You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!
This HaBO request comes from Sofia, who is looking for a Regency romance:
I am desperately looking for a Regency romance novel that I read at least before 2014.
All I remember is the heroine is a housekeeper to the hero who is a titled lord. I think her name is Janet? I also definitely remember that the hero is divorced from his first wife, and a bit of a recluse from society.
I know this isn’t a lot to go on but any help would be appreciated!
Do we know any historical Janets?
A Scandalous Scot
by
Karen Ranney
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This isn’t it, but the first thing I thought of when I heard housekeeper was Kleypas’ Lady Sophia’s Lover, which was excellent.
Not a Janet, (heroine’s name is Bridget) but sounds similar to Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt from the Maiden Lane series. In my opinion, this is the best book of the series.
This sounds like a Grace Burrowes book, but I can’t remember which one, since I’ve read so many of hers.
Once again, not Janet, but this sounds similar to Meredith Duran’s Fool Me Twice.
@maryellen. Not a Janet but the Grace Burrowes is titled “The Heir”
There are a couple of “Housekeeper” lists on Goodreads. Better Homes: Housekeepers in Historical Romance and Helping Hand Romances-Hero or Heroine Hired as Butler, Housekeeper, Cook, Chauffeur, Maid and More
So many housekeeper heroines, but I can’t think of any Janets. There’s “Gallant Waif” by Anne Gracie, the hero is definitely a recluse, but he’s a wounded veteran, not a widower, iirc. In “A Deal With the Devil” by Liz Carlyle, the housekeeper heroine is a widow, I’m not sure if the hero is also widowed.
All the Janets I recall in historicals were Scottish, do you think the heroine was Scottish, or was the book set in Scotland?
I’m pretty sure it’s “A Scandalous Scot” novel by Karen Ranney has the maid named Jean who has to work after her father ( a doctor) disgraces the family and the hero returns to the Highlands “with his honour in shreds” because of his scandalous divorce. It’s a really good story and there’s a second one with Jean’s sister which I really enjoyed too, “The woman In Black”. The sister is one of those characters that redeems herself in the second book. I loved both of them.
It was “A Scandalous Scot” by Karen Ranney!
Thank you so much for all your help. I am now checking it out from the library to see if it is as good now as it was in my memory.