Book picks similar to
Nessa's Seduction by Jayne Castel
historical-romance
historical
medieval
scotland
The Art of Stealing a Duke's Heart
Ellie St. Clair - 2021
A governess who is out to steal his painting -- and perhaps his heart.Calliope Murphy was determined to prove to her family that she was as capable as the rest of them. That she could paint a copy of a priceless masterpiece and steal from a pompous, arrogant duke. But when Calli is discovered and mistaken for the new governess, one night of deceit becomes a much longer game -- one that Calli is not sure she can win.Jonathan Saville, the Duke of Hargreave, should be able to attain anything he desires. His fortune is as large as his entailed lands, and his title is enough to cause young women to overlook his surliness and vie for the role of his bride. But Jonathan learned long ago never to trust, and never to let anyone in too close -- most especially not his overeager niece and nephew, nor the far-too-tempting new governess.Posing as the governess to the Duke of Hargreave, Calli relishes the opportunity to spend as much time as she can with the painting she must perfect. But the more time she takes, the closer she becomes to the children -- and the duke himself. As their relationship changes, she realizes she can never betray him -- but what other option does she have?When the deception is complete, Calli isn’t sure what all will be stolen -- the painting, the duke’s trust, or, most at risk, her heart.For readers 18+ due to some steamy scenes.
Miss Minerva's Pirate Mishap
Maggie Dallen - 2021
But what if this thief ends up stealing her heart?The eldest daughter of a naval captain, Minerva is well-versed in tactical objectives and strategic maneuvers. It's no wonder she's put those skills to use when planning her own future with her perfectly proper suitor. There is only one flaw in her plan. She's failed to take into account the troublesome newcomer who's hiding out in her seaside town. The irritating rogue is in her way at every turn—teasing, taunting, and all around upending her well-ordered life. But then again, what else would she expect from a pirate?She'd like to say it's fear that makes her heart pound and her pulse race whenever he is near. She'd like to say that...but she's never been a very good liar. It's excitement, plain and simple, that has her seeking him out when she ought to be running in the opposite direction. And when he kisses her? Well, that stirs up another emotion entirely. One that makes her wonder what she's willing to sacrifice for duty...and just how much she'd risk for love.
Lady Adalyn: A Reverse Harem Risqué Regency
Sahara Kelly - 2019
For the first time in my life, I felt a gentleman’s hands assisting me in removing my clothing. Yes, I shall surely be condemned to an eternity of agony for such a transgression, but I had no one else to ask. Giles brought hot water to my chamber and found me struggling with the tapes of my gown. He was all that was proper and polite, and had me unlaced in a trice, which was very helpful. My blushes must have added their own warmth to the room, but given his kindness and his attentions to me, I was not unduly overset. Lady Adalyn Wilkerson’s Diary, Wolfbridge Manor, January 1817 A birthday, a marriage and a funeral—twenty-year-old Adalyn has experienced them all in the space of a fortnight. The widowed Lady Wilkerson is lost, homeless and helpless as she stands next to her late husband’s grave, until an elegant gentleman introduces himself as her new butler, takes her to Wolfbridge Manor—and her life changes forever. She finds herself mistress of a tidy estate, run by the most amazing men she’s ever set eyes on. Their attentions teach her about loyalty, affection, caring and devotion, and stimulate the dawning of her sensuality. Unfortunately, not even her skilled and loving gentlemen can keep trouble from the door, and Adalyn is going to need all the courage she possesses to protect Wolfbridge and its residents. But protect them she will, if it takes every ounce of her strength. Others might have hesitated, but the men of Wolfbridge have taught her well – she isn’t just a mere cypher in a bonnet, she is their Lady Adalyn. This is the first novel in The Saga of Wolfbridge Manor. The story will continue in Book 2.
Highland Vengeance
Keira Montclair - 2018
A lass bent on vengeance. Together they are unstoppable. Maggie Ramsay has never forgotten Randall Baines, the English lord who tormented her beloved sister when they were children. After her sister is injured in a senseless accident, she decides to make Baines pay for what he did…only she gets more than she bargained for. Her brother’s mysterious friend joins her as soon as she leaves her clan alone, insisting on keeping her safe, and when they reach Baines’s castle, she learns the lord is now an earl and his cruelty to women and lassies has only escalated. The discovery fills her with a fire that will not be banked. Will MacLerie is a notorious outlaw known as the Wild Falconer, hunted for a past he cannot acknowledge for fear of death. His life is devoted to honing his skills as a warrior and anonymously helping those in need, but when he meets Maggie Ramsay, he begins to yearn for something more. A life in which the two of them can travel together freely and fight for the causes they both believe in. When Will and Maggie discover the depths of Baines’s wickedness, they unite forces to stop the man, come what may. But can they bring down an English earl? Or will they become outlaws for good, forced to live and love in the shadows?
