Book picks similar to
An Unpracticed Heart by Quenby Olson
romance
historical-romance
historical-fiction
historical
Rakes Always Kiss First
Catherine Mayfair - 2020
The man is boastful, rude and devilishly handsome. Worst of all, he has stolen a kiss that causes Mary to desire more.Lord Anthony Greyson knows the rumors concerning him and his rakish ways and cares not. He has spirited many women to his bed, and his eye is now on Mary. Wooing the innocent woman with a kiss, he has no doubt he will soon add her to his list of conquests, and he is certain she will not have the strength to resist.Upon learning of several unsavory rumors, Mary is tasked to spy on Anthony, and she readily agrees. Doing so will prove she is more than a pretty thing for others to admire. More importantly, she will be able to prove to herself she can resist the rake’s charms.Anthony soon becomes enchanted with the secretive woman and desires to know more about her and what she is hiding…And for Mary, she begins to wonder if Anthony is the cruel man about whom the ton whispers. Or is he the gentleman she secretly wishes him to be?
Torn Between Two Highlanders
Lydia Kendall - 2019
When Ellen Holton’s father dies, she faces yet another adversity: for her father to forge the business alliance he always wanted, she must marry the son of a Scottish Laird. But arriving at the Highlands she discovers two brothers and, unfortunately, she falls for the wrong one… Alexander Golgow, the youngest of Laird Elairon’s sons, is a man of honor and a true Highland warrior. But the moment he first lays his eyes on his brother’s bride, he feels torn between his duty and his heart. However, trying to escape the luring erotic ropes slowly embracing them is more difficult than they think… When Ellen realizes her father’s death was not an accident, her life changes for the third time. Now she and Alexander must quickly uncover the one behind all misfortunes—the one person who has been pulling the strings right from the very start. *Torn Between Two Highlanders is a steamy Scottish historical romance novel of 80,000 words (around 400 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, lots of steam and a happy ending. Get this book for free with Kindle Unlimited!
On My Honour
Elizabeth Johns - 2019
Disregarding their feelings for the price their beauty will fetch on the Marriage Mart, he arranges a match for both. Lady Margaret, however, has her own views on the matter and takes her Fate into her own hands.Returning home after war to assume his responsibilities, Luke, Duke of Waverley, expects a nice, quiet life on his country estate. Within hours of stepping foot in England, though, he stumbles upon a young woman being attacked and no sooner does he rescue her than she runs away. His sense of curiosity is piqued and his sense of honour compels him to help her, leading him on a merry chase…Meg escapes the marriage, only to find herself at the mercy of others. Fortunately, in the soldier she cannot avoid she also finds herself in very capable hands. Only her uncle has a deeper reason for his actions and will stop at nothing to see his plans fulfilled.
Miss Marleigh's Pirate Lord
Mindy Burbidge Strunk - 2019
She needed a suitable match. Neither thought they would fall in love. For six years Alex Bellingham has pretended to be a pirate. Then his crew discovered his ruse, forcing Alex to run. His only way out of Portsmouth and away from his pursuers is in the carriage of two unsuspecting ladies. After an unsuccessful Season and several house parties without any assurances, Abigail Marleigh knows this house party is her last chance. If she is unable to secure a match for herself, her uncle will make good on his threats and arrange a match for her. Alex arrives at the house party intending to use it only as a place to hide. To his shock, one of the ladies attending not only knows who he is but also peaks more than just his interest. When his crew discovers his whereabouts, Alex knows he can’t risk her safety, even if it means living with a broken heart.
Laced By Love
Linda Carroll-Bradd - 2016
The day after the troupe arrives in tiny Morgan’s Crossing, the manager takes all the money and leaves town. By opening a dressmaker shop, Cinnia hopes to make the home she’s always wanted, but Nola, the older sister who has made the decisions for the orphaned sisters, disagrees. Leather worker Nicolai Andrusha is living in hiding as Nic Andrews until the patent on his family’s tanning process is approved. Although he’s under a mandate to keep a low profile, he’s intrigued by the red-haired performer. Controversy arises when miners claim they paid the manager for private appointments with the female performers. Will Nicolai defy his family obligation to help the stranded beauty who has caught his eye?
