Book picks similar to
UGLY DUCKLING PRINCESS by Kruti Mehta Doshi Krizal
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The House of Closed Doors Boxed Set: Nell's Story
Jane Steen - 2017
See why readers rave about the writing, the plot twists, and the characters. NELL LILLINGTON is a spoiled, headstrong 16-year-old when she finds herself pregnant after letting a flirtation with handsome Cousin Jack get out of hand. More willing to bear the consequences of an illegitimate pregnancy than marry, she refuses to name the father and agrees to give birth in a Poor Farm and give the baby up for adoption. At the Poor Farm she meets Tess O’Dugan, a woman the world calls an imbecile but who soon becomes the sister Nell never had. MARTIN RUTHERFORD, Nell’s childhood friend, only learns of baby Sarah when Nell seeks to escape from the Poor Farm—with the child. His own aversion to marriage stems from his dark, unhappy childhood, and despite his attachment to Nell he makes no objection to her plan to move to Kansas, away from prying eyes, with Tess and Sarah. Martin, now free of family ties, has his own plans—he wishes to build a grand department store in Chicago and become one of that growing city’s merchant princes. But Nell and Martin’s plans are steered off course by the secrets and lies of other people, and their paths to happiness are strewn with murder. Nell’s story will take you from the Illinois prairie, to frontier Kansas, and back to a Chicago teeming with opportunistic new Americans and ruthless hardmen.
The Isle of Mull Series Collection
Lily Baldwin - 2015
Who will protect her from herself?Shoney's lightning speed with a bow captures Ronan by surprise, and their chance meeting ends with him lying unconscious at the bottom of a ravine.When he awakens, he cannot rid his mind of her startling beauty, her valor, or the secret fear he glimpsed in her steel eyes. He vows to find her, but as the mysteries of her identity unfold, his courage and heart are tested as never before.Highland Thunder, Book 2A STORM IS COMING...Although she faces tragic loss, Brenna will never succumb to grief or fear, nor will she surrender to the one man she despises--the very man who now has the power to control her destiny. Like the storms that rage unchecked over the moors, her fury is about to be unleashed.A HIDDEN LOVE...He does not look at her or speak to her, and most importantly, he does not touch her. These are the rules Duncan set for himself long ago to ensure his affection for his best friend's wife remained undetected. But under the weight of a land besieged by war, the walls he erected to shield his heart crumble.If he can earn her trust, the one woman he has always loved may at last be his. But first he must save what he cherishes most from a nightmare of dark secrets.To Love a Warrior, Book 3Destinies unfold. Secrets are revealed. The Isle of Mull will be forever changed.Half Highlander, half Viking, Garik MacKinnon was not born on the Scottish Isle of Mull, but fostered there in his youth. Now, he leaves behind his home, once more bound for Mull, to join the MacKinnon warriors as they answer Robert the Bruce's call to arms. He is ready for battle, eager to fight for Scotland's freedom. What he is not prepared for is his encounter with Nellore, a shield maiden from Mull, whose allure defies all reason.Nellore has the strength and skill of a warrior but the heart of a woman. When the men are called away to war Nellore must aid those left behind to safeguard their village against attacks from the MacLeans--a feuding clan to the south. She understands her duty to her clan. She is ready to take up arms against the enemy if need be. What she is not ready for is the ache that fills her heart when war pulls Garik from her side.Desire ignites and battles are waged as both Nellore and Garik learn what it means to love a warrior.
A Scent of Lavender
Elizabeth Elgin - 2003
It's 1940 and the threat of invasion hangs over Britain. But in the isolated hamlet of Nun Ainsty it is the arrival of the Army that turns things turned upside down – especially for two young women.Lorna Hatherwood, married to a man ten years older, lives a quiet life. Then she volunteers to read to blind soldiers at the nearby Manor and everything changes – because of a handsome medical officer named Ewan MacMillan. But their relationship could spell disaster…Then there is Ness Nightingale. A Land Girl billeted with Lorna, Ness is trying to forget a disastrous love affair. But when she meets Mick Hardie, a conscientious objector, she has to remind herself that she has vowed never to trust a man again …
Kitty McKenzie: Victorian saga: Book 1
AnneMarie Brear - 2014
Evicted from their resplendent home in the fashionable part of York after her parents’ deaths, Kitty must fight the legacy of bankruptcy and homelessness to secure a home for her and her siblings. Through sheer willpower and determination she grabs opportunities with both hands from working on a clothes and rag stall in the market to creating a teashop for the wealthy. Her road to happiness is fraught with obstacles of hardship and despair, but she refuses to let her dream of a better life for her family die. She soon learns that love and loyalty brings its own reward.
Immigrant Bride
Jean Dunstan - 2021
Devastated, Sophia, a naïve farm girl, is forced to marry a young man named Domenic and leave for the United States. As part of a large Italian exodus heading to the United States looking for a better life, Sophia must adjust to being in a strange country and build a life as a young immigrant bride in New York City. Can Sophia overcome her fears and learn to build a life for herself and the ones she loves when fate steps in and steals her happiness away once more? And will she be strong enough to move forward when destiny hands her a new adventure?
