Books like 'The Secret Life of a Lady'
Readers who enjoyed The Secret Life of a Lady by Darcy McGuire also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical funny victorian suspense mystery m-f forbidden love age difference class difference from hate to love
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The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
When girl meets Duke, their marriage breaks all the rules… Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury’s to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne’er-do-wells by night. Now there’s a new item on the list. He needs an heir—which means he needs a wife... -
![Knockout by Sarah MacLean]()
Knockout by Sarah MacLean
New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with the next Hell’s Belles novel about a chaotic bluestocking and the buttoned-up detective enlisted to keep her out of trouble (spoiler: She is the trouble)... -
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![Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean]()
Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean
New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean follows her highly acclaimed Bombshell with Heartbreaker, featuring a fierce, fearless heroine on a mission to steal a duke's secrets...and his heart... -
![The Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne Long]()
The Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne Long
A blue-blooded beauty bartered to a Beast…He would pay any price to possess her. But even though Alexandra Bellamy sacrifices herself to save her family’s fortunes, a shocking betrayal sunders her marriage to a taciturn brute of a war hero, Colonel Magnus Brightwall, before it even begins... -
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![Aurora by D.G. Rampton]()
Aurora by D.G. Rampton
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 15 ratings70,000+ readers have already discovered the Regency Goddesses Series. The books, which can be read in any order, are regularly in the U.S. top 20 for Historical Romance and Humor & Satire... -
![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... -
![Watching the Detectives by Julie Mulhern]()
Watching the Detectives by Julie Mulhern
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsEllison Russell wanted a decorator, not a corpse. Too bad she finds Mrs. White in the study killed with a revolver. Things go from bad to worse when she finds Mr. White in the dining room killed with a candlestick... -
![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... -
![Valiant by Adele Clee]()
Valiant by Adele Clee
Meet Valiant—the third of four gentlemen who work to right injustices—in the new heart-stopping series Gentlemen of the Order.As the grandson of a marauding pirate, Evan Sloane strives to earn his moniker, Valiant. His work as an enquiry agent for the Order gives him the perfect opportunity to make amends for his ancestor’s misdeeds. But even the bold and bravely courageous have their limits...Categorized as:
victorian m-f mystery suspense from hate to love forced proximity abduction virgin heroine -
![Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran]()
Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran
Sensible and lonely, Olivia Mather survives by her wits—and her strict policy of avoiding trouble. But when she realizes that the Duke of Marwick might hold the secrets of her family’s past, she does the unthinkable, infiltrating his household as a maid. She’ll clean his study and rifle through his papers looking for information. Alastair de Grey has a single reason to live: vengeance... -
![What Happens in London by Julia Quinn]()
What Happens in London by Julia Quinn
RUMORS AND GOSSIP ... THE LIFEBLOOD OF LONDON When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiancee, she doesn't believe it for a second, but, still, how can she help spying on him, just to be sure? So she stakes out a spot near her bedroom window, cleverly concealed by curtains, watches, and waits ..Categorized as:
mystery virgin heroine from hate to love sweet heroine m-f forced proximity abduction cold heroine -
![Four to Score by Janet Evanovich]()
Four to Score by Janet Evanovich
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 110 ratingsStephanie Plum, Trenton, New Jersey's favorite pistol-packing, condom-carrying bounty hunter, is back - and on the trail of a revenge-seeking waitress who's skipped bail. With the help of 73-year-old Grandma Mazur, ex-hooker Lula, a transvestite musician named Sally Sweet, and the all-too-hospitable, all-too-sexy Joe Morelli, Stephanie might just catch her woman...Categorized as:
heroine sleuth suspense mystery m-f contemporary 20th century historical love triangle -
![Entranced by the Earl by Jillian Eaton]()
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 . . -
![The Duke's Wicked Widow (Surprise! Dukes) by Caroline Lee]()
The Duke's Wicked Widow (Surprise! Dukes) by Caroline Lee
