Stories Tagged:

historicalromance

As Sutherland's new king, Emory Davercher faces countless challenges, but nothing as excruciating and frustrating as his mysterious, eccentric betrothed. *** When King Emory of Sutherland receives news that his betrothed is on her way to Sutherland, he sends her away before even laying eyes on the woman he has no intention of marrying. Months later, after a narrow escape from an assassination, he flees to his childhood home where he discovers a massive problem. Due to an unfortunate mishap, his betrothed has not left Sutherland. She's been in his secret estate all along. Grand Princess Florence Paulet of Gavaria and her cousin, Lucy, thinks her arrival in Sutherland will be easy. She doesn't expect that her betrothed, King Emory of Sutherland, will send her straight to an empty estate on an island where they fend for themselves for months. And when he finally shows up, he has the audacity to fool her by introducing himself as someone else. After having killed dozens of chickens with her bare hands to stay alive, and with lying as her ultimate weapon for survival since she left Gavaria, what else can an annoyed, blithe, and audacious Florence do? Of course, she has to return the favor and make him twice the fool. He thinks he's fooling her, and she finds fun knowing it's the other way around. As the harsh winter traps them in the estate, lies, little accidents, and undeniable attraction draw them together stronger than the snowstorm. But not as much as Florence's true reasons for leaving Gavaria, which are also making their way to Sutherland.

When a malevolent witch wakes up two-hundred years later in a completely different England, she has to solve the mysteries of her past with the help of an old immortal nemesis before her true enemies get to her. *** In 1822, Lady Aster Byrne is considered the most powerful witch in all of England for her ability to step into dreams and manipulate dreamers. But the night of the massacre changes it all. She thought she died, but she didn't. She just slept for two centuries. Two-hundred years later, she wakes up in Genesis City, one of dozens under the Saint Society. She's told that while she slept, witches had survived the huntings and won the war against the vampires. Ever since, the society had thrived, creating borders to keep them safe from the ferals who survived the war. Now that she's awake, she's no longer just the powerful witch who can navigate dreams and nightmares. She's now the possible answer to immortality. And from the moment she wakes up, Aster gets the royal treatment only given to Astrals. That is until she discovers something that will turn her from worshiped to hunted. Something is wrong with her. And something is definitely awry in this new world. As Aster tries to figure out what really happened to her two-hundred years ago, she comes face to face with Harald Evensen, a cold, immortal piece of vampire she hated then and forever. He betrayed his coven to be part of the Saint Society for a very good reason. And part of that reason is her. As much as she wants to have nothing to do with him, she needs him. Being the only one who had lived for the two centuries she was asleep, he has answers to her past. And he has blood to offer. Whether Aster likes it or not, her life depends on both.

With her reputation in tatters and a baby to look after, Catherine Balley is given a single chance at redemption: marry the man she once betrayed, a man who has every reason to hate her. * * * * * Seduced, ruined, and abandoned, Cate spends her days looking after her illegitimate baby, Luke, and trying not to think about the past she lost and the future she will now never have. When David Demery, the man she was once engaged to, offers to honour his promise and marry her, Cate cannot refuse: it is the only chance she will ever have to repair her reputation and protect Luke's future. But just because Demery is willing to marry her doesn't mean he's willing to love her: she broke his heart once, and he is determined not to let her do it again. Even if this time Cate's own heart is at risk of breaking too.

