Book picks similar to
The Duke's Secrets by Abby Ayles


historical-romance
romance
regency
historical

The Persistent Suitor


Rachel McNeely - 2015
    She’s ramshackle, always says what she thinks and prefers riding and fishing over sewing and social graces. Grayson Lyall, Marquis of Carraway, is Society’s ideal of a perfect gentleman. He’s handsome, wealthy and considered a war hero by everyone but himself. A gentleman, that is, until he sets eyes on the intriguingly different Lady Juliana, emotionally jilted and humiliated and under pressure to change everything about herself. For her, he is quite willing to play the hero to a reluctant damsel in distress. But nothing is ever easy with Lady Juliana. It will take persistence.

A Duchess by Midnight


Jillian Eaton - 2016
     A true romantic, Miss Clara Witherspoon has always known her prince charming would come to rescue her from her dastardly stepmother and two wicked stepsisters. She just never imagined he would show up while she was cleaning chamber pots and accuse her of trespassing. After his wife and young son were taken from him in a tragic accident, the notoriously cold-hearted Duke of Thorncroft swore he would never fall in love again. It is a promise he is able to keep for seven long years…until he happens upon an impudent young beauty who claims they are destined to be together. Thorncroft may not be the prince charming Clara has always envisioned, but she knows that despite his gruffness and cynical nature he is a man capable of great love. Now the only thing she has to do is defy her evil stepmother, sneak into the most prestigious ball of the season, and convince Thorncroft to believe in love again…before he marries someone else.

Mine, All Mine


Ella J. Quince - 2013
    Rose. It has been revised and given a beautiful new cover.A steamy historical romance novel. Fated for Love Series. Lillian St. James is a privileged and beautiful duke’s daughter whose world is turned upside down when her widowed mother marries a seedy merchant.After her mother suddenly dies as well, Lilly has no one to turn to when scandal erupts over her stepfather’s treason. As her world falls apart Lilly is forced to go into hiding with the help of her loyal staff. She finds work as a cook’s assistant in the kitchen of a wealthy but mysterious aristocrat.Dominic Coel, Earl of Redwick, is a spy on the cusp of retirement. He is ordered to complete one last mission. He must track down a young girl who disappeared with stolen royal jewels. Dominic is desperate to complete his task and begin a normal life without murder and lies. While he must focus on his duties he can’t help but be distracted by the mysterious beauty who has just joined his kitchen staff. The girl is innocent to say the least, but her elusive nature and cultured speech drives him to wonder who the real Miss Millie James is.

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?

A Marquess' Forbidden Desire


Lucinda Nelson - 2019
    But when the masks fall, hearts will break. When Lady Marianne Purcell visits Bath for a holiday to escape her sister’s temper and her mother’s scheming, she finds herself at a country fair. Masked and eager to pretend to be someone she’s not, she meets a gentleman who also disguises his identity. Intrigued and liberated by rouse, she meets the man at the fair every evening for three nights. They dance. They laugh. They kiss. And they fall in love. When they part ways at the end of their three nights together, she thinks she is leaving behind a shy townsman and returns to Mayfair with a sore heart. But when her sister introduces her newfound fiancé, Marianne soon realizes that she made a grave mistake. The masked man had not been a townsman. The masked man was Lord Alexander Redmond, the Marquess of Riversdale. And her cruel sister’s fiancé. With the help of her beloved friend, can Marianne persuade Alexander that love prevails over duty? And in the face of his father’s expectations, can Alexander prioritize his happiness over his fear of disappointing his father? Being so tender-hearted, will Marianne put her conniving sister’s materialistic desires over her own heart? Without their masks, Alexander and Marianne are different people. As they try to navigate the minefield of expectation and duty that surrounds them, will the love they felt at the country fair reign victoriously? Only time will tell. If you like thrilling characters, steamy and unexpected twists, and lots of romance, then you’ll love “A Marquess' Forbidden Desire!” Get “A Marquess' Forbidden Desire” and let the breathtaking story of Marianne and Alexander unravel today!

