Looking for a holiday gift for those who love historical romance? #holidaygiftguide #romance
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  • N. N. Light
    • Nov 25, 2020
    • 14 min read

Looking for a holiday gift for those who love historical romance? #holidaygiftguide #romance



Looking for a holiday gift for those who love historical romance? Check out these featured books...


A Balancing Act by Ilona Fridl


Lenora LaRue, Bareback Rider Extraordinaire, is the star of her family's circus―until a cyclone hits. A main tent pole falls on her during the storm, and when her injuries require the loss of her leg, her family abandons her, believing she is of no further use to them.


John Mallory, the young surgeon who does the necessary operation, decides to help her readjust to the real world, against his father's advice. John takes her to his aunt's sanitarium in the resort city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, where the two of them undertake to teach Lenora how to live outside the harsh circus culture that has been her whole life. He sets up a practice in the town to be near her, positive that rehabilitation is possible.


As a woman doubly cursed by society as both a cripple and a former circus performer, Lenora is not so sure. She struggles to learn social skills...but can she learn what love is, too?





A Viscount's Heart for Christmas by Debra Elizabeth


An innocent young beauty, a seasoned spy and a mystery in the north that

rages out of control sending their worlds on a collision course no one could foresee.


Charles Bainbridge, Viscount Edgerton, is the regional spymaster and has

no time for a wife. His work for the Home Office is a top priority for him, that is, until he meets Lady Courtney Darkin, the sister of his best friend the

Duke of Wetherby. The last time he saw her, she was running wild, her

pigtails flying behind her at the duke’s country estate. She wasn’t a little girl

anymore and Edgerton felt like a thunder bolt had struck him when he first

laid eyes on her. But he wasn’t the only one with an eye on the young

beauty.


Lady Courtney Darkin is excited to come to London in preparation for her

debut Season. There would be teas, musicals, dinners and

balls—everything she’s been dreaming about for years. The first time she

meets Lord Edgerton, however, her knees go weak. She’s smitten. No man

had a right to be so beautiful—like a marble statue come to life. Can

Courtney melt the tough exterior Lord Edgerton shows the world and open

his heart to love?



A Masked Earl by Kathleen Buckley


Eight years ago, Aurelia sparked a duel and refused both offers of marriage which

might have saved her reputation. Ruined, she is resigned to spinsterhood, knowing

she will have to leave her family’s home when her brother inherits. He has never

forgiven her for the humiliation of the scandal. When at the request of its solicitor,

she helps to determine the true heir to a neighboring estate, one of the claimants

presents a challenge to her mind—and heart.


The search for the late Earl of Barlyon’s surviving son rips away John Barlicorn’s

life in London’s underworld. If he ignores it, his mother and sister may be cast

upon the charity of the next heir, a distant relative. Returning to Barlyon, he faces a

rival claimant, the risk of being revealed as a criminal, and the fascinating Aurelia.

But how can he marry any lady, given his own discreditable past?





A Duke's Daughter Kathleen Buckley


Can a duke be thrown into debtor’s prison? If so, Emily, dependent on her cousin,

the heir to her father’s impoverished dukedom, wonders what will become of her?

With great reluctance, she agrees to marry a man willing to pay for an aristocratic

bride.


Rejected by the woman he loves, Ambrose Hawkins, shipper, importer, and former

pirate, settles for a female who can further his social ambitions. His marriage to

Emily is prospering, until a man who blames Hawkins for the failure of his own

courtship is murdered. Hawkins is the obvious suspect…

…and the obvious suspect usually hangs.





Another Waltz by Kathy Otten


After a magical waltz in a winter wonderland with the only man who has ever made her believe she is beautiful, Madeline Winthrop doesn’t think life could be anymore perfect-- until the night of the Christmas ball when she learns everything James Sullivan has told her is a lie.


Revenge against Madeline’s brother forces James to do what ever is necessary to get back what was stolen from him, even if he has to use Madeline to do it. But the one thing he doesn’t count on is the way she makes him feel.





