Recommendations based on "The Governess Game"

Go beyond the original Shondaland series on Netflix, Queen Charlotte, with this lushly romantic Bridgerton prequel novel written by New York Times bestselling authors Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes as the marriage of Queen Charlotte and King George of England leads to an unexpected love story and a union that transforms society.In 1761, on a sunny day in September, a King and Queen met for the very first time. They were married within hours.Born a German Princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was beautiful, headstrong, and fiercely intelligent… not precisely the attributes the British Court had been seeking in a spouse for the young King George III. But her fire and independence were exactly what she, and her King, needed.Because George has secrets… secrets with the potential to shake the very foundations of the monarchy.Thrust into her new role, Charlotte must navigate the intricate politics of the court—with the newly-titled Lady Danbury at her side—all the while guarding her heart, because she is falling in love with the King…even as he pushes her away. Now, Charlotte must learn to rule, and to understand that she has been given the power to remake society, fulfilling her destiny as Queen. But she also has to fight for the love growing between her and George as people first, royals second. As she says to him: “Fight with me! Fight for me!”

After inheriting his title from his brother, the new margrave has two weeks to find a noble bride. What will happen when he learns he has fallen for a servant girl in disguise?The Margrave of Thornbeck is under orders from the king to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble born ladies who meet the king’s approval to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test the ladies and reveal their true character. But one of the guests is not who she pretends to be . . . and not everyone in attendance is there with good intentions.A commoner, Avelina has only two instructions: keep her true identity a secret and make sure the margrave doesn’t select her as his bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—and far deadlier—consequences. Will there ever be a wedding at Thornbeck Castle? Full-length, clean fairy tale retelling inspired by Beauty and the Beast and The Princess and the Pea Stand-alone novel in the Medieval Fairy Tale series Book 1: The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest Book 2: The Beautiful Pretender Book 3: The Noble Servant Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Readers will delight in this brand-new trade paperback edition of New York Times bestseller Sarah MacLean’s debut novel—featuring her sexy, funny, emotionally rich writing and one of the fiercely feminist heroines that made Entertainment Weekly crown her “the utterly intoxicating queen of historical romance.”There are things a lady simply does not do. She does not smoke. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never, ever sneaks into a men’s club for a night of gambling and…other excitements.Calpurnia Hartwell has spent a lifetime following the rules and, as a reward, she’s been forgotten at the edges of society, unnoticed…and unsatisfied. So, what’s a girl to do, but break the rules and get a taste of the life she’s been missing?Once Callie throws herself into a bold new world, she fast realizes a taste won’t ever be enough. She’s going to need a partner—someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, Marquess of Ralston—charming and handsome, with a scandalous reputation matched only by his wicked smile.But the further Callie ventures into this new world, the further she gets from her family’s expectations and all she once held dear. Will she be brave enough to leave her old life behind? Because she’s about to break the most important rule of all—the one that says pleasure-seekers should never fall in love. . .

If you love Bridgerton, you'll love Georgette Heyer! 'The greatest writer who ever lived' Antonia Fraser 'One of my perennial comfort authors. Heyer's books are as incisively witty and quietly subversive as any of Jane Austen's' Joanne Harris 'Georgette Heyer is second to none' Sunday Times 'Fabulously witty' Stephen Fry 'Absolutely delicious tales of Regency heroes . . . Utter, immersive escapism' Sophie Kinsella 'Wonderful characters . . . rapturously romantic' Katie Fforde _________________ Kitty Charing's life-changing inheritance comes with a catch. Her eccentric and childless guardian, Mr. Penicuik, is leaving Kitty all of his vast fortune - but with one condition. She must marry one of his five grand-nephews. However, Kitty's clear favourite - the rakish Jack Westruther - doesn't appear at all interested in the arrangement. To make Jack jealous, Kitty impulsively convinces his cousin, the kind-hearted and chivalrous Freddy Standen, to enter into a pretend engagement. But the more time she spends with Freddy, the more Kitty wonders whether Jack is the right choice after all... _________________ Readers love Cotillion . . . ***** 'This is a Heyer novel, so of course I expected to enjoy it, but I hadn't planned on falling totally head over heels in love with it!!' ***** 'If I was stranded on a desert island, this would definitely be one of the novels I would want with me!' ***** 'This is one of Heyer's best books featuring one of her very best characters, that of Freddie Standen.' ***** 'Clever, cute, and so light and carefree it practically bounces.' ***** 'Cotillion quickly moved to the top of my favorite Heyer books.'

IDEAL The heir to the Earl of Hargate, Benedict Carsington, Viscount Rathbourne, is the perfect aristocrat. Tall, dark, and handsome, he is known for his impeccable manners and good breeding. Benedict knows all the rules and has no trouble following them—until she enters his life. INFAMOUS Bathsheba Wingate belongs to the rotten branch of the DeLucey family: a notorious lot of liars, frauds, and swindlers. Small wonder her husband’s high-born family disowned him. Now widowed, she’s determined to give her daughter a stable life and a proper upbringing. Nothing and no one will disrupt Bathsheba’s plans—until he enters her life… SCANDALOUS Then Bathsheba’s hoyden daughter lures Benedict’s precocious nephew into a quest for a legendary treasure. To recover the would-be knights errant, Benedict and Bathsheba must embark on a rescue mission that puts them in dangerous, intimate proximity. It’s a situation virtually guaranteed to end in mayhem—even scandal!—if anyone else were involved. But Benedict is in perfect control of events. Perfect control, despite his mad desire to break all the rules. Perfect control. Really.

