Book picks similar to
The Reluctant Hero by Lorraine Heath
historical-romance
romance
novella
historical
A Bride to Soothe the Wounded Rancher
Lorelei Brogan - 2019
But when the false accusations of a man in town make her drunk father demand that she gets married, she will have to find an immediate solution. With nowhere to turn, she flees to the West as a mail-order bride for a mysterious stranger. And as more pieces from her husband’s past and present turmoil come to light, Fern is not sure if what she feels deep inside is fear or love. Will she eventually be brave enough to see the man who is hidden behind the deformed face? Charley’s life during the last years has been quite solitary. His scars have disfigured not only his face but his soul too and the ghosts from his past don’t let him move on. Only until a beautiful woman appears in his life aiming to become his mail-order bride, there forms a ray of hope in his darkness. But will he let her touch his heart and heal his wounds? Or will he repel her too, afraid that there is no one in this world who could have true feelings for him? Just when Fern and Charley succeed in putting together pieces that were broken for years, will their past leave them alone for long enough to enjoy it? Or is the situation about to get unstable once again, bringing about consequences they couldn’t even imagine?
Taming Elijah
Stacy Reid - 2017
She is harassed by unwanted suitors desiring both her body and her fortune. Sheridan turns to Elijah Kincaid for his protection, except he is determined to run from her perceived fragility, instead of toward her willing arms. Determined to show him she is the right woman with whom to build a future rich with love and family, she boldly sets out to court and seduce a man as untamed and savage as the land itself.
Evidence of the Affair
Taylor Jenkins Reid - 2018
Even though I do not know you…The correspondence between Carrie Allsop and David Mayer reveals, piece by piece, the painful details of a devastating affair between their spouses. With each commiserating scratch of the pen, they confess their fears and bare their souls. They share the bewilderment over how things went so wrong and come to wonder where to go from here.Told entirely through the letters of two comforting strangers and those of two illicit lovers, Evidence of the Affair explores the complex nature of the heart. And ultimately, for one woman, how liberating it can be when it’s broken.
Hidden Ecstasy
Setta Jay - 2014
Ever since the Gods were sent to sleep for their sins against humanity, Vane, the son of Athena has been avoiding exile to the Immortal Realm. He, his dark, brooding twin and their sister have spent their lives hidden amongst humanity on Earth. According to their sister’s cryptic powers they needed to stay there for a purpose they’d yet to find. As the centuries ticked by he grew restless, recklessly tangling deeper with a very dangerous female. As one of the Guardians of the Realms it was Brianne’s duty to ensure that humanity evolved without being subjugated by more powerful beings. For too long she had succumbed to the lure of a powerfully seductive Demi-God that could never truly be hers, one that she should have exiled long ago. It was a secret that could cost her, cost them all, but the danger only added to her need.Their desire was breaking all the rules…Warning: This story is intended for a mature audience and contains explicit sex and a dominant male behaving badly. Enjoy!
To Sir Phillip, With Love: The 2nd Epilogue
Julia Quinn - 2009
Now she's grown up, remarkably well-adjusted, and ready to fall in love. All she needs is the right gentleman...
Big Sky Blue
Hildie McQueen - 2013
Elizabeth Dawson is too outspoken for gentle society, but she may be the perfect match for a tough Montana cowboy. A story of two very different people who belong together, proof that sometimes fate can have a sense of humor when it comes to love
Sweet Release
Pamela Clare - 2003
Though Cassie hated the slave trade, her Virginia plantation demanded the labor, and she knew this fevered man would surely die if she left him. But as his wounds healed and his muscled chest bronzed from the sun, Cassie realized Cole Braden was far more dangerous than his papers had indicated --- for he could steal her breath with a glance or lay siege to her senses with a touch.Abducted, beaten, and given a new name, Alec went from master of an English shipbuilding empire to fourteen years of indentured servitude in the American colonies. There, he was known as Cole Braden, a convicted ravisher and defiler of women. And while he longed to ravish the auburn-haired beauty who owned him, he knew his one hope of earning her love --- and his freedom --- was to prove his true identity. Only then could he turn the tables and attain his ... Sweet Release.
Cowboys & Kisses
Vanessa Vale - 2015
For years, she's been content working on the family ranch, but lately she's wanted more. She's determined to strike out on her own and find freedom from her unorthodox family.Chance Goodman has watched Rose grow up from a spitfire little girl into a fiery woman. He's wanted her for years, waiting patiently until he could make her his. When she leaves the Lenox ranch determined to abandon her former life and to say good-bye to him, he knows now is the time he must act. Letting her go isn't an option.This book was previously published as Rose in the Wildflower Brides series.
Vampire Dreams Revamped
Gabrielle Bisset - 2012
Revisit the world of Brandon, Arden, and Vasilije and meet new characters too!A vampire for hundreds of years, Brandon Ridley is surrounded by others of his kind who enjoy their world to the fullest. Orgies, debauchery, and sensual delights leave him empty, though. What he wants is that one woman who will share his life. Homeless and without any family, Arden Stephens must live on the streets of mid 19th century London, never a safe place for a young woman. One night, as she is running for her life from an attacker, she is rescued by Brandon and offered a place in his home as his maid. Brandon is enchanted by Arden from the moment they meet and yearns to make her one of his kind. Nightly, he visits her in her sleep, preparing her for the night he will finally make her his own. For Arden, the wanton dreams she has about her handsome employer seduce her and each day when she wakes up, she finds herself more drawn to him. But love and desire aren't enough for Brandon to sire her. He must first obtain the approval of his own sire, an ancient vampire named Vasilije who has thwarted his chance for happiness before. But if Brandon can convince him, he may finally find the love he's been without for centuries.
