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The Accidental Duchess

Reads 2,765,043
Votes 93,316
Parts 23
Time 4h 45m

Reads 2,765,043
Votes 93,316
Parts 23
Time 4h 45m

When the arrogant stranger Bess is forced to marry unexpectedly becomes a duke, she'll find herself at odds with her growing feelings as he hunts for a killer.

                                                                      *****

Sharp-tongued Elizabeth 'Bess' Jones is perfectly content living on her lonesome in a tiny village south of Derbyshire. She works as a nurse, owns a small home, and finds the label of 'spinster' an agreeable trade for her independence. But when her entire life is uprooted in an instant, she only has one person to blame: her new husband, Emmett Wilde, who was caught in a compromising situation with her. And now, despite his promise to fake a death certificate after their wedding--to free her of any duty to him or their marriage bed--he sends for her in the dead of night with startling news: his father has been murdered, and he is now the Duke of Ascot with a wife he can no longer deny...

[[Word Count: 60,000-70,000 words]]
[[Cover designed by Ren Tachibana]]All Rights Reserved

23 parts

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Bound To Bea by LeeleeKez

"No respect for the dead." His words came out in silent whispers, his teeth clenched. A small smile tugged on her lips. "Respect is earned in life, my lord. When a man fails to earn respect in life, it cannot suddenly be bestowed on him simply because he returned to the dust whence he came." "At the very least, Lady Atkins, pretend," he admonished. "Pretend to mourn for your husband! You are a woman in mourning! Grief, sadness, decency is expected of you," he growled, stepping so close to her, his nose almost kissed hers. "Not a low-cut, salacious red dress!" She inched forward, jaw set, until she could feel his warm breath on her skin. "And you are a man whose cousin's widow was only a few minutes ago caught with a man on top of her," she shot back, leaning further in until her lips were nearly brushing his as she searched his gaze. "Anger, rage, fury, is expected of you, my lord... Not jealousy!" * Newly widowed, the sudden death of Beatrice's husband has brought about her freedom from the shackles of a loveless marriage... Or so she thinks. All hope is quickly lost when she discovers her husband's cruelty in disinheriting her and leaving her penniless. But worse than his decision to disinherit her, is his decision to leave her at the mercy of his cousin; Noah, the very handsome Marquess of Camden. TW: This story contains mentions of suicide. Copyright © 2021 Lily Orevba All rights reserved.

To Defy A Duke by vickitickitoria

Lady Eliza Turner has no interest in finding herself a wealthy husband, she has her books, her best friend Charlotte, and plenty of opinions on what society expects from her. When her curiosity gets the better of her, and she ends up in a compromising position with the desirable Duke Harrington she must use all her wits and charm to survive the scandal she has created. Jasper Harrington doesn't enjoy attending social occasions especially when opinionated women think that it is acceptable to criticise him, but there is something about Eliza that he can't quite bear to part with. Are this odd couple going to find a happy ever after together or apart?

Discovering the Devil by yahsss

FOR FANS OF BRIDGERTON All Penelope wants to do is become a spinster in peace. The problem is, no one will let her. Eligible bachelors from all over descend on her mother's castle to win her hand, and Penelope is forced to bat her eyes and pretend they've been rejected because they haven't succeeded in getting her to fall in love. In reality, after ten proposals and a tizzy of admirers, Penelope doesn't believe she's capable of it. When her mother catches wind of Penelope's plans to stay unmarried, she forces her into an ultimatum: marry the duke who has just proposed or be cut off. Harry is known by dozens of names, the Devil and Satan being the kindest among them. Falsely accused of slaying his half-brother and disowned by his father, Harry is forced to live as an outcast shrouded in the blackest of rumors. When his housekeeper dies, despite all his attempts to appeal to the peasantry, not a single applicant turns up. Harry is forced to resort to an unlikely, half-baked scheme with a girl he can't stand. She will be his housekeeper in order to scare her mother out of an ultimatum and he will use the presence of a lady to attract a real replacement. It will be a simple, loveless transaction...as long as they're able to resist each other... *Hades and Persephone retelling* *completed* ----- #86 in historicalromance 8/5/23

Husband Wanted (HC #1) by Flo_Writes

Elizbeth Anne Humphrey wants a husband. Her expectations are not outlandish; all she asks is that he be reasonably handsome, reasonably wealthy and completely kind. Her brothers have offered their assistance, and it's given her hope that perhaps there is a man out there who might want her for a wife. But alas, the first man she meets after recommitting to the battle against spinsterhood is reasonably handsome, reasonably naked and completely soaked through and stranded on their front steps. He also has a head-wound and no memory of who he is, but Elizabeth Humphrey has larger mysteries to solve; namely, the mystery of who she might marry. Wattys 2022 Entry Completed: March 2022 (~83000 words)

The Case of the Season by robinwritesatt

[2022 Wattys Shortlist Finalist] In this mash-up of Bridgerton and Enola Holmes set during the Regency, Robin Ballard is sent to London to spend the season with her cousins, the Bridgertons, in the hopes that she will finally find a husband before it is too late, though she doesn't much care for the idea of matrimony. Similarly, the famous and very eligible detective Sherlock Holmes isn't interested in finding a wife, but has been hired to locate a missing heiress, which requires him to circulate amongst the ton, and he's having trouble because he lacks social graces. When he and Robin cross paths at a ball, they come to an arrangement that greatly benefits them both. She'll help him with the ton and he'll marry her, after which they can comfortably live their lives apart. But as they spend more time together, they find that close proximity has turned their ruse into reality.

