Book picks similar to
Pillar of Fire by Karah Quinney


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Seductive Secrets


Carrie James Haynes - 2012
    Shunned from London society for being the daughter of England’s most notorious spy, Alyce Hythe desires only to clear her father’s name. For years, she has been hidden away from all prying eyes, given a new identity and told to forget who she was. But strange things have been happening causing old rumors to once more be whispered.Long has Lord Julian Casvelyn lived with guilt brought on when his brother was murdered by England’s most infamous traitor. But one eventful night has changed everything Lord Julian believed about his brother’s death. Never did he suspect the woman he has just saved from certain harm is the daughter of that man. Now Julian is caught in midst of a conspiracy and desire for that woman.Thrown together by fate, the two search for answers long denied them and along the way discover a love that can free them both.Previously published as Daughter of Deceit under Carrie James Haynes

The Circle of Ceridwen


Octavia Randolph - 2012
    Of seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, five have fallen to the invading Vikings. No trait is more valued than loyalty, and no possession more precious than one's steel. Across this war-torn landscape travels fifteen year old Ceridwen, now thrust into the lives of the conquerors.Epic...immensely satisfying...an impressive achievement - Historical Novel Society The English Adventure loved by over 100,000 readers in 125 countries...Lost in the frozen woods, Ceridwen is discovered by the warriors accompanying young Ælfwyn, daughter of a Saxon lord, sold against her will in marriage as part of a peace treaty with a marauding Viking war chief. Their destination is the captured fortress of Four Stones, a ruin holding glittering treasure. There Ælfwyn must keep her vow and wed Yrling - and Ceridwen must do all she can to support her new friend in the rebuilding of the ravaged village and great hall.But living with the enemy affords Ceridwen unusual freedoms - and unlooked-for conflicts. Amongst them she explores again her own heathen past, and learns to judge each man on his own merits. Yrling's nephews Sidroc and Toki, both formidable warriors yet as different as night and day, compete to win Ceridwen for their own.Through both guile and goodness Ceridwen and Ælfwyn begin transforming the world of Four Stones. But the threat of full-scale war escalates, and a midnight party of furtive Danes delivers someone to Four Stones who destroys the girls' hopes of peace and contentment. Now Ceridwen must summon all her courage - a courage which will be sorely tested as she defies both Saxon and Dane and undertakes an extraordinary adventure to save a man she has never met..

Blood and Treasure


Jennifer Bray-Weber - 2011
    One night, she unexpectedly comes into possession of a golden medallion. But when the man who left it with her is immediately murdered by soldiers of the Royal Navy, she’s afraid to admit she has it. Unsure who to trust, she’s caught up in crossfire between navy officers and a pirate captain, who, realizing she possesses the object he’s been paid to find, whisks her away to his ship during the fight. Privateer Captain Zane Fox is not interested in the mystical healing powers the medallion is said to hold, even though the legends claim it can bring a dying man back to life. He only plans to procure the medallion, drop the chit off at the next port where she’ll be safe, and collect the money he was promised. However, as they fend off storms at sea and attempt to outrun the Royal Navy, the two are also fighting the attraction they feel for one another. But when they are captured, Zane must choose between recovering the medallion and saving Lianna from the noose. And soon it becomes clear to him that the medallion is not the only treasure worth risking his life for.

Cold April


Phyllis A. Humphrey - 2010
    She finds, however, that she has one last obligation to fulfill; she must accompany Richard Graham, a dashing American widower, and care for his charming child on a luxurious voyage to America. Their ship? The Titanic. On this fateful trip two handsome men vie for her attention. But when the ship hits an iceberg, who will survive?

