Book picks similar to
The Second Time Around by Ella Quinn


historical-romance
romance
novella
ella-quinn

The Marriage Wager


Candace Camp - 2007
    No longer in the first blush of youth and without a marriage portion, Miss Constance Woodley can scarcely imagine why one of the leading lights of London society should take an interest in the likes of her. But under her benefactor’s guiding hand, she’s transformed into a captivating creature who catches the eye of the handsome, charming and ever-so-slightly notorious Lord Dominic Leighton. And before the shocked eyes of the entire ton, the “nobody” and the rakish viscount show that even in the heartless world of the marriage mart, when love is at stake, all bets are off.

Morgan and Archer


Grace Burrowes - 2013
    Morgan believes her hearing trouble makes her a poor candidate for marriage, although her disability provides the key to unraveling Archer’s mystery, and to capturing his heart.

Scandal And The Duchess


Jennifer Ashley - 2014
    It’s never her fault—honor bright—but newspapers love to write about the simple girl from Scotland and the much older duke, who died suddenly on their honeymoon. And now there is even more talk as the legitimacy of the marriage is being contested by the duke’s son and heir.Steven McBride is a decorated soldier—and a notorious gambler and womanizer. The last thing he wants is marriage, but due to a series of unfortunate events, he and Rose’s names are linked in the papers, threatening the lovely lady with ruin. To save the day, Steven suggests they claim to be engaged. But as desire boils between them, Rose and Steven soon learn the difficulties of maintaining their deception, which might not be a lie after all …

The Scot Who Loved Me


Gina Conkle - 2021
    He's determined to leave England as soon as he's released, but his plans go awry when a mysterious woman enters his cell, promising freedom and gold. Anne Fletcher never thought she'd see her former lover again. She knows Will hasn't forgiven her for leaving him so many years ago, but to accomplish her league's mission, she needs him by her side. Stealing the Treasure of Lock Arkaig from English hands and returning it to the Highlands where it belongs is no easy feat. But with Will's help, they can achieve the impossible, even if being with him is as painful as it is pleasurable.Taking back the fortune could mean death, but after being parted from Anne for so long, Will can't leave her side. As they work together to steal the treasure from watchful eyes, will they return to their lonely lives, or will they risk everything for a love they thought was lost forever?

Christmas Brides


Suzanne Enoch - 2014
    But when an English beauty has nowhere else to turn, he feels obligated to help. Now that they must spend a night together in an abandoned cottage while a storm rages on, will their mutual passion save—or doom—them both?Once Upon a Christmas Scandal by Alexandra Hawkins Lady Ellen is outraged when she learns her dowry’s been increased by her dad, eager to draw every bachelor in England to her front door. So when Lord Swainsbury comes knocking, Ellen assumes he’s another dreadful fortune hunter. Little does she know that Swainsbury has completely fallen for her—body, heart, and soul…The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth EssexLieutenant Ian Worth needs a wife by Christmas. He has to find her, woo her, and wed her before he goes back to sea. Anne Lesley is a shy spinster with no prospects, so she accepts Ian’s hasty offer only for the security it will bring. But when a midwinter storm rolls in, things start to heat up between them…and they might just find true, honest-to-goodness love…It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie BowmanOliver Townsende intends to avoid the hordes of marriage-minded misses at a friend’s holiday party. When he meets Miss Cerian Blake, who’s dodging her own unwanted set of admirers, the two decide to join forces and fake an infatuation to keep their suitors at bay. But when mistletoe becomes involved, will their Christmastime prank turn into a love to last all seasons?

A Delightful Arrangement


Cecilia Gray - 2011
    He has always protected his former neighbor and childhood companion, and now that she is of marriageable age, he will give her what she needs most - a real home where she is welcome and wanted.Unfortunately for him....she is done with being dutiful.After years of being an obedient daughter to a hateful father, Francesca jumps into her first Season. Francesca is ready to dance every dance, flirt with every bachelor and snatch what she wants most - a man she loves who will make her swoon.Unfortunately for her...he now sees making her swoon as his duty, too.And Phillip takes his duties very seriously.* * *Don't miss The Gentlemen Next Door series, because sometimes a lady in need of love need look no further than next door. The Gentlemen Next Door Series are historical regency romance novellas.

