Book picks similar to
Before the Fortress Falls by A.L. Sowards


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historical-fiction
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Treacherous Legacy


Kathi Oram Peterson - 2021
    When an urgent summons arrives from her only living relative, Uncle Ezra, Anna drops everything to meet him in a café on the outskirts of Reykjavík, Iceland. Uncle Ezra sweeps her into a decades-old mystery as he explains that her great-grandfather, a famous Jewish artist, was accused of being a Nazi sympathizer. He wants Anna to help him disprove the lie and expose the truth. But they can trust no one. Any skepticism Anna may have harbored disappears when her uncle is shot. Barely alive, he utters one final word: “Run.” Though he met Ezra only briefly, journalist Kristofer Tómasson knows the information the old man passed on to his niece is likely the reason he was murdered. Now his niece’s life is also in peril. Despite the danger, Kristofer approaches Anna with an offer to help in exchange for an exclusive story. United by a common goal, as well as an undeniable spark of attraction, Anna and Kristofer race to uncover the mysteries of the past—that is, if they survive.

Broken Dreams


Traci Hunter Abramson - 2021
    Now a coach, her father Gordon is living his dreams through the skaters he trains—until Maggie is forced to deliver heartbreaking news: her mother’s battle against cancer will be a losing one. Shattered, her father loses his dreams in an instant—his beloved wife and his will to coach. Left to pick up the pieces, a devastated Maggie finds herself relying on the steadfast support of her childhood best friend, Lance Whitmore. Despite the fact that Maggie has never seen Lance as more than a friend, his heart has always been hers. Lance does what he can to help Maggie work through her grief, and soon their friendship blossoms into love. But when distance threatens their relationship, Maggie is torn between building a life with the man she loves and helping her broken father rebuild his life.

Betting on a Lady's Heart (His Majesty's Hounds Book 14)


Arietta Richmond - 2018
     Gervaise Belmont, Viscount Woodridge, has sworn to no longer gamble – but giving it up is proving far harder than he had expected. He despairs of achieving his aims, especially as the reputation he created, two years earlier, persists, destroying his opportunities for change. Until a chance meeting with a young lady gives him a reason to hope. Miss Clarisse Weston is disconsolate. Her father has, after many, many years, married again – and her relationship with her stepmother is strained, to say the least. When she is encouraged to look for a husband, she feels trapped. Whilst her father has introduced her to a charming Earl, she finds herself uncertain – especially as the Viscount she met by accident wishes to court her too. But all is not as it seems, and a tangle of lies, deceptions and betrayals soon traps Clarisse. Is the Earl all that he seems? Is the Viscount truly a rake and a gambler beyond redemption? Is her stepmother as concerned for Clarisse’s wellbeing as she professes to be? And can Clarisse find her way through the web of deceit, to be with the man she loves, or will greed and manipulation steal her chance at happiness forever?

Eye for an Eye


Stephanie Black - 2021
    When her sister and brother-in-law open their home to her, Mallory is certain that moving across the country will allow her to focus on a hopeful future. That future looks even more promising when her enrollment at a local university connects her with the charming Darien Thomas.However, when illegal drugs turn up at her sister's house, the first person accused is Mallory, and suddenly, she doesn't know who to trust. Mounting evidence of Mallory's guilt is straining the tenuous bond she has just begun to develop with her sister after years of living separately. Desperate to prove her innocence and keep the harmful patterns of the past from hijacking her future, Mallory reaches for Darien's help to discover the truth.But the truth may be more dangerous than any of them imagine.

The Whispered Dance of Bees


Carol Warburton - 2020
    But the night of her birth was shadowed by an eerie Devils Moon and her christening day marred by a fierce hailstorm—ill omens that led the superstitious peasants to seek Alyce's life. Desperate to save her infant daughter, Alyce's mother flees with her baby, finding shelter and goodwill at the isolated farm of strangers . . . There, Alyce's life is filled with secrets, unanswered questions, and a sense of foreboding. Her worst fears are realized when she narrowly escapes the clutches of a murderer by fleeing into the forest. Fate steps in once more to change the course of her life when Alyce is found and taken in by Elspeth, a wise woman with the uncanny ability to commune with nature. Trained by Elspeth in the art of healing, Alyce remains haunted by the puzzle of her past until she discovers her mother's lost pendant. With the help of this object and the aid of the enchanting William Pascoe, Alyce finally holds the key to who she once was and who she will become.