A Bachelor She Loves to Hate
Emily Honeyfield - 2020
The single bright spot in her desperation comes in the form of a mysterious man who shows up at her door one dark, stormy night and offers her the housekeeper position at his estate. With most of her fortune gone, and bankruptcy hanging over her head, she has to act fast and accept his help. However, upon arriving at his estate, she will realise it is full of dark secrets. While trying hopelessly to bring them to light, an inexplicable desire for her seductive employer will grow in Tabitha's heart. Will she be able to discover Oliver's secrets without upsetting their blossoming affair?Oliver Penderghast has been a bachelor ever since his wife died. Being a vigorous man, who loves to travel all around the continent, he has been named the Spymaster by the very King. Trapped between his hurtful past and lonely future, he is constantly trying to find balance in his turbulent life. When the newly hired housekeeper discovers an abandoned wing in his mysterious estate and hidden passageways that allow people to slip in and out of rooms undetected, hints of a past life come to light... When deep buried secrets come to surface, he must decide if it is worth risking it all for the most attractive Lady in town. Trouble is, once he's tasted her fiery passion, he wants it all...Can he defy everything to be with the woman who conquered his heart and mind?The past always has a way of raising its ugly head and bringing havoc and heartache upon the unsuspecting... Will Oliver manage to fall for Tabitha as madly as she has for him? Or will the skeletons in Oliver's closet overpower the undeniable love and passion that could have grown between them?"A Bachelor She Loves to Hate" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
The Substitute Heiress
Juliane Karlis - 2019
Anna Bond sails to Jamaica with her new mistress, the timid heiress Arabella. Everything Anna has ever dreamed of in her orphaned life—family, fortune, status—and handsome suitors!—will soon be Arabella’s. Anna chafes at the thought of living the rest of her life as a lady’s maid, but when a twist of fate puts Anna in the heiress’s place, she discovers that dreams aren’t always as sweet as they seem! Will Anna be able to tell Arabella’s arrogant Grandfather the truth about who she is? More importantly, can she admit to herself that her dreams have changed, thanks to a certain tall young first mate with sea-green eyes? This sweet and clean historical Regency romance will keep you entertained and leave you satisfied with a delightful happily-ever-after!
Her Secret Past
Christine Sterling - 2018
After her husband's suspicious death, her father and uncle arrange for her to head West as a mail order bride to secure her safety. Once she arrives she is married to a local dirt farmer with big dreams and an even bigger heart. Samantha has no intentions of falling in love with her handsome new husband or making friends in the small town that is so different from the vast city she came from. She is just going to pass the time until she gets word that she can return home. Seth Jenkins wanted a real marriage, so he placed an ad in a nationwide paper advertising to mail order brides. He never expected to receive a letter from an attorney offering his niece in marriage, along with a hefty sum in exchange for Seth ensuring her safety. When danger follows Samantha from the East, can Seth keep his promise to keep her safe? Can Samantha overcome her past and embrace the love standing right in front of her?
Rogues, Rakes, and Romance
Elizabeth Boyce - 2015
Maybe it’s the noble title or the chivalry. Perhaps it’s the dashing sense of danger. No matter your preference, prepare to fall in love with five heroes who know how to make a girl swoon in any century:Truth Within Dreams: Claudia’s plan to stage her own ruination and escape marriage to the churlish and elderly Sir Saint seemed foolproof. She was sure the kindly Henry De Vere wouldn’t mind helping her out … but somehow she hadn’t counted on him actually proposing. Can a fake scandal lead to real dreams coming true?The Winter Promise: In the fall of 1053, Lady Imma has one loyalty: to help her uncle, the king of Wales, win his war against the English. Lord Robert, the steward of Wessex, has one loyalty as well: to keep his beloved Wessex safe from enemies. When she is forced to seek shelter in his keep, they must decide if they can listen to their hearts – or if they would be wiser never to trust each other. Revolutionary Hearts: To complete his mission in India’s fight for independence, General Carton—aka U.S. undercover operative Warren Khan—must hide both his true objective and his heritage. But once he meets the captivating Parineeta, who holds the key to both his freedom and capturing her brother, a suspected anarchist, he finds the subterfuge more difficult than anticipated. Merry’s Wonderful Christmas Gift: The winter holidays used to be Miss Merry Damonson’s favorite time of year. Until her almost-fiancé Edward Everton abandoned her two days before Christmas. Now he’s returned to their country village, but is it too late to reignite old flames? A holiday ball might just offer these unlucky lovers a second chance. An Unconventional Courtship: George Fitzpatrick had boarded the new omnibus intent on nothing more than a ride from one point to another. Until a gorgeous young blonde named Charlotte Ashcroft suddenly claims he is her chaperone. What’s an up-and-coming young banker to do but help a lady out?
