Book picks similar to
The Defiant Bride by Leslie Hachtel


historical-romance
romance
historical
historical-fiction

A Fallen Lady


Elizabeth Kingston - 2015
    Even more shockingly, her refusal came on the heels of her scandalous behavior: she and her betrothed were caught in a most compromising position. Leaving her reputation in tatters and her motivations a mystery, Helen withdrew to a simple life in a little village among friends, where her secrets remained hers alone. For reasons of his own, Stephen Hampton, Lord Summerdale, is determined to learn the truth behind the tangled tale of Helen's ruin. There is nothing he abhors so much as scandal - nothing he prizes so well as discretion - and so he is shocked to find, when he tracks Helen down, that he cannot but admire her. Against all expectations, he finds himself forgiving her scandalous history in favor of only being near her. But the bitter past will not relinquish Helen's heart so easily. How can she trust a man so steeped in the culture of high society, who conceals so much? And how can he, so devoted to the appearance of propriety, ever love a fallen lady?

The MacKinnon's Bride


Tanya Anne Crosby - 1996
    Fiercely loyal to kin, Iain never imagines any father could deny his child--or that he would become Page FitzSimon's savior. "Keep her, or kill her!" FitzSimon proclaims when Iain forces his hand. So, what else should a good lad do, but carry the lass home--without telling her the truth: Her father doesn't want her. But even as Page blames her reluctant champion for welching on a bargain with her father, she suspects the truth... the shadows hold secrets... and danger. Now only love can save MacKinnon's fiery new bride.

The Marker


Meggan Connors - 2011
    Innocent, but not naïve, she is savvy enough to know she must maintain her distance from this man, who frustrates her with his relentless teasing but whose kisses bring her to her knees. Because although she may be just another conquest to him, it’s not just her heart in jeopardy should she succumb to Nicholas’ considerable charms. Since his brother's death almost a year before, nothing has held Nicholas’ attention for long—not women, not booze, not even an excellent hand at cards. Nothing, that is, until he meets the woman he won in a drunken night of poker. Intrigued by his prize and her chilly reserve, he makes it his mission to crack Lexie’s cool demeanor. But even as passion explodes between them, the question remains: will Nicholas be able to take the ultimate risk...and gamble on love?

The Highlander's Lady (Highlands Forever Book 1)


Aileen Adams - 2019
     Olivia Smythe is the daughter an English earl and a Scottish woman. He has decided that his half-Scottish daughter should go to the Highlands for her own safety to avoid the border skirmishes that plague their area. He’s also pleaded her hand to a cruel Englishman. Laird Boyd MacPherson has no idea the Englishwoman he’s saved from cutthroats is the cousin of a Highland laird. He has no idea the courage and wherewithal that this young half-Scot can muster. He is quick to find out when she runs away and seeks to hide from her betrothed and the rest of the world. Boyd turns the Highlands upside down looking for her, only to find her in the least likely of places.

The Duke's Temptation


Addie Jo Ryleigh - 2015
    A Runner. An Earl. Three men, each born into different circumstances. Each fighting to overcome their own adversity. All striving to change their past. Gabriel St. James, Duke of Wesbrook, desires any birthright other than being the son of a hideous man. Unfortunately, Gabe knows the exact moment he became like his father—a night that has haunted him for seven years. Resigned to his future, he is unprepared when his illegitimate—and more importantly unbeknown—young daughter appears on his London doorstep. With no one to care for her but him. Lady Elizabeth Blakely has loved only one man—her brother’s longtime friend, Gabe St. James. Not even his rakish and, oftentimes, wicked behavior dissuades her. Yet it all seems hopeless as he continues to overlook the woman she has become. When Elizabeth learns Gabe is in need of assistance with his daughter, she seizes the opportunity. Gabe, less than thrilled with the situation—mostly due to his fierce desire for his best friend’s sister—has no option but to concede. Besides, a more sinister threat lurks; someone is blackmailing Gabe with his darkest secret. Through it all, Gabe vows to resist Elizabeth, no matter how tempting. Sometimes it’s better to surrender . . .

Highland Vengeance


Keira Montclair - 2018
    A lass bent on vengeance. Together they are unstoppable. Maggie Ramsay has never forgotten Randall Baines, the English lord who tormented her beloved sister when they were children. After her sister is injured in a senseless accident, she decides to make Baines pay for what he did…only she gets more than she bargained for. Her brother’s mysterious friend joins her as soon as she leaves her clan alone, insisting on keeping her safe, and when they reach Baines’s castle, she learns the lord is now an earl and his cruelty to women and lassies has only escalated. The discovery fills her with a fire that will not be banked. Will MacLerie is a notorious outlaw known as the Wild Falconer, hunted for a past he cannot acknowledge for fear of death. His life is devoted to honing his skills as a warrior and anonymously helping those in need, but when he meets Maggie Ramsay, he begins to yearn for something more. A life in which the two of them can travel together freely and fight for the causes they both believe in. When Will and Maggie discover the depths of Baines’s wickedness, they unite forces to stop the man, come what may. But can they bring down an English earl? Or will they become outlaws for good, forced to live and love in the shadows?

