Book picks similar to
The Wayward Tide by Alison McLeay


hard-copy-books-read-years-ago
historical-romance
lost-interest
zzz

Keep The Home Fires Burning


Anne Baker - 2004
    For a while she lives with her in-laws, but she leaps at the chance to return as a maid to the household where she worked before her marriage. With the birth of her daughter she is compelled to return to her parents-in-law, a less than ideal situation, particularly when in due course Cathy is being courted by dear old friend. When Cathy marries again and sets up in the antiques business with her husband, it looks like at last she will find the happiness she deserves, but she has made an enemy who can't bear to see Cathy enjoying her life...

The Earl, the Lady and the Song of Love


Fanny Finch - 2021
    Through the pain and suffering, she finally saw clearly: love is not essential for a successful marriage. Or so she thought…Asking her father to secure a good match for her, since her choices had disappointed her so, and having resigned from the tiresome games of courtings, Imogen meets the handsome Earl of Kensington. Their arrangement seems to be smooth until her heart betrays her and she is close to breaking her vow never to love again…The undeniable attraction between them and the bright future ahead of them are hindered solely by the scars of her past until Imogen looks inside her and faces the truth that’s been right in front of her the whole time: this is the man she was always meant to be with…

I, Claudia: A Novel of the Ancient World


Lin Wilder - 2018
    Now, at age seventy-nine, she feels compelled to leave behind her story for the world and set the record straight about the beginnings of modern history.He has had his arms raised for how many hours now? Shouldn't there be a Joshua to help this Moses? I suppressed a smile at my wittiness, knowing better than to voice the thought aloud. My ladies would be shocked by my allusion to the great Jewish prophet. Well aware of my reputation as an empty-headed nitwit among those who served my husband, such low expectations had served me well. Best to maintain the fiction.In a surprising change of genre and style, Wilder brings her extensive research and wide-ranging imagination  to bear on the seminal story of our time: the passion of the Christ. The result is a compelling and harrowing love story replete with historical figures such as Seneca, Socrates, and Pilate himself. It is sure to captivate both believers and skeptics alike, and remain in readers' minds long after the last page is turned.

The Angel of Grey Garden


Anita Stansfield - 2019
    Following the untimely death of his wife, the grieving Earl of Grey Manor knows there will never be room in his heart for another. Yet, in spite of his reluctance to seek a wife, Samuel knows his children need a mother. A garden party at the estate gives him the perfect opportunity to meet the local young ladies who might fill that role in his children’s lives. Everyone is in attendance—everyone, that is, except one gentle young woman...Constance Wright has endured whispers and horrified stares her entire life. Rejected by strangers for her appearance, she’s grown accustomed to a sequestered existence in her parents’ cottage on the vast grounds of Grey Manor. So when a party invitation arrives from the Manor, there is no question—she refuses to attend. Determined to meet his missing party guest, Samuel quickly finds himself drawn to Constance, a lovely woman with an unconventional appearance. Her sweet nature and immediate camaraderie with his children slowly begin to break down his defenses. Despite himself, he can see a future with Constance—but is he prepared to give her the love she deserves?

Maid of Oaklands Manor


Terri Nixon - 2013
    A chance meeting between scullery maid Lizzy Parker and heiress Evie Creswell is about to break them all . . . Their meeting leads to more than an enduring friendship and a new job for Lizzy - it draws her into a world of privilege and intrigue and delivers her into the loving arms of a killer. Meeting the handsome but mysterious Jack Carlisle, Lizzy begins to fall for him despite rumours he had been involved in the death of Evie's father. As she becomes further embroiled in the dangerous life that Carlisle lives, she must decide if he can be trusted with the life of a close friend, and, ultimately, if he is worth the risk to her own . . . Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries, Dilly Court and Annie Murray. The story continues in The Roses of Flanders Field, out now! 'This is the kind of novel that makes you look forward to bedtime so you can read some more - an epic true romance story' - Historical Novel Society *Shortlisted for RNA Best Historical Novel 2013*

Towards a Dark Horizon


Maureen Reynolds - 2007
    The legacy Ann has inherited from her kindly employer has been a godsend, but just as the lives of Ann and Lily Neill and their father Johnny look set to improve, the threat of war with Germany looms and they seem headed for a dark horizon. Coping with the trials and tribulations of working-class life in their close-knit Dundee community, no one can escape the conflict or what fate has in store.

