Recommendations based on "The Spanish Bridegroom"

Lord Philippe Lavay once took to the high seas armed with charm as lethal as his sword, and a stone-cold conviction: he'll restore his family's fortune and honor, no matter the cost. Victory is at last within reach—when a brutal attack snatches it from his grasp and lands him in Pennyroyal Green.An afternoon of bliss brings a cascade of consequences for Elise Fountain. She is shunned by her family and ousted from a job she loves, and her survival means a plummet down the social ladder to a position no woman has yet been able to keep: housekeeper to a frighteningly formidable prince.The bold and gentle Elise sees past his battered body into Philippe's barricaded heart . . . and her innate sensuality ignites his blood. Now a man who thought he could never love and a woman who thought she would never again trust must fight an incendiary passion that could be the ruin of them both.

#1 New York Times bestselling author and "queen of royal fiction" (USA Today) Philippa Gregory returns with a dazzling historical novel of ambition, betrayal, and survival in the court of Henry VIII. Jane Boleyn watches from the shadows of the Tudor court, where secrets are currency, every choice is dangerous, and even the faintest whisper can seal the fate of queens. For Jane, survival demands playing every role required of her: a loving wife who conceals her doubts, a devoted sister to Anne Boleyn at the height of her power, and an obedient spy who carefully wields her words. But in a court ruled by ambition and a tyrant's sword, Jane must rely on her sharp wit and skillful maneuvering to outthink those around her, knowing that one wrong move could cost her everything. Philippa Gregory masterfully shines a spotlight on the untold story of Jane Boleyn, peeling back the myths to reveal a complex portrait of a woman who dared to survive at any cost. Perfect for fans of thrilling historical drama and readers captivated by the intrigue of the Tudor period, Boleyn Traitor is a must-read.

Nothing 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... With Darcy driving me out of London in a borrowed motor car, I soon discover that he isn't planning to introduce me to the pleasures of sinning in secret--as I had hoped--but to make me his wife! Of course, there are some quibbles to be dealt with, such as my needing special permission from the King to marry a Roman Catholic and the question of where we might live after the honeymoon. Though he will inherit a title, Darcy is as broke as I am. Even his family's Irish castle has been sold to a rich American who now employes Darcy's father as a hired hand. Throwing these cares to the wind, nothing could deter us from our mission--except perhaps the news that my future father-in-law has just been arrested. It seems the rich American was murdered and Darcy's father had more than enough motive to do the deed. With the elopement postponed, we head for Ireland where he insists he's innocent, and it's up to us to prove it--for better or worse.

Summer, 1545. England is at war. Henry VIII's invasion of France has gone badly wrong, and a massive French fleet is preparing to sail across the Channel. As the English fleet gathers at Portsmouth, the country raises the largest militia army it has ever seen. The King has debased the currency to pay for the war, and England is in the grip of soaring inflation and economic crisis. Meanwhile Matthew Shardlake is given an intriguing legal case by an old servant of Queen Catherine Parr. Asked to investigate claims of "monstrous wrongs" committed against a young ward of the court, which have already involved one mysterious death, Shardlake and his assistant Barak journey to Portsmouth. Once arrived, Shardlake and Barak find themselves in a city preparing to become a war zone; and Shardlake takes the opportunity to also investigate the mysterious past of Ellen Fettipace, a young woman incarcerated in the Bedlam. The emerging mysteries around the young ward, and the events that destroyed Ellen's family nineteen years before, involve Shardlake in reunions both with an old friend and an old enemy close to the throne. Events will converge on board one of the King's great warships, primed for battle in Portsmouth harbour: the Mary Rose...

A bold warrior who never expected to marry meets his match in a fiery young widow in this latest installment of New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands’s Highland Brides series, a steamy Scottish historical romance perfect for fans of Outlander. Graeme Gunn is a warrior through and through. A second son, he left home years ago to battle his way through Scotland as a mercenary. But with his brother William’s death, Graeme is forced to return to his clan—which now includes William’s grieving widow, Annella Mackay. And Graeme is stunned to find that the beautiful, determined woman at the keep is nothing like the meek lass he remembers from William’s wedding years ago… Annella Mackay once had hopes for a loving marriage, a dream that shattered when her husband abandoned her. Hiding her pain, she embraced the roles of both laird and lady of the Gunn clan with spirit. But with William’s death, she finally has a chance at a new dream, and she won’t let anything deter her plans. Not even Graeme, no matter how strong her attraction to the formidable Highlander warrior, or how much she enjoys his kisses… It's an explosion of passion and clash of wills from the start in this suspenseful, forced proximity romance, especially when Graeme decides to stay and claim his title. And when the threat of a hidden enemy rears its head, Graeme and Annella realize that in fighting for their home they might also be fighting for their love. 

