Book picks similar to
Ecstasy's Promise by Constance O'Banyon
historical-romance
historical
bodice-ripper
civil-war
Untamed
Elizabeth Lowell - 1993
But Lady Margaret of Blackthorne cannot yield to the bold Norman invader.The beloved daughter of a sacred tribe of Celtic mystics, she fears an ancient curse that could bring further turmoil to her battle-scarred land...and sorrow to her marriage bed. With a word, the lady could turn her wedding into war.But there awaits in the noble knight's embrace a promise of passion unbound— and a love that neither violence nor treachery can tear asunder, a love both invincible and.
The Ugly Duckling Debutante
Rachel Van Dyken - 2011
Something her awful family never ceased to remind her. After her sisters run off to Gretna Green, she's left with one choice--go to London and take their place for a Season. It's up to her to marry well and save her family from financial ruin.A distant aunt decides it's in her best interest to sponsor Sara for the season and help her snag a husband by any means possible.Nicholas Devons, Earl of Renwick, is a retired rake and consequently bored with life. He's given up beautiful women and carnal pleasures. Desperation makes him decide to give his massive fortune away and marry the first country girl he sees.Lucky for Sara she's that girl. Unlucky for Nicholas, he's to be her new tutor in the ways of the ton. Two waltzes, one masquerade, a violent carriage ride, and two duckless ponds later.... and all that's left is a fun twist on one of the oldest stories ever told.
Cold Night, Warm Stranger
Jill Gregory - 1999
It was cold, quiet, and lonely--until a rugged gunslinger blew in from the storm demanding shelter. Just for this night--this wild, stormy night--Maura wanted someone, something. Recklessly, she abandoned herself in his arms, knowing he would be gone by morning. The last thing she ever expected was the need that drove her into the wilderness . . . to find the stranger who haunted her dreams. . . . A hot, dangerous devil...He was the fastest gun in the West, a man who feared nothing until he met the woman who touched his heart. Quinn Lassiter didn't even recognize Maura when she cornered him in a distant saloon months later. Never in his wildest dreams did he see himself married--until he said the words that made her his wife. He was determined to do the right thing by the woman he'd wronged, but he'd never reckoned on falling in love with her. . . .
Lessons From a Scarlet Lady
Emma Wildes - 2009
So what would society say if they saw her with a copy of Lady Rothburg's Advice—a courtesan's lessons for the boudoir? When his innocent wife suddenly becomes a vixen in the bedroom, the proper Duke is truly astounded by her seductive powers. Following a courtesan's advice might lead to trouble-but will it lead to Brianna's ultimate desire: winning her husband's love?
Desire and Destiny
Linda Lael Miller - 1983
Brynne was surprised to discover that her family name had a dark notoriety...and alarmed to be caught in a triangle of sudden desire.Drew Tanner, a wealthy young wastrel, was captivated by her beauty. But his brother Joshua, the intense and powerful head of the Tanner shipping empire, was also drawn to Brynne. Now she must unravel the terrible secret that tarnished her father's life...a secret that tortures Joshua Tanner's heart, one that could make her the target of his vengeance rather than his love!
Intimate Deception
Laura Landon - 2012
In Victorian England, a woman possesses only one item of value: her virtue. Without it, Fentington will not want her—nor will any other man. But at least she will be free. Now she must find a man with whom to pass the fateful night, a man who will ask no questions, make no other demands. Because for a woman preparing to risk everything, no ordinary man will do…After losing two wives in childbirth, Vincent Germaine, Duke of Raeburn, vows never to marry again. Racked with guilt over the lives lost in his quest for an heir, he is careful now to take his pleasure only with London’s most discreet courtesans. Yet when he learns that a passionate encounter with a bewitching stranger may have put yet another life at risk, Vincent sets out to find the unsuspecting girl—and discovers a woman of incomparable courage, beauty, and strength. But can two strangers brought together by desperation find true love against all odds?
The Conqueror
Brenda Joyce - 1990
Lauded for his bravery in France, in England he was the hated enemy. Once ensconced in his new domain, Rolfe became determined to tame the Saxon beauty Ceidre, Alice’s illegitimate sister, whose spirit and sensuality made him risk treason to have her—not Lady Alice—in his bed.The PrizeMysterious and seductive, she was no lady but a spy for the rebel cause of her noble half brothers. Refusing to bow to this arrogant warrior who ignited her forbidden passion, Ceidre was swept into a dangerous liaison tied to the fate of England and kings. Yet with his kisses on her lips, his skilful hands on her body, she would have to struggle not to surrender to…The Conqueror.
Highland Warrior
Monica McCarty - 2009
Seduction is a game as easily played as subterfuge, but when Jamie poses a as suitor to a rival clan’s daughter in order to expose treason, the line between duty and pleasure is suddenly blurred. Ebony-haired, ruby-lipped Caitrina Lamont defies him, denies him, and arouses him like no other woman.Caitrina has no intention of forsaking her beloved father and doting brothers for a husband–especially a hated Campbell. But Jamie’s raw, sensual strength and searing kiss melt her resistance. When her idyllic world is shattered, Caitrina’s only hope to save her clan lies in the arms of Jamie Campbell, the enemy she holds accountable for its ruin. Can their tenuous truce, born in the velvet darkness of passionate nights, forge a love as strong as the sword that rules the Highlands?
