Book picks similar to
Lucky Bet by Anna Reader


historical-romance
historical
regency
romance

Bargaining With a Rake


Julie Johnstone - 2012
    Now, faced with an unwelcome marriage that will chain her to London and the secret slowly killing her, she’s desperate to save herself and the sister she adores. Salvation comes in the form of an American shipping tycoon, and all she must do is seduce him into marrying her. But Gillian’s scheme hits a snag when she makes a bargain with a notorious rake, Alexander Trevelle, Lord Lionhurst. He agrees to help her win the hand of his American friend, if she’ll assist him with exacting revenge against her unwanted fiancé. But the price of the pact may just be their hearts.

Stone Devil Duke


K.J. Jackson - 2014
    To protect her family, to protect herself, she is determined to find the men before they find her. The last thing she wanted was an entanglement with a duke that threatens her very survival... Hardened long ago, the last thing the Duke of Dunway wanted was an entanglement with a chit of the ton. But in the flash of a pistol, his fate is altered as he finds himself honor-bound to protect Lady Augustine from, of all things, herself.

Sinful Pleasures


Kristi Jun - 2018
    Giles, she cursed the day she let a man dictate her life...Amelia Knight was given the chance to start anew in Scotland to live with her wealthy grandmother but not without a price. She must never reveal her past to anyone and must marry for a title to have access to her very large inheritance. To secure a husband, she heads to the glamourous Regency London with a plan to ensure her independence and risks everything she vowed never to do: fall in love.Born to privilege, he is forced back to London to remedy the family debt and shame and to fulfill a deathbed promise to his beloved brother...Emotionally scarred and devastatingly handsome, Richard, the Earl Blackthorn, saw the horrors of a broken marriage first-hand. He has no plan to marry or remain in London. When an heiress devises a plan that will ensure their freedom from marriage in two years and pay off his inherited debt, he agrees to marry. Until an unknown threat forces him to face the one question he isn’t willing to consider and open his heart to new possibilities.

Intertwine


Nichole Van - 2014
    It is a vast cosmic sea. Where each life exists as rippling circles on its surface, past and future being eternally present. And occasionally, one expanding ring intertwines with that of another, weaving the lives of two people together...In 2012, Emme Wilde can’t find the right guy. She wants to feel that swept-off-your-feet dizziness of true love. But so far, her dating life has come up short. Star Trek geek? Nice but too serious. Hippy artist? Cute but too vulnerable. Instead, Emme obsesses over the portrait of an unknown man in an old locket. Granted, a seriously dreamy guy with delicious, wind-swept hair she just itches to run her fingers through. But still. Dead men may be great listeners, but they are not exactly boyfriend material. Emme travels to England, determined to uncover his history and conquer the strong connection she feels.In 1812, James Knight has given up finding the right woman. All he wants is someone to share his love of adventure. Instead, his life has become a Shakespearean drama. His brother languishes in a tragic star-crossed romance. His beloved sister clings to life, slowly dying of consumption. But then he finds a beautiful mystery woman, dripping wet and half-dead, beneath a tree on his estate. Now if he can uncover her history, perhaps adventure—and romance—will find him at last.

The Reluctant Duke's Dilemma


Trisha Messmer - 2020
    She longed to be free. Pressured by forces beyond their control, will they give in to forbidden desire?England, 1823. After establishing a successful practice in America, Dr. Harry Radcliffe swore he wouldn’t set foot on British soil again. But when he’s named the Duke of Ashton after his callous brother’s sudden death, he begrudgingly returns to the pretentious world he detests. And his pledge to his dying mother to find a wife is thrown into chaos when he meets his stunning sister-in-law.Margaret Radcliffe finally escaped her abusive marriage. Yet her late husband’s final cruel act left her penniless, with her only option to remarry... the one thing she vowed she’d never do again. But the new duke’s startlingly familiar features awaken yearnings she thought long-forgotten, dangling the heartbreaking whisper of a passion impossible to fulfill.Although convinced the accusations that she murdered her husband are only salacious gossip, Harry's real torment comes when he wishes for a union that would make them outcasts. But even when they finally submit to their simmering attraction, Margaret’s dream of happily-ever-after may be derailed by society’s schemes.Can a scandalous affair turn into a lifetime of love?The Reluctant Duke's Dilemma is the suspenseful first book in The Hope Clinic Regency romance series. If you like swoon-worthy heroes, uplifting humor, and heroines beating the odds, then you’ll adore Trisha Messmer’s tale of tortured hearts.

