Books like 'His Secondhand Wife'
Readers who enjoyed His Secondhand Wife by Cheryl St. John also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical romance western historical-fiction marriage-of-convenience family shy-mc angst female-mc slow-burn
-
Velvet by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsVelvet is about to breathe her last and doesn't even know it when Patrick O'Leary lays her on the bed in a very strange house. When she does awake from a fever-induced coma, she finds herself in a cabin with Dr. Hoyt Baxter, who's hateful, mean and spiteful and doesn't care if she lives or dies, so long as she's out of his house and his life as soon as possible...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era marriage-of-convenience western adult book fiction -
Once Upon a Devastatingly Sweet Kiss by Bree Wolf
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this opposites-attract Regency romance by USA Today bestselling and HOLT Medallion winning author BREE WOLF, an untamed lady and a proper duke are put to the test when they fall in love against all odds.An untamed lady.A proper duke.And a love that goes against all the rules.England 1803: LADY HARRIET BEAUMONT, daughter to the Earl of Whickerton, is a free spirit, always has been...Categorized as:
family female-mc friends-to-lovers historical-fiction industrial-era regency slow-burn adult -
Aurora's Pride by AnneMarie Brear
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAurora Pettigrew has it all, a loving family, a nice home, a comfortable life. She’s waiting for the right man to offer her marriage, and the man for her is Reid Sinclair, heir to the Sinclair fortune and the love of her life. But, Reid’s mother, Julia, is against the match and her ruthlessness unearths a family secret that will tear Aurora’s world apart... -
A Matchmaker for a Marquess by Christi Caldwell
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBe prepared to smile, swoon, and sigh in Christi Caldwell's latest 'Heart of a Scandal' installment where a matchmaker firmly on the shelf is about to fall head over heels for her best friend's younger brother. She lived by a strict set of rules… Meredith Durant believes those who won’t marry, matchmake, and she’s made a notable career for herself helping young women find the perfect mate...Categorized as:
female-mc friends-to-lovers historical-fiction industrial-era regency slow-burn adult book -
-
Dangerous Exile by K.J. Jackson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA titan of the underworld with a forgotten past. A damaged lady that needs to disappear. Can a chance reunion unlock long hidden secrets in this steamy historical?On the run from the man that nearly killed her.Bruised and battered, Nessia Docherty is in desperate need of a safe haven, and she finds one in one of London’s most notorious gaming hells...Categorized as:
angst friends-to-lovers historical-fiction industrial-era regency slow-burn steamy adult -
Dare to Cause a Scandal by Emma V. Leech
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTheir mothers dared all for love. Just imagine what their daughters will do…A one track mind…Miss Arabella Hunt is a vivacious redhead with a kind heart and decisive nature. The daughter of the man who owns the notorious gambling den known as “Hunters” has set her sights on the beautiful Louis César de Montluc, the Comte de Villain. The trouble is, the devil doesn’t know she exists... -
Slightly Wicked by Alyssa Clarke
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMiss Eleanor Fairbanks is the most sensible of all the sinful Fairbanks siblings until she has a chance meeting with the too handsome gambling den owner Lucien Glendevon. Ellie knows that her duty to her family should be more important than her own personal desires. The dowager countess has made it clear that she must help rebuild the family's reputation by making a respectable match... -
Observations on the Danger of Female Curiosity: Including an account of the unnatural tendencies arising on the over-stimulation of the mind of a lady by Suzanne Moss
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn heiress, an obligation and an unfortunate love for physics, fossils, dead fish and… ladies? A tale to shine a light on the overlooked female pioneers of eighteenth-century science. Penned by Dr Suzanne Moss – expert in historical collection, plants and gardens – this refreshing story is inspired by real events and formidable women who broke the mould...Categorized as:
historical-fiction age-gap friends-to-lovers female-mc angst western industrial-era regency -
The Trouble with a Dare by Emma V. Leech
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Desperate Young Lady... Miss Grace Weston is in trouble. In fact, Miss Weston is in about the worst trouble a young unmarried lady can get herself into. No amount of regret will change the fact that she was nitwit enough to be seduced by a handsome face and a lot of romantic nonsense. No amount of weeping will change the fact that she will have a child out of wedlock... -
Reverie & Rancour: A Pride & Prejudice Vagary by S.E. Granger
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt was a dream until it was a nightmare: Elizabeth Bennet stumbles into Fitzwilliam Darcy's bedchamber while staying at Netherfield. Unhappily for them both, Mrs. Bennet finds them there and cries compromise, obliging them to marry.Darcy, believing Elizabeth responsible for the scheme, determines that she shall not benefit from her deception... -
Married to the Rogue by Mary Lancaster
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFree to follow her heart…just not to her husband! Deborah needs a husband to protect her from the scandal breaking over her head; Christopher Halland, a radical and ambitious member of parliament, needs a wife to get at his fortune and Gosmere Hall. It is the perfect marriage of convenience... -
