Book picks similar to
The Mysterious Heir by Edith Layton


regency
historical-romance
romance
romance-historical

Marrying The Captain


Carla Kelly - 2008
    Her world changes overnight when Captain Oliver Worthy shows up at her struggling inn. Despite herself, Nana is drawn to her handsome guest....Oliver planned to stay in Plymouth only long enough to report back to Lord Ratliffe--about Nana. But he soon senses that Lord Ratliffe is up to something, and Oliver will do anything to keep this courageous, beautiful woman safe--even marry her!

Moonlight Mist


Laura London - 1979
    For surely her newly wed husband Justin Melbrooke must believe her an accomplice in the infamous scheme that had made her his wife. Was he not the prize catch of London, this handsome celebrated young poet-Lord? Schoolgirl she might be, but she had heard the stories of the titled ladies who had given more than the hearts to this aristocratic rake. Indeed, they were wed less than a week and already the stunning Lady Silvia, Justin's mistress, was installed at nearby Crant Castle.Well, she would show him she was no conniving society miss. Trapped into marriage he might have been, but she was resolved, though her heart might break, that he should be free ....

The Five-Minute Marriage


Joan Aiken - 1977
    It was just a make-believe ceremony, and, in exchange, Delphie's ailing mother would receive an annuity for life. Delphie was in no position to refuse. She was already losing the struggle to support herself and her mother. But Delphie soon discovered that she was bound by law to the marriage and bound by love to more lies...

The Byram Succession: A Regency Romance


Mira Stables - 1978
     Albertine 'Tina' Newton knows her worth. The most beautiful girl of the Season, she knew she was born to grace a nobler establishment. And she has her sights set on the perfect husband: Lord Skirlaugh, the heir to the Duke of Byram. Scarred, disillusioned, and cynical, Skirlaugh must nonetheless marry to ensure the succession. He neither expected nor desired love; just a well-bred conformable wife with a reasonable dowry. Tina is certain that there is no one to outshine her. But when her cousin Thea inherits a fortune, she also becomes a contender for Skirlaugh's attention. Then, after meeting on a roadside when both stopped to aid a young man with a badly injured horse, it seems that Thea and Skirlaugh have more potential than Tina thinks... But which aspiring débutante will please his critical taste? Mira Stables is the author of many historical fiction novels, including The Swynden Necklace and Golden Barrier.

Friday's Child


Georgette Heyer - 1944
    Rebellious young Sherry could not gain his inheritance until he married, he leaves his mother's house and on a passionate impulse, he vowed to marry the next woman he saw. But the very first woman he sees is his life-long friend Hero Wantage, a young and charmingly unsophisticated girl. To orphaned, pixie-ish Hero, who has secretly loved him since childhood, it seemed like a star-studded dream when dashing Lord Sheringham asked her to be his bride--for although she knew it was a marriage of convenience (his convenience), it eliminated the depressing prospect of life as a governess. It seems that this marriage might solve all their problems.Back in London, Hero soon discovers the glamorous social scene and strives to make a name for herself among the right circles. But their marriage soon became a frenetic comedy of errors, as Hero tried to keep up with the fashionable and very unfamiliar society in which she now found herself. From chariot races to gambling tables to exclusive drawing rooms, an exasperated Sherry followed in his wife's wake, trying to clear the air after her well-intentioned but scatterbrained escapades. But when Sherry intervenes, fearing she’ll embarrass them both, misunderstandings pile up, friendships are tested and hearts are pushed to breaking point. And it was with great surprise that both Hero and Sherry discovered that even a marriage of convenience can turn into a love affair, under certain circumstances....

A Poor Relation


Carola Dunn - 1990
    One day, Rowena Caxton was the proud owner and mistress of a large estate. The next, she had lost everything and was forced to take up residence with her only remaining family. Her days became an endless round of fetch and carry, though she would not complain. She was relieved, however, when the arrival of the new Earl of Farleigh interrupted the routine and caused a flurry of excitement in the neighbourhood. She could well understand the excitement generated by the handsome and erudite earl. But she constantly cautioned herself against her runaway heart. After all, what interest could such a man have in a poor relation?

