The Rake


Suzanne Enoch - 2002
    The plan is simple: She will use every seductive wile she knows to win Dare's heart...and then break it. But his smoldering gaze once again tempts Georgiana to give in to desire ― and when he astonishes her with a marriage proposal, she wonders: Is he playing yet another game...or could it truly be love this time?

Baroness in Buckskin


Sheri Cobb South - 2015
    His sense of responsibility has led him to install two elderly aunts in the Dower House; educate his cousin Peter Ramsay and employ him as a steward; and provide a home for poor relation Jane Hawthorne, who once served as his mother’s companion.When a letter arrives from America informing him that the death of a relative has left eighteen-year-old Susannah Ramsay not only an orphan, but heiress to a Kentucky plantation as well, Lord Ramsay considers making an offer of marriage to his American cousin to be a practical solution: besides providing for the young woman, such a match would give the Ramsays extensive holdings on two continents.Then Susannah arrives from America, and Richard suddenly finds his well-ordered life set end over end. With her wild red hair, unfashionable clothes, and frontier ways, Susannah appears to be an unlikely Lady Ramsay. Appalled at the prospect of marriage to the girl, yet determined to honor his commitment, Richard turns her over to Jane and Peter to educate her in the ways of British society. But her transformation into a lady is the least of the surprises Susannah has in store for her strait-laced British relations . . .

A Proper Companion


Candice Hern - 1995
    Why, just about anyone would make a more suitable match...even her own paid companion, Emily Townsend! But if her dear, practical-minded Robert were to back out of the betrothal, the tongues of the ton would never stop wagging...At the very least, the dowager decides, she will extract a promise from her grandson to find Emily a husband. But when the handsome, rakish earl comes to know the charms of Emily Townsend, he suddenly regrets his hasty engagement-and is sorely tempted to win her hand for himself.

The Earl's Inconvenient Wife


Ruth Ann Nordin - 2012
    Now he is bound by duty to get an heir. Unfortunately, to get the heir, he must find a wife. As luck would have it, he gets caught in a scandalous situation not of his doing, and the next thing he knows, he's married...and to a lady whose family is reported to desire money above all else.Miss Claire Lowell wanted to get married. But she never intended to marry a gentleman who felt trapped into it, and she certainly never thought her family would have a hand in the scandal that forced Lord Roderick's hand in marriage. Can love find a way to thrive under such conditions or will her father's eagerness to see her married off to an earl condemn her to a loveless marriage?

A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong


Cecilia Grant - 2014
    As his sister's impending marriage signals the inevitable drifting-apart of the Blackshear family, it's his last chance to give his siblings the sort of memorable, well-planned holiday their parents could never seem to provide.He has no time to dawdle, no time for nonsense, and certainly no time to drive the falconer's vexing, impulsive, lush-lipped, midnight-haired daughter to a house party before heading home. So why the devil did he agree to do just that?It couldn't be more deliciously mixed-up...Lucy Sharp has been waiting all her too-quiet life for an adventure, and she means to make the most of this one. She's going to enjoy the house party as no one has ever enjoyed a house party before, and in the meanwhile she's going to enjoy every minute in the company of amusingly stern, formidably proper, outrageously handsome Mr. Blackshear. Let him disapprove of her all he likes—it's not as though they'll see each other again after today....or will they? When a carriage mishap and a snowstorm strand the pair miles short of their destination, threatening them with scandal and jeopardizing all their Christmas plans, they'll have to work together to save the holiday from disaster. And along the way they just might learn that the best adventures are the ones you never would have thought to plan.

The Dauntless Miss Wingrave


Amanda Scott - 1989
    LORD Miss Emily Wingrave thought she knew exactly what she was getting into when she set out to defy the Earl of Meriden. She was well aware that Meriden was as willful as he was wealthy and as arrogant as he was attractive.For her part, Emily was as brave as she was beautiful and as firm of purpose as she was tender in years. She vowed she would stop the infuriating earl from playing the tyrant over her sister's impoverished family and trying to play havoc with her heart.But when she engaged the maddening Meriden in a tug-of-war of wits and wills, she found he had strengths he had kept under wraps--and she had a weakness that was hard to conceal....

Miss Quinn's Quandary


Shirley Marks - 2007
    After the day-long journey, the only place for the weary travelers to sleep is the barn of an over-booked inn with only a single vacancy. Larissa, who has no intention of sleeping on a pile of straw, steps forward, claiming to be newly wed to Sir Randall Trent, baronet and unwitting accomplice in Larissa's scheme for adventure, in order to claim the last empty room. Convinced they will never see one another again and that no one will be the wiser about their little white lie, Larissa and Sir Randall part ways, though not before Sir Randall can bestow upon Larissa a passionate kiss that sends her reeling. Both are surprised to be thrown together again so soon in London for the Season. When their secret is discovered, Larissa and Sir Randall are forced to band together in the face of a crime spree in which Sir Randall is implicated. Life is about to offer Larissa an adventure unlike any she had ever imagined.

