There's also the potential reunion with an old flame. The storm of the century hits the little community where Lily grew up.Christopher Crin is well known for his holiday gift giving. He even bears the nickname Cringle. This year he has a special gift to give.Will Lily accept?

    Travel through six cities and fall in love with these enchanting love stories. L.J. Shen & Helena Hunting Just The Tip  It’s not every day you meet a stranger who knows how to jingle your bells… Corinne Michaels & Melanie Harlow Baby it’s Cold Outside My Christmas list did not include a broken heart, freezing temperatures, or my tree stuck in the door to my apartment building, but that’s what I got. Just when I thought Santa had failed me, I got something I never thought to ask for … Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward Kissmas in New York It was just supposed to be a simple kiss with a stranger.  I'd done it to prove a point--that I hadn't lost my sense of adventure. But you know what they say about the best laid plans. Maybe I'd get something in my stocking after all this holiday season... Sierra Simone & Kennedy Ryan The Christmas Crown Noelani, queen of Manaroa, has one mission on her diplomatic visit to the States: forge strategic alliances for her homeland. When she meets brooding security specialist Brock Grimsby, their unexpected alliance heats up the holiday. One night. No promises, but come Christmas, will either be able to walk away? Penny Reid & L.H. Cosway Songbird Two lonely souls find companionship in Dublin for one magical night. Broderick Adams doesn't mind his solitude, until she walks in. Ophelia Kelly sings to heal her heart, but has no idea he's listening. Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy EPIC Jamie and Wes are having a blast living and working in Toronto. Until a scout for another team swoops in to make one of them an offer that might complicate the life they've built together.

    After all, Holly is one of those wide-eyed optimists, and Evan is a man who deals in practicalities. Things would never work out between them. But two cups of coffee, a pair of shopping bags, and a touch of sexy Christmas magic just might help them find their common ground.Hometown Miracles by Patricia BatesThe holidays hold little interest for Leanne Wilson, a single mother who receives devastating news mere days before heading home. Once she arrives, she runs into the one man who holds her heart. But she can’t reach out to him now…after all, this may be her very last Christmas. Jay Locke has loved Leanne for years. When she left town, he forced himself to move on, but now she's back with a darling little girl and a Christmas wish he just can't say no to.Believe in Me by Aimée DuffyLeona Sharp and Ryan Lee have been friends forever, it seems. Although there's an attraction between them, they've never acted on it. On New Year's Eve, Leona finally allows herself to give into the temptation, but she vows that it will only be for one night and as soon as the clock strikes midnight they will put it in the past and go on as if it never happened. Ryan, however, has other plans…His Holiday Lifesaver by Hazel GowerBrad isn't looking forward to Christmas dinner with his family as they are always trying to set him up with women. This year he has a plan involving Hailey, a female tourist he rescued at the beach, posing as his girlfriend for the next couple of weeks. The only problem with the plan is he didn't expect to fall in love with her.Drawn To You by Tara MillsIf a picture's worth a thousand words, what does that make a series of sketches? Drawn to the same beach over and over again to secretly sketch this quiet, contemplative man, Rachel is about to find out.Reunion by Ashlynn MonroeYears ago, Shayla left her small hometown to pursue her dream. When she did, her family turned their back on her. Leaving also meant she had to forget about the boy she loved. When her mother dies, Shayla realizes that while some things change, other things are doomed to remain the same. She returns home, but doesn't feel very welcome until the boy who haunts her memories steps into her present. Luc is no longer the farm boy she'd fallen for—he's grown up, and quite nicely too. Can Shayla rekindle what she lost with the man she never stopped loving?Winter Break by Kaylie NewellHarper Smith is a horrible skier. She can't stand it, almost as much as she can't stand her irritatingly sexy ex-boyfriend, who also happens to be a member of the ski patrol. So when she finds herself in a life-or-death situation on a cold, dark mountain, she has mixed feelings when Justin Noble shows up to rescue her. Part of her would rather freeze to death than accept his help. The other part can't help but warm up at the sight of his messy, sun-bleached hair and cocky grin. Without her consent, Harper's heart tips dangerously close to falling for him again. But will this time be any different?Mistletoe & Holly by Tamaria SoanaZoey is going through the normal Christmas Eve ritual with her three-year-old twins. The only difference is that her husband Preston isn't there to share it with them. He's been deployed overseas and won't be home for the holidays. After Zoey tucks the kids in for the night, she places the gifts under the tree, snuggles on the sofa to watch It's a Wonderful Life, and falls asleep. She's startled awake by a loud noise. Is she dreaming, or is her Christmas wish standing under the mistletoe?Katrina's Christmas by Sidda Lee TateChristmas has always been just another day to Katrina Bryant. She works hard and expects her employees to do the same. When her sexy assistant, Grant Ward, quits on Christmas Eve she becomes worried she will never see him again, and she wonders why that bothers her so much. To her surprise, he arrives at her home hours later and whisks her away for a Christmas she will never forget.Merry Christmas, Mrs. Todd by Elise WhylesRecently widowed, Mary Todd isn't looking forward to spending Christmas alone. She's determined to keep a low profile during the madness—that is, until she meets her sexy neighbor, Walter. He seems intent on helping her get into the holiday spirit, and she just might let him.The Gift Beneath the Tree by Lacey WolfeTara won't be spending Christmas with her family this year, but she's not entirely alone. Her roommate, Brad, who's currently single, is also at home with her. Tara goes to bed Christmas Eve with hopes Santa might bring her what she most desires. After hearing a loud crash, she goes to investigate, and underneath the tree, she finds the present she's been dying to unwrap.Content Warning: some stories contain explicit sex