Where He Leads


Angela Castillo - 2019
     Compared to an arranged marriage to the odious Bernard Regent, a prairie schooner on the Oregon Trail doesn't seem like such a bad trade to Amethyst Kent. When desperate Martha Davis reveals her need for a mother's helper on the trail, Ami decides to up and leave the pampered life she's always known for a land of freedom. But trail life is hardly a tea party, and Ami must draw from the deepest wells of her faith to survive. With the sunset always before her, and Shiloh Talon, a handsome trail scout, guiding the way, she might just make it through.

Dark Shadows


Jana Petken - 2014
    It is only when she faces imminent death in the snow and ice-encrusted Virginia wilderness that she finally understands the power of destiny. Mercy is passionate. She loves and hates in equal measure. Can love and hatred give her the strength she needs now to reach a Northern state, and free a runaway slave wanted for murders, she committed? America and her people are strangled in an uncompromising political stalemate. Southern states have seceded from the Union, and a civil war is imminent. Mercy Carver: her journey is just beginning.

Lord Fool to the Rescue


L.L. Muir - 2011
     Lady Tempest MacIntyre has been offered, by her stepfather, as an item up for auction! But she has an excellent escape planned...if she can keep from tripping over the good intentions of the Duke of Stromburg, sometimes referred to as Lord Fool. Lord Fool to the Rescue has at least one hero, a heroine, and an assortment of characters who may or may not be villains. The fun is in the discovery. If you like LORD FOOL TO THE RESCUE, try one of L.L. Muirs other novels: THE SCARLET PLUMIERE: BLOOD FOR INK BONES FOR BREAD (Regency novels) CHRISTMAS KISS (Time Travel romance) GOING BACK FOR ROMEO & NOT WITHOUT JULIET (Time Travel romances) SOMEWHERE OVER THE FREAKING RAINBOW (A Young Adult Paranormal Romance) And for reluctant readers, WHERE TO PEE ON A PIRATE SHIP, humor for kids 10 and up. Learn more about L.L. Muir's works of fiction at www.llmuir.weebly.com

Sentence of Marriage


Shayne Parkinson - 2009
    Her life seems mapped out for her by the time she is twelve. Amy dreams of an exciting life in the world beyond her narrow boundaries. But it is the two people who come to the farm from outside the valley who change her life forever, and Amy learns the high cost of making the wrong choice.

Engaging The Enemy


Heather Boyd - 2012
    A widow and mother, Mercy is lonely and floundering to keep the estate afloat. When she discovers the existence of Leopold Randall, her husband’s estranged cousin, Mercy immediately offers to help him locate his missing siblings if he helps her return the estate to order.Leopold has returned to Hampshire for only one purpose—to learn the fate of his missing siblings. Unfortunately, the current duchess is clueless and out of her depth. Her struggle tugs at Leopold’s sense of duty and her bold nature tempts him unbearably. When Leopold discovers their lives are forever entwined, he vows to protect Mercy and her innocent son.

Her Husband's Harlot


Grace Callaway - 2011
    . .After a disastrous wedding night, proper Lady Helena Harteford fears for the fate of her new marriage. Disguised as a doxy, she tracks her husband down at a bawdy house to reason with him . . . and instead discovers the thrill of forbidden passion. An innocent ruse turns into a risky deception; how far will this once-wallflower go to win her husband's love?Unfit to be a Husband . . .Orphaned at an early age, Nicholas Morgan escapes his violent beginnings to become a successful merchant--only to discover that he is the legitimate heir of the Marquess of Harteford. His transition to the ton is rocky and made rockier when he marries above him. Torn between guilt and lust, he tries to protect his sweet, innocent wife from the demons of his past. But can he safeguard her from his own raging desires?Caught between Past and Present . . .When a dangerous nemesis rises from Nicholas' past, husband and wife must work together in order to survive. From the drawing rooms to the stews of Regency London, they find themselves caught in a game of passion and seduction. Will true love prevail? Or is Helena destined to remain . . . Her Husband's Harlot?(approximately 105,000 words or 367 pages)