Missing in Action


Denise Deems - 2012
    Evelyn Blake's Army nursing career is that she has to tell her parents that she's accepted a dashing English pilot's hand in marriage. But when Evelyn's transport plane crashes just hours before one of the biggest operations of World War Two, Evelyn Blake finds herself Missing In Action. Evelyn Blake's adventure finds her forced into Operation Market Garden, where she teams up with a rag tag band of American paratroopers and their brave but infuriating Lieutenant to escape the Germans. But, when Evelyn returns back to her own unit, she is ordered to forget the men who saved her life. Missing in Action is a wartime romance that spans the war in Europe. Lt. Evelyn Blake is a plucky flight nurse, who's experienced in war, but naive in love. Her fiancé, Victor Wellington, is her ideal prince charming, both a Lord and a dashing RAF pilot. But, is he any match for Lt. Patrick Mitchell, All-American officer and sometimes gentleman, who finds Evelyn hiding from the Germans in a cafe in Holland. Rumors swirl. Did Lt. Evelyn Blake really kill five Germans? How about those two marriage certificates? Only Lt. Mitchell and his men know for sure.

What the Duke is Hiding


Edith Byrd - 2021
    And so, he is given a job working the vineyards, despite the secrecy surrounding his fate and his past…Johnathan Bashford is grateful for the opportunity to hide in the small property of the Tillmans. A Duke he may be, but lately, the attempts of his life have been more frequent, and laying low is his only option…But in an unexpected twist of fate, Johnathan and Madeleine will turn out to be each other’s perfect match. The only thing standing in their way are the secrets of his past, and when those come to the surface it may be too late for them both…Johnathan and Madeleine might not get a chance to untangle this mess, as those on the hunt for the lost Duke have finally caught his scent and they are closing in…And this time they are determined to finish what they started.*If you like engaging characters, heart- wrenching twists and turns, and lots of romance, then you’ll love “What the Duke is Hiding”!

A Mother's Wish


Dilly Court - 2009
    In spite of her own despair, she is determined to protect her brother Tom and her baby son Georgie from Jacob's bullying ways - for she is all they have in the world. But when Jacob hires villainous Salter and his vile wife Sal to run the barge, Effie's life becomes even more unbearable, and Tom is sent packing without a penny to his name. Forced to live on deck with little to shelter her and Georgie from the elements, tormented by the Salters, Effie is driven to desperation. And stealing Jacob's hidden cache of money she escapes with her son. As she begins her frantic search for Tom, Effie vows that whatever happens she will make a home for little Georgie and keep him safe from harm.

Nowhere Man: Another John Pickett Novella


Sheri Cobb South - 2020
    As weeks go by with no responses to his newspaper advertisement, he has taken to spending his days wandering idly about London rather than admit his failure to his beloved wife Julia, the former Lady Fieldhurst.One day, while loitering amidst the crowds thronging the Covent Garden market, he wonders morosely if it might have been better had he not been born at all. Then he sees one of his former colleagues and, in an attempt to make a discreet exit, contrives instead to knock himself unconscious.He awakens to discover that his Bow Street colleague doesn’t seem to remember him, and after staggering back home to Curzon Street, he finds someone else living in the house where he lived with Julia. But still greater surprises are in store for Pickett as he attempts to navigate his way through a world in which he never existed…With a wink and a nod to Frank Capra’s classic film IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, NOWHERE MAN offers an alternate version of many of the earlier entries in the John Pickett mystery series.

A Husband for Charity: Mail Order Bride Romance


Sandee Keegan - 2020
    Though she has often helped her father with his small business, their relationship is strained, as her father continues to drink more and more. To make matters worse, the more her father drinks, the more abusive he becomes, and Charity is growing increasingly unhappy. She dislikes her father and all his friends, and vows she will never marry such a man. To her dismay however, Charity is forced into an arranged marriage with a wealthy man, and in spite of her protests, she is sent across the country to be his bride. Determined that she will not fall in love, Charity tells her new husband she has other plans. Love is a mysterious thing however, and before she knows it, Charity is uncertain of her own feelings, and begins to wonder if her husband feels the same. Will Charity change her mind? Is there good in all men? Is she doomed to be unhappy forever?

Passage Through Time


William Newell - 2015
    During a day tour to Glasgow, they visit a medieval museum on a whim – something Katie is not so excited about. As John falls in love with the medieval displays, Katie can't help but notice a strange, squirmy little man seemingly following her. “Can I help you?” The squirmish man – startled, looks up at Katie. “I am Dr. Oscar Wellesley.” He introduces himself and invites both Katie and John into a vault in the basement, to pick out a love story which describes two ancient Picts – a startling resemblance in looks to both Katie and John. They were involved in fighting off the Romans and, according to the story, were key to the withdrawal of the Romans from Southern Scotland.  “What the hell.” As the two are shocked by what they read in the book, they find themselves losing grip on reality. As they come back to consciousness, there is no museum, no vault – just mud, grass and an ancient battlefield. During this time and era, Katie and John discover their true past and begin to realize who they are and what they have become. What happens to Katie and John as they make their way through time? Will they ever make it back to present day? Do they find the love which had once bonded the two together? Find out in this heartwarming Scottish Historical Time Travel Romance.

