It is 1666, one year after plague has devastated England. Young widow Cecilia Thorowgood is a prisoner, trapped and isolated within her older sister’s cavernous London townhouse. At the mercy of a legion of doctors trying to cure her grief with their impatient scalpels, Cecilia shows no sign of improvement. Soon, her sister makes a decision born of desperation: She hires a new physician, someone known for more unusual methods. But he is a foreigner. A Jew. And despite his attempts to save Cecilia, he knows he cannot quell the storm of sorrow that rages inside her. There is no easy cure for melancholy.
David Mendes fled Portugal to seek a new life in London, where he could practice his faith openly and leave the past behind. Still reeling from the loss of his beloved friend and struggling with his religion and his past, David is free and safe in this foreign land but incapable of happiness. The security he has found in London threatens to disappear when he meets Cecilia, and he finds himself torn between his duty to medicine and the beating of his own heart. He is the only one who can see her pain; the glimmers of light she emits, even in her gloom, are enough to make him believe once more in love.
Facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, David and Cecilia must endure prejudice, heartbreak, and calamity before they can be together. The Great Fire is coming—and with the city in flames around them, love has never felt so impossible.
A grieving young widow, whose husband perished from the plague, and a Jewish doctor fall in love despite insurmountable odds, oh and the minor detail that the Great Fire of London is about to burn the city to the ground. I've seen this setting crop up in historical romances before, so it's not quite as rare as hen's teeth - but darn close.
Best friends make bad spouses . . . and worse scandals.
When Angela Bartham of the notorious Bartham family is stranded at the altar on her wedding day, she's saved from ruin by her old friend Sunny, the Earl of Sunderland. He offers a startlingly generous proposition: a marriage of convenience that will last exactly one year. Long enough for society to stop gossiping. Long enough for the press to lose interest. Then they’ll quietly annul their unconsummated union.
Left without choices, Angela agrees. But Sunny is no longer the sweet but awkward boy she grew up with—and who once loved her. A mysterious trip abroad has transformed him into a surly, secretive beast of a man who can’t seem to stand the sight of her. Nor is Angela the romantic girl who once danced all night under the moon. She’s a heartbroken beauty trapped in a fake marriage that can’t end soon enough.
To avoid the chattering crowds, Angela and Sunny flee London to spend their year of marriage in Paris. But what they don’t take into consideration is that emotions aren’t particularly rational . . . especially when there’s only one bed in the gothic feline-laden chateau they’re stuck inside near the Bois de Boulogne. Forced proximity reveals hidden depths, turning their marriage of convenience into a messy affair of the heart. Will Angela and Sunny's dance of desire come to an end, destroying everything they hold dear—including their friendship?
Beauty and the Beast with a marriage of convenience thrown in between a ballerina and the Earl who was once infatuated with her. Oh, and they leave London for PARIS! This is the second book in Ross's Muses of Scandal series.
She’s the only woman he cannot resist.
Jerome Saint Yves has always put duty, hard work and family first. Just once, on the eve of returning to his homeland, did he heed his desire and spend an unforgettable night in the arms of a ravishing opera singer. Now his only goal is to make a name for himself as a Parisian architect. But the woman he thought he would never see again is much closer than he believes.
Stella Cardinelli is a woman on the run. Pursued by a wicked lord determined to possess her at any cost, bound by a promise made to a dying friend, she flees London and crosses the Channel with a stolen heirloom in her pocket. The prestigious opera houses of Paris offer a fresh start, until she comes face to face with Jerome, the only man who made her understand the true meaning of passion.
Once again, Paris! This time our hero is an architect and the heroine is an opera singer with a stolen heirloom...and a stalker. This is the second book in Roy's Bleu Blanc Rogue series.
When Lucinda Peterson’s recently perfected formula for a salve to treat croup goes missing, she’s certain it’s only the latest in a line of misfortunes at the hands of a rival apothecary. Outraged and fearing financial ruin, Lucy turns to private investigator Jonathan Thorne for help. She just didn’t expect her champion to be so . . . grumpy?
