Book picks similar to
A Beauty to Seduce the Beastly Duke by Harriet Caves
historical
historical-romance
marriage-of-convenience
disabled-scarred-mcs
The Duke's Undoing
G.G. Vandagriff - 2012
He is weary, cynical, and very bored. Known as the worst rake in England, he finds he has no interest in upholding that distinction, when his friend, the Marquis of Somerset, proposes a bet: "Five thousand guineas says that seducing Miss Elise Edwards will cure your ennui." Because his friend has just lost a packet to him, he agrees that the bet be posted in White's famous Betting Book.The following day, while walking in Green Park, he spies a mysterious young woman, veiled, and obviously grieving. A disembodied voice, sounding strangely like that of his late adjutant, informs him, "The jig is up. That is the girl you are going to marry!" He scoffs, but is nevertheless intrigued by something about the slight figure. He even sketches her and asks if he can be of assistance to her. She declines his offer kindly.At the opera that evening, he is captivated by a beauty across the Opera Hall. He hears the same voice, saying the same thing. The marquis informs him that the woman in question is Miss Elise Edwards. When he meets her, he recognizes her voice as that of the woman in the park. Now she is surrounded by a surfeit of ex-fiance's, one of them dangerously unbalanced. Ruisdell discovers an actual bond between them which renders him honor bound to protect her.Thus begins a train of unstoppable events--dangerous, humorous, devilish, and amorous--that carry his life along at such a pace that the duke soon knows not whether he is on his head or his heels. And then there is that bet . . .
Rogue's Honor
Brenda Hiatt - 2001
When she is rescued from the near-disaster of recognition by a charming serving-man, Pearl pretends to be simple-minded to safeguard herself from any unwanted advances. But soon she begins to suspect that her rescuer is far more than the common servant he seemed at first.Luke St. Clair lives a double life, pretending to be a gentleman while in reality sustaining himself and the needy as the notorious Robin Hood-type thief, the Saint of Seven Dials. The last thing he needs in his life is a beautiful simpleton in need of protection. But "Purdy" proves to be anything but simple-or common! Once he learns the truth, does he dare continue, in the ballrooms of the elite, the flirtation that began in the slums of London? The risk is enormous, but Lady Pearl's sweet kisses may just be worth it.
Highlander's Leap Of Faith: A Scottish Medieval Historical Romance
Ava McArthur - 2020
A Porcelain Viscountess
Hazel Linwood - 2021
Her husband is a terrible man, who never misses a chance to embarrass, and terrify her. Desperate for a way out, she accepts her friend’s offer for help, no matter the cost...Francis Gibbs, the Duke of Hayward, has sworn to never marry. Uninterested in any of the Ton’s happenings, he visits London after years of absence to see his beloved sister. When she asks a favor of him, though, he fears he might be going too far. For she’s asking him to shelter a married woman from her own husband...Just as life starts to seem hopeful again for Phoebe, her old nightmares surface again. The demons of her past will not accept her happiness, and will do anything to grab her back in their claws. Francis must make an impossible decision soon: how far is he willing to go to protect the woman his heart is beating for, even if she isn’t his to begin with?
Training Lady Townsend
Annabel Joseph - 2014
Unfortunately, she grew up into a pillar of propriety while her betrothed grew up into a renowned rake. Of course, no one would expect such an unsuitable match to go forward…which is why they find themselves at a loss when circumstances force them to the altar and into each other’s arms. Hunter, the beleaguered marquess, believes he’ll survive the uneven match by continuing to frequent his well-trained coterie of whores and courtesans, but Aurelia’s powerful father has other ideas. When he blocks Hunter’s access to the only women shameless enough to cater to his decadent needs, the marquess informs his new wife that something will have to be done. That “something” will be the immediate commencement of her erotic training…whether she wants it or not. This 70K word novel contains acts of punishment and discipline, anal play, and other sensual practices. The Properly Spanked Series: #1 Training Lady Townsend #2 To Tame A Countess #3 My Naughty Minette #4 Under A Duke’s Hand
Highlander’s Buried Identity
Shona Thompson - 2020
Since he was a child there was a mystery about his true identity, but he was not willing to talk about it, not even to the woman who found him and raised him.When a beautiful lass needs his help, he will find himself into trouble…Sine refuses to live as her father wants. She may be the only child of the Laird of the Duncan Clan, but she is too rebellious to listen to his commands. When her life is in danger, one mysterious man with different colored eyes will become her protector.No matter how reactive she is to the decision of having a guard, she will soon realize that her feelings for Finlay are much more complicated. But her father has different plans for her life and a rich suitor soon arrives to claim her…When Finlay sees her future husband, he knows she must be protected at all costs. But that means he should reveal who he really is… Can he take that risk?He always preferred his solitude, until he met her…"Highlander’s Buried Identity" is a STANDALONE Historical Scottish romance novel. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.*If you like brawny Highland warriors with a soft heart, and steamy romantic stories depicting the majestic and mysterious Scottish Highlands, then Highlander’s Buried Identity is the perfect novel for you.
