Book picks similar to
The Counterfeit Marriage by Joan Wolf


historical-romance
romance
historical
regency

An Arranged Marriage


Jo Beverley - 1991
    "An Arranged Marriage" is the first of Beverley's beloved tales that began her popular "Company of Rogues" series. Eleanor Chivenham didn't put much past her vile brother, but even she had not anticipated his greedy scheme to dupe a rich earl into mistaking her for a lightskirt! With her reputation in shreds and her future ruined, a defeated Eleanor was forced to agree to a hasty wedding. But marriage to the mysterious Nicholas Delaney was more than she'd bargained for. He doubtless thought the worst of her, but when society gossip soon told her all about his beautiful French mistress, Eleanor tried to act with the cool dignity required in a marriage of convenience. But how long could she hold out against his undeniable charm -- or the secret desires of her heart? For the sake of family honor, Nicolas Delaney agreed to wed a wronged lady. In truth, such chivalry ran counter to his carefully wrought image of a carousing, dissolute rogue -- the guise so vital to his secret political mission. He hoped to keep his new wife in the background until a spy was trapped, but Eleanor's beauty and fighting wit were impossible to ignore. In fact, she presented quite a challenge to his prowess with women -- and a test of his formidable will!

Her Errant Earl


Scarlett Scott - 2013
    After he suddenly returns, determined to prove to her he's a changed man, she's not about to forgive him, trust him, or succumb to his scorching kisses.A future duke trapped by obligationWill has devoted his life to enraging his loathsome father by creating one scandal after the next. Duty forces him back to the wife he resents, but he isn't prepared for the raw desire she makes him feel. Seducing her will hardly be a tedious task. Guarding his heart, however, is another matter entirely.A marriage of convenience no moreWhat begins in deception and necessity turns into an attraction neither can deny. Can their newfound passion keep them together forever, or will the truth tear them apart? Wicked Husbands Book OneIf you enjoy steamy Regency and Victorian romance and second chance love stories,don't miss the Wicked Husbands series. Fiercely independent, dazzlingly beautiful, and married to handsome scoundrels, these American heiresses are ready to turn the tables on the insufferable English lords they've wed. What happens when their wicked husbands start falling for the wives they never thought they wanted?Corsets come off, bed chambers ignite, the passion sizzles,and more than one stubborn English rake gets reformed by love.

Lady Gallant


Suzanne Robinson - 1991
    A daring spy in Queen Mary's court, she risked her life to rescue the innocent from a terrible fate. Yet it was Nora who needed rescuing when cutthroats attacked her--and when Christian de Rivers, a lusty, sword-wielding rogue, swept her out of harm's way ... and into his arms.A BOLD ADVENTURERAs magnificent and mesmerizing as a hawk, Christian both frightened and excited Nora, even as he pursued her with a single-minded passion that left her longing to be caught. Yet soon she would discover that she had reason to be frightened. For the dashing nobleman had his own secrets to keep, his own enemies to rout--and his own brand of vengeance for a wide-eyed beauty whom he loved only too well....

Devil's Desire


Laurie McBain - 1975
    SEARING PASSION ... ENDURING LOVEIn a rousing, unforgettable saga that sweeps across the valleys and peaks of human destiny, the stormy alliance of beautiful young Lady Elysia Demarice and Lord Alex Trevegne plumbs the depths of raw human emotion -- lust, jealousy and hate -- for though Lord Alex has married Elysia, he cannot possess her in flesh or spirit. Out of the turbulence of their clashing wills comes one of the greatest love stories ever written, as their twin passions mingle at last, in a rippling tide of liquid fire!

Seducing the Duchess


Ashley March - 2010
    Carousing. Flirting. Charlotte, Duchess of Rutherford, will do anything to create a scandal large enough to force her husband to finally petition for a divorce. Once madly in love with Philip, she is now determined to escape from their less than civil marriage and the reminders of his betrayal.Until he stole her away...Philip Burgess, Duke of Rutherford, is not a man to tolerate regrets. He wed Charlotte for revenge, not for love or convenience, knowing she would come to hate him. But he never expected he would one day find himself craving her attention or desiring her company.And gave her something more...Philip is no longer the cold, deceitful man she married years ago. And when he promises Charlotte a divorce if she will help him become a better husband for another woman, she wonders if she truly wants to lose him— and if Philip may still possess her heart after all.

Devil's Embrace


Catherine Coulter - 1982
    I've updated it stylistically, edited it, trimmed it just a bit, and the art department designed a splendid new cover that magically includes some of the original art work.Cassie Brougham and Anthony Welles, Earl of Clare, are my favorite characters of all time. Cassie has known the Earl of Clare all her life, but she's in love with a soldier she's been secretly writing to since she was fifteen. Now he's home and they're going to be married. But the day before her wedding, Anthony Welles kidnaps her aboard his yacht and sails away with her to Genoa, Italy; his stated intention to make her his wife.Cassie is not happy about this.This is an unusual love story, to say the least, that will make you weep and laugh and root for what you know is best for both of them. There is pain, doubt, captivation, and escape. But regardless of what happens, this is a love that is of the forever sort, something that is true and very real, and will stay close to your heart, I hope, for a very long time.If you missed Devil's Embrace the first time around, do read it now.Enjoy,Catherine Coulter (The Author)

