Book picks similar to
Garden of Shadows by Meara Platt


historical-romance
fantasy
paranormal
historical

The Ghost and Miss Hallam


Barbara Bartholomew - 2012
    Lynne Hallam, working hard at researching the journals of Maud Bailey Sandford at the late author's isolated ranch home in the red hills has an unexpected visitor that nobody else can see. In his last minutes after a terrible accident, Moss has demanded not justice, but grace from the universe and is convinced that the lovely Lynne has been sent to him to balance the scales of an unfair fate.

Highland Raven


Melanie Karsak - 2014
    Bound by blood to the Celtic gods. Scotland, 1026--Gruoch, descendant of the line of MacAlpin, should have been born into a life of ease. But fate is fickle. Her father's untimely death, rumored to have been plotted by King Malcolm, leaves her future uncertain and stained by the prophecy that she will avenge her family line. Escaping to one of the last strongholds of the old Celtic gods, Gruoch becomes an adept in arcane craft. Her encounters with the otherworld, however, suggest that magic runs stronger in Scotland than she ever imagined. Haunted by dreams of a raven-haired man she's never met, Gruoch soon feels her fate is not her own. She is duty-bound to wed a powerful lord, if not the Prince himself; however, she's not sure she can stop her heart when she meets Banquo, a gallant highlander and druid. Fans of Outlander and Mists of Avalon will relish this sweeping Scottish Historical Fantasy that tells the tale of Gruoch, a woman struggling to escape her fate without blood on her hands. "A great novel that captures realistically a world of witches and fairies, warrior women and barbaric men, and a woman exploring a life she had no idea existed" Author Carrie L. Wells "A rich tale of lore and legend that will trap you faster than a fairy ring" Fabulous and Fun Book Reviews

Outlaw King


Julie Johnstone - 2018
    Deception endangers them. Only an impossible love can save them. When headstrong Elizabeth de Burgh’s evil father threatens to kill her beloved cousin unless she seduces his enemy Robert the Bruce, she begrudgingly agrees. But as she grows close to the arrogant leader of the Scottish rebellion whose savage good looks whisper of pleasure, she discovers that behind Robert’s facade of coldhearted traitor lies a noble fighter who will risk all for the freedom of his country. Now, she can no longer imagine aiding in Robert’s destruction. But does she have a choice? Fierce Scottish warrior Robert the Bruce would do anything to release his country from English rule and claim his rightful throne. Enemies on both sides surround him, however, and Robert must dance a dangerous line between truth and duplicity. One misstep could topple his nation and cost him his life. Yet one irresistible woman tempts him—and jeopardizes his mission—as no other ever has. Robert is in no position to entangle himself with the enemy, especially one who may be plotting his defeat, but the feisty, determined, blue-eyed beauty ignites a longing in Robert that he has never known. But is she his biggest threat or greatest source of strength? Bound by duty and honor but ensnared by uncontainable desire, Robert and Elizabeth must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice for the one thing they thought they’d never find—extraordinary love.

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 Lord of Stariel


A.J. Lancaster - 2018
    Long live the Lord of Stariel. Whoever that is. Everyone knows who the magical estate will choose for its next ruler. Or do they? Will it be the lord’s eldest son, who he despised? His favourite nephew, with the strongest magical land-sense? His scandalous daughter, who ran away from home years ago to study illusion? Hetta knows it won’t be her, and she’s glad of it. Returning home for her father’s funeral, all Hetta has to do is survive the family drama and avoid entanglements with irritatingly attractive local men until the Choosing. Then she can leave. But whoever Stariel chooses will have bigger problems than eccentric relatives to deal with. Winged, beautifully deadly problems. For the first time in centuries, the fae are returning to the Mortal Realm, and only the Lord of Stariel can keep the estate safe. In theory. The Lord of Stariel is the first book in the Stariel quartet.

