Book picks similar to
The Bad Luck Bride by Jane Goodger


romance
historical
historical-romance
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Secrets of a Fair Lady


Abigail Agar - 2020
    The only problem is that nobody seems to care. Desperate to learn the truth of her disappearance, Georgiana enlists the help of Inspector Hamish Brock to find Rachel and bring her back home. But as they work together, her heart starts to beat a little bit faster every time he is around. Soon Georgiana realises that she may have to make a choice between her family and the Inspector she has come to care for. Will Georgiana manage to find her maid -and dear friend- before it's too late, or will she be drawn to the wild aura of the handsome inspector that stole her heart?For Hamish Brock, leading a precinct in a wealthy area of London is a wonderful job, but it does not stop him from wanting more in life. A caring wife and a big family is his dream, but luck has not been on his side so far. When he is called to examine the facts of a very mysterious case, we would never expect that the request would come from the most charming young Lady in town. But after a peculiar turn of events, he finds himself investigating the very woman he has started to care for. Finding himself in a dilemma of revealing the truth or losing the woman of his dreams, will he be brave enough to make the right decision?As they struggle to unravel the mystery of who wanted Rachel gone, Hamish and Georgiana end up in a situation more hazardous than any story their imagination could conjure. Personalities collide and compromise seems unreachable, as their two worlds can never be one. As they work together for a common cause, will they finally find peace in each other's arms or is there too much that stands between them?"Secrets of a Fair Lady" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Lady Iona's Rebellion


Dorothy McFalls - 2010
    Winning the very proper Lady Iona for a wife would go a long way to achieving that end.They found each other.The more Nathan tries to protect Lady Iona from running head-long into disgrace, the more he admires her daring spirit and unpredictable antics. Instead of returning her to the obedient world to which she was raised, he encourages her blossoming passions. Such a move is surely going to lead them both to ruin.But for love he is willing to risk everything.

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill


Julie Klassen - 2016
    Its coaching inn, The Bell, is its lifeblood--along with the coach lines that stop there daily, bringing news, mail, travelers, and much-needed trade.Jane Bell lives on the edge of the inn property. She had been a genteel lady until she married the charming innkeeper who promised she would never have to work in his family's inn. But when he dies under mysterious circumstances, Jane finds herself The Bell's owner, and worse, she has three months to pay a large loan or lose the place.Feeling reluctant and ill-equipped, Jane is tempted to abandon her husband's legacy and return to her former life of ease. However, she soon realizes there is more at stake than her comfort. But who can she trust to help her? Her resentful mother-in-law? Her husband's brother, who wanted the inn for himself? Or the handsome newcomer with secret plans of his own . . . ?With pressure mounting from the bank, Jane struggles to win over naysayers and turn the place around. Can Jane bring new life to the inn, and to her heart as well?

What a Gentleman Wants


Caroline Linden - 2006
    An occasional thank you would suffice; instead, his resentful sibling forges his name to a marriage license and presents him with an unwanted wife. She's a vicar's widow with a mind of her own who may be the first person in Marcus's well-ordered life to make him feel...completely out of control.Hannah can't help but curse her own idiocy. Dire straits have led her to the altar with a gentleman she hardly knows. Played for a fool, she's embarrassed, furious, and worse, married to an equally outraged stranger—an exasperating man who unleashes all manner of emotions in Hannah, not to mention unwanted desire. Reluctantly, she agrees to play the wife until he can sort out the mess. But the nearness of the undeniably attractive Duke and the passion in his black eyes unsettles her well-guarded heart—making her want to do so much more than "act" the role of blissful bride.

Unchaining the Heart of the Marquess


Emma Linfield - 2019
     In the service of the Hadley family since birth, she’s been in love with Frederick, the Duke of Chescrown’s son, all her life. But years of rejection and unrequited love have taken their toll and when a charming new servant arrives at the manor, Josephine is determined to leave the past behind. Frederick Hadley, Marquess of Pentford, is a man who carries his title with pride. Determined to uphold the family’s spotless reputation, he renounces his feelings for Josephine, invoking the social gap between them. However, anonymous letters addressed to his mother threaten to shatter that pristine image. Amidst a wild goose chase to get answers before the culprit acts on their threats, Frederick risks losing not only Josephine but also his very own birthright.

To Tempt a Scotsman


Victoria Dahl - 2007
    But the arrival of darkly handsome Collin Blackburn awakens her curiosity and her desire - and the advantage of being a fallen woman is that she can be ruined only once...After a promise sworn to his father, Collin Blackburn is compelled to seek the aid of the woman who brought about his brother's death in a senseless duel. Yet Lady Alexandra is not the shameless femme fatale he expected. In fact, Collin suspects she is guilty of nothing more than a hunger to experience passion, and the brawny Scot is certainly equipped to oblige. But the quick-witted, keenly sensual Alexandra has a few lessons of her own to impart - on life, love, and the delicious joys of succumbing to temptation...

