Book picks similar to
An Unsuitable Duchess by Laurie Benson
historical-romance
romance
historical
regency
The Beast of Yorkshire
Tammy Jo Burns - 2016
Forced to live under her cruel Grandfather’s thumb, she finds herself both relieved and frightened when he tells her she will be marrying the man known as the Beast of Yorkshire. Having already lost two wives and a fiancée, Duncan Taggart, Duke of Yorkshire, is desperate for an heir. To have an heir, he must have a wife, but who is ever going to willingly marry a man with a reputation such as his? He takes matters into his own hands and pays Penelope’s grandfather an exorbitant amount of money to marry her. When Penelope arrives at Taggart Hall, it is to find her future husband is not the old man she believed she would find. Instead, he’s a handsome, virile man that makes her heart race and her body ache for his touch. The longer she’s around Duncan, the more certain she is that not only does he not deserve the horrible nickname he has been given, but that he also had absolutely nothing to do with those women’s deaths. While he is away tending to business, Penelope’s world falls apart. Uncertain who to trust, she flees to London with only the clothes on her back. When Duncan arrives home to find her gone, he wastes no time going after her. Will he be able to find Penelope before the killer does? And will Penelope and Duncan ever be able to find the happiness they deserve?
The Matchmaker and the Marquess
Scarlett Scott - 2021
Actually, they didn’t. Not one of them. But the Countess of Fangfoss, formerly known as Miss Julia Twittingham, has a plan to see each of her past charges happily wed after all. Welcome to Second Chance Manor.Lady Clementine Hammond has earned her reputation as society’s most notorious matchmaker by catching couples in compromising positions. She’s perfectly happy remaining unwed herself. One small misstep at a country house party, however, leaves her with no choice but to become engaged to the most odious rogue she has ever met. Also, the most handsome.After losing the woman he loved to a romantic rival, the Marquess of Dorset has devoted himself to cultivating his reputation as a rakehell of the first order. When the unlikeable Lady Clementine quite literally gets a bee up her skirts, he reluctantly plays the gallant, only to find himself having to offer her marriage.Clementine loathes rakes. Dorset despises prim and proper ladies. Each is desperate to escape an unwanted union to the other. They agree to maintain a pretense for the house party’s duration with plans to discreetly break their engagement when they return to London.Everything is unfolding according to plan. Until their temporary betrothal starts to feel far too real, and one kiss leads to another...Steam level: Scorching hot! Don't say you weren't warned...
If the Duke Demands
Anna Harrington - 2017
. .Miranda Hodgkins has only ever wanted one thing: to marry Robert Carlisle. And she simply can't wait a moment longer. During the Carlisle family masquerade ball, Miranda boldly sneaks into his bedchamber with seduction on her mind. Soon she's swept into rock-hard arms for the most breathtaking kiss of her life. But when the masks come off, she's horrified to find herself face-to-face with Sebastian, the Duke of Trent-Robert's formidable older brother.Shocked to find Miranda in his bed, Sebastian quickly offers her a deal to avoid scandal: He'll help her win his brother's heart if she'll find him the perfect wife. But what begins as a simple negotiation soon spirals out of control. For the longer this reformed rake tries to make a match for Miranda, the more he wants to keep her all to himself.
Runaway Heart
Claudy Conn - 1990
He expected a country mouse with no polish, but instead he found a thoroughly engaging minx, and was oddly irritated by all the male attention she received.Chelsea with her unspoiled eye saw beyond Wainwright’s pursuit of hedonism to the intriguing man underneath. But to her shock, it appeared his heart belonged to her horrid Aunt Augusta!Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages.390 KB 72,000 word count
Edge of Time
Melissa Lynne Blue - 2012
Confederate Officer Dr. Craig Langston is an enticing man that any woman would long to fall in love with, and now Marissa is torn between rampant desire, for the man ignites her very soul, and a longing to return home.Can she find it within herself to embrace a new life in the arms of her Confederate officer or will more sinister forces intervene before she can discover what may be the greatest love of all time?
An Unexpected Bride for the Betrayed Duke
Emma Linfield - 2020
And that means one thing: when her Lady is invited to her future husband’s home, Vivien must follow.Though vexed with his stepmother’s machinations to have him married, Gerard Kahler, the Duke of Hartwick, vows to be the perfect gentleman. What he never accounted for is Lady Isadora’s beautiful companion.But as both Vivien and Gerard soon realize, the past is a peculiar thing, with a mind of its own. Vivien has been living a lie facilitated upon her birth, and the key to the riddle is a single old pendant. A sapphire as bright as the moon the night she was taken...
The Second Time Around
Ella Quinn - 2017
. .Before he died, Patience was the Earl of Worthington’s second wife. So why shouldn’t Patience be allowed a second chance at marriage, too? Of course, finding a new husband was not something the mother of four had ever planned on. But a surprise encounter with her first love has suddenly made the impossible seem possible all over again . . .It seems like a lifetime ago that Richard, Viscount Wolverton, was halfway around the world, looking for adventure . . . while Patience, at her coming-out, was left with no choice but to take old Worthington’s hand. Richard never forgot the woman whose heart he yearned for—and now that he’s back, he’s not going to let her slip away again . . .
What the Duke Desires
Sabrina Jeffries - 2013
When a mysterious note arrives from Tristan Bonnaud asserting that the Duke's brother is alive, it leads Max straight to the winsome Lisette Bonnaud, illegitimate daughter of a viscount and Tristan's sister. Soon he and Lisette are traveling to Paris posing as husband and wife, in search of Tristan, who has disappeared. And the longer he spends with Lisette, the easier it is for Max to see that the line between dukedom and desire is easier to cross than he imagined...