Claiming the Courtesan


Anna Campbell - 2007
    Men fight duels to spend an hour in her company. And only he comes close to taming her. Flying in the face of society, he decides to make her his bride; then, she vanishes, seemingly into thin air.Dire circumstances have forced Verity Ashton to barter her innocence and change her name for the sake of her family. But Kylemore destroys her plans for a respectable life when he discovers her safe haven. He kidnaps her, sweeping her away to his hunting lodge in Scotland, where he vows to bend her to his will.There he seduces her anew. Verity spends night after night with him in his bed ... and though she still dreams of escape and independence, she knows she can never flee the unexpected, unwelcome love for the proud, powerful lover who claims her both body and soul.

The Unofficial Suitor


Charlotte Louise Dolan - 1992
    Lady Cassiopeia is on the auction block in the marriage mart. And her only escape is into the greedy hands of scandalous Richard Hawke, a handsome rake who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Original Regency Romance.

The Way of the Heart


Cheryl Holt - 1999
    And yet, to claim this dream, she must first marry. Five suitable candidates are vying for her large dowry, but only one challenges her wits and stirs her blood: Phillip Wessington, a devilishly handsome widower and renowned scoundrel who agrees to a marriage in name only. But soon, awakening desires turn this union of convenience into a passionate battle between hearts too proud to admit their ardor. HE VOWED TO WIN HER LOVEPhillip, the eighth earl of Rosewood, had one pressing need: a wife's fortune without the bother of a wife. But Jane was a bother--for she was getting under his skin with her fiery spirit and the sensual fire that glowed in her eyes. Confounded by a tenderness he cannot yet admit, he soon realizes that his own selfishness and intractable will have created a rift between them that may be too deep to heal. Can Phillip reclaim the heart of the woman he has come to cherish...so they both may surrender to a love neither can deny?

Beyond Scandal


Brenda Joyce - 1995
    Now, with beyond scandal, she takes us one step further... beyond duty.Adoring and innocent, Anne Stewart was seduced by Dominick Saint Georges, Viscount Lyons, then brazenly abandoned on their wedding night. Now four years have passed, and England's most mysterious lord has returned to Waverly Hall.Beyond passion. Anne can never forgive Dominick for the shame he caused her. She is determined to resist his advances and ignore the gossip and speculation surrounding them. But shocking revelations and deadly intrigues are drawing her ever closer to her enigmatic husband, to whom she dares not surrender again, this secretive stranger who holds the key to her survival... and her heart.

Sweet Savage Love


Rosemary Rogers - 1974
    But this fearless heroine and "hero of all heroes" must first endure countless unforeseen dangers before they can enjoy sensual, exhilarating passion that burns between them.

My Darling Caroline


Adele Ashworth - 1998
    Caroline was determined to see her dream become a reality—even if it meant masquerading as a man to be accepted at a university. But when her father arranged for her to marry, she agreed—knowing she could not become a conventional wife.A Flourishing LoveYet marriage wasn't what she thought it would be. Her attractive, new husband gave her the freedom she never expected—and the respect she had always deserved. At first she tried to resist his admiration, his love... and especially his touch. But soon she was surprised and overcome by her husband's—and her own—passion. Now Caroline might have to make the most difficult choice of all—between her lifelong dream and the depth of her love for an extraordinary man.

The Fairy Tale Bride


Kelly McClymer - 2000
    But when her brother's love match is thwarted by the impossibly proper Duke of Kerstone, Miranda sets off to convince the duke to champion her brother's cause for love. Unfortunately, he is too proper to consider love a suitable reason for marriage, and too proper not to marry Miranda when they find themselves compromised. Now, Miranda has a second chance for happily-ever-after, if she can uncover her new husband's darkest secret.

A Broken Betrothal


Rose Pearson - 2020
    Can they reconcile their differences?When Lord Pendleton loses his brother, his entire world changes. Inheriting the title of Marquess of Leicestershire, he soon finds himself surrounded by nobles and sought-after by their daughters. He becomes determined to make a name for himself – and not be seen as a rogue like his late brother.Lady Augusta is destined to be married to him in a rigid, business-like agreement. Hating her father at first for not letting her choose her own husband, over time she grows to accept it – but she finds herself thrust aside by Lord Leicestershire’s newfound status. With Lord Leicestershire hounded by ladies and faced with distractions at every turn, will he and Lady Augusta be able to make their coming marriage work? Or will the strife between them be too much to overcome?

The Abduction of Julia


Karen Hawkins - 2000
    So when he accidentally snatches her instead of her lovely, scheming cousin for an elopement to Gretna Green, Julia leaps at the chance to make her passionate dreams come true.Alec's in no position to quibble: if he doesn't marry by midnight and live scandal-free for a year, he loses his inheritance. At least marriage with do-gooder Julia will guarantee his fortune. But as his plain brown wren transforms herself into an elegant swan, Alec suddenly can't stay away from his last-minute wife--and when he kisses her, the inheritance is the last thing on his mind. Unfortunately, scandal can occur from the best of intentions...and Julia is never short of good intentions!