Who's That Earl


Susanna Craig - 2020
    How else could the sheltered daughter of an English gentleman create lurid gothic novels so infamous someone wants their author silenced forever? Fortunately, Jane has taken steps to protect herself, first by assuming a pen name, and second, by taking up residence at remote Dunnock Castle, surrounded by rugged scenery that might have been ripped from the pages of one of her books. Her true identity remains a secret, until one dark and stormy night... After years of spying for the British army, Thomas Sutherland doubts the Highlands will ever feel like home again. Nevertheless, thanks to a quirk of Scottish inheritance law, he's now the Earl of Magnus, complete with a crumbling castle currently inhabited by a notorious novelist. When the writer turns out to be the woman Thomas once wooed, suspicions rise even as mutual sparks reignite. As danger closes in, can Jane and Thomas overcome their pasts to forge a future together?

The Last Chance Christmas Ball


Mary Jo Putney - 2015
    For at the top of each guest’s wish list is a last chance to find true love before the New Year…A chance meeting beneath the mistletoe, a stolen glance across the dance floor—amid the sumptuous delicacies, glittering decorations, and swell of the orchestra, every duchess and debutante, lord and lackey has a hopeful heart. There's the headstrong heiress who must win back her beloved by midnight—or be wed to another....the spinster whose fateful choice to relinquish love may hold one more surprise for her...a widow yearning to glimpse her long-lost love for even one sweet, fleeting interlude...a charming rake who finds far more than he bargained for. And many other dazzling, romantic tales in this star-studded collection that will fill your heart and spice up your holidays...Contents:Prologue by Jo BeverleyMy True Love Hath My Heart by Joanna BourneA Scottish Carol by Susan KingChristmas Larks by Patricia RiceIn the Bleak Midwinter by Mary Jo PutneyOld Flames Dance by Cara ElliottA Season for Marriage by Nicola CornickMiss Finch and the Angel by Jo BeverleyMistletoe Kisses by Anne Gracie

Dukes by the Dozen


Alyssa AlexanderMadeline Martin - 2019
    Will a sizzling wager be enough to melt the frost between them, or will it truly remain the coldest winter in London?April – The Duke and the April Flowers by Grace Burrowes — The Duke of Clonmere must marry one of the Earl of Falmouth’s three giggling younger daughters, but Lady Iris—Falmouth’s oldest, who is not at all inclined to giggling—catches Clonmere’s eye, and his heart!May – Love Letters from a Duke by Gina Conkle — The Duke of Richland needs a proper duchess, but he wants his thoroughly fun, entirely inappropriate neighbor, Mrs. Charlotte Chatham. She’s widowed, older, and if the whispers prove true—barren.June – Her Perfect Duke by Ella Quinn — Still suffering over the loss of his wife and child, Giles, Duke of Kendal sees Lady Thalia Trevor at a market and is instantly smitten. There is only one problem. She is already betrothed to another man. Will she defy her powerful father to marry him? July – How to Ditch a Duke by May McGoldrick — Lady Taylor Fleming is an heiress with a suitor on her tail. Her plan to ditch him is simple, escape to the Highlands. But there is nothing simple about the Duke of Bamberg. And even with the best laid plans, things can go awry…August – To Tempt A Highland Duke by Bronwen Evans — Widowed Lady Flora Grafton must be dreaming. Dougray Firth, Duke of Monreith, who once pledged her his heart but then allowed her to marry another, has just proposed. Why now, after eight years? When she learns the truth, can she trust Dougray to love her enough this time?September – Duke in Search of a Duchess by Jennifer Ashley — The meticulous Duke of Ashford is dismayed when his children ask Helena Courtland, the gossipy, busybody young widow next door, to find Ash a new wife. But she sweeps into his home and his life, turning Ash’s precisely ordered world into a chaotic whirlwind.October – Dear Duke by Anna Harrington — When the Duke of Monmouth, decides to build a canal, he isn’t prepared for an old mill owner and his daughter to stand in his way. The only person who understands him is the anonymous pen pal to whom he’s been pouring out his heart, a woman not at all who she seems.November – Must Love Duke by Heather Snow — Lady Emmaline Paulson already has the only Duke she wants in her life—an adorable puppy she rescued from the Serpentine with the help of a handsome stranger. Can Maxwell Granville, heir to a dukedom, convince her there’s room for him, too?December – The Mistletoe Duke by Sabrina York — The Duchess of Devon can't think of a better way to tempt her widowed son into marrying again, than to throw a Christmas Ball. And there simply must be mistletoe everywhere! But it's not until Jonathan meets his mother's humble companion under the mistletoe, that fireworks erupt.January – Dueling with the Duke by Eileen Dreyer — When Adam Marrick, Duke of Rothray, shows up on Georgie Grace’s doorstep, she thinks it is to become acquainted with his cousin James’s widow and daughter. Instead he brings news that will completely upend their lives and put them all in danger.

