Book picks similar to
Heart's Desire by Jacquie D'Alessandro
historical-romance
historical
romance
short-story
Cat's Cradle
Shannon Donnelly
From a talented new voice comes this Regency tale of a young governess who finds love with her employer -- a man far above her station, who may never be able to return her affections.
Danger's Kiss
Sarah McKerrigan - 2008
Now she'll seduce it. A trained thief, Desirée of Canterbury can wriggle out of any tight spot with a coy smile. Until she meets her match in Nicholas Grimshaw, the most feared lawman in the shire. Ruggedly handsome and all brawn, Nicholas is the key to avenging the unjust execution of her elderly guardian. Yet the crackling passion burning between them, stoked by every stolen touch, could defeat all her plans. Nicholas is bound to Desirée by a debt of honor-though the lush, quick-witted beauty may be the death of him yet. Unwillingly installed in his household, Desirée mischievously disrupts his well-ordered life until he doesn't know whether to kiss or kill her. But soon Nicholas must use all his wiles to save them both from a merciless enemy...and, finally, claim her merry heart.
Bewitched
Melissa Lynne Blue - 2013
Discouraged and ready to give up on love altogether, Penelope follows the urging of her cousins and endeavors to give the man of her dreams—the devastating Duke of Havenward—a gypsy love potion. All goes awry, however, when the unthinkable happens and the wrong man, Lord John Breckenridge, drinks the potion by mistake. Horrified when the unpleasant Lord John begins courting her, Penelope and her cousins strive to find a reversal for the love potion. Despite their best efforts, John remains persistent in his pursuit, and Penelope finds herself surprisingly drawn to the brooding man. Before love can blossom, however, a crushing secret comes to light, driving a wedge through the newly formed bonds.With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, can John rectify the grave wrong which pushed Penelope away before she gives up on love forever?
A Gentleman Never Tells
Jerrica Knight-Catania - 2009
His father is dying and he must return to England at once. Benjamin is a man bound by honor and duty, to both his country and his family. So, despite his reservations, he leaves his life in New York City behind so he may find a wife and assume his role as the Marquess of Eastleigh.Miss Phoebe Blake is finally out of mourning for her father, and just in time. She and her mother could be days away from being carted off to debtors prison, so Phoebe returns to society with the intent and determination to secure a rich husband.Sparks fly when Benjamin and Phoebe meet, and it appears they have both found just what they are looking for. But will a dark secret keep them from finding their happily ever after?
My Lady's Treasure
Catherine Kean - 2007
At all costs, she must win back the little girl she loves as her own. When the stranger demands a ransom she can never pay, Faye offers him instead her one last hope—a gold cup.Brant Meslarches is stunned to see the chalice. Worth a fortune, it's proof a lost cache of wealth from the legendary Celtic King Arthur does exist, as Brant's murdered brother believed. Brant can't return the little girl to the lady whose desperate beauty captivates him. Yet, now that he's seen Lady Faye, he can't let her escape his grasp; she is the key to his only means of redemption.The last thing Faye wants is an alliance with a scarred knight tormented by secrets. But, she has no other way to rescue the child. Risking all, she joins Brant's quest. And finds some things are more valuable than gold.
Venice Vampyr
Tina Folsom - 2010
And how does the man repay her selfless act? By kissing her - her, a respectable woman.Not only is Raphael di Santori grateful for his life being saved, he would also like to thank his rescuer very intimately - more intimately than decorum allows. But then, Raphael has never been one to play by the rules - as a vampire he doesn't have to.
Defiant Passion
Anna Markland - 2012
His sorties into the border counties of England from his stronghold in the Welsh mountains leave a trail of fear and destruction in their wake. He hates Saxon and Norman equally and burns with Celtic fervour for a Wales free of their domination. The mention of his name strikes fear into the hearts of those living on the English side of the Welsh border. To them he is a feral force. To his own people he is a folk hero of mythical proportions. Though few have ever met him, all know of his deeds.Rhonwen Dda is a shy healer, a diminutive woman of peace renowned for her mystical aura. Though she is drawn to Rhodri, she can see no future for them. Rhodri believes she is his destiny. Will he convince her to share his lonely life as the champion of an oppressed people?
Her Highland Fling
Jennifer McQuiston - 2015
When Moraig's economy falters, he has the perfect solution to lure wealthy Londoners to this tiny hamlet: resurrect the ancient Highland Games! But for this to work, William knows he needs a reporter to showcase the town in just the right light.A female journalist might be a tolerated oddity in Brighton, but newly minted reporter Penelope Tolbertson is discovering that finding respect in London is a far more difficult prospect. After receiving an invitation to cover Moraig's Highland Games, Penelope is determined to prove to her London editors just how valuable she can be.Penelope instantly captures William's heart, but she is none too impressed with the gruff, broody Highlander; however, as she begins to understand his plans, Penelope discovers she may want more from him than just a story. She's only got a few days … but maybe a few days are all they need.