An Offer from the Marquess by Sadie Bosque
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt was the worst day of her life... Her wedding dayMiss Isabel Lewis is down on her luck. Previously a perfect hostess and a proper lady, lately she’s been running into one trouble after another. Literally. One such unfortunate event costs her the respectability she worked so hard to earn. Now she has a choice, either marry a man she loathes or spend her life a ruined lady...Categorized as:
age-gap female-mc historical-fiction industrial-era marriage-of-convenience regency steamy adult -
A Tryst by the Sea by Grace Burrowes
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsVergilius, Viscount Summerton, has watched his wife grow more and more distant, and he’s determined that, this year, the marriage will start moving in a better direction. Penelope, Lady Summerton, is also determined that this year will be different. She slips off to a seaside cottage, intending that to be her first step toward a new life free of marital difficulties...Categorized as:
angst family historical-fiction industrial-era marriage-of-convenience regency slow-burn adult -
To Marry Her Marquess by Christi Caldwell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsComing to the world of Heart of the Duke...the romance between:Lady Caroline Brookfield and Wynn Masterson, the Marquess of Exmoor (formerly the Earl of Astor)With ruin bearing down on his sisters, Wynn Masterson, Marquess of Exmoor, must find a respectable wife posthaste... -
-
A Wallflower's Guide to Becoming a Bride by Eva Devon, Tamara Gill
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThree sensual, witty, and sigh-worthy happy-ever-afters featuring Wallflowers following a guide to seducing the heart of rakes and rogues of the ton...A Wallflower’s Kiss by Eva DevonLady Ophelia is the last of her sisters to be unmarried! She knows she has to find a husband, but she's been on the shelf for three seasons...Categorized as:
regency industrial-era historical-fiction female-mc slow-burn friends-to-lovers age-gap victorian -
Ante Up by Caroline Lee
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRiver "Hart" Hartwell was raised by his Crow grandfather to do the right thing…even when it's none of his business.For several years, the town of Black Aces, Montana has been under the control of a nasty piece of work, Mr. Augustus King. He's got the brains and the muscle to keep the townspeople cowed, so no one stands up to him.Except The Black Ace...Categorized as:
western historical-fiction kind-mc family friends-to-lovers industrial-era action-adventure fiction -
Lady Gouldian by Calia Read
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI was just eight-years-old, looking up at the clouds, when Asa Calhoun became my one true love. He was my brother’s best friend. He was stoic and solemn, and always believed everything in life had to be perfect. But I saw past his eccentric mannerisms. I found him fascinating. I was seventeen when I had my debutante ball. Throughout the years, there was a gradual shift between us...Categorized as:
age-gap angst friends-to-lovers historical-fiction industrial-era steamy western 20th-century -
The Duke Who Lied by Jess Michaels
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe 8th Book in the bestselling 1797 Club series by USA Today Bestseller Jess Michaels Hugh Margolis, Duke of Brighthollow, has been keeping a secret that eats him up inside. His beloved sister was seduced and nearly ruined by a wicked man. The trauma sent her into exile and to protect her reputation, he never did anything about it...Categorized as:
arranged-marriage historical-fiction industrial-era regency steamy adult book fiction -
To Redeem a Rake by Christi Caldwell
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe's spent years scandalizing society. Now, this rake must change his ways. Society's most infamous scoundrel, Daniel Winterbourne, the Earl of Monfort, has been promised a small fortune if he can relinquish his wayward, carousing lifestyle. And behaving means he must also help find a respectable companion for his youngest sister--someone who will guide her and whom she can emulate...Categorized as:
angst friends-to-lovers historical-fiction industrial-era regency steamy adult audiobook -
To Capture a Duke's Heart by Jennifer McNare
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTheir attraction was immediate and undeniable, but not everyone was pleased with their burgeoning romance... -
The Duke She Married by Jessie Clever
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOrphaned and destitute, Lady Amelia Atwood must marry to save her family from utter financial devastation. Lost between her sisters, neglected by her father, and scorned by her mother, Amelia learned being close to people only brought hurt and loneliness, and she avoids them at all costs. But if she wishes to save her sisters, she must sacrifice herself.To the Ghoul of Greyfair... -
Dare to Be Wicked by Emma V. Leech
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe stories of the Peculiar Ladies book club and their hatful of dares has become legend among their children. When the hat is rediscovered, dusty and forlorn, the remaining dares spark a series of events that will echo through all the families… and their daring daughters.Dare to be WickedTwo daring daughters…Lady Elizabeth and Lady Charlotte are the daughters of the Duke and Duchess of Bedwin...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era regency steamy friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance historical -
Lady Reckless by Scarlett Scott
