Book picks similar to
The Reluctant Hero by Lorraine Heath


historical-romance
romance
historical
novella

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

A Bride for Tom


Ruth Ann Nordin - 2010
    This historical romantic comedy is rated G.

Love on the Mend


Karen Witemeyer - 2015
    But he knows he'll never find peace until he buries the pain of his past. To that end, he accepts a job in Cold Spring, Texas—the town he's avoided for seventeen years—and discovers his past is definitely still alive and kicking.When a new doctor arrives in town and saves her brother's leg, Mollie Tate quickly puts him on a hero's pedestal. But then the new doc insults her "Uncle" Curtis. Years ago, Curtis Sadler rescued Mollie when no one else cared. How could he possibly be the villain the new doctor believes him to be? Jacob doesn't know what to make of the young woman who assists him like a seasoned nurse one minute only to take a strip out of his hide the next. Yet the sparks that fly between them make him feel more alive than he has in a long time. As respect for his young nurse turns into something deeper, can he set aside the pain from his past to embrace this new love, or are some sins too big to be forgiven?

How to Catch a Wild Viscount


Tessa Dare - 2009
    Battle stripped away his civility and brought out his inner beast. There is no charm or tenderness in him now; only dark passions and a hardened soul. He has nothing to offer the starry-eyed, innocent girl who pledged her heart to him four years ago.But Cecily Hale isn't a girl any longer. She's grown into a woman--one who won't be pushed away. She and Luke are guests at a house party when a local legend captures their friends' imaginations. While the others plunge into the forest on a wild goose...er, stag chase, Cecily's on the hunt for a man. She has only a few moonlit nights to reach the real Luke...the wounded heart she knows still beats inside the war-ravaged body...or she could lose him to the darkness forever.This is a novella of approximately 20,000 words, or 80 pages. It was originally published under the title The Legend of the Werestag.

King of Libertines


Pam Godwin - 2020
    It doesn’t spoil the main story.

Once Upon a Christmas Eve


Elizabeth Hoyt - 2017
    The banal cheerfulness. The asinine party games. And, worst of all, the obligatory trip to the countryside. His grandmother, however, loves the holiday - and Adam loves his grandmother, so he'll brave the fiercest snowstorm to please her. But when their carriage wheel snaps, they're forced to seek shelter at the home of the most maddening, infuriating, and utterly beguiling woman he's ever met....Sarah St. John really rather loathes rakes. The self-satisfied smirks. The sly predatory gazes. Oh, and the constant witty banter rife with double meaning. But in the spirit of the season, she'll welcome this admittedly handsome viscount into her home. But as the snowstorm rages, the Yule log crackles, and the tension rises, Sarah and Adam find themselves locked in a fiery, passionate kiss. If love is the true meaning of Christmas, it's the one gift this mismatched pair can't wait to unwrap.

Scrooged


Vi Keeland - 2018
    It was bad enough I was on my way to court for the gift of eviction.Although maybe today wouldn't turn out so bad after all.The Sexy Scrooge and I started to connect as we trudged our way through a storm. Our ride was about to end. But would I ever see him again?"THE MERRY MISTAKE"Note to self: Ask Santa for glasses this year. When I accidentally mistook a gorgeous man resting outside my building for a homeless person in need of a lunch, we got into it. I'd only been trying to do a good deed around the holidays, but he called me righteous. I called him something far worse. If only I didn't have to see him again. But fate had other plans."KISSMAS IN NEW YORK"It was just supposed to be a simple kiss with a stranger. I'd done it to prove a point - that I hadn't lost my sense of adventure. But you know what they about the best laid plans. Maybe I'd get something in my stocking after all this holiday season. . .

The Escape


Kirsten Osbourne - 2014
    When terrible lies about Bonnie, Gwen and Libby are spread all over town, a scandal of epic proportions erupts. To save the family from further disgrace, their father promises them to three of the most lecherous old goats in Beckham, Massachusetts. They would do anything to avoid such a miserable fate, including becoming mail order brides. Walton Dalton, the oldest of identical triplets, has dreams of building a ranching empire in north Texas. He’s claimed his land, but now he needs to convince his brothers to join him. He knows all he has to do is ask for their help and they’ll come, but are Nate and Bart as ready as Walt is to take a wife and settle down? Aw heck, what they don’t know won’t hurt ‘em! The Escape is the short prologue to three connected books by historical western romance authors Kirsten Osbourne, Cassie Hayes and Kit Morgan.