Wild Wicked Scot


Julia London - 2016
    Three years ago she fled their marriage of convenience and hasn't looked back—except to relive the moments spent in wild, rugged Arran McKenzie's passionate embrace. But as their respective countries' fragile unity threatens to unravel, Margot must return to her husband to uncover his role in the treachery before her family can be accused of it. Red-haired, green-eyed Margot was Arran's beautiful bride. Her loss has haunted him, but her return threatens everything he has gained. As the Highland mists carry whispers of an English plot to seize McKenzie territory, he must outmaneuver her in games of espionage…and seduction. But even as their secrets tangle together, there's nothing to prevent love from capturing them both and leading them straight into danger.

The Courtesan Duchess


Joanna Shupe - 2015
    1. Learn the most intimate secrets of London’s leading courtesan.2. Pretend to be a courtesan yourself, using the name Juliet Leighton.3. Travel to Venice and locate said husband.4. Seduce husband, conceive an heir, and voilà, your future is secure!For Julia, the Duchess of Colton, such a ruse promises to be foolproof. After all, her husband has not bothered to lay eyes on her in eight years, since their hasty wedding day when she was only sixteen. But what begins as a tempestuous flirtation escalates into full-blown passion—and the feeling is mutual. Could the man the Courtesan Duchess married actually turn out to be the love of her life?

To Have and to Hoax


Martha Waters - 2020
    Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side—only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses—and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them?

My Brown-Eyed Earl


Anna Bennett - 2016
    Not only has he broken ties with his longtime mistress, his mother has publicly announced her wish for him to marry a suitable young lady―if only to help him raise the twins left in his care. Hiring a governess should solve some of Will’s problems…but when he meets the candidate in question, he finds himself in an entirely new predicament.TO DO A WALLFLOWER’S JOBMiss Margaret Lacey is brainy, beautiful, and, once upon a time, Will’s betrothed. But she bowed out of the engagement―and, since then, has never been the same. A tragic accident robbed her of everything, and now, at age twenty-three, her marital prospects are slim to none. Penniless but not without pride, Meg convinces the vexingly handsome Will to hire her for the job. What neither of them could have expected from this arrangement, however, is an attraction that burns stronger than ever. Are these two lost souls finally ready to be schooled in the art of love?

A Hathaway Wedding


Lisa Kleypas - 2009
    An exclusive short story about Win Hathaway and Kev Merripen's wedding. Timeline: Takes place right after Seduce Me at Sunrise.

My True Love Gave to Me


Ava March - 2011
    The revelry of the ton is a reminder of Christmas four years ago, when his first love, Thomas Bennett, broke his heart and fled to New York without a word. So when he encounters Thomas at a holiday ball, Alexander is determined not to let on how much he still hurts. Thomas has returned for one reason only: Alexander. Having finally come to terms with his forbidden desires, he will do whatever he must to convince Alexander to give their love another chance. But instead of the happy, carefree man Thomas once knew, Alexander is now hard and cynical. Saddened to know he's to blame for the man's bitterness, Thomas resolves to reignite the passion he knows lies hidden behind the wall of disdain...28,000 wordsAlso part of the Men Under the Mistletoe Anthology