Book picks similar to
An Unexpected Proposal by Annette Lyon


romance
novella
historical-fiction
amazon-review

All You Wish


Arlem Hawks - 2019
    While swimming one morning, he helps a young lady rescue her reticule from the pond. A promised dance in exchange for his service gives him hope there will be more to the summer than melting heat and his mother’s icy glares.Avice King is horrified to discover that the bumpkin who helped her retrieve her reticule is no laborer at all, but the charming Lieutenant Addison she bore her soul to five years ago aboard her father’s ship. Her anger at him pushing her away has festered, but she is determined not to let it distract her from her duty. Ever since losing her father at sea, she has thrown herself into caring for her mother’s fragile health without a care for her own wants or needs. But money is growing ever tighter, and the courts won’t declare her father’s death official without more evidence, keeping his fortune wrapped up out of their reach.As Spencer and Avice are thrown together in town, she comes to see his true humility, and he finds she is no longer the young girl he discouraged. Her feelings for him begin to bloom afresh, but Avice knows she cannot have what she wants. She needs her father’s death proved or his approval before she can marry. Spencer and Avice must find a way around the obstacles placed by their parents or let go of the only joy either has found in years.

The Baron Without Blame


Katherine Grant - 2021
    Even though he was only freeing her skirts from the railing. Even though he doesn’t know her name. The next morning, he faithfully offers for her hand in marriage.Lolly Turner has nothing against Lord Preston. He is handsome, kind, and honorable. Yet she can’t bring herself to marry a man solely because of gossip. When she knows she should say yes, she says no. Instead, they concoct a false engagement: they tell the world they plan to marry, while in reality Lolly will jilt Martin once the scandal has died down.Martin invites Lolly and her family to spend the Easter holiday at his country home to keep up appearances. As he and Lolly spend more time together, they share visions for the future and realize they both hope for a world very different from the one into which they were born. But when Lolly’s father catches wind of their shared politics, he changes his mind about the wedding. Which means it is up to Lolly and Martin to choose: should they do the right thing, or follow their hearts?

Mail Order Bride : A Bride in Hiding (Ladies of The Frontier) (A Western Romance Book)


Leah Laurens - 2018
    but not impossible.  . Page Count: around 330 pagesBetty Bramble's life is a mess.  It has been since the day her first husband died.Now she's remarried to a man she used to adore.But she's not so sure she loves him anymore.  It's been seven years, and he acts as though she doesn't exist.It's hard being a preacher's wife.  People expect her to be perfect, including her husband.Isaac thinks he knows her, but she's been keeping a secret from him.Now that secret has come back to haunt her.The only man who can destroy her life has finally found her. .  She'll do whatever it takes to protect her family, including her unborn child.  But that's another secret she hasn't told her husband.She's not sure she should.Does Isaac want to save their marriage?Or is Betty all alone in this?Time is running out.  . Page Count: around 330 pages

The Governess 3


Ellise C. Weaver - 2013
    But her biggest challenge will be their father; masterful and strong in everything—especially his kiss. Poor and without dowry—and even worse—now orphaned, Miss Carly Blakemore is thrown into the Victorian world without aid. Carly is forced to seek a position as governess in the house of Lord Huntington, the Earl of Dunfordshire—a man alone in his own right—and under suspicion for the tragic murder of his well-known and adulteress wife. His governess’s honesty and forthrightness quickly offend his noble person, and he finds himself reeling from her constant evaluation of his lack of parenting skills. However, in the midst of his resentments, he finds himself strangely drawn in by her very no-nonsense ways that drive him to madness. Carly stands her ground in head-to-head battles of will that take her to the brink of dismissal. Carly and the earl continually fight the feelings growing between them. Both are oblivious to the clouds of deceit and intrigue that are growing around the manor house, some bent upon removing the beautiful, headstrong governess permanently. A final desperate chase leads to an interception of a ship upon the high seas headed for the Mediterranean and a secret society of white-slave traders, opening the way for this book’s sequel.