Giovanna: The Cowboy's Calabrese Mail Order Bride


Lorena Dove - 2015
    Hard-working, beautiful, and honest to a fault, Giovanna's dreams of a life with her husband, Frank, were cut short when he died soon after they arrived from Calabria, Italy, four years earlier. Now Giovanna must find a way to help her sick daughter, Rosa, before she loses the only thing she loves! Laars Gundersen has broken from his family in Minnesota to work a claim in the Dakota Territory. He needs a wife, but his work ethic and cool Nordic ways don't leave much time for children. Will Giovanna find the love she deserves and be able to care for Rosa before it's too late? Find out in this clean, sweet historical romance, Book One in the Sweet Land of Liberty Brides series. Lorena Dove writes sweet, clean, inspirational Western romance, suitable for readers of all ages.

The Duke's Return and the Lady's Rebuttal


Charlotte Darcy - 2017
    The Duke of Millington will lose everything unless he marries. Both will only marry for Love. Benedict Astor, the Duke of Millington has returned from 6 years of war only to find his father dead and his title and land soon to be given to another. He has but a few months to find a wife if he wishes to keep his home and his title. Only Benedict would only marry for love. Can he now give up on his principles and marry for duty? Juliet Morgan is nursing her dying father knowing that on his death she will lose her home. The property is entailed to her cousin and he is a man she does not know. When her solicitor suggests that she marry the Duke of Millington she is insulted and reacts with anger. How dare this man presume that she is desperate? Benedict is knocked form his horse one day by a daring woman taking a hedge too quickly, when he finds out it is Juliet he is suddenly interested. Not only did she have the courage to turn him down but she is beautiful, intelligent and of strong character. Everything he wants in a woman. While his own sister plots and schemes for him to lose his inheritance all he can think of is Juliet but she will not accept even the smallest word from him. In despair, Benedict decides he must marry a title hunter or lose all he has. Yet there is trouble for Juliet, her cousin has decided she will be his. Can Benedict come to terms with giving up on his principle or will he walk away from his home? Will Juliet lose all, even her freedom?

Anna, Rachel & Charlet


Marti Talbott - 2010
    ANNA -- In love with a woman he had only seen once and could not find, the Highlander, Kevin MacGreagor was growing older and needed a wife to give him sons. No other woman pleased him, not even the daughters of other lairds, so he finally settled for Anna sight unseen. But when his men went to meet her guard, she was all alone and badly beaten. Who could have done such a thing and why? RACHEL -- had a dark secret and even she didn't know what it was. She was seventeen, determined to become as good a warrior as any Highlander, and was firmly against taking a husband. Connor had other ideas. He loved Rachel and when a rival clan took her, he thought he would lose his mind. How would he ever get her back and if he did, would her dark secret separate them forever?CHARLET -- The King of England asked the Highlander, Kevin MacGreagor, to hide a baby girl and save her life. But sixteen years later, someone discovered where she was. To Blair Cameron fell the duty of hiding and protecting Charlet. It was not an easy task. She was furious, head-strong and determined to run from him. Could Blair keep her alive? And if he did, could he keep himself from falling in love with her?

Maids of Misfortune


M. Louisa Locke - 2009
    Annie’s husband squandered her fortune before committing suicide five years earlier, and one of his creditors is now threatening to take the boardinghouse she owns to pay off a debt. Annie Fuller also has a secret. She supplements her income by giving domestic and business advice as Madam Sibyl, one of San Francisco’s most exclusive clairvoyants, and one of Madam Sibyl’s clients, Matthew Voss, has died. The police believe his death was suicide brought upon by bankruptcy, but Annie believes Voss has been murdered and that his assets have been stolen. Nate Dawson has a problem. As the Voss family lawyer, he would love to believe that Matthew Voss didn't leave his grieving family destitute. But that would mean working with Annie Fuller, a woman who alternatively attracts and infuriates him as she shatters every notion he ever had of proper ladylike behavior. Sparks fly as Anne and Nate pursue the truth about the murder of Matthew Voss in this light-hearted, cozy historical mystery set in the foggy gas-lit world of Victorian San Francisco. Maids of Misfortune is the first book in M. Louisa Locke’s historical mystery series, see also, Uneasy Spirits, and Bloody Lessons, as well as the two short stories based on the characters from the novels, Dandy Detects, and The Misses Moffet Mend a Marriage.