Doing No Harm
Carla Kelly - 2015
Little does he know, it's his heart that needs the most loving care.
Trinity's Loss
Indiana Wake - 2017
The excitement dulled somewhat through the weeks of hardship, exhaustion, dust and barren land. Until something happened to quell the excitement, hopes, and dreams, of the girl forever. Now, with an end to the life they expected to lead out west, what was left other than to just survive? Dillon Goodman, saw her, with her mother and father sat beside the fire in the ring of wagons. The picture of perfection. He had to get to know her, but was a little shy to talk to her, until that dreadful day. Now with only a plot of land and a dream, can Dillion do what is needed to win over Trinity? Or will she fall for the handsome and rich Kirby Thornhill? Son of the biggest landowner, and most powerful man in the area, Bart Thornhill. Will Dillon risk life and limb to ride the dangerous bucking bronco, Thunder, against Trinity’s wishes? Will Kirby Thornhill get his way and claim Trinity for himself, like everything else he ever wanted? Find out in the exciting new sweet and inspirational western romance book by bestselling author Indiana Wake. This book is a complete stand alone story about those brave men and women who headed west along the Oregon Trail.
Gilded Splendour
Rosalind Laker - 1982
HIS STRENGTH. AND HER WEAKNESSThomas Chippendale was a man of the people, determined to rise in the 18th-century world through the raw power of his ambition and the polished artistry of his furniture-making genius.Isabella Woodleigh was a proper daughter of the upper class, protected from knowledge of her own deepest hungers. To give herself to a man like Thomas Chippendale was unthinkable to her---especially when he seduced her won sister, as if to prove how ruthless his desires were. But when Isabella was forced into marriage to a man who made love an unnatural nightmare, Isabella turned from a girl who fought against what she wanted...to a woman who surrendered to her need for fulfillment at any cost... Here, set in a world of dazzling elegance and swirling intrigue, is Rosalind Laker's most breathtaking romantic spellbinder yet.
Josephine
Caroline Clemmons - 2015
When the opportunity arises via a newspaper ad, she and her best friend slip away from their oppressive fathers and head for Richmond. Neither can relax until they’re far away from their tiny hometown. With wealthy young widow Lydia Harrison’s help, Josephine and six other young women have a new life waiting in Tarnation, Texas. Michael Buchanan is fairly content running his mercantile and being mayor of Tarnation. The town is dusty and tiny, but it’s growing. He believes it holds all he needs to be happy—except a wife. There are no available women in town, but he hopes Lydia Harrison’s Bride Brigade will offer a woman he can wed. He is immediately attracted to Josephine. But Josephine has every reason to mistrust men in general and politicians in particular. Will her misgivings ruin her chance at happiness?
Otherwise Engaged
Joanna Barker - 2020
But riding bareback and avoiding nosy neighbors are nothing compared to the thrilling secret she is keeping from her family. When Rebecca’s quick thinking saves the life of a young girl, she unwittingly attracts the attention of the child’s dashing brother, Lieutenant Nicholas Avery. As that attention turns flirtatious, Rebecca is forced to tell him the truth: she is secretly engaged—to the one man her family would never approve of. Fortunately, Lieutenant Avery is a navy man with no wish to marry, or so they both assume as they enter into a friendship. Rebecca hopes to change her family’s mind about her betrothed, but the more she comes to know the handsome lieutenant, the more she wonders if she promised her hand too hastily. After all her carefully laid plans are shattered during a family crisis, Rebecca must force her heart to decide. Should she stay true to the promise she made or fight for the future she’s only just begun to imagine?
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.