Recommendations based on "The Tortoise and the Hare"

An earl hiding from his future . . .Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Radnor, is mad. At least, that’s what he and most of the village believes. A brilliant scientist, he hides himself away in his family’s crumbling estate, unwilling to venture into the outside world. When an annoyingly handsome man arrives at Penkellis, claiming to be Lawrence’s new secretary, his carefully planned world is turned upside down.A swindler haunted by his past . . .Georgie Turner has made his life pretending to be anyone but himself. A swindler and con man, he can slip into an identity faster than he can change clothes. But when his long-dead conscience resurrects and a dangerous associate is out for blood, Georgie escapes to the wilds of Cornwall. Pretending to be a secretary should be easy, but he doesn’t expect that the only madness he finds is the one he has for the gorgeous earl.Can they find forever in the wreckage of their lives?Challenging each other at every turn, the two men soon give into the desire that threatens to overwhelm them. But with one man convinced he is at the very brink of madness and the other hiding his real identity, only true love can make this an affair to remember.

International bestselling author Santa Montefiore continues the story of the Deverill family in the third book in her beautiful and moving Deverill Chronicles trilogy—perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Beatriz Williams.“Nobody does epic romance like Santa Montefiore. Everything she writes, she writes from the heart.” —Jojo Moyes,  #1 New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You1939: Peace has flourished since the Great War ended, but much has changed for the Deverill family as now a new generation is waiting in the wings to make their mark.When Martha Wallace leaves her home in America to search for her birth mother in Dublin, she never imagines that she will completely lose her heart to the impossibly charming JP Deverill. But more surprises are in store for her after she discovers that her mother comes from the same place as JP, sealing her fate.Bridie Doyle, now Countess di Marcantonio and mistress of Castle Deverill, is determined to make the castle she used to work in her home. But just as she begins to feel things are finally going her way, her flamboyant husband Cesare has other ideas. As his eye strays away from his wife, those close to the couple wonder if he really is who he says he is.Kitty Deverill has come to accept her life with her husband Robert, and their two children. But then Jack O'Leary, the love of her life, returns to Ballinakelly. And this time his heart belongs elsewhere.As long-held secrets come to light, the Deverills will have to heal old wounds and come to terms with the past if they hope to ensure their legacy for the future.  

Harry’s StoryEngland 1818Harry Morant’s tough exterior hides a badly scarred heart. Home after eight years at war, Harry is planning a practical, unemotional marriage. But his careful plans are threatened by an unexpected passion for an unknown lady.A lifetime of lies has brought Lady Helen (Nell) Freymore to the brink of ruin. Forced into a marriage she never thought to have, she soon finds herself powerfully drawn to this deceptively gentle soldier… and increasingly worried about his reaction once he discovers her secret.

'A rip-roaring, helter-skelter adventure careening breathlessly through Regency society... An uproarious delight ' Historical Novel Society 1812 London Up-and-coming novelist Jane Austen joins forces with London's most esteemed investigative duo – the infamous Dora Fitz-Pennington and disgraced son of a Viscount, Jacob Sandys – to solve the brutal murder of a French count and his opera singer wife. The killer took his own life immediately after the crime – but who sent him and why? As they find themselves swept up in London's shadowy underworld, can Dora and Jacob uncover the truth without jeopardising national security, and with the promises they made to each other still intact? And will their unique love story end up in the pages of one of Austen’s novels? Praise for Julia Golding 'Who can resist a smart, resourceful and independent Regency heroine? Prepare to fall head over heels' Good Housekeeping ‘I won't lie, I picked this book up because of the cover – absolutely stunning...it was a perfect read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This book was so good, I couldn't put it down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Simply delicious! This book is absolutely glorious...in the midst of a lot of Regency retellings, it stands out ... There is a wry wit throughout which balances beautifully with the dark themes’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This book is absolutely fantastic!!! I was so caught up in reading it that I missed lunch, and it was past time to start dinner. Only the rumbling of my stomach made me put it down for a quick meal, after which I resumed my reading’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Starts with a bang, never really pauses for breath, and has two main protagonists who are instantly likeable and easy to cheer for!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A roller-coaster ride with plenty of twists’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What a compelling read! I found it a captivating, dynamic and enthralling book that kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The writing of this book was exquisite ... I was hanging on to every last word’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Upon his return home to Wales in 1126, Adam de Lacey rediscovers his love for Heulwen, his stepsister, but she has agreed to marry Adam's foe, Warrin de Mortimer, a man involved in a plot against the king. By the author of The Wild Hunt.