Twelfth Night Promise by Alanna Lucas


Lord Kinsley has never let go of the hope that he will win back Lady Emma’s heart. But when the shocking news arrives that Emma is due to marry, Kinsley realizes it’s now or never. He must take action and ride north to Cragbourn where Emma is spending Christmas with his sister and claim her.


Emma’s dreading her forthcoming wedding but what choice does she have? Her cruel brother is threatening to leave her penniless unless she becomes the middle-aged Duke of Faringdon’s wife. Until Christmastide at Cragbourn offers her an unexpected last chance, and she discovers Kinsley standing right before her proving that her desire for him hasn’t dimmed one jot.


Bad weather forces Kinsley and Emma to be together for all the days of Christmas; too long for her to keep up her pretense of ignoring him, and long enough for him to discover why she cut him off six years ago. But as Twelfth Night—their final night—approaches, will the truth bring them together, or push them forever apart?





Mistletoe and Mayhem, A Regency Holiday Romance Anthology by Alina K. Field


There’s no Christmas like a Regency Christmas spent under mistletoe! New York Times Bestselling author Cheryl Bolen and friends invite you to discover true love in eleven deliciously steamy romances in this all-new holiday collection.





The Duke She Despised by Alina K. Field


Hiding her true identity, a young vicar’s widow takes a position as housekeeper in a remote Scottish castle at Christmas for a new duke who years ago sabotaged her chance for happiness.


She quickly falls for the duke’s charming but not very competent factor, not knowing that he’s hiding something also—he’s the duke she despised!


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The Marquess and the Midwife Alina K. Field


Uncovering a lie drives a new marquess back from a self-imposed exile at Christmas to find the only woman he’s ever loved. Finding her turns out to be easy, uncovering her stunning secrets, a bit harder. But winning her back will be the greatest challenge of all.





The Wicked Sister by Virginia Barlow


With her stepfather’s sudden death, Lady Anastasia Covington goes from living a privileged lifestyle to selling vegetables in the village marketplace in the blink of an eye. Alone and at the mercy of her nefarious stepsister, she yearns for love and acceptance.


Disguised as a simple soldier, Prince Percival catches a dark-haired emerald-eyed beauty in his arms. He is bewitched. The more he sees her, the more intrigued he is by her contradictions. Forced to keep his identity a secret, he must somehow convince Lady Anastasia he is the right man for her.


But time is running out. Lady Anastasia’s mother is determined to find a proper suitor and see her wed –and someone wants her dead.





A Fallacious Seduction by Virginia Barlow


When the train US Marshal Reese Calhan is riding on explodes, he is one of two survivors. Trouble is, the other survivor is the woman who betrayed him years ago. A woman he thought was dead. This time he will not fall prey to her wiles. He'll see the vixen jailed for her crimes if it kills him.


Recovering from a recent jilting and now a train explosion, Shanna Johnston has no idea why the handsome stranger insists he knows her and calls her by another woman's name. His heated looks and knowing kisses spark a fire in her she cannot ignore--even as her own mysterious past is closing in.





For This Knight Only by Barbara Bettis


He’ll do anything for land, even marry her; she’ll do anything for her people, except marry him. If only either had a choice. It’s a marriage only love can save.


Sir Roark will do anything to gain land, even beguile an unwilling lady into marriage. He knows she’s much better off with a man to take control of her besieged castle, to say nothing of her desirable person. But it isn’t long before he discovers that although her eyes sparkle like sunlight on sea waves—her stubbornness alone could have defeated Saladin.

Lady Alyss is determined to hold her family’s castle, protect her people, and preserve her freedom— until her brother’s dying wish binds her to a stranger. Still, she’ll allow no rugged, over-confident, appealing knight to usurp her authority, even if she must wed him. Especially since he thinks a lady’s duties begin and end with directing servants. Alyss has a few surprises for her new all-too-tempting lord.

