Books like 'Despite the Duke'
Readers who enjoyed Despite the Duke by Kathleen Ayers also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical funny regency virgin heroine arranged marriage from hate to love m-f late-20s-mmc marriage of convenience mystery
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Aurora by D.G. Rampton
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 16 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. ♥ an opposites-attract romance. ♥ a formidable hero. ♥ an irrepressible heroine. ♥ a menagerie of lovable characters... -
![A Match of Misfortune (Bachelors of Blackstone's) by Jess Heileman]()
A Match of Misfortune (Bachelors of Blackstone's) by Jess Heileman
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFortune brought him back to England. Misfortune brought them together. Cecily Bradshaw has despised Nash Markham since before they met. His captivating smile and overdone charms might blind others from the insufferable tease he is, but not Cecily. Only once, in the naïveté of youth, did her resolve momentarily falter, and she is determined it will never happen again... -
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![A Seaside Scandal by Ashtyn Newbold]()
A Seaside Scandal by Ashtyn Newbold
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA reckless swim, a ruined reputation. .. an unexpected romance. Miss Alice Kellaway never expected her peaceful seaside holiday to turn into a battle for a gentleman’s affections. But when she and her dearest friend, Charlotte, both set their sights on the charming and mysterious Jonathan Croft, Alice is no longer willing to step aside in favor of Charlotte's ambitions... -
![Mercedes by Beverley Watts]()
Mercedes by Beverley Watts
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom the highly acclaimed author of The Shackleford Sisters, Beverley Watts, comes an exciting new series featuring the next generation. The Shackleford Legacies are a delightful dance of romance, humour, mystery and fun. .. As the eldest daughter of the Earl of Cottesmore, Lady Mercedes Stanhope didn't expect to be still without a husband at the start of her third season... -
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![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. .Categorized as:
regency mystery alpha male virgin heroine competent heroine super rich hero m-f historical -
![One Fine May by Courtney McCaskill]()
One Fine May by Courtney McCaskill
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsOne Fine May…Furious that his son was featured in the notorious Rake Review column, Evander Beauclerk’s stickler father issues an give up his dissolute ways and marry a respectable woman by the end of the month, or the family fortune will go to his dimwitted cousin... -
![A Proper Introduction: A Pride & Prejudice Epistolary by Alix James]()
A Proper Introduction: A Pride & Prejudice Epistolary by Alix James
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe's bored to death. She's a breath of fresh air. Fitzwilliam Darcy may never walk again. He's sustained a life-threatening injury and he's fighting everyone, even his own doctor, to maintain some control over his life. Elizabeth Bennet only wanted a book. What she found was a mind like her own, and a man desperately in need of a friend. And he likes her jokes... -
![Henrietta by Beverley Watts]()
Henrietta by Beverley Watts
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHenrietta Carew has always been practical, sensible, and generally immune to flights of fancy. Until she meets Raphael Augustin. King William IV's most dangerous intelligence agent is everything Henrietta shouldn't want - ruthless, secretive, and devastatingly handsome... -
![To Fall for Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Renata McMann, Summer Hanford]()
To Fall for Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Renata McMann, Summer Hanford
How much trouble can Elizabeth get into on a walk in the woods? Despite the fear of injury, Elizabeth Bennet risks all to save a stranger, unaware that the threat to her person will be overshadowed by the threat to her future. Faced with doing what is right or what is preferred, Mr. Darcy proves he is a gentleman by choosing the path of right, but will that choice prove disastrous? To Fall for Mr...Categorized as:
regency m-f arranged marriage sassy heroine historical christian length-medium behind-doors -
![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... -
![An Infamous Betrayal by Lynn Messina]()
An Infamous Betrayal by Lynn Messina
Having solved the two murders that somehow fell in her path, Beatrice Hyde-Clare is on the lookout for a third. Through a absurd quirk of stupid fate, the shy spinster has fallen in love with the thoroughly unattainable Duke of Kesgrave and is desperate for something, anything, to occupy her mind. A dead body would do nicely... -
![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... -