Such a Hope (Paths of Grace #1)


Sondra Kraak - 2016
    After her father’s death—a tragedy away from home—she returns to their cabin on the outskirts of Seattle, seeking the sense of belonging that eluded her childhood. But will her desire to pray for miraculous healing for the sick and wounded endear or alienate her to the community? Her most aggravating challenger is also her staunchest defender and has brown hair and eyes, stands six feet tall, and farms with unchecked tenacity. Tristan Porter. This farmer her father had befriended holds more secrets than Yesler’s Mill holds logs. When ugly rumors arise about her spiritual gift and her property, Anna fears her quest to find belonging will be thwarted. Tristan holds the truth to set her free, but revealing it will require him to face the disappointments of his past and surrender his plans for the future—a sacrifice he’s not sure he can make.

Three Abductions and an Earl


Tessa Candle - 2017
    Now an encoretante whose family has lost a fortune, Lydia discovers that the beau monde is hard on a nouveau riche social climber, particularly one who is no longer riche and only wants to climb trees. Lydia must stave off the effrontery of rakes and conniving competitors long enough to make a good match, or else incur society's scorn by earning her own money. Falling for the unattainable Lord Aldley is a distraction she cannot afford. But they share such an enchanted history, how can her heart resist?The tragically virtuous Earl of Aldley is tired of ambitious families hurling debutantes at his head, but cannot hide in France forever. He returns to London to seek out the mysterious tree-climbing girl who once saved him from a scheming chit, and finds more than he bargained for. Abductions, seductions, trickery and injury all endanger Lydia, but Lord Aldley's heart is imperiled beyond rescue. He has only just found her; will he lose her forever to his enemy, his best friend, or his own dangerous mistake?Three Abductions and an Earl is a full length novel and the first book in Tessa Candle's Parvenues and Paramours series.

Heart's Ransom


Kathryn Loch - 2012
    After King Henry forgets his promise to uphold the Provisions of Oxford, a young, powerful Marcher Earl, Talon Montgomery joins forces with Simon de Montfort leading an all out rebellion. Thanks to Montgomery's strategies, Montfort wins the day and takes Henry and his son, Edward Longshanks, hostage to ensure the Provisions are followed. Montgomery rejoices, knowing the Provisions will bring justice and law to a nation. It is only after the battle does Montgomery learn his precious eight year old daughter, Rose, has been abducted. Talon Montgomery now faces a terrible choice, turn against his allies and against everything he believes in or face the murder of his daughter.A widower, Talon's daughter is all he has. Desperate to counter their hold over him and certain his dead wife's curse is exacting her vengeance, Talon abducts the daughter of his Welsh enemy, Gwenillian ap Powys, only to discover he has brought into his home a fiery spirit of a young, beautiful woman who refuses to be cowed.But Talon's counter means naught. He has picked the wrong enemy and Gwen's father orders the assassination of his own daughter, placing Talon squarely in the middle and the risk of dying himself should he decide to protect her.Talon cannot bear to see such a strong spirit destroyed but neither can he find his missing daughter. His desire for Gwen grows daily. How can he protect the young woman with a death writ over her head when he cannot find his own daughter?

Niccolò Rising


Dorothy Dunnett - 1986
    The time is the 15th century, when intrepid merchants became the new knighthood of Europe. Among them, none is bolder or more cunning than Nicholas vander Poele of Bruges, the good-natured dyer's apprentice who schemes and swashbuckles his way to the helm of a mercantile empire.     Niccolò Rising, Book One of the series, finds us in Bruges, 1460. Jousting is the genteel pastime, and successful merchants are, of necessity, polyglot. Street smart, brilliant at figures, adept at the subtleties of diplomacy and the well-timed untruth, Dunnett's hero rises from wastrel to prodigy in a breathless adventure that wins him the hand of the strongest woman in Bruges and the hatred of two powerful enemies. From a riotous and potentially murderous carnival in Flanders, to an avalanche in the Alps and a pitched battle on the outskirts of Naples, Niccolò Rising combines history, adventure, and high romance in the tradition stretching from Alexandre Dumas to Mary Renault.

