Book picks similar to
Wicked and Wonderful by Valerie King


regency
historical-romance
romance
historical

The Duke Undone


Joanna Lowell - 2021
    She covers him up and fetches help. Trouble is, she can't banish his muscular form from her dreams as easily. She finds herself compelled to put every detail down on canvas. What she doesn't know is that she's painting the infamous Duke of Weston, and that her life will never be the same.A second son, Anthony Philby thought he could flee his brutal family legacy and become his own man. Forced back to London by his brother's death, he inherits a fortune... with strings attached. One scandal will sink his bid for independence. It's in his best interest to burn Lucy Coover's shocking painting and pretend he never met the bewitching young artist. Instead, he finds himself offering a devil's bargain. He'll save her aunt's dressmaking shop from ruin, if she'll seek out his missing sister, Effie.As they work together, an unexpected passion ignites between them. But the hunt for Effie leads to unexpected danger, and soon they find themselves risking everything... for a love that might destroy them both.

What the Duke Wants


Kristin Vayden - 2014
     Is not three young ladies for wards. Nor is the responsibility for finding them a governess. Thankfully that is delegated to his housekeeper, who he might add is blind as a bat. That really could be the only excuse she has for hiring Carlotta. Because Carlotta is far too beautiful to be a governess. Temptress, yes. Unable to restrain himself—because restraint is not one of his virtues, his reputation is testament of that fact—he finds the young governess far more spirited, opinionated and tempting than he is able to resist. And of course, because he’s an idiot. He falls in love. Never questioning whether she’d be a willing participant. Of course life isn’t that easy, not even when you’re a bloody duke. And after one meddling Lady Southridge, Leads to two fiascos, Three wards decide to take matters into their own hands. Because what the duke wants…is simply to fall in love (preferably with the young woman in mind, falling in love too.)

Friends and Foes


Sarah M. Eden - 2003
    But at a traveler’s inn, he encounters an unexpected and far more maddening foe: Sorrel Kendrick, a young lady who is strikingly pretty, shockingly outspoken, and entirely unimpressed with him. Indeed, Sorrel cannot believe the nerve of this gentleman, who rudely accuses her of theft and insults her feminine dignity. Doubly annoyed when they both end up at a party hosted by mutual friends, Philip and Sorrel privately declare war on one another. But Philip’s tactics, which range from flirting to indifference, soon backfire as he finds himself reluctantly enjoying Sorrel’s company; and, much to her dismay, Sorrel finds Philip’s odd manner to be increasingly endearing. In the midst of this waning war and growing attraction, Philip catches wind of the French spy he’s been tracking, and Sorrel inadvertently stumbles upon a crucial piece of the puzzle, making her indispensable to the mission. But can two proud hearts negotiate a ceasefire when cooperation matters most?

Promise Me


Dee Julian - 2012
    When the boy’s heartless mother abandons him, Leah finds herself nearing a disastrous scandal. To make matters worse, her fiancé’s older brother returns to England demanding answers she swore never to divulge. As soon as the Duke of Chase meets the woman his deceased brother had intended to wed, he is unexpectedly captivated by the lady’s beauty, but he quickly suspects she is hiding a secret, making him more determined than ever to seek the truth behind his brother’s fatal accident. Will Leah break her promise and confide in the only man who can keep her safe?

Wallflower


Catherine Gayle - 2011
    She is plump, plain, pleasant . . . and thoroughly unappealing to any of the men of the ton—apart from fortune hunters. A self-appointed wallflower, she has every intention of remaining one. Tabitha made a vow of spinsterhood with her cousins when they were girls, and she refuses to go back on her word. So far, she’s proven herself quite adept at warding off the blasted fortune hunters’ pursuits.Noah deLancie, Marquess of Devonport, would prefer to marry for love and companionship—he’s a gentleman through and through—but circumstances have forced his hand: he needs money as badly as he needs a bride. When Noah’s brother-in-law suggests pursuit of his sister, Tabitha, a woman with a dowry large enough to cause even Croesus to blush and who is tantalizingly good company to boot, Noah stumbles into the future he hopes to secure. He’ll stop at nothing to convince Tabitha to marry him.Nothing, that is, except perhaps the barrel of a dueling pistol, held to his face by his ladylove.

To Save a Sinner


Adele Clee - 2015
    But when his brother inherits the viscountcy and pleads for his return, the opportunity to show his contempt and loathing for the Society who turned its back on him proves to be far too enticing to resist.When the dishonourable Lucas Dempsey steps into the ballroom after a four-year absence, Helena Ecclestone is quick to label the gentleman a murderous rogue. That is until she stumbles upon a secret conversation and feels a moral obligation to see justice done. But while the ladies swoon over his handsome countenance, Helena is determined to look beyond such superficial features, intrigued to find the true character of the gentleman he hides beneath his arrogant façade.

Caprice


Laura Parker - 1994
    Thought to have been killed at Waterloo, he soon wishes he were, instead bored to tears by his unruly family and his role as Lord. He misses the spy games of Persia, where he was a master of intrigue. His attention is snared by a ravishing, veiled beauty who has swept into London’s Regency society on a cloud of exotic mystery.Who is this Princess Sultana el Djemal? Hadrian must know, even if playing the game of love could cost him body and soul.Clarissa Willoughby’s harmless deception was designed to open doors for a widow ready to shed her weeds. Once Hadrian begins his pursuit of “Sultana,” his passionate seduction makes Clarissa jealous of the exotic temptress she herself created. The game of love becomes more perilous than way when Clarissa sets out to win Hadrian’s heart, battling again his suspicions and her alter ego.

