Books like 'Dropping the Ball'
Readers who enjoyed Dropping the Ball by Merry Farmer also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy suspense survival victorian regency friends to lovers
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A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn
Veronica must find and stop a devious killer when a group of old friends is targeted for death in this new adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.Veronica's natural-historian beau, Stoker, has been away in Bavaria for months and their relationship is at an impasse... -
![The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King]()
The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsIn Laurie R. King’s latest Mary Russell–Sherlock Holmes mystery, the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author delivers a thriller of ingenious surprises and unrelenting suspense—as the famous husband and wife sleuths are pursued by a killer immune from the sting of justice...Categorized as:
suspense victorian mystery historical contemporary 20th century fantasy heroine sleuth -
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![The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King]()
The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsBONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Laurie R. King's The God of the Hive and Pirate King.For Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, returning to the Sussex coast after seven months abroad was especially sweet. There was even a mystery to solve—the unexplained disappearance of an entire colony of bees from one of Holmes’s beloved hives...Categorized as:
suspense victorian mystery historical contemporary 20th century fantasy heroine sleuth -
![A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn]()
A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsVeronica and Stoker discover that not all fairy tales have happy endings, and some end in murder, in this latest historical mystery from New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn... -
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![A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett]()
A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsIn 1866, tragedy strikes at the exclusive Windfield School. A young student drowns in a mysterious accident involving a small circle of boys. The drowning and its aftermath initiates a spiraling circle of treachery that will span three decades and entwine many lives... -
![How to Turn a Frog into a Prince by Bree Wolf]()
How to Turn a Frog into a Prince by Bree Wolf
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA barefoot maiden.A painfully proper gentleman.And a friendship most unexpected. After losing her entire family to a horrible sickness, Miss Charlaine Palmer leaves Jamaica and crosses an ocean, hoping for a new beginning in England. Unfortunately, her raven-black hair and olive skin immediately mark her as an outsider, eyed suspiciously by the English ton... -
![Captivating the Scoundrel by Darcy Burke]()
Captivating the Scoundrel by Darcy Burke
Daphne Foliot has always known she’ll be married off to a man who, like her, descended from one of King Arthur’s fabled knights. That doesn’t mean she wants to be, even if it is her beloved father’s wish. Raised without a mother, she owes everything to the man who encouraged and funded her education and supports her dream of becoming the first female member of the Order of the Round Table... -
![Christmas Angel by Eli Easton]()
Christmas Angel by Eli Easton
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen John Trent, a dedicated member of the new Bow Street Runners, finds an exquisite carved angel floating in the Thames, he can’t stop thinking about it. He tracks down its creator, a sad and quiet young sculptor. But neither the angel nor the sculptor is done with John just yet. The blasted angel refuses to leave him be, behaving not at all like an inanimate object should...Categorized as:
regency friends to lovers m-m historical christmas fantasy contemporary class difference -
![Deceived by Megan Derr]()
Deceived by Megan Derr
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAUTHOR'S NOTE: This book has been revised. The story Deceived has a new, longer ending. The story The Highwayman is now it's own book, and the following stories have been added to this volume: The Wager, Seconds, Runaways . This book also contains all the free ficbits posted to my website... -
![How to Tame a Beastly Lord by Bree Wolf]()
How to Tame a Beastly Lord by Bree Wolf
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsA fallen lady...A beastly lord...And a night out in the woods. Unmarried and with child, Lady Eugenie enters into a marriage of convenience to save herself and her unborn child from society's censure... -
![Dangerous Magic: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Monica Fairview]()
Dangerous Magic: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Monica Fairview
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA sparkling tale of Regency England, a forced marriage, and two mages who must work together to save the Kingdom. Elizabeth Bennet is stunned when the Royal Mages come to her peaceful country home of Longbourn to take her away. She is even more bewildered when she is commanded to marry a powerful mage by the name of Fitzwilliam Darcy... -
![Deceived and Other Tales by Megan Derr]()
Deceived and Other Tales by Megan Derr
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFive stories of men and the secrets and lies that shape their lives… Deceived – The hatred between Prince Benedict and his secretary Rae is well-known, and the source of much gossip at court. Each one too stubborn to walk away, determined to make the other one the first to break, they spend their days fighting or ruthlessly ignoring one another...Categorized as:
friends to lovers regency from hate to love royalty mystery historical fantasy length-short -
![A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King]()
A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsThe third book in the Mary Russell–Sherlock Holmes series.It is 1923. Mary Russell Holmes and her husband, the retired Sherlock Holmes, are enjoying the summer together on their Sussex estate when they are visited by an old friend, Miss Dorothy Ruskin, an archeologist just returned from Palestine...Categorized as:
suspense victorian mystery historical 20th century contemporary fantasy heroine sleuth -
![Ridiculous! by D.L. Carter]()
Ridiculous! by D.L. Carter
Identity theft regency style. After the death of her miserly cousin Antony North, Millicent Boarder is determined her family should never be poor or vulnerable again. To protect them she conceals her cousin's death and assumes his identity. Now she must face the Ton and the world as Mr. North and accept the price she must pay for her family's safety -- she will never be loved... -
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![Cleopatra's Tomb by Nellie H. Steele]()
Cleopatra's Tomb by Nellie H. Steele
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIndies Today Best Book 2020 Award FinalistWhy in the world would her uncle send her a bejeweled golden scarab? When Maggie Edwards opened the mysterious package from her archeologist uncle, Oliver Keene, she had no clue what it was for. At first, she couldn’t understand why he had sent her something so obviously valuable when he had never done so before... -
![The Red Herring by Calia Read]()
The Red Herring by Calia Read
Rated: 3.89 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsNathalieWhen I came back to Charleston, I intended to take back my future and my one true love, Asa Calhoun.Life had different plans for me, but it seems it always did.As I try to move forward in my life, years of memories and passion between us refuse to stay buried in the past, leading me back to Asa.But, so do the dark, sordid memories of my married life...Categorized as:
suspense friends to lovers historical angst 20th century cheating age difference time travel -
![Never Conspire with a Sinful Baron by Renee Ann Miller]()
Never Conspire with a Sinful Baron by Renee Ann Miller
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsLast season, Lady Nina Trent fell for a scoundrel. This year, she intends to choose more wisely... When a duke more interested in fox hunting and sports than womanizing comes to town, Nina thinks him the perfect catch. Sadly, he doesn't seem to notice her... -
![Murder at the Mayfair Hotel by C.J. Archer]()
Murder at the Mayfair Hotel by C.J. Archer
Rated: 3.91 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsIt was the most fashionable place to stay in London, until murder made a reservation. Solve the puzzle in this new cozy historical mystery from USA Today bestselling author of the Glass and Steele series.December 1899. After the death of her beloved grandmother, Cleopatra Fox moves into the luxury hotel owned by her estranged uncle in the hopes of putting hardship and loneliness behind her... -
![India Black in the City of Light by Carol K. Carr]()
India Black in the City of Light by Carol K. Carr
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen it comes to undercover work, nobody does it better than Madam of Espionage India Black... India and the handsome British spy, French, are ordered to escort a Russian agent to Paris where he will be exchanged for one of Her Majesty’s operatives. The task seems straightforward and India looks forward to enjoying the delights of the city—and the delights of French...Categorized as:
victorian suspense mystery historical steampunk heroine sleuth fantasy length-medium -
![The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry]()
The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry
Rated: 3.91 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsEdinburgh, 1847. Will Raven is a medical student, apprenticing for the brilliant and renowned Dr Simpson. Sarah Fisher is Simpson’s housemaid, and has all of Raven’s intelligence but none of his privileges.As bodies begin to appear across the Old Town, Raven and Sarah find themselves propelled headlong into the darkest shadows of Edinburgh’s underworld... -
![Limelight by Emily Organ]()
Limelight by Emily Organ
Rated: 3.89 of 5 stars · 30 ratings“Miss Green, the actress Lizzie Dixie has been murdered.” I stared at the young inspector. “But it’s impossible. She drowned. Years ago.”London, 1883. Fleet Street’s pioneering lady reporter Penny Green is stunned when a long-dead actress is found murdered in Highgate Cemetery... -
![How to Catch a Sinful Marquess by Amy Rose Bennett]()
How to Catch a Sinful Marquess by Amy Rose Bennett
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA reserved debutante and a former soldier make an unlikely but fated match as they hasten for the Isle of Skye. Orphaned heiress Olivia de Vere should have the world--or at least the men of the ton--at her feet. But when she's thrown out of a young ladies' academy, Olivia doubts she'll ever find someone who will love her, rather than her bank account...Categorized as:
victorian regency historical medieval fantasy high fantasy virgin heroine length-medium -
![The Viscount Who Vexed Me by Julia London]()
The Viscount Who Vexed Me by Julia London
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDaring. Darling. Determined.Next to the Season’s newest diamond , Harriet (Hattie) Woodchurch feels like a plain Jane. But that’s of no consequence, since Hattie’s plan for her future is to earn enough to live far, far away from her embarrassing family.That is until Mateo Vincente, Duke of Santiava and newly minted Viscount Abbott, arrives in London...Categorized as:
victorian regency friends to lovers historical slow burn plain heroine office boss & employee -
![A Secret Life by C.J. Archer]()
A Secret Life by C.J. Archer
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMinerva Peabody needs a man. Unfortunately she picked the wrong one. The impoverished playwright has a dream to see her plays performed on stage but in Elizabethan England, not only are women considered the inferior sex, they simply do NOT write plays... -
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![Silent Night by Deanna Raybourn]()
Silent Night by Deanna Raybourn
Rated: 3.82 of 5 stars · 25 ratings'Tis the season for an investigation! Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane return for a Christmas caper at Bellmont Abbey—. After a year of marriage—and numerous adventures—Lady Julia and Brisbane hope for a quiet, intimate Christmas together—until they find themselves at her father's ancestral estate, Bellmont Abbey, with her eccentric family and a menagerie of animals... -
