Book picks similar to
The Substitute Heiress by Juliane Karlis


historical
romance
historical-romance
fiction

Engaging Love


Abby Ayles - 2018
     John Radcliffe, heir to the earldom of Mountbank, must find a wife to show his father his seriousness towards his inherited responsibilities, or he will be disowned. When the two meet, they seem to hit it off—and they don’t have much of a choice when it comes to their hearts. They agree to marry, only later to realize that they are completely ill-suited for one another. Natalie is sociable, prone to gossip, and doesn’t take anything seriously. John takes things too seriously, thinks he’s always right, and is far more focused on his guilt about his past behavior than his new bride-to-be. As the two of them try to make do with one another, they find that they’re still drawn towards each other despite their frustrations. Perhaps they might even genuinely want to be with one another. But it’s all just for the sake of propriety… right? "Engaging Love" is a historical regency romance novel of approximately 90,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after. Enjoy!

The Revenge of the Betrayed Duke


Bridget Barton - 2018
    His only company being his love's medallion, he found himself trapped in a long adventure filled with betrayal and deceit. Lost and exiled, Edward can think of nothing but Emily and her enduring faithfulness to get him through. Will he ever find his way back to his home and to the heart of the woman he left behind? Emily Daventry watched her friends and her love of her life march for war with a heavy heart. The only thing she could cling to was that one day Edward would come back for her. She had to wait, no matter what. When dreadful news comes that Edward was killed during the war, Emily vows to seal her heart and never love again. But with her love gone and her family in need of saving, will Emily stay true to her promise? With Edward seeking revenge, feeling that all his life was a lie, and Emily unwillingly settling in an arrangement she would never expect, will love give them a second chance? Life has been unfair to them, but will they find the courage to face the hard truth and start over?"The Revenge of the Betrayed Duke" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

A Lady's Fairytale Come True


Abigail Agar - 2019
    She grew up uncertain of the existence of true love and has always wondered if she would ever meet her own Prince Charming. But everything changed when a wealthy heiress mysteriously calls her to her mansion with a unique request... Will Olivia give a chance to the old Lady’s impolite grandson and let him show her his real self? Or will she be discouraged by their differences?Nathaniel Norton is a young Earl, who is more interested in studying medicine than marrying a girl of good family and class. Especially after the loss of his beloved father, any plan to pursue love is aborted. When he hears his grandmother’s plan to unite him in courtship with a young woman he has never heard of, he will not sit by. But what if that lady turns out to be different from all the others he had met before?Olivia and Nathaniel will have a chance to approach each other and start feeling beautiful things they never thought they would. But when a long-kept secret is revealed, will their emotions be strong enough to handle it? Or will their class differences eventually stand in their way?"A Lady's Fairytale Come True" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Not Quite a Duchess (The Boston Heiresses #1)


Ava Rose - 2020
    One broken hero. With danger looming, will they uncover more than they bargained for?A determined Duchess...Lady Anna Trevallyn, Duchess Wrexford, does not possess the typical qualities of the Boston elite. Confident and strong, she refuses to accept her place as a second-class citizen in a man's world--especially when her best friend, Libby, unexpectedly disappears without a trace. Unwilling to leave it to the men to uncover, she's determined to get answers.A damaged Prince...His Royal Highness, Prince Penforth Armstrong-Leeds, will do anything to locate his sister, Libby. Sharing resources, knowledge, and time with the beautiful and intelligent Lady Anna is an added advantage. Pen has secretly admired Anna from afar for years, but his war wound forces him to remain at bay.An unlikely pair...As Pen and Anna delve for answers beneath high society's gilded exterior, their feelings for one another intensify. Now, they must navigate their strong feelings while locating Libby before her reputation is permanently destroyed. With time running out, will they uncover the truth before lives are lost and hearts broken?This is the first in a Victorian Romance series featuring strong and feisty heroines at the forefront of the new age in 1890s America.Read each story as a stand-alone, or read the series in order.If you enjoy Gothic Victorian historical romantic suspense stories, such as those made popular by Victoria Holt, Deanna Raybourn, Anna Lee Huber, Christi Caldwell or Dorothy Eden, you'll love this series by historical romance author, Ava Rose.The Boston Heiresses series:1 - Not Quite a Duchess2 - Not Quite a Baroness3 - Not Quite a Lady4 - Not Quite a Princess

