Books like 'It's Hard Out Here for a Duke'
Readers who enjoyed It's Hard Out Here for a Duke by Maya Rodale also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical regency forbidden love class difference forced proximity
-
Petteril's Folly by Mary Lancaster
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTime to confront reality – and a worrying mystery.Lord Petteril and his new viscountess return to England to face the consequences of their unequal marriage, only to discover that Petteril’s valet, the enigmatic Stewart, has been arrested for theft... -
The Secret Heart by Mary Lancaster
Betrayal, temptation and an impossible love.The final book in the Unmarriageable series...Some suspect that Lily Villin is the true heart of the Hart Inn, a lucky house where love always seems to blossom, whatever the obstacles. But Lily has another secret. She is in love with an enigmatic nobleman, and no luck in the world can make such a marriage possible... -
Petteril's Wife by Mary Lancaster
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsIncognito in Portugal…Lord Petteril’s cousin, the newly commissioned Major Bertie Withan, has gone missing somewhere between landing in Lisbon and joining his regiment on the front line of the Peninsular War... -
Petteril's Christmas by Mary Lancaster
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA merry Christmas for the Petterils?Piers wants to make their first Christmas together special, and so it proves to be - just not quite in the way he planned.His eccentric Great Aunt Prudence summons him to London with the news that she is dying and that one of her servants is stealing from her. Only one of these claims turns out to be true, though both require investigating... -
-
Petteril's Corpse by Mary Lancaster
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA murdered stranger in his home wood…The discovery of a naked corpse upsets the new Viscount Petteril’s return to his ancestral acres. The local magistrate, Robert Lindon, has no idea how to proceed with so heinous a crime... -
Petteril's Thief by Mary Lancaster
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA missing family heirloom – and one of the family stole it.In the spring of 1812, Piers Withan is dragged from his beloved Oxford to be the new Viscount Petteril. Burdened by responsibilities he doesn’t want and the remnants of a family who don’t want him, he is saved from an irredeemable mistake by Ape, the small thief burgling his house... -
Petteril's Ladybird by Mary Lancaster
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAn earl’s son, shot in the home of his mistress…Lord Petteril, with his redoubtable assistant April, is called back to London to help prove the innocence of his friend, Percy Austen, who is suspected of murder.Percy was once the lover of the victim’s mistress, and his pistol was found at the scene of the crime... -
Sutton's Scoundrel by Scarlett Scott
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsIn this deliciously steamy Regency romance from USA Today bestselling author Scarlett Scott, a lady determined to restore her reputation meets her match in a seductive East End rogue she can't deny.Dubbed Lady Scandal thanks to her gossip-stirring past, Portia Fairhaven, the widowed Countess of Blakewell, is no stranger to rumors and innuendos...Categorized as:
regency forbidden love class difference highlander historical victorian insta-love m-f -
Hope by Beverley Watts
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsIn this funny romantic series, the Shackleford sisters descend on a Regency society that doesn’t know what’s hit it…There was no doubt that things had definitely looked better for Gabriel Atwood, one time Viscount Northwood. Mainly because everyone who knew him or of him almost certainly believed him dead—the bastard who’d betrayed him had made sure of that... -
Entranced by the Earl by Jillian Eaton
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSometimes love is hiding in the unlikeliest of earls . . . Evelyn Thorncroft wants to marry a duke, but she'll settle for an earl. The Earl of Hawkridge, to be precise. The only problem? Weston cannot stand the sight of her. At least, that's what he says. Their passionate kisses, however, tell a very different story . . -
Seven Nights with the Duke by Alyssa Clarke
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMiss Elizabeth ‘Lizzy’ Fairbanks cannot forget a few abandoned moments with Rannulf Headley, the Duke of Ravenswood. Their romance had begun by accident until it ended when she discovered they were worlds apart.Now that her brother is the new Earl of Celdon, the very bad Fairbanks have been trying to behave themselves and fit into London society... -
The Duke's Virgin Sister by Caroline Lee
They haven’t quite managed to tame her wild streak. It is to be The Match of the Season. At least, that’s what Lady Carlotta Merritt, sister to the cool and aloof Duke of Cashingham, has been told repeatedly by her mother. The Dowager is beyond thrilled about her daughter’s engagement to Society’s most eligible bachelor, Lord What’s-His-Face... -
Petteril's Portrait by Mary Lancaster