The Duke's Heart
Kelly Anne Bruce - 2016
She lives on a manor in the countryside and the distance from the city suits her well. She loves her charges and her employer is understanding and kind. What more could a poor vicar's daughter ever dream of? The Duke of Rossdale is lonely. He's not really aware of that. At least not yet. When he is dragged to a house party at a manor in the country side, he has no idea he will come face to face with his loneliness. He is happiest at his spread of land in the Scottish Highlands, but he needs an heir. For that, he needs a wife. When the duke and Dorothea first meet, there are sparks that neither can acknowledge. Eventually, they must. He has to tell her how he feels. Will she find the bravery to let him overlook her humble family heritage?
The Duke's Ugly Duckling (Regency Fairytale Romance #2)
Charity McColl - 2016
She despises her daughter’s blemished looks. Such an ugly duckling is a shame to the house of Knightley among society’s more refined peers. When the young woman turns eighteen her father decides it is high time his daughter marry, but who would even consider such an imperfect girl? It is a troubling question. A passing reference in Regency court to the reclusive Lord Albert Errol, Duke of Whittington, provides a solution. Stewart Knightley approaches the mysterious Duke with an offer to restore his lost fortunes. In return he will take the hand of Florence. Thus begins an unlikely journey that will transform the duckling to a swan. In this original Regency fairytale the classic parable of the Ugly Duckling takes a decidedly romantic Regency turn.
Yesterday's Shadows
Rosie Goodwin - 2008
At last she will be free from him, even though she and Nuala, the sister who depends on her for everything, must now leave his miners cottage. Then Kate discovers they have an aunt in the Midlands whom their father had kept secret, and who now offers them a home. Despite leaving her heart in Durham with Matthew, a young artist, Kate feels loved and safe with Aunt Beth. But her peace is shattered by an astonishing revelation from Nuala, and a series of brutal attacks on the women of Nuneaton. Kate turns to a handsome widower, Martin Denby, but is his kindness too good to be true?
The Coffin Maker
Christine Sterling - 2018
Living under the overprotective and overbearing nature of her mother, Charlotte Daniels, made it easy to keep her distance from the townsfolk of Silverpines apart from a few close acquaintances. However, when Tess finds a man sleeping in her deceased father’s studio, it sets in motion a series of events that she is not prepared for. The town needs assistance burying the bodies from the aftermath of the double-earthquakes and the new stranger challenges Tess to assist her community. As she steps in to help, she realizes that there are many secrets her mother has been keeping from her, including the mystery of how her father died. Dawson Elliot was in Silverpines for one reason only: to find the man who murdered his wife and unborn child. Helping a small community get back on its feet wasn’t in his plans. But the weather had other ideas, so he decides to put some long-retired carpentry skills to use, building coffins to bury the dead. Working side by side with Tess will he find healing and love again? As Tess uncovers the secrets of her past, what will happen when she finds out the biggest secret of all? What is the secret Dawson is hiding? With every coffin he builds can he heal his heart and possibly open it to love again?
Yours
Angela Christina Archer - 2021
Knowing the Germans could invade their quiet home the resident children of Guernsey are evacuated. Among them are Amelia Ashton, and her older sister Evelyn.The promise to stay safe.Forced onto the boat by her older sister, seventeen-year-old Amelia Ashton arrives in Weymouth with hundreds of other children. Although she is placed with a kind and loving foster family in Derbyshire, her world is torn apart. With all her communication cut off from her family, and the boys at school joining to fight in the war, Amelia struggles with her own desire to help. On a whim, she lies about her age and boards a train headed to volunteer with the Woman’s Land Army. Finding solace in the work of farm life, she reconnects with William, a young man from Derbyshire, and who doesn’t waste any time asking for her hand in marriage. Can Amelia start a new life without looking over her shoulder at what she left behind in Guernsey or will the war change everything?The promise to survive.Fearing for her parents’ lives, nineteen-year-old, Evelyn Ashton stays behind, living through the German occupation plaguing her once beautiful home—the island of Guernsey. Living under German rule, the residents find a new meaning of desperation and despair, trying to survive on rations and evade the threats of being sent off to a death camp. After her parents die in a bombing, Evelyn is left alone to fend for herself against her enemy, and when German soldiers take over her house, she seeks refuge in the only family she believes she has left—Henry—the man once interested in her sister. Can they find comfort in each other or will the occupation claim not only their love but also their lives?Two sisters. Two promises. One bloody war that changes their lives forever.
An Audacious Spitfire
Carré White - 2013
On her eighteenth birthday, she receives a letter from her deceased mother, detailing her shocking parentage. She learns that her father's name is Gerry Quinn. Armed with a small inheritance, Bridget escapes from St. Joseph's Orphan Home with her trusted ten-year-old sidekick, Sawyer Brown. Together they embark on a wild and unpredictable journey that will lead Bridget straight into the arms of Jesse Owen, who is eager to help her find her father, although his motives are questionable. When the dust settles, a family will be reunited, a couple will be torn apart, and a surprise ending will turn everything on its head, again.This is the first book in the "Arizona Brides Series", which follows the lives of four plucky young ladies, who find themselves on wild and crazy adventures in the Arizona Territory.
