History in the making ... in the form of new historical romance
Here are some newer historical romances, compiled for you and HEA by some of our favorite authors (info provided by publishers and/or their websites):
Season for Scandal by Theresa Romain (Zebra). Indiscretions abound as a proper young lady finds her reputation hopelessly compromised unless she agrees to wed the nobleman she has always secretly loved… With the wit and charm of Tessa Dare and Victoria Alexander, Theresa Romain brings fans a sparkling new Regency Christmas novel.
His by Christmas by Kaitlin O'Riley (Zebra). With this compelling Christmas romance, Kaitlin O'Riley offers the fifth and final installment of her sparkling series set in Victorian England and focusing on five beautiful sisters born of a French mother and English father. Through their close bond of friendship and support, together they overcome hardships while each makes their own individual quest for love!
Laird of Ballanclaire by Jackie Ivie (Zebra). In the bestselling tradition of Monica McCarty, Jackie Ivie continues her long and successful publishing history with a passionate romance set in the Scottish Highlands.
His for Christmas by Jennifer Haymore (Forever Yours). Shy Lady Esme has a secret: the youngest sister of the Duke of Trent privately pens erotic stories! Her latest is the steamy story of two travelers who find themselves stranded in an inn when an unexpected snowstorm blankets the English countryside. As the temperature drops, desire rises—but when dawn breaks and the storm clears, will they continue on their separate journeys…or begin a new path together?
Shadow Beneath the Sea by Joanna Lloyd (Crimson Romance). Lillian Marshall's father is determined she will accompany him to England. Walter Marshall needs an accomplice in crime to execute a shrewd con to make their fortune. When Edward James books passage to England on the Lusitania, he believes his future is at last out of his father's hands and his career as a musician is within reach. Before the ship sails, Edward becomes an unwitting ally in Walter's plan to force his reluctant daughter onto the ship. So begins a love story hindered by class, time and promises—Edward's to marry Lavinia and Lillian's to steal from the man she loves.
A Room with a View: The Wild and Wanton Edition by Coco Rousseau and E.M. Forster (Crimson Romance). E.M. Forster's classic tale of a young woman and man in the early 20th century who must reject convention to find love lacks only the intimate love scenes to make the story a true classic. Coco Rousseau brings to life what it's like for this young couple to share their first kiss and what passion might arise from that initial spark. Experience a love story born in the romantic hillsides of Tuscany as never before told in this timeless classic and discover whether Lucy can set convention aside to follow her heart.
Escape Not My Love by Elaine Coffman (Ellora's Cave Blush). Jennifer Baxter might be a feisty young woman with the freedom she desires, but that's all going to change when her father hires Jay Culhane to bring her back home. She can fight against him all she wants, but eventually she'll realize that her desire to be on her own doesn't trump her desire to be his woman. Jay may have collected rough outlaws and Indians in the past, but he's never had the problems he has with the spirited Jenny. Those problems mainly being that he wants to ravish her upon first setting eyes on her. He's determined to make her his, he just has to tame her first.
The following new releases were compiled for HEA by Cecilia Gray, author of The Gentlemen Next Door Regency-style romances. Her website is ceciliagray.com.
Christmas Cowboy Kisses anthology (Harlequin). Wrap up warm with these three Christmas tales. A Family for Christmas by Carolyn Davidson: When a handsome widower and his young boy are stranded at Joy Watson's Missouri homestead just before Christmas, the true meaning of love and family is revealed. A Christmas Miracle by Carol Arens: Laira Lynne is striving to save her beloved town. New arrival Rayne Lantree is the only man with the power to make her dream come true…if he'll just believe in a little Christmas magic! Christmas with Her Cowboy by Lauri Robinson: Ranch hand Tanner Maxwell is not pleased that Anna Hagan has returned to the Double Bar for Christmas. But the little girl he once knew is now all grown up.
