These marriage-of-convenience stories with a touch of mystery will tug at your heartstrings and keep you up till the wee hours of the morning. A clean read with swoonworthy kisses. #1 Forgotten & Remembered - The Duke's Late Wife One night, they found themselves under some mistletoe. Now, he owes her a kiss. And she is determined to claim it. His heart torn in two, GRAHAM ASTOR, Duke of Kensington, mourns his wife. As he distances himself from everything that reminds him of happier days lost forever, he comes to realize that there is one thing he cannot run from. Graham needs a new wife, if only for the sake of his daughter. Disillusioned with love, ROSABEL LANDER only wishes to not remain a burden to her uncle’s family much longer. After seeing her parents’ love turn against them, Rosabel dreams of an independent life as a governess. But then a stranger asks for her hand in marriage, and to her utter shock her uncle instantly agrees. Will Rosabel find love after all? Or will the memory of Graham’s late wife keep him from finding happiness? #2 Cursed & Cherished - The Duke's Wilful Wife One night, she stole his kiss. Now, he is determined to steal it back. EDMOND DUNSWORTH, Duke of Cromwell, is bankrupt. The solution to his problem: a wife with a sizable dowry. Not worried in the least, Edmond takes his pick. After all, what woman could resist his charms? ANNA HANFORD, a merchant’s daughter, is faced with a difficult choice: allow her sister to marry the duke and see her happiness shattered…or marry the duke herself. Determined to ensure her sister’s future, Anna makes her choice. After all, isn’t marriage just a minor inconvenience in life? #3 Despised & Desired - The Marquess' Passionate Wife Long ago, he kept her secret. Now, she will save his soul. ELSBETH MUNFORD is set to marry the man she loves until an accident destroys her life. Her beauty tainted by ugly scars, Ellie resigns herself to a life of spinsterhood. FREDERICK LANCASTER, brother to the Marquess of Elmridge, returns home from war. A hero in the eyes of others, he is haunted by nightmares. Unable to make his peace with the past, Frederick retreats into the dark until his brother dies and he not only inherits his title, but with it the obligation to produce an heir. When two damaged souls find themselves tied to one another, will they pull each other under? Or will they help each other rise again from the ashes of their shattered lives? #4 Abandoned & Protected - The Marquis' Tenacious Wife He forced her hand. Now, she will deny him her heart. After what her father did to her mother, HENRIETTA TURNER’s worst fears are to be realised when her uncle decides to marry her off to a Scot. Gentleman or not, Henrietta knows that at his core he is still a barbarian. What will she suffer at the hands of this savage? CONNOR BRUNWOOD, Marquis of Rodridge, can’t believe he fell head over heels in love with this thin, pale twig of a girl.

    This set includes:Her Perfect Rogue by Amanda Mariel When Julia Honeyfield is sent away to a brothel, she runs away…only to find herself in the Duke of Selkirk's arms. Dare she trust him to protect her?Christmastide with my Captain by Tammy Andresen Lady Emilia McDougal has watched love find each of her beloved sisters. When will it be her turn? Captain Jack Andrews lost his love of the sea long ago and he doesn't deserve to find the love of his life.Secluded with My Hellion by Dawn Brower In the midst of the blizzard, Gavin Barrington, the Earl of Havenwood, and Lady Odessa Lynwood must overcome the earl's worst fears and figure out if their love can conquer the challenges they must face.The Rogue's Seduction by Lauren Smith Can the Devil of London, Viscount Darlington, save London's favorite lady, Perdita, from a dangerous marriage by claiming her as his own?How To Marry a Rake in Ten Days by Samantha Holt Miss Manners knows all there is about etiquette. Unfortunately, she does not know much about love. Challenged by one of her readers to become engaged by Christmas, she sets out to find herself the perfect match. She does not wager on meeting a rakish lord who promises to get in the way of her plans.Wagering on Christmas by Sandra Sookoo Rakish Colin Rowley, Viscount Hartsford is going home for Christmas to win a wager. Widowed Lucy Ashbrook, facing reduced circumstances, is forced to travel with him. During the four-day journey, mysterious events throw them together, compelling them to remember their emotional-ridden past. Only the magic of Christmastide can rekindle a love they couldn't forget.Prince of Christmas Past by Angelique Armae A second chance at love forces Prince Victor of Countavia to choose between the woman of his heart and his father's kingdom.Marchioness' Second Chance by Arietta Richmond Olivia Asterwood, Marchioness of Hemsbridge, is two years widowed, and focusing all of her energies on finding a wife for her son. Until, that is, she meets a scholar with as much of an obsession for the history of the great families as she has. Edward Greenidge, third son of a Viscount, has spent his life as a scholar of genealogy. Burying himself in his research has seemed the safest path, after his one venture into marriage failed disastrously. A widower, he expects to spend the rest of his life in libraries, in the company of books. But fate has other plans. When they meet, common interest paves the path to intense and unexpected attraction -and together they discover secrets long held, which will change both of their lives.Can Olivia see past her longstanding beliefs about love? Can Edward overcome his doubts, and admit his feelings? Or will the past steal the future from them?A Marquis For Marianne by Catherine Bilson Relieved widow Marianne has vowed never to let a man have power over her again, but Alexander Rotherhithe, Marquis of Glenkellie, never stopped loving her despite their tragic shared past. Can Marianne look past her fear and dare to love again? And an exclusive new title from Kelly Ann Bruce