Heart of the Frontier


Brittany Larsen - 2021
    “The Gamble” by Brittany LarsenBritish aristocrat Thomas Clayborne anticipated a grand adventure in America—but what he imagined is a far cry from the rough-and-tumble reality. When his journey West brings a bold young woman into his life, will he risk everything for true love?“Celebration for Celia” by Carolyn FrankThough Celia generally adores Fourth of July festivities, she finds herself weighed down by uncertainties that dim her anticipation of the holiday. Then fate brings into her life a dashing stranger who is determined to give Celia a celebration she’ll never forget.“Her Frontier Bandit” by Jen JohnsonWhen Rebecca and her physician father relocate to a frontier town in desperate need of a doctor, Rebecca believes it will be an opportunity to mend her recently broken heart. But she quickly realizes that no matter how far you run, true love always finds a way.“Sagebrush Sally” by Jennie HansenEnglish rose Sally is finding it difficult to bloom in the rugged wasteland of the West. But with two handsome cowboys vying for her affections, it seems that even amid cattle thieves and gunfights, the truest danger lies in losing her heart.

Christmas at Malton Manor


Pam Lecky - 2017
     Kate Hamilton is companion to the dullest and meanest woman in England, but she is looking forward to going home for Christmas and her sister Mary’s wedding. When her employer refuses to release her, Colonel Robert Woodgate comes to the rescue. Robert now owns Malton Manor, Kate’s old home in the village of Malton. Recently returned from the Boer War and recovering from his injuries, Robert has been reclusive and morose. Clashing several times over his plans and sweeping changes in the village, their relationship has always been tempestuous. But when Kate returns to Malton, she discovers her sister’s wedding is to take place at Malton Manor and everyone is convinced the Colonel has an ulterior motive. Can Kate resist the lure of her old home and the memories it holds? And does she have the courage to break down Robert’s defences to find happiness at last?

Betting on a Lady's Heart (His Majesty's Hounds Book 14)


Arietta Richmond - 2018
     Gervaise Belmont, Viscount Woodridge, has sworn to no longer gamble – but giving it up is proving far harder than he had expected. He despairs of achieving his aims, especially as the reputation he created, two years earlier, persists, destroying his opportunities for change. Until a chance meeting with a young lady gives him a reason to hope. Miss Clarisse Weston is disconsolate. Her father has, after many, many years, married again – and her relationship with her stepmother is strained, to say the least. When she is encouraged to look for a husband, she feels trapped. Whilst her father has introduced her to a charming Earl, she finds herself uncertain – especially as the Viscount she met by accident wishes to court her too. But all is not as it seems, and a tangle of lies, deceptions and betrayals soon traps Clarisse. Is the Earl all that he seems? Is the Viscount truly a rake and a gambler beyond redemption? Is her stepmother as concerned for Clarisse’s wellbeing as she professes to be? And can Clarisse find her way through the web of deceit, to be with the man she loves, or will greed and manipulation steal her chance at happiness forever?

Doctor Rose and the Outlaw


R.O. Lane - 2020
    She sets up her medical practice there. One night she's called out to help a gang of outlaws that have been shot to pieces while trying to rustle cattle. One of the outlaws is a young man that she develops feelings for, but he's in and out of her life for months on end. The outlaw attempts to change his life and go straight. It's a challenge that Rose encourages. It's the tale of two people who grow to care deeply for each other, and when Rose is kidnapped, the outlaw, now her husband, rides out to save her. Another novel of the Old West from the pen of R. O. Lane.

Saving the King


Leilani Love - 2018
     Katrina would do anything for her long-time friend and Queen, so when the newborn Prince is thrust into her arms she promises to protect him as she is rushed with Arthur to Merlin’s. When Morgana’s Demon Army attacks her carriage, Katrina is outnumbered and outmatched as she finds herself surrounded with nowhere to run. On his way home Bryan stumbled upon a turned carriage. His wolves take off following after the trail of what looks to be a small army of men. When he sees a giant painted man about to kill a small woman he rushes to help without thinking about the consequences. Riding his horse as fast as he dares, the woman in his arms lips are blue from the cold, the baby cries getting softer Bryan feels his panic rising. Who is she and how did she come to be traveling along with a baby that wasn’t hers? Will he be able to figure out before those men come back to try and finish the job? A fantasy King Arthur retelling.