Highlander's Veiled Assassin
Alisa Adams - 2019
Consigned to the Highlands to marry a mysterious Laird feels like a death sentence to eighteen-year-old Sarina Bashir. Her entire life and family reside in England. Growing up, she's heard terrifying stories of the Highlands and their brutish people.However, when Sarina's father is killed by a Highlander, her brother, Thomas, schemes the perfect way to take revenge...He betroths Sarina to the very Highlander responsible for their father's murder, Laird Seamus Mackenzie, and presents her with a sharp, beautiful dagger with which to slit his throat.All Sarina has to do is wait until he falls asleep on their wedding night and then vengeance will be theirs. But when Sarina meets the handsome and honourable Seamus, she soon learns that the very family she loves and trusts has secrets of their own... Who should Sarina believe? Can love unite them at long last?"Highlander's Veiled Assassin" has over 80,000 words packed with romance, action, and emotion set on the beautiful backdrop of the Scottish Highlands.
Duke of Renown
Alexa Aston - 2021
Renown. Charm. Disrepute. Arrogance. Honor.A woman with a broken heart...A soldier who never dreamed he’d become a duke...Phoebe Smythe, Countess of Borwick, suffers a tragic miscarriage when she learns her husband and young son have been killed in a carriage accident. The grieving widow retreats to an isolated cottage on the coast of Cornwall, where she finds a smuggler who’s washed ashore, blood leaking from a bullet wound.Captain Andrew Graham returns home from the Napoleonic Wars after the death of his older brother, finding his father on his deathbed. Soon he becomes the Duke of Windham and must deal not only with numerous responsibilities but his wayward half-brother, who has amassed a mountain of debt and then shoots Andrew so he can become the new duke.Andrew awakens to an angel of mercy, Mrs. Smith, a middle-class widow who nurses him back to health. She thinks he’s a criminal, which amuses him, but he soon falls in love with her beauty and spirit. On the day he decides to ask for her hand in marriage, she disappears and he has no way to find her—until he spies her across a London ballroom.Though her heart belongs to the Cornish smuggler she left behind, Phoebe places herself once more on the Marriage Mart. She yearns to be a mother again—which means finding a husband.
What will Phoebe do when she learns that her Mr. Andrew is none other than the famous Duke of Renown?
Find the answer in The Duke of Renown, Book 1 in the Dukes of Distinction.Each book in Dukes of Distinction is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order and can be read for free in Kindle Unlimited.Series Order:Book #1: Duke of RenownBook #2: Duke of CharmBook #3: Duke of DisreputeBook #4: Duke of ArroganceBook #5: Duke of Honor
The Alchemy of Night
Nicola Italia - 2017
Nigel Carey, the second son of Lord Marham, is quiet and reserved yet secretly pines to call Emme his own. When Nigel proposes, Emme accepts it without love knowing the match will give her a comfortable life. She is unaware that Nigel's dark and mysterious older brother, Everett, heir to the earldom, also holds a deep desire for her. Arriving a week early to a mutual friend's annual winter house party, Emme and Everett strike up an unexpected friendship, one that quickly leads to romance. As Everett invokes feelings in her she never thought possible, he urges her to break off her engagement to his brother. However, another young woman who has been scheming to force a marriage with the handsome, wealthy, and titled Everett is found dead in the middle of the winter ball. Suddenly everyone has a motive for murder--even Emme. As the inspector assigned to the case tries to unravel the plot, the list of suspects narrows, and Everett is arrested. Convinced of his innocence, Emme embarks on a mission to clear his name. She uncovers overlooked clues and someone suddenly becomes determined to stop her. Emme and Everett must race to unmask the killer before the killer silences Emme forever.
Deception and Desire
Aubrey Wynne - 2020
Her talents lie in numbers and a keen business mind, not in the art of flirtation. When she becomes the object of a cruel wager during her come-out in London, she vows to put off the penniless noblemen vying for her sizeable dowry. But her season is cut short after her mother discovers the subterfuge, and Fenella retreats to Scotland.Lachlan MacNaughton has neither the temperament nor the patience to be the next MacNaughton chief, preferring to knock heads together rather than placate bickering clansmen. He readily accepts a reprieve to help with the family’s textile mill in Glasgow. A sizzling chance encounter in the rain introduces him to the new female bookkeeper. His grandfather may want him back in the Highlands, but his heart has been lost in the Lowlands.The attraction between Fenella and Lachlan sparks a passion not even two rebellious souls can deny.
But an innocent deception tests their newfound love and threatens the freedom they both crave.