The Price of Innocence


Vicki Hopkins - 2009
    The book is historical fiction, with romantic elements, set in 1878 Paris and London. The book is the first in a series of three entitled the Legacy Series.It is the tender story of Suzette Camille Rousseau, a young woman in late 19th century Paris, who makes a difficult journey from innocence to maturity. After losing a sheltered life with her father, Suzette is thrown into the harsh reality of poverty, struggling as a homeless woman on the streets of Paris. In order to survive, she faces difficult choices that offer little hope of redemption. Her journey takes her from the charities of St. Vincent de Paul, to a local laundry house where she toils endlessly in filth and squalor. To her surprise, one of her customers is the Chabanais, the most famous brothel in France that only caters to aristocrats. Like a fly drawn to a spider's web, the mistress of the brothel entices Suzette into a world of opulence, comfort, and beauty, but there is a price to pay -- her innocence. Succumbing to a life of prostitution, she meets a handsome English Lord who saves her from the unthinkable.

Western Bride


Janelle Daniels - 2018
    Now, all her dreams hang on the new women arriving in Promise Creek, hoping they'll become like sisters to her. But when Lucas McDermott, the man who'd abandoned her years before, turns out to be one of the notorious Copper Kings and is charged with settling the new women, Abby's life is thrown into chaos.Lucas McDermott is a man of action. When he and his partners strike the richest copper mine in the world, he won't let anything stop their success--especially not a woman from his past. But when he lays eyes on Abby again, plans change. She isn't just a woman he once desired, but the only woman who has ever touched his heart.Determined to win her back, he proposes a friendship between them. But when Abby is attacked, his protective instincts rise. He loves her still, but can Abby forgive him for past mistakes...or will history repeat itself?

Of Moths and Butterflies


V.R. Christensen - 2011
    Gina Shaw is a servant in his uncle’s house. Clearly out of place in the position in which she has been discovered, she becomes a source of fascination . . . and curiosity. A girl with a blighted past and a fortune she deems a curse, Gina has lowered herself in order to find escape from her family and their scheming designs. But when she is found, the stakes suddenly become dire. All Gina wants is the freedom to live her life as she would wish. All her aunts want is the money that comes with her. But there is more than one way to trap an insect. An arranged marriage might turn out profitable for more parties than one. Mr. Hamilton is about to make the acquisition of a lifetime. But will the price be worth it? Can a woman captured and acquired learn to love the man who has bought her?

An Earl for the desperate bride


Regina Darcy - 2016
    Never wanting for anything, her privileged life is shattered when she is forced into an arranged marriage with Lord Sevile. A most loathsome man who uses and abuses those around him. Desperate and alone, Eliza’s only comfort is the stable groom Stephen Ravencroft and the feelings she has for him. With only a common man’s promise that he will save her before she has to marry Lord Sevile. Eliza is left clinging on to her small sliver of hope as the day of her wedding nears. Can she really place her future in a poor man’s hands? Have faith in someone so far beneath her on the social ladder. But Stephen Ravencroft might just be more than he seems. Buy it now to find out how it all ends. An Earl for the desperate bride is a Clean Short Read Regency Historical Romance. It is part of the Regency Tales Series. Each story can be read as a standalone but if you wish to read about the other stories these are available for just $0.99 or FREE On Kindle Unlimited. Regina Darcy writes clean, short, regency romance stories that always have a good old fashioned happy ending. REGENCY LORDS SERIES 1: Mesmerising a Duke 2: Bewitching the Viscount 3: Winning the Viscount Heart 4: The Duke's Secret Desire REGENCY TALES SERIES 1: An Earl for the desperate bride 2: The Earl and the girl from the Abbey 3: A Governess for the faithless Duke 4: A Duke’s son to the rescue 5: Captivated by the Earl