    Now, faced with an unwelcome marriage that will chain her to London and the secret slowly killing her, she’s desperate to save herself and the sister she adores. Salvation comes in the form of an American shipping tycoon, and all she must do is seduce him into marrying her. But Gillian’s scheme hits a snag when she makes a bargain with a notorious rake, Alexander Trevelle, Lord Lionhurst. He agrees to help her win the hand of his American friend, if she’ll assist him with exacting revenge against her unwanted fiancé. But the price of the pact may just be their hearts.

    Five years ago, a masked man bearing that same tattoo saved her and the six children of the Marquess and Marchioness of Brady from a band of thieves. Now, Ellie’s “hero”—better known as the notorious Earl of Tumbridge— appears to be no more than a common cad. When this master of seduction and corrupter of virtue dares to sabotage her marital opportunities, it’s more than Ellie can bear. What Ellie does not yet understand is that the inked scoundrel has a reason for ruining her chances for love: He wants her all to himself…

    . . a compromising positionLady Charlotte Brandon is always up to something . . . but somehow her best schemes for matchmaking often end in disaster.Scheme: A family feud, outrageously false rumors, a shattered priceless vase . . . an even more compromising positionIt's no wonder she's considered by at least one devastatingly handsome man to be devious, destructive, and dangerously appealing.Scheme: A fox, a rabbit, a childhood foe, and a dashing rogue . . . the proposal to end all proposalsIt's high time someone turned the tables on the lovely Lady Charlotte, and James Beauchamp is just the man to do it. Even if it means beating Charlotte at her devious game with a scandalous scheme of his own.

    Anthony Vaughn, the dashing distant cousin she has known since childhood, needs a fortune to pay his father's debts and preserve the family estate. Together they strike a bargain--even though Emma knows she risks not only her fortune but her heart… Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know An American Western English-born gambler Andrew Kane was ready to settle down when a wrongful conviction condemns him to be hanged. On his journey to the gallows, he meets despairing young widow Eliza Holden. Together, they find comfort and a stunning sense of connection. Can Eliza create a Christmas miracle for them both?

    Stefan, the future duke of Montmouth, no doubt thought his words were welcomed but he couldn't have been more wrong. Oh, he was handsome as a pagan Norse god, but that was unimportant when her life as well as those of her family hung in the balance. With less than six weeks left, Rosalind has stopped believing in the fairy tale, the prince on the white horse, and the stolen kiss that would awaken her from her worst nightmares. Resigned to her fate, she waits for the inevitable curse to run it’s course. "We must marry at once!" Stefan declared, fully expecting Rosalind to be delighted that he had come to save her, but he was sorely mistaken. Rosalind was no simpering docile female; she was a fiery temptress with a stubborn streak only matched by his horse, Samson. Insulting, infuriating, intoxicating and alluring enough to drive a man mad. Stefan found himself thankful for the curse that required him marry her, thankful for the betrothal contract he had so recently tried to release her from...With the fortitude of a sailor shipwrecked, abandoned, and a solider warring for his life Stefan decides to lay siege to the greatest prize, Rosalind's heart.