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA defaced portrait and the death of an artist – but is anything quite what it seems?To the furious disapproval of his assistant, April, Lord Petteril insists on calling in on Lady Haggard’s country house party – only to discover his hostess and her guests in uproar over a portrait of the late Sir Weston Haggard which has been deliberately damaged... -
Irresistible by Darcy Burke
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsJessamine Goodfellow has spent six Seasons avoiding the parson’s trap, and spinsterhood is finally within her grasp. A brilliant scholar, she longs for adventure and new experiences, things her family frowns upon. Presented with the opportunity to use her puzzle-solving talent on a secret mission for the Foreign Office, Jess eagerly accepts... -
-
The Captain's Heiress by Amy Jarecki
Captain Gibb MacGalloway might adore women, but he does not allow them aboard his ship…Females are too distracting for his crew—and too distracting for him, truth be told. But when his brother, the Duke of Dunscaby, asks him to provide safe passage to Miss Isabella Harcourt, the daughter of an old family friend, Gibb has no choice but to bend his rules...Categorized as:
forced proximity regency historical friends to lovers length-medium explicit-open-door -
One Wedding and an Earl by Tracy Sumner
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIn this sizzling Regency romance by USA Today bestselling author Tracy Sumner, a notorious earl and an infamous hellion need to face an unforgettable passion.A scarred earl with a big heart—and a big problem.Since his return from war, the Earl of Stanford’s life has been anything but simple... -
Leap of Faith by Elizabeth Johns
A managing beauty. A determined bachelor. A delightful romp!When their elderly guardian dies, Faith Whitford is determined to set up house in Bath and look for respectable country gentlemen for her four sisters. She has no ambitions for mingling with the ton... -
The Moonstone Major by Meara Platt
His scars ran deep. Only Chloe had the power to heal him.It is said moonstones shine brightest in the presence of true love. Will they shine for Chloe, the youngest of the Killigrew sisters, and Fionn, the battle-scarred hero who has closed himself off to love?Lady Chloe Killigrew is surprised to find herself much sought after in Moonstone Landing's elegant society... -
One Night to Remember by Erica Ridley
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMeet the unforgettable men of London's most notorious tavern, The Wicked Duke... -
Duke in All But Name by Caroline Warfield
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSecrets and lies threaten to pull them under, but a forced marriage may be their salvation. Gideon Kendrick grew up as the despised bastard son of the Duke of Glenmoor. Exiled to the mines by his father, he has not only survived but thrived and prospered. He lives apart, wanting nothing to do with the duke, the estate—or anything in his past, except his younger brother Phillip, the new duke... -
It's Raining Rakes in April by Annabelle Anders
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAn undercover duke and a clumsy, but ambitious, debutanteEveryone knows debutantes will do anything to marry a duke, which is precisely why this season, the Duke of Ridgefield is going undercover as yet another notorious rake—the mysterious Mr. Pope. As the eldest of seven sisters, Miss Julia Rigsby has one task in life—marry well. The trouble is, she’s clueless when it comes to flirting... -
Kiss The Rake Hello by Tracy Sumner
Cortland DeWitt is the most infamous second son in England. Twin to a duke, he thankfully lost out on the ducal title by a mere three minute's grace. And he's never looked back, living his life with one rule and one rule only: no attachments.But to Alexandra Mountbatten, the fearless woman who's known him since childhood, Cort is merely the loathsome boy next door... -
Mr. Darcy's Bookshop: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Summer Hanford
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsCut off from his family’s fortune because he refuses to marry the woman his father has selected for him, Fitzwilliam Darcy takes up the only employment he deems tolerable, that of bookseller. Darcy is determined to support himself and to marry for love, but his powerful relations use their clout to keep customers and fashionable young ladies away... -
His Reckless Bargain by Cynthia Wright
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSpecial Author's Cut EditionOriginally published by Ballantine Books as BARBADOS1818: Nathan Raveneau is known as “The Scapegrace” in Regency London for his rakish exploits and devastating good looks. He's also a sea captain with an estate on Barbados, where his enemy Xavier Crowe lives... -
-
Earl of Spades: Regency Romance by Tammy Andresen
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsShe’s a beauty beyond compare…Ash can’t deny that her fragile beauty holds him captive. And then there’s the fact that he stands between her and the danger circling ever closer. What man doesn’t wish to save a woman like Lily? He’d protect her with his last breath even he can’t give her a future. They are worlds apart and deep down he knows that love isn’t for a man like him... -
Schooled by the Bastard by Annabelle Anders
