Book picks similar to
The Duke's Secrets by Abby Ayles
historical-romance
romance
regency
historical
The Earl's Hired Bride: A Half Moon House Novella
Deb Marlowe - 2016
. . Every debutante in the ton wants to be the Countess of Hartford—and mistress of Hartsworth Castle. Never mind that Hart has no interest in marrying just yet, the young ladies hunt him as ruthlessly as a pack of hounds after the elusive fox. What he needs is a hired bride—one who is guaranteed to call it off at the end of the Season. Because a girl with no prospects will do what she must to help her family . . . Miss Emily Spencer must do something. Her mother’s health is failing and the notorious Duke of Danby is growing dangerously close. Why not hide in plain sight and pretend to be the Earl of Hartford’s betrothed? And getting paid for her troubles? It’s just what she needs to make her family comfortable again. Because love comes when you least expect it . . . Sparks fly when the two put their plan in motion—and deeper emotions grow. But how can they be together when the path they’ve forged only leads to their inevitable separation?
The Harlow Hoyden
Lynn Messina - 2014
It is Emma who is amazed. She has naturally concluded that the man reading in the conservatory must be the country cousin (who else in London would actually read?) and is quite vexed to discover that he is the Duke of Trent himself—imagine, stealing the duke’s prize Rhyncholaelia digbyana under his very nose! But her vexation doesn’t last long. For Emma is a practical young lady with a mission: to end her dear sister Lavinia’s engagement to the villainous (and dreadfully dull!) Sir Waldo Windbourne, and she thinks that the famous libertine is just the man for the job. If he would only seduce her sister away from Sir Waldo…. Well, not seduce exactly, but flirt mercilessly and engage her interest. Perhaps then Lavinia would jilt the baron. The Duke of Trent is resistant, of course. Despite his reputation, he does not toy with the affections of innocents. And besides, it’s not her sister he longs to seduce.
A Springtide Meeting
Emily E.K. Murdoch - 2018
Her wild spirit is frowned upon by the ton, and familial embarrassment now means she's stuck at the beach in a brisk March wind, waiting to meet this doctor as she promised her father. Dr Timothy Walsingham is about to meet a new elderly patient - a Miss Honeyfield whose letters have had him in stitches. As he waits by the sand, a beautiful woman catches his eye, and he begins a conversation that will distract him from his practice, from his patients . . . and his reason. Can a chance meeting of mistaken identity lead to something more? Will Cordelia ever reconcile with her family - and can Dr Timothy Walsingham make this springtide meeting one that they will both never forget? A Springtide Meeting is a sweet Regency romance about the strange coincidences that fate deals us, and whether we are brave enough to take them.
Must Love Dukes
Elizabeth Michels - 2014
Blackmailed by the Mad Duke of Thornwood into accepting one wild dare after another...all because of a pocket watch. Desperate to recover her beloved father's pawned timepiece, Lily did something reckless and dangerous and delicious—something that led to a night she'd never forget.He has a Reputation for ScandalWhen Devon Grey, Duke of Thornwood, runs into a mesmerizing, intoxicating, thieving woman who literally stole from his bedchamber—with his new pocket watch—Devon plots his revenge. If the daring wench likes to play games, he's happy to oblige. After all, what's the use of being the Mad Duke if you can't have some fun? But the last laugh might just be on him...
A Kiss for a Rogue
Collette Cameron - 2014
A future viscount. A second chance at love.
Olivia Kingsley didn’t expect to be swept off her feet and receive a marriage proposal two weeks into her first Season. However, one delicious dance with Allen Wimpleton, and her future is sealed. Or so she thinks until her eccentric father suddenly announces he’s moving the family to the Caribbean for a year.Terrified of losing Olivia, Allen begs her to elope, but she refuses. Distraught at her leaving, and unaware of her father’s ill-health, Allen doubts her love and foolishly demands she choose—him or her father. Heartbroken at his callousness, Olivia turns her back on their love. The year becomes three, enough time for her broken heart to heal, and after her father dies, she returns to England. Coming face to face with Allen at a ball, she realizes she never purged him from her heart. But can they overcome their pasts and old wounds to trust love again? Or has Allen found another in her absence?This second chance Regency historical by a USA Today bestselling author will make you want to box Allen’s ears and promise Olivia that she will find true love.If you enjoy reading reunited lovers stories sprinkled with a dab of humor, suspense, and heart-warming emotion, then you’ll adore Collette Cameron’s tantalizing THE HONORABLE ROGUES SERIES®. Buy A KISS FOR A ROGUE and settle into your favorite reading nook for a rousing romantic adventure you can’t put down. Though this book can easily be read as a stand-alone, most readers prefer to read the series in order.