London Belles is a tale of four very different young women thrown together by war. Finding freedom and independence - as well as love, passion and heartbreak - for the very first time, a unique bond is formed as the hostilities take their toll on Britain. Four lives. One war that will change them all. When tragedy strikes, Olive is forced to seek lodgers. Three girls come knocking at her door, each in need of a roof over their heads. Sally has left Liverpool to work as a nurse in London and when she arrives she is a shell of her former self. Where once stood a vivacious, sociable girl, now stands one plagued by homesickness and a betrayal that is devastatingly fresh in her mind. Dulcie is living the high life in the West End, a world away from her home in Stepney. Working at Selfridges gives her access to the most fashionable clothes and makeup, but at home she is the black sheep of the family; always second to her sister. So she decides it's time to make a bid for freedom. Agnes grew up in an orphanage, having been left on the steps as a new-born baby. But with war looming, and the orphanage relocating to the country, she must now seek out a job and lodgings. But with change comes exciting new opportunities, worlds away from the life she's known... As the women prepare for war, all of their futures hang in the balance. Soon their lives will change irrevocably and the home that binds the London Belles is no longer the sanctuary they once sought.

A medieval tale of pride and strife, of coming-of-age in a world where chivalry is a luxury seldom afforded, especially by men of power.England, 1148---ten-year-old Brunin FitzWarin is an awkward misfit in his own family. A quiet child, he is tormented by his brothers and loathed by his powerful and autocratic grandmother. In an attempt to encourage Brunin's development, his father sends him to be fostered in the household of Joscelin de Dinan, Lord of Ludlow. Here Brunin will learn knightly arts, but before he can succeed, he must overcome the deep-seated doubts that hold him back.Hawise, the youngest daughter of Lord Joscelin, soon forms a strong friendship with Brunin. Family loyalties mean that her father, with the young Brunin as his squire, must aid Prince Henry of Anjou in his battle with King Stephen for the English crown. Meanwhile, Ludlow itself comes under threat from Joscelin's rival, Gilbert de Lacy. As the war for the crown rages, and de Lacy becomes more assertive in his claims for Ludlow, Brunin and Hawise are drawn into each other's arms.Now Brunin must defeat the shadows of his childhood and put to use all that he has learned. As the pressure on Ludlow intensifies and a new Welsh threat emerges against his own family's lands, Brunin must confront the future head on, or fail on all counts....

More than one beautiful woman's hopeshave been dashed on the rocky shoals ofJonathan Redmond's heart. With his rivetinggood looks and Redmond wealth and power,the world is his oyster—until an ultimatumfrom his father and a chilling gypsy prophecysend him hurtling headlong toward a fatehe'll do anything to avoid: matrimony.Intoxicating, elusive Thomasina de Ballesteroshas the bloods of London at her feet. But noneof them knows the real Tommy—the one witha shocking pedigree, a few too many secrets,and a healthy scorn for rakes like Jonathan.She's everything Jonathan never wanted.But on one fateful midnight, he's drawn intoTommy's world of risk, danger . . . and a desirehe'd never dreamed possible. And suddenlyhe's re-thinking everything . . . includingthe possibility that succumbing to prophecymight just mean surrendering to love.

Reina seethes with rage over her fate: taken captive by the knight Ranulf -- a golden giant of a man -- who has pledged to deliver her to the nuptial bed of the despised Lord Rothwell. She will never accept such bondage -- and Reina offers herself to her kidnapped instead, offering to make Ranulf a great lord...if he agrees to wed her.But the brave knight desires much more than a marriage of convenience from this proud, headstrong lady who treats him with scorn yet makes his blood run hotter than liquid fire. She must come to him of her own free will -- or Ranulf will take her. For the passion that consumes them both cannot long be denied -- even though gravest peril surely awaits them on the heart's trail to a destines and turbulent love.

A Lancashire saga ... In 1858 Annie Hallam has at last found happiness, with her three healthy children and husband Frederick. Annie knows she deserves to sit back and enjoy her life, but the first faint clouds of worry are on the horizon. Frederick has been looking pale and ill recently, her brother Tom hasn't moved on after the death of his wife and William, her son, isn't happy at university. In spite of Frederick's gentle urging not to take the entire burden of the Gibson family on her shoulders, Annie can't help feeling concerned - and something much more dangerous is looming ...