Book picks similar to
A Dangerous Charade by Anne Barbour


regency
romance
romance-historical
historical-romance

My Lord Murderer


Elizabeth Mansfield - 1978
    Debonair . . . Deadly?Drew Jamison steels himself for yet another frivolous evening of dancing at his sociable sister's soiree. But when an enchanting young lady catches his eye, he realizes that this will be no ordinary night...As Lady Gwendolyn Rowle enters the ballroom, she is accosted by a tiresome admirer. Soon enough, however, a breathtaking stranger sweeps her onto the dance floor. She enjoys a lively flirtation with her mysterious rescuer--until he reveals his identity...For these two strangers have a tragic connection--the blood of Lady Gwendolyn's late husband is on Drew Jamison's hands! Yet despite what she knows, the lady is drawn to her husband's killer. How can such an unholy attraction exist? And what will Lady Gwen do about it?

The Seventh Suitor


Laura Matthews - 1979
    No harm done, except that it reminded some in the country neighborhood that Kate had also refused the suit of the Earl of Winterton's brother--but then surprisingly accepted a legacy from him when he died in the Peninsula. Regency Romance by Laura Matthews

Crossed Quills


Carola Dunn - 1998
    When Wynn Selworth implores Prometheus, a supposed male literary essayist who is actually Phillippa Lisle, to help him, Phillippa poses as Prometheus' liaison since she is determined never to reveal her secret, and together they embark on a madcap adventure of love.

An Advantageous Marriage: A thrilling Regency romance


Alice Chetwynd Ley - 1979
     The scheming Turville family have met their match… 1816, England The aristocratic Turvilles had always deplored an unfortunate connection with Trade through the marriage twenty years previously of the Baron’s brother with the daughter of a Yorkshire manufacturer. But, Eugenia, only child of this marriage is not only an orphan — she is also her grandfather’s sole heir and extremely wealthy. Keen to keep the Turville money in the family, Lady Turville deigns to overlook her niece’s rustic manners in order to force a match between Eugenia and one of her sons. But Eugenia is not the simple country girl she was expecting… Will Lady Turville’s plans come to pass? Could Eugenia fall for one of her cousin’s charms? Or will she make an advantageous marriage elsewhere…? AN ADVANTAGEOUS MARRIAGE is a classic historical novel by Alice Chetwynd Ley: a traditional British, Regency romance, set in nineteenth-century England. ‘I would recommend this book and this author in general to those who enjoy the older, more leisurely and textured style of romance storytelling’ - Regency Retro Reads ‘These vintage Regency romances hover somewhere between Jane Austen and the genre as we know it today. I really enjoy them.’ - Sonya’s Stuff

Rolande


Clare Darcy - 1978
    INTO BOY -- She was cunningly trained to act out the role of a missing lad who stood to inherit the most fabulous fortune in England. INTO BEAUTY -- She was just as capable of donning a wig and a revealing gown to play the part of a devastating society seductress. INTO BATTLE -- But nothing had prepared Rolande to face the charm of a captivating, conscienceless aristocrat on one hand, and the danger of an unknown assailant of the other...as suddenly she had her fair hands full in a fight for life and love that she dared not lose...

Dame Durden's Daughter


Joan Smith - 1978
    So Edith is pushed into an engagement with the Saxon-blooded minister, Dr. Thorne, who may not be all he appears. The wild and newly elevated duke, Helver Saymore, is Edith's own choice, but there are powerful arguments against him--including his own lack of coming to the point.

A Diamond in the Rough


Andrea Pickens - 2001
    Spurning the gaming halls and brothels, he secretly designs the most beautiful gardens in England. Then his ne'er-do-well father bets the ancestral manor on the outcome of a golf match, and it's up to Adrian to save his beloved home. But first he must travel to Scotland to learn the game. Miss Derrien Edwards is not a typical Scottish lass. Her bouncy blond curls tucked under a woolen cap, she satisfies her love of the links by passing as a young male caddie named "Derry". When Adrian arrives at St. Andrews links, he's paired with "Derry". While learning to play, Adrian struggles to ignore his strange attraction to the impudent caddie, and Derrien finds herself caught in her own trap. Secrets swirl as the day of reckoning arrives—and neither can afford to lose the game.

Miss Billings Treads the Boards


Carla Kelly - 1993
    But beautiful Kate was an impoverished orphan—and her only escape from a lecherous employer's embraces was to go upon the stage. It was dangerous enough that a charming French playwright wanted her as his leading lady, and an ambitious impresario demanded that she bare her charms to an eager audience. But when a magnificent marquess, Lord Henry Grayson, proposed that she join him in a masquerade of mating in a mock marriage, Kate found that putting on an act in public could be even more perilous in private...if the act was an act of love....