Engagement of Convenience by Georgie Lee (Harlequin). Two adventurous spirits. Julia Howard longs for the freedom her inheritance will bring her—but with her controlling brother holding the purse strings, she's going to need a most convenient engagement… An encounter in the woods with a dashing stranger couldn't be more timely. Wounded, his life at sea at an end, Captain James Covington isn't prepared for the dull ache of civilian life. He sees in Julia a fellow adventurous spirit—willing to risk all. Could agreeing to her outrageous proposal help him recapture a reason to live as they face the biggest adventure of all—marriage?
A Date with Dishonor by Mary Brendan (Harlequin). Lady seeks kind gentleman to offer protection… When a mysterious lady advertises her charms in the newspaper, there's no way Viscount Blackthorne will allow his rash friend to attend the twilight rendezvous. Taking his place, Blackthorne is surprised by the reluctant beauty who appears—she's far from the scheming courtesan he was expecting. Elise Dewey must protect her foolish sister by posing as "Lady Lonesome" in her stead. She's shockingly stirred by the imposing stranger who waits for her in Vauxhall Gardens—but their liaison has been observed… Unless Elise accepts the viscount's bold proposal of marriage, they will all be plunged into scandal!
Defiant in the Viking's Bed by Joanna Fulford (Harlequin). Consumed by revenge—and desire! Captured by his enemy and chained like a dog, Leif Egilsson has one thought in his mind: revenge. He'll no longer be beguiled by the treacherous beauty of Lady Astrid, and her innocence, which he so craved, will finally be his. On his escape, this fierce, proud Viking is bent on making her pay the price of her betrayal—in his bed! Only, Astrid has the heart of a warrior, and she will not be tamed as easily as he believes….
The Master of Stonegrave Hall by Helen Dickson (Harlequin). Few defy Lord Rockford and come away unscathed. Victoria Lewis has grown up in the long, dark shadows cast by Stonegrave Hall. Yet when the master takes her sick mother into his care, she must finally confront the man whose presence is as brooding as his windswept Yorkshire lands. Men quake at Lord Rockford's mere command, yet this slip of a girl defies him at every turn! His fury at her is matched only by his desire, and Victoria's pure innocence burns brightly in the darkness of the hall. But the light threatens to lay bare secrets that could ruin them both.
The Adventurer's Brideby June Francis (Harlequin). In want of a respectable wife… Widow Jane Caldwell is practically destitute when famed explorer Nicholas Hurst seeks shelter—with his baby daughter hidden beneath his coat! Wounded and on the run from his enemies, Nicholas is as darkly attractive as she remembers and she can't deny him aid. Adventurer Nicholas seeks to settle down, and Jane would make a highly respectable wife! But, cowed by duty for too long, Jane yearns for a love and passion Nicholas cannot give her…until he learns to open his heart.
The following new releases were compiled for HEA by Willa Blair, author of Highland Seer. Her website is willablair.com.
Plaid Tidings (Kensington Zebra) Mia Marlowe Christmas in the Highlands…Not any dashing English lord's idea of a good time. But now that Lord Alexander Mallory has won a Scottish estate in a hand of cards, he is the unlikely laird of the wild, snowy Bonniebroch. Worse yet, the ancient pile of stones comes with a betrothal. To a fiery red-headed virgin. And a curse. Alex will have his hands full honoring the first, seducing the second and breaking the third … all by Twelfth Night.
The Wicked Deeds of Daniel MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley (Penguin). Daniel Mackenzie lives up to the reputation of the scandalous Mackenzie family—he has wealth, looks, and talent, and women love him. When he meets Violet Bastien—one of the most famous spiritual mediums in England—he immediately knows two things: that Miss Bastien is a fraud, and that he's wildly attracted to her. Violet knows she can't really contact the other side, but she's excellent at reading people. She discerns quickly that Daniel is intelligent and dangerous to her reputation, but she also finds him generous, handsome, and outrageously wicked. But spectres from Violet's past threaten to destroy her, and she flees England, adopting yet another identity.