A single father and an agent at Tierney & Co., Thorne accepts missions for a wide variety of employers—from the British government to wronged wives. None have intrigued him so much as the spirited Miss Peterson. As the two work side by side to unmask her scientific saboteur, Lucy slips ever so sweetly under Thorne’s battered armor, tempting him to abandon old promises.
With no shortage of suspects—from a hostile political group to an erstwhile suitor—Thorne’s investigation becomes a threat to all that Lucy holds dear. As the truth unravels around them the cure to their problems is clear: they must face the future together.
Corporate espionage in a Victorian era apothecary means that in order to save her business the heroine has to turn to a private investigator hero. Then things get complicated (as they do). This is the first book in the author's Damsels of Discovery series.
Bound by duty
Tempted by desire
Guard to the Byzantine emperor, Viking warrior Destin is tasked with delivering his sovereign's runaway bride-to-be to Constantinople. Abandoned at birth, Destin has spent years making something of himself, and with this final task comes the promise of land and riches. Only, the fiercely beautiful Livia refuses to be wed! Destin must return her unharmed—and untouched—but the closer they grow on their journey, the harder it becomes for him to hand her over…
Viking warrior for hire falls for the runaway bride he's supposed to deliver to his boss in Constantinople. Minor complication that. Also, it's a road romance. Gimme!
Lady Charlotte Lovett should have never run away upon discovering her betrothal. But when one has been promised to a man who, rumor has it, killed his previous two wives, one does what one must. The only thing that can get her out of this engagement is proving that Viscount Hawley is as sinister as she thinks he is. And the person who would know best is his very own brother.
In many ways, Dr. Matthew Talbot is the exact opposite of his sibling—scholarly, shy, and shunned by society. But like his brother, he has secrets, and he doesn’t need Charlotte exposing them in her quest to take down the viscount. It only seems prudent to help her while keeping her from poking her nose in all the wrong places. But as they put their hearts at risk to grow closer to each other, they are also getting closer to a dangerous confrontation with Hawley.
The publisher is literally marketing this for fans of "...Evie Dunmore, Enola Holmes, and Netflix's Bridgerton!" AND IT'S A GEORGIAN! It's set smack dab in the middle of the 18th century. Ugh. I hate everything. Anyway, a heroine determined to not marry a cad turns to the only one who can help, his shy, scholarly brother (as you do).
Augustine Bolton lives amid the social whirl and treachery of the stylish court of Josephine and Napoleon Bonaparte. When Gus’s dearest friend, Amber, disappears, Gus must find her before the deputy chief of police finds Amber and carts her off to his bed—or to la Force.
But Gus’s means are few and her own duties as an agent in Amber’s network mean she is also suspect. Gus needs help.
Kane Whittington is just the man for the job.
He has worked for London merchant-cum-spymaster Scarlett Hawthorne for years and welcomes Scarlett’s call to build a large espionage network in Europe. His first task is to find the missing head of Scarlett's espionage network.
The best person to help him is the lady’s best friend whom he’s never met. But when he sets eyes on ravishing Augustine Bolton in Josephine’s salon, Kane recognizes the black-haired beauty as the one he kissed years ago on the road to Malmaison during a botched abduction of Bonaparte.
Kane must persuade the beautiful Gus to allow him to help her. He suggests the cover for their escapade is simple: They show the gossipy Parisian court they enjoy a mad love affair. Thus, Gus gains an ally—and Kane acquires an alibi.
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE'S COURT!!!!!! A hero and heroine both embroiled in espionage join forces to find a lost agent. To do that our hero needs an alibi and what better than a steamy fake affair? This is the first book in the author's Scarlett Affairs series.
An exiled gentleman’s world…
collides with Cinderella’s!
After receiving news of his father’s ailing health, Richard Digby must leave his self-imposed exile and return to the town that holds haunting memories. He forms an unlikely connection with his father’s intriguing and defiant housemaid, Rose, who also finds herself on the fringes of society after her troubled past. Richard is intent on leaving again, but keeping his distance from Rose while they’re in such close quarters is proving harder than he ever imagined!
The Prodigal Son returns when his father falls ill but has no intention for staying long - so needless to say his attraction to his father's housemaid is most unwelcome and not exactly practical. Oh, and naturally she has secrets - because of course she does...