The Duchess of Love
Sally MacKenzie - 2012
. .The day was as hot as the pond was inviting. It's not as if anyone in Little Huffington was going to happen upon a secluded vale on the Duke of Greycliffe's lands. And Venus Collingswood didn't want to get her shift all wet. It was the perfect setting in which to plan her lovely bookworm of a sister's betrothal to the mysterious new duke arriving seven days hence. If only she had a suitable accomplice. . .Andrew Valentine, Duke of Greycliffe, never thought arriving at his own household a week early would cause so much trouble. The housekeeper thinks he's his own cousin. Actually, the chance to not be the duke for a while is a pleasant opportunity indeed. It might even help him interrogate the delectable little nymph he's discovered swimming in his pond--if he can manage to get a word in edgewise. . .Praise for the Novels of Sally MacKenzie"Naked, noble and irresistible!" --Eloisa James"The romance equivalent of chocolate cake. . .every page is an irresistible delight!" --Lisa Kleypas"A perfect night's read."--Romantic Times "Great fun."--Publishers Weekly31,000 Words
Seductive Secrets
Carrie James Haynes - 2012
Shunned from London society for being the daughter of England’s most notorious spy, Alyce Hythe desires only to clear her father’s name. For years, she has been hidden away from all prying eyes, given a new identity and told to forget who she was. But strange things have been happening causing old rumors to once more be whispered.Long has Lord Julian Casvelyn lived with guilt brought on when his brother was murdered by England’s most infamous traitor. But one eventful night has changed everything Lord Julian believed about his brother’s death. Never did he suspect the woman he has just saved from certain harm is the daughter of that man. Now Julian is caught in midst of a conspiracy and desire for that woman.Thrown together by fate, the two search for answers long denied them and along the way discover a love that can free them both.Previously published as Daughter of Deceit under Carrie James Haynes
Trials of Artemis
Sue London - 2013
Jacqueline “Jack” Walters loves archery and Greek military history. In her third season she has failed to inspire so much as one marriage proposal and is planning to settle into the quiet life of a spinster.Gideon Wolfe, Earl of Harrington, has been avoiding marriage but a case of mistaken identity in the library has left him saddled with an argumentative and unwilling fiancee.
Lady Falls
Renee Bernard - 2014
Plucked from an orphanage by a scheming earl, she has been raised like a thoroughbred, groomed for one purpose: Revenge. Unfortunately, the Earl of Trent never let her in on the plan, so when she meets the man of her dreams, Sir Phillip Warrick, she has no idea that every lesson, every tutor and every impulsive inch of her was crafted for his seduction and destruction. What she does know is that love is the prize she wants most and that nothing should stand in a woman’s way to getting what she wants. Phillip Warrick is simply trying to recover his friendship with the earl, unaware that the man has spent years laying the foundation for destroying Phillip’s peace of mind. What he does know is that the earl’s ward, Raven Wells, is mesmerizing, fascinating and apparently without reserve. Witty, beautiful, impulsive and impossible—she is like a siren beckoning him to forget the rules and seize only the pleasures of the moment. Together, their love will set in motion a series of events that no one can foresee. Revenge creates more than one victim, but also more than one winner. Raven Wells will be transformed into a force of nature the likes of which Victorian London has never experienced before. LADY FALLS is the birth of the Black Rose and the end of innocence. ** From acclaimed USA Today bestselling author, Renee Bernard, comes a new trilogy of gothic power and twisted sensuality. Here’s a slice of historical romance not generally found in the mainstream—so pull up a chair, settle in for a good read and hang on!
A Suitable Bride
Fenella J. Miller - 2016
Bennett, who resigned his commission on becoming his brother’s heir, decides that it is his role to save the family by finding himself a suitable bride. The duke reluctantly agrees to this plan and his younger sister, Lady Madeline, is thrilled to arrange a grand house party to which a selection of eligible young ladies is invited. Beau, the duke, is adamant that Bennett will only marry a girl with an impeccable pedigree as well as a vast fortune. Miss Grace DuPont has no wish to marry; she prefers to run her stud and take care of her beloved horses. However, her father is determined to gain entrance to the drawing rooms of the ton and believes his wealth and Grace’s beauty will be enough to attract an aristocratic suitor. Mr DuPont blackmails Lord Peabody into including Grace in the invitation to the house party but she will have to masquerade as member of Society and Lady Peabody’s goddaughter. She is forced to obey her father and, with her stallion, her three dogs and her companion, sets out for Silchester Court. Her intention is to remain in the background, for if her true identity is disclosed she will be evicted. Grace and Bennett are drawn to each other but she knows when he discovers who she is he will be disgusted. If he marries her he will lose his position in the family and be banished from Silchester Court. Can this dilemma be resolved or will Grace be left broken hearted?
