Books like 'Shirley'
Readers who enjoyed Shirley by Charlotte Brontë also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical victorian poor heroine independent heroine rich heroine m-f georgian regency childfree-couple queer-awakening
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Frederica by Georgette Heyer
LONDON IN "THE SEASON" Frederica Merriville and her three siblings have come to London for the glittering social season, in order to give young and beautiful Charis a chance to make a good marriage. Frederica herself, a witty charmer, believes herself happily beyond marriageable age -- she is twenty-four, after all... -
A Michaelmas Truce by Mary Kingswood
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA family in trade moving up in the world. A family of landed gentry stepping aside for them. And the sons and daughters caught in the middle.Madge Paton has been the mainstay of the Fletcher household for a quarter of a century, and even though her role managing the household and raising the children has been usurped by Harry Fletcher’s new wife, there’s still work to be done for a spinster aunt... -
Destiny with a Duke by Alexa Aston
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA vicar trying to save his own soul. A widow who yearns for children. A darkness that can only be dispelled with the healing power of love . . .William Finchley carries a secret from childhood which he has never shared with anyone, not even his closest friends. When his brother commits suicide, Finch becomes the new Duke of Sommersby... -
The Governess Diaries by Chasity Bowlin
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLove lost and found… As a girl, Euphemia Darrow had fallen desperately in love with the younger son of the Duke of Clarenden, Nicholas Montford. But he broke her heart with a cold dismissal before he left to join the army. Rather than pine for him, Effie found another purpose for her life...Categorized as:
victorian regency friends to lovers m-f historical class difference alpha male length-medium -
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A Lesson Learned by Rosie Goodwin
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNuneaton, 1850Growing up on a canal boat has meant life for young Saffie Doyle has been hard. Her mother, Olivia, was cast out by her well-to-do family when she fell in love with Saffie's father, a lowly boatman named Reuben. But as the years have passed, Reuben has become a bitter and cruel drunk, forced to work for the local crook, Seth Black, to keep their family afloat... -
An Autumn Courtship by Mary Kingswood
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA family in trade moving up in the world. A family of landed gentry stepping aside for them. And the sons and daughters caught in the middle.Johnny Fletcher is exactly where he wants to be - a Fellow at Cambridge, with a lifetime of scholarly pursuits in front of him. He’s not allowed to marry, but he has no need for a wife when he has his books for company... -
What Happens in Piccadilly by Chasity Bowlin
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThere's no such thing as just a kiss... Chaos! That is what greets Miss Calliope St. James when she enters the household of her prospective employer, Lord Winn Hamilton, the Earl of Montgomery. The newly appointed guardian for his nieces and nephew, he's clearly a man who has no idea what to do with children.. -
Wildly Daring by Emma V. Leech
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA bold Miss and her beloved dog…Lady Cara Baxter is a scandal waiting to happen. She knows it. Her family know it. The only question is when and what kind of scandal she will fall into, though undoubtedly her dog, Sultan, will be at the heart of it. Cara doesn’t care. The marriage mart is a bear bait, and not half so much fun as she thought it would be... -
The Duke's Magnificent Obsession by Chasity Bowlin
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsIf there is one thing I know, kisses have a tendency to alter things irrevocably.Abandoned at the family’s country estate by her employer, Minerva Stone realizes that the concerns harbored about her position with Mrs. Charlotte Entwhistle-Graves were well founded... -
Portrait of the Duke by Alexa Aston
A fun-loving man who has become a staid duke . . .An independent lady who wishes to pursue her artistic bent . . .A long-ago meeting which left a lasting impression on them both . . .Daniel Judson, the Duke of Westfield, changed from a carefree young rogue into a sober duke once faced with a mountain of responsibilities after he assumed his grandfather’s title... -
Investigating the Duke by Alexa Aston
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA serious clergyman whose brothers die, leaving him an unexpected duke . . .A woman who is making her way as a Bow Street runner . . .An investigation that leads them to the truth—and each other . . .Jasper Lincoln is happy tending to his congregation when news arrives of his brother’s death in battle. Jasper’s father, ailing for several months, slips away, unable to bear the news... -
Irresistible by Darcy Burke