An inheritance lost. A betrothal threatened. A scandal brewing…
Outspoken Quaker Bathsheba Honeychurch knows how difficult it is for an unmarried woman to successfully champion political change. Her solution? Wed best friend Ash Griffin as soon as he comes of age and begin remaking the world. But when Ash’s urbane, aloof cousin arrives with inconceivable news, Sheba’s future dreams are suddenly at risk…
The death of the Earl of Silliman reveals an appalling lie: it is not Noel Griffin, but his long-lost cousin Ash, who is the true heir to their grandfather’s title. Raised to place family above all, Noel accepts his grandmother’s bitter charge: find Ash, disentangle him from his religious community, and train him to take on the responsibilities and privileges of a title that Noel had been raised to believe was his. Noel certainly won’t allow a presumptuous, irritating Quakeress to thwart him in doing his duty—no matter how fascinating he finds her...
When scandal threatens both their reputations, can Sheba and Noel look beyond past dreams and imagine a new world—together?
A passionate abolitionist, our heroine gets a rude surprise when the man she had plans to marry (and aid her in her cause) turns out to be the rightful heir to an earldom - well, at least according to his cousin, our hero, who is not terribly happy about it either. This is the second book in Bennett's Audacious Ladies of Audley series.
In 1902, Abigail Dupree is but a breath away from her grand societal failure. To save her family from humiliation and financial ruin, Abigail becomes a bargaining trade in her mother’s eyes. A bargain that will extinguish Abigail’s last hope of a happily-ever-after. If only she could return to the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, she might have a chance to reunite with the only man who has the power to save her reputation.
Garrett Barringer, arrives in Charlotte, North Carolina to escape a past that no longer wants him. He takes an undisclosed position with Mr. Dupree. When it is revealed that part of Mr. Dupree’s purpose for bringing him on board is to chaperone his beloved daughter, Garrett abruptly discovers that he has taken on more than he bargained for. Abigail Dupree is more beguiling than any other woman he’s encountered, but he must resist his heart for the sake of propriety and to keep a promise made to her father.
When her father hires Garrett Barringer, a man that seems far too young to be a lawyer, and possesses far too many favorable characteristics, Abigail resists his charm but cannot deny her heart is compelling her toward him. But she will not allow the man to ruin an opportunity she has waited for nearly five years.
Garrett is suddenly aware what his life was and what it could become in the presence of Abigail Dupree. Will he be able to give up the woman who has stolen his heart, for her happiness?
Abigail stands to lose all if Garrett Barringer sees past her physical beauty and uncovers the ugliness of her imperfect past. Will Abigail continue on the condemned path she’s fashioned for herself, or trust that God wants a future for her she never believed possible?
Folks, I'm fairly confident this is an inspirational - and I typically don't feature inspirationals in these posts but early 20th century, North Carolina and a series that is titled "Brides of Biltmore." I'll admit it, I saw Biltmore and had a Pavlovian response. It is what it is.
Six years ago, Dallan mac Murrough fell in love with the perfect girl. Though he was young when he proposed to her, he knew she was the only woman he could ever love. For reasons she never chose to share, she denied his proposal and shattered his heart. When their paths cross years later, anger and bitterness bubble to the surface despite his best efforts at civility.
When Niamh first sees Dallan after years apart, her heart melts. He has all the same qualities as the boy she loved, except he is now very clearly a man–a strong, confident man with eyes that make her forget everything but the memory of him; a man with a gaping wound that she knows she made, and a smile so disarming she’d agree to just about anything.
Except marriage.
There’s no way Niamh will let herself give in to her feelings for Dallan. She broke his heart once because of a secret she carries, and she couldn’t bear to do it again. She loves him too much for that.
A heroine with a secret who broke his heart years ago is reunited with the hero. Oh, and she's still in love with him. I mean, what could possibly go wrong? This is the second book in the Warriors of the Fianna series.
Scandalous paintings of the ton are taking London by storm, and Joss Rainville, Duke of Somerton, is the latest target. Flattering as the nude is, it simply won’t do. Left a failing dukedom by his late father, Joss needs his latest venture, sole proprietorship in London’s newest theatre, to be successful. Any scandal and investors disappear—which he sorely needs. He’s going to track down this Anonymous artist and make them pay dearly. Only Joss doesn’t expect his trap to catch Lady Ceranora Castlebury, the most frustrating female of his acquaintance... and the most irresistible.