Geneva Withers never lies to her three great-aunts, but she keeps quite a few secrets, all of which she accidentally spills on no other than Damon Priest, a man she hardly knows. Could she trust him to never tell a soul? Growing up with the tight upbringing and indoctrinated with beliefs of her three great-aunts, Geneva is never spared of the true reasons why she was came to live with them. But as years pass, reading nothing but the bible and going nowhere but the church on Sundays, and being exposed to the eccentric Stratford cousins her aunts warned her about, she begins to grow curious of many things about her own life. Who is she, really? What does she love and hate? As she takes the first brave steps to find herself, however, she encounters a slight delay when, one Sunday morning at church, she accidentally reveals her deepest secrets to one of the Stratfords: Damon Priest, a man who uses her secrets to bring out things about herself that she never knew existed. Her aunts say he's the devil, and she's scared to end up like her mother. But there's something about Damon Priest that keeps drawing her in. Sin or not, she can only pray. The Abberton Series will center on the Stratford cousins and their life in their beloved home, Abberton. Cover by Shek

Miss Simone Priest met Daniel Cavendish when she was sixteen through a letter and a miracle. But her innocent and unrequited love turns mysterious when Daniel suddenly disappears. Now at twenty-five and stripped of her girlish hair ribbons and fantasies, Simone meets Daniel again. But he's completely changed. Long gone is the charming actor who inspired her to pursue her passion and dreams. He's now surrounded by an air of cold mystery and authority that makes him even more unreachable. It will not be long before Simone discovers why he disappeared, and why, when it seems that his feelings have changed, she is not the one he should want. The Abberton Series will center on the Stratford cousins and their life in their beloved home, Abberton. Cover by Shek

The fate of the entire kingdom lies in the hands of the masters of the game. And they are all women. ***** When Ellise St. Vincent takes on a role she never asked for, she is forced to use her cunning wit to be one step ahead of the game, all the while navigating a simple yet interesting love affair. But she is not the only master in the game. Others are at play, all equally capable, and all eager to win. Manipulation is delicate more than ever in this fourth and final installment of the Sutherland Series.

Determined to stay blissfully unmarried, Lady Angela Worthington hires club owner and secret matchmaker Gerard Stark to find a match for her best friend who plans on proposing to her. Love was always in the cards, she just never imagined it could be for her... ***** Angela Worthington has no intentions of finding a love match this season-she's far too busy planning a secret mission involving the Ramsbury Circus. So when she discovers her promising life as a spinster is threatened by her best friend, Spencer's plans to propose, she knows drastic measures are called for. To ward off Spencer's advances, she hires club owner Gerard Stark, who happens to be the mastermind behind a very hush-hush matchmaking service. But Stark's agreement to find Spencer a match comes at a price, and Angela finds herself quickly slipping out of her comfort zone. Angela has never longed for marriage, but there's something about the charming Mr. Stark that may be simply too hard to resist. [[Word count: 100,000 - 150,000]] Cover designed by Morgan Sangster Content/trigger warning: Contains mentions of sexual assault

Ten Easy Steps to Be a Belle: 1. Lie 2. Be a very good liar 3. Believe the lie 4. Convince people of the lie 5. Find a comrade 6. Test your comrade 7. Remember the lie 8. Be seductive 9. Be smart 10. Kill a Belle

In Belcourt, they rear weapons no man can contend with: women. Sasha was never meant to be in the Court of Flowers, one of the most sought-after courts in Belcourt, but when she is suddenly placed there without warning, she discovers a world far from what she expected--one that reeks of passion, seduction, secrets, and betrayal. ***** Belcourt, an orphanage for young girls, keeps many secrets within its walls. Among those are the four courts that rear the kingdom's most powerful weapons: the Ladies of Belcourt. Sasha is safely tucked away in the Court of Libraries when Belcourt makes a sudden decision it has never done before in more than half a century. She is transferred into the Court of Flowers, the most famous court of all, where she is expected to service gentlemen who paid their way in for a Belle, a woman trained to please, seduce, and spy. Things take a turn when she is introduced to the mysterious West Blackwood who has a very different service in mind, one too tempting and one that may ultimately change Sasha's safe life in Belcourt. Torn between powerful forces, both the kingdom and Belcourt itself, Sasha will have to determine where her loyalties lie: to the man who not only infuriates her at every turn but also awakens sensations she never felt before? Or to the place that has always been her home since the day she walked away from a cottage with two dead bodies?