The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors


Sky Purington - 2016
    Fierce, Viking warriors. Unimaginable connections through time. Sail the high seas and weather ninth-century Scandinavia in a best-selling romance series unlike any other. Endless adventures. Unexpected twists. Mind-blowing passion. Find it all in The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors. VIKING KING- Determined to take a break from her past, Megan cozies down in her million dollar Winter Harbor Maine home and focuses less on money and more on dreams. With a love for Viking shipwright skills, she constructs a small scale longship. What she doesn't anticipate is an unexpected call from the past. Of dragon blood, Viking King, Naðr Véurr Sigdir 'the bold' knew that the bargain he struck with the seers would likely lead to an unpredictable outcome. What he didn't foresee is a headstrong woman from the future washing up on his shores. VIKING CLAIM- Veronica tries to cope with losing her sister but is drawn to everything that seemingly took Megan away. A magical stone. Rune staves. A Viking king. The far distant past. It all seems too impossible to believe. Until she slides down a snow swept hill near Maine's, Raven's Nest cliffs straight into a reality she never could have imagined. Of dragon blood and brother to the king, Raknar Sigdir 'the hunter' is determined to welcome any woman from the future if it means he can conquer anew for his people. However, Veronica, the irresistible woman thrust back in time, soon has his mind less on loot and more on all the things he forgot about himself. A pact with the seers hangs in the balance when a ninth century Viking gives in to his heart to protect a modern day woman from a sworn, powerful enemy...his former wife. VIKING HEART- Amber is heartbroken. Supposedly because of a pact made between three ninth century Viking brothers and Mt. Galdhøpiggen's seers, her sisters have vanished into the distant past. Struggling with grief, she leans on her part-time fling Sean until even he is torn away. Or so it seems. Of dragon blood and brother to the King, Kol Sigdir 'the lucky' has been determined to avoid his fate since the moment he promised himself, sight unseen, to a woman from the future. He adores all women and it's no easy thing knowing he has to eventually pledge his heart to just one...until he meets Amber. As they grow closer, they face multiple threats. King Alrek declares war and he has an ally nobody could have anticipated. Hearts struggle, rip apart and then are rebuilt when the laws of time are tossed aside. Look for The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors' Kin summer of 2016.

Subversive


Colleen Cowley - 2020
    Then Peter Blackwell, the only wizard her town has ever produced, unexpectedly returns home and presses her into service as his assistant.Beatrix fears he wants to undermine the League. His real purpose is far more dangerous for them both.Subversive is the first novel in the Clandestine Magic trilogy, set in a warped 21st century that will appeal to fans of gaslamp fantasy. What reviewers are saying: "A spectacular story of magic, politics, social classes, and the uncompromising need to do what you think is right." — Bookshelf Adventures“I read this book in a day. I could NOT put it down.” — My Heart is Booked Blog"What a captivating story! ... Readers who enjoy fantasy stories with strong female protagonists, magical powers, intriguing political plots, and a great love story will love Subversive." — One Book More

The Fire Lord's Lover


Kathryne Kennedy - 2010
    Her mission is to bring down the Elven Lord and his champion son. But when she gets to court, she discovers that nothing is what it seems, least of all the man she married.But beneath the gilded castles lies an unspeakable evil, greater than either Dominic or Cassandra had ever fathomed, and without each other they may not survive.

A Dark Guardian


Donna Grant - 2006
    That is my life--and I love it.At least I did until I found myself staring into the angelic, innocent face of Lady Mina of Stone Crest. In all the time I have led The Shields I have trusted my instinct to keep us alive, yet now I don't know what to believe. Everything points to Mina as the evil summoning the creatures, but she proclaims her innocence.I should be able to see through her lies, if she is indeed lying, but my attraction to her blinds me to even that. The last time I found myself so attracted to a woman, it nearly cost me the lives of my men. I cannot allow that to happen again. I won't allow that to happen again.Yet every time she looks at me, begging me with those blue-green eyes to believe her, I find myself sinking farther under her spell. Her mouth is a temptation mortal men will never know and her love will either bring me the peace I thought I'd never find--or the death I've managed, thus far, to avoid.Hugh the Righteous

Crimes Of The Brothers


D.L. Carter - 2013
    caring... supportive... protective. Catherine Walman's brother, however, is not. He has maligned her reputation until no honorable man will seek her company, wasted her dowry and endangered her home with his gambling and now his new wife has made it clear Catherine is no longer welcome. The hand of fortune intervenes when a letter arrives advising Catherine that a stranger has bequeathed to her "a home and money to keep it." Catherine seizes upon this chance, hoping that it might be enough for her to be independent, to be free - only to discover this stranger also had a brother, or two, or three.