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsJessamine Goodfellow has spent six Seasons avoiding the parson’s trap, and spinsterhood is finally within her grasp. A brilliant scholar, she longs for adventure and new experiences, things her family frowns upon. Presented with the opportunity to use her puzzle-solving talent on a secret mission for the Foreign Office, Jess eagerly accepts... -
Fashioning the Duke by Alexa Aston
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEight titled peers who never expected to become dukes do just that—and are attracted to females whom Polite Society does not believe worthy of the title duchess, due to their desires to be more than typical ladies of the ton... -
Polishing the Duke by Alexa Aston
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA haberdashery owner who suddenly discovers he’s a duke . . .A woman of the ton stained by scandal . . .A deathbed request which brings this pair together . . . Haberdasher Pierce Selkirk always knew he was the son of an earl. Much to his surprise, he learns he is not illegitimate as he had been led to believe... -
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Designs on the Duke by Alexa Aston
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA twin back from war, his brother dying in his arms . . .A woman who has traveled the world and learned from those travels . . .Two people who don’t fit into the constricting rules of London’s Polite Society . . .Major Elijah Young never met his father, the Duke of Bradford, who believed his young wife betrayed him and gave birth to twins sired by another man... -
Earl of Gold: Regency Romance by Tammy Andresen
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsWhy did he need love if he had gold?The Earl of Goldthwaite had spent his entire adult life accumulating wealth. It was his life’s goal to never end up as his father had, penniless and rotting in some debtor’s prison. He has no time for such silly notions as love or romance. When he eventually marries, he’ll find a nice heiress to increase his holdings... -
Made for the Marquess by Alexa Aston
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFirst sons inherit all. Third sons are promised to the church. Second sons do their duty and serve in the military—unless fate intervenes and turns their lives upside down...Categorized as:
victorian regency virgin heroine friends to lovers slow burn sweet-hero historical alpha male -
The Nabob's Daughter by Jess Heileman
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’ll do anything to escape an arranged marriage. He’ll do anything to help her.Honora Crauford relishes her life in India... -
Duke of Disrepute by Alexa Aston
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWho doesn't love a duke? How about five of them? Welcome to bestselling author Alexa Aston's new Regency romance series, the Dukes of Distinction! These five aristocrats all come with nicknames Polite Society has bestowed upon them. Renown. Charm. Disrepute. Arrogance. Honor. A beautiful widow at the mercy of selfish relatives...A duke broken by a terrible secret.. -
One Night to Remember by Erica Ridley
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsMeet the unforgettable men of London's most notorious tavern, The Wicked Duke... -
Once Upon an Accidentally Bewitching Kiss by Bree Wolf
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIn this second-chance Regency romance by USA Today bestselling and HOLT Medallion winning author BREE WOLF, a jilted lord and a young widow are forced to risk their hearts all over again.Once, he loved her.Once, he lost her.Now, he must fight for her.England 1803: TROY BEAUMONT, only son to the EARL OF WHICKERTON, risked his heart once…and came to regret it... -
Tamed by the Lyon: The Lyon's Den Connected World (The Lyon's Den Connected World) by Chasity Bowlin
Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made... unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON'S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives... and loves.It was their first kiss, possibly her first kiss ever. All the more reason to get it right... -
The Moonstone Marquess by Meara Platt
What happens when a battle-scarred hero bent on destroying himself meets an irresistible force by the name of Phoebe?Lady Phoebe Killigrew is appalled by the scandalous country parties their new neighbor, a war hero marquess, is holding at his estate in Moonstone Landing. She has every intention of keeping well away from him, until a governess arrives at her door with his two nieces... -
Forever Your Duke: A Regency Christmas Romance (12 Dukes of Christmas) by Erica Ridley
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis year, the Duke of Nottingvale's Christmastide house party doubles as a bride hunt. The handsome duke seeks a blue-blooded debutante as respectable as he is, and his parlor is brimming with paragons of propriety.Inveterate spinster and unapologetic hoyden Miss Cynthia Louise Finch does not fit the mold. Any mold... -
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One Night of Passion by Erica Ridley
Meet the unforgettable men of London's most notorious tavern, The Wicked Duke. Seductively handsome, with charm and wit to spare, one night with these rakes and rogues will never be enough… Lifelong romantic Thaddeus Middleton is on the hunt for a wife. He hopes to find a woman more attracted to him than to money... -