In the Heart of the Highlander by Maggie Robinson. (Berkley). A Ladies Unlaced Novel. Ever since Mary Evensong's elderly aunt Mim got sick, Mary's masqueraded as the owner of the Evensong Agency, finding housemaids and husbands, and solving pesky problems, for the peerage. Someday she'd like to shake off her silvery wig and spectacles and be the young woman she truly is, but desperate clients are waiting for "Mrs. Evensong" at the office. Like a scandalous Scottish baron. Honor forbids Lord Alec Raeburn from explaining the suspicious circumstances surrounding his wife's death, but he knows who's responsible. He just needs to hire an actress to lure the scoundrel into a trap. After listening to Raeburn's story—and seeing him in his kilt—Mary knows the perfect person for the role. Letting her red hair down, she heads off to the Scottish Highlands to pose as a seductress, but soon finds herself with more than her virtue at stake in a tug-of-war between two powerful men. She could wind up in danger—or in the heart of the highlander.
The following new releases were compiled for HEA by Ruth A. Casie, author of The Guardian's Witch. Her website is RuthACasie.com.
Sweet Torture by Ella J. Quince (EJQBooks). It's a fine line between love and hate. When Lord Devon Brentton teasingly threatens to kiss Lady Lydia Covvington to ruin her day, it was meant as a jest. But, his little sister's puritanical friend is in need of some thawing and he is just the rake to do it. A little kiss is only the beginning, they soon find that their animosity toward each other hide a spark of attraction that bursts into a flame.
To Dream of Langston by Màiri Norris (Màiri Norris). The life of Katherine Fairbanks is brutally ripped apart by tragedy. She believes she will never love again and seeks only peace for her life. When a beautiful, mysterious woman pursued by thugs drops in a deep swoon at the feet of Jayce Langston as he leaves a New York club, he's both captivated and intrigued. Together, they work against terrifying odds to secure a future where love triumphs over loss.
In Her Dreams by Katherine Givens (Escape Publishing). Evangeline Vernon is destined to marry the prim and proper Duke of Manchester. Her family is pleased with the match, but the duke is not the passionate man Evangeline craves. Her heart belongs to an alluring, golden-haired gentleman, but he doesn't exist. Angela Vernon knows her place and understands society's expectations — which includes not coveting her sister's suitor. But how can she bear the heartache of watching the only man she loves marry her sister?
A Dandy In Disguise by Meredith Bond (Anessa Books). The beautiful intellectual, Rose Grace, has reminded St. John Fotheringay-Phipps that there is life beyond society parties. It's something he knew once, a very long time ago, but forgot when a woman took his heart away. Rose has sparked a new flame within Fungy, and something he hasn't felt in a very long time – love.
The following new releases were compiled for HEA by R.T. Wolfe, author of the Black Creek Series. Her website is www.RTWolfe.com.
Savage Destiny by Phoebe Conn (ePublishing Works). Hunter is a Seneca brave and a renown scout for the Virginia Militia. But a white-woman's betrayal sent him back to his Seneca ways, with a vow to never return. Alanna Barclay lost her family in an Indian raid. When her cousin gives birth to a half-breed baby, then dies, Alanna faces a choice: turn her back on the motherless child or convince his Seneca father to claim the babe as his own. Hunter wants nothing to do with the infant; a painful remainder of his white-mother's betrayal. But Alanna's compassion and bravery is seeping into Hunter's heart, forcing him to face a love he'd rather deny.
Deceive Not My Heart by Shirlee Busbee (ePublishing Works). Leonie Saint-Andre, the granddaughter of an old Creole gentleman, thinks Morgan Slade is a scoundrel. Morgan, the son of a wealthy Natchez plantation family, thinks Leonie is a clever liar. Leonie claims Morgan married her, and fathered her five-year-old son. All she wants is her dowry returned to pay her dead grandfather's gambling debts and save their home. Morgan knows that he accepted neither dowry, nor Leonie's hand in marriage. But the woman before him awakens emotions he never thought he'd feel again. But that doesn't give reason for the imposter who signed his name to the marriage papers Leonie holds or why her son bears such a striking resemblance to Morgan himself.