A Sensible Lady: A Traditional Regency Romance


Judith Lown - 2012
    So she leases the Dower House from a kindly baron on a neighboring estate, believing that she has successfully met the greatest challenge of her life.How wrong she is! The kindly baron dies. An orphan arrives, whom Katherine accepts as her nephew. She is determined to provide for him, which means she must forget about love and marry a gentleman with money.There are three possibilities.Her cousin, Sir Clive Brampton, is eager to let bygones be bygones and marry Katherine. She would be able to return to her family home and live a life of financial ease. Her nephew would be provided for and launched into a career deemed suitable by Sir Clive. Can Katherine just accept Sir Clive’s generous offer?The Reverend Mr. Augustus Wharton, the newly arrived vicar, listens attentively to Katherine’s anguished musings over the loss of her brother on a distant battlefield in Spain. There are rumors that Mr. Wharton’s present vocation is a stunning contrast to his past as a hard drinking, gambling rake. Katherine dismisses the rumors and wonders if she could live happily with a man for whom she feels only sisterly affection.Finally, there is the new baron, Lord Henry Dracott. Lord Harry, as he is called, is clearly attracted to Katherine. But in spite of their best efforts to be civil to each other, their disagreements end up in arguments. Although there is mutual attraction, Katherine knows that Lord Harry’s heart is buried with his dead wife.Katherine tries to be a sensible lady and accept a practical marriage. But will her heart let her?

A Passionate Endeavor


Sophia Nash - 2004
    But when he finds himself in the hands of Nurse Charlotte, he feels something stir. All the while, Charlotte hopes that the man who makes her heart pound will someday return her dangerously passionate love.

An Unconventional Courtship


Dorothy Mack - 1987
     Can Cleone play matchmaker while keeping her own heart intact? Regency England Orphaned and with no dowry, Cleone Latham relies on the protection of her penny-pinching great-uncle, the Earl of Brestwick. At twenty-three, she has resigned herself to a humble life of running his household and keeping the peace between him and her lively cousins. When the enigmatic Lord Altern comes to stay Bramble Hall — apparently intent on courting her most beautiful cousin, Emerald Hardwicke — Cleone must help promote the advantageous match. But Lord Altern seems more interested in playing chess with the old earl and discussing art with Cleone than seeking out Emerald’s company. And as they spend more time together, Cleone finds it increasingly difficult to resist his mysterious charm… An Unconventional Courtship by Dorothy Mack is a classic Regency romance full of twists and surprises.

The Counterfeit Gentleman


Charlotte Louise Dolan - 1994
    A wealthy and aristocratic heiress, Miss Bethia Pepperell falls head over heels in love with Digory Rendell, the handsome stranger who had saved her life and who flaunts the fact that he makes his living outside the law.

Bella's Band


Alina K. Field - 2014
    His brother’s murder has forced Steven into a new and completely unwanted role, and worse, he has no idea how to salvage his family’s depleted estate. A rumor that his brother had a son by a woman who may be a) the murderer, and b) his brother’s secret wife, sets Steven on a mission to find her, the boy, and—Steven ardently hopes—the proof of a marriage that will set him free. Confirmed spinster Annabelle Harris is a country heiress with a penchant for taking in orphans and helping the downtrodden. Her philanthropy hides her desperate search for her disgraced sister, the mistress to the Earl of Hackwell. When the Earl is murdered, her sister thrusts her child into Annabelle’s care and disappears. Now, with suspicion pointing at the sister, Annabelle has begun a new quest, to find the woman, and clear her name. When their paths converge, the reluctant Earl and the independent spinster find themselves rethinking their goals, and battling the real murderer together.

Curricle & Chaise


Lizzie Church - 2012
    Even this might have proved tolerable. After all, Lydia was an independent sort of a girl, more than capable of holding her own against importunate tradesmen, and more than happy to bring her younger sister up on her own.It would not do, however. The state in which Lydia discovered the family affairs made independent existence quite out of the question. In spite of all her best efforts, within a few months of her mama’s death, and scarcely out of full mourning, it became apparent to her that there was nothing to be done but to acknowledge the inevitable and appeal to her relations for help….It is 1810. Lydia, now penniless, is forced to seek a home with an aunt and uncle who have no interest in her whatsoever. But there are plenty of others with an interest in her – including the handsome but selfish son of the family – her cousin Charles - and two elegant brothers who live nearby.Each, in his own way, poses an intriguing challenge to her. Luckily Lydia is well able to look after herself but she gets into a number of scrapes which almost cost her any chance of happiness before finally managing to sort things out in the end.

Lady Whilton's Wedding


Barbara Metzger - 1995
    Daphne Whilton, the bride's daughter, knew what happened. She had found him dead in his chambers and vowed to keep it a secret, fearing the miser's legacy would destroy her mother's glorious wedding. Lord Graydon Howell, the groom's son-and Daphne's former betrothed!-had lent his hand to the matter, moving Albert to the wine cellar. However, Albert's adventure was only beginning, thanks to a pair of thieves, a house full of guests, and the reluctant conspiracy joining Daphne and Gray, who were hardly in the perfect circumstance for reawakening romance...