But when a common enemy threatens everything, Roark and Alyss face a startling revelation. Without love, neither land nor freedom matters.


WINNER: 2020 BOOK BUYERS BEST CONTEST




A Winter Knight by Barbara Bettis


He’s running from his past; she’s running from her future. But on a snowy winter night, they find each other and the surprising gift of love.

Sir Nicholas has given up on marriage. These days he’s content to captain his friend’s troops and avoid entanglements—until one winter night when he rescues a half-frozen woman from a snowstorm. Her irrepressible spirit and kindness to others reminds him that all ladies aren’t like his former intended, who wed his brother while Nick was on crusade. But he can’t open his heart to Lady Clare. She’s bound to another, and Nick won’t forfeit his honor. Even if she were free, he has nothing to offer but love, and this lady deserves everything.

Lady Clare’s dying grandfather has arranged her betrothal, but the arrival of the man she’s to wed sends her fleeing into a snowstorm. Injured when her horse stumbles, she’s rescued by a mysterious knight. She recovers at his run-down manor, safe at last—until her betrothed tracks her down just days before Christmas. Trapped at home with the wedding imminent, she longs for the winter knight she’s come to love.

Only a miracle can bring Clare and Nick together. But at Christmas, anything is possible.





The Persistent Marquess by Susan Payne


One Marquess. One debutante. One waltz. And Miss Daisy Vincent's first season will never be the same. A less than stellar beginning to her first ball took a sudden and irrevocable change of direction once the handsome and popular Marquess of Ashton took notice of her. Ashton, prone not to interfere with the ton, certainly made a hash of things when he did. Trying to aid a naïve debutante has brought him into the limelight as every busy-body began betting on who his marchioness would be. And the one who most interested him wasn't even on the list.





Lyla (Clans Isken And Utbek Book 1) by Katherine Prince


If they are to have a future together, they must return to the past… A not-so-ordinary woman…

Lyla has the nearly-perfect life in England, but deep within, she struggles with her identity. Sometimes, she feels as if she doesn’t belong in the society around her. An orphan, raised by her aunt, Lyla has no pictures or memories of her parents except the beautiful sapphire necklace she’s worn all her life. Then shortly after her aunt’s mysterious death, unexplainable climate catastrophes begin occurring, coinciding with the nightmares that have begun tormenting her. Are the answers to be found in her aunt’s secret diaries? And who is the strange man who seems to be following her? Shadows of the past…

Watcher. Protector. The Shadow Man understands his duty to his tribe. Find the girl, retrieve the stone, and return to his own time eight hundred years into the past to save his people. And Lyla certainly bears watching. The alabaster-skinned beauty has no idea of the danger she’s in. No idea of the supernatural and magical powers she possesses. How can he protect her when his duty is to persuade her to step through a portal into a past she doesn’t remember, to fulfil a destiny that may end her life? How can he do that to someone who has captured his heart? Two worlds, one chance…

Now Lyla is being hunted by enemies she doesn’t even know she has. The only chance they have for a future is to escape into the past. Can Lyla and the Shadow Man learn to trust one another with their lives, and their hearts? Special discount price: Free!





The Woman Behind the Mirror by Jan Selbourne


Marry in haste, repent at leisure is the last thing on Sarah Forsythe’s mind when she and the son of a local minister elope to the American colonies. She wasn’t to know abandonment, misery, poverty and shame would follow. As the colonies rebel against British rule and the siege of Boston worsens, alone and afraid, Sarah hides her desperation behind a hard shell. To survive, she is forced to steal from the safe of her employer. Instead of the cash she needs, she finds Bank of England documents. Sensing they might have some value, Sarah protects them through months of deprivation until she finally secures passage home to England. Unknown to her, two men are following, intent on claiming those documents. At any price. Bank of England fraud investigator Neil McAllister faces the biggest challenge of his career when a woman from Boston demands a reward for returning lost documents to the bank. Then two men with the same name and nearly identical stories arrive in England, each claiming ownership of them. Who is lying? Or are all three accomplices in a plot to swindle the bank? As the obstinate, secretive woman gets under Neil's skin, he trusts that she was an unwitting witness to the crime of cold-blooded betrayal and treason before the fall of Boston. Now it’s up to Neil to protect Sarah because the traitor wants her dead.