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 12 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... -
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![The Duke's Virgin Sister by Caroline Lee]()
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... -
![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 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 Hidden Hand: Love, Intrigue, and Gender Roles in Victorian Fiction by E.D.E.N. Southworth]()
The Hidden Hand: Love, Intrigue, and Gender Roles in Victorian Fiction by E.D.E.N. Southworth
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsEmma Southworth's 'The Hidden Hand' is a captivating novel that delves deep into the themes of mystery, romance, and intrigue. Set in the 19th century, this work of literature features a powerful narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats... -
![A Lesson in Scandal by Adele Clee]()
A Lesson in Scandal by Adele Clee
Having read a secret letter, Sofia Moorland knows of her stepmother’s wicked plan to auction her virtue. With danger looming, escape is her only option. Armed with a knowledge of herbalism, she seeks refuge working for the brooding doctor, Mr Gentry. But freedom comes at a price—and Mr Gentry soon holds more than her fate in his skilled hands...Categorized as:
victorian suspense mystery alpha male possessive hero tortured hero men in uniform tortured heroine -
![So True a Love by Joanna Barker]()
So True a Love by Joanna Barker
Danger and passion collide when a plucky young woman becomes embroiled in a Bow Street investigation alongside a handsome officer. London, 1803As the daughter of a renowned actress, Verity Travers is a privileged lady of high society —and the last woman one would suspect of working as a private investigator... -
![An Impossible Impostor by Deanna Raybourn]()
An Impossible Impostor by Deanna Raybourn
While investigating a man claiming to be the long-lost heir to a noble family, Veronica Speedwell gets the surprise of her life in this new adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.London, 1889. Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian beau Stoker are summoned by Sir Hugo Montgomerie, head of Special Branch...Categorized as:
mystery victorian suspense heroine sleuth historical ["to-read", "currently-reading", "mystery", "historical-fiction", "2022", "2022-releases", "series", "historical-mystery", "historical", "fiction", "adult", "wishlist", "romance", "coming-soon", "arc", "mysteries", "mystery-thriller", "upcoming", "next-in-series", "historical-romance", "not-yet-released", "to-be-released", "victorian", "netgalley", "audible", "kindle", "2022-tbr", "to-buy", "unreleased", "series-in-progress", "preorder", "2022-release", "giveaways", "february-2022", "requested", "veronica-speedwell", "2022-february", "2022-new-releases", "mystery-suspense", "wish-list", "february", "need-to-buy", "veronica-speedwell-series", "adult-fiction", "read-2021", "england", "arcs", "for-review", "2021", "edelweiss", "on-hold", "tbr", "waiting", "next-up", "unpublished", "not-released", "must-read-2022", "2022-to-read", "deanna-raybourn", "preordered"] regency contemporary -
![When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare]()
When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare
On the cusp of her first London season, Miss Madeline Gracechurch was shyly pretty and talented with a drawing pencil, but hopelessly awkward with gentlemen. She was certain to be a dismal failure on the London marriage mart. So Maddie did what generations of shy, awkward young ladies have done: she invented a sweetheart. A Scottish sweetheart... -
![A Matchmaker for a Marquess by Christi Caldwell]()
A Matchmaker for a Marquess by Christi Caldwell
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBe prepared to smile, swoon, and sigh in Christi Caldwell's latest 'Heart of a Scandal' installment where a matchmaker firmly on the shelf is about to fall head over heels for her best friend's younger brother. She lived by a strict set of rules… Meredith Durant believes those who won’t marry, matchmake, and she’s made a notable career for herself helping young women find the perfect mate... -
![Charity by Beverley Watts]()
Charity by Beverley Watts
In this funny Regency romance series, the Shackleford sisters descend on a Regency society that doesn’t know what’s hit it…While Charity Shackleford might be considered far more outspoken than her twin sister Chastity, she was much less inclined to make a complete cake of herself. Something her twin appeared to be doing with increasing regularity... -
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![These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer, Digital Fire]()
These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer, Digital Fire
“Heyer made me laugh, cry, and sigh with warmth.” —The Book Faery Reviews“Mistaken identity, intrigue, and romance are only a few of the plot lines that make These Old Shades a fascinating read.” —Laura's Reviews“The dialogue sparkles.” —Starting Fresh“There will never be another Regency writer this perfect... -