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSecond Chance * Secret Past * Bastard Hero In this second chance Regency Romance by Annabelle Anders, an independent headmistress fights to keep her all-girls school open even as the only man she’s ever loved—and lost—barges back into her life. As the daughter of a cruel marquess, Augusta Primm has fought tooth and nail to establish her independence... -
The Untamed Duke by Melanie Rose Clarke
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsWhen a Scottish duke targets her brother, Sophia will do anything to protect her family, including kidnapping the powerful lord. What happens when the duke kidnaps her instead?Welcome to book 3 in the bestselling series The Secret Crusaders from the talented Melanie Rose Clarke!Social justice crusader Sophia Hawkins will do anything to protect her family... -
Radiance by Sydney Jane Baily
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIn this sparkling early Victorian romance by USA Today bestselling author Sydney Jane Baily, a fiery-haired Diamond daughter sets her cap at this man of science... and he doesn’t stand a chance!She’s a gifted artisan with sparkle to spare, and he’s a preoccupied man of science.At Prince Albert’s Great Exhibition, Lady Radiance Diamond falls in love.. -
Lyon's Lover by Maggie Sims
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA wastrel lord and an ex-courtesan forced together must pay the price of their past sins. She’s planning for the future… Having enjoyed a successful career as mistress to various members of the Ton, Isabella Rossi longs to walk away from her past. She wants a normal life with all it entails—a husband, a home, and children... -
Always the Matchmaker by Emily E K Murdoch
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAlways the matchmaker and never the bride - even when she's found her perfect partner…Miss Theodosia Ashbrooke does not believe there is anything greater than matching the perfect pair - and she's become rather expert in it. Never mind that she's never found the missing half to her own soul and body. Perhaps that's not her lot in life, even at the age of eight and twenty... -
Lost with a Scot by Lauren Smith
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAiden Kincade hasn't had it easy. As the youngest of three Scottish brothers, he's watched his two older brothers fall head over heels in love.Unlike his brothers, he is destined to be alone. Due to an old family prophecy, he knows whoever he loves will suffer a tragic death too soon. So he hides in the woods of Scotland, sharing his solitude with his animals... -
It Starts With a Kiss: A Very Merry Fairbanks Christmas by Alyssa Clarke
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSnowed in Together, Forced proximity, One bed to share, Steamy Regency Romance.Margaret Fairbanks is devoted to her role in securing her children's place in the ton. She journeys from town to Penporth for the Christmas season. Little did she anticipate being trapped in a cottage with the enigmatic Mr. Grayson Rochester... -
An Unwitting Match by Laura Beers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLady Edwina Lockwood grapples with the loss of her father when her cousin extends an invitation to Lord Hilgrove to visit Brockhall Manor. She intends to avoid this houseguest, but he quickly becomes a constant presence, much to her annoyance. Despite her initial reluctance, Edwina discovers she can offer support to Lord Hilgrove as he copes with his own grief... -
A Brilliant Alliance by Laura Beers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBennett Lockwood, Earl of Dunsby, should feel nothing but contentment in his life, yet an unfulfilled longing tug at his heart. Despite past heartbreak, he yearns for a love match. When he discovers an injured young woman in the woodlands, he finds himself drawn to her, especially as she struggles to recall her past... -
-
21 Days with the Lyon: The Lyon's Den Connected World by Shana Galen
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA desperate heiress. A jaded former soldier. They’ve got twenty-one days to fall in love…or risk losing everything. Twenty-one days. A measly three weeks. That’s all the time Bianca Featherswallow is allowed to convince Theo Filliol to marry her. If she doesn’t marry in three weeks, Bianca will once again be prey to fortune hunters who are eager to abduct her for her dowry... -
Indecent by Darcy Burke
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSociety’s most exclusive invitation...Welcome to the Phoenix Club, where London’s most audacious, disreputable, and intriguing ladies and gentlemen find scandal, redemption, and second chances.If Bennet St... -
Moonstone Angel by Meara Platt
He thought she was a thief, but the only thing she ever stole was his heart... -
An Excellent Walker: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Lyndsay Constable
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsIs Mr Darcy capable of wanting to marry just for the sake of love?AN UNEXPECTED MEETING between Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet becomes suddenly and shockingly dangerous. Mr Darcy is determined to protect Elizabeth but his exertions leave him grievously wounded... -
The Duke and the Dressmaker by Eva Devon
