Book picks similar to
The Orphan Dancer's Desperation by Nell Harte
historical-fiction
novellas
romance
victorian
Wait For Me
Barb A. Hart - 2016
She prefers breeches to dresses, and spends her time riding horses, fishing, and climbing trees. When Emily is fourteen, she meets Cameron, the Duke of Templeton’s grandson. Their friendship deepens over the years, until Cameron is called to fight against Napoleon. They express their devotion to each other and make love for the first time before Cameron heads off to war. When Emily’s father discovers she’s pregnant, he’s livid. He had no idea his tomboy daughter has fallen in love, and her predicament threatens to destroy their family’s honor. He sends Emily to live with Cameron's eccentric great aunt, and, to avoid shame, insists that she claims she is married. Upon return from the battlefield, Cameron hears that Emily has wed and was pregnant. She writes him to explain the situation, but the letters never arrive, and the misunderstanding sends Cameron into a spiral of rage and despair. Their paths will cross again, but will their love be enough to overcome the fates at work to keep them apart?
The Blue Mustang
Will Henry - 1955
The only friend he can rely on is a blue mustang with the cunning and heart of a fighter.
Scandal's Daughters
Christi Caldwell - 2016
Desperate for new beginnings, Eve conceals secrets of her past from her employer. But can she break down the walls protecting Lucas’s heart, or will the secrets between them shatter all hope of true love?Sleepless in a Scandal by Eva DevonAll Lady Felicity Drake wants is to make a good match but after her father leaves herself and her sisters almost entirely ruined due to some very scandalous behavior, such a thing is next to impossible. . . That is, until she’s caught in a compromising position with the Marquess of Talbot. The question is, will the oh so staid Marquess save her from the proverbial wolves or will he leave her to her scandal?A Fine Madness by Elizabeth EssexMiss Otis regrets… The entirely of Miss Elspeth Otis’s inheritance from her wastrel of a father is a battered old trunk with some scrawled-upon foolscap sheets. Nothing that could free her from a stifling life with her fusty maiden aunties in a musty old cottage in a misty corner of Scotland. Nothing that will give her the life she’s always dreamed of—a life full of kindness and kisses and love. Or will it?Nothing…Mr. Hamish Cathcart wants more than anything to avoid the hasty marriage to a brewer’s daughter his father, the earl, has arranged to revive his fortunes. Hamish’s only hope is his failing publishing company, whose only asset is a scandalously banned book by an infamous, but unfortunately deceased, author. But when a new novel written by the same man lands on Hamish’s doorstep, he’ll go to any length to secure it—any length but love.A Lady’s Choice by Anthea LawsonLady Sara Ashford has spent years cultivating her spotless reputation: a difficult task in the face of her mother’s scandalous exploits abroad. Now she is set on a path toward a perfect, respectable future—until the highly unsuitable Comte du Lac comes to London, and she is given the task of instructing him on how to behave properly in English Society.At first Lady Sara finds him intolerable, but after he steals a kiss she realizes he is a terrible danger to her future. As soon as possible, she must put him out of her life—and her heart—forever.Lord of Chance by Erica RidleyCharming 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.
Polsinney Harbour: A heartwarming family saga set in Victorian era Cornwall
Mary E. Pearce - 1983
A heartwarming family saga set in Victorian era Cornwall. When Maggie arrives in Polsinney Harbour she finds work on Rachel Tallack's farm, where Rachel's fisherman son, Brice, starts to take an interest in the young woman. Maggie's hopes for the future are dashed when Rachel discovers her well-kept secret. Faced with disapproval from her neighbours, and Brice, Maggie finds herself all alone once more. But then a proposal that could solve all of her problems comes from a very unexpected source. Can Maggie find love and acceptance in Polsinney Harbour, and will the dangers of a cruel sea threaten her lasting happiness? A heartwarming and gripping tale of courage and love in Victorian times, from the bestselling author of the much-loved Apple Tree Saga and Cast a Long Shadow.
The Songbird
Valerie Wood - 2005
Her lovely singing voice and good looks lead her to her great ambition - to go on the stage and see her name top of the bill. She becomes a music hall star both in her native town and in the south, after an appearance in the theatre at Brighton - she even performs in Paris, to tremendous acclaim. But when her first love, an ambitious shoemaker in her home town, becomes engaged to someone else Poppy is devastated. She disappears, believing that she will never return to her life of stardom. But her fame cannot be kep a secret...