Amazon US:


Amazon UK:


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Pirate's Prey by Colleen O’Connell


Shane Christian scorns danger as the notorious pirate, Falcon. Feared and respected for his realm over the sea, his exploits are only surpassed by his devilish charm. No battle waged or venture dared is as great as the ploy he devises to protect Maura Brent - a spirited beauty whose willful nature captures his heart. His strategy to thwart the law risks exposure and potential introduction to the hangman's noose. If he succeeds in safeguarding their love, will he live long enough to treasure the victory? Maura Brent agrees to a contrived marriage with a manipulative English land baron in exchange for sparing her father imprisonment. A chance encounter with Shane Christian sets the course for a voyage of discovery awakening her passion, broadening her knowledge and strengthening her resolve to guard Shane's identity from his nemesis. Determined to dissolve her marriage to remain with Shane, has her decision ensured his demise?





Donald - Sons of Sagamore by Ruth A. Casie


He surrendered his heart and would give his life for her to succeed. Andrea Ricard, an inquisitive scholar of antiquities travels with her uncle to help him with his trade business. When she finds her mother’s family name on a piece of a map associated with the location of a rare relic, she is compelled to find it. Nothing will get in her way to unearth its secrets. Donald MacDougall Tyler Eden has enjoyed a carefree life, but over the last year he has found satisfaction working with his brother Hugh, who has a successful investment business. He has forged a close relationship with one of their business partners, Andrea’s uncle. On a visit to Hugh, Donald meets Andrea and is smitten. When Andrea finds that an antique in Hugh’s collection contains another piece to her mysterious map she is more determined than ever to find the relic. Donald is drawn into her adventure and volunteers to accompany her on her quest. Andrea has only told Donald half-truths for fear he would not join her. The relic is surrounded by mystery and prophecy. A disgraced soldier with hopes of repairing his relationship with the king has found out about the relic and is just as determined as Andrea to secure it for himself. Andrea and Donald’s belief in what’s right as well as each other will be tested on a journey filled with adventure and hardships as they race across the vineyards of the Champagne region in France, up the east coast of England to an ancient church in Bamburgh. Can Andrea and her MacDougall warrior resolve the mystery, face the prophecy, vanquish the villain… and find their happily ever after? Read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!





Earl of Sunderland by Aubrey Wynne


Grace Beaumont has seen what love can do to a woman. Her mother sacrificed her life to produce the coveted son and heir. A devastated father and newborn brother force her to take on the role of Lady Boldon at the age of fifteen. But Grace finds solace in the freedom and power of her new status.


Christopher Roker made a name for himself in the military. The rigor and pragmatism of the army suits him. When a tragic accident heaves Kit into a role he never wanted or expected, his world collides with another type of duty. Returning to England and his newfound responsibilities, the Wicked Earls’ Club becomes a refuge from the glitter and malice of London society but cannot ease his emptiness.


Needing an escape from his late brother’s memory and reputation, Kit visits the family estate for the summer. Lady Grace, a beauty visiting from a neighboring estate, becomes a welcome distraction. When the chance to return to the military becomes a valid possibility, the earl finds himself wavering between his old life and the lure of an exceptional—and unwilling—woman.





Love At Five Thousand Feet by Jane Lewis


After her mother’s death, Dottie Lester moves to her parent’s hometown of Saplingville, Georgia with her alcoholic father. She wants to escape and go to live with her aunt in Macon, but first, she must get her father settled in his new job. When Dottie meets a handsome pilot and falls in love, her goal changes, but it is still no match for his desire to leave their small town behind and fly for a commercial airline. Victor Douglas, United States Army Air Corps pilot, returns to Saplingville to help his ailing father. He has been flying his own JN-4 Jenny bi-plane for years. That and his army experience qualify him to apply for a job as a commercial airline pilot and win a coveted job offer, but how can he leave his father now, or a budding romance with the pretty new girl in town?





