Book picks similar to
An Improper Companion by Karla Hocker
historical-romance
regency
romance
historical
The Lady's Secret
Joanna Chambers - 2011
To prove their claim, Georgy needs to find evidence of their union by infiltrating a ton house party as valet to Lord Nathaniel Harland. Though masquerading as a boy is a challenge, it pales in comparison to sharing such intimate quarters with the handsome, beguiling nobleman. Nathan is also unsettled by Georgy's presence. First intrigued by his unusual valet, he's even more captivated when he discovers Georgy's charade. The desire the marriage-shy earl feels for his enigmatic employee has him hoping for much more than a master-servant relationship... But will Nathan still want Georgy when he learns who she truly is? Or will their future be destroyed by someone who would do anything to prevent Georgy from uncovering the truth? 93,000 words
The Prince of Midnight
Laura Kinsale - 1990
Maitland, nobleman and highwayman, who was once known as the Prince of Midnight. Hiding in a crumbling castle in France, with a tame wolf as his pet, the hero is deaf in one ear, suffers from vertigo, and seems revoltingly sentimental to the stoic Leigh. But he joins her quest and together they begin to emerge from their individual suffering ...
How to Capture a Duke
Bianca Blythe - 2016
When her dying Grandmother worries about Fiona’s future, Fiona stammers that she’s secretly engaged. Soon she finds herself promising that she will introduce her husband-to-be by Christmas. One dutiful duke… Percival Carmichael, new Duke of Alfriston, is in a hurry. He’s off to propose to London’s most eligible debutante. After nearly dying at Waterloo, he’s vowed to spend the rest of his life living up to the ton’s expectations. One fallen tree… When Fiona tries to warn a passing coach about a tree in the road, the driver mistakes her for a highwaywoman. Evidently he’s not used to seeing women attired in clothes only suitable for archaeology waving knives. After the driver flees, Fiona decides she may as well borrow the handsome passenger…
Forgotten & Remembered: The Duke's Late Wife
Bree Wolf - 2015
A strong lady. And a little girl who needs them both.After losing his wife in an accident, GRAHAM ASTOR, DUKE OF KENSINGTON, decides that love is not worth the risk of having his heart broken all over again. Even his little daughter he keeps at a distance, afraid to hurt her with the darkness that now lives in his heart. Since he is unable to be the father she deserves, he vows to find her a mother who will heal her little heart.At a garden party, Graham spots a young woman with a shy smile tending lovingly to her little cousins…and he knows his duty.As the black sheep of her family, ROSABEL LANDER has no illusions about love. After her parents’ deaths, her aunt and uncle reluctantly took her in, demanding nothing short of complete obedience. Unable to live down her past, Rosabel only wishes for one thing: freedom.However, before she dares to take the first step toward an independent future, a cold-hearted stranger asks for her hand in marriage…and as the obedient niece, Rosabel cannot refuse.Will Rosabel find love after all? Or will the memory of Graham's late wife keep them both from finding happiness?This Beauty and the Beast story by a USA TODAY bestselling author proves that the past can never be forgotten, but its regrets can be forgiven.If you like marriage of convenience stories with a touch of mystery, a dash of humour as well as heartfelt emotion, then you’ll love this instalment of Bree Wolf’s emotionally charged Love’s Second Chance Series. Download FORGOTTEN AND REMEMBERED for FREE, grab a cup of tea, settle into your favorite reading spot and start this swoon worthy romance now!Love's Second Chance Series#1 Forgotten & Remembered - The Duke's Late Wife (Rosabel & Graham)#2 Cursed & Cherished - The Duke's Wilful Wife (Anna & Edmond)#3 Despised & Desired - The Marquess' Passionate Wife (Ellie & Frederick)#4 Abandoned & Protected - The Marquis' Tenacious Wife (Henrietta & Connor)#5 Ruined & Redeemed - The Earl's Fallen Wife (Charlotte & Sebastian)#6 Betrayed & Blessed - The Viscount's Shrewd Wife (Beth & Tristan)#7 Deceived & Honoured - The Baron’s Vexing Wife (Madeline & Derek)More to follow:#8 Sacrificed & Reclaimed - The Soldier's Daring Widow (Meagan & Edward) (Bonus Novella)A Forbidden Love Novella Series#1 The Wrong Brother#2 A Brilliant Rose#3 The Forgotten Wife#4 An Unwelcome Proposal#5 Rules to Be Broken#6 Hearts to Be MendedTo Follow:#7 Winning her Hand#8 Conquering her Heart
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?