![Confessions of the Scandalous Mrs. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Darcie Rochester]()
Confessions of the Scandalous Mrs. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Darcie Rochester
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA ripped bodice leaves a reputation in tatters. . . . Miss Elizabeth Bennet never meant to compromise Mr. Darcy. Indeed, she had hoped never to speak to the odious man again, but after an accidental entanglement the argumentative pair find themselves on the road to matrimony. A marriage of inconvenience. . . . Now the new Mrs... -
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![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:
regency mystery marriage of convenience arranged marriage historical pregnancy military humor -
![Surrender to the Duke by Tamara Gill]()
Surrender to the Duke by Tamara Gill
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSurrendering to the Duke will be easy. Not losing her heart to him is another matter entirely…. Miss Lila York should have refused her sister’s request. But since she didn’t, she’s now in the unfortunate position of traveling to London, pretending to be her sister, and rejecting a man—a man she’s long coveted from afar for herself. If only saying no was as easy as everyone seems to think…... -
![The Managing Miss by Heidi Kimball]()
The Managing Miss by Heidi Kimball
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe is capable of managing everything . . . except for her heart. Tasked with making a brilliant match for her cousin, Lavinia Harcourt whisks her entire household, including their two exotic pets, off to London for the Season. With limited funds and few connections, however, the undertaking is not easy... -
![The Ruby Dagger by Lynn Morrison, Anne Radcliffe]()
The Ruby Dagger by Lynn Morrison, Anne Radcliffe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDeadly intrigue meets royal expectations when murder comes for the crown. London, 1813. In the gilded corridors of St James's Palace, Lord Percy and Lady Grace face a mystery that could shake the throne itself. A murder and audacious theft of the Prince Regent’s ruby collar of state thrusts them back into a web of deception and treachery... -
![Defying the Earl by Erica Ridley]()
Defying the Earl by Erica Ridley
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsEnjoy a fun, flirty guardian-and-ward forced proximity romp from a New York Times bestselling author! Miss Matilda Dodd refuses to be any man’s property. She’s a month shy of her majority, and cannot wait to live life on her own terms. Rather than meet her unwanted new guardian as instructed, she attends a ball and comes kiss-to-kiss with an adorably befuddled handsome lord instead... -
![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... -
![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 regency super rich hero historical humor poor heroine heroine sleuth 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. Oh, how the tables have deliciously turned…... -
![An Engagement with the Enemy by Sally Britton]()
An Engagement with the Enemy by Sally Britton
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsJames Aldwick isn’t ready to settle down, but his father, Baron Retford, doesn’t give him a choice. The stigma of illegitimacy has haunted the baron his whole life, and it’s up to his son to reestablish their good name by marrying into a family with a perfect pedigree... -
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![A Captain, a Corpse, and Miss Bridges by Claudia Stone]()
A Captain, a Corpse, and Miss Bridges by Claudia Stone
Miss Flora Bridges is well accustomed to village gossip—but while whispers of witchcraft she can endure, accusations of murder are quite another matter. When the trustee of her newly inherited fortune, the pompous Sir Ambrose Quill, turns up dead, every eye in Plumpton turns on her... -
![Every Duke Has a Silver Lining by Tamara Gill]()
Every Duke Has a Silver Lining by Tamara Gill
He can’t deny her anything…except maybe his heart…. Ashley Woodville didn’t mean any harm when she broke into Grady Kolten’s office. It was only a dare from her friends. She wasn’t supposed to get caught. And she certainly wasn’t supposed to talk the notorious gaming hell owner (and disturbingly sexy rogue) into showing her London’s wilder side. Falling for him? Also not part of the dare... -
![Lord Blackwell's Promise by Ashtyn Newbold]()
Lord Blackwell's Promise by Ashtyn Newbold
Never make a promise you cannot keep. .. Margaret Lovell tries her best to love everyone, if only to make up for the fact that she loathes one man far more than she should, but no less than he deserves. After the young Earl of Blackwell accused her father of cheating and tricked him out of his fortune, she has despised him for causing their disgrace and lack of security... -
![Dare To Be Scandalous by Tamara Gill]()
Dare To Be Scandalous by Tamara Gill