Borrowed Dreams
May McGoldrick - 2003
Her only hope is a marriage—in name only—to the notorious widower the Earl of Aytoun. THE GROOM Devastated by the tragic accident that killed his wife and left him gravely wounded, Lyon Pennington, fourth Earl of Aytoun, is tormented by the accusations that blame him for the catastrophe. Filled with despair, he lets his mother lure him into a marriage of convenience—for the sake of a good-hearted woman on the verge of financial ruin.THE DESIREUnder Millicent’s gentle gaze, Lyon begins to regain his strength and his wounded heart begins to heal. And soon Millicent discovers that beneath his unruly beard and grim demeanor, Lyon just may be the most handsome—and caring—man she’s ever encountered. For the first time in her life, she realizes that she is alive—alive with a smoldering desire for the one man she’ll love forever…
The Blond Devil of the Sea
Celeste Barclay - 2019
Fishing no longer feeds their families in her coastal village, so she puts her resourcefulness and bravery to use. But she's unprepared for the pirate captain who captures her during a raid. Whisked away on a pirate ship, Caragh soon discovers that her pirate captain's form of command is anything but unsavory. Tempted by his piercing blue eyes and powerful manner, Caragh finds herself giving in to the Blond Devil. Can Caragh leave her smuggler's life behind for life on the high seas?What happens when a pirate captain tries to tame the fearless woman he mistakes for a lad?Rowan MacNeill was forced from his home on the island of Barra and into a life of piracy. Now the captain of his own ship, Rowan expects obedience from the minx he unwittingly captures. When he raids the quiet village of Bedruthen Steps, Rowan decides Caragh, dressed as a lad, would make a fine cabin boy, but it's not long before Rowan discovers the curves that lay beneath her disguise. While he likes her spirit, his palm itches to lay down the law with the woman who's invaded his cabin and his life. The question is: will she give in to the Blond Devil?When misunderstanding and distrust threaten his burgeoning relationship, Rowan must put his faith in his lady smuggler. With a choice to make, Caragh must decide if she can forgive her pirate lover and make a new life with him. Can Rowan put his painful past behind him to save his burgeoning relationship? Can she curb her independent spirit in exchange for an adventurous new love?Pirates of the Isles is a STEAMY series where lust and love become tangled, when pirates and their ladies toe the line between pain and pleasure. Travel to the Hebrides and the coast of Scotland as these pirates pillage and plunder not only villages and ships but the women fearless enough to take them on. Each book can be read as a standalone, but many characters appear throughout the series. The first third of this book appeared as a novella in the
Pirates, Passion & Plunder
anthology. It has since been expanded to add more than two hundred pages of new content.This passionate love story is ready to go up in flames. It contains adult scenes with explicit content. If this type of material offends you, please do not download.
When a Laird Loves a Lady
Julie Johnstone - 2016
A longing to forget compels him. Fate may send them into each other’s arms, but only love can mend their hearts. An Outlander Raised by a tyrannical father, Marion de Lacy yearns for the comfort of belonging to a loving family. So when her father announces her betrothal to an evil knight in exchange for his help to overthrow the king, she concocts a desperate scheme to avoid the marriage: feigning her own death and then fleeing England. But when her plan goes terribly awry and she’s captured by the knight, not even her careful preparations could ready her for the Scottish barbarian who rescues her and then informs her that he’s to marry her by edict of her king. Certain her father will defy the king’s orders and wed her to the knight if she refuses the Highlander’s hand, Marion agrees to marry the strangely compelling but obstinate laird of the MacLeod clan. A Highlander After the death of his beloved wife, Iain MacLeod has no desire to marry ever again. Yet when he finds himself obliged to do so to secure the freedom of his childhood friend and king, he reluctantly travels across England to collect his unwanted bride, expecting to find a cold Englishwoman. Instead, he discovers a fiery, bold beauty who is fiercely loyal, protective of those she loves, and defies him at every turn, challenging his certainty that his heart is dead. Ensnared Following a hasty marriage and perilous journey to Scotland, Marion harbors no illusions that her new husband loves her. Still, her heart cannot resist the noble, brave warrior, and she cannot suppress the hope that she has finally found where she belongs. However, the harder she tries to fit in with the clan and gain Iain’s love, the farther away her dreams drift. Iain is more than willing to give his respect to his courageous wife—her kisses and caresses even ignite his blood and demand his passion—but he refuses to give up his heart. That is, until enemies near and far threaten to take Marion from him. Now the demons that haunt him can only be conquered by surrendering body and soul to Marion, if only it’s not too late…
Love Is a Rogue
Lenora Bell - 2020
Their most troublesome obstacle? Rogues!They call her Beastly Beatrice.Wallflower Lady Beatrice Bentley longs to remain in the wilds of Cornwall to complete her etymological dictionary. Too bad her brother's Gothic mansion is under renovation. How can she work with an annoyingly arrogant and too-handsome rogue swinging a hammer nearby?