Love by the Letter


Melissa Jagears - 2013
    He's been too busy helping to provide for his family. Now that he's heading west, Dex is hoping to start a family of his own. However, his attempt to acquire a mail-order bride fails miserably when the lady writes back ridiculing his terrible spelling. Rachel Oliver may be the last person he wants to know what a dunce he is, but she's also the smartest woman in town--and it's clear he needs her help.Rachel Oliver has lingered in town for three years secretly mooning over Dex Stanton, but now she's done. If the fool wants to write to a mail-order bride company, so be it. Once she begins giving Dex lessons, however, Rachel realizes she may not be prepared to give up just yet.As their time together runs short, can two of the most stubborn people in town set aside their pride long enough to find love?Love by the Letter is a companion novella to A Bride for Keeps, Melissa Jagears's full-length debut novel available fall 2013. Includes an extended sneak peek at A Bride for Keeps.

I Will


Lisa Kleypas - 2016
    To be reinstated, Andrew decides to pretend that he has changed his wicked ways.As part of his plan, he wants to convince his father that he is courting a respectable woman with the intention of marrying her. The problem is, he doesn’t know any decent women, except for his friend’s spinster sister, Miss Caroline Hargreaves. He blackmails the reluctant Caroline into helping him, and so the charade begins . . .

The Lady Always Wins


Courtney Milan - 2012
    As a child, Ginny was his best friend and comrade-in-arms. As a young lady, she became his sweetheart. But when his parents discovered their growing affection, they threatened to cut Simon off without a penny if he married her. And when Simon planned an elopement, Ginny refused: She wasn’t going to marry a poor man. Ever.Until someone loses a fortune.In the seven years since they last saw one another, Ginny has been married and then widowed. Simon has built an empire as a railway financier. When they meet again, there’s still that same delicious, playful attraction between them. But only Simon knows how tenuous his second chance really is. Everyone believes that Simon is wealthy. In truth, his company has been taken over by a hostile competitor and he is ruined. He knows from bitter experience that Ginny won’t marry a poor man. And so he has three days until the news becomes public—three days to seduce, woo, and marry the woman he cannot forget, or risk losing her…and this time, for good.

Dare to Kiss


Jo Beverley - 2013
    In 1765 a desperate mother accepts shelter with a stranger for herself and her children, but at what cost?England in the Georgian age was not kind to the poor. When Lily Gifford finds herself homeless in the countryside on a bitter November evening has no choice but to accept shelter from a passing stranger. But when she and her children arrive at Brooks Hall, the house is cold and neglected, and their host abandons them to his handful of resentful servants.When Lily learns Sir Benjamin Brook's secret, she sees hope for herself and her family, if only she dare risk all to grasp it.

Cherished


Jill Gregory - 1992
    Events had transformed her form a beautiful St. Louis belle into a hunted outlaw. she had stolen a horse and run away, escaping a forced marriage to a ruthless Denver landowner. He had retaliated by putting a price on her head. But now destiny found her in the company of Cole Rawdon.A notorious bounty hunter, he was a hard man, wickedly handsome, and deadly with a gun. Cruelly betrayed early in his life, Cole trusted no one -- especially this gloriously lovely girl. Besides, she was worth a fortune if he brought her back alive. Yet when their eyes met, Cole felt he would die to protect this special woman, and Juliana knew that the future could be theirs if they dared to truly love.

Anson's Mail-Order Bride


Kit Morgan - 2016
    Then all he has to do is wait for the culprit to slink into town, dig up the money, and have him arrested. There's only one problem. Anson just sent train fare to the Pettigrew Bridal Agency for his mail-order bride! He can't bring a woman into such danger and telegraphs the agency to stop everything. But when his message to Mrs. Pettigrew is altered, she thinks he wants her to send his bride to Montana! Misunderstandings, a loony villain, plenty of romance and a few surprises make for a fun romp.

Rachel's Eyes


Ellen O'Connell - 2011
    Rachel Miles Ross has shunned her former best friend, Anne Wells Bennett, since the day of Anne's marriage to half-breed Cord Bennett. Yet when Rachel's life crumbles around her, she turns to Anne for help. Anne can give sympathy, but Cord is the one whose help Rachel really needs. Will he help a woman he considers an unworthy friend and first-class snob?