Dangerous Works


Caroline Warfield - 2014
    Only one man has ever tried to teach Lady Georgiana Hayden both. She learned very young to keep her heart safe. She learned to keep loneliness at bay through work. If it takes a scandalous affair to teach her what she needs to complete her work, she will risk it. If the man in question chooses not to teach her, she will use any means at her disposal to change his mind. She is determined to give voice to the ancient women whose poetry has long been neglected. Some scars cut deeper than others. Major Andrew Holden returns to Cambridge a battle-scarred hero. He dared to love Georgiana once and suffered swift retribution from her powerful family. The encounter cost him eleven years of his life. Determined to avoid her, he seeks work to heal his soul and make his scholarly father proud. The work she offers risks his career, his peace of mind, and (worst of all) his heart. Can he protect himself from a woman who almost destroyed him? Does he want to? Even poetry is dangerous when you partner with the love of your life. In Regency, Cambridge, it can lead a lady quickly past improper to positively scandalous.

The Waylaid Heart


Holly Newman - 1990
    Suspecting the culprit traveled in society circles, she diverts attention from eavesdropping and prying with constant and tiresome complaints of illness.But nothing is as it seems...Sir James Branstoke sees straight through Cecilia's feigned fragility. Intrigued by her odd behavior, he believes she has secrets—secrets that could lead to her demise. So, the hunter follows the huntress through society, never imagining that what has started as a chance inquiry could lead to a surprising love greater than either had ever known.But will the cost of uncovering a murderer be too high? Can Cecilia and James reveal the culprit so love can blossom in the end?

Regency Rakes: Boxed Set


Wendy Vella - 2015
    Forced to wed Miss Eva Winchcomb, can they make their marriage real despite coming from two completely different worlds? Winner: Romance Writers of New Zealand Clendon Award for a full-length romantic manuscript. RESCUED BY A VISCOUNT Miss Claire Belmont’s life is thrown into turmoil when she finds out her brother left something behind in France before he died. Going against her family’s wishes, she is determined to uncover the secret of what it is, and is forced to turn to the one man she vowed to avoid at all costs for help. Claire has always feared that if anyone can disrupt her well-ordered life and see the vulnerable woman behind the polite facade, it will be Viscount Kelkirk and now they are thrown together, she realizes her fears were justified. TEMPTING MISS ALLENDER Seven years after her disastrous debut, Miss Patience Allender has reluctantly returned to society to chaperone her sister. No longer the meek, mild Miss, she will never again allow a man to humiliate her. However, Patience’s resolve is severely tested when she comes face-to-face, with the very man who shattered her heart. Desperate for help when her family is thrust into danger, Lord Belmont is the only one she can turn to - but can she do so and keep her heart whole or will he destroy her once again?