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA duke becomes unraveled by love in this delightful historical romance from USA Today bestselling author Eva Devon…Dressmaker Miss Lily Martin knows too well the sordid dealings of London’s corrupt underbelly. She should have known borrowing from one of the city’s most reviled moneylenders was risky. Horribly so... -
Discouraging the Duke by Alexa Aston
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWelcome to the new world from Alexa Aston—Dukes Done Wrong.Accused of something they never did. Five boys banished from their homes in disgrace, to the place where they find the brothers of their heart—and build new family ties that will last a lifetime.A lonely army captain who suddenly finds himself a duke. A gentleman’s daughter running an estate because her father no longer can... -
Follies and Vices: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Emily Russell
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhat was Wickham’s real reason for not attending the Netherfield Ball? Elizabeth Bennet had been looking forward to the ball at Netherfield Park. In particular, she’d been looking forward to dancing with the charming, amiable George Wickham. But when he fails to appear, Elizabeth blames the proud Mr Darcy and his animosity against Wickham for keeping him away... -
A Sanctuary for Soulden by J.A. Rock, Lisa Henry
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe wasn't meant for a quiet life.Philip Winthrop, Viscount Soulden, is a fop. An idle popinjay with nothing more on his mind than how to best knot his cravat. He definitely doesn’t spy against the French. Or arrange hasty weddings. Or occasionally commandeer the navy. And he certainly doesn’t seek out mortal danger in order to combat his pervasive ennui... -
The Hero and the Hellion by Ava Devlin
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne Last Scandal, for Old Time's Sake ... A Hero's HomecomingLieutenant Callum Laughlin has spent four long years at war. Finally, he has enough status and fortune to return to Yorkshire and reclaim the woman of his dreams - a girl he could never have wed when he was a mere stable boy. What awaits him at Somerton is far from the warm welcome he imagined... -
The Love of a Libertine by Jess Michaels
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhen Morgan Banfield wakes up in Newgate after a night of debauchery, the last thing he wants to see is his estranged brother. But in exchange for his help, Morgan must agree to take on responsibility and try to get his life together by taking on the job of Man of Affairs for a friend.The last thing Lizzie Margolis wants is some rogue coming onto her brother's staff... -
-
Stealing the Heiress by Samantha Holt
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe was looking for adventure...Lady Rosamunde Stanley just never expected in the form of a kidnapping.Well, an almost-kidnapping. The dastardly man only went and took the wrong woman!But she soon discovers the dark, handsome man is not quite the terrible rogue she thinks him to be and she decides to put his experience to use... -
Two Dares, a Duke, and a Runaway Bride by Alyssa Clarke
After a botched elopement, Lady Evie hatches a daring impersonate the wife of a soon-to-depart duke to gain lodging at an inn. However, an unexpected storm traps them together, igniting undeniable chemistry.As their pretend marriage morphs into nights of fiery passion, Evie grapples with her growing feelings, fearing she's diving headlong into a love that promises only heartbreak... -
His Family Objects by Lucy Marin
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsYou will find me here, patiently awaiting you.AFTER THEIR UNEXPECTED MEETING AT PEMBERLEY, Elizabeth Bennet believes that she and Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy have been afforded a second chance at love. Even with the news of Lydia Bennet’s elopement with George Wickham could surely only delay their happily ever after... -
Christmas in Cumbria by Tammy Andresen, Collette Cameron
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLet the Spirit of Christmas sweep you away! Christmas in Cumbria features THIRTEEN STORIES of love and romance from your favorite authors…Let these glorious stories full of Christmas magic and true love—with more than a hint of steam— sweep you away to a time gone by. Indulge yourself free of guilt with this collection from USA Today and Amazon bestselling authors... -
How to Tame a Dissolute Prince by Scarlett Scott
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Scarlett Scott comes a scorching Regency romance between a rakish prince and a spinster who's been living a lie... Nando, the handsome, ne’er-do-well Prince of Varros, has grown bored with his aimless life of pleasure seeking and debauchery... -
Secrets of a Duke by Martha Keyes
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBy station, they’re worlds apart, but living under the same roof brings their hearts dangerously close. William Yorke faces a tall order: convince people he is worthy of the Dukedom of Rockwood that has unexpectedly fallen to him. Returning from London to his enormous estate, he breaks his journey at an inn and finds himself witness to a drunkard selling his wife to the highest bidder...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences

Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.