Despite the unshakable attraction between them, Maeve and Lucian are uninterested in love and marriage; especially since they hate one another and couldn't think of a worse match. • • • London, 1815 Maeve Langston's aversion to the opposite sex has given her the reputation of being an insufferable wench, so men have learned to stay away from her. Lucian Thorne, Baron Worthington, has become somewhat of a cynical hermit since his return from the Napoleonic wars, injured and disgruntled. When the two meet, they rapidly learn to despise each other. She appears to be a narcissistic brat, and he keeps acting like a pompous arse. Lucian wants nothing more than to stay away from Maeve, but his best friend has his eyes set on her for marriage. He has no choice but to show him the dreadful harpy that lies beneath the lovely facade. However, the more time they spend in each other's presence, the clearer it becomes that first impressions can be wrong. Between their unexpected similarities and the sparks that fly every time they meet, what started as hatred slowly shifts into something different. Something both of them will find much more dangerous. • • • This is the second installment of the Langston Series. Although I advise you to read the first one first (The Prince and the Spitfire), it can be read as a standalone.

Confident, independent, and beautiful, Lady Cecelia is the envy of every woman in London. Nothing ever breaks her composure, not even the handsome rake Major Godfrey being in love with her. Then her childhood sweetheart Sebastian Price returns to London, and everything falls apart. 21,000 words, completed.

When the overindulged son of a duke meets a feisty bohemian beauty, two opposite worlds collide. But it doesn't matter how ill-suited they are for one another, Aiden and Amalia can't prevent their feelings from growing. • • • England, 1790. Aiden Langston, Earl Graham, future Duke of Leeds, is a jaded young man with everything to lose. Amalia Romero is a proud Bohemian who needs no one's help despite having next to nothing. After one mistake too many, Aiden is forced into exile for the summer. The boredom of the countryside nearly drives him mad until he meets Amalia, whom he hires to give him violin lessons. Amalia has always longed for freedom, and this deal is a golden opportunity to finally obtain it. Her desire for a lonesome life soon wavers, subdued by Aiden's effortless charm. Their shared love for music opens a doorway to more, and before long and despite their great differences, Aiden and Amalia can't deny this is much more than a convenient deal. But in a society that would never allow such a union, can things truly work out between them? • • • Shortlisted for the Wattys 2021! This is the first installment of the Langston Series. It's a standalone that doesn't end in a cliffhanger.

FOR FANS OF BRIDGERTON. To save her family's reputation, Isabella must impersonate her twin sister to deceive her sister's husband in a scheme that depends on her not falling for him. ****** Identical twins Isabella and Arabella Garvey have nothing in common except their looks: where Arabella is a confident socialite, Isabella hides from society, ruined by scandal. But when Arabella runs away with a secret lover to escape her loveless marriage, Isabella must impersonate her sister in order to save her family's reputation. The only problem? In order to outfox Arabella's cruel and clever husband, Isabella must start living with him, and it doesn't take long for her to discover a passionate and respectful man under his icy exterior. But is she willing to destroy her sister's reputation in order to be with the man she loves? [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

SHE IS CONFLICTED... Emma Everard has said yes to marrying Samuel Theobald, a dear friend of hers. Emma cannot find a single fault in her decision, but she also has trouble recognizing if it is the correct one, especially when someone else comes along to pique her interest, both intellectually and physically, as he exposes her into a completely different world in the Town she has never seen before. HE WANTS IT ALL... Samuel Theobald has always been in love with the beautiful, intelligent and opinionated Emma Everard. And now that she has said yes, he cannot be happier. The Town loves him for his bold articles and he revels at the freedom the pen provides, but trouble and intrigue will soon make him face choices that may change the course of his career forever. THE INTRUDER... For Wynne Hastings, getting close to Emma Everard is beyond knowing more about his friend's future wife. He is on a mission to shake the Everards and those they protect. Wynne is quite willing to do anything to get closer to Emma and the secrets of the Everards, even if it meant seducing her and losing his best friend. But there is one thing Wynne does not know: Emma Everard is on to him and she is ready. THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL... In the end, it is a battle of good and evil; of wits and tricks; and of loyalty, ambition and love. Still set in the fictional place of the Town, this final book in the Everard Family series follows one man obsessed to push society to fight while struggling to keep those he loves, another man who slowly falls for the wrong woman his family wants to ruin, and the heroine who happens to be in the middle of a silent, brewing war against herself, the man she adores, and the one she is fighting not to love. [This story is a standalone title in the Everard Family series] [This is a FREE book with PAID exclusive chapters]

