Book picks similar to
A Rake's Ruin by Maggie Dallen


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The Siren of Sussex


Mimi Matthews - 2022
    As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she’ll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London’s attention she’ll need a habit-maker who’s not afraid to take risks with his designs—and with his heart.Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row’s infamous Pretty Horsebreakers—but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible.But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters most: making their mark or following their hearts?

The Duke Heist


Erica Ridley - 2021
    (Eloisa James) Chloe Wynchester is completely forgettable—a curse that gives her the ability to blend into any crowd. When the only father she's ever known makes a dying wish for his adopted family of orphans to recover a missing painting, she's the first one her siblings turn to for stealing it back. No one expects that in doing so, she'll also abduct a handsome duke.Lawrence Gosling, the Duke of Faircliffe, is tortured by his father's mistakes. To repair his estate's ruined reputation, he must wed a highborn heiress. Yet when he finds himself in a carriage being driven hell-for-leather down the cobblestone streets of London by a beautiful woman who refuses to heed his commands, he fears his heart is hers. But how can he sacrifice his family's legacy to follow true love?

The Lady and the Miner


Lisa Torquay - 2021
    Here on Earth, it's no different.Amelia Bolton belongs to one of the richest families in England, one who made its fortune in coal. Her brother, Joseph, aims at having access to parliament and is pressuring Amelia to marry a nobleman who has a seat in it. She knows her duties to the family; she does. But there's one man who won't leave her mind and, sadly, her heart. Daniel, the miner who lives just down the village, is as distant from her world as the planet, Saturn, is from Earth. She must force herself to leave her girlish fancies aside and become the titled lady of the ton her brother wishes her to be. It will tear her apart, but she has no choice.Daniel Hill was born in this mine and lost all his family to it. He has no illusions about the fact that he'll die in it, too. But every time he catches sight of Miss Bolton, he dies a different death: That of knowing she's not for the likes of him. He can't dream of laying his coal-soot covered hands on her delicate person, though the thought throws him in a torturous hell. He'll do his best to keep away from her, even if it sends him to an early grave.

Friends and Foes


Sarah M. Eden - 2003
    But at a traveler’s inn, he encounters an unexpected and far more maddening foe: Sorrel Kendrick, a young lady who is strikingly pretty, shockingly outspoken, and entirely unimpressed with him. Indeed, Sorrel cannot believe the nerve of this gentleman, who rudely accuses her of theft and insults her feminine dignity. Doubly annoyed when they both end up at a party hosted by mutual friends, Philip and Sorrel privately declare war on one another. But Philip’s tactics, which range from flirting to indifference, soon backfire as he finds himself reluctantly enjoying Sorrel’s company; and, much to her dismay, Sorrel finds Philip’s odd manner to be increasingly endearing. In the midst of this waning war and growing attraction, Philip catches wind of the French spy he’s been tracking, and Sorrel inadvertently stumbles upon a crucial piece of the puzzle, making her indispensable to the mission. But can two proud hearts negotiate a ceasefire when cooperation matters most?

Starlet


Sophie Lark - 2021
    The producers offered me a job instead.Clara and I may have looked like twins, but we’re nothing alike. She loved being splashed across the silver screen and the gossip pages, dating co-stars and gangsters.I’m just a broke student with a knack for languages.I took the job, but not because I care about finishing the film.I want to know what happened to my sister.I’m surrounded by jealous actresses, crazed fans, and ruthless directors. The only person I can trust is an off-duty detective who may be more distracting than helpful.I only have two weeks before the movie wraps. And I may be working right next to a killer…

To Love a Marquis


Jenn Langston - 2018
    With the last of her pin money spent, she accepts employment at Lady Constance’s House of Reform. Assigned to Viscount Harken, a handsome but difficult man who doesn't make their association easy, she is determined to help him and, in the process, solidify her position. She soon discovers he deserves better than he believes. Anson Greenleaf, Marquis of Melbourne, thought collecting his betrothed would be a simple matter, but he'd been wrong. Miss Whittier has taken on a position in the city, which presents him with a unique opportunity. Using one of his lesser known titles, he poses as a client. Instead of learning why she ran from him, he finds himself drawn to her and is determined to charm her. Before long, he forms an intense desire for her. One he must fight. When Miranda discovers the Marquis of Melbourne followed her to London, she fights against the need to leave the position she loves and the man she's come to care for. As her life falls apart, she's forced to give up the viscount. When she learns of the Marquis's deception, she realizes she can't marry him. After all, she knows exactly what he wants in a bride. And, she knows it's not her.

How to Live Happily Ever After


Bree Wolf - 2021
    Not even when she was still young did gentlemen see anything in her that would appeal to them. Now, at nine-and-twenty years of age, all hope is lost and Agnes is on the shelf for good. Or isn’t she? Out of nowhere, the rakishly handsome—and young, mind you!—Lord Wentford asks Agnes for a dance, shocking not only Agnes but all of London society, most of all, his own mother. Certain that his intentions are far from honorable, Agnes tries her utmost to rebuff the young lord and reveal him as a scoundrel, only seeking her attention to win a bet or wager of some kind.Unfortunately, Lord Wentford cannot be rebuffed, no matter how hard Agnes tries, forcing her to contemplate the possibility—remote as it might be—that he might truly…care for her. Or doesn’t he? Without her consent, Agnes finds herself swept off her feet by her most unexpected suitor, doubting her own sanity when desires she thought she had long since abandoned resurface. But will she dare believe him? Would she be a fool to do so…or rather not to do so?

Teaching His Ward


Noël Cades - 2019
    in this sexy Regency Romance.A daring, spirited heroine...Jemima is determined to make her debut in society - but her strict guardian, whom she's never met, won't allow it. But when she runs away to London and falls for a handsome aristocrat, she's in for a big shock.Having fallen in love, what will she do when her guardian sets up an arranged marriage for her?A sexy, determined hero...Marcus Harlington, Earl Southwell, is furious to discover that the alluring young woman he romanced at a ball is his runaway ward, Jemima.Having entrusted her education to others, he now desires to play personal tutor... in teaching her some rather more wifely duties.Teaching His Ward is a new Regency Romance novel by author Noël Cades. Set in England's thrilling Regency period, the novel is historically accurate and emulates the literary style of the era.

Hannah's Hanky


Kirsten Osbourne - 2020
    When her step-father tells her he’s arranged a marriage for her with a preacher going west, and she can either marry the preacher or she can find somewhere else to live, she agrees to meet the man. She’s not a natural fit as a preacher’s wife, and she’s not sure the Oregon Trail is something she can survive. Jedediah Scott is surprised when a stranger he meets at the general store in Independence offers him his daughter—more than offers, in fact. The man agrees to give Jed the amount of money it would cost to take her west, if he would consent to marry her. Jed agrees to meet the girl, because as a minister, he strongly believes in providence. Upon seeing Hannah, he feels drawn to her and wants her as his wife. God must surely have a hand in their meeting. Will the two of them be able to see past the circumstances in which their marriage began? Or will life on the Oregon Trail break the fragile connection Jed is sure could blossom into love?