Books like Only a Promise by Mary Balogh

Ralph Stockwood, a leader who lured his friends into the Napoleonic Wars, finds himself the sole survivor, burdened with guilt and the duty of preserving his family’s title. To secure an heir, he must marry, but his conscience and circumstances complicate the decision. Chloe Muirhead, disillusioned by a disastrous season in London and resigned to spinsterhood, seeks escape from her family. In refuge at her mother’s godmother’s home, she encounters Ralph. Each requires the other: he needs a wife; she needs a husband. The solution is an audacious bargain: they marry, with the condition that Ralph will never take her back to London. Yet as lives intertwine, the promise evolves, and the couple wrestles with love, duty, and the shifting tides of Regency society. Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars and the societal expectations of early‑nineteenth‑century Britain, the story weaves romance, duty, and the challenges of moving forward after loss.

First publish date: 2015