Snow and Mistletoe


Jen Geigle Johnson - 2020
    Mr. Easton will never ask.Except Julian must find a wife by Christmas or his brother Edmund will choose one for him.And Dosie finds she just might need that proposal after all, not only during her first season, but her first ball.Can they make a marriage between them? A marriage of convenience?Enjoy a romance full of regency wit and romantic quandries reminiscent of Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer. Get your copy now.For all fans of our usual Regency House Party series, this book will not be a part of a joint author series. It will now become part of a series of books celebrating the Easton family and their eventual marriages, each surrounding the events of a house party set at Christmas time. Please enjoy the first of these.

The Stone-Cold Heart of Valentine Briscoe


Marcia Lynn McClure - 2017
    Her panicked gaze still held the fierce one of the stranger through the instruction room window, and she saw his dark brows pucker in a frown.“She’s chokin’!” Oscar hollered. “Miss Abernathy is chokin’ on a lemon drop!”“Is this one of our manners lessons, Miss Abernathy?” Nancy inquired.Again, Haven’s body attempted to gasp as, all at once, the door leading from the outside boardwalk to the instruction room burst open, splintering throughout the room—the stranger with the fierce and fiery stare stepping across the threshold.“She’s chokin’ on a lemon drop, mister!” Margie cried.The stranger said nothing—simply strode to Haven, reached out, and slapped her hard on the back. But the lemon drop did not dislodge from her throat.“She’s gonna choke to death right here with us watchin’!” Florence shrieked.Again the man pounded on Haven’s back. Nothing. She still couldn’t breathe!“Well, then…” she heard the man’s low, imposing voice rumble.Haven felt the man’s arms suddenly go around her waist—felt more dizzying effects as he flipped her upside down and began shaking her.“Cough it up, lady,” the man growled, “else you’re gonna commence yer dirt nap right here in front of these kids.”Holding Haven upside down with now just one arm around her waist, the man pounded on her back once more. At last, the lemon drop dislodged from Haven’s mouth and, seeming to have a will of its own, leapt out of her mouth and went bouncing across the wooden planks of the instruction room floor.

Beyond the Veil of Tears


Rita Bradshaw - 2014
    Oswald proves to be more sadistic and violent than she could ever have imagined. On learning she is expecting a child, Angeline makes plans to run away and take her chances fending for herself and her baby. But then tragedy takes over . . .

Coming Home


Gwen Kirkwood - 2014
    Victory over Japan has been announced and everyone in Megan Oliphant’s home town in Scotland is celebrating the end of the war. The boys are 'Coming Home'. Megan has been waiting desperately for the day when Steven Caraford, the best friend of her older brother, finally returns. After long correspondence during Steven's time away - and after supporting each other through her brother's death - Megan can only hope her feelings for him are mutual. Steven has longed for the day when he can return home to Scotland, and – although it will mean long days, little money and no security – his heart’s desire is to have a farm of his own. While Megan heads off for college, Steven struggles to build up his new home - and both must try to work out what the other is feeling about their future together. Coming Home is a moving romantic drama about building a new life after the Second World War - and about searching for love, stability and happiness. Praise for Gwen Kirkwood: 'A gripping read' - Robert Foster, best-selling author of The Lunar Code Gwen Kirkwood is the author of sixteen Scottish novels and six shorter romantic novellas, including A Question of Love. She won the Elizabeth Goudge Trophy, judged by Richard Lee, when it was re-introduced to mark the millennium in 2000. She lives in Scotland.

The Evening Star


M.L. Gardner - 2016
    See how it all started for one couple in this dynamic series and begin your journey into the world of 1929. Caleb Jenkins wasn’t looking for the love of his life. After selling his grandfather’s farm in Massachusetts, he was only searching for a place to start over and forget his past. In his travels through Georgia, he meets Arianna Bellamy, a woman with modern ideas, struggling beneath the confines of old-fashioned values and strict parents. She begins to buckle under the weight of the responsibility that’s been placed on her. Caleb sees a kindred spirit in her yearning to be free and has to fight to get beneath the iron exterior that Arianna has built for her own protection. As he starts to unravel her complicated nature, he shows her a life she knew existed but had always been denied. Caleb suggests that they run off together to New York. With the firm hold her family has on her, Arianna must make a choice between love and obligation.

Road to Rosewood


Ashtyn Newbold - 2018
    Her protective parents, however, have other plans for her. When she finally dares to escape, her carriage is besieged by highwaymen with a familiar man leading them. Could this mysterious outlaw be exactly the person Lucy has been searching for?