Highland Heartbeats Boxed Set: Books 1-3


Aileen Adams - 2018
    Purchase this limited edition boxed set or read for free in KINDLE UNLIMITED! Book One of the Highland Heartbeats Series! A Laird’s Promise Some promises are hard to keep… Phillip promised he’d let her go home. He promised, after she completed her task, she’d be free. He didn’t promise her that he wouldn’t capture her heart before he released her. For Sarah, captive of the Highland Laird, that these promises are kept is paramount. Phillip never expected to fall in love with the woman who was supposed to save his brother’s life. He also never expected to break a promise. But some promises are hard to keep, especially when he finds out the secrets she’s keeping. * * * Book Two of the Highland Heartbeats Series! A Rebel’’s Desire Some secrets are hard to keep… Jake Duncan promised Heather MacDonald he’d keep her secret. He’d help her train to be a warrior and all she had to do was give him a kiss. He didn’t promise that she wouldn’t feel the stirrings of desire for this former soldier. For Heather, a woman determined to become a warrior, Jake’s promise means the difference between life and death. Wounded at war, then the target of a malicious healer, Jake Duncan, brother of the Highland Laird, has decided he has to prove himself, over and over again. He never thought that part of his journey would involve falling for the woman from the Lowlands who wasn’t as demure or as shy as he originally thought, especially not when she was wielding a dirk. * * * Book Three of the Highland Heartbeats Series! An Outcast’s Wish Some memories are best left forgotten… Maccay Douglas finds a trespasser on Duncan lands. Except the trespasser isn’t some lad up to mischief. It’s a woman in boy’s clothing. A woman with a bruise on her head and no name, and hunting skills. She claims she doesn’t know who she is. That doesn’t stop him from falling in love. Except this red-haired beauty has an explosive secret that is bound to bring war to the Highlands.

Crossed in Love


Patricia Rice - 2017
     In this collection of novellas, Rice takes her readers on a journey through time, searching for romance in the most unlikely places. Prepare to be swept away as a ghost leads a lonely gentleman into the arms of a lady who steals his forgotten heart in "Deceiving Appearances." Continue to revel in the merriment while a bit of Valentine magic changes the hardened heart of a woman spurned by a rake in "Fathers and Daughters." Romance will continue to spark in "Lady Invisible" when a hoyden lady and a military man find solace and love in an unconventional way. And finally, see how true love blossoms amidst the anguish of rejection in “The Borrowed Groom.” Buy now and let these stories of love, heartache, and redemption reveal the most basic truth of all: love comes at the most unexpected times. Regency Love and Laughter series: Crossed in Love Mad Maria’s Daughter Artful Deceptions All A Woman Wants

Conquered Hearts: The Collection


Emily Murdoch - 2018
    ‘Conquered Hearts’ includes: CONQUESTS England, 1069. The nation is still recovering from the Norman invasion three years earlier - and adjusting to life under its sometimes brutal new rulers. A young girl trembles in the shadows of what was once her home. Avis is homeless and penniless, and with no family left alive she is forced to become a ward of Richard, the Norman lord who has taken her home. But when King William decrees that Norman lords must marry Anglo-Saxon women Avis must make a terrible choice: either marry the repulsive Richard or take a else chance on another Norman, Melville, a man she has never met. Soon she realises that survival in a time of turmoil and war depends of putting aside the prejudices of the past. And if she can do so, kingdoms and hearts can still be among her 'Conquests'… LOVE LETTERS Having built a rich empire and keen to win the favour of the royal court, Hilda and Ælfgard have little time for their daughter, Catheryn. But one man, Selwyn, is intrigued by the intelligent and high-spirited girl. Selwyn sends Catheryn a love letter as a joke, disguising it as though it is from one of her father's thanes. Catheryn is fascinated by the letter, and cannot imagine who would be capable of sending a poem of such imagination and beauty. When Selwyn offers to help Catheryn identify the mysterious suitor, she accepts, and they start to realise that they have more in common than they thought. Soon, Catheryn finds herself falling in love with Selwyn instead… But the strict hierarchy of Anglo-Saxon England stands in their way. Selwyn, a steward, could never be considered Catheryn's equal, let alone an eligible suitor. Will they manage to stay together despite the odds? Or will duty tear Selwyn and Catheryn apart? CAPTIVES Normandy. 1067. Lady Catheryn, an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman, is taken against her will to Normandy after the invasion. She arrives, a prisoner, at the castle of Lord Geffrei, a ruthless invader who hopes to gain a ransom for her. When Queen Matilda, William the Conqueror’s wife, sees her plight, she takes pity on her. Catheryn is sent to the castle of the noble FitzOsberns – but will her new captivity be any better than the cruelty she faced at Geffrei’s hands? She finds her hostess cold and embittered, but when her husband William FitzOsbern returns from the Conquest, Catheryn’s heart is torn by unwanted emotions. She becomes entangled in the quarrels and heartbreaks of her jailers even as she tries to remember her place among them. Is she falling in love with the man who helped to destroy her homeland?