A Walk in Heaven


Marie Higgins - 2011
    Joshua’s brother, Matthew, left the family ranch in the dead of night to run away and wed a woman he’d never met. The fact Matthew was killed moments after walking out of the church with his new bride merely adds insult to injury. Joshua struggles with resentment and trying not to blame Careen for his brother’s death. But it is difficult not to harbor ill feelings when he knows she’s keeping secrets. Despite his suspicions, Joshua slowly grows attracted to Careen and even starts to like her. Unfortunately, Joshua knows all too well the folly of loving a woman he cannot trust.Careen Kennedy Grayson was married and widowed within minutes of the other. When her obsessive cousin, Luther, arrives minutes after Matthew’s death, she knows deep down he’s the one who killed Matthew. Luther is arrested and held for trial while Careen takes her husband’s body back to his family. Soon after arriving at the loving Grayson ranch, Careen learns of her mother-in-law’s heart condition. Unwilling to cause undue stress, Careen decides to wait until after Luther’s trial to speak the full truth of their son’s death. Soon Careen grows embedded in family and ranch life, getting closer to the Grayson’s with each passing day. She finds herself unnaturally drawn to Joshua and she knows their budding attraction will only complicate matters… Especially when the family discovers her cousin did indeed kill Matthew.

Deadmen Walking


Sherrilyn Kenyon - 2017
    . .To catch evil, it takes evil. Enter Devyl Bane―an ancient dark warlord returned to the human realm as one of the most notorious pirates in the New World. A man of many secrets, Bane makes a pact with Thorn―an immortal charged with securing the worst creations the ancient gods ever released into our world. Those powers have been imprisoned for eons behind enchanted gates . . . gates that are beginning to buckle. At Thorn’s behest, Bane takes command of a crew of Deadmen and, together, they are humanity’s last hope to restore the gates and return the damned to their hell realms.But things are never so simple. And one of Bane’s biggest problems is the ship they sail upon. For the Sea Witch isn’t just a vessel, she’s also a woman born of an ancient people he wronged and who in turn wronged him during a centuries long war between their two races―a woman who is also sister to their primary target. Now Marcelina, the Sea Witch, must choose. Either she remains loyal to her evil sister and almost extinct race against Bane and his cause, and watches humanity fall, or she puts faith in an enemy who has already betrayed her. Her people over the totality of humanity―let’s hope Bane can sway her favor.

Immortal Plague


Aiden James - 2011
    A very dark secret.An archivist for the Smithsonian Institute and also a part-time operative for the CIA, no one would ever suspect the handsome ‘thirty-ish’ William is in fact the most reviled human being to ever walk the earth. His infectious warmth and sense of humor make such an assertion especially hard to believe.But long ago, William Barrow had another name…one that is synonymous with shame and betrayal: Judas Iscariot.Forced to walk the earth as a cursed immortal, William/Judas is on a quest to reclaim the thirty silver shekels paid to him in exchange for Jesus Christ. Twenty-one coins have now been recovered—thanks in large part to the help from his latest son, the esteemed Georgetown University history professor, Alistair Barrow.Ever hopeful the complete coin collection will buy him a full pardon from God and end his banishment from heaven, William plans a visit to a remote village deep within Iran’s Alborz Mountains to retrieve ‘silver coin number twenty-two’. But the CIA has a different objective for this trip, one that pits both father and son against an unscrupulous Russian billionaire searching for something else that’s just as precious within the ancient mountains of Iran… something that threatens peace in the modern world if William and Alistair fail to reach it first.