Loren is perceived as a child as thin as a rail with mud caked hair when Old Tom and his boys come across Thad Walters on their way to town. Rather than take the chance that Miss Pearl won't offer him enough money for a visit at Pearl's brothel, Old Tom decides to convince Thad to buy her. Thad knew that he would do everything in his power to get the child away from the men that had her tied behind their horse half dragging her to town. When he finally payed them enough to get four steak dinners and one roll in the hay for Old Tom, he took her to his ranch planning to take the child to the next town where she could be taken in by a good family. To his surprise, when she got all the mud off, he found her to be a beautiful woman, not a child at all.

    But Leigh is turning thirty and feeling restless. Something needs to change. She needs to change. So when a sexy stranger asks her to ride the Ferris wheel one moonlit night, she takes a leap of faith-and falls for Will Scott, dangerous secrets and all. By turns passionate and tender, Will reveals little about his past and less about his future, even when the town suspects him of committing a terrible crime. Now on the uncertain back roads of life, take-charge Leigh must learn to let go...and trust not only the cold dictates of the law but the hot-blooded demands of her heart.

    There are no rules to romance - and usually the only way to get a little is to take the plunge. Here are four original stories about four bold women who risk it all to win at the unpredictable game of love.

    The virile stranger didn't look like your average neighborhood ice cream man, and Jenny's neighbors were convinced he was some sort of criminal. Jenny couldn't believe it. But was that because she was already dangerously attracted to enigmatic, mysterious Nick?Nick's mission was to keep close tabs on Jenny; posing as the man in the white truck was the perfect cover. But he'd never accept this sexy, earthy mother of two as a forger and a thief. Not Jenny, the only woman who had ever made him think about hearth and home .... Jenny, who'd melted his cold loner's heart--and who could never be his.

    Then the talk of Hollywood himself, actor Devlin Cooper, strolls onto her Outback set—fired from his two previous movies, and looking decidedly tempting! The last thing Ruby needs is Dev making outrageous demands and causing her to question her "no romance at work" rule….But what's a girl to do when Dev's taking her on a lavish date one moment, then calling "cut" on their growing closeness the next? What exactly does he want with her—and what's causing the shadows behind those famous blue eyes? Now she's too intrigued to walk away….

    In the battle, Giles, lord of De la Noye, dies, and Hyatt claims Giles's widow, Aurelie, by right of conquest. She resists him and bitterly resents him, thinking him responsible for Giles's death, and lamenting her own loss of power. But both her own strong sexual attraction to him and her growing awareness that he is an excellent landowner who promotes the welfare of his subordinates change her attitude. As she grows to love him, he comes to acknowledge at last his love and need for her.

    Now they are both doomed…Leanna Williamson was a dreamer. A young woman passionate for literature, who wouldn't settle for anything less than the heroes she grew up fantasizing about. Yet fate has other plans.When her father announces her engagement to the country's cruelest knight, Leanna has two options: succumb to a living nightmare, or prove that she is brave like her literary idols. And so, she escapes…Kaiden MacNaghten's existence was an eventful one. A man on the run, who invented the most colorful ways to survive. His latest ruse, pretending to be a priest, will cause much more trouble to Kaiden than he could have ever imagined.When he encounters an unprotected young woman on her way to the Highlands, his respectful guise will be her safe harbor, until his own longings will make it almost impossible to keep up with his lie…Who is the mysterious Highlander priest that makes Leanna want to sin? And how will Kaiden be able to protect her, when his presence is the biggest threat for her?She prayed for a savior… He prayed for freedom…

    But she is unprepared for the effect that the intelligent and devastatingly sexy senator has on her, and finds herself drawn to his charms and intriguing interests--which include a yen for psychic phenomena.