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter inheriting a small fortune, Willow Perry has everything she’s ever wanted. Except a husband, that is. But not just any husband will do. She’s looking for a grand love—someone who will challenge and excite her. It’s just her folly that the one man who interests her is a notorious rake. He’s as wild and passionate as Willow is sheltered and staid... -
![A Snowflake Kiss for Lady Sophie by Maggie Dallen, Katherine Ann Madison]()
A Snowflake Kiss for Lady Sophie by Maggie Dallen, Katherine Ann Madison
Lady Sophie has arranged the perfect match. Too bad she kisses the wrong man under the mistletoe. .. Lady Sophie's husband-to-be is a handsome earl in need of the dowry she can provide. The details of the arrangement were made via letters, and now all that’s left is to meet the gentleman at her aunt’s Christmastide house party... -
![A Murderous Tryst by Lynn Messina]()
A Murderous Tryst by Lynn Messina
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe past rears its gorgeous head…. Deeply distressed to discover her husband lied about his whereabouts the day before, Beatrice, Duchess of Kesgrave, emerges from a wretched night’s sleep to discover him embracing the most beautiful woman she has ever seen. His former mistress! It is shocking, yes, but not so very alarming, for Penelope Taylor is actually there to see Bea... -
![Mr. Darcy Steals a Kiss (and Some Other Stuff) by Alix James]()
Mr. Darcy Steals a Kiss (and Some Other Stuff) by Alix James
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMy family is about to be ruined, and the only person who can help me is a burglar whose kisses make me forget my own name. Elizabeth Bennet. My father is a fraud. There, I’ve confessed it. Jane and I are the only ones who know that he fakes “ancient Greek vases” and sells them to unsuspecting buyers for exorbitant sums to keep our mother in pin money... -
![A Marriage is Arranged by GL Robinson]()
A Marriage is Arranged by GL Robinson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCan An Arranged Marriage Be Arranged ? When the two plainest people in London enter into an arranged marriage the ton isn't so much surprised as counting the days to an arranged separation. Louise is too short, too dull and too dowdy and the Earl is positively frightening, with his frowning demeanor and massive shoulders... -
![The Seamstress by Mary Kingswood]()
The Seamstress by Mary Kingswood
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA traditional Regency romance, drawing room rather than bedroom. Miss Fanny Winterton has only one wish in her romantic heart — to surrender to overwhelming love. She will accept nothing less than to be struck by the thunderbolt of everlasting passion... -
![Fair Stands the Wind: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Catherine Lodge]()
Fair Stands the Wind: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Catherine Lodge
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWe all know that, in Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice," Mr. Darcy is proud and prejudiced because he is a wealthy landowner who believes himself above his company and that Elizabeth Bennet can afford to be proud and prejudiced because she believes she has the freedom to make choices for herself. But what if Mr... -
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![Brazen Rogue by Tamara Gill]()
Brazen Rogue by Tamara Gill
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen the past and present are standing in the way of happiness, it’ll take brazen act to save the day…. Miss Reign Hall has resigned herself to being a spinster. Her disastrous season in London left her with little opportunity (or desire) for anything else. But when she’s offered a governess position, she knows it’s her best chance for a fresh start away from small country village life... -
![Checkmate, Mr Darcy: A Regency Novel inspired by P&P by Sydney Salier]()
Checkmate, Mr Darcy: A Regency Novel inspired by P&P by Sydney Salier
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat might happen if Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy maintained his pride and prejudice, thereby giving his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, a chance to win the enchanting Elizabeth Bennet when they meet at Hunsford. The Colonel, who recently inherited a very small estate, does not need an heiress as long as his chosen lady is happy living in the country on a modest income... -
![Epiphany by Jessie Lewis]()
Epiphany by Jessie Lewis
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratings“Somehow, his hapless sister had begun a rumour that he was romantically attached to the penniless young woman, from an unheard-of and vulgar family, with whom duty and good sense forbade him from ever considering an alliance…but whose extraordinary wit and captivating eyes he had been entirely unable to banish from his thoughts. ”... -
![Crying Wolfe by Kerrigan Byrne]()
Crying Wolfe by Kerrigan Byrne