Christmas in the Duke's Arms
Julie Johnstone - 2021
Her father is dying, and her cousin is trying to force her into marriage in order to obtain her inheritance. Desperate, she seeks out the Duke of Westhaven, a widower who gossip says needs a wealthy wife immediately to save his family from ruin. She offers him a bargain: his name and protection for her money, with an assurance that she has no interest in the emotionally skittish rake’s affection. And it’s the truth. Though she did secretly hold a tendre for the man once, she wisely quashed it when she discovered he was not a noble knight in shining armor but an undeniable, uncaring rogue.Nic would rather drink poison than marry again. Yet, he’s suddenly in the untenable position of needing to wed to protect his sister’s future. So when a virtual stranger crashes the dinner party where he’s seeking a bride who wants as little to do with him as he does with her, and the woman offers a marriage with no attachments, he eagerly accepts. It’s the perfect solution for a man who believes love is for fools. They’ll wed and live their separate lives.But when a surprising stipulation to Sophia’s inheritance comes to light, the disenchanted duke and determined lady are forced to spend more time together than planned. And what started as a calculated match between a retired dreamer and a jaded rogue may end up being the very thing that brings them the love they lost faith they’d ever find.
Plum Pudding & Poison: A Harriet Honeywood Christmas Novella
Kate Harper - 2017
She wants cheerful fires, snow-filled landscapes and pleasant company, all of which seems entirely possible. But her dreams of a perfect Christmas are thrown into chaos with the arrival of Sylvia Morwell, a girl who is universally disliked by everybody who knows her. Unfortunately, that includes most of Harry's guests and suddenly, the atmosphere could could be cut with a knife! As uncomfortable as this may be, things take a turn for the worst when her unwelcome house guest is murdered, done to death with a poisoned plum pie. Once again Harry, Aubrey, Charlie and Darcy must delve deep to discover the killer that lurks in their midst. And they must move fast before Harry's Christmas is entirely ruined!
Elizabeth Chater Regency Romance Collection #2
Elizabeth Chater - 2013
When her father's dies, she's left as the guardian to her younger brother, Sholto Grant, who, through his drinking and gambling, loses the family property to the infamous Devil Fallon. Griselda devises a scheme to regain the family estate, but she must first win a wager between her and the most notorious gamester in London . . . and not fall in love with him.THE KING’S DOLLThe Duke of Landsdale and his mother are sent a written request from the King of England to take in and support the Comtesse and her beautiful daughter, Tiri. The Duke's mother is enraged by the inconvenience and endeavors to make life as difficult as possible for her unwanted houseguests. To be rid of them once and for all, she begins by searching for the first available bachelor to marry off Tiri, but she's horrified to discover that the young tart has caught the eye of her son the Duke.LADY DEARBORN’S DEBUTClea Bradford’s Aunt, Lady Floss Dearborn, intends on marrying off her niece, though it’s no easy deed finding a suitable parti for a young lady who stands six feet of height, not counting the golden halo of blond hair. Lady Floss goes so far as to announce her niece’s engagement to Glendon, though he couldn't be more wrong for her niece and more right for her! When Lord Ranulf gets wind of a Dearborn entering the Ton, he believes he’s been given a chance at revenge for a wrong committed against him by Lady Floss Dearborn. But he mistakes Clea for the Lady, and suddenly there’s a lot more at stake than Clea’s reputation . . . it just may be her life.LORD RANDAL’S TIGERLord Randal found Chloe living in a horse’s stable, dressed in rags. Despite her impoverished appearance, she claims to have an affinity with horses and will one day teach children to ride and care for them properly—as soon as she can get away from her abusive half-brother. Lord Randal is charmed by the big beautiful cat eyes and devises a plan to masquerade her as his servant, to have her become his “tiger”. After she’s cleaned up, he finds himself besot by her beauty, and as the young girl grows into a capable woman, she attracts more attention than just that of Lord Randal.
Christmas with the Frosty Lord
Charlotte Darcy - 2017
Can she melt the Frosty Lord Blackwood in time to enjoy her Christmas? Gabriel Blackwood enjoyed certain things but Christmas wasn’t one of them. To Rosalind he is arrogant and she will not take it even from a Dukes son. The man cannot complete one sentence without his familiar jeer and sly, smug, grin? Rosalind however, was not going to put up with such spoiled behavior, Lord or not she would put him in his place and stop him from spoiling the fun of the season. As Gabriel comes to understand his arrogance, he realized something else. Rosalind is, stubborn, headstrong, tough, and beautiful. Suddenly he knew she was just about as perfect a woman as he could wish for. If only she didn’t hate him. Can Gabriel change his attitude enough to break down Rosalind’s barriers? Or will she always be like a dog, guarding a bone? Find out now in Christmas with the Frosty Lord.