Books like 'The Design of Dukes'
Readers who enjoyed The Design of Dukes by Kathleen Ayers also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical funny from hate to love virgin heroine sassy heroine slow burn strong heroine cruel hero possessive hero victorian
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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited, while he struggles to remain indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever... -
![Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas]()
Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
She harbors a secret yearning. As a lover of animals and nature, Beatrix Hathaway has always been more comfortable outdoors than in the ballroom. Even though she participated in the London season in the past, the classic beauty and free-spirited Beatrix has never been swept away or seriously courted... and she has resigned herself to the fate of never finding love... -
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![Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas]()
Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas delivers a scintillating tale of a beautiful, young widow who finds passion with the one man she shouldn't...Although beautiful young widow Phoebe, Lady Clare, has never met West Ravenel, she knows one thing for certain: he's a mean, rotten bully. Back in boarding school, he made her late husband's life a misery, and she'll never forgive him for it...Categorized as:
new adult victorian angst from hate to love strong heroine forced proximity rich heroine dual-pov -
![Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh]()
Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
All of London is abuzz over the imminent arrival of Wulfric Bedwyn, the reclusive, cold-as-ice Duke of Bewcastle, at the most glittering social event of the season. Some whisper of a tragic love affair. Others say he is so aloof and passionless that not even the greatest beauty could capture his attention... -
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![Frederica by Georgette Heyer]()
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
LONDON IN "THE SEASON" Frederica Merriville and her three siblings have come to London for the glittering social season, in order to give young and beautiful Charis a chance to make a good marriage. Frederica herself, a witty charmer, believes herself happily beyond marriageable age -- she is twenty-four, after all... -
![Truce by R.L. Mathewson]()
Truce by R.L. Mathewson
This is the story before everything... Elizabeth knows what’s expected of her, perfection. She’s the daughter of an Earl and expected to marry well, say and do the right things with a smile on her face when inside she’s dying for a chance to escape. Thanks to an inheritance her godmother left her years ago, her chance will come with her next birthday... -
![Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean]()
Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean
The Lady’s Plan When Lady Henrietta Sedley declares her twenty-ninth year her own, she has plans to inherit her father’s business, to make her own fortune, and to live her own life. But first, she intends to experience a taste of the pleasure she’ll forgo as a confirmed spinster... -
![My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long]()
My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long
In USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long’s latest installment in the Palace of Rogues series, a notorious rake meets his match in a doe-eyed girl from the country, changing the course of both of their futures…A London season is the chance of a lifetime for Catherine Keating...Categorized as:
virgin heroine m-f third-person-pov slow burn tortured hero grumpy sunshine dual-pov cold hero -
![Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare]()
Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare
On the night of the Parkhurst ball, someone had a scandalous tryst in the library. •Was it Lord Canby, with the maid, on the divan? •Or Miss Fairchild, with a rake, against the wall? •Perhaps the butler did it. All Charlotte Highwood knows is this: it wasn’t her. But rumors to the contrary are buzzing... -
![How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long]()
How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long
The Scandal Sheets call him Lord Ice. Ruthless, cold, precise, Julian Spenser, Marquess Dryden, tolerates only the finest-- in clothes, in horseflesh, in mistresses. And now he's found the perfect bride, the one whose dowry will restore his family's shattered legacy and bring him peace at last: the exquisite heiress Lisbeth Redmond. She's about to play with fire.. -