Midnight Marriage


Lucinda Brant - 2010
    To his delight, he discovers she is everything he’d hoped for. Unaware they are already married, Deb is content with her independent life. Julian’s challenge is to have her accept him on his merit, even though she has no choice at all. The future of the Roxton dukedom depends upon it.Set in the opulent world of the aristocracy and inspired by real events, Lucinda Brant delivers another lavish 18th-century experience in her trademark style—heart-wrenching drama with a happily ever after.

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.

Cecily


Clare Darcy - 1972
    Who was this adorable creature? Could she be as innnocent as she seemed? Or was she just another adventuress, using her ravishing looks and dimpled smile to rise in the world? No one asked these questions with more concern than the Honorable Robert Ranleigh, the handsome aristocratic leader of London male society. For Cecily actually claimed to be his distant relative, and begged him to come to her aid.

The Earl Next Door


Amanda Grange - 2001
    Tenth Anniversary EditionNote: This book was originally published under the title of Anything But A GentlemanMarianne is delighted when the empty estate next door is rented by an earl, but she soon finds that Luke, Lord Ravensford is anything but a gentleman! And yet with his dark hair and his dangerous air, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to him, despite the rumours that he has ruined her missing brother. When the secret of Kit's disappearance is exposed, she finds herself drawn into an adventure which will test her love to the limits and reveal hidden depths to Luke and his profound feelings for her . . .Amanda Grange: Humour, adventure and romance, with a guaranteed happy ending.Reviews for Amanda Grange:"Believable dialogue and lively characters ... nice touches of humour, too." - Historical Novels Review"Hits the Regency tone and language on the head." - Library Journal"Well written, clean romance. 4 1/2 stars!" - Amazon review"Amanda Grange writes from the heart . . . Highly recommended" - A Romance Review

Miss Adeline's Match


Joanna Barker - 2019
    But when her closest friend, Charity Edgeworth, breaks off her arranged marriage without explanation, even Adeline's superior skills are put to the test. Charity's father banishes the two young women to the country, sending Adeline with a charge to find Charity a husband or suffer dire consequences. As Adeline takes on the role of reluctant matchmaker, she discovers more than one obstacle in her path. Not only does Charity prefer escaping in books to socializing, but Adeline soon finds her own attentions distracted by the standoffish—and irritatingly handsome—Mr. Evan Whitfield. Amidst an eventful foxhunt and the unexpected arrival of Charity's former betrothed, Adeline simply doesn't have time for a battle of wits with Evan. But the two are continually drawn together until Adeline begins to question her tightly guarded convictions about love and marriage. However, when secrets are revealed and truths made known, Adeline must face her most fearsome obstacle yet: herself.

Bleddyn Hall


Amanda L.V. Shalaby - 2015
    After a whirlwind romance during the London Season, Lady Isabel Sutton finds herself quickly engaged to the handsome Lord Tresham  Bleddyn, Earl of Dancy.  When his father passes away suddenly, however, his period of mourning delays their marriage and ruins the season for Tresham’s  younger, twin sisters, Annalise and Rosamund.After the girls invite Isabel to their Yorkshire home, Bleddyn  Hall, Tresham  seems an entirely different man than the one she fell in love with in London.  Not only that, but all is not well within the walls of Bleddyn  Hall. The house’s dark secrets lead to murder, mystery, and a gruesome discovery.Was Isabel’s happy future with Tresham  nothing more than an illusion?  What is more, will she survive her stay at Bleddyn Hall?

The Reluctant Bride


Claire Firth - 2013
    She has been sold to the highest bidder so that she may produce an heir for the devilishly handsome and arrogant Earl and she is outraged. How can she have any respect or feelings for a man whose reputation is that of a complete wastrel and philanderer? She resolves to resist him at all costs yet Sophia is totally unprepared for the exquisite pleasure she experiences from her husband’s wicked hands as he introduces her to a world of sexual delight she had no idea existed. For Ralph, when his cousin had suggested he take a wife to heal the rift in his family, it had seemed the perfect solution to his problems. However, he hadn’t counted on choosing someone as spiritedly passionate as Sophia and something inside of him reacts to her in a way that disconcerts him. What started out as a necessary chore soon becomes an exciting challenge as he determines to do what he does best - seduce his young wife and put an end to the estrangement that exists between them. But why is Sophia’s good opinion becoming increasingly important to him? And why does he feel the compulsive need to convince her that he is not the unsavoury character she believes him to be?

An Improper Companion


Karla Hocker - 1989
    Despite her fetching blue eyes and sable hair, Kate Elliott remained every bit the prim and practical schoolmistress. Few at Miss Venable's Seminary for Young Ladies would have dreamed that Kate had entertained romantic notions in her girlhood! At twenty-eight, she remained firmly on the shelf and—with the closing of the school—firmly unemployed. Hence, she welcomed the invitation to be Liza Ashcroft's chaperone for the Season at Bath. But how would she endure the girl's father? Patience was not in her nature... Damien Ashcroft was certain that Miss Elliott would be the ideal companion for his daughter. A wallflower of quiet virtues, she would neither distract the handsome widower from scholarly pursuits nor be bothered by his impatient nature. So he was stunned to discover that the impudent Miss Elliott was outspoken to a fare-thee-well. And shocked when sassy Kate made his pulse race—and even more so when he began to not mind quite so much…