The Peculiar Case of Lord Finsbury's Diamonds
Stephanie Laurens - 2014
When Barnaby is summoned to assist Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard in investigating the violent murder of a gentleman at a house party, Penelope, frustrated that she cannot participate, insists on a detailed report – and promptly arranges a private dinner party so that she and Griselda, Stokes’s wife, can be duly informed of their husbands’ discoveries.But what Barnaby and Stokes uncover only leads to more questions. The murdered gentleman had been thrown out of the house party days before, so why was he returning? And how and why did he come to have the fabulous Finsbury diamond necklace in his pocket, much to Lord Finsbury’s consternation. Most peculiarly, why had the murderer left the necklace, worth a stupendous fortune, on the body?The conundrums compound as our intrepid investigators attempt to make sense of this most baffling case. Meanwhile, the threat of scandal grows ever more tangible for all those attending the house party – and the stakes are highest for Lord Finsbury’s daughter and the gentleman who has spent the last decade in darkest Africa striving to resurrect his family fortune so he can aspire to her hand. Working parallel to Barnaby and Stokes, can our would-be lovers find a path through the maze of contradictory facts to expose the murderer, disperse the pall of scandal, and claim the love and the shared life they now crave?A pre-Victorian mystery with strong elements of romance. A short novel of 39,000 words.An entry in The Casebook of Barnaby Adair series, the events in this short novel occur between the events described in the full-length novels, WHERE THE HEART LEADS and the upcoming THE MASTERFUL MR. MONTAGUE.
Deceiving the Duke of Kerrington
Ginny Hartman - 2013
The book was updated on August 6th, 2013 after having been professionally edited***Hope Hillburn was born to a life of servitude and never once questioned her role in society. As a lady's maid to Noelle Parrish, she had everything she wanted out of life; a secure and honorable post, a decent room to call her own, and ample time to write fantastical tales of winsome creatures while her mistress, Lady Noelle, attended the various society events offered by the ton. Lady Noelle Parrish knew that her father was anxious to see her wed but she never imagined he'd go behind her back and arrange for her to marry against her will, to a duke with a questionable reputation no less. Disheartened by the prospect of marrying a man she's never met and the possibility of foregoing a lifetime of love, Noelle makes the impulsive decision to flee England with an American gentleman she's only just met. There's only one problem...Lady Noelle's father, the Earl of Brattondale, would never permit her to marry an untitled American, nor was he willing to go back on his word to the duke. In her desperation, Lady Noelle convinces Hope to take her place after noticing an uncanny resemblance between them both. Against her own better judgment, Hope agrees to take Noelle's place when she realizes there's no other way for Noelle to flee to America without causing her family disgrace. Thrown into a life she has only ever viewed from the outside, Hope must convince everyone that she is a lady lest her farce be discovered. She is confident that she can handle society's strict rules of propriety but she soon learns that guarding her heart from falling in love with an incredibly handsome, self assured duke with a penchant for snarling isn't going to be quite as easy.
Ruse & Romance
S.G. Rogers - 2014
Lord Philip Butler’s father wants him to settle down before he can become a landowner. With no intention of following through, Kitty and Philip enter into a temporary engagement as a means to an end. Unfortunately, someone knows the truth and is determined to expose them. Will the ruse turn into a romance before it’s too late?
Too Wicked to Kiss
Erica Ridley - 2010
And behind its doors, amid the flickering shadows and secret passageways, danger lies in wait… TO HIS EVERY DARK DESIREEvangeline Pemberton has been invited to a party at the sprawling estate of reclusive Gavin Lioncroft, who is rumored to have killed in cold blood. Initially, his towering presence and brusque manner instill fear… until his seductive attentions and unexpected vulnerability conquer her resistance.But when a guest is murdered, Evangeline is torn. Could the man to whom she is so powerfully drawn, also be a ruthless killer?