![Her Ruthless Duke by Scarlett Scott]()
Her Ruthless Duke by Scarlett Scott
From USA Today and Amazon Top 100 bestselling author Scarlett Scott comes a new, deliciously wicked Regency romance featuring scorching heat between a jaded guardian and his bluestocking ward, plus a delightful dash of mystery.Conscienceless seducer, cunning spy, confident scoundrel. Trevor Hunt, the Duke of Ridgely, has been called many things, most of which are true... -
![The Duke's Counterfeit Wife by Caroline Lee]()
The Duke's Counterfeit Wife by Caroline Lee
How did she end up make-believe married to the Grump Next Door?Spinster scientist Felicity Montrose has always been as curious as one of her pet cats. So when her dark and dangerous neighbor catches her breaking into his house, her body’s reactions to his manhandling raises all sorts of interesting questions...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine victorian forced proximity cold hero m-f highlander historical humor -
![The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer]()
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
When the redoubtable Sir Horace Stanton-Lacy is ordered to South America on Diplomatic Business he parks his only daughter Sophy with his sister's family, the Ombersleys, in Berkeley Square. Upon her arrival, Sophy is bemused to see to see her cousins are in a sad tangle... -
![A Kiss to Remember by Teresa Medeiros]()
A Kiss to Remember by Teresa Medeiros
AWAKENED BY A KISS Laura Fairleigh needs a husband. If she is to keep a roof over her siblings heads, the prim rectors daughter must wed by her twenty-first birthday. When she finds a mysterious stranger with the face of an angel and the body of Adonis unconscious in the forest and with no memory of his name or his past, she decides to claim him for her own...Categorized as:
alpha male virgin heroine dual-pov third-person-pov from hate to love grumpy sunshine m-f regency -
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![It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas]()
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
Four young ladies enter London society with one necessary goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So they band together, and a daring husband-hunting scheme is born. It happened at the ball... Where beautiful but bold Lillian Bowman quickly learned that her independent American ways weren't entirely "the thing... -
![Willful in Winter by Scarlett Scott]()
Willful in Winter by Scarlett Scott
Rand, Viscount Aylesford, needs a fiancée, and he needs one now. His requirements are concise: she must not embarrass him, and she must understand he has no intention of ever marrying her. Miss Grace Winter is the most stubborn of the notorious Wicked Winters. When her brother decrees she must marry well, she is every bit as determined to avoid becoming a nobleman's wife...Categorized as:
victorian virgin heroine independent heroine forced proximity dual-pov super rich hero angst m-f -
![A Secret Love by Stephanie Laurens]()
A Secret Love by Stephanie Laurens
All of Regency London knows that no Cynster male would ever walk away from a lady in distress...but their protection can come at a tantalizingly high price. And now, Stephanie Laurens has created her boldest Cynster yet--Gabriel--a man who has known the pleasure of many women, but who has given his heart to no one. She was desperate for his help.. -
![Her Wicked Marquess by Stacy Reid]()
Her Wicked Marquess by Stacy Reid
Miss Maryann FitzWilliam is too witty and bookish for her own good. No gentleman of the ton will marry her, so her parents arrange for her to wed a man old enough to be her father. But Maryann is ready to use those wits to turn herself into a sinful wallflower.When the scandal sheet reports a sighting of Nicolas Ives climbing out the chamber windows of a house party, Maryann does the unthinkable... -
![The Duke's Wicked Widow (Surprise! Dukes) by Caroline Lee]()
The Duke's Wicked Widow (Surprise! Dukes) by Caroline Lee
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThey call him the Duke of Death, but he’s her last chance at a life worth living!To Society, Fawkes MacMillian is a nobody; a hanger-on at the edge of respectability with a murky past and an even murkier lineage. But to Lady Danielle Aycock, he is her only hope of salvation before a horrible Christmas deadline... -
![Highland Justice by Heather McCollum]()
Highland Justice by Heather McCollum