Rogue. Scoundrel. Call him anything you like as long as you pay him.
Navy man Stamford Wright is leaving England soon, and renovating Thornhill House is just a job. It's not about the duke's bookish sister or her fiery copper hair. Or the etymology lessons the prim-yet-alluring lady insists on giving him. Or the forbidden things he'd love to teach her.They say never mix business with pleasure. But when Beatrice and Ford aren't arguing, they're kissing.Sometimes, temptation proves too strong to resist…even if the cost is a heart.
Beast
Judith Ivory - 1997
Rumor has it her intended is a hideous cad—a grim prospect that propels her into a passionate, reckless affair with a compelling stranger she never sees in the light of day.The BeastThough scarred by a childhood illness, Charles d'Harcourt has successfully wooed Europe's most sophisticated beauties. For a lark, he contrived to travel incognito on his own fiancée's ship—and seduce the young chit in utter darkness. But the rake's prank backfired. It was he who was smitten—while the hot-tempered Lulu, now his wife, loves only her shipboard lover, unaware it was d'Harcourt all the time! And Charles will never have her heart—unless he can open her eyes to the prince who hides within.
Rescued by the Celtic Warrior
Amy Jarecki - 2014
But when Hadrian’s Wall falls, Valeria’s world shatters. Ripped from her bed, she’s captured by savages. Terrified, she prays her betrothed will mount a rescue. But it is the enemy, a Pict with Celtic tattoos and hair of fire who wields his sword and fights for her freedom. When she seeks refuge in the warrior’s stronghold, the Picts eye her with distrust and force her to earn her keep as a commoner. But the longer Valeria remains, the more agonizing it becomes to conceal her burning love for the Celtic warrior.
Mending the Duke's Pride
C.H. Admirand - 2021
Unless he meets his saving grace in the form of a bespectacled bluestocking...
Jared Malcolm Lippincott, the Sixth Duke of Wyndmere, has restored the family fortune. Will his plans to restore the family name mend his pride? An unknown enemy from the past will stop at nothing to ruin him.Lady Persephone does not wish to marry, cleverly donning the guise of a bespectacled bluestocking to discourage offers of marriage. Fate has other plans the night she falls into the duke’s arms, captivated by the sparkle in his brilliant blue eyes. Society is all agog speculating if the two are more than just strangers.Restoring the family name is not as important as protecting Lady Persephone, who is now in his enemy's crosshairs. A marriage of convenience binds the duke and his lady together, but duty is soon overshadowed by desire.
Will love triumph in this sweet tale of love and second chances?
A Merchant's Extraordinary Lady
Aria Norton - 2020
When her father, a well-known baron, arranges an unlikely match for her, she immediately devises a plan to dissuade the suitor. Her efforts are in vain though, as the man, a tenacious and handsome merchant, perseveres and marries her anyway. Dismayed, Aurora resolves to make her husband's life miserable, but to her shock, she finds her heart softening towards him. As her bewildering new feelings intensify, will they challenge her determination to fight against her husband and her desire to be a free woman?Carlos's life has been driven by his need to avenge his mother's death and claim his rightful place as the son of a Spanish count. An opportunity falls into his lap when he overhears an irate baron offer his troublesome daughter as a wife to anyone who will have her. Marrying this stubborn young woman gives him a clear path towards meeting his father for the very first time, but also makes him her enemy. He might not have minded this, if he wasn't also unexpectedly and uncontrollably drawn to his mesmerising wife... With his birthright finally within his grasp, will his heart instead force him to explore powerful feelings he hadn't bargained for?As Aurora clings to her independence amid her developing emotions, Carlos is troubled by his guilt over marrying an unwilling woman to advance his plans. Thrown together by fate, neither can deny their life-changing connection for much longer. With Aurora's safety suddenly being threatened, will justice matter more to Carlos than the woman he has come to care so deeply about? Will Aurora ever be able to set aside her fears and hurt and give them both a chance to discover the true depth of their shared feelings?"A Merchant's Extraordinary Lady" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Highlander's Spirited Bride
Lydia Kendall - 2021
Until the unthinkable happens: her brother, the current Laird, arranges a marriage for her, in order to help the clan. And it devastates her.A widower and a father, Connan MacLaren needs to find a wife for the sake of his son and for this purpose only. But the woman that is presented as his future wife is the most beautiful creature he has ever seen. Not to mention the wildest.When the death of a maid sparks an ongoing investigation, Connan has to protect April from both herself and the one who wants to harm her. Yet, Connan has to choose: stay with April or follow his King’s orders. But did the King actually order an attack on April’s clan? And how is everything tied to the death of a simple maid?