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLady Helena Davenport is desperate to avoid the odious betrothal her father is forcing upon her. The only way out is to orchestrate her own ruination. Everything is unfolding according to plan, her escape finally within her grasp. But there is just one problem when the moment of scandal arrives: the rake she selected for an assignation is nowhere to be found... -
How to Marry a Marquess by Stacy Reid
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLady Evie Chesterfield is a darling of the ton who refuses to become engaged. She's been desperately in love with her brother's friend, Richard Maitland, Marquess of Westfall, since forever. But the dark, dangerous marquess only sees her as a friend and refuses to marry any woman... -
-
The Bookseller and the Earl by Callie Hutton
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMiss Addie Mallory is finished with the husband hunt. After six London Seasons as a wallflower, she convinces her parents that she should be allowed to use her dowry to buy a bookstore in Bath where she can live her life the way she wants.Lord Grayson, Earl of Berkshire, has never gotten over his deceased wife’s betrayal with his own brother...Categorized as:
age-gap female-mc friends-to-lovers historical-fiction industrial-era regency adult book -
The Detective Duke by Scarlett Scott
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHe was never meant to be a duke. She was always destined to be a duchess.Grit, determination, and a will of steel have propelled Hudson Stone through life. No case he faced as Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard went unsolved. But nothing could have prepared the implacable investigator for inheriting a dukedom... -
Someone to Wed by Mary Balogh
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA very practical marriage makes Alexander Westcott question his heart in the latest Regency romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Someone to Hold. When Alexander Westcott becomes the new Earl of Riverdale, he inherits a title he never wanted and a failing country estate he can’t afford... -
A Proposal to Wed by Kathleen Ayers
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLucy Waterstone is being bartered.Gerald Waterstone, her father, is drowning in debt and would never sell his precious horse farm. He’d much rather trade his lisping spinster of a daughter to Lord Dufton in return for being made whole. But it isn’t Lucy Dufton wants, rather the estate attached to her skirts. Marsden. She has no idea why Dufton covets Marsden or even what it is... -
The Treasure by Beth Williamson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen a clumsy governess from New York meets a lonely, bitter rancher, more than her heart will fall. Book 4 of the Malloy family series. Ray Malloy is a single father in an age when every child has two parents. Abandoned by his shallow wife, he struggles to find the balance between being a father and being a successful rancher... -
The Romancing of Evangeline Ipswich by Marcia Lynn McClure
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsExcerpt: Evangeline startled a little as a somewhat quiet bark drew her attention from the autumn vista before her and to a medium-sized brown dog that had suddenly appeared at her side. The dog stood panting happily, as if he’d known her all her life, and it quite warmed Evangeline’s heart... -
The Son of an Earl by Eleanor Meyers
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLove and Lies ... . Sir Warren Leverton has many secrets.1- He's a writer,2- a spy in service to the crown,3- a man in love with a woman who was only supposed to have been an assignment.Wooing Sopherina into a marriage so he could get closer to her father had been easy but keeping his heart at a distance turned out to be more difficult... -
His Mistletoe Wager by Virginia Heath
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"Five berries equal the five separate kisses I challenge you to steal." Notorious rake Henry Stuart, Earl of Redbridge, is certain he'll win his Christmas bet—until he learns he'll be stealing Lady Elizabeth Wilding's kisses... -
Never Marry a Scandalous Duke by Renee Ann Miller
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA thoroughly roguish nobleman and a devoted lady entomologist have absolutely nothing in common—or do they? Love is far from scientific when it truly blooms... In the eyes of the ton, Lady Sara Elsmere is so firmly on the shelf, she might as well be nailed in place. Not that Sara minds. She is far more concerned about her study of butterflies than society’s gossip...Categorized as:
historical-fiction industrial-era kind-mc marriage-of-convenience regency slow-burn steamy adult -
His Reluctant Lady by Aydra Richards
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFirmly on the shelf, Poppy Fairchild has spent the past few years eking out a living as a Gothic novelist—under a pseudonym—to support herself and her younger sisters. Lacking for inspiration for some particularly salacious scenes, she seizes upon the idea to spy upon a gentleman engaged in an illicit liaison at a ball for research purposes... -
-
Bid for a Bride by Ruth Ann Nordin
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter Loving Eliza, John and Eliza adopt a blind boy named Brian who was abandoned by his father. Bid for a Bride is Brian’s romance. The story begins in the quiet South Dakota town where Brian lives.Lucy finds out the man she just married already has a wife, and what’s worse is that he’s trying to sell her to the highest bidder... -
A Marquess for Miss Marigold by Maggie Dallen, Katherine Ann Madison
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAll this wounded marquess wants is solitude. Instead, he stumbles across a wallflower…literally.It wasn't as though Marigold was hiding; she was just…lying low. In an abandon shed. Admidst a houseparty where both her best friends had managed to become engaged.In a few days, she can escape to her quiet life of solitude and books. Alone. Forever...Categorized as:
angst historical-fiction industrial-era kind-mc regency shy-mc action-adventure adult -
Once in a Blue Moon by Penelope Williamson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThose who knew spoke of the infamous Trelawny men in hushed, shocked whispers. But to flame-haired Jessalyn Letty, wild, captivating child of the storm-tossed Cornish moors, McCady Trelawny was the most fascinating man she had ever met. Few knew of the dream that burned in McCady's secret soul - a dream destined to change the world. But Jessalyn knew and shared his passion... -
Forever In My Heart by Jo Goodman
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsForever in my dreams... Injured and lost, Mary Margaret Dennehy stumbled out into the night. When she awoke, the New York heiress remembered nothing of where she'd been—except for a haunting dream that filled her with hungry longing... Forever in my arms.. -
Bride of Second Chances by Ruth Ann Nordin
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJeremy Graham made a promise to Rebecca that he would never love another woman. After her death, her sister, Jane Syas, is about to be forced into marrying a man she can’t tolerate. Out of a sense of duty to help Rebecca’s younger sister, Jeremy steps in to give her his name and home... -
The Duke's Scarred Bride: A Historical Regency Romance Novel by Harriet Caves
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratings...Categorized as:
marriage-of-convenience industrial-era regency steamy slow-burn romance historical fiction -
A Husband for Hire by Patricia A. Knight
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLady Eleanor Russell needed a husband. Immediately. With no male heir, when her father died, the vast family estate would revert to the Crown. But no man would choose an unattractive, outspoken, independent, spinster of mature years as a bride—so she’d buy a husband...Categorized as:
industrial-era regency marriage-of-convenience age-gap steamy historical-fiction romance historical -
A Comfortable Alliance by Catherine Kullmann
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCan they open their hearts to something much deeper and passionate? Will their marriage only ever be a comfortable alliance?Six years ago, Helena Swift’s fiancé was fatally wounded at Waterloo. Locking away all dreams of the heart, she retreated to a safe family haven. On the shelf and happy to be there, Helena has perfected the art of deterring would-be suitors... -
A Gentleman's Wish by Vlad Kahany
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA secret auction. An instant attraction. One wish.A girl like no other.At eighteen, Miss June Aveling’s beauty is her most prized possession. With no family or means to survive, she can’t afford to dream. So, her talent in drawing and the knowledge of entomology will remain just those—dreams. The money will come from elsewhere...Categorized as:
industrial-era steamy age-gap slow-burn arranged-marriage historical-fiction regency romance -
Second Duke's the Charm by Kate Bateman
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMeet Her Majesty’s Rebels: three brilliant women who run King & Co., London’s most exclusive investigative agency...The wedding-night death of her much older husband left Tess Townsend the Dowager Duchess of Wansford—and still a virgin... -
-
Rebel by Sally Malcolm
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFalling in love is just the beginning...Samuel Hutchinson has lived his whole life in Rosemont, Rhode Island. And as far as he’s concerned, his future is fixed: complete his legal training, marry a respectable woman, and settle down to raise a family.But Sam never counted on meeting Nathaniel Tanner...Categorized as:
historical-fiction friends-to-lovers slow-burn angst industrial-era regency romance historical -
Her Prodigal Passion by Grace Callaway
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Diamond in the Rough Merchant's daughter Charity Sparkler is a sensible miss who harbors one secret folly: she's in love with her best friend's brother. She knows that the worldly rake will never return a wallflower's affections, yet when destiny throws them together, she discovers that passion can be the greatest of equalizers ... and love can be more than a dream... -
Never Run From Love by Maureen Driscoll
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAnother Kellington brother finds love in the fourth book of Maureen Driscoll’s critically-acclaimed Regency romance series. When Hal Kellington sees a respectable reform worker with the stockings of a courtesan, he’s intrigued. When his friend wagers he cannot kiss the chit, he’s challenged... -
Blackthorne's Bride by Joan Johnston
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA rogue nobleman, a rescued lady, and revenge undone by romance all play a part in New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston’s irresistible novel of best-laid plots, delicious deception, and unexpected passion. Two years have passed since Josie Wentworth was bought from the Sioux for a gold watch and whisked back to England by Marcus Wharton, the Duke of Blackthorne... -
The Windswept Flame (Evans Brothers) by Marcia Lynn McClure
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBroken—irreparably broken. The violent deaths of her father and the young man she’d been engaged to marry, had irrevocably broken Cedar Dale’s heart. Her mother’s heart had been broken, as well—shattered by the loss of her own true love... -
To Win His Wayward Wife by Rose Gordon
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNot to be outdone by her sisters' marriage-producing scandals, quiet and withdrawn Madison Banks quickly finds herself walking down the aisle to a man who has secretly loved her for years...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.