Without mercy, there is no love in this third installment of the Sons of Sinclair historical romance series by award-winning author Heather McCollum.Gideon Sinclair, the third Sinclair brother, judges everything in stark terms of good and evil. There is nothing in between, and he is efficient at passing judgment without mercy... -
![Reputation at Risk by Martha Keyes]()
Reputation at Risk by Martha Keyes
Charlotte Mandeville traffics in gossip. It not only puts money in her family’s bare pockets but ensures the haut-ton cannot guard all the power and the secrets. Anthony Yorke has a tainted reputation to protect and a mystery to unravel. However, someone seems intent on hedging up his way. He is determined to discover whom... -
![The Bride by Julie Garwood]()
The Bride by Julie Garwood
By the king's edict, Alec Kincaid, mightiest of the Scottish lairds, must take an English bride. And Jamie the youngest daughter of Baron Jamison, is his choice. From his first glimpse of the proud and beautiful English lady, Alec felt a burning hunger stir within him. This was a woman worthy of his fearless warrior's spirit. And he aches to touch her, tame her, possess her...forever... -
![A Match Made at Matlock: A sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by Jan Ashton, Julie Cooper]()
A Match Made at Matlock: A sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by Jan Ashton, Julie Cooper
A regency romance for fans of Jane Austen's Pride and PrejudiceVISCOUNT SAYE, eldest cousin of Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, is startled one wintry day by the news that his beloved, Lillian Goddard, is to become engaged to another. Unwilling to lose her, he quickly plans a party at his ancestral estate to woo her away from her suitor... -
![Duke the Halls by Felicity Niven]()
Duke the Halls by Felicity Niven
A ray of sunshine gives the perfect Christmas present to a disagreeable duke. The Duke of Kittredge is that rarest of men—a wealthy, tall, and still-unmarried duke at the age of thirty-one. As such, he’s perennially at the top of the “Most Eligible Bachelor” list of the ton. And yet, he’s never gotten close to landing a wife. Young ladies don’t seem to like him. Scratch that. They revile him... -
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![Temperance by Beverley Watts]()
Temperance by Beverley Watts
In this funny romantic series, the Shackleford sisters descend on a Regency society that doesn’t know what’s hit it…Reverend Shackleford was at a loss. He’d truly believed that in marrying his eldest daughter Grace to an extremely wealthy peer of the realm, his problems would be over...Categorized as:
cold hero sassy heroine m-f from hate to love virgin heroine slow burn other-man-woman historical -
![A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman]()
A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman
Meet the Davies and Montgomery families - two households locked in an ancient feud, destined to be on opposing sides forever. Until now... CAN LIFELONG HATEMadeline Montgomery grew up despising––and secretly loving––the roguish Gryffud “Gryff” Davies... -
![The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer]()
The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer
Miles from anywhere, Darracott Place is presided over by irascible Lord Darracott. The recent drowning of his eldest son has done nothing to improve his temper. For now he must send for the unknown offspring of the uncle whom the family are never permitted to mention. Yet none of that beleaguered family are prepared for the arrival of the weaver's brat and heir apparent ..Categorized as:
victorian slow burn m-f height-difference forced proximity super rich hero third-person-pov regency -
![The Player by Stella Riley]()
The Player by Stella Riley
Tragedy drove him into unwilling exile. Death demands his reluctant return. In the decade between, he has answered to many names and amassed a variety of secrets... -
![Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare]()
Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare
In the first in Tessa Dare's captivating Castles Ever After series, a mysterious fortress is the setting for an unlikely love . . . As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks offered endless possibilities. And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off... -
![Miss Fleming Falls in Love by Emma Melbourne]()
Miss Fleming Falls in Love by Emma Melbourne
A Girl. An Earl. A Battle of Wits . . .Miss Amelia Fleming has a very good reason to hate the Earl of Langley. A year ago, her father drowned in the Thames after losing a fortune to Langley at cards. Now her family is broke, her fiancé has broken their engagement, and the debt still hasn't been paid...Categorized as:
victorian from hate to love strong heroine sassy heroine m-f grumpy sunshine regency historical -
![The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn]()
The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn
He thinks she's an annoying know-it-all... Hugh Prentice has never had patience for dramatic females, and if Lady Sarah Pleinsworth has ever been acquainted with the words shy or retiring, she's long since tossed them out the window. Besides, a reckless duel has left this brilliant mathematician with a ruined leg, and now he could never court a woman like Sarah, much less dream of marrying her... -
![After Dark with the Duke by Julie Anne Long]()
After Dark with the Duke by Julie Anne Long
Sparks fly when a daring diva clashes with an ice-cold war hero in the newest thrilling romance in USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long’s Palace of Rogues series.She arrives in the dead of night, a mob out for blood at her heels: Mariana Wylde, the “Harlot of Haywood Street,” an opera diva brought low by a duel fought for her favors... -
![Borrowed by Victoria Ashley]()
Borrowed by Victoria Ashley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI was never supposed to want to keep her.She was meant to be borrowed.Mine for six days and not a day longer.She doesn’t belong to me.She belongs to someone else.My brother…The closest person I have outside of the screaming fans and paparazzi—a constant in my new life— other than the whiskey I drown myself in to numb the pain left by someone else...Categorized as:
from hate to love super rich hero forced proximity angst new adult m-f humor contemporary -
![To Forge Her Fate by Kasey Stockton]()
To Forge Her Fate by Kasey Stockton
Two worlds. Two hearts. Can they ever meld together as one?Eliza Rose: accomplished in pianoforte, riding, drawing, three languages, and the art of flirtation using only a fan.Jacob Ridley: skilled blacksmith, honest tradesman, appreciates a hot meal, and not susceptible to any lady’s charm.Until Eliza needs help, and Jacob cannot turn her away. Now she has him wrapped around her dainty finger... -
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![The Taste of Love by Meara Platt]()
The Taste of Love by Meara Platt
Will the mysterious Book of Love lead Penelope to her true love? Lady Penelope Sherbourne is not—absolutely not—going to fall in love with Thaddius MacLauren, Laird of Caithness, even if he is a big, handsome Scottish brute and ridiculously protective of her... -
![The Gift by Julie Garwood]()
The Gift by Julie Garwood
A child bride, Sara Winchester had grown into a winsome beauty, joyfully anticipating the day when her husband Nathan, Marquess of St. James, would return to claim her heart at last. Charmingly innocent, she dismissed the ancient feud that divided Nathan's family from her own...and she was totally unaware of his past exploits as the notorious pirate, Pagan...Categorized as:
alpha male virgin heroine possessive hero cold hero height-difference m-f angst grumpy sunshine -
![To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries]()
To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries
Drowning in guilt over his best friend's death seven years ago, Lord Gabriel Sharpe, the Angel of Death, knows his only hope at redemption is a race against a shocking opponent. Shrouded in darkness for the past seven years, the infamous racer Lord Gabriel Sharpe is known to accept every challenge to race thrown at him... -
![The Duke's Wayward Wallflower by Maggie Dallen]()
The Duke's Wayward Wallflower by Maggie Dallen
“A Duke's taciturn demeanor does not necessarily indicate a black heart.Although . . . sometimes it does. Tread with care.” — Lady Greta, a truly dreadful chaperoneThere's no love lost between this shy wallflower and society's most formidable duke...Categorized as:
victorian new adult angst grumpy sunshine from hate to love forced proximity slow burn dual-pov -
![A Lady's Rules For Ruin by Jennifer Haymore]()
A Lady's Rules For Ruin by Jennifer Haymore
She’s found the perfect plan to avoid marriage…Miss Frances Cherrington has long been criticized as independent and prickly. And she’s fine with it. Truth be told, she’d prefer to be a spinster—damn her family’s desires. But it’s a conversation with the devilishly handsome yet highly infuriating Earl of Winthrop that inspires the perfect escape from her nuptial troubles... -
![The Earl's Debutante Debacle by Maggie Dallen]()
The Earl's Debutante Debacle by Maggie Dallen