THE BANDIT She merely meant to steal and get away with it. She did not mean to find a dying woman and be chased for it. She merely meant to help. She did not mean to be dressed in a gown and be a target for murder. THE GUARD He was tasked to chase them. He was not expected to work with them. He merely meant to pay for an oddly professional service. He was not expecting it to be complicated and sexually dangerous. (This story is a title in the Everard Family series.)

Scarred and broken from a disastrous marriage, Laura Maidstone vows never to love again. And it's not love, when she seduces Richard Armiger, Lord Albroke, on her library room floor. It's only desire. And anger. And loneliness. Which, as she discovers, can be quite as dangerous... COMPLETED

SHE IS DIFFERENT... Sophia owes her life to none but one man: Marcus Durley. After saving her from hell, he took her to Rock'oles, the most affluent and sophisticated brothel in the Town, where women are given more freedom, a far cry from the brothel slum Marcus rescued her from. But unlike the others, her role is not to service men in bed, instead, she serves them to serve Marcus. She does what Marcus wants for she knows of his secrets and shares his pains. He has always been the only true man in her life. A PLAN... Marcus is part of the illegal slave trade in the Town and Sophia is helping him achieve his true goals with loyalty and trust. The Town Guards, particularly Ralph Everard, has been making things difficult. But Marcus has a plan and Sophia is a willing participant. UNTIL HE CAME ALONG... Nicholas has always been curious about the mysterious woman behind one of the most wanted chambers inside Rock'oles and he is not the only one who tried to get an invite and failed. The woman only allows entry to selected gentlemen, men who make his Town Guard brother, Ralph, raise a brow in suspicion. Nicholas is urged to court an invite into the mysterious woman's chamber with the belief that she is the key to solving the slavery case. And as if by some miracle she welcomes him into her dark, quiet world. He is there to spy on her, but the more he learns of her secrets, the more he discovers things that put his playful, tender, and seductive reputation to its greatest test thus far. Still set in the fictional place of the Town, this sixth book in the Everard Family series follows two people determined to protect those they value most. And in their quest to help those they love to escape failure, they find themselves a victim of their own plans and of the undeniable passion and love that will never ebb even after the certain tragedy of which they are heading to. (This story is a title in the Everard Family series.)

When Hannah Templeton ran away from an arranged marriage, she did not expect everything to go so wrong, so quickly. Now she's snowed into a barn on her first night of freedom - along with a drunken, obnoxious stranger. In the cold light of dawn, perhaps arranged marriage will be the least of her troubles...

"They may see you as how you try to be, but what I see is what you try not to be." SHE IS A BASTARD... Maxine Theobald hid from the rest of society to protect her father's name. But as she grows tired of her role-playing games every year during the famous Theobald weekend parties, she starts to question how she has been living her life. She starts to wonder about the other part of her that she was deprived of--her mother and why she left her. A DISGUISE... Having finally found the courage to search for the one thing that she believes can help her understand her true nature, Maxine cuts her hair, puts on her breeches, and runs away from the only home she has ever known. She travels to the affluent town of Wickhurst and found herself employed as the valet of the famous rake Nicholas Everard, a game she will later find to be quite dangerous. SOMETHING DIFFERENT... Maxine set out into an adventure with none but one goal, yet found herself stumbling upon an unlikely find for the search of something else--romance. Still set in the fictional place of the Town, this fifth book in the Everard Family series follows one heroine who has chosen to defy the norm and her own fears in an attempt to understand her own nature, the first step to a discovery of not just about her lineage, but of love so unexpectedly, irritatingly and undeniably powerful. (This story is a standalone title in the Everard Family series.)