The Barnstormer by Jane Lewis


Pilot Frankie Howard, can do no wrong when he’s flying and showing off his daredevil aerobatic skills. On the ground, trouble follows him wherever he goes, especially trouble with women. Frankie adores his best friend's sister, Ruth Ann, and endures her come-ons and rejections in an effort to capture her love. When he finds out she has a new beau, he accepts the defeat until fate steps in and changes their lives forever.

Ruth Ann Douglas lives a charmed life as the spoiled daughter of the town pharmacist. She bewitches and teases all the boys, especially her brother’s best friend, Frankie. Her dream of becoming an actress takes her to an acting school in Atlanta where she meets Ronald Waters, a young actor. Ronald wants to win her heart, but Ruth Ann can’t forget the handsome barnstormer and the small town she tries to leave behind.





The Lady Flyer by Jane Lewis


Lisbeth Douglas works as a pilot, mechanic and flight instructor. As a Lady Flyer in the 1930's, she works in a male-dominated profession. Fearful of ridicule she keeps her dream of becoming a test pilot a secret. A cocky airplane salesman arrives in Saplingville and sets up shop at the airport. He steals her heart but will never take possession of her dreams.

Paul Williams is more comfortable designing airplanes than flying them. To please his father, he takes a job as an airplane salesman. His boss sends him to the deep-south where he meets a ravishing, daredevil of a woman. His heart takes a nosedive at the first sight of her. How can he give up his controlling ways and let her soar?





Beautified by Love by Regina Jeffers


“Letters from Home” She is the woman whose letters to another man kept Simon alive during the war. He is the English officer her late Scottish husband praised as being “incomparable.” Can Major Lord Simon Lanford claim Mrs. Faith Lamont as his wife or will his rise to the earldom and his family’s expectations keep them apart? “Lady Joy and the Earl” They have loved each other since childhood, but life has not been kind to either of them. James Highcliffe’s arranged marriage had been everything but loving, and Lady Joy’s late husband believed a woman’s spirit was meant to be broken. Therefore, convincing Lady Jocelyn Lathrop to abandon her freedom and consider marriage to him after twenty plus years apart may be more than the Earl of Hough can manage. Bonus Story: “One Minute Past Christmas” (from George T. Arnold and Regina Jeffers) An Appalachian grandfather and his granddaughter are blessed with a special ability—a gift that enables them briefly to witness a miraculous gathering in the sky each year at exactly one minute past Christmas. The experience fills them with wonder, but they worry their secret “gift” will end with them because, in forty-four years, no other relative has displayed an inclination to carry it on to a new generation.



Lady Chandler's Sister by Regina Jeffers


Sir Alexander Chandler knows his place in the world. As the head of one of the divisions of the Home Office, he has his hand on the nation’s pulse. However, a carriage accident on a deserted Scottish road six months earlier has Sir Alexander questioning his every choice. He has no memory of what happened before he woke up in an Edinburgh hospital, and the unknown frightens him more than any enemy he ever met on a field of battle. One thing is for certain: He knows he did not marry Miss Alana Pottinger’s sister in an “over the anvil” type of ceremony in Scotland.


Miss Alana Pottinger has come to London, with Sir Alexander’s son in tow, to claim the life the baronet promised the boy when he married Sorcha, some eighteen months prior. She understands his responsibilities to King and Crown, but this particular fiery, Scottish miss refuses to permit Sir Alexander to deny his duty to his son. Nothing will keep her from securing the child’s future as heir to the baronetcy and restoring Sir Alexander’s memory of the love he shared with Sorcha. Nothing, that is, except the beginning of the Rockite Rebellion in Ireland and the kidnapping of said child for nefarious reasons.


2019 International Book Award Finalist in Historical Romance




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