The Desperate Love of a Lord


Jane Lark - 2014
    She has never let a man toy with her. An idle, attractive rake, Lord Geoffrey Sparks has had little to do other than enjoy life. He has let Violet play her games for months without complaint, because he likes her company—and admittedly her bed. But in recent months he's found himself gravitating towards her more and more. Things have changed between them. He likes her for who she is and not simply the notorious widow. He thought his feelings were returned, but . . . Why then has she suddenly vanished from town without a word? A couple of months ago, she'd complained about his friend being a heartbreaker, but now Violet is breaking his heart...

Sweet Enemy


Heather Snow - 2012
    Nevertheless, his mother is playing matchmaker and has invited potential brides to visit the family estate. Geoffrey resigns himself to playing host to a gaggle of husband-hunters more interested in his title than in him—until he unexpectedly meets one notable and intriguing exception. Miss Liliana Claremont has no interest in being an earl’s wife, least of all Wentworth’s—the son of the man she believes murdered her father. Liliana is determined to find evidence of the crime, but her behavior rouses the earl’s suspicions as well as her own undeniable attraction to a man she thought was her enemy. As Geoffrey and Liliana explore their growing passion for one another, the truth behind their fathers’ enmity threatens to destroy their newfound love…

Lady Bess


Claudy Conn - 2013
    He is big, he is charmingly masculine, and his Scottish accent sends her reeling with very unmaiden-like desires.Having inherited his mother’s English home and title, Earl of Dunkirk of Scotland is considered a prize catch by the haute ton. He knows one day he will have to marry to carry on his name, but he wants a wife who ‘understands’ they will each go their own way after she gives him an heir - a marriage of convenience.Lady Bess does not fit into those plans. How could she? She is exquisite, yes, but she is also an innocent who expects faithfulness. He won’t ruin an innocent, and yet, he can’t get her out of his head.All this time, and right in their midst, evil hovers. Although Bess doesn’t look for it, she finds it - and Bess is not your average, simpering female. She takes on danger and mayhem like she does everything else: full throttle.Adventure ensues as we travel with Bess through romance and the battle of her life

Gather the Stars


Kimberly Cates - 1996
    Kidnapped in the midst of a British officer's ball, Rachel is carried to the Glen Lyon's lair. Determined to defy the Scottish rebel, Rachel is unprepared for what happens when the Glen Lyon is unmasked. Gavin Carstares, Earl of Glenlyon is a strong, but haunted man instead of the villain she believed him to be, he's the hero she's always dreamed of. His mission-- to save the women and children of Scotland from the slaughter waged by Rachel's own fiancé. Gavin never imagined he would lose his heart to the general's daughter, then have to return her to the man he hates most in the world. As the heather hills caught fire with their passion, they forge a love worth defying a king's army.

Her Night with the Duke


Diana Quincy - 2020
    Irresistibly drawn to each other, Leela and the stranger spend one reckless night in each others’ arms—and then go their separate ways. But the very next day Leela receives the shock of her life when she meets the duke who is set on wedding her beloved stepdaughter. When it finds two destined hearts... One night isn’t enough with a woman as fierce, fiery, and brilliant as Leela. Elliot Townsend, Duke of Huntington, cannot believe his good fortune when their chance encounter leads to an unforgettable evening of passion. Yet Hunt’s luck runs out when he is introduced to his prospective mother-in-law. Dowagers aren’t supposed to look like this... Leela and Hunt are determined to keep each other at arm’s length, which should be easy enough for two intelligent adults with reputations to uphold. The problem is all logic is lost when it comes to a passion that refuses to be ignored.

My Fair Duchess


Julie Johnstone - 2014
    Never does he imagine hope will come in the form of a quirky, quick-witted lady determined to win the heart of another gentleman.Thanks to a painfully awkward past, Lady Amelia De Vere long ago relinquished the notion she was a flower that had yet to blossom. But when her family faces financial ruin and the man she has always loved is on the verge of marrying another, she’ll try anything to transform herself to capture her childhood love and save her family―including agreeing to participate in a bet between her brother and the notorious, dangerously handsome Duke Of Aversley.Bound by the bet, Amelia and Aversley discover unexpected understanding and passion beyond their wildest dreams, if only they can let go of their pride, put trust in each other and chance losing their hearts.

An Encounter with Venus


Elizabeth Mansfield - 2003
    In the ten years since that fateful day, however, the Earl of Chadleigh hasn't heard a word about the dazzling Venus-until now...

The Match of the Century


Cathy Maxwell - 2015
    Elin Morris just happens to have had one reserved since birth. But postponements of her marriage to London's most powerful peer give Elin time to wonder how she will marry Gavin Baynton when she cannot forget his brother, Benedict.Already exasperated at being yanked from the military to meet "family obligations," now Ben must suffer watching his arrogant sibling squire the only woman he has ever loved. Joining the army saved Ben from sinking into bitterness, but seeing Elin again takes him back to the day they surrendered to their intoxicating desire.As the wedding draws near, Elin tries to push Ben far from her thoughts. When danger brings them together, there is no denying their feelings. But can Elin choose love over duty?