"A love not shown is more painful than a love rejected." SHE IS DETERMINED... The town of Wickhurst sees Ysabella Everard as a spoiled, rich young girl. What Ysa believes on the other hand is that she will someday get the man of her dreams and that is no other than the elusive rake William Hayward, the Lord of Wakefield. He also happens to be her brother's friend and the man she had been secretly writing letters to for years as Lady Weis, letters that started in a foolish wager with a friend. But one problem is at hand: he does not know she is Lady Weis, the woman he has fallen in love with, in letters. HE AVOIDS HER AT ALL COST... Wakefield has many rules, but one stands out the most: never dally with a friend's sister or relative, most particularly Ysabella Everard. As the sister of his friend, she is not to be touched at all costs. She has never been on his list from day one and he is quite determined to keep it that way. But years of her obsessive chasing and his desperate attempts to avoid it have not tired the woman at all. She has suitors she ought to focus her attention on and Wakefield cannot understand what she sees in him to waste her precious time over. He cannot be with her for many reasons and one of them was the fact that he was utterly in love, for the first time in his life, with one woman: Lady Weis. THE CHASE BEGINS... Her chase for the man she loves continues. His chase for the identity of the woman he is willing to sacrifice everything for begins. It is merely a matter of time for the truth to be revealed and how they face it has great potential for yet another Wickhurst scandal. Still set in the fictional place of the Town, this fourth book in the Everard Family series follows one heroine who is determined to win her game and her love for the man who might very well be her first ever failure. (This story is a standalone title in the Everard Family series.)

When Margaret Everard is asked to investigate the man she once loved for the murder of the Prime Minister, she knows he's innocent, until clues start to prove otherwise. ***** Years ago, Margaret Everard was engaged to be married to Cole Devitt, but a series of tragic events ruined it all. Now, ten years later, she's forced to infiltrate his life for reasons other than romance. Cole Devitt is the prime suspect to the murder of the Prime Minister and Margaret can hardly believe it. But as a member of a secret elite group of spies, she's given one difficult task: spy on him. Taking on the challege, Margaret has to fight old feelings buried in layers of pain of the past. But when she stumbles upon more clues, she realizes that the case she's working on is more complicated that it seems. As secrets of the past and their feelings start to unravel, Cole and Margaret have to learn how to trust again. However, one of them is bound to betray the other. Trigger warnings: abuse, violence, mental trauma, sexual assault, mental health illness

Lady Victoria Ashdown will do anything to protect her inheritance and defeat her conniving stepmother, even if it means competing against the young, beautiful and talented debutantes in the most wicked social season in town...to find a charming husband. ***** Levi Everard was once a charmer, until he hid himself in his Standbury estate for reasons only he knows. Now, he is back in town, no longer the charmer, but the man forced to find Victoria Ashdown a husband, for friendship's sake. She is his good friend, he tells himself. Nothing more. And good friends are not supposed to kiss... *This story is a standalone title in the Everard Family series. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Cover designed by Ashley Santoro