Eliza's Home
Rachael Herron - 2013
Home isn’t always a place… It's 1945, the war is over, the GIs are returning, and Eliza is on the run. At least, she would be if her truck hadn't broken down in the middle of nowhere and her money hadn't, quite literally, flown out the window. So when Joshua Carpenter, a cowboy with the most brilliant blue eyes she has ever seen, stops to offer her help, Eliza can't afford to say no… Joshua, it seems, is singlehandedly building a home for himself on farmland just outside the town of Cypress Hollow. And as Eliza is about to discover, sometimes running away is the only way to come home...
The Marquess of Cakes
Heather Hiestand - 2013
Yet she is unaware that with each morsel—and flash of ankle—she is seducing the handsome marquess frequenting her father’s tea shop. Unmarried at twenty-six, Alys’s first love is the family business. But thoughts of the gentleman’s touch are driving her to distraction…With his weakness for sugar, the Marquess of Hatbrook can imagine no more desirable woman than one scented with cake and spice. Mistaking Alys for a mere waitress, he has no doubt she would make a most delicious mistress. And when he finds himself in need of an heir, he plans to make her his convenient bride. Yet as they satisfy their craving for one another, business and pleasure suddenly collide. Will Hatbrook’s passion for sweets—and for Alys—be his heart’s undoing?85,000 words
A Mackenzie Family Christmas: The Perfect Gift
Jennifer Ashley - 2012
The Mackenzies gather for a clan Christmas and Hogmanay in Scotland. In the chaos of preparations for the celebration--the first of Hart and Eleanor's married life--one of Ian's Ming bowls gets broken, and the family scrambles to save the day. Daniel busily runs a betting ring for everything from the hour Eleanor's baby will arrive, to whether Mac's former-pugilist valet can win a boxing match. Ian begins a new obsession, and Beth fears that the loss of one of his precious bowls has made him withdraw once more into his private world.
A Knight's Christmas Wish
Lana Williams - 2014
Weary and injured, Sir Rylan de Bremont wants only to return home for Christmas after two long years away. But first he must deliver terrible news to a newly widowed lady.Lady Kayte Dufrane has been miserable in her marriage to a gruff lord far older than she. Rylan’s news gives her freedom, but she fears her late husband’s brother will claim her for his own. This strong, handsome knight might be the answer to her prayers if she can convince him to help her escape. Though Rylan has no desire to become embroiled in the beautiful Kayte’s dilemma, delaying his journey home, he can’t resist her pleas. Will his Christmas wish be filled with more than he bargained for?
A Winter's Knight
Elizabeth Cole - 2012
But her rescuer, the mysterious Anthony Sterling, immediately melts her heart and makes her dream of a life beyond her tiny, sheltered world. The more she gets to know him, the more she senses he is hiding something from her.When Captain Anthony Sterling was wounded in battle, he lost his leg, his fiancee, and any hope for happiness. Even the revelation that he is the heir to a fortune brought him nothing but bitterness. Then his chance encounter with the charming, innocent Phoebe makes him wonder if there may be a future for him after all. But first he must escape the shadows of his past.
Silver Bells
Sadie Hart - 2011
It’s a job he started fifteen years ago, when Dash became Dasher, one of Santa’s reindeer, and accepted the worn leather harness now hanging on the hooks at the back of the carousel barn. The one with its beautiful, silver bells that once made the most wondrous sound in the world, and now lay quiet.That is, until Merry, a young, homeless woman wanders in looking for a place out of the cold. Unlike Dash, she can hear the sweet chimes of the bells, proving to him that it’s not the harness that’s broken. As Christmas draws near, Dash finds himself drawn to Merry and her quiet, stubborn pride. However, unable to hear the sleigh bells Dash isn’t sure what Christmas this year will bring, only that the magic in that harness is far less important than the woman he’s come to love. BONUS: Also includes the first chapter from What the Heart Haunts, a novella by Sadie Hart (around an extra 2,000 words)!
Toward the Sunrise
Elizabeth Camden - 2015
Hoping to travel the world as a missionary doctor, her only choice is to return back home...or throw herself upon the mercy of Ashton Carlyle. Formal and straight-laced, Ashton Carlyle is not pleased to see an expelled Julia arrive at his Manhattan office. His position as a junior attorney for the Vandermark family's world-famous shipping empire entails taking care of the Broeders, longtime employees of the Vandermark family. But Ashton has no intention now of using his employer's resources in defense of Julia's impulsive and reckless actions.What Ashton did not expect was a scathing reprimand from none other than the Vandermark family patriarch or the bewildering resistance from Julia herself when he's forced to change his tune. At an impasse, Ashton and Julia never anticipated the revelations that arise or the adventure that awaits them.In this novella, award-winning novelist Elizabeth Camden introduces readers to the world of the grand Hudson River Valley estate Dierenpark and the enigmatic Vandermark family. Includes an extended preview of Until the Dawn, Camden's full-length Dierenpark novel.