    They have three kids and a house with a mortgage. Josie has worked hard making and selling wreaths to make money for Christmas presents. Two days before Christmas, while she is collecting pine cones for her wreaths, she finds a woman named Helen lying in the woods behind her house. She is bruised and beaten, but won’t let Josie call for help. Helen lets Josie take her inside her house where Helen meets Josie’s husband, Hank, and their daughter, Mabel. Josie notices Helen’s strange, old-fashioned clothes and wonders where she came from. While talking about her son, Billy, Helen suddenly disappears. Was Helen a ghost? As Josie begins to investigate, she discovers that Helen was a real person. In fact, she was Josie’s great-grandmother, a woman who abandoned her young son and her husband to become a chorus girl in Atlantic City. But is the family history regarding Helen true, or a story concocted by her husband to cover her murder? When Josie receives a foreclosure notice and realizes they are about to lose their house, it’s just the beginning of a bad Christmas Eve. When circumstances threaten to ruin their Christmas, Josie and Hank discover that the old abandoned house across the street may hold the key to the mystery surrounding Helen’s appearance, and to finding the money they need to save their family’s home.

    The key is to begin in our own backyards, look at needs within our communities and then decide to do something about them. The dedicated women selected as this year's recipients of Harlequin's More Than Words award have changed lives, one good deed at a time. To celebrate their accomplishments, bestselling authors have written stories inspired by these real-life heroines. In this book, Pamela Morsi honors the work of Karen Thomson, Founder of Literature for All of Us. We hope More Than Words inspires you to get in touch with the real-life heroine living inside of you.

    If his poor fiancée had not died, he would now be wed to her instead of Abigail. But then Abigail begins uncovering some of the secrets that are a part of her husband’s life and wonders if perhaps there is hope for their marriage after all.Derek, Lord Westdale, wasn’t sure why Abigail married him; she obviously despised him. On the other hand, he knew exactly why he was marrying her: she was the only woman he would ever love, despite his having offered marriage to another. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to convince Abigail that he never really betrayed her after all.Can their decoding of a secret Christmas cipher bring an end to their misunderstandings and help them create their own special Christmas tradition?

    And it was the worst mistake of my life.So when she shows up to play Santa for my daughter’s preschool Christmas party, you’re damn right I’m going to try to get her back.Except Kaitlyn Holly’s lost all of her Christmas cheer. Which means it’s my job to help her get it back. No matter what it takes.Exes and Ho Ho Hos is a short, sexy, standalone Christmas romance told in alternating first person, complete with reindeer, a Santa brawl, and a little mishap on the most iconic skating rink in New York City. It stands alone and has a merrily ever after.

    In A Typical Irish Christmas, a grieving widower heads for a holiday in Ireland and finds an unexpected destination not just for himself, but for a father and daughter in crisis. . . . In Pulling Together, a teacher not yet out of her twenties sees her affair with a married man at a turning point as Christmas Eve approaches. . . . And in the title story, This Year It Will Be Different, a woman with a complacent husband and grown children enters a season that will forever alter her life, and theirs. . .

    Holly is working overtime, cold and lonely and broke. Across the hall, Declan is lonely too, and thinking this Christmas is going to be a joke. Then one blustery night Holly’s car won’t start and Declan is there to help with a little love in his heart. Open this gift from bestselling author Jasinda Wilder to find out if a single mother of two can let herself fall in love with her sexy-as-hell workaholic boss.

    And holiday kisses...the Season of Magic. Wrap yourself in the holiday spirit with five romantic stories filled with fun and forever after.Noel Noel Noel by Merry Holly (Marian Lanouette)Dumped and lonely, is it possible to find love at the local mall? Noelle thinks not, but a chance encounter with Chase Clayborne has her rethinking her rigid set of rules as sparks flare between them. A Cinderella Christmas by Cara Marsi Jessica Gallo no longer believed in fairy tales or happy endings. And she certainly didn’t believe she’d find her Prince Charming at Saks Fifth Avenue. Her Fairy Godmother thought differently. Matchmaker Matchmaker by Bobbi LermanWith Chanukah around the corner, is there enough magic left for a matchmaker to bring a cynical heart back to life. Holiday Disaster by Vicki BatmanThe week before Christmas and all is in disarray when a librarian experiences horrible plumbing issues and a Mr. Maintenance Man who isn’t nearly as jolly as Santa Clause. This Christmas is a disaster. Yuletide Bride by Gerri BrousseauThe Dowager Duchess’s decree that her grandson must marry before Twelfth Night or relinquish his title and fortune sends him into a tail spin. Without any prospects and with only two weeks until Christmas will Stuart Nelson find himself destitute or will he find The Yuletide Bride.