    One forbidden love. Lady Cecily Balfour was always taught that the Hartley men are mad, bad and dangerous to know. When she meets Robert Hartley, Earl of Scarcliffe, she makes a few additions to that list: Stubborn. Infuriating. Handsome. Charming. Tempting. Society expects Cecily to make an advantageous match of her father’s choosing. What can she do now that her own choice is a man she is expressly forbidden to see? The Earl of Scarcliffe enjoys hunting, drinking, billiards, and bachelordom. Love does not feature on his list of requirements. Especially for a woman with a stubborn streak a mile wide and a penchant for riding off on his favourite stallion. And if that same woman is a Balfour? Not a chance! But Cecily just happens to have a pair of striking blue eyes, a taste for adventure and a rapier-sharp sense of humour… Robert’s heart is in as much danger as his head will be in if they are caught together. The Duke's Hidden Desire A reckless duke meets his match in a determined young woman – and throws her future into jeopardy with one stolen kiss. Miss Anna Hawkins, the daughter of a poor country doctor, knows the mysterious stranger who kissed her at the ball cannot really be the Duke of Beaumont. Dukes are virtuous and noble, and this man is arrogant, impudent… and dangerously seductive. Beaumont cannot forget Anna Hawkins. It’s not only her sharp mind and delicate features. It’s not only the flame-red hair he longs to caress. It’s not even that she is the only woman in England to say no to a duke. Anna is not afraid to chastise Beaumont for his lack of virtue, and he has never wanted anyone more. But it takes more than a dukedom to win a woman’s heart. The Lady He Longed For A brooding lord encounters his widowed childhood sweetheart – and they uncover a secret that could change everything… Lord Jonathan Hartley’s first love left him a broken man. Now that Isabella is back, widowed, wounded and more lovely than ever, the last thing he wants to do is revisit the past. But Isabella has a way of digging up all the secrets he thought he had buried. His undimmed love for the tragic heiress is only one of them. Isabella, the widowed Countess of Streatham, knows she belongs in Jonathan’s arms. But she is no longer the naïve debutante who believed in true love, and marriage brought her pain she vowed never to endure again. Jonathan abandoned her once, and if he wants her forgiveness, she will make him fight for it. Whether she falls in love again is quite a different question. The Baron's Inconvenient Bride In his haste to find a marriage of convenience, an arrogant baron proposes to his sworn enemy… Lady Jemima Stanhope has a secret she cannot share, even with her husband. Especially with her husband. Because that husband is the incorrigible rake, Lord Northmere.

    All he knew was the pain and suffering he had caused…and the pain he now felt from the fateful fall from the tree limb that now lay splintered beneath him. As certain death was about to befall him, he was granted a chance of redemption. Somehow, he was deemed worthy of a second chance but it would come with a price. The price would plunge him into a world between the living and the dead, where isolation was his only companion. Isolation and time….Those were things he would have an abundance of to ponder the misdeeds he had wrought throughout his life. Old hatreds of the past prevented Derek from opening the path of redemption. Love would be the only thing to save his soul from the endless years spent not quite a man; not quite a ghost. His punishment was severe and an ancient curse prevented him from satisfying his human needs in every sense. He knew want; he knew loneliness. Only in the Tower, protected by the Guardians of the past, could he claim his humanity. The tower held the key to unlock Derek Campbell from the prison of his soul and of his heart. Kiera Callum was running from a failed relationship and a career with a sadistic and abusive boss. The Highlands of Scotland seemed like just the balm to soothe her battered spirit. She never dreamed that taking the menial job as a tour guide would afford her to actually live in the main quarters of Castle Campbell. She also could not imagine that the Keep came complete with a 700 year old spirit. It seemed Kiera ran from many things in her life when the going got tougher. One of those things was her ability to sense the spirits of those who had gone before. She had denied that gift her entire life because it marked her as a freak. Only now there was nowhere to run. Kiera had to finally face everything she had run from in order to help the trapped soul of a medieval man whose presence was the most vital thing she had ever encountered. She would have to learn to trust in the things that could not be explained. Things are not always as they appear… Could love end his torment? Would Kiera be able to open her heart enough to release him from the prison of isolation? Would her love be strong enough to let him go? Celtic Spirit spans six and half centuries where the past and present collide. Love can bridge time and space. Love is eternal.

    His aunt offers a way out, but is the cost too high? Her dying wish is to give them The Grand Opera House of Rapid City, but there’s one catch. All three brothers must wed first. When he chooses to marry the costume designer out of necessity, will a marriage of convenience ruin the crescendo building between them?Beloved DuetSam Wagner is the forgotten son. He will do whatever he must to take ownership of the Opera House, including send for a mail order bride. When his first plan falls flat, he seeks the hand of the woman who helped him along the way. Except, she’d rather have nothing to do with him or his hand. As time runs short, can he convince her he isn’t the man she believes him to be?Grand FinaleCaleb Wagner flees his home and his family to escape the pressure of finding a wife. He’s certain if he leaves, his aunt will relent and give his brothers their desires. While away, he meets an opera star in hiding. She convinces him to bring her back to Keystone, the perfect place to escape. Will she be the final piece the family needs or will Caleb’s delay mean silence for them all?If wives aren’t found before time runs out three brothers will lose their birthright. Don’t miss this sweet, historical romance with perfect pacing and a final curtain you won’t want to miss.