A new trio of siblings learn that it is impossible to be a Goode without being a little wicked…. He’s the man with the Midas touch…. Elijah Wolfe is just as ruthless and aggressive as his name suggests. Born in harsh Nevada desert, he used his sharp wits and sharper fists to fight for survival mining ore for terrible men. .. Until one day he struck gold, literally... -
![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:
regency from hate to love mystery historical humor suspense dual-pov forced proximity -
![Only a Viscount Will Do by Tamara Gill]()
Only a Viscount Will Do by Tamara Gill
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLady Alice Worthingham never conforms to Society’s norms. Ever. She loves adventure, new experiences, and approaches life with a sassy attitude Society can take or leave. But even for her, robbery by a highwayman is a bit much. Lord Arndel, Lady Alice’s neighbor, is playing a dangerous game—acting the proper viscount by day and the Surrey Bandit by night... -
![Prevailed Upon to Marry: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Mary Smythe]()
Prevailed Upon to Marry: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Mary Smythe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPrevailed Upon to Marry is a forced marriage Pride and Prejudice variation perfect for fans of romantic comedy and chivalric heroes. To love and be loved in return—what more could any rational person wish for? THE NEWS OF ELIZABETH BENNET'S ENGAGEMENT hits Fitzwilliam Darcy with all the force of a runaway carriage... -
![Turnabout: A Regency Romance inspired by P&P by Sydney Salier]()
Turnabout: A Regency Romance inspired by P&P by Sydney Salier
What if a wealthy aunt ensured that Mrs Bennet and her daughters had a secure future and a proper education? What if Darcy arrived at Netherfield a month after the Bingleys – just in time for the assembly and his famous insult? What if Mr Bennet was just a little more engaged and the inhabitants of Meryton a little less impressed with the visitors – resulting in the whole party getting kicked out...Categorized as:
regency m-f competent heroine historical humor length-medium glimpses-kisses england -
![Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens by Andrea Penrose]()
Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens by Andrea Penrose
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe upcoming marriage of the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane promises to be a highlight of the season, if they can first untangle—and survive—a web of intrigue and murder involving the most brilliant scientific minds in Regency London. . -
![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... -
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![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 proper. Max knows he must marry... -
![As Only Mr. Darcy Can: A Pride and Prejudice Regency Romp by Laura Hile]()
As Only Mr. Darcy Can: A Pride and Prejudice Regency Romp by Laura Hile
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhat a tangled web! Mr. Darcy’s departure has solved nothing. He loves Elizabeth Bennet as much as ever—and he has left her vulnerable to Wickham’s lies. Why not send her a warning? Anonymously, of course. He must conquer his obsession, yet he must also do something to protect her. But when Darcy is dunned for a bill of Wickham’s—an old trick—he sends the magistrate’s men with a warrant... -
![Surrender to a Devil by Wendy Vella]()
Surrender to a Devil by Wendy Vella
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe does not believe himself capable of love. Forrest Howarth did not have the capacity to love a woman. His daughter, yes, and the cousins who had welcomed him when he’d arrived from India, but a woman, no. Joining Alexius and using his knowledge to protect the Monarch was the next step he needed to take in his life. But before he does that, Forrest must find someone to educate his daughter... -
![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... -
![The Lacemaker by Mary Kingswood]()
The Lacemaker by Mary Kingswood
A traditional Regency romance, drawing room rather than bedroom. Caroline Milburn and her younger sisters live in two cramped rooms, struggling to survive by their skills in lace making and weaving. When their previously unknown grandfather drowns on the Brig Minerva and bequeaths them a cottage in the country, their lives seem set to improve... -
![A Warriner To Tempt Her by Virginia Heath]()
A Warriner To Tempt Her by Virginia Heath
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter a shocking incident, shy Lady Isabella Beaumont is perfectly happy to stay in the background and let her sister get all the attention from handsome suitors! However, working with Dr. Joseph Warriner to help the sick and needy pushes her closer to a man than she’s ever been before. Is this man worth trusting with her deepest of desires…?
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