Bargaining for the Barrister


Anneka R. Walker - 2022
    So when Lady Kellen offers to help her find an eligible suitor, Louisa eagerly accepts and makes a list of what she wants in a husband. The man selected is barrister Paul Sheldon. He may be a complete stranger, but he has one thing in his favor: he is unaware of her fortune. What Louisa did not anticipate was his curious behavior—or being so attracted to him.When Paul catches wind of the matchmaking organization his mother and her friends are establishing, he pities the fellow who will be caught in their scheme—until he realizes he is to be their first victim. Horrified, Paul determines to thwart his mother’s plans by whatever means necessary. After meeting his intended, however, his increasing desire to be near her threatens to disrupt his convictions. Louisa is everything he could want in a wife, and when an unexpected adventure sets in motion the very plan he had determined to halt, he almost wishes his mother’s plot could succeed. But Paul harbors a secret and a past that make it impossible for him to give Louisa the life she deserves.

Mary and Martha


H.B. Moore - 2020
    Following a journey to sell his wares, Lazarus stumbles upon an opportunity to assist a stranger in need, delaying his return home. Through Lazarus's selfless act of service, he, Mary and Martha find themselves standing witness to miracles they never dreamed possible in the presence of a man who will forever change them and those they love-a man called Jesus of Nazareth. Experience as never before the accounts of those who knew Christ, not only as the Savior of the World but also as a friend.

A Lady in Attendance


Rachel Fordham - 2021
    So when she takes a job as Doctor Gilbert Watts's lady in attendance in 1898, she does so under an alias. In the presence of her quiet and pious employer, Hazel finds more than an income. She finds a friend and a hope that if she can set her tarnished past in order, she might have a future after all.As Gilbert becomes accustomed to the pleasant chatter of his new dental assistant, he can't help but sense something secretive about her. Perhaps there is more to this woman than meets the eye. Can the questions that loom between them ever be answered? Or will the deeds of days gone by forever rob the future of its possibilities?Rachel Fordham pens a tender tale of a soft-spoken man, a hardened woman, and the friends that stand by them as they work toward a common purpose--to expunge the record of someone society deemed beyond saving--and perhaps find love along the way.

A Lady's Maid


Jen Geigle Johnson - 2019
    But when her efforts and a trip to Lady Halloway’s charitable orphanage culminate in her own abduction, Molly’s eyes are opened to the horrifying crimes transpiring in the city’s slums. Despite the risks, she broadens her mission and is drawn ever closer to the peril all around them. Thomas Flaherty, a footman in the Halloway household, has been with Molly from the beginning, but he fears she will never trust him with her heart. Even though her cause and happiness are of foremost importance to him, his loyal patience is tested by the fears that keep her at a distance. But with their safety on the line, Thomas is resolved to sacrifice everything for the woman he loves. Risking their lives and their love, Molly and Thomas and a team of nobles on their side will stop at nothing to empower the powerless, no matter the personal cost.

The Thief of Blackfriars Lane


Michelle Griep - 2021
    But that’s Kit Turner’s domain, a swindler who runs a crew that acquires money the old-fashioned way—conning the rich to give to the poor. When a local cab driver goes missing, Jackson is tasked with finding the man, and the only way to do that is by enlisting Kit’s help. If Jackson doesn’t find the cabby, he’ll be fired. If Kit doesn’t help Jackson, he’ll arrest her for thievery. Yet neither of them realize those are the least of their problems.

Upon My Heart Forever


Amber Lynn Perry - 2019
    But when she finds out who has accepted the job of taking her to Boston, she almost rethinks her own hurried plan. For the handsome man who comes to her aid is none other than her former love, Ethan Barrik. He left her heart in shambles six years before. Can she trust him a second time?Ethan Barrik is no stranger to struggle. But tracking the enemy, and war-time spying are nothing compared to the pain of regret. Ready at last to leave his past behind, he accepts one final job for a friend, only to discover the person he's really helping is the woman he still loves. Despite her ire, he knows he must make every attempt to make it right—and hope she will find a way to forgive him and give their love another chance.MORE TIMELESS ROMANCE SINGLES: From Cairo, With Love by Nancy Campbell Allen Sophia's Leap-Year Courtship by Kristin Holt The Matchmaking Game by Donna Hatch Starting Over at Steeple Ridge by Liz Isaacson The Heart Only Grows by Michele Paige Holmes More Trouble in Loveland by Jennifer Peel A Highlander's Hidden Heart by Julie Coulter Bellon A Monumental Love by Susan Aylworth Upon My Heart Forever is a Timeless Romance Anthology® book Timeless Romance Anthology® is a registered trademark of Mirror Press, LLC