![The Third Son by Elise Marion]()
The Third Son by Elise Marion
Rated: 3.77 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPrince Damien, the spoiled youngest son of the king of Cardenas, finds that his world will never quite be the same again when a fiery Gypsy girl, Esmeralda, comes dancing into his privileged life. Rake. Rogue. Scoundrel. Each of these words has been used to describe Damien Largess, youngest prince of Cardenas, most frequently by his ridiculously somber eldest brother... -
![A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales]()
A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales
When a wealthy bachelor drops dead at a ball, a young lady takes on the decidedly improper role of detective in this action-packed debut comedy of manners and murder. "If you grew up reading Jane Austen and Agatha Christie (or are a fan of Bridgerton and Knives Out), you will adore A Most Agreeable Murder... -
![The Novelty Maker by Sasha L. Miller]()
The Novelty Maker by Sasha L. Miller
Rated: 3.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs often as he can possibly manage, Cole slips away from the parties and teas inflicted upon him by his mother to visit Harlowe, the brilliant, mercurial novelty maker he met several months ago when commissioning a piece for his mother... -
![Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn]()
Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn
After eight idyllic months in the Mediterranean, Lady Julia Grey and her detective husband are ready to put their investigative talents to work once more. At the urging of Julia's eccentric family, they hurry to India to aid an old friend, the newly widowed Jane Cavendish... -
![The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James]()
The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James
Rated: 3.78 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsMany rumors abound about a mysterious gentleman said to be the love of Jane's life;finally, the truth may have been found.. -
![The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn]()
The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsPartners now in marriage and in trade, Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane have finally returned from abroad to set up housekeeping in London. But merging their respective collections of gadgets, pets and servants leaves little room for the harried newlyweds themselves, let alone Brisbane’s private enquiry business... -
![Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray]()
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 65 ratingsVanity Fair is an English novel by William Makepeace Thackeray which follows the lives of Becky Sharp and Emmy Sedley amid their friends and families during and after the Napoleonic Wars... -
![A Bride Unveiled by Jillian Hunter]()
A Bride Unveiled by Jillian Hunter
Violet Knowlton is betrothed to the sensible, if tedious, Sir Godfrey Maitland. When Godfrey escorts her to a fencing demonstration, she looks forward to the adventurous diversion, but everything changes when she realizes the swordsman displaying his skill-and dashing good looks- is none other than her childhood friend Kit...Categorized as:
friends to lovers regency fantasy historical working class hero open-door length-medium -
![The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown by Julia Quinn, Suzanne Enoch]()
The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown by Julia Quinn, Suzanne Enoch
Lady Whistledown Tells All! Society is abuzz when the Season's most promising debutante is jilted by her intended—only to be swept away by the deceitful rogue's dashing older brother—in New York Times bestseller Julia Quinn 's witty, charming, and heartfelt tale... -
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![Unladylike Lessons in Love by Amita Murray]()
Unladylike Lessons in Love by Amita Murray
Rated: 3.44 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAmita Murray takes us on a journey from the pleasure gardens of society to the dangerous streets of 19 th century London, in this spectacular romantic debut by an unforgettable new voice. “Women mind their reputation if they want to marry. I don’t want to marry...Categorized as:
regency victorian historical mystery multicultural fantasy south asian length-medium -
![Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke]()
Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke
Rated: 3.55 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsAnnabel is about to marry the perfect man . . .The last thing Miss Annabel Wheaton desires is true love. She learned the hard way that love makes a woman foolish and leads only to heartache. That’s why she agreed to marry an earl who needs her money. He’s got a pedigree and a country estate, and he won’t ever break her heart. There’s only one problem . . -
![The Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe]()
The Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe
Rated: 3.48 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsSet in a Roman Catholic Europe of violent passions and extreme oppression, the novel follows the fate of its heroine Adeline, who is mysteriously placed under the protection of a family fleeing Paris for debt. They take refuge in a ruined abbey in south-eastern France, where sinister relics of the past - a skeleton, a manuscript, and a rusty dagger - are discovered in concealed rooms... -
![Lady Susan by Jane Austen]()
Lady Susan by Jane Austen
Rated: 3.61 of 5 stars · 51 ratings"**Lady Susan**" by Jane Austen is a captivating epistolary novella that offers a tantalizing glimpse into the sophisticated world of Regency-era England. Through a series of letters exchanged between the characters, Austen weaves a tale of intrigue, manipulation, and romance... -
![The Fairy Tale Bride by Kelly McClymer]()
The Fairy Tale Bride by Kelly McClymer
The Fensters were like many other proper Victorian families—in every way but one. Ignorning the grim convention that one married for wealth and title, these spirited siblings followed their hearts...and vowed to wed only for love. Happily-ever-after is all she ever wanted... Even though society thinks her all but unmarriageable, Miranda Fenster still believes in true love...
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