Enjoying a beautiful June. I hope you are, too. Here is some early summer reading. Let’s start with something special, a free book!
At the Duke’s Command by Melanie Rose Clarke
He inherited her home. Why does he think he inherited her?
When a powerful duke inherits Grace’s home, she is furious. Why does the overprotective man think he can dictate her life? He makes a deal to allow her to keep it – if she accompanies him to society. She hasn’t a choice if she wants to regain her freedom, yet she will resist him.
Benjamin Williams, the Duke of Torrance, cannot allow the enticing woman to remain in dangerous circumstances, no matter her protests. He plans to find her a suitable husband, yet soon it becomes apparent he cannot let the clever and spirited woman go. They grow closer every day, delighting in witty conversation and stolen kisses. Soon he will claim his duchess and prove she is… At the Duke’s Command.
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The Brazen Belles Anthology by Cara Maxwell and more
Need some dashing new book boyfriends to enjoy while on a beach blanket or a deck chair?
For lovers of historical romance, get ready to stay up late reading with this introductory collection of Georgian, Regency, and Victorian pieces by a group of highly acclaimed, award-winning authors! From gaming hells to ballroom belles, these standalone stories—including many first-in-series—will have you wishing for a time machine!
P.S. Make sure you have a fan with you! This is a STEAMY romance collection (various steam levels), so there will be heat! Happy endings guaranteed.
A Governess of Sorts by A.E. Walnofer
SWEET REGENCY ROMANCE ~ Though the mysterious governess entrusts him with her secrets, his love for her is still forbidden.
As the son of a respected horse-breeder, James Blythe never imagined himself mucking out stalls in the stables of Whitehall. However, the sting of his past fades whenever he’s in the presence of the newly arrived governess. Beatrice Linton’s beauty and unassuming manner captivate him, yet he knows that a woman of her status could never love a mere groom.
Soon, with his wit and wisdom, James wins the governess’s confidence and she entrusts him with her many astonishing secrets. Exultant, he realizes he may have a chance with this fascinating woman after all. But before he can secure her affections, another, more eligible suitor makes his intentions known.
Will James relinquish all hope of winning Beatrice’s hand, even though it is sure to break his heart?
When She Loved Me (Regency Rogues: Redemption Book 1) by Rebecca Ruger
Trevor Wentworth, the Earl of Leven, returns from Wellington’s side to learn his father left the estate near bankrupt. With little choice but to marry money, he settles on the cold and aloof Sabrina Kent. But it is her sister, Nicole, who wins his heart. Yet a few stolen and wonderful kiss are not enough to make him forget his duty to all the people depending on Sabrina’s inheritance to put the estate to rights.
Nicole is head-over-heels for Trevor, but that won’t allow her to be disloyal to her sister—until Sabrina begs her to intercede and try to talk Trevor out of the marriage. Nicole reluctantly agrees and when they are caught in a compromising position, it’s Nicole whom Trevor is forced to marry.
Thinking Nicole has betrayed him to aid her sister, he wants nothing to do with her and abandons his new bride at his rarely-used country house. When he finally returns to claim his young wife, will it be too late?
A Hand for the Duke (The Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society Book 1) by Meredith Bond
Can the Ladies of the Wagering Whist Society help an impoverished modiste win the hand of a sought-after Duke?
Tina Rowan is beautiful, talented—and wants nothing more than to be free of her past.
The illegitimate daughter of a baroness, she is being blackmailed by her own foster father. She must rely on her flair for designing dresses to earn enough to pay him off. Starting a business dressing the ladies of Regency society isn’t easy for a nobody. But Tina has three aces up her sleeve—her own amazing talent, her well-connected biological mother, and the helpful (if meddlesome) support of the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society.
The handsome, arrogant Duke of Warwick has grown up schooled in the “proper” way for a nobleman to behave. Rule number one: do not fraternize with people of the lower classes. But when he has to introduce his beloved sister to society, he finds himself completely reliant on the beguiling woman he’s hired as his sister’s modiste. To his astonishment, he finds himself opening up to her and enjoying her company far, far too much.
When Tina discovers the true man behind the ducal title, her heart might very well be lost. But can the duke set aside his façade and allow himself to love the only woman who could possibly make him happy?
It will take the combined efforts of the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society to see this difficult hand well played.
If you love a Cinderella story complete with a noble hero who will do anything to win the heart of the woman he loves, this book is for you!