Dreaming of You
Jennifer McNare - 2013
However, the innocent young beauty has no idea what her new husband will demand of her, once they are legally wed. It isn’t long however, before Melody discovers that the widowed earl had a purpose in choosing her for his bride, the daughter of an impoverished country baron. Impotent and childless, Charles is in desperate need of an heir, in addition to someone he can force into going along with the heinous scheme he has concocted.Gavin Montrose, son of the wealthy Duke of Rutherford, is as charming as he is handsome. However, unbeknownst to him, he is also the man Charles Cavendish has selected to father his heir. Abducted from the grounds of his family’s country estate, he awakens to find himself in the midst of a nightmare. Assuming that he has been abducted for ransom, Gavin is stunned to learn of his mysterious abductor’s true purpose. To gain his freedom and protect his family from harm, he must father a child he will never meet, with a woman whose name he will never know and whose face he will never see. Desperate to safeguard the people they love, both Melody and Gavin have no choice but to go along with the insanity that has been forced upon them or suffer the unbearable consequences. Compelled to meet in absolute darkness in the bedchamber of an isolated cottage, their identities a fiercely guarded secret, they will develop a bond neither of them had anticipated and discover a passion more powerful than either of them could have possibly imagined. But dare they call it love?Years later, when fate intervenes and Gavin and Melody’s paths inadvertently cross…
Bayou Bride
Bobbi Smith - 1991
When he saw the beautiful bondservant fresh from the high seas, his decision was made. He offered to temporarily make her his wife in name only. But after impulsively kissing her lush lips, a raw passion surfaced, and Nick realized his roguish life had not been complete before the entrance of this green-eyed enchantress.Jordan St. James was desperate to escape London and the evil investor who expected her to repay her family's debt with her body. She set off on a journey to work as an indentured servant in the New World, and upon seeing the wealthy planter who'd purchased her papers, Jordan's heart beat faster. The intensity of his eyes burned into her soul, and his seemingly innocent touch left her shivering with desire. She vowed to do whatever it took to become, in every way, his...BAYOU BRIDE.
Hidden Fires
Laura Jordan - 1982
Instead, the matriarch makes Lauren a scandalous offer to marry her son in name only. Lauren has strong feelings for him but are they strong enough?
The Seduction of His Wife
Janet Chapman - 2006
Alex Knight is dead -- or so everyone thinks. A widowed logger baron with a risk-taking streak, he took on a South American engineering project and was reported dead after a rebel attack. So when he turns up back in Maine very much alive, his grieving family is shocked. But the biggest shock is Alex's, when he discovers he's now married -- to a woman he's never met. Sarah Banks is ready for a change from running a quiet Bed & Breakfast, and working for the Knight family offers not only a bigger opportunity, but also the family life she yearns for. So she's glad to help secure custody of Alex's orphaned children, whom she's come to love, by marrying their father by proxy before he's legally declared dead. But when Alex returns, the sexy, determined woodsman upends all of Sarah's plans. Because suddenly she's married to a passionate stranger with an easy smile...and tumbling headlong into a fiery dance of seduction.
Comanche Moon
Virginia Brown - 1993
But Deborah Hamilton was not most people. The headstrong Natchez beauty had journeyed west to wed a wealthy Spanish nobleman, but her wedding night ended in tragedy when an avenging band of Comanche raiders killed her bridegroom and spirited her across the New Mexico border. Now the prisoner of this fierce, blue-eyed warrior—a man she knew only as Hawk—Deborah was stunned at the fiery passion he awoke with his first searing caress. Sworn to deny his desire and one day flee his savage world, she found she could not escape his dangerous embrace... or the rapturous love he awoke in her captive heart!
Mail Order Outlaw
Cynthia Woolf - 2015
He’s an outlaw, was forced into his father’s gang at the age of thirteen, and is wanted Dead or Alive in more than one territory. But now his father is dead, he hates the life, the blood, and his brother’s rages. When a stagecoach robbery goes awry, Ed ends up with a satchel full of charming letters from an enticing young miss. Unfortunately for Miss Lizzie Cobb, her betrothed is now dead, and Ed Talbot sees a way out. Impersonating a fine, upstanding young man shouldn’t be too difficult. Despite the risks, falling in love with her proves to be all too easy. Isolated on her mother’s ranch just outside of Tombstone, Miss Lizzie Cobb doesn’t have the time or the means to find a respectable husband. As a half Apache woman in the Arizona Territory, being a mail order bride seems like the only solution to her problem until she realizes that San Francisco is too far away, and she’ll have to leave her vulnerable mother and baby brother behind. Her solution? Call off the wedding. When her groom shows up on her doorstep, she’s shocked. He’s handsome, strong, and has traveled hundreds of miles to claim her. His kisses inflame her body and his presence soothes her soul. Falling for the rugged man is beyond her control. But the past has a way of catching up to outlaws, and facing the truth is going to be hard…for both of them.
The Devil's Waltz
Anne Stuart - 2004
However, there was a most intriguing obstacle to his success.Annelise Kempton desired nothing more than to come between this despicable rogue and the fortune (and virtue) of her young charge. Certainly, Annelise understood the desperation that comes from hard times, but Montcalm would fail—she would personally see to it. All that stands in her way is a man whose rakish charm could tempt a saint to sin, or consign a confirmed spinster to sleepless nights of longing...to give the devil his due.