Discovering passion was easy. Keeping love, however, proves a challenge for the Distinguished Rogue in this fifth exciting instalment to the series. A BATTLE OF WILLS…When the Marquess of Taverham married at eighteen, he was certain his life would be smooth and well ordered—right up till the moment his exuberant bride ran away on their wedding night, never to be seen again. Ten years later, when Kit is finally prepared to set his rash marriage aside by having his wife declared dead, she makes a shocking return, still beautiful but distrustful, and once more throws his life off-balance by refusing to live with him and resume their marriage.…A WAR OF PASSIONDespite some lingering attraction, Miranda Reed has no love left for the heartless rogue she married. Older and wiser, she refuses to be a convenient wife for a man who expects everything to be his way with no care for her feelings. Keeping her husband at arm’s length is essential; her secrets will bring him to his knees. But in a battle of wills where hope and trust are both the prize and the casualty of war, the victor isn’t always the winner. Sometimes it takes an act of rebellion to recapture a fragile love.A steamy regency historical romance novel. Distinguished Rogues Series Book 1: Chills (Jack and Constance)Book 2: Broken (Giles and Lillian)Book 3: Charity (Oscar and Agatha)Book 4: An Accidental Affair (Merrick and Arabella)Book 5: Keepsake (Kit and Miranda)Book 6: An Improper Proposal (Martin and Iris)Book 7: Reason to Wed (Richard and Esme)Book 8: The Trouble with Love (Everett and Whitney)Book 9: Married by Moonlight (Gilbert and Anna)Book 10: Lord of Sin (Julian and Portia)Book 11: The Duke’s Heart (Sinclair and Kitty)Book 12: Romancing the Earl (Price and Lenore)Book 13: One Enchanted Christmas (Otis and Meg)Book 14: Desire by Design (Alexander and Sylvia)Book 15: His Perfect Bride (Harry and Ophelia)Book 16: Pleasures of the Night

The delightful search for the true Carlyle heir continues in this next book in the sexy Desperately Seeking Duke series from USA Today Bestselling Author Caroline Linden She's a duchess in all but name Philippa Kirkpatrick has been raised at Carlyle Castle by her doting guardian, the Duchess of Carlyle. Preoccupied with the succession of the dukedom and the duke's health, the duchess has left the estate in Philippa's hands--and Philippa is determined not to let her down. He's not a duke at all . . . The arrival of a new estate steward should be a relief, but instead it threatens to upend everything. William Montclair is handsome, brash, and scandalously bold. The horrified duchess wants to sack him on sight. Philippa is just as shocked . . . but also, somehow, charmed. But could he be her hero Carlyle cannot be her home forever, but Philippa is determined to leave it in good hands. She means to teach Will how to run the estate properly and love Carlyle as she does. The more time she spends with Will, though, the more she likes him . . . trusts him . . . even loves him. Unfortunately, she's also more and more certain that Will is keeping secrets that could break her heart.

Best-selling author Catherine Palmer brings readers another stand-alone Regency-period romance in the vein of Jane Austen. When Ruel Chouteau returns home after his supposed death, he shocks everyone. They are even more surprised when he mock-proposes to a common housemaid as proof that no woman in her right mind would marry him. Anne Webster is no ordinary woman, and when she is shot through the leg, it appears that she will surely die. She decides to accept Ruel's proposal so he will be obligated to save and provide for her family. Since he will have a year to mourn her death, Ruel will be spared the hounding from his family and the many families of single women in the community. But after the marriage on Anne's deathbed, she surprises them all by returning to full health! Now Ruel and Anne must face a future they never expected!

Duke Around and Find Out...In the heart of London, notorious rake and society scandal, Lord Leo Wyndham, finds himself entangled in an unexpected venture. Determined never to succumb to the chains of matrimony, Leo, known for his devilish charm and disregard for social norms, takes on the challenge of transforming the demure and overlooked Miss Arabella Hall into the toast of the ton. A wealthy heiress with a hidden past in service, Arabella, despite her beauty, languished in the shadows of high society. With a devil-may-care attitude, Leo embarks on a mission to showcase her allure, to thrust her into the spotlight.As Leo delves deeper into his self-imposed mission, he finds himself ensnared by Arabella's quiet strength and genuine spirit. Unbeknownst to him, his heart betrayed his aversion to commitment, and he longs for more than just a matchmaking triumph. However, Arabella, acutely aware of Leo's reputation, remains oblivious to his growing affections. Convinced that he could only see her as a social project, she's resolved to secure a suitable match for herself, all the while grappling with the stigma of her humble origins. Amidst the glittering ballrooms and scandalous escapades, a tale of unexpected love unfolds, challenging both hero and wallflower to defy societal expectations and embrace the possibility of a future they never imagined.

Wiltshire, England 1845 Lady Lily Jameson is thrilled to attend a house party given by the Daniel Farnsworth, the Duke of Lybrook, but not because he's the most eligible bachelor in the peerage. Her only interest is his famous art collection, which reputedly includes a painting by her favorite artist, Jan Vermeer. Daniel, duke only by virtue of the untimely deaths of his father and older brother, wants nothing to do with his new duties. He'd rather continue his rakish ways. When he finds the lovely Lily sneaking around the property in search of his art collection, sparks fly. Despite her father's wishes, Lily has no intention of marrying. She wants to travel the world to gain real life inspiration for her painting and writing. And what could be better worldly experience than a passionate affair with the notorious Duke of Lybrook? But circumstances may change the game and the players...and danger lurks, as well.