The Duke’s List (Men of the Squadron) by Andrea K. Stein
He suspects his duchess is not an innocent…
She wishes her duke were a little more worldly.
The former Jane Lemon’s overnight transformation into a duchess, thanks to her father’s deathbed maneuverings, has been something of a shock. She’s spent most of her life in London, where her mother’s free-spirited salons brought her into contact with a world of discreet, privileged sensuality. Now she has to deal with a stuffy duke who accuses her of being a tarnished woman. He wants a duchess who will make love in the dark of night, without any imaginative embellishments, for the sole purpose of producing an heir.
If only he were willing to bend a little her way…
Cornelius, Duke of Sidmouth, has his limits. He assumed his arranged marriage to a Cornwall heiress would go as smoothly as his well-run estate, Bocollyn. A man expects decorum and modesty in his bride, not unbridled sensuality and wantonness. He can’t believe she left him on their honeymoon. When he returns home, she’s already there, in charge of his stables and living in his retired groomsman’s cottage. Now he has to start all over and woo his duchess.Will she give him a second chance? Will he be able to suspend his pride a little to give her what she needs?
The Misplaced Husband (The De Petras Saga Book 1) by Emily K. Murdoch
Opal de Petras knew it was a mistake to marry the man she fell in love with at first sight.
Three children later, she’s abandoned by her husband and is tempted to look elsewhere for love. But as the matriarch of her family and the one responsible for their reputations, she must try to keep the de Petras family respectable.
So when on the very day that her husband Jasper is declared dead – and she is declared a widow – he suddenly appears back in her life, right before she is about to take a lover, he has a lot of questions to answer…
Jasper de Petras knew there was no option but to abandon his family when the threatening letters started arriving – but after receiving paperwork that announces his death, it’s time to return home. Unsure whether the danger is past and determined to make Opal fall in love – and marry him – again, could it all fall apart before he’s able to convince her?
At the beginning of the de Petras Saga, join Opal and Jasper as they discover just how strong the bonds of love are – and what it takes to break them.
This full length novel is a steamy Regency romance with a happily ever after, no cliffhangers, and is part of a series that can be read in any order, but is best enjoyed in sequence.
The Duke of Disorder (The Rakes of Mayhem Book 3) by Anna St. Claire
He saves her from a runaway horse. Too late, she realizes her hero is the man she left years ago for another.
Lucas Pemberton, the fourth Duke of Dorman, enjoys the freedom life affords him and has no plans for marriage, having experienced the fickle nature of women years ago. On the way home, a woman’s piercing scream and an out-of-control horse grab his attention. He rescues her, only to discover that she is the woman who had spurned his affections years ago in favor of another.
Unexpectedly, he becomes guardian to two young women—a forgotten promise made long ago. A confirmed bachelor, Lucas finds himself wholly unprepared for the challenges his wards create and force him to seek a solution.
Newly widowed, Lady Harriett Dudley flees her dead husband’s home, and vows to never relinquish her freedom to any man. Distracted by threats from his family, she is almost killed when something spooks her horse, only to be saved by the man who had professed his affection the very day her father betrothed her to another.
Did she owe him an explanation? Would he understand? Could forgiveness revive a long-ago courtship and give them an opportunity to experience everlasting happiness?
More than a Governess: A Regency Romance (Ladies on their Own: Governesses and Companions Book 4) by Rose Pearson
Unexpectedly a governess to a girl who can’t speak…can she find a way forward?
Informed by her brother that she is now a governess so that she will not have to trouble him any longer, Miss Judith Newfield is left entirely alone, lost in a new role where she has no experience and very little confidence. The little girl she is to care for is frightened and almost completely silent, looking up at her with fearful eyes. With demands coming from the marquess that she make the child speak, Judith is forced to be bold despite her own fears. Will her courage and outspokenness force the marquess to reconsider his behavior? Or will he decide to end her employment and throw her back into the control of her brother?
David, the Marquess of Turton, is struggling with the expectations his betrothed is placing upon him. Becoming a little afraid that he might have been a little too hasty in his engagement, he is additionally frustrated at the addition of his daughter returning to his house – especially when she will not speak to him! Aggravated, he demands great things of his new governess, never expecting her to respond with harsh words of her own! Seeing the change in his daughter but disliking the governess’ ways, David fights against the urge to remove her from her position.
When a secret revealed threatens to pull him apart, it is up to Judith to find a way forward – and for David to decide just how much he too might need the governess.
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