And Then She Fell


Stephanie Laurens - 2013
    Famously known in London society as "The Matchbreaker," Henrietta Cynster's uncanny skill lies in preventing ill-fated nuptials - not in falling victim to Cupid's spell.But then she disrupts one match too many and feels honor-bound to assist dashing James Glossup in finding a suitable bride for a marriage of convenience.A task infernally complicated by the undeniable, unquenchable attraction that flares between James and Henrietta, who continues to believe she will never fall...

The Count's Charade


Elizabeth Bailey - 2003
    An enemy spy? Who are the men who seek him? What secrets lie in the papers Henri entrusts to her charge?Living alone but for her faithful maid, Grace’s reputation is at stake. But Henri’s safety comes first. If he is to have a chance, she must hold the authorities at bay.Barely has he recovered when his pursuers come calling. Pitting those who would interfere one against the other, Grace risks all to keep her Frenchman alive.Will the truth emerge before Henri’s enemies manage to silence him forever?

A Chance Encounter


Gayle Buck - 1991
    But Lord Humphrey makes Joan a proposal that is unthinkable to accept and impossible to refuse--to become a pawn in a marriage game that promises Joan anything except true love. Original Regency Romance.

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....

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…

To Catch A Spinster


Megan Bryce - 2012
    She has her studies and her duties, what need does she have of a husband? With five sisters married she knows the reality does not live up to the promise, and does not need to personally experiment with the state to know she would be ill-suited to it. However, she finds herself envious of at least one aspect of marriage. But to experience the physical side of marriage, one doesn't need a husband, all one needs is the right man...Nathaniel Jenkins knows his duty. Marry a young girl from a respectable family and father an heir, no matter how cold the endless parade of suitable girls leaves him. But a shocking proposal from a scholarly spinster leaves him wondering if unsuitable is just what he's looking for. Can he convince his spinster that marriage is the greatest experiment of all?

Amy


Mary Kingswood - 2016
    When he dies suddenly, his will leaves large dowries for his six daughters, but only if they marry in the proper order, the eldest first. Amy must now find herself a husband, and soon, so her younger sisters can marry in their turn. There are several possible suitors, but will any of them come up to scratch? And how will Amy choose without her father to guide her?Mr Ambleside has been waiting for Amy for years, his suit rejected by her father. Now he has his opportunity, and he’s determined to win her. But first he has to see off his rivals, and if he manages that, he has to overcome her reluctance to defy her father’s wishes. But he’s a very tenacious man…

A Dangerous Love


Sabrina Jeffries - 2000
    But Griff didn't reckon on the brazen, voluptuous Rosalind, who could tempt even a saint into sinning, and Griff is no saint. She was determined to unmask him..

The Pirate Next Door


Jennifer Ashley - 2003
    He certainly doesn’t look like the gentlemen on her list—Grayson Finley, Viscount Stoke, is tall and sun-bronzed, muscular and blue-eyed. He wears dress so casual as to be unclothed—long coats, leather breeches, shirts without collar or cravat, and he carries pistols wherever he goes. The men who attend him are just as strange, exotic-looking, even. And the way Grayson smiles at Alexandra whenever they pass in the street—sinful, blood-warming—turns her inside out.In the middle of the night Alexandra hears shouting coming from the house next door, and the viscount’s life being threatened. She rushes over just in time to save Grayson from being hanged by his greatest enemy, his former best friend.Thus is Alexandra pulled into the adventures of Grayson Finley, former pirate and terror of the seas. Grayson has made a bargain with the devil (in the form of the pirate hunter, James Ardmore), in order to ensure the safety of his daughter. He’ll do anything to keep her safe, but when Alexandra saves his life, he looks into her eyes the color of water and starts to drown . . .