A Secret Passion


Sophia Nash - 2004
    To escape, she flees for the country, where she meets a handsome, if stubborn, man-and soon finds that when it rains, it pours...

The Mysterious Heir


Edith Layton - 1984
    No one could guess she had been forced to take a position in trade—or that she had come to the Earl of Auden’s estate to entice him into naming her dismayingly disagreeable cousin Anthony heir to a fortune that she then could share.But Elizabeth had stiff competition for the Earl’s imperious favor…from the schemingly seductive Lady Isabel Courtney and her odious little boy, Owen…from the implacably upright Richard Courtney and his unfortunate honesty…and from the memory of the Earl’s first wife, who had made him despise women who deceived.Elizabeth knew she could never reveal the truth to the Earl—even when she forgot about gaining his fortune and began losing her heart….

Prospero's Daughter


Nancy Butler - 2003
    And though he's not happy about venturing our to the officer's country estate, the dashing rogue cannot deny the creature comforts of Palfry Park or his instant attraction to a mysterious woman in a Bath chair.Recovering from a carriage accident, and neglected by her family, Miranda Runyon spends her time alone...until Morgan enters her life. At first, Miranda rebuffs his advances. But when Morgan's attentions begin to transform Miranda in both body and soul, she risks her heart for a love like none she has ever imagined.

His Cinderella Governess


Fanny Finch - 2019
    No lady he’s ever met has managed to steal his heart… until he accidentally meets a mysterious governess, that strangely enough has the manners and elegance of a highborn lady. Lydia Stanley’s life has been very hard since her father passed away. Her stepmother controls her fate and has reduced her to nothing more than her little brother’s governess. No one even remembers she exists… but Lydia’s hopes for a better future are renewed when she meets the kind and gallant Marquess of Whitecroft. The lie may cost her her only chance at love, but the truth may separate her and her little brother forever... Now, Henry must find a way to uncover the secrets and save his Cinderella before it’s too late. But the wicked Countess of Canwick has not played her last card yet… *If you like engaging characters, heart- wrenching twists and turns, and lots of romance, then you’ll love “His Cinderella Governess!” Buy “His Cinderella Governess” and unlock the exciting story of Lydia and Henry today! Get This Book FREE With Kindle Unlimited!

Temporary Mistress


Susan Johnson - 2000
    What may surprise you is her name. For she is none other than Isabella Leslie!  The same beauty of the sizable inheritance who prefers not the ton but books, maps, and the family shipping business.  You may wonder how a picture of innocence ended up in the arms of a libertine. Truth to tell, Isabella had to flee from her scheming relatives in the rain-soaked night and seek refuge in London's most infamous brothel. There, with the help of the madam, she devised an unorthodox plan to escape a dreaded marriage bed. She would simply have to become unmarriageable--even if it meant public ruin. And who better to utterly ruin her in a mere week than a handsome rake famous for seductive skills?  But gossip has it that Dermott may be developing a tendre for his temporary mistress. It makes for the most delicious speculation, does it not? For if it indeed is the case, what will happen when their week of pleasure is over? We urge you, dear readers, to do as we do--follow the affair closely, and with every hope that it will turn into this Season's most delicious scandal.

The Count's Charade


Elizabeth Bailey - 2003
    An enemy spy? Who are the men who seek him? What secrets lie in the papers Henri entrusts to her charge?Living alone but for her faithful maid, Grace’s reputation is at stake. But Henri’s safety comes first. If he is to have a chance, she must hold the authorities at bay.Barely has he recovered when his pursuers come calling. Pitting those who would interfere one against the other, Grace risks all to keep her Frenchman alive.Will the truth emerge before Henri’s enemies manage to silence him forever?

A Pressing Engagement


Anne Barbour - 1992
    Aubin to pose as his fiancée. And Diana was forced to agree, as the handsome Earl had the power to send her to prison for a crime of which she was not guilty. Difficult as it was to tolerate the pretense, Diana knew that the earl always got what he wanted. Regency Romance by Anne Barbour; originally published by Signet

The Light in the Darkness


Ellen Fisher - 1998
    Embittered by the death of his wife, scornful of female wiles, and completely contemptuous of any attempt to bring happiness into his life, Grey hardly considered himself good husband material. And yet, if only for the shock value of it--and to put an end to all the nagging--Grey showed up one day with a bride on his arm: an ignorant, ill-kempt, timid young tavern wench....The Most Unlikely Bride...Jennifer knew she was no one's idea of a suitable bride for the rich, elegant Grey--least of all, his. But though she couldn't begin to understand the reasons behind his caustic, tormented personality, she did know one thing. He had saved her from a life of drudgery and cruelty, and she would repay him by turning herself into a ravishing, accomplished beauty who would do him credit in society's eyes. And maybe, just maybe, in the process, he might fall in love with her just a little....

The Genuine Article


Patricia Rice - 1994
    She had to move fast. Flaunting her bewitching beauty while keeping her biting wit out of sight, she captured the heart and soon would have the hand of the wealthy, pleasant, and pliable Lord Darley. Only one obstacle stood in her way to the altar.Darley's best friend, Reginald Montague, vowed not to let a fortune hunter make Darley her dupe. This devastatingly handsome, icily arrogant gentleman would do anything to stop Marian--even seduce her With dazzling skill and subtle strategem, he set out to change Marian's dislike for him into desire--as Marian struggled to keep the lie she was living from being ruined by a truly disastrous love....