The Secret Diary of a Magnificent Lady


Aria Norton - 2019
    But when she suddenly finds out the striking news that her childhood sweetheart is engaged to another, her hopes dissolve and her heart is torn apart. Is there anything left to let her believe that the door to his heart might one day be open again, or has she lost him forever? Henry Montague is under a lot of pressure to marry a woman of his father’s choosing. When a dear friend approaches him with an unusual request, he decides that they have no other option than scheming together . But as their false betrothal is celebrated among their ignorant families, he finds himself enraptured by a woman he meets by chance. Will he find a way to court the fascinating lady who has stolen his heart, even though he is engaged to another? Matilda’s diary holds all her secrets, and when it falls into the hands of Henry, she wants nothing more than to run away. Will having all her secrets exposed to Henry cause more chaos in her life, or will it offer her a way to achieve what her heart deeply wants?

Rogues Always Wear Black


Catherine Mayfair - 2020
    Until he meets Constance. Her strong spirit, quick tongue, and virtuous smile has him question honoring his oath of protecting her or fulfilling his own growing desire …Fearing that her stepfather will find her, Constance decides to trust Stephen and accepts his offer of protection. He is brave, handsome, and his kiss has caused a passion to emerge she did not know existed.Yet, doubts soon arise in her heart, and Constance's faith in Stephen is tested by his lingering touch, for her mother had always warned that Rogues Always Wear Black.The Princess Bride meets Robin Hood in this Steamy Regency Romance adventure.

House of Catesby - The Complete Collection


Sunny Brooks
    On the day of his death, in the blink of an eye, the lives of one woman and her six grown children changed irrevocably. The matriarch Countess Margaret Lilias Catesby was now a dowager countess; her strength and maternal duty the sole driving force pushing herself through the grief. Each of the Catesby children are left to carry on their father’s legacy, shown physically through their father’s green eyes and spiritually through his impassioned attitude for living. Eldest son Francis had barely a day to cope with his father’s death before the title of Lord Catesby was immediately thrust upon him. With Francis assuming ownership of the estate and his five siblings left to sort out the pieces, each must now find a way to navigate the world without their dear father’s guidance. Will siblings Francis, Emily, Helena, Sophia and the twins, Charles and Henry, be able to move forward into society and proudly carry on the Catesby name? There’s only one way to find out…---Book 1: ”Lady Emily’s Escape”Book 2: ”Charles and the Intruder”Book 3: ”The Mysterious Lord Livingstone”Book 4: ” Lady Sophie and the Proper Gardener”Book 5: ” Mr. Henry Catesby and the Rebellious Redhead”Book 6: ” Dilemma of the Earl's Heart”EXCLUSIVE BONUS! Book 7:” The Scandalous Dowager Countess”

Burgundy Gloves


Julia David - 2017
    Temperamental Allison Kent finally finds a chance to soar into her dreams of adventure. Except… In the spring of 1880, one tragic moment changes everything. Allison's planned future comes to a devastating halt when she is found at the bottom of a ravine, left for dead. Levi Graham is a strong independent backwoodsman, who stumbles upon the injured young woman. Good Samaritan, he’s finding out the hard way, is not his best strength. In addition to caring for this helpless, confusing woman, he encounters a robbery, a fire, visits from relatives, and the cabin’s previous owners, all disrupting his former peaceful life of solitude and trapping. Clutching her mother’s Burgundy Gloves, Allison can only hope time will awaken her from this awful nightmare. Strange people, strange ideas and a strange young man looking long and wanting at her. How can she convince him she has nothing to give when she no place to call home? Will she rouse from the dark fog before she’s left to fend for herself? Will her heart heal before she breaks his to pieces? See below for a look at the Burgundy Gloves Short Video Clip.

Captain Rockford's Reckoning


Susan Lodge - 2018
    But she is determined that the days of him interfering with her life are over. Destroying her chances of a happy future on his last visit, had resulted in her being foisted on her Aunt for a third pointless season in London. To alleviate the boredom of society life, Esmie helps run a discreet betting enterprise under the guise of a sewing club. But there are some things you just shouldn't wager on, and Esmie's integrity is soon put to a dangerous test. Richard Rockford had known Esmie almost all her life. As neighbours, her father, Admiral Elstone, had depended on Richard to keep an eye on his daughter when he was away at sea – a responsibility he had always taken on willingly. But her cruel and thoughtless actions, from the day he had left four years earlier, had shaken him. Now, he was back, and he wanted answers. But when Esmie tumbles into a treacherous conspiracy, can he really turn his back on her?