Thunder & Roses


Mary Jo Putney - 1993
    Desperation drives quiet schoolteacher Clare Morgan to ask the Demon Earl to help save her village. Unwilling to involve himself in the problems of others, Nicholas agrees --- only if Clare will live with him for three months.

Dancing with the Duke


Suzanna Medeiros - 2012
    But that plan falls into tatters when his mother sponsors his sister's friend and enlists him to dance with her at Almack's. The beautiful vixen he meets that night bears little resemblance to the shy, gangly girl who used to follow him around. Now, instead of avoiding Charlotte, he finds himself frustrated when she seems to notice everyone but him.

The Bargain


Jane Ashford - 1997
    When the prince regent asks him to debunk the “ghost” of a dead actress haunting Carlton House, he cannot refuse, and is forced back to the Society he deplores. But upon meeting the daughter of the alleged ghost, his calm, logical investigation is disrupted.Ariel Harding doesn’t believe in ghosts, but she’s determined to investigate this haunting. Her mother recently committed suicide, and Ariel is desperate to find the reason. She’ll work with Alan because he has access to Prinny’s resources, but she never dreamed she’d make a perilous bargain with a man who’s as maddeningly arrogant as he is confoundedly attractive.“A scintillating Regency adventure filled with...dark and dangerous action.” —Affaire de Coeur“Charmingly written, by a deft hand.” —RT Book Reviews

Sweet Revenge


Zoe Archer - 2013
    But when he reaches the inn where the Lord Rockley is rumored to be staying, three well-dressed strangers are there to meet him instead. And the pretty blonde is aiming a pistol right at his head…Desire Is Always DangerousJoining Nemesis, Unlimited has made Eva Warrick much more than the well-mannered lady she appears to be—one who can shoot, fight, and outsmart any man in the quest to right the injustices so often suffered by the innocent. She’s not afraid of the burly escaped convict, but she is startled by their shared attraction. She and her partners need Jack’s help to get to Rockley, but Eva finds she wants Jack for scandalous reasons all her own…

The Companion of Lady Holmeshire


Debra Brown - 2011
    She is raised and sent to work as a servant girl for The Countess of Holmeshire. The widowed and unconventional Countess chooses Emma Carrington as a companion and sends her off for finishing with the goal of dragging her along into aristocratic, "polite", Victorian society. As a former servant girl and now just a companion, she is sure to have a rude reception. She has eyes for the young Earl of Holmeshire, but it is hopeless he is above her station in life and engaged by arrangement to a lovely London lady. Tribulations and banned romances of the servants downstairs play into the story humorously as we follow Emma from a stone fortress to a Victorian village and grand London mansions. Great surprises unfold at a Midsummer Night's Dream Ball that help to solve mysteries which have gradually developed. But there is yet another great twist in the story at the end. Can you predict what it is?

One Dance with a Duke


Tessa Dare - 2010
    A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization so select it has only ten members--yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck. And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing "Duke of Midnight." Each evening he selects one lady for a breathtaking midnight waltz. But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody ever bests the duke--until Lady Amelia d'Orsay tries her luck. In a moment of desperation, the unconventional beauty claims the duke's dance and unwittingly steals his heart. When Amelia demands that Spencer forgive her scapegrace brother's debts, she never imagines that her game of wits and words will lead to breathless passion and a steamy proposal. Still, Spencer is a man of mystery, perhaps connected to the shocking murder of the Stud Club's founder. Will Amelia lose her heart in this reckless wager or win everlasting love?

Word of Honor


Alexa Aston - 2016
    At its heart are Geoffrey and Merryn, who will find lasting love in Word of Honor. This pair plays a part in each book of the series—sometimes small, sometimes large—as new couples come together to find passion and true love. Each romance focuses on honor and the code of chivalry that bound knights of this era. 1351 A.D. – Betrothed from a young age, Merryn Mantel and Geoffrey de Montfort are that rare couple—a love match. They spend five long years apart when Geoffrey leaves England to fight against the French. Geoffrey returns after the English victory at Poitiers, and he and Merryn wed. They spend one blissful night consummating their love, looking forward to a promising future together. Yet Geoffrey vanishes the next day. Merryn is left lonely and confused as she clings to the hope that one day her husband will come back to her. Geoffrey finally returns almost seven years later. This new Geoffrey is a stranger to Merryn. He refuses to reveal where he has been and why he stayed away from the woman he loved. Will her husband’s silence create a rift too large to heal, or can Geoffrey and Merryn recapture the love they once shared? Join Geoffrey and Merryn as they fight for the love both have held in their hearts despite their years apart.

The Second Seduction of a Lady


Miranda Neville - 2012
    Now, five years later, Max still can't get Eleanor out of his head or his heart. He has a single chance to make a second impression—one that will last forever.

Educating Elizabeth


Kate Pearce - 2011
    The duke agrees to teach her everything she needs to know, but in return expects to receive her unwitting cooperation to uncover an assassination plot against the monarchy. But Elizabeth is hard to deceive, and the duke finds himself needing more than her innocent skills in his bed. Together they must use their remarkable abilities, to thwart a villain, save the Prince Regent and accidentally and inevitably fall in love.