'Joanna Bourne's voice is distant, fresh, and engaging.' - Madeline Hunter, New York Times  bestselling author He is her enemy. He is her lover. He is her only hope. Someone is stalking agent Justine DeCabrillac through London's gray streets.  Under cover of the rain, the assassin strikes-and Justine staggers to the door of the one man who can save her.  The man she one loved.  The man she hated.  Adrian Hawkhurst. Adrian wanted the treacherous beauty known as 'Owl' back in his bed, but not wounded and clinging to life.  Now, as he helps her heal, the two must learn to trust each other to confront the hidden menace that's trying to kill them-and survive long enough to explore the passion simmering between them one again . . . Acclaim for The Forbidden Rose 'Addictively readable . . . A flawless romance in which an espionage-steeped plot is deftly balanced with a lusciously sensual love story.' – Booklist * Best Books of 2010, Publishers Weekly Honorable Mention, Best 2010 Romance Novels, All About Romance Best Romance Books of 2010, Kirkus Reviews Best of 2010 List, Dear Author Guiltiest Summer Reading Pleasures of the Year, Salon.com

Brenda Joyce's New York Times best-selling novels have thrilled millions of readers. Now, in her latest Francesca Cahill novel, return to the lush mansions and teeming streets of New York City's Gilded Age, where intrigue and seduction lie on every corner...The year is 1902. The place is New York City. A famous stage actress has been found strangled in an artist's studio, and the artist herself has vanished. Francesca Cahill, the city's most unconventional heiress and famous amateur sleuth, is once again on the case-for the murder victim is none other than her brother's mistress. And when the sole witness to the crime is also found strangled and only one clue is left behind-a silk stocking-it becomes evident that a madman is on the loose.Now more than ever, Francesca is determined to find The City Strangler and bring him to justice. But the trail is a twisted one, and she'll need the help of handsome, dynamic Police Commissioner, Rick Bragg-even though she must attempt to end their star-crossed romantic liaison. But now, she also finds herself fending off the advances of his notorious rival, his powerful half-brother, Calder Hart. Ruthlessly pursued by Hart, hopelessly enamored with Bragg, Francesca races against the clock before The City Strangler strikes again, never realizing the consequences that will come when danger and desire become one...

Three complete novels set in Regency England follow the love entanglements of the three Lester siblings. In "The Reasons for Marriage", despite having no desire for marriage, Miss Lenore is pursued by a charming duke. In "A Lady of Expectations", Jack is having a difficult time finding a suitable debutante. In "An Unwilling Conquest", Harry's resistance to marriage doesn't stop him from desiring a beautiful widow.

A beautiful, impetuous young woman has grown accustomed to her life in England...but longs for her home in Scotland and the man who left her to marry a woman from a warring Scottish clan in an effort to make peace. But now, sweet fate has decided that they shall be together again, with a renewed chance at love to reclaim their stolen hearts! May McGoldrick has 300,000 Topaz books in print! "The Thistle and the Rose" was nominated for Best First Historical Romance

Tyra, Warrior Princess She is too tall, too loud, too fierce to be a good catch. But her ailing father has decreed that her four younger sisters cannot be wed ’til Tyra consents to take a husband. Alas, with no suitors begging for her hand, it looks as if the sisters will all remain virgins. Then a journey to save her father’s life brings Tyra face to face with Adam the Healer. A god in human form, he’s tall, muscled, perfectly proportioned. Here is the physician who could cure her father, and the lover who could finally seduce her to his bed furs. Too bad Adam refuses to fall in with her plans. Holy Runes! What’s a lady to do but truss him up, toss him over her shoulder, and sail off into the sunset to live happily ever after.