Uhtred the Bold: Earls of Northumbria Book 1


H.A. Culley - 2019
    Culley does an artful job of piecing together a story line that parallels what is known. Strong writing of the characters and a good dose of action and intrigue make a worthy read. H A Culley has long been a favourite of mine and this book does not disappoint. Really enjoyed this series. The books skip along at a good pace. The characters both real and fictional are brought to life in medieval Britain. ABOUT THE BOOK This novel follows on from H A Culley's successful series about the Anglo-Saxon Kings of Northumbria Many will have heard of Bernard Cornwall’s hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, but what of the real Uhtred? He was an Anglo-Saxon noble of the tenth and eleventh century who became Earl of Northumbria. This novel is based on Uhtred’s life. In the late tenth century Northumbria was surrounded by potential enemies: the Scots to the North, the Danes in the South of the region and Viking raiders from across the North Sea. Uhtred, the elder son of the Earl of Bernicia, fights and wins his first battle against a horde of Norsemen when he is fourteen and continues to face external enemies throughout his life. However, he has to contend with enemies within his own family as well. His father is jealous of his success and disowns him and his younger brother wants him dead so that he can succeed to the earldom. He survives several attempts on his life but then the Scots invade and besiege Durham, where Uhtred has left his wife and child believing it to be a place of safety. He must unite the disparate parts of Northumbria under his leadership if he is to stand any chance of defeating the Scots invaders and so save his family. Meanwhile, across the sea Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark and Norway, and his son Cnut make plans to invade Northumbria as a prelude to seizing the English throne.

The Duke's Daughters Series


Rose Pearson - 2018
    A scheming cousin, blackmail and family responsibilities push Amelia into a spiral of confusion and a sense of betrayal. When all is finally revealed, she must decide what to do with the man who holds her heart – and choose whether love can forget the sins and mistakes of the past. My Restless Earl - Jessica, a free spirited woman, who doesn't want to marry and prefers to continue with her life at her father's country estate. But George, a military man, catches her eye, and love starts to creep into their hearts. A dastardly betrayal put her life in danger. Can she and George manage to save her and find true love? Rescued by an Earl - Jacintha is a beautiful woman who prefers to to sit out from the dances and watch other people. She knows she must marry but she still remembers the close friendship she had with her childhood friend, Harry. But Harry is a rake and thus she allows Lord Slate to court her. Can Harry reform in time to save her from a disastrous marriage or worse? In the Arms of an Earl - The youngest daughter, Harmonia, is sweet and sensible. She thought she would take care of her father as he grew old but he insists she must marry as well! Perhaps she will marry her distant cousin, Luke? When she meets blue-eye Phillip, a newly-instated earl, she falls for him quickly. But is Phillip a gentleman or a rake? What about her father's wish for her to marry Luke? Harmonia can't avoid a tricky path to a love-filled future, just like her sisters! The Reluctant Marquess - Marquess Hugh Seaworth is far too busy enjoying himself in London to think about matrimony. The future duke is quite put out by his father's request to sponsor the daughter of an old friend, Miss Molly Newton, for a London season and help her find a husband. The more he becomes involved with Miss Newton, the more he discovers that it is not only his mind that is caught up with her – it is his heart. Miss Newton, however, shows no inclination towards him and, when one of her suitors proposes, Hugh finds himself caught between his duty and his heart. Which one will win out in the end? Other books by Rose Pearson: A Smithfield Market Regency Romance Series A Rogue's Flower Saved by the Scoundrel Mending the Duke A Baron's Malady

A Charming Cavalryman for Clementine


Hanna Hamilton - 2018
     But Clementine is different. She wants more from life than to just walk in her husband’s shadow. Like the formidable Florence Nightingale, she has a dream to become a nurse of the Empire. Her path crosses with the handsome and dashing hussar, Major Stirling Whitt Whittaker. A whirlwind love affair ensues, leading to young Stirling asking for Clementine’s hand in marriage. However, as fate would have it, the Crimean War drags them apart, twisting and weaving the threads of destiny. Will her Stirling survive the horrors of war unscathed or will she have to treat him like the many other hundreds of men coming from the front? *A Charming Cavalryman for Clementine is a historical regency romance of 80,000 words (around 450 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after. Get this book for free with Kindle Unlimited!