But Greyfriar's Abbey isn't the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill--though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome--is anything but a romantic hero. He Needed Redemption... Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison. Now, he needs someone to smooth the way for him with the villagers. Someone to manage his household--and warm his bed on occasion. What he needs, in short, is a wife and a matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to acquire one.Their marriage was meant to be a business arrangement and nothing more. A dispassionate union free from the entanglements of love and affection. But when Helena's past threatens, will Justin's burgeoning feelings for his new bride compel him to come to her rescue? Or will dark secrets of his own force him to let her go?

    And not just any woman. If he can’t woo one of the most eccentric bluestockings of the Ton within the month, he can kiss his hard-earned fortune goodbye. But he’s always thought love a wasted emotion and marriage an inconvenience at best. And oddly enough, Lady Sophie Wolcott seems unmoved by his charm...When Sophie learns her beloved orphanage is in imminent danger, she will do anything to save it. Even marry a ruthless rake who takes what he wants in business and pleasure. A man who’s everything she’s always feared most—but whom she reluctantly begins yearning for.Then Sophie becomes the target of a killer lurking from the dark shadows of Devlin’s past. And they find not only their lives in jeopardy but their very hearts.

    Fiercely determined but not knowing how to find her way, she risks the little she has left on the heart she once shattered—hoping somehow to win back his respect, if not his love.Since he was a boy, John Thornton has fought the consequences of his father’s mistakes. Resolved to overcome past failings and the disdain of the world, he has striven for wealth, respect, and personal honour, but he is denied love. Now, all he had previously gained is slipping away, but he cannot resist a second chance with the woman he once lost. Crushed on all sides, all he has left to offer the one who needs him most is a home, and a heart that aches for her. Can a struggling manufacturer ever be enough for a woman who deserves the world? Can a grieving, inexperienced young woman learn to look beyond her Southern past to appreciate her Northern man? When sorrow and fear threaten to conquer them both, they must overcome the odds to find the strength to forge a better life ahead. This dramatic tale delves into the wonderful world of Elizabeth Gaskell’s epic North & South.

    Irresistible heroes. Sixteen stories of Yuletide romance, brimming with scandal, sizzling passion, and the promise of true love. From the snowbound Highlands to candlelit ballrooms, follow our feisty heroines as they unmask secret identities, scorn etiquette, and defy danger. See them submit to fierce warriors, sinful scoundrels, and masterful lords.This boxed set will be available for just three months, so don’t miss out. Indulge in sixteen all-new novellas that will leave you longing for more than twelve nights of Christmas. Buy Seduced Under the Mistletoe and lose yourself in 1000+ pages of heartwarming holiday romance! Unwrap these sixteen gorgeous historical romance novellas - all with sumptuous Christmas settings: Yuletide Yielding – by Ashe Barker Trusting Her Highland Laird – by Brandy Golden Duke of Christmas – by Ellie St. Clair A Christmas Masquerade – by Vanessa Brooks Peril with a Prince – by Emily Murdoch Her Mistletoe Promise – by Jaye Peaches Mistletoe Mistress – by Nicola Davidson The Gentleman’s Seduction – by Lauren Smith Bastian’s Surrender – by Carole Mortimer My Lady of Misrule – by Amy Rose Bennett A Wicked Christmas Wish – by Em Brown A Bluestocking for Christmas – by Viola Morne The Marriage Game – by Gracie Malling Wicked Deeds on a Winter Night – by Stacy Reid The Night Before Scandal – by Scarlett Scott Master of the Moor – by Emmanuelle de Maupassant

    At what age is the hope of love lost? Can a love that has slipped into friendship be re-kindled?These thoughts lay heavy in Gabriel’s soul, for while he finds the spark of love still burns inside his middle-aged heart, he cannot tell Henry. When they were young at Oxford University, their love burned hot and bright, and they thought to change the world together until a devastating tragedy ripped them apart.Youth. It slips away in the blink of an eye, and Henry can no longer stand to see his own reflection in the mirror, for all he sees is a sad, tired old man whose body has betrayed him. He craves the touch of another, to feel attractive and vital once more, but his obsession with his work has stolen his life from him, and now it has taken on a sinister dimension.Determined to continue with his work regardless of the consequences, Henry invites his friends over for a dinner party, but one of his guests is missing, and the evening is shattered by the revelation of a brutal murder.To what lengths would you go to find love? How far would you go to see your youth renewed? These are the dilemmas facing Gabriel and Henry as their friendship is tested to its very limits, for their lives are shattered by a vicious killer. Is there still the chance for love, or has age stolen that from them too? Can they move beyond the friendship that has spanned over thirty years and find the love that once made their hearts beat as one?You may never be too old to find love, but will you be able to survive it?

    An overbearing father, abusive brother, and she's ready to toss the idea of marriage completely. But when her brother tries to have her kidnapped, she is saved by the Dark Duke, Clarence Leo Hardwick III, Duke of Cantebury, and all of a sudden, marriage doesn't seem such an awful prospect. He could keep her safe from her brother and provide the title Father expected. She enjoyed their kisses and the way he made her feel. However, despite saving her from an ugly fate, he kept secrets that she wasn't sure she could forgive.The Dark Duke enjoyed his reputation. The darker the better. It kept most mothers from throwing their daughters at his feet. While out at his secret warehouse by the London docks, he witnessed a female in distress and went to help. Something about her caught his interest, especially when he learned who she was. He determined he would marry her, gain himself a wife capable of courage and loyalty, and extract revenge all in one swoop. He wants her, but can she love him after he reveals his secrets?Fighting her father for her hand against a Marquess while protecting her from her brother's nefarious schemes proved a difficult task, especially when the spirited Lilliana kept his mind occupied on making her his. Continued attempts to kidnap Lilliana, as well as an attempt on her life convinces him he needs to marry her sooner rather than later and has to get her cooperation before it was too late. But how could he convince her to take a chance on him when his past held such darkness?

    Sometimes the couple is already established, sometimes it's the birth of a new love.Husbands and lovers, detectives and singers, shifters and body switches for a romantic m/m Valentine.5 contemporary and 5 fantasy or near future stories.