A MacNaughton Castle RomanceBook 1 – Deception and DesireBook 2 - An Allusive LoveBook 3 - A Bonny Pretender
Claiming his Lady
Saskia Knight - 2014
But the year is 1207 and her father bequeaths the estates to a distant relative.Sir Saher de Bohun fought alongside her father for the King and has been rewarded with the wealthy Gresham estates, and the feisty Lady Rowena. But he will not take her by force and is determined to woo her into his bed.But will Saher's courtship be enough to allay her fears, enough to stop her from putting into action a plan, the discovery of which would incur both his displeasure and the King's wrath?Passion, hot enough to melt the heart of the iciest maiden, contained within.Claiming his Lady is a 23,000-word novella and was previously published as 'Claiming', book 1 in the Gresham Chronicles.--Norfolk Knights--Book 1--Claiming his LadyBook 2--Seducing his LadyBook 3--Awakening his LadyBook 4--Defending his Lady **full length novel**
Highland Legacy
B.J. Scott - 2011
When Highland patriot Connor Fraser comes to her aid, his steadfast dedication to king and country is challenged by his overwhelming desire to protect Cailin—even if he must marry her to do so. Accused of murdering one of her attackers and determined to rely on her own resourcefulness, Cailin dresses as a lad, intent on seeking refuge at the camp of Robert the Bruce. Can she elude an enemy from her past—a vindictive English lord bent on her utter demise—or will she fall prey to his carnal intent and be executed for a crime she did not commit?
The Dashing Widow
Elizabeth Bramwell - 2016
Where it not for the gentle guidance of her best friend, Abby doubts she would have survived the Beau Monde's disapproval for even a week - and especially not the critical gaze of the Earl of Gloucester. The man is insufferable, arrogant, and everything that Abby hates about the Ton - except those rare moments when he laughs, and Abby's heart starts to beat in a most uncomfortable rhythm. George, Earl of Gloucester, is horrified at the scrapes his sister's best friend keeps falling into. True not all of them are her fault, but that doesn't change the fact that her actions reflect poorly on his family. Since Mrs Merriweather doesn't have any intentions of leaving London before the Season's end, there's nothing for it but for George to step in and help her navigate the treacherous waters of the Ton. She's impulsive, tempestuous, headstrong and willful; in short, everything that he claims to dislike in a woman... except after spending time with Abigail Merriweather, he's starting to wonder whether her faults are what make her so endearing. Abby and George may be developing a strange sort of friendship, but they come from different worlds that are not entirely compatible. The real question is whether they can get past their own prejudices - and the interference of their friends and family - to find out whether an arrogant Earl and a dashing young widow can fall in love without creating a scandal.
Highland Warlord
Amy Jarecki - 2020
But his plans go wildly astray when Lady Ailish Maxwell’s brother is captured by her traitorous uncle. James has every intention of finding the lad, but when Her Ladyship announces she’s joining the quest, he’s not about to let her go, no matter how beautiful her crystal eyes, or convincing her silver tongue.And Ailish will not sit idle while her brother, the true heir to the Maxwell dynasty, is taken deeper into the enemy’s lair. After putting forth every ounce of reasoning she can muster, Sir James agrees to allow her to pose as his wife. But what she doesn’t count on is falling in love with the braw Highlander. And as they ride farther into enemy lands, they cannot ignore the intensity of the passion simmering between them—though it could very well ruin everything they have worked so hard to preserve.
The King's Favorite
Tanya Anne Crosby - 2018
When her sisters are wrenched from the Blak Montayne Priory that has sheltered them since Henry’s death, Elspeth alone escapes, only to find herself indebted to, of all men, a Scotsman, whose loyalties are in question… Left to face the wrath of a new sovereign, Malcom MacKinnon must swear fealty to Stephen of Blois in order to keep the demesne he won through the slaying of his own grandsire. But if he does so, he shall pit himself against Scotland, and even his own sire. Yet even as he realizes there is no turning back, his beautiful charge may offer him more than he anticipated. Will giving in to his passion bring nations to war?
Of Love and Vengeance
Louise Lyndon - 2014
Discovering Aymon has committed an act of treason gives her the chance to seek vengeance he deserves. But can Laila let Aymon die at the hands of the king once she learns the truth? A hardened Norman warrior, Lord Aymon has lived through atrocities no man ever should. With the invasion of England over, all he wants is a quiet life and a wife who will give him heirs and obey his every command. Instead, he finds himself wed to feisty and outspoken Laila. But when she learns the truth of his treasonous act, can Aymon count on her to keep his secret?
Lady Danger
Sarah McKerrigan - 2006
But she’s never met a man like Sir Pagan Cameliard, the bold and powerful knight who comes at the king’s command to make a marriage alliance with Rivenloch. To save her younger sister, Deirdre tricks Pagan into marrying her instead, and now she faces a new kind of enemy who crosses swords with her by day and lays siege to her heart by night.