The Angel and the Aristocrat by Merry Farmer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsYou are cordially invited to the country house party of the summer...Five years ago, six exceptional ladies graduated from Twittingham Academy and successfully nabbed themselves the most sought-after matrimonial prizes in London. Actually, they didn't. Not one of them... -
Sleepless in Southampton by Chasity Bowlin
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEvery touch brings with it a world of temptation. Eventually, there is a point of no return. Miss Sophia Upchurch is not having a good day. Her employer is dead, she’s been robbed, she’s now stranded in a strange city, and the handsome man she’d met on the stage, the man she’d flirted with, is no longer simply Mr. Henry Meredith, a possible suitor... -
The Miracle of Love by Meara Platt
He was only assigned to protect her for the week, but his heart wanted to protect her forever.Enjoy this next installment in the humorous and heartwarming, bestselling Regency romance Book of Love series.Deklan Quinton is a blazing hot hero who has more than earned his reputation as the Crown’s top agent...Categorized as:
victorian regency virgin heroine shy heroine sweet-hero historical men in uniform forced proximity -
Tempted by Folly by Christina Dudley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne husband, three wives, five children…With her much-marrying father’s example before her, Miss Florence Ellsworth, eldest of the notorious “Ellsworth Assortment,” craves nothing more than respectability... -
A Dangerous Passion by Chasity Bowlin
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe felt as if he’d been born to want the woman before him, as if desiring her was simply his destiny.On a whim, the Hound of Whitehall saved widowed reformer, Honoria Blaylock, from a terrible fate… and in so doing, sealed his own... -
The Lady Who Loved Him by Christi Caldwell
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIn this passionate, emotional Regency romance by Christi Caldwell, society's most wicked rake meets his match in the clever Lady Chloe Edgerton! And nothing will ever be the same! She doesn’t believe in marriage…. The cruelty of men is something Lady Chloe Edgerton understands. Even in her quest to better her life and forget the past, men always seem determined to control her... -
Hell in a Hand Basket by Annabelle Anders
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSophia Babineaux has landed a husband! And a good one at that! Lord Harold, the second son of a duke, is kind, gentle, undemanding. Perhaps a little too undemanding? Because after one chance encounter with skilled rake, Captain Devlin Brooks, it is glaringly obvious that something is missing between Lord Harold and herself… pas-sion… sizzle… well… everything... -
It Happened One Winter by Christi Caldwell
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMr. Martin Phippen, a highly successful London builder, is forced by a business partner’s foolish decision, to take on a project in the wretchedly scenic wilds of Yorkshire. Three little scamps have made his work site their private playground, and Martin is determined that their mischief be curtailed before somebody gets badly hurt. Widowhood means Mrs... -
A Wager too Wicked by Alyssa Clarke
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLove becomes the ultimate gamble when a wager turns into a passionate affair.Lady Victoria Knightly is determined to prevent her cousin from being trapped in a loveless marriage. To achieve this, she decides to spy on Ethan Darlington, the formidable Earl of Townsend, hoping to uncover secrets to thwart his courtship intentions... -
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Forever Her Earl by Scarlett Scott
Bold and fiercely opinionated American heiress Lucy Chartrand has proudly left a string of scandals in her wake on both sides of the Atlantic. Her matchmaking mother may long to secure her an aristocratic English husband, but Lucy is tired of being sought after for her family’s fortune...Categorized as:
regency victorian m-f cheerful heroine cold hero historical length-short grumpy sunshine -
A Proper Scoundrel by Esther Hatch
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAs the successful owner of multiple railroad lines, Diana Barton is all too accustomed to fending off suitors seeking to stake their claim on her wealth. In order to keep the wolves at bay, Diana has contrived the perfect plan: appeal to the most notorious rake in London, the Baron Lord Bryant, to ruin her reputation and scare off the worst of the time wasters... -
The Lost Daughter by Iris Cole
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsClary only wanted to find her mother. She couldn’t know the terrible price she would pay.Clary’s home is the foundling hospital where she has lived since birth. When a terrible tragedy occurs, Clary is blamed and thrown to the streets with her only possession - a token, left by her birth mother... -
Peacocks of Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Laraba Kendig
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDarcy is surprised that Elizabeth has won the friendship of his unusual sister, and he is shocked when he begins to fall for her as well.Mr. Darcy feels guilty that he was not there to prevent Mr. Bingley from marrying Jane Bennet, who no doubt was only after his money... -