Tarnished Knight
Bec McMaster - 2013
The only thing that threatens to shatter his hard-won control is Esme, his closest friend and the only woman he's ever wanted. If the stubborn beauty ever realized precisely what was going through his mind, their friendship would be ruined.For six months, Esme has waited for Rip to recover and take her as his thrall, not daring to hope for more. Too afraid to put her heart on the line, she is devastated when Rip reveals that he never had any intentions of making her his.But when a savage gang of Slashers start causing havoc in Whitechapel, Rip and Esme have no choice. They must face up to the depth of the passion that burns between them and forge a new relationship…or risk losing each other forever.
Change With Me
Kristen Proby - 2021
Hollywood royalty. Fourth generation superstar. He knows what it is to be one of the biggest celebrities in the world. And how lonely that title truly is. When scandal hits, his career hangs in the balance, and Zane flees LA for Seattle, laying low with his newly married best friend. Things will eventually blow over, and he’ll have his life back soon enough.Aubrey Stansfield arrives in Seattle excited to start a new job, and eager to settle into her new home. But when she arrives at her rental, Aubrey’s sure she’s imagining things because the uber sexy Zane Cooper is unpacking in her new bedroom. Thanks to a rental snafu, and unwilling to relocate on such short notice, Aubrey and Zane are thrust into being roommates.Aubrey is about as average as a woman gets, so what could the megastar possibly see in her? She tells herself she’s not interested, despite their undeniable chemistry. But Zane is very persuasive, and soon Aubrey finds herself playing house with the most recognized man on the planet. Deep down, she knows it’s all a fantasy. He’ll head back to his posh lifestyle soon and leave her behind. No way could she fall in love with him.But love doesn’t always follow the rules…**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
The Knight
Monica McCarty - 2013
The ambitious young knight, whose dark visage, powerful stature, and ferocity in battle has earned him the epitaph “the Black,” knows he must use fear, force, and intimidation to defeat the English, put Robert the Bruce on Scotland’s throne, and restore the honor of the Douglas name. Nothing and no one will get in his way. Not even the lass who captured his heart in childhood and still holds it in her delicate hands.Joanna Dicson has loved James Douglas for as long as she can remember. That she is “only” the daughter of the marshal of Douglas Castle has never concerned her. Yet even as James’s ruthless reputation grows, and despite the warnings of others to guard her heart—and her virtue—against him, Joanna never dreams he will turn on her. He loves her and would never hurt her. But when James returns to Douglas to force the English garrison from his castle, Joanna learns that their love is nothing against his ambition. His marriage—like everything else—will be a means of bettering his clan. Heartbroken and humiliated, Joanna is left alone with a secret that may destroy them both.
The Winter Duchess
Jillian Eaton - 2017
A shy wallflower, Caroline hasn’t the faintest idea why the Duke of Readington chose her to be his bride. She could ask, but that would mean speaking to him... and truth be told she’d rather have a conversation with the devil. Her new husband may be one of the most powerful men in all of England—not to mention the handsomest—but he’s also cruel, callous, and has a heart colder than ice.But it was never meant to be a love match... Eric married Caroline for one simple reason: he wasn’t in love with her. Having seen firsthand how love can bring a man to his knees, he’s determined not to make the same mistakes his father did. Which is why he’s going to spend just enough time with his new bride to assure himself of an heir before he leaves her and returns to London. At least that was the plan until a winter storm leaves them stranded. Now every time Eric turns around he finds himself stumbling over the wife he never wanted... but is slowly beginning to desire....or was it? As cold winds howl outside the manor, inside of it a duke’s heart is finally starting to melt as he finds himself falling for the one woman he was never supposed to love... but can she love him in return?
Wild Hearts
Susan Mallery - 2009
So they turn the other cheek as he seduces one schoolteacher after another. Until Alethea Harbaugh comes to town.The new teacher brings with her a passion for women's rights that invigorates the ladies of Titanville, and instills fear in the men. Zeke is intent on seducing her, if only to send her running, ruined, from the town so that things can return to normal. But Zeke just might have met his match...in more ways than one!MEET THE MAN WHO STARTED A LEGACY IN WILD HEARTS...AND THEN READ SUSAN MALLERY-S PRESENT-DAY TITAN STORIES, BEGINNING IN MAY 2009 WITH UNDER HER SKIN.
A Dawn Most Wicked
Susan Dennard - 2013
His best friend–the apprentice pilot, Cassidy Cochran–also happens to be the girl he’s pining for … and the captain’s daughter. But when it looks like the Sadie Queen might get taken off the river, Daniel and Cassidy have to do whatever they can to stop the ghosts that plague the ship.Fortunately, there happens to be a Creole gentleman on board by the name of Joseph Boyer–and he just might be able to help them …