    

    As their forbidden love grows, will he be able to save her, or will the villains destroy all? PASSION IN THE BLOOD by Anna Markland - Dorianne falls in love with a wealthy Norman count, but Robert is the one man forbidden to her. Her family will stop at nothing to avenge a past wrong. AIDAN by Elizabeth Rose - Aidan MacKeefe trusts the wrong person when Effie MacDuff steals the stone from under him. One is willing to die to protect Scotland’s secret, while the other is willing to betray her country to save someone she loves. THE LADY AND THE FALCONER by Laurel O'Donnell He is a MYSTERIOUS FALCONER, intent on reclaiming what is rightfully his. She is the LADY of Castle Fulton, determined to keep her people safe from the siege that threatens them all. Can they overcome betrayal and vengeance to find healing love? ARUCARD by Barbara Devlin - It is the year of Our Lord 1307, and by papal decree, Templar Knight Arucard de Villiers is a hunted man. While the King of England is more than happy to offer exile and create a new Order to accommodate the famed warriors of the Crusades, such assistance comes with a price, but is the cost one Arucard is willing to pay? THE TAMING OF MAIRI MACKENZIE by Sue-Ellen Welfonder - The fate of a battle-weary warrior depends on a mysterious woman, but when they join forces, the passion that consumes them poses a greater threat: a forbidden love so powerful it could destroy them. A HIGHLAND KNIGHT TO REMEMBER by Amy Jarecki - When Sir Eoin witnesses Lady Helen’s dishonor, he’s infused with rage. But if Eoin helps the lady escape, he will break clan law. Will the gallant knight find the strength to mask his deepest desires and save the woman he’s always loved? About the Authors - Bestselling, award-winning novelist CATHERINE KEAN is a Kindle Unlimited All-Star author of medieval romances. Among other accolades, her books have won the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and finaled in the National Readers' Choice Awards. Visit Catherine's website at catherinekean.com. ANNA MARKLAND is the author of over 25 medieval romances, an Amazon All-Star who consistently ranks in the top 100 historical fiction list. She is a fool for cats. Her hobbies are cryptic crosswords and genealogy. ELIZABETH ROSE is the author of over 50 books. She is an amazon top 100 bestseller and all-star, and writes medieval, paranormal, small town contemporary and western romance. She resides in the suburbs of Chicago and loves to garden. LAUREL O’DONNELL is a bestselling, award-winning author who finds time every day to bring her characters to life. Visit her at www.laurel-odonnell.com Bestselling, Amazon All-Star author BARBARA DEVLIN writes heartfelt historical romances that feature flawed heroes who may know how to seduce a woman but know nothing of marriage. USA Today bestselling author SUE-ELLEN WELFONDER loves Scotland, medieval history, Celtic legend and lore, the paranormal, and animals. She also writes as Allie Mackay and lives on Florida’s southwest coast with her husband and her muse, Snuggles the writer cat. AMY JARECKI adores Scottish historical romance, writing steamy edge-of-your-seat action and passion with rugged men and fascinating women who weave their paths through the eras of centuries past.

    Wealthy and beautiful Henrietta Buxted should be the perfect candidate. So why does his eye keep wandering to her quiet cousin, Charlotte Wyncroft?Charlotte watches Henrietta's games of courtship with wry amusement. That is, until a stolen dance reveals a hidden side to the earl. Penniless Charlotte knows she's far from a suitable match, yet, in Adam's arms, she can dream of the happily-ever-after she's always wanted!

     Kate decides to become a governess and she and her sisters are delighted when she is hired by the Duke of Chelmsford, who agrees to let the Sawyer sisters live on the estate. But the Duke has his own motives for his decision. When he tries to force himself upon her younger sister, Kate threatens to kill him. Two days later, the Duke is dead and his grandmother wants a quick trial and hanging, with Catherine on the end of the rope. But the new Duke, Marcus Creighton, the black sheep of the family, is unconvinced that the lovely, gentle governess is a murderess and he’s determined to solve the murder and save Catherine from the gallows. As he delves deeper into past family secrets, his efforts to save the woman he has fallen in love with puts his own life in danger.