    Never mind that his brother is already engaged, and they’ll lose their family’s estate if he marries someone else. Hamish will just have to find a way to stop the wedding. Georgiana Butterworth is startled when a handsome Scotsman breaks into her bedroom and brandishes money. Evidently he’s mistaken her for her newly engaged sister and is trying to bribe her into not marrying his brother. Georgiana knows one thing: she won’t permit this man to ruin her sister’s chance for everlasting happiness. Hamish may be determined to stop the wedding, but Georgiana is intent to make certain the wedding happens, no matter what she has to do to distract him.

    The Cynfell brothers are the very embodiment of a sinful existence. But could the right woman change that? Wrath Locked behind the walls of Lockwood Manor, Julian Cynfell, the Marquess of Lockwood whiles away his days writing angry letters, drinking and sleeping. He never expects his solitude to be interrupted by a brazen American heiress. An American heiress who is expecting a wedding. Viola Thompson can’t believe her luck when the English lord she has been corresponding with for the better part of a year asks her to visit him. This has to mean an offer of marriage surely? Finally, Viola will prove to her family and friends that she is more than a ruined woman with no prospects. Not to mention she knows they will be a love match. No one could write such beautiful letters without being the perfect man. But when she arrives in cold, dreary England to be faced by a foul-tempered, grizzled—albeit in a handsome way—marquess, her dreams of marriage are quickly dashed. Can she draw the lord out of his melancholy ways? And does she even want to remain in England while rumours of three dead wives circulate around Lockwood? One thing is for certain, this American heiress has never been one to back down from a challenge—especially when not even the Atlantic Ocean could dampen the patent desire running between them.

    And that problem is his future niece-in-law. When the clever and capable Lady Eleanor Vane—understandably—runs off into the night rather than marry his horrible nephew, the Duke has a choice. Should he catch Eleanor and return her to her fate—or make Eleanor his own instead?My Dirty Duke - Joanna ShupeViolet knows that her father's best friend, the Duke of Ravensthorpe, is the most powerful man in all of London with a reputation for sin. But nothing can stop Violet from wanting to shed her wallflower ways and fulfill her darkest, most forbidden desires...even if it means seducing a man twice her age.An Education In Pleasure - Eva LeighAs a governess to the Duke of Tarrington, Cecilia Holme resigns herself to a passionless life. Except now the old duke is dead and Owen, the new duke, is very tempting—and much younger. Is the chance to give Owen an education in pleasure too enticing to refuse?Duke For Hire - Nicola DavidsonAs her fiery clergyman father chases away all suitors, Miss Ada Blair is resigned to spinsterhood. Yet while she can’t wed, bedding might be another matter. One man meets all her requirements for a discreet and expert pleasure tutor—Jasper Muir, Duke of Gilroy—but he insists on a very wicked contract…The Duke Makes Me Feel... - Adriana HerreraDukes and their demands are nothing new for Marena Baine-Torres. Her newfound success has her little apothecary teeming with ill-mannered aristocrats. But as tiresome as they are, she needs the business. When the unflappable Duke of Linley storms into her shop and makes her an offer she’d be a fool to refuse, Marena soon finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime with a man who is as infuriating as he is intriguing.