"Any young lady would be lucky to marry the Earl of Yardley. Perhaps he failed to mention that to Lady Daphne." - Lady Greta, lovely woman, terrible gossipLady Daphne could have her pick of husbands, but she has very particular requirements—namely, the older and more decrepit the better. Actually, knocking on death's door would be nice... -
![The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean]()
The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean
LADY SOPHIE'S SOCIETY SPLASH The youngest of the infamous Talbot sisters scandalized society at the Liverpool Summer Soiree, striking her sister’s notoriously philandering husband and landing him backside-first in a goldfish pond... -
![Ten Things I Hate About the Duke by Loretta Chase]()
Ten Things I Hate About the Duke by Loretta Chase
USA Today bestselling author Loretta Chase continues her Difficult Dukes series with this delightful spin on Shakespeare's classic, The Taming of the Shrew.Cassandra Pomfret holds strong opinions she isn’t shy about voicing... -
![The Duke's Unexpected Bride by Lara Temple]()
The Duke's Unexpected Bride by Lara Temple
From country miss to London duchess!Sophie Trevelyan has been enjoying her visit to London, even if her closest companion is an overweight pug! Then she encounters the dashing Duke of Harcourt, who intrigues her more than is strictly properMax knows he must marry... -
![The Earl and the Spinster by Collette Cameron]()
The Earl and the Spinster by Collette Cameron
Formerly titled Brooke: Wagers Gone Awry An angry earl. A desperate spinster. A reckless wager. For five years, Brooke Culpepper has focused her energy on two things: keeping the struggling dairy farm that’s her home operating and preventing her younger sister and cousins from starving... -
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![A Governess Should Never... Deny a Duke by Emily Windsor]()
A Governess Should Never... Deny a Duke by Emily Windsor
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratings“So tell me, Miss Beaujeu, why should I employ you as governess?”A question to rouse fear within the breast of any prospective governess but for Isabelle, a lady with impeccable references and tightly pinned hair, it barely raises a brow...Categorized as:
victorian from hate to love strong heroine virgin heroine forbidden love historical regency humor -
![Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke]()
Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke
It was loathe at first sight when Cecilia Bromwell met John Rowley, the Earl of Cosford five years ago at a party where his ill-conceived prank and irascible temper ruined not one but two of her new gowns. Now, at a Yuletide house party, Cecilia learns their parents seek to match them in wedded bliss... -
![Two Lies and A Lord by Eloisa James]()
Two Lies and A Lord by Eloisa James
When a baby lands on Daisy’s doorstep, she blurts out a lie that leads to marriage…And then realizes her wedding night looms! A new hilarious, sexy convenient marriage story by bestselling author Eloisa James...Categorized as:
new adult m-f grumpy sunshine slow burn strong heroine sassy heroine virgin heroine super rich hero -
![The Magic of You by Johanna Lindsey]()
The Magic of You by Johanna Lindsey
As wild and reckless as the most incorrigible of her male cousins, Amy Malory has reached a marriageable age and has set her sights on a most inappropriate mate: the straight-laced American ship captain who once nearly had her Uncle James hung hanged for piracy. Warren Anderson is shocked by the brazen advances of his despised enemy's beautiful niece...Categorized as:
virgin heroine cruel hero cold hero angst alpha male forced proximity sassy heroine strong heroine -
![Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean]()
Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean
When Wicked Comes Calling... When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a duke, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees—on one condition. She's seen enough of the world to believe in passion, and won't accept a marriage without it. The Wallflower Makes a Dangerous Bargain..Categorized as:
virgin heroine tortured hero victorian angst strong heroine cold hero alpha male m-f -
![The Laird's Prize by Eliza Knight]()
The Laird's Prize by Eliza Knight
A new sizzling, irresistible, adventure-filled, medieval Scottish romance series from USA Today bestselling author, Eliza Knight. Three Scottish brothers, born minutes apart, must safeguard the lands their father left each of them as their legacy, against their enemies, and the feisty, independent ladies who remind them what it is to be human and loved...
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