![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 plain heroine from hate to love strong heroine m-f age difference regency historical -
![The MacLeod Pirate by Caroline Lee]()
The MacLeod Pirate by Caroline Lee
The Black Banner is the Western Isles’ most notorious pirate…and he’s about to meet his match! Book 4 in "The Sinclair Jewels" is now available! Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited! Citrine is the last Sinclair Jewel left with any chance to save her clan, and she's not about to fail them...Categorized as:
from hate to love m-f forced proximity abduction strong heroine alpha male possessive hero medieval -
![In the Family Way: Another John Pickett Mystery by Sheri Cobb South]()
In the Family Way: Another John Pickett Mystery by Sheri Cobb South
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWith a beautiful and clever wife, a growing investigative business, and a baby due any day, former Bow Street Runner John Pickett finally has a respectable life far removed from his beginnings as a juvenile pickpocket in the rookeries of St. Giles. Then his father returns from transportation to Botany Bay, and Pickett’s hard-won respectability threatens to collapse like a house of cards... -
![Under the Harvest Moon by Collette Cameron, Caroline Warfield]()
Under the Harvest Moon by Collette Cameron, Caroline Warfield
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs the village of Reabridge in Cheshire prepares for the first Harvest Festival following Waterloo, families are overjoyed to welcome back their loved ones from the war.But excitement quickly turns to mystery when mere weeks before the festival, an orphaned child turns up in the town—a toddler born near Toulouse to an English mother who left clues that tie her to Reabridge...Categorized as:
mystery military age difference victorian historical regency pregnancy marriage of convenience -
![Crowned and Dangerous by Rhys Bowen]()
Crowned and Dangerous by Rhys Bowen
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsNothing is simple when you’re thirty-fifth in line for the British crown, least of all marriage. But with love on their side, and plans to elope, Lady Georgiana Rannoch and her beau Darcy O’Mara hope to bypass a few royal rules.. -
![A Scandalous Deception by Lynn Messina]()
A Scandalous Deception by Lynn Messina
As much as Beatrice Hyde-Clare relished the challenge of figuring out who murdered a fellow guest during a house party in the Lake District, she certainly does not consider herself an amateur investigator. So when a London dandy falls dead at her feet in the entryway of a London Daily Gazette, she feels no compulsion to investigate... -
![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...Categorized as:
virgin heroine tortured hero from hate to love mystery possessive hero victorian humor regency -
![An Extravagant Duplicity by Lynn Messina]()
An Extravagant Duplicity by Lynn Messina
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhy, yes, the former Beatrice Hyde-Clare is distracted. Having settled comfortably into marriage to the Duke of Kesgrave, she is nevertheless surprised to find herself in an interesting condition. And it has to be that—the unsettling prospect of motherhood—that causes her to overlook the obvious clue that Roger Dugmore had indeed been killed in his sleep...Categorized as:
mystery super rich hero poor heroine heroine sleuth regency historical humor length-medium -
![The Notorious Lord Sin by Tamara Gill]()
The Notorious Lord Sin by Tamara Gill
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsLove might be the only luxury she can’t afford…Paris Smith remembers the days when she was penniless all too well. The pain of being deemed unsuitable for marriage by her first love never truly faded. Now, she’s a widowed Countess with more money than she could ever spend, and the man who nearly destroyed her wants a second chance... -
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![The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer]()
The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer
THE RUNAWAY When Sir Richard Wyndham, an accomplished Corinthian, comes across a beautiful young woman climbing out of a window in a bid to escape, he finds the ideal opportunity to realise his own escape. Behind lovely Penelope Creed was the lavish life of a brilliant London heiress, and a proposed marriage to a man she loathed... -
![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... -
![A Bride's Guide to Marriage and Murder: A Brilliant Victorian Historical Mystery by Dianne Freeman]()
A Bride's Guide to Marriage and Murder: A Brilliant Victorian Historical Mystery by Dianne Freeman