    The only problem is, Trent is a notorious rogue who doesn't dally with the respectable. Except, Winnie doesn't want a dalliance--she wants his heart. Born to a miserable family, Lord Trent has found joy and comfort in the folds of his best friend's family. Except, over the years he's begun to notice something. Winnie who he'd always seen as another sister, is in fact something more--a captivating woman. Now, loving Winnie as he does, Trent knows she deserves more than a rogue in her life. With Winnie's mother rushing her off to try and make a match at Lady Weston's annual Christmastide house party, Winnie has but a few days to show Trent, that all she needs is his love. But then this is Christmas...when anything can happen! To Make a Perfect Scandal by Danelle Harmon Tristan St. Aubyn, the Earl of Weybourne, is a driven man. Haunted by the bad decisions he made in his youth, his life is all about work ... working to restore his fortunes, working to rebuild the herd of unique racehorses that were his late father's legacy, working to forget just how lonely he really is. Lord Weybourne isn't looking for a wife ... but when a saucy young lady dressed as a lad finds her way into his stable and charms the most irascible colt in the barn, Tristan can't help but be intrigued ... until she flees, frightened of discovery. The Honourable Miss Letitia Ponsonby comes from a family of seafarers but for her, freedom is found on the back of a horse. She has no desire to wed the dreadful suitor her mother has chosen for her, ready and waiting at Lady Weston's Christmastide house party. All that's needed is the perfect scandal to deter him. But when Letitia finds not the abominable Homer Trout waiting for her at the house party but Lord Weybourne himself, the very desire they each feel for the other is all that is needed to create that perfect scandal... To Win a Quiet Heart by Renee Bernard Suffering from crippling shyness, Nicodemus Chesterfield, the Earl of Athmore, would rather battle an army of demons than put one toe inside the treacherous social waters of a holiday house party. But sometimes, a man just has to face his fears—and when Jane Pemberly is the surprisingly beautiful and fantastically charming prize at the opposite end of the gauntlet—it seems there is nothing a man won’t do to sidestep scandals and win her love. To Tempt a Saint by Valerie Bowman What happens when a saint is tempted by a sinner? Prudence Carmichael is the epitome of well, prudence. But when a rumored pirate—with whom she just might have had a secret scandalous interlude years ago, that she’s been beating herself up about ever since—appears at Lady Weston's Christmastide house party and charms the innocent young lady again, can Prudence resist her first and greatest temptation?

    When he takes a bullet for boldly thwarting a stagecoach robbery, he is stunned to discover that the beautiful young woman he has heroically rescued, Juliet Paige, is his deceased brother’s American fiancée, accompanied by her infant daughter. Despite his brother the duke's refusal to acknowledge Juliet, Gareth is determined to do right by the courageous woman who crossed an ocean to give her baby her rightful name. But Juliet is wary of marrying this black sheep aristocrat, even while she is hopelessly charmed by the dashing devil. Never has she met anyone who embraces life so thoroughly, who makes her laugh, who loves her so well. And, even when it seems the odds are against them, Juliet has absolute faith that Gareth will go beyond the call of duty, risking his life itself to give her and her daughter a home — and a love that will last a lifetime.

    He has always protected his former neighbor and childhood companion, and now that she is of marriageable age, he will give her what she needs most - a real home where she is welcome and wanted.Unfortunately for him....she is done with being dutiful.After years of being an obedient daughter to a hateful father, Francesca jumps into her first Season. Francesca is ready to dance every dance, flirt with every bachelor and snatch what she wants most - a man she loves who will make her swoon.Unfortunately for her...he now sees making her swoon as his duty, too.And Phillip takes his duties very seriously.* * *Don't miss The Gentlemen Next Door series, because sometimes a lady in need of love need look no further than next door. The Gentlemen Next Door Series are historical regency romance novellas.

    The LORD who once loved her finds she still lives in his heart when he glimpses her. Add Scotland, a house party and an ace up a noble sleeve, then let the chase begin. ALMOST PERFECT A LORD who must marry but not just any woman. A shrewish MISS with no notion of his interest in her. Will his plan teach both arrogant nobleman and quick tempered beauty a thing or two about love and marriage? HONOR'S PLAYERS A "modern" MISS narrowly rescued from a killer's vile embrace. A jaded EARL unfairly tarred by the scandalous accusation of past slayings. Will love or death prevail as the pair rushes to prove his lordship's innocence before the true murderer claims more victims? ROSES AT MIDNIGHT

    She must find a husband soon or risk being ruined forever. Just as she is beginning to give up hope, William Marsden asks her to dance. Young, handsome, and kind, he seems to be the perfect answer to her prayers. But before he can claim her as his own, they must deal with the consequences when the Earl of Scarcliffe discovers the true nature of his sister's situation... This is a short novella intended as a companion read to the two series, Scandals of Scarcliffe Hall and Redeeming the Rakes..