    She's drawn to veterinarian Cameron McKenzie's good looks, caring nature and especially his devotion to his young daughter. There's just one problem — he's her boss. Putting her heart on the line could cost Rina both her job and their friendship forever. But when a kiss under the mistletoe unlocks the simmering passion between them, Rina and Cameron may just find love for the holidays after all….The Sheik and the Christmas BrideWhen Prince As'ad of El Deharia agrees to adopt three orphaned American girls, he does so on one condition — that their beautiful teacher, Kayleen James, become their nanny. His plan is to leave her to deal with the children as he continues his life, undisturbed. But all that changes when Kayleen and the girls invade the palace — and As'ad's heart — and change it for the better.

    A boy stands beneath the statue of Liberte in the Jardin du Luxembourg, awash in a flurry of snowflakes, on the eve of his sixteenth birthday. Time is running out – the curfew means he needs to get home, this is a dangerous time to be on the streets. But then he catches sight of a young girl called Rose, and his fate is sealed…The Snow Globe is a beautiful Christmas short story to complement the wonderful novel The Sweetness of Forgetting, coming from Quercus in March 2013.

    The winner of multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards, Connie Willis captures the timeless essence of generosity and goodwill in this magical collection if Christmas stories.  These eight tales — two of which have never before been published — boldly reimagine the stories of Christmas while celebrating the power of love and compassion.  This enchanting treasury includes:"Miracle," in which a young woman's carefully devised plans to find romance go awry when her guardian angel shows her the true meaning of love."In Coppelius's Toyshop," where a jaded narcissist finds himself trapped in a crowded toy store at Christmastime."Epiphany," in which three modern-day wisemen embark on a quest unlike any they've ever experienced."Inn," where a choir singer gives shelter to a homeless man and his pregnant wife — only to learn later that there's much more to the couple than meets the eye.Also includes: "The Pony""Adaptation""Cat's Paw""Newsletter"

    Each will take around an hour to read, perfect for those small bits of down-time when you need to de-stress around the hectic holiday season. In these pages you will find tales of second chances, holidays spent with family, and a dash of romance. Jade O'Reilly and the 12 Days of Christmas - Tamara Ward For the 12 days leading up to Christmas, the crankiest old biddy in Sweetwater wakes up to a yard filled with Christmas decorations. But in her opinion, “they’re not decorations; they’re property damage!” Will Jade catch the decorator before Christmas? Everything to Lose - by Natalie G. OwensFrom the suburbs of London to the old charm of Ascoli Piceno, Italy, follow the journey a broken couple must take to discover long-buried secrets that shattered their marriage. Wrong Way Wayne - by D.D. Larsen Look up loser in the dictionary and you’ll find Wayne—Wrong Way Wayne, to be exact. Is it Wayne’s destiny to always lose? And if so, can a loser win for losing? Mistletoe Mischief - Stacey Joy Netzel Christmas in July at the zoo is the last place single parents Eric Riley and Marissa Wilder expect to find love. Thanks to some mistletoe mischief in the form of their two young daughters and Santa, they discover mistletoe rules were not made to be broken. The Gift - Rhonda Hopkins When workaholic Robert Chalmer's wife leaves to take care of her sick mother for two weeks, he is left with all the responsibility... including his seven-year-old daughter. With Christmas fast approaching, Robert must find a way to reconnect with what is most important, or risk losing it forever. Snow Dance - Alicia & Roy Street. A divorced Broadway dancer moves to a small town to open up a vintage clothing shop. She wants solitude and anonymity, but instead finds herself involved with a troubled teenage girl, an elusive ghost, and a sexy local fisherman who makes her believe in second chances. A Gothic Christmas Angel - Anna Erishkigal Dumped by her boyfriend on Christmas Eve, Cassie Baruch thought her pain would end when she aimed her car at an ancient beech tree. But when a gorgeous black-winged angel appears and tells her ‘this ain’t no stinking paranormal romance, kid,’ she realizes death hasn’t solved her problems.

    As William Spencer celebrates his birthday each year on December 25--first as a child in rural America in the 1930s, and then as a World War II veteran, husband, and father--he learns that, no matter what his circumstances, happiness is an attitude, not a condition. But as a solitary old man living in a one-bedroom apartment, William Spencer expects this Christmas birthday to be his last. His holiday is one of solitude and reflection, dominated by the echoes of the past and by a single, simple wish. When an unexpected turn of events reminds William of a lesson learned many years ago, he's faced with a choice. Can he find the strength to imagine a new future?