The Earl, the Lady and the Song of Love
Fanny Finch - 2021
Through the pain and suffering, she finally saw clearly: love is not essential for a successful marriage. Or so she thought…Asking her father to secure a good match for her, since her choices had disappointed her so, and having resigned from the tiresome games of courtings, Imogen meets the handsome Earl of Kensington. Their arrangement seems to be smooth until her heart betrays her and she is close to breaking her vow never to love again…The undeniable attraction between them and the bright future ahead of them are hindered solely by the scars of her past until Imogen looks inside her and faces the truth that’s been right in front of her the whole time: this is the man she was always meant to be with…
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 Berlin Escape (An Aubrey Endeavours Spy Thriller Book 1)
Warren Court - 2021
America's newest spy is trying to stop it!Young, beautiful and fearless, Aubrey Endeavours fought for recognition in the male dominated world of aviation.And Won!Then her country called.Recruited into America’s fledgling spy agency. Her first mission; to steal vital information about Hitler's next move.Now she is alone and undercover in Berlin. Hunted by the Gestapo. Torn between her loyalty to her country……and the enemy she’s fallen in love with.This time, Aubrey is fighting for her life.If you like historical spy thrillers mixed with romantic suspense then you’ll love The Berlin Escape.Get your copy today!
Christmas Bride - A Very Special Christmas Baby (Brides For All Seasons Volume 4)
Terri Grace - 2018
They are locked up in his store because of an earthquake and by morning he knows that he can’t let them both go. Elizabeth Donovan can’t believe that her baby is about to be born on Christmas Eve, and in a small alley behind a department store at that. When the owner rescues her and helps her bring her baby into the world, she knows that she has received a Christmas miracle in more ways than one. Christmas Bride - A Very Special Christmas Baby is part of the Brides For All Seasons series - a festive collection of historical holiday romance guaranteed to warm your heart and fill your season with romantic cheer. Buy it today and enjoy the timeless gift of love!
A Match for Collette
Lynn Donovan - 2021
How can she fulfill this desire for a husband except to ask for the new matchmaker’s help? When her life is threatened, she learns the depth of the baker’s feelings for her.William Sandoval is a successful baker who could provide well for a wife, but protocol prevents him from fraternizing with the only females he encounters, his customers. Learning that Marianne Gordon is willing to help the local business owners with matchmaking gives him hope for finding a wife. To his surprise, the match Marianne identifies for him has been the very customer who had stirred his heart all along.Will these two find a way to get what they both want? Can love overpower doubts and confusion?
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.
The Quality of Love
Rosie Harris - 2009
Studying hard to please them, she earns a place at Cardiff University. Here she is swept off her feet by handsome Gwyn Roberts, but when she becomes pregnant her parents are devastated and turn her from their door.
All Gwyn and Sarah can afford are two squalid rooms in the infamous slums of Cardiff and Sarah soon realises she's made a terrible mistake. Gwyn becomes increasingly distant and when the baby dies in infancy, he leaves Sarah with little choice but to fall on her parents' mercy.
But just when Sarah is starting to pull her life back together again, she is drawn to the charms of Stefan Vaughan and finds herself in trouble once more...
The Earl's Bitter Secret (Regency Romantic Dreams #3)
Charlotte Darcy - 2016
Now that her father had inherited a fortune she could stay at home until she is married. Yet she misses her little Dame school, misses the children and so she agrees to take a post as governess to the children of the cold and austere Earl of Pennington. His children seem so sad to her but it is not long before Mary’s tongue gets her into trouble. Has she lost the job and her chance to improve on the children’s lives? The Duke had never seen what Mary saw but now he thinks he may have been a little hasty. Are his children sad or the naughty beasts their nanny would have him believe? Mary hears rumors about his wife and why she is not there, but she knows it is not her place to interfere. That is until she inadvertently reads the Duke’s secret. It is one he has only recently discovered and it threatens to destroy his life and that of his children. Has he found an ally in Mary? Will she track down the truth and if she does will it save him or bring his Earldom crashing down around his feet? Find out for just $0.99 for a limited time only and for FREE on Kindle Unlimited. This is the third book in the Regency Romantic Dreams Series. Each book is completely standalone and they can be read in any order. The first two books are: The Broken Duke - Mended by Love The Bluestocking, the Earl, and the Author
Riverbreeze: Part 2 (Riverbreeze Trilogy)
Ellen E. Johnson - 2012
Part 2 continues the saga of the Bassett brothers and their twin wives as they return to Riverbreeze and begin their married lives. All is not well at the Bassett home though. A pair of misfortunes set the stage for this action-packed sequel. Robert must also face the consequences of his reckless behavior in Part 1; and Elizabeth and Evelyn discover a strange phenomenon about themselves that threatens to destroy their young relationships with their husbands; and finally Robert makes the one dreaded mistake that almost drives a wedge between the two brothers. Full of drama, excitement, humor, romance and details of early American life, Riverbreeze, the series will appeal to a wide range of readers.
A Child's Voice Calling
Maggie Bennett - 2002
With poverty never far from the door, the battle to stay respectable is finally lost when the family breaks up in tragic circumstances, and Mabel is thrown upon the dubious mercy of her grandmother, the sinister Mimi Court, who has her own dark secrets. But faithful Harry Drover of the Salvation Army, in love with Mabel, gets an opportunity to prove his devotion when Mimi falls foul of the law and Mabel has to fight for her own survival...