting an arranged match, his betrothed being Lady Maria whom he hasn’t met. All of which leads to a delightful tangle of affairs.

Lady of Desire


Darcy Burke - 2014
    Their discovery of a rare manuscript will hopefully stave off their creditors-if it's worth what they hope. Margery reluctantly allies with a reclusive scholar to use the book to pursue a treasure that could solve their woes. Only, the irresistible desire she feels toward her partner is neither expected nor wanted. Rhys Bowen can't believe he has his hands on the elusive de Valery text. Solving its hidden code and unearthing its legendary treasure would establish him as one of Britain's leading antiquaries, finally casting him out of his brilliant late father's shadow. But when a centuries-old organization convinces Rhys of the perils of disturbing the past, he must choose between his conscience...and the captivating woman he's sworn to help.

Highland Refugee


Aileen Adams - 2020
    With her faithful maid and companion she begrudgingly embarks on a voyage to new lands to marry the laird her father has determined will prove a fruitful alliance with her their clan. Alas, the ship she is on does not weather a storm well, leaving her cast upon the sea.Laird Duncan McAbee of Duffus is mourning his father on the shore when he notices a body bobbing among the waves. Little does he know, the body he pulls forth is a raven-haired spitfire of a lass with a steel will of determination not to marry her betrothed. He is caught unawares when she wields a poker and even further caught offguard when she manages to broach his defenses and capture her heart.How is he supposed to recover when she chooses to leave him for Laird Jared Stewart?

Mask of Duplicity


Julia Brannan - 2015
    However, Beth's hopes of a quiet life are dashed when Richard, dissatisfied with his meagre inheritance and desperate for promotion, decides to force her into a marriage for his military gain. And he will stop at nothing to get his way.Beth is coerced into a reconciliation with her noble cousins in order to marry well and escape her brutal brother. She is then thrown into the glittering social whirl of Georgian high society and struggles to conform. The effeminate but witty socialite Sir Anthony Peters offers to ease her passage into society and she is soon besieged by suitors eager to get their hands on her considerable dowry. Beth, however, wants love and passion for herself, and to break free from the artificial life she is growing to hate. She finds herself plunged into a world where nothing is as it seems and everyone hides behind a mask. Can she trust the people professing to care for her?The first in the series about the fascinating lives of beautiful Beth Cunningham, her family and friends during the tempestuous days leading up to the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, which attempted to overthrow the Hanoverian King George II and restore the Stuarts to the British throne. Join the rebellion of one woman and her fight for survival in... The Jacobite Chronicles.

Unlaced


Kristina Cook - 2004
    Instead, she’s caught up in a whirlwind of balls, marriage proposals, and ton intrigues. Worse, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to her sponsors’ maddening neighbor, Henry Ashton, the Marquess of Mandeville. The handsome, arrogant, sometimes infuriating Mandeville stokes a passionate fire within her that won’t be denied, no matter the consequence.Deep, emotional scars secretly plague Henry, Lord Mandeville. As a result, he’s avoided romantic entanglements at all costs. Only, now he needs a wife—someone from a wealthy, powerful family to further his political aspirations. Instead, he finds himself all but obsessed with the beautiful but unconventional Lucy Abbington—a woman whose passions and wit stir desires he’d rather ignore. And yet…she might just be the one woman who can heal his wounded heart.Lucy and Henry’s heads say no, but their hearts say yes. Will they find themselves undone by love?

Belle of the Ball


Pam McCutcheon - 2003
    But a wish at a magical rock formation is about to change all that, in a most a-MUSE-ing way. . . . The three Sullivan sisters, named for the Three Graces of Greek legend who embody beauty, charm and grace, don’t live up to their names. Belle is no beauty. Charisma lacks charm. And Grace is somewhat less than graceful. But this doesn't deter their ambitious mother from bribing three bachelors to escort them to Colorado Springs’ beautiful Garden of the Gods. When the girls overhear their escorts mocking how little they resemble their names, each girl makes a wish at the magical Three Graces rock formation. Belle wishes aloud for beauty, but only so she can use it as a weapon to punish the cads who hurt her sisters. Her true wish is for revenge. Handsome viscount Kit Stanhope regrets his rude remarks and apologizes to Belle. He’s surprised when she tells him that's not enough. If he truly regrets his behavior, he has to make her beautiful in time for the Founders’ Day Ball. Kit isn’t sure he’s up to the task. But, intrigued by the spirited Belle, he agrees to assist her transformation from an ugly duckling into a swan with the help of a mysterious Greek dressmaker with muse-like qualities. Unfortunately, Belle makes a rather awkward swan. Still, after a few embarrassing escapades, she masters the flirtatious language of the fan and takes the town known as Little London by storm. Belle soon finds herself falling for the viscount and his sinful mouth. It seems he returns her regard, but she can’t renege on her promise to humiliate him . . . can she? Will her secret muse grant the wish she voiced . . . or the one she holds in her heart? Note to readers: This title was originally published in 2003 by Zebra Ballad.