The House of Devon: Regency Romance


Tammy Andresen - 2020
    Rather, the House of Devon takes the romance below stairs, to the people who live, laugh, and love all while they serve. Meet the staff of the House of Devon, and discover how they find their happily ever afters...

Dealing with the Duchess


J.R. Salisbury - 2016
    As a widow, she has certain freedoms other women do not. But she has neither the time nor inclination to look for dalliance. She’s much too busy overseeing the very special properties left to her by the late duke—including the elite gaming hell known as Dante’s Inferno. Until another nobleman returns to London and reminds her that she is still a young, passionate woman.The Duke of Evermont, has returned from his sugar plantations in the Caribbean. His life is full running his estates and seeing to his investments. The last thing he’s searching for is a wife. That is until he sees Eleanor again, and other society beauties fade in comparison. The last time he saw her, Eleanor was walking down the aisle to another man. This time, Evermont is determined not to let the beautiful and vibrant lady slip through his hands. Fortunately for him, the duchess turns to him for help—and he’s more than willing to sweep her under his ducal cloak of protection. Whether his assistance is required in shielding her from members of society foolish enough to gamble away their fortunes, or from the heartless schemes of her own father—Evermont will do what it takes to show her their future together is a sure thing.

The Marquess' Temptation


Jessie Bennett - 2016
    A naive maid waiting to be loved. A temptation hard to resist. Secrets to hide or regrets for life. Lord William is a rebellious man that defies all including his wife, but that doesn’t stop him from romancing the ton. His brother is faced with the impossible—admit to a dalliance he didn’t have, or risk shaming is younger brother. Lord Fairfield, William David Montgomery only choice—or so he assumes—is to use another man’s name in order to philander freely at society’s functions. However, the name he uses is the worst imaginable: his own older brother’s name. Lord Abraham Montgomery is also a happily married man, the firstborn son of the Duke of Fairfield and standing to inherit his father’s title. If his brother’s escapades continue though, he will be forced to give up everything, as the scandal will ruin the family name forever. He must choose between loyalty and doing the right thing, especially when a young woman in the household is found to be with a Montgomery child. Abigail is just a simple maid, working hard in a place where she is cherished, and sought after by the young and brash William. The handsome and charming young man manages to seduce her, but she believes that he’s his older brother, the heir to the family name. Will Lord William stop to his roaming ways and mend things with his pretty wife before it’s too late to salvage the Montgomery name? How will Lord Abraham get out of his predicament without sullying his own name—and that of his beloved father? This is a clean historical regency romance novel.

The Heart Hears: Kansas MacPhersons (MacPherson Brides Book 4)


Mischelle Creager - 2019
    He needs to banish his distrust of women. War widow Salina Meier Moffett Dunham doesn’t trust men. Shamefully treated by her father and husband, she is on the run with her children to escape a forced marriage or worse—death. In Ainsley, Kansas, she shortens her name to Lena Meier to hide from the man pursuing her. She finds a position as a clerk in the mercantile with the grouchy storekeeper. But there is something within that grumpy man that her heart hears and draws her. She isn’t sure what that thing is until she discovers a book in the storeroom of the mercantile. Returning from the war, Angus MacPherson takes back the running of his mercantile and keeps his distance from the young women in Ainsley. After a run-in with Lena Meier—literally, his buggy ran into her cart, leaving him injured, he agrees to let her work in his store. After all, his MacPherson family creed is to help and protect all widows and orphans. But this woman, this stranger in town, irritates and interests him as no woman has since Amelia, the woman who betrayed him to marry his rich cousin. Matters get worse when his former fiancé, who is now a wealthy widow, returns to Ainsley and wants Angus as her new husband. Can love weave its way through the heart by things unspoken?

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.

Duelling for a Wife: Companion Novella


Gemma Blackwood - 2019
    She must find a husband soon or risk being ruined forever. Just as she is beginning to give up hope, William Marsden asks her to dance. Young, handsome, and kind, he seems to be the perfect answer to her prayers. But before he can claim her as his own, they must deal with the consequences when the Earl of Scarcliffe discovers the true nature of his sister's situation... This is a short novella intended as a companion read to the two series, Scandals of Scarcliffe Hall and Redeeming the Rakes..