Waiting for You
Kasey Michaels - 2000
Jack was variously annoyed, flattered, and as the years passed and childhood faded, both he and Merry sensed a slow change in their relationship.Friendship, blossoming into love. Love for each other, and a combined love for Coltrane House, fast falling into disrepair by his neglectful father. But one day the estate would be his, and Jack and Merry would make it beautiful again, raise their children there, and live happily ever after.Theirs was the perfect dream, until Jack’s father took him aside to tell him something that sent his son fleeing from Coltrane House, away from Merry, perhaps never to return. Ah, love… why is it never easy?Oh… and then there’s Jack’s quite singular friend from America, and possibly a pair of matchmaking ghosts. Ghosts? Well, certainly – why not? Everyone loves a happy ending!
Love and Other Scandals
Caroline Linden - 2013
Thanks to some deliciously scandalous—and infamous—stories, she has a pretty good idea of what she's missing as a spinster. Is even a short flirtation too much to ask for?Tristan, Lord Burke, recognizes Joan at once for what she is: trouble. Not only is she his best friend's sister, she always seems to catch him at a disadvantage. The only way he can win an argument is by kissing her senseless. He'd give anything to get her out of her unflattering gowns. But either one of those could cost him his bachelor status, which would be dreadful—wouldn't it?
The Beast of Beswick
Amalie Howard - 2019
With a ruined face like his, it's hard to like much about the world. Especially smart-mouthed harpies—with lips better suited to kissing than speaking—who brave his castle with indecent proposals.But Lady Astrid Everleigh will stop at nothing to see her younger sister safe from a notorious scoundrel, even if it means offering herself up on a silver platter to the forbidding Beast of Beswick himself. And by offer, she means what no highborn lady of sound and sensible mind would ever dream of—a tender of marriage with her as his bride.
Unlaced
Kristina Cook - 2004
Instead, she’s caught up in a whirlwind of balls, marriage proposals, and ton intrigues. Worse, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to her sponsors’ maddening neighbor, Henry Ashton, the Marquess of Mandeville. The handsome, arrogant, sometimes infuriating Mandeville stokes a passionate fire within her that won’t be denied, no matter the consequence.Deep, emotional scars secretly plague Henry, Lord Mandeville. As a result, he’s avoided romantic entanglements at all costs. Only, now he needs a wife—someone from a wealthy, powerful family to further his political aspirations. Instead, he finds himself all but obsessed with the beautiful but unconventional Lucy Abbington—a woman whose passions and wit stir desires he’d rather ignore. And yet…she might just be the one woman who can heal his wounded heart.Lucy and Henry’s heads say no, but their hearts say yes. Will they find themselves undone by love?
An Invitation to Scandal
Kelly Boyce - 2013
Miss Abigail Laytham is a lady on a mission, determined to see the man responsible for her beloved uncle’s death pay. But revenge has its price, and with scandal courting her every step, can the headstrong beauty find the satisfaction she craves, or will she find something else entirely at the hands of her former beau, Viscount Roxton. The Sins & Scandals Series While there are those who spend their time in modest pursuits, upholding propriety befitting the lords and ladies of the ton, it would seem that for others scandal is just a sin away… THE SINS & SCANDALS SERIES #1 AN INVITATION TO SCANDAL #2 A SCANDALOUS PASSION #3 A SINFUL TEMPTATION #4 THE LADY'S SINFUL SECRET #5 SURRENDER TO SCANDAL #6 A SINNER NO MORE #7 THE SWEETEST SIN (Aug 9, 2016) #8 A MOST SCANDALOUS CHRISTMAS (Dec 2016) #9 A HINT OF SCANDAL (Spring 2017) #10 SINS OF A SOLDIER (TBD)
Tempt Me at Midnight
Lauren Royal - 2014
But when the man she's loved since her girlhood returns from a long spell abroad, she quite suddenly finds herself hoping the fine lord her brother has picked for her won't propose. She decides that if he does, she'll quite improperly turn him down—that is, until the man of her hopes and dreams informs her he has no intention of marrying her.The last time Tristan Nesbitt saw Alexandra, he was a common man with no hope of ever wedding the daughter of a marquess. Seven years later, he's now Lord Hawkridge, which should make him eminently suitable for the woman who long ago captured his heart. But a dreadful scandal has tarnished his name in England—a scandal so horrid that marrying Alexandra would ruin not only her flawless reputation but her whole family. For Alexandra's own good, he must fight his relentless desires and stay far away…