The Ugliest Man in London: Regency Romance
Charity McColl - 2019
She will, she says, marry the ugliest man in London rather than become the wife of a man she loathes. Her three loyal friends are determined to help her, but how does one advertise for an ugly husband? Then, one day, a solution appears. The girls rescue a man who is being attacked by a gang of thugs and Matilda rashly conspires to marry the man, even though he is unconscious and unable to assent to marriage. But who is this stranger, and why was he attacked? As the story unfolds a world of highborn Dukedom and heartless intrigue unravels, sweeping Matilda into a dangerous mystery, as she helps her new and unexpected husband reclaim his title. If you love clean historical romance with sumptuous storylines and lashings of love you will enjoy this new novella by bestselling author Charity McColl. Read “The Ugliest Man in London” today and be swept into a world of romantic Regency intrigue.
Midnight Marriage
Lucinda Brant - 2010
To his delight, he discovers she is everything he’d hoped for. Unaware they are already married, Deb is content with her independent life. Julian’s challenge is to have her accept him on his merit, even though she has no choice at all. The future of the Roxton dukedom depends upon it.Set in the opulent world of the aristocracy and inspired by real events, Lucinda Brant delivers another lavish 18th-century experience in her trademark style—heart-wrenching drama with a happily ever after.
At Last
Jacquie D'Alessandro - 2011
But when Ian Broderick shows up in a London ballroom, Sophia realizes her past is about to catch up with her, and the scandal could cost her everything.
Kissing the Enemy
Leighann Dobbs - 2016
As the plain looking older sister, she's practically invisible at social events. Never mind that she has no experience as a spy or that the codebook rests in the possession of one of the most powerful men in England. Freddie has no choice-she's desperate to save her young sister from the lecherous intentions of their guardian and recovering the book is her only option. Tristan Graylocke has never been able to measure up to his brother, the Duke of Tenwick. But being second best has its advantages. No one pressures him to get married and produce an heir, leaving him to carouse at will-an activity that lends itself perfectly to the brothers’ secret lives as spies. When an alluring enemy spy shows up at the house party planned specifically for the purposes of passing along a code book, Tristan finds himself drawn under her spell. Freddie seems innocent and inexperienced. Is her innocence is a clever guise, or is she being coerced by someone? Tristan and Freddie soon find themselves engaged in a seductive game of cat and mouse where each will do what they must for their country, especially if it involves kissing the enemy.
The Dog Thief
Marta Acosta - 2018
Broken-hearted Maddie Whitney, aka Mad Girl, is a dog trainer whose significant behavioral issues make her an outcast in the small rural California town of Coyote Run. When Maddie discovers a murdered woman in a field, she impulsively claims that she's an animal psychic to promote her canine rehabilitation center and save the family ranch.
Now the girl who can't make eye contact is the focus of the wrong kind of attention.
Maddie's forced to start a Search and Rescue team with her ex-girlfriend's twin brother, Oliver, a hostile sheriff, or risk losing her beloved former military dog. As she trains Oliver to be a dog handler, their relationship evolves from animosity to respect and more. Meanwhile, Maddie's younger sister, Kenzie, who has always cared for Maddie, yearns for a life of her own, and the unknown murderer believes the animal psychic will discover his identity. Difficult and complicated Maddie makes new friends, faces life-threatening dangers, and tests her ability to function without the protective walls she's built around her. "Amazing! A gripping read that will have your heart racing from start to finish." —James Sinclair, Autistic & Unapologetic Praise for Marta Acosta's Books "Acosta's talent is staggering. In each of her Casa Dracula books, she shows readers all over again just how funny, ridiculous, and thoroughly gifted she is at plotting." —Romantic Times "A breath of fresh air in a genre marked by creaky gender relations and unchallenged class stratification." —Kirkus Reviews "Her well-drawn characters shine... Acosta's story is an impressive contender in the crowded YA field." —Publishers Weekly "Acosta writes for us smart, funny, modern women, and that's why I treasure her stories so." —Dirty Sexy Books