Fairy-Struck


Amy Sumida - 2015
    Long ago, there was a war between humans and fairies, and we nearly destroyed the world with it. Now, we have a truce in place to prevent that from happening again. Both sides enforce the truce; we have the Extinguishers and they have the Wild Hunt. Humans don't remember the truce anymore; they don't remember the Fey anymore. A fact that the Fey use to their advantage. I hate that. After they killed my mother, I even started to hate them. But that hatred doesn't seem to matter when I look at him. Fairy hunter. Deadly. Beautiful. Intent on sliding himself into my life. We'll just see about that.

Forever Yours Bundle #7-9


Stacy Reid - 2020
    The last thing she expected was William Astor, the Duke of Wycliffe, to create the scandal of the Season by chasing after her at a ball.William is the most compelling and sensual man Sophia has ever known, but she is not interested in resuming their kisses, guileless conversations, or his promises of forever. The duke, however, has other ideas...William has vowed to have no other woman than Sophia Knightly and is willing to do whatever it takes to possess her. It started with a kiss, then a wicked invitation, and now there is no going back.Soon the walls around Sophia's heart are crumbling . . . and she realizes the greatest adventure might be right in front of her!SINS OF VISCOUNT WORSLEYMiss Marianne Ashbrook is left with little choice but to knock on Viscount Worsley’s door and demand he supports her sister’s child. After all, he is the father. She has little patience for rakes or men who leave their seed all over England without a by-your-leave. And even when his lordship allows her to care for his child under his scandalous roof, she is wary of his wicked reputation.Viscount Worsley knows the child is not his. He’s not shared a bed with a woman in months, and yet, something about Miss Ashbrook’s gumption makes him relent. Soon, the prim and proper miss is taking over the house! Despite his vow to reform his dissolute ways of the past, Worsley finds it torturous to resist her. A few kisses and one wicked night at his notorious gambling den entices Worsley into rethinking his position on love and family. Except Miss Ashbrook is not so easy to persuade and it will take all his seductive wiles and perhaps his heart, to court her into submission.AN UNCONVENTIONAL AFFAIRMaximillian Langdon, Earl Kentwood, is the author of the ton’s most salacious erotic literature: A guide to passionate romps between a lord and his lady. His name whispers on the tongues of gentlemen and ladies in shocked and admiring tones. Everyone believes he is London’s greatest lover, except Lord Kentwood is still a virgin. Now he's determined to rectify that situation before being revealed as a fraud, and London’s latest on dit!With a reputation forever tarnished by scandal, Lady Amelie Weatherston is resigned to an unfulfilled life. She is also a member of a secret widow’s club. Her mission: to seduce London’s most delectable lover and report her findings to help her wicked widow friends keep their protectors happy! A passionate affair de Coeur starts and for a time banishes the loneliness in her heart. The earl of debauchery is not what he seems, and Amelie finds herself falling in love with a man who might never see her as more than a wicked widow not worthy of his heart.

Seven Sisters


M.L. Bullock - 2014
    The handsome and wealthy Ashland Stuart has hired her to uncover the history and the secrets of Seven Sisters, an aging antebellum mansion in sultry downtown Mobile, Alabama. A series of dreams, an untimely death and the betrayal of someone she loves lead her back in time to uncover the truth about a missing young heiress and a web of secrets.Will Carrie Jo slip into the shadows of Seven Sisters, following in the ghostly footsteps of the lost young woman, or can she solve this tragic mystery and find her own happiness?

In the Arms of an Enemy


Bethany Shaw - 2015
    She is free from the restrictive boundaries of pack life and able to make her own choices. When her alpha’s brother moves into the flat next to hers, it sets a series of events into place that will change her life forever. Should she flee or face her enemy? Kendrick can’t believe it when he runs into Astrid in Tuscany. The fiery wolf has always held a special place in his heart. Can he prove to her that he’s different than his brother? Or will he lose her forever?This 12,000 word short story is a standalone story with NO cliffhanger.

A Lady and Her Magic


Tammy Falkner - 2012
    Which means no matter where she goes, she's bound for trouble...And Scandals Are Meant to be Shocking...The Duke of Robinsworth has flaunted and shocked society for years. In a moment of fateful mischief, Robinsworth encounters the enchanting and distinctly scandalous Sophia. Between her streak of magical mischief and his penchant for scandal, they're about to take rule-breaking to a whole new level...