Winning the Gentleman by Kristi Ann Hunter
Aaron Whitworth hasn't had control over most aspects of his life, but he's always taken pride in being an honorable businessman and better-than-average horseman. When both of those claims are threatened, he makes the desperate decision to hire the horse trainer of a traveling circus as a temporary jockey for his racehorses...Categorized as:
christian regency cheerful heroine cold hero historical suspense length-medium glimpses-kisses -
The Treasure of Love by Meara Platt
Her life was a lie, but his love was real.Another blazing hot Brayden hero is about to meet his match as he goes on the run with a beautiful bluestocking and The Book of Love.Donal Brayden is the Crown’s top agent and he will need all his wiles to protect the bookish Luciana Lessing from the villains who are after her...Categorized as:
victorian regency sweet heroine virgin heroine friends to lovers slow burn sweet-hero historical -
The Marquess' Angel by Julia Sinclair
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEveryone knows that good missionary girls are plain and dull. And that's just the way Blythe likes it! . Lady Blythe Dennings has craved adventure her entire life, but due to her relation to the powerful Carrow family, there was no way she was going to get it. So... she became a missionary... -
Always the Matchmaker by Emily E K Murdoch
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlways the matchmaker and never the bride - even when she's found her perfect partner…Miss Theodosia Ashbrooke does not believe there is anything greater than matching the perfect pair - and she's become rather expert in it. Never mind that she's never found the missing half to her own soul and body. Perhaps that's not her lot in life, even at the age of eight and twenty... -
Secretly Yours, My Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Novel by Emma Linfield
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“With you, I have found a missing piece of myself I never knew was gone”Lady Felicity knows her place. She must dazzle and charm, find a rich and powerful husband, and save her family. That is her purpose, that is her duty. Even if it is not her desire.Cold, calculating, and strategic, Benjamin has always been a military man... -
The Duke and His Wallflower: A Historical Regency Romance Novel by Tiffany Baton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“I have spent every day regretting the answer that I gave you.”The Follet family has never abided by societal rules. Which might explain why Lady Emma is still unmarried, and with no prospects whatsoever. Until her bossy aunt decides to intervene, and promises she will see her married by the end of the season, even if she has to make the match herself... -
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The Dare Before Christmas by Emma V. Leech
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA case of unrequited love… Lady Victoria Adolphus is the beautiful daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Bedwin. Wherever she goes, men follow, eager to win the hand–and the dowry–of such a powerful man’s daughter. Torie is not interested in the gloriously handsome, the titled, the wealthy and powerful... -
Her Mystery of a Marquess: A Historical Regency Romance Novel by Emma Linfield
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“I fear I am selfish enough to want you for myself.”With her family in dire financial need, Joanna Brooks knows it falls on her to rectify the situation... -
Stranger at the Grove by Mary Kingswood
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsAn estranged brother is forced to return to his home and face up to his past.Malcolm Gage walked out of his brother’s life sixteen years ago when they both wanted to marry the same woman. Malcolm lost that battle, and he’s never forgiven his brother for it, preferring to live in poverty as a schoolmaster rather than swallow his pride and go home... -
Indecent by Darcy Burke
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsSociety’s most exclusive invitation...Welcome to the Phoenix Club, where London’s most audacious, disreputable, and intriguing ladies and gentlemen find scandal, redemption, and second chances.If Bennet St... -
The Heart of a Lyon (The Lyon's Den Connected World) by Anna St. Claire
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsEnter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made... unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON'S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives... and loves. She needs a miracle to save her, but he refuses to consider marriage, until a pretend betrothal changes how he sees her... -
The Duke's Bride in Disguise by Claudia Stone
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen poor orphan Ava Smith comes face to face with a girl who looks exactly like her, she is certain she has seen a ghost! But, Lady Emily Fairfax, is no ghost and is sure that she and Ava must be long lost twins. Despite her better judgement, Ava allows Emily to convince her to swap lives for a month, in order for Ava to scupper Emily’s engagement to a cold-hearted, brute of a man...
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