Book picks similar to
Heart's Ransom by Kathryn Loch
historical-romance
romance
medieval
historical
For Love of the Duke
Christi Caldwell - 2014
When he’s coaxed out of his self-imposed exile to attend the amusements of the Frost Fair, his life is irrevocably changed by his fateful meeting with Lady Katherine Adamson.With her tight brown ringlets and silly white-ruffled gowns, Lady Katherine Adamson has found her dance card empty for two Seasons. After her father’s passing, Katherine learned the unreliability of men, and is determined to depend on no one, except herself. Until she meets Jasper…In a desperate bid to avoid a match arranged by her family, Katherine makes the Duke of Bainbridge a shocking proposition—one that he accepts.Only, as Katherine begins to love Jasper, she finds the arrangement agreed upon is not enough. And Jasper is left to decide if protecting his heart is more important than fighting for Katherine’s love.
Entertaining Angels
M.J. Logue - 2016
Winter, 1660. Retired from the Army after twenty years of service, Major Thankful Russell's whole life till now has been made up of war and intelligence. And now in peacetime, he suspects no more war and, on current showing, precious little intelligence. The idea of spending Christmas surrounded by drunkenness and debauchery at His Majesty's court is more than he can bear - and so he begs leave, to spend a quiet family Christmas at home. The problem is, he doesn't have a family. And nor, with his scarred face and his shyness, does he ever expect to have one. But when an accident of fate returns him to the only place he's ever called home, it's down to his old commanding officer's daughter to teach him that not everyone sets so high a value on the outer wrapping of the most precious gift of all....
A Year and a Day
Virginia Henley - 1998
Desperate for an heir, he proposed a handfasting: a Scottish custom whereby a man can lawfully take a woman into his bed, then, after a year and a day, the couple can either wed or part. Any child of that union is deemed legitimate. Jane had no choice but to surrender to the invader's knowing touch...Fearless on the battlefield, Lynx was afraid to love. But Jane slowly stole into his heart. And as the fires of war raged around them, amid treacherous foes and brilliant intrigues, who would have thought that two such unlikely partners would fall in love--or that their breathless passion for each other would outlast...
The Wild Hunt
Elizabeth Chadwick - 1990
As innocent as she is lovely, Judith of Ravenstow becomes the bride of roguish, handsome Guyon, Lord of Ledworth, in a union arranged to protect their lands from the clutches of Judith's ruthless uncle.It is far from a match made in heaven. Judith cannot forget her father's brutality toward her mother and is terrified of marriage. Handsome and sophisticated, Guy finds himself wed to a mere child.But as the furor of the Welsh border wars casts their lives to the winds of destiny, Judith surrenders to her deepest desire—and Guy owes his life to the courageous and willful young woman he has wed.
Ruined by a Rake
Erin Knightley - 2013
It wasn’t until years later when Nick introduced her to fencing that they finally had a proper outlet for their frequent arguments.Having just emerged from mourning following her mother’s death, Eleanor is exactly where she wishes to be at the age of four-and-twenty: an on-the-shelf spinster and unofficial companion to her aunt. Unfortunately, her ambitious uncle has other plans for her future. On the eve of his house party, he lays down his ultimatum: either Eleanor marries the man of his choosing, or he'll force her seventeen-year-old sister to do so instead.When Nick unexpectedly arrives on their doorstep after a two year absence, Eleanor is in no mood for their normal banter. Seeming to know exactly what she needs, Nick challenges her to pick up the foil once more. During their pre-dawn matches, he shows her just how strong she can be . . . and exactly how much he’s changed since leaving. But when her old adversary becomes her only ally, she may very well find herself . . . Ruined by a Rake.
Mistress of Pleasure
Delilah Marvelle - 2008
Her only desire in life is to remain independent, free from men and the shackles of marriage. But when Maybelle lays eyes on Edmund Worthington, the Duke of Rutherford, at a soir e, and hears of his scandalous reputation, she decides he's the perfect person for her to have a tryst with no strings attached.IT MUST BE GIVEN.Unbridled passion has again muddied Edmund Worthington's family name. After his very public dalliance with the strikingly beautiful and sensual Maybelle, his mother insists he marry her. But much to the Duke's surprise, Maybelle scoffs at his proposal. Never has he encountered such a brazen—and maddeningly irresistible—woman. But when Maybelle's grandmother falls ill, forcing Maybelle to take over the operation of her school, Edmund devises a plan to make her his. He enrolls in the school, where no one other than Maybelle must give him expert lessons in carnal pleasure.
A Bit of Heaven on Earth
Lauren Linwood - 2014
Robert is quickly set free, but Gavin’s father refuses to pay for his son’s release, leaving him to rot in a squalid French prison. Aided by a sympathetic priest, he escapes and returns home to England, only to find he has been proclaimed a bastard and disinherited. With nowhere to turn Gavin journeys to Kentwood, where he fostered as a boy, hoping Lord Aldred will take him on as a knight in his guard. The old warrior is close to death, but he soon realizes Gavin is his son. Aldred plots to have Gavin inherit Kentwood and marry his much younger wife, Elizabeth, a famed and opinionated beauty who remains a virgin after a decade of marriage.Will the king recognize Lord Aldred’s first request of a marriage between Elizabeth and Robert, uniting Robert’s estate with Kentwood—or will the temperamental Edward reward Aldred’s years of service and honor a dying man’s final request?