All's Fair in Love & Seduction
Beverley Kendall - 2011
With scandal nipping at her heels, to avoid total social ruin, Elizabeth must present a fiancé by the end of the Season. But when the viscount proves reluctant, Elizabeth is forced to employ a seduction of a different sort...With his seduction he is determined to ruin herViscount Derek Creswell believes Elizabeth set out to trap him into marriage. After all, her sister attempted the very same thing with his brother six years before. Now the delectable Miss Smith expects a betrothal and a ring, while Derek finds her ruination infinitely more appealing...But as Derek sets out to seduce only her body, Elizabeth is intent on claiming his jaded heart.This is a novella and 29,000 words. Included is a three chapter excerpt of the third full-length book in The Elusive Lords series, AN HEIR OF DECEPTION. The total word count for this book is 43,000 + words. Prior books in The Elusive Lords series are:SINFUL SURRENDER (Book #1)A TASTE OF DESIRE (Book #2)
The Disastrous Courtship of Lady Grimvale
Patricia Haverton - 2020
Α country that seems as foreign as the people that reside in it.Elijah Keaton, Earl of Grimvale, couldn't have been in more dire straits. Left to manage his late father's mounting debts, there's only one way to keep his Earldom from collapsing: find and marry a rich heiress. That is until he sets eyes upon a breathtaking lady he has never seen before.Thrown into a storm where nothing is dictated by them, Imogen and Elijah find solace in the one thing that seems to illuminate an otherwise bleak future: each other.Mysterious nighttime visitors keep knocking on his door, and Elijah receives an ominous message: he's living on borrowed time. A mission has been bestowed upon Imogen; a mission that was placed on her shoulders before she was even born...*If you like powerful Dukes, loving Duchesses and a marvelous depiction of the majestic Regency and Victorian era, then The Disastrous Courtship of Lady Grimvale is the novel for you.This is Patricia Haverton's 7th novel, a historical Regency romance novel of 80,000 words (around 400 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after.Pick up "The Disastrous Courtship of Lady Grimvale" today to discover Patricia's captivating story!
A View to a Kiss
Caroline Linden - 2009
But Mariah, a ravishing beauty thought by all to be the catch of the season, never expected to find true love amid the shadows. The mysterious man she meets there ignites a passion within her she never thought possible. When he starts a clandestine midnight courtship in her bedroom, Mariah is scandalized—and enthralled.Harry Sinclair is a man of secrets who would do anything to protect those in his charge. But when he lays eyes on the stunning Mariah, duty and desire collide. Though every man in London lusts for her, he knows the fiery attraction between them is unparalleled. But in a world where trust can turn to treason and scandal can topple the throne, Harry and Mariah will fight a perilous fight for their precious love—and their lives.
The Taming of a Wicked Rogue
Samantha Holt - 2020
Now, with the tightening of a noose, it’s changed again, but she needs to make amends for what her father did.Which means returning, secretly, to the place where he did the most damage.And to the residence of one Lord Leonard Moncrieff—the only man she’s ever loved.She’s certain she won’t see him again, though. Nicknamed a Lord of Scandal Row, it’s clear to her, he’s no longer the boy she knew, and never returns home. The last thing she needs it to be distracted by a man deemed one of the most attractive men in London. Unfortunately for Rebecca, Leo has been practically banished from London under the orders of his mother thanks to a scandal that, for once, had nothing to do with him. Now he has to spend his days playing the country gent and trying to avoid the female of the species.It will be harder than he expected, given a sudden influx of young ladies to the area. He might be a rogue, but he has no desire to upset his delicate mother and will, albeit begrudgingly, play the dutiful son. He can avoid a few pretty faces, surely?At least, until he discovers the beautiful Rebecca hiding in the stables. She’s in need of help, and he cannot resist, despite the fact she once shattered his young heart. The pull between them is as strong as ever but anything between them is impossible. Or is it?
Betrothed
Elsa Holland - 2019
Fourteen years later the Petroski brothers arrived in London setting it alight with their breathtaking presence, bone melting accents and heart fluttering masculinity; eligible women were all interested in their availability. And yet the Prince’s betrothed, Miss Georgina Franklin, was yet to receive a visit.
The Spinster and the Rake
Eva Devon - 2021
Give him a strong drink, a good book, and his dog for company, and he’s content. But when he goes to his library and finds a woman sitting in his chair, petting his dog, what starts as a request for her to leave quickly turns to a fiery battle of wits, leading to a steamy kiss that could ruin them both if they were caught. So of course, damn it all, that’s when Edward’s aunt walks in, and thereafter announces Miss Georgiana Bly is the future Duchess of Thornfield.Georgiana was content to be a spinster, spending her days reading and working to keep her family out of debt. But now her days are spent locked away with a growly duke, learning how to be the perfect duchess, and her nights spent fighting the undeniable attraction to a man who was never meant for her. As their wedding day approaches, the attraction between them burns hot and fierce, but is it enough to melt the duke’s chilly facade?
Ridiculous!
D.L. Carter - 2012
Funny. Sexy. Cross Dressing. Not your mother's Regency Romance.After the death of her miserly cousin, Anthony North, Millicent Boarder is determined her family should never be poor or vulnerable again. To protect them she conceals her cousin's death and assumes his identity. Now she must face the Ton and the world as Mr. North and accept the price she must pay for her family's safety -- she will never be loved.Which means, of course, at this point she will meet the perfect man.