The Gold in These Hills


Joanne Bischof - 2021
    But when the mine proves empty of profit, and when Juniper’s husband vanishes, doubt and discouragement are as prevalent as the pioneers fleeing this dwindling boomtown.As winter blows in, Juniper pens a series of letters to her husband but fears she is waiting on a ghost—or worse, an outlaw. Carving out survival for her and her young daughter in a ghost town requires trusting in the kindness of a few remaining souls, including the one who can unlock the mystery of her husband’s disappearance.A century later, trying to escape the heartache of his failed marriage, Johnny Sutherland throws himself into raising his child and restoring a hundred-year-old abandoned farmhouse in California’s San Jacinto Mountains. While exploring its secrets he uncovers the letters Juniper wrote to her Dearest John and is moved by the handwritten accounts that bear his name. Having learned that truth and courage go hand in hand, Johnny dares to love again, and armed with lessons from the past, a modern-day romance unfolds in the very same mountains that once held a love story that touched history.

A Highlander's Hidden Heart (Timeless Romance Single Book 6)


Julie Coulter Bellon - 2018
    She would rather stay at home with her sketchbook indefinitely than give them more to gossip about, but when a dashing new earl arrives, everything changes. His Scottish brogue and easy acceptance draw her in and she finds herself falling in love. Before she can act on her feelings, however, her father promises her to a man who hides his cruel behavior behind a mask of civility. With her future at stake, Elizabeth must make a choice—do her duty or choose a love that could cost her everything. Alec Ramsay never expected to inherit an earldom or settle in England, but he leaves behind his life in the Scottish Highlands and comes to London. After meeting his new neighbor, the beautiful and soft-spoken Lady Elizabeth, Alec can’t wait to further their acquaintance. It doesn’t take long in her company, however, for Alec to see he’s in danger of losing his heart. But when long-held prejudices rear their ugly head, Alec is caught between doing what is right and his new role as an English gentleman. Has he finally found the love he’s waited his whole life for, only to lose her in the web of unfair judgments and proper English traditions? MORE TIMELESS SINGLES: From Cairo, With Love by Nancy Campbell Allen Sophia's Leap-Year Courtship by Kristin Holt The Matchmaking Game by Donna Hatch Starting Over at Steeple Ridge by Liz Isaacson The Heart Only Grows by Michele Paige Holmes More Trouble in Loveland by Jennifer Peel

Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough


Josi S. Kilpack - 2021
    Meet Me under the Kissing Boughby Josi S. KilpackDeborah Winfrey hasn’t had the heart to host a holiday party since her husband’s death. But this Christmas, it’s time to move forward. The festivities bring renewed life to her home, and the attentions of two very different men promise a chance at new love.Healing Hearts for the Holidaysby Anneka R. WalkerJulia Hunt is strictly forbidden from associating with the family in the nearby manor—including the handsome younger son, Esmond, who quickly steals her heart. With Christmas around the corner, an old bundle of hidden love letters may be the key to her own happily ever after. A Christmas Correspondenceby Sarah L. McConkieIn this novella inspired by the timeless tale, A Christmas Carol, John Charleston finds himself on an unexpected journey in the company of the insufferable Lady Caroline Morleigh. But the magic of the season has a way of softening even the hardest of hearts.

A Revolution of Hearts


Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen - 2020
    Which will strike first?Born to a life of wealth and status, Mademoiselle Dacia de Prideux is every inch the glittering aristocrat. However, her brother, Marcel, is an outspoken political activist, and with the country on the verge of the French Revolution, he has made dangerous enemies—one of whom takes Marcel’s life. When Dacia is accused of the unthinkable crime, she finds refuge with her dear friend Marguerite St. Just, who believes there is one man with the means to help: the wealthy fop, Sir Percy Blakeney. Intent on rescuing people from perilous circumstances, Richard Harris, wealthy English landowner and member of Sir Percy’s league of gentleman heroes, has been assigned to protect Dacia. Hiding her in plain sight and masquerading her as a housemaid at his estate, Richard soon comes to trust the beautiful woman under his protection, and their feelings for each other grow stronger each day. But Marcel’s murderer will never stop pursuing Dacia, and she will need both her cunning and Richard’s connection to the legendary Scarlet Pimpernel to survive.