"Deliciously captivating! It's the perfect amount of laughs, love and drama. You won't be able to put this book down!" - Grace K @ HQ. When Agatha becomes the Everard's governess, she's grateful for a way to escape her dark past. That is until her growing feelings for the mysterious Lord of the house begin to present an even greater risk. ***** The Everard's are one of the most esteemed families in Wickhurst. And Benedict, the Lord of Devonshire and the eldest of the clan, is as mysterious and brooding as anyone The Town has ever seen. His face is marked with scars, and no one dares to speak on how he got them. Known to all as 'the beast,' the townsfolk tremble in his wake. But little does he know that he is about to meet his match in Agatha Blair, his sisters' new governess. Agatha is witty, smart and gives him a run for his money when he tries to peel back the layers of who she really is. She truly intrigues him more than any woman he has met but she is a governess and he is a Lord. The Town would shun the union of two people from different stations and any romance between them is surely a recipe for social disaster! But what can they do when the burning hot feelings refuse to relent? And when Benedict uncovers that Agatha is hiding a secret far more dangerous than anything he could have imagined, will love save the day and will Agatha finally tame the beast? *This story is a standalone title in the Everard Family series. [Now a Hachette Audiobook!] [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

Banished for five years, Lady Belinda Carrington returns to Willowfair, claiming to know things one would find impossible to believe. With her tainted reputation, can Belinda make Town Guard McKenzie Haverston help her in her pursuit of the truth? *** After her banishment five years ago, Belinda Carrington returns with secrets and tales too impossible to believe. But something in her lies makes McKenzie Haverston desperate for the truth... When Belinda shows up in McKenzie's home asking for protection in return for important information on a case he's working on, he rejects her. But when he learns where she had been banished after her great scandal five years ago, he finds himself striking a deal with the woman-he protects her, she gives him answers. The question now is: how true is her tale? She was once considered the fairest of them all, but one scandal later, she has become the most reviled. And she is also being hunted. If Belinda wants to stay alive, she has to start trusting McKenzie Haverston, a task she finds to be surprisingly easy to do. However, as the truth of the past begins to resurface, and the secrets of her scandal is revealed, Belinda is confronted by her own demons, causing her to doubt her own reality. Trigger warnings: abuse, violence, mental trauma, sexual assault, mental health illness

When Mary is caught in a scandal with one of the most notorious rakes in town, she believes the only solution to the grave trouble for her dangerous secrets is a wedding. What she didn't account for was her heart--and his. *** Adrien Haverston is a rake caught in his own trap after a seduction goes wrong. One great scandal and a bitter wedding later, he is one angry husband to Mary Featherton. But despite his vow to make her suffer for shackling him to a life he has avoided ever since, he begins to realize that the burning attraction that brought them together in the first place might just lead to something promising. But falling in love with his wife may not be as easy as he first thought, because as Adrien peels off every charming and beautiful facet of Mary, he also discovers dark and dangerous secrets--one of which has the potential to shatter him.

Just when she's decided to leave the Town, Lady Cressida Belverst is forced to marry Lord Calan Haverston, the man who coincidentally knows a way out. Agreeing to marry for all the wrong reasons, can Cressida and Calan find out where their hearts truly belong? *** It is impossible to leave the Town, but one woman is determined to escape with the help of her betrothed. Lady Cressida Belverst has always been judged as a walking scandal. Oh, how she tries (on some rare occasions) to be proper! When her parents arrange for her to marry a rich lord, Cressida has had enough. She has to leave the Town because she will not be forced to live with a man she doesn't love. But what happens if the very man she's betrothed to is the only one who can help her get out? Calan Haverston, the Lord of Easton, takes the risk and helps his betrothed by using his knowledge of the Town's secrets because he is as willing as she to stay free of marriage for reasons completely different. He has dark secrets he cannot share with her, and his life is not one he can likewise open to anyone. But what happens when she leaves after awakening desires he thought he has under control? And what happens when he finds himself longing for her? Cressida goes to a completely different place, one she has only heard in stories and read in books, with hopes of finding what her heart has always longed for. But love, mystery and secrets will chase her and it will only be a matter of time before she realizes what her heart truly desires. *This story is a standalone title in the Haverston Family series.

Verity Baker has spent her life cleaning up after her father's mistakes. But one day, he goes too far and sells her, for one night only, to a local lord to pay his debts. What kind of man would buy a woman? What kind of woman would agree to be bought? COMPLETED