Ransome's Honor


Kaye Dacus - 2009
    They go their separate ways—she returns to her family’s Caribbean plantation, and he returns to the Royal Navy. Now, twelve years later, Julia is about to receive a substantial inheritance, including her beloved plantation. When unscrupulous relatives try to gain the inheritance by forcing her into a marriage, she turns to the only eligible man to whom her father, Admiral Sir Edward Witherington, will not object—his most trusted captain and the man who broke Julia’s heart, William Ransome. Julia offers William her thirty-thousand-pound dowry to feign marriage for one year, but then something she never imagined happens: She starts to fall in love with him again. Can two people overcome their hurt, reconcile their conflicting desires, and find a way to be happy together? Duty and honor, faith and love are intertwined in this intriguing tale from the Regency era.

A Fateful Twist of Love


Aria Norton - 2020
    Seeking the truth, Emily finds herself travelling to England, comforted in the knowledge that her inheritance will allow her to live a pleasant life. Her world turns upside down though, when she finds out about the condition that dictates she needs to find a husband before her twenty-first birthday... Fate seems to be teasing her even further, as she soon finds her heart entrapped by the presence of a dashing lord. Will Emily manage to secure her fortune without risking her one chance at true love?Lord Maximillian Camborne is a strong and independent man. Despite appearing calm and collected on the surface, a dark secret is hidden behind the reason he's keeping everyone at distance. Rumours surrounding his wife's death and a curse upon his home in Cornwall have left him with little to be joyful of, but the arrival of a mysterious young lady might be exactly the salvation he's been looking for...Emily and Maximillian feel completely lost before their pathways meet, but they end up finding more than they dreamed of in each other's mesmerising gaze. Regardless of how unexpected their encounter is, the connection is instant and their feelings persist against all odds. With Emily hiding her real identity, though, and Maximilian concealing an even darker reality, could love stand a chance? Will they manage to defy the endless obstacles and rumours to reach the final destination of love?"A Fateful Twist of Love" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

A Secret Deal with the Devilish Baron


Lucy Langton - 2019
    Fierce like a tiger, she storms into the Baron’s estate to regain her pride and property, but instead of the scandalous scoundrel she expected to meet, she finds a broken man trying to hide his scars. Will she eventually be the one to heal his broken soul?The legends about his bad behavior make the Baron, a person to be feared. When seeing Isabel and intrigued by her reckless personality, he offers a condition in return; she must be a companion to his ailing sister, and live in his estate until he says otherwise. But with every moment he shares with the passionate Isabel, Baron’s bad manners soften into admiration…and more. Will he be able to handle the sizzling passion?Isabel, surprisingly finds out that not everything is as it seems in the Baron’s estate. As time goes by, she finds herself falling for the Baron’s charm, but not before she berates him for his ignoble behavior. Will she be able to make him open his heart to love again? While everything seems to be going out of control, can Isabel take the reins and steer her life towards the future she dreams of?

Lady Beauchamp's Proposal


Amy Rose Bennett - 2014
     Elizabeth, Lady Beauchamp, fears for her life. When she discovers her dissolute and long-estranged husband has syphilis—and he wants to beget an heir no matter the cost—she flees to a remote part of Scotland to begin a new life as the widowed governess, Mrs. Beth Eliott at Eilean Tor Castle. When Mrs. Eliott unexpectedly arrives on his doorstep, the reclusive and recently widowed Marquess of Rothsburgh is both irritated and intrigued. No longer in need of a governess—his young daughter now resides with his sister’s family in Edinburgh—he proposes the beautiful widow fill a position of a different kind… Torn between staying true to her marriage vows and her wanton attraction to the devilishly handsome marquess, Elizabeth struggles against the temptation to become his mistress. But living a lie is not easy when you have fallen in love. And secrets always have a way of coming out…