[2] The Queen Mother of Württemberg | A. Bridgerton by f1royalty

All Is Fair In Love And War. Lord Anthony Bridgerton, the formidable head of the Bridgerton family, sets forth on a quest to secure a worthy spouse, driven solely by his unyielding duty to preserve the family's esteemed name. His pursuit of a debutante who can meet his exacting standards appears destined for failure until the arrival of the Sharma sisters from the exotic lands of India. Yet, as the Viscount endeavors to court Edwina, his heart and mind are ensnared by an unexpected distraction-the Queen Dowager of Württemberg, now globally recognized as the Queen Mother, Charlotte. Unbeknownst to Anthony, Charlotte harbors a conflicted heart; while she yearns for him to marry, she can't escape the fervent desire that it were her he chose. A lifetime of unspoken love lingers, and she regrets the moment she turned him away when he bared his feelings. As Anthony's courtship of Edwina unfolds, Kate uncovers the stark reality of his intentions-a genuine love match isn't high on his list of priorities-certainly not when she discovers of the Viscount and Queen Mother's past. Determined to shield her sister, Kate resolves to thwart the impending union. Amidst everyone's efforts, every encounter between Charlotte and Anthony draws them irresistibly closer, entwining their destinies in a complex web of emotions. This fanfic follows Season 2 of the Bridgerton Netflix series, based on the novel "The Viscount Who Love Me" by Julia Quinn. Book 1: The Queen Dowager of Württemberg - Book 2: The Queen Mother of Württemberg Disclaimer: All original rights and credits of this amazing series goes to its creators. And of course, the original creator of all characters and books, Julia Quinn and to Chris Van Duden, the creator/showrunner/executive producer of the Netflix Original Series: Bridgerton. The only new/added characters are Charlotte, etc, and its ideas belong to me.

To Deceive A Duke by vickitickitoria

{Shortlisted for the Wattys 2022} It's 1798 and The Lenoir family controls a significant part of London's dreaded and violent underworld. They reap the rewards in high-class society but Clarissa Lenoir has little interest in society or the people within it. Instead, she is following in her grandfather's footsteps as the leader and protector of The Strand, however, a problem, in the form of a silver-eyed man and rival leader, is about to throw her world into chaos. Clarissa is determined to best this entitled and immoral duke in any way she can and refuses to fall prey to his dashing looks and lavish words. Will she risk everything, including her own life to see this man crumble at her feet? Or is there something stronger than revenge in her heart?

The Secret in East End [Agents of the Crown #1] by kitsumiekat

A FEATURED STORY IN HISTORICAL FICTION HIGHEST RANKING #7 in HISTORICAL FICTION --- Ellie had been undercover for most of her life. She had been a pickpocket for as far as she can remember, under the guise of Elliot. Any memory before the age of ten was blank in her head, with no recollection of how she had ended up under the charge of a gang of street rats as a child. Her life was meant to be mundane, as long as she remained under her secret identity. Until she tried to steal from the wrong pockets that is. --- Fabian Rothesay, the new Duke of Avondale, had spent the last 2 years rebuilding the coffers of his father, in order to ensure that the Avondale estate was not about to crumble around their feet. Taking over his father's spot as the Duke had not been an easy task, but in his doing so for the past 2 years, he has raised as one of the most eligible bachelors of the ton. What the ton doesn't know is that Fabian is biting to return to his previous life. What people believed to be a holiday around the continent, was actually Fabian's cover as he worked as an Agent of the Crown. His new status as a Duke however, did not make him want to step down as an Agent just yet, especially with a recent case that specifically embroils a series of planned heists within the ton. --- As the two are thrown together in a series of circumstances that was mostly chance, sometimes fate, and with a dash of secrecy, how would the turmoil change their lives?

To Bewitch A Beast by greenwriter

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Royal Fools by greenwriter

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Slide 1 of 10

Bound To Bea cover

To Defy A Duke cover

Discovering the Devil cover

Husband Wanted (HC #1) cover

The Case of the Season cover

[2] The Queen Mother of Württemberg | A. Bridgerton cover

To Deceive A Duke cover

The Secret in East End [Agents of the Crown #1] cover

To Bewitch A Beast cover

Royal Fools cover

Bound To Bea

"No respect for the dead." His words came out in silent whispers, his teeth clenched. A small smile tugged on her lips. "Respect is earned in life, my lord. When a man fails to earn respect in life, it cannot suddenly be bestowed on him simply because he returned to the dust whence he came." "At the very least, Lady Atkins, pretend," he admonished. "Pretend to mourn for your husband! You are a woman in mourning! Grief, sadness, decency is expected of you," he growled, stepping so close to her, his nose almost kissed hers. "Not a low-cut, salacious red dress!" She inched forward, jaw set, until she could feel his warm breath on her skin. "And you are a man whose cousin's widow was only a few minutes ago caught with a man on top of her," she shot back, leaning further in until her lips were nearly brushing his as she searched his gaze. "Anger, rage, fury, is expected of you, my lord... Not jealousy!" * Newly widowed, the sudden death of Beatrice's husband has brought about her freedom from the shackles of a loveless marriage... Or so she thinks. All hope is quickly lost when she discovers her husband's cruelty in disinheriting her and leaving her penniless. But worse than his decision to disinherit her, is his decision to leave her at the mercy of his cousin; Noah, the very handsome Marquess of Camden. TW: This story contains mentions of suicide. Copyright © 2021 Lily Orevba All rights reserved.