Fed up with aristocratic, over-entitled men dictating the rules of society, Nora sets about putting them in their proper place. A brilliant artist, she takes great satisfaction in painting noblemen in the nude, giving them a taste of what it’s like to be a woman, to feel exposed and powerless. When she paints the Duke of Somerton and he miraculously tracks her down, she realizes she’s perhaps gone too far. But she refuses to apologize. Men don’t, why should she? Oh no, Nora won’t apologize to the duke for the insubordinate attitude, or the argument... but she will apologize for the kiss that lands them unexpectedly in wedlock.
One passionate kiss in a moonlit garden and their fates are sealed. Forced to marry, they cannot deny their attraction. But when Nora’s secret is uncovered and revenge comes calling, they discover they cannot deny their hearts, either.
A heroine with an ax to grind against aristocratic men (girl, who doesn't?) gets caught in the crosshair's of a Duke when her scandalous painting of him threatens his latest business venture. This is the second book in The Castleburys series.
The suitcase she found changed everything. The contents? An elegant dress and an invitation in another girl’s name. Twenty-three-year-old Mary would go to the ball, enjoy how the rich lived just for one night, and then quietly slip back into her real life, sorting rubbish as a poor barmaid. No harm done. Of course, there wouldn’t be much of a story to tell had it turned out that way.
It’s 1870 in rural England, and Mary assumes the identity of the suitcase owner, Agnes. When Mary’s one night at Mannerley estate turns into a seven-day, hilarious farce, she quickly makes friends, finds suitors, and keeps fibbing. Not only does Arthur, the heir himself, fall for her, but so, too, does Mr. Singh, his friend visiting from India, making advances in plain sight of the heir. Making matters worse, a former workmate recognizes Mary and extorts her: she must steal a golden watch from the heir for him or have her true identity exposed and risk being thrown in jail, which could mean death––and that would certainly ruin her stolen, er, borrowed ball gown.
The only way Mary can get close enough to Arthur to steal his watch is via sensuality and flirtation. But as Mary scrambles to cover her tracks, her lies and crimes compound, weaving themselves into an impossible tangle. All the while Agnes, the real owner of the fancy ball gown, is making her way ever-closer to Mannerley. Happily ever after seems as unlikely as a barmaid among dandies, when Mary's only possible escape is a confession and the hope her scandalous true love will risk his reputation to defend and forgive her.
Our poor barmaid heroine shoots her shot when a suitcase containing a fancy dress and equally fancy invitation lands in her lap. When one day turns into seven, and our heroine's cover is blown, farce and blackmail ensue. This is the first book in the aptly titled Love and Lies series.
She never expected a miracle from her enemy . . .
After burning her Scottish castle to prevent the English from claiming the ancient gold hidden there, Lady Christian is captured and locked in an iron cage. Desperately ill, she sees an archangel—but he is just the English knight ordered to move her to a convent, take her castle, and find the gold.
Sir Gavin Faulkener has secrets of his own—including a gift of healing that brought only tragedy. But the beautiful Scottish rebel unexpectedly recovers in his care and he is ordered to marry her to claim her property—only to discover that her castle is a smoking ruin overrun by loyal Scots and the gold has vanished.
Enemies to Lovers is one of those tropes that is just more delicious in medievals - probably because the stakes tend to be high (and believable...). First published in 1996 as The Angel Knight, the author has also included "added content" to this reprint edition.
Whew! I have to go lie down now. Happy browsing y'all! What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?
1 comment:
A veritable bonanza! And I want them all, save the inspie, because inspie.
Re: the Violet Marsh: don't get me started.
There are some illustrated covers, veering into cartoon-style, that convey the tone of the book inside well (thinking about K.J. Charles' Doomsday duology here), and others leave me scratching my head--like the cover for The Phoenix Bride. The woman is grieving and deeply depressed, the blurb makes a point that the Great Fire is gonna happen, and yet the cover is pastels and creams. The hell?
Post a Comment