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 28 ratings“Pure unadulterated fun” ( Publishers Weekly ) for fans of Ashley Weaver, Deanna Raybourn, and Tasha Alexander, the Agatha Award-winning Countess of Harleigh Mysteries are a witty romp through the high society of Victorian England with a touch of romance, an independent female lead, and rich historical detail... -
![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 suspense m-f humor angst new adult -
![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... -
![Matchless Margaret by Christina Dudley]()
Matchless Margaret by Christina Dudley
With her two older sisters married, managing family affairs has fallen to capable Miss Margaret Hapgood, leaving little time for thoughts of marriage. But a trip to Bath to find her uncle a wealthy bride throws her in the path of a handsome recuperating soldier, who is equally determined to keep his mother’s fortune out of grasping hands... -
![No Earls Allowed by Shana Galen]()
No Earls Allowed by Shana Galen
It is a truth universally acknowledgedthat a lady can do anything a man can do:backwards and in high-heeled dancing slippers. Lady Juliana, daughter of the Earl of St. Maur, needs all the help she can get. She's running a ramshackle orphanage, London's worst slumlord has illicit designs on her, and her father has suddenly become determined to marry her off... -
![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... -
![My Rogue to Ruin by Erica Ridley]()
My Rogue to Ruin by Erica Ridley
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe riotous Wynchester family has taken on a new case to expose a forger, but the prime suspect isn't at all what he seems in this captivating Regency romp from a New York Times bestselling author.Lord Adrian Webb is a no-good, roguish, rakish scoundrel of the first order, which is why his father sends him to the Continent and cuts him off without a farthing...Categorized as:
from hate to love mystery suspense forced proximity historical regency humor dual-pov -
![The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn]()
The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
She was in the wrong place... Fiercely independent and adventurous, Poppy Bridgerton will only wed a suitor whose keen intellect and interests match her own. Sadly, none of the fools from her London season qualify. While visiting a friend on the Dorset coast, Poppy is pleasantly surprised to discover a smugglers' hideaway tucked inside a cave...Categorized as:
virgin heroine abduction forced proximity from hate to love strong heroine military m-f victorian -
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![A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman, Sarah Zimmerman]()
A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman, Sarah Zimmerman
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsSet in Victorian England, this witty and lighthearted cozy historical mystery from award-winning author Dianne Freeman will delight fans of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, as an American-born amateur sleuth investigates misdeeds among the British aristocracy.For Frances Wynn, widow to the late Earl of Harleigh, life has a cosmopolitan flavor of late... -
![The Courtship of Chloe by Dorothy Mack]()
The Courtship of Chloe by Dorothy Mack
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA whirlwind romance set in Regency England! Perfect for fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Jane Aiken Hodge and Jane Austen. Can Chloe bring order to the Montrose family? Regency England As a practical doctor’s daughter living in the countryside, Chloe Norris has had little experience among the aristocracy...Categorized as:
mystery heroine sleuth suspense class difference historical regency humor length-medium -
![A Governess Should Never... Deny a Duke by Emily Windsor]()
A Governess Should Never... Deny a Duke by Emily Windsor
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 10 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 -
![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... -
![Four Play by Cindy Blackburn]()
Four Play by Cindy Blackburn
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBad news comes in . . . fours? For romance author and former pool shark Jessie Hewitt it does. She hasn’t written a decent sex scene in months, she hasn’t shot a decent game of eight ball all year, and don’t even ask about her supposed love life. And just when Jessie thinks things can’t get any worse, a body lands on her car... -
![The Charmed Heir by Merry Farmer]()
The Charmed Heir by Merry Farmer
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsMistaken identity is only the beginning….Miss Charlotte Benning has lived a charmed life as the daughter of a wealthy, eccentric industrialist. Her only aim in attending the house party at Nedworth Hall is to find a nice man to marry and have a family with. She certainly doesn’t think she’s witty or clever enough to engage in all the excitement about Lord Carshalton’s mysterious heir...
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