Varden's Lady


Maren Smith - 2006
    So when another woman burst through the clouds, leaving behind a dying body, Mallory leapt back to Earth, to a second chance for life. Duke Varden had had his fill of treacherous women. His lovely wife had killed what little love he'd had, seven long years before. But when she suffered a mishap giving birth, suddenly she was not her usual, viscous self. Now she was laughing, calling herself Mallory, and turning his life upside-down. But Varden refused to be drawn in by the same deceptive charms that had fooled him once before. Mallory was having the time of her life jogging through the castle, gambling with the guards and gradually gaining the love of the stranger who was her husband. So what if she had to suffer a spiteful mother-in-law, an evil brother-in-law and a husband full of icy condemnation. Wasn't winning the love of a lifetime worth all that?

Curricle & Chaise


Lizzie Church - 2012
    Even this might have proved tolerable. After all, Lydia was an independent sort of a girl, more than capable of holding her own against importunate tradesmen, and more than happy to bring her younger sister up on her own.It would not do, however. The state in which Lydia discovered the family affairs made independent existence quite out of the question. In spite of all her best efforts, within a few months of her mama’s death, and scarcely out of full mourning, it became apparent to her that there was nothing to be done but to acknowledge the inevitable and appeal to her relations for help….It is 1810. Lydia, now penniless, is forced to seek a home with an aunt and uncle who have no interest in her whatsoever. But there are plenty of others with an interest in her – including the handsome but selfish son of the family – her cousin Charles - and two elegant brothers who live nearby.Each, in his own way, poses an intriguing challenge to her. Luckily Lydia is well able to look after herself but she gets into a number of scrapes which almost cost her any chance of happiness before finally managing to sort things out in the end.

The Gamester


Elizabeth Chater - 1980
    Desperate to regain possession of her home, the beautiful but proud Zelda cloaks herself and challenges the shrewd card shark to a game where the stakes are high. The gambler, smooth, calloused and undeniably handsome, is a man unaccustomed to losing. A master of deception, the gambler quickly discovers Zelda's façade, but not before desire begins to burn in his soul. Before the final card is dealt, Zelda must outwit a master or all hope to recover her family's estate and her heart is lost.

The Sound of Snow


Katherine Kingsley - 1999
    His touch taught her the meaning of desire.The Whisper of ScandalAfter years of exile on the Continent, Joanna was returning to the aristocratic English society she left in disgrace. Nothing—not even the gossip mongers—could keep her from Wakefield Abbey, where she intended to rescue her cousin Lydia's beloved son from his own father, the man Joanna suspected of Lydia's untimely death. Cool, dashing, and devilishly handsome, Guy de Salis, Marquess of Greaves, seemed capable of anything—except giving and receiving love.The Song of LoveShe bore a startling resemblance to his dead wife. Clearly, Joanna was a woman to beware. Reluctantly, Guy asked her to be his son's governess and was astonished when the troubled child bloomed under her care. Before he knew it, the beautiful, exasperating woman was upsetting his well-ordered life, challenging his well-guarded secrets, making him imagine what joy there could be in loving the right woman—if only he could express the silent passions that raged in his torn and broken heart.

Lord St. Claire's Angel


Donna Lea Simpson - 1999
    Never one to bemoan her change in fortune, Celestine is content to spend her days raising and overseeing their children, knowing in her heart she will never have any of her own.Lord St. Claire Richmond, Langlow’s brother, is a rogue and seducer, content to while away his days pursuing pleasure—and driving his brother and sister-in-law mad by reducing their female staff to lovelorn fools with his flirtations. When he learns on his annual Christmas visit that the drab Celestine was hired as governess solely to thwart his dalliances, he devises a scheme to both stir her heart and spite his family’s interfering ways.But as his game unfolds, the cunning St. Claire discovers this conquest may be more challenging than expected when the thoughtful and intelligent Celestine begins to fire an ache in his own heart. And what began as an amusement to give the plain, timid miss an innocent thrill is turning into much more, as St. Claire realizes she may be the one giving him the thrill—and teaching him in a way only a governess can that real beauty lies beneath the surface and that true love is often found where you least expect it.

Scandal


Carolyn Jewel - 2009
    But when he meets Sophie Evans, the young wife of a fellow libertine, even he is shocked by his reaction. This unconventional and intelligent woman proves to be far more than an amusing distraction - she threatens to drive him to distraction. Unlike the women who usually fall at Banallt's feet, and into his bed, Sophie refuses to be seduced. And soon Banallt desires her more than ever - and for more than an illicit affair.Years later, the widowed Sophie is free, and Banallt is determined to win the woman he still loves. Unfortunately, she doesn't believe his declaration of love and chivalrous offer of marriage - her heart has already been broken by her scoundrel of a husband. And yet, Sophie is tempted to indulge in the torrid affair she's always fantasized about. Caught between her logical mind and her long-denied desire, Sophie must thwart Banallt's seduction - or risk being consumed by the one man she should avoid at all costs...* Booklist