The Gorgon


Kathryn Le Veque - 1998
    Blaming himself and wanting to be free of the memories, he resigns his post and joins the tournament circuit to compete for money and fame.But dark rumors follow Bose; his mother-in-law is a vicious woman who blames Bose for her daughter's death. She starts nasty rumors that Bose murdered his wife, and everyone on the tournament circuit is fearful of this dark, frightening knight.Enter the Lady Summer du Bonne. A beautiful woman with a stammering problem, she has been kept hidden away from the world by her embarrassed father and protective brothers. Summer meets Bose at a tournament hosted by her brothers and for Bose, and it is love at first sight. But the terrible rumors plague his attempts to get to know the lady, who is attracted to him as well. Summer's drunken father eventually pledges his daughter to Bose. However, Bose's mother-in-law interferes and Summer's father decides to pledge Summer to an unscrupulous knight who has shown interest in her, and who would like nothing better than to see de Moray come to ruin.With so many forces working against them, Bose and Summer elope but they are captured and Bose is brought up on charges of thievery. A massive trial ensues and with a death sentence hanging over his head, only a miracle can save Bose and restore his honor.

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.

Rejecting the Rogue


Riley Cole - 2017
    And the worst heartbreakers.Philomena Sweet, Victorian London's finest safecracker, knows it better than most. The worst rogue of them all, dashing jewel thief Spencer Crane, smashed hers long ago. And now he's back, fleeing danger from their past. Danger he won't survive without her help.She'd love to refuse. She'd kill to stab him with her parasol. But she can't leave him for dead.Spencer Crane would sooner steal costume jewelry than ask talented, wickedly bright Meena Sweet for help. He's well aware she'd rather dice him into small pieces. He might even deserve it. But revenge stalks them both. He needs her artistry. She needs his skills.Neither needs the desire that sparks to life between them.While they dodge criminals, carriages, and the occasional flying cabbage, who will protect these two notorious thieves from each other?—Meet The Restitution League—Thieves, rogues, and well-armed adventuresses, the crew of the Restitution League fights injustice while wrestling with love and desire—and the occasional throwing knife—one romance at a time.And there's tea.

The Lady's Protector


Emma Prince - 2016
     Her Protector… Ansel Sutherland is charged with a mission from King Robert the Bruce to protect the illegitimate son of a powerful English Earl. Though Ansel bristles at aiding an Englishman, the nature of the war for Scottish independence is changing, and he is honor-bound to serve as a bodyguard. He arrives in England to fulfill his assignment, only to meet the beautiful but secretive Lady Isolda, who refuses to tell him where his ward is. When a mysterious attacker threatens Isolda’s life, Ansel realizes he is the only thing standing between her and deadly peril. His Lady… Lady Isolda harbors dark secrets—secrets she refuses to reveal to the rugged Highland rogue who arrives at her castle demanding answers. But Ansel’s dark eyes cut through all her defenses, threatening to undo her resolve. To protect her past, she cannot submit to the white-hot desire that burns between them. As the threat to her life spirals out of control, she has no choice but to trust Ansel to whisk her to safety deep in the heart of the Highlands…

Lavender Vows


Colleen Gleason - 2011
    A compelling, sweet romance... A story of passion and love in Medieval England. Gruff, brooding Lord Bernard of Derkland needs to find a wife, if for no other reason than to satisfy his father and his incessant badgering. He has no interest in marrying, but when he meets the beautiful and gentle Joanna of Swerthmore, he immediately knows she is the one. The only problem is: she's already wed...to a monster. Readers who like Roberta Gellis, Catherine Coulter, Tina St. John, and Paula Quinn will enjoy this book of romance about ladies, lords, knights and castles.

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.

O'er The River Liffey


Heidi Ashworth - 2016
    She is far from taken with the baron, however, especially once she meets Niall Doherty, the impoverished, perceptive tutor to her host’s younger brothers. He shares her love of Irish fairy tales and seems to guard a troubled past…but neither quality will earn Caroline’s father’s approval.

Unlaced


Kristina Cook - 2004
    Instead, she’s caught up in a whirlwind of balls, marriage proposals, and ton intrigues. Worse, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to her sponsors’ maddening neighbor, Henry Ashton, the Marquess of Mandeville. The handsome, arrogant, sometimes infuriating Mandeville stokes a passionate fire within her that won’t be denied, no matter the consequence.Deep, emotional scars secretly plague Henry, Lord Mandeville. As a result, he’s avoided romantic entanglements at all costs. Only, now he needs a wife—someone from a wealthy, powerful family to further his political aspirations. Instead, he finds himself all but obsessed with the beautiful but unconventional Lucy Abbington—a woman whose passions and wit stir desires he’d rather ignore. And yet…she might just be the one woman who can heal his wounded heart.Lucy and Henry’s heads say no, but their hearts say yes. Will they find themselves undone by love?

Christmas Kisses


Cynthia A. Clement - 2014
    When he finally comes home to celebrate the holidays it’s to introduce his fiancée to his family.Will the Christmas season give them a second chance at happiness? Or will honor demand they separate forever?