With a reputation that makes nice young ladies swoon, he is just not the marrying kind.A friend to the rescue...Unwitting wallflower Felicity Bunting is only trying to protect a friend when she finds herself in a compromising situation with this lusty lord.An unlikely pairing...She might not have meant to do it, but Bunty just accidentally trapped Lord Courtney into marriage.Neither of them is what the other ever expected to have, but perhaps they might be all they ever wanted. The Winter Bride Widowed farmer Ned Hardy is facing a bleak winter and a lonely Christmas alone, when a beautiful young woman turns up on his doorstep in the middle of the night, frozen and terrified. Stunned by the arrival of a fine lady who looks like a Christmas angel, all of Ned’s protective instincts flare to life.Grace Honeyfield is on the run from her abusive brother and the terrifying man he’s forcing her to marry. Escaping into the darkness on a snowy night, she stumbles onto an isolated farm, and into the arms of a handsome farmer. Although not a gentleman by birth, Grace comes to realise Ned deserves the title more than any well-bred man of her acquaintance.When Ned offers to marry Grace to keep her safe, he dares hope that the future might hold more happiness than the past. To his astonishment Grace agrees to his proposal, and Ned can’t help but wonder if all his Christmases have come at once…

    Return to the beloved Sinful Suitors series from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries in this delightfully sexy winter-themed novella!Stunned by the heat of an unexpected kiss on a cold winter’s eve, two strangers from vastly different worlds turn hotheaded principles into burning passion in Sabrina Jeffries’s charming yuletide story, The Heiress and the Hothead.Can also be found in the anthology, What Happened Under the Mistletoe.

    His only weak spot is his sister, Lady Minerva. Little does he know the minx has matchmaking on her mind and Christmas provides the perfect opportunity. Does Blake stand a chance against his meddlesome sister, mistletoe, and Christmas magic?

    Kilpack, Carla Kelly, and Jennifer Moore. SAINTS AND SINNERS by Josi S. Kilpack. When Neville Franklin’s best friend Burke wants to wager who can kiss Eloise first, Neville puts a stop to it. Eloise has been his friend since childhood, and, well, she’s off-limits. Especially to Burke. As Burke pursues Eloise and claims that she has a tendre for him, Neville becomes more and more protective of the girl he grew up with. On the night of the Christmas ball when Eloise appears in a dress that clearly shows that she is no longer a girl, but a beautiful woman, Neville realizes that his protective feelings toward Eloise have turned into something greater. But now, Neville’s best friend stands in his way.THE CHRISTMAS ANGLE by Carla Kelly. The first story in the St. Brendan Series. Sailing Master Able Six is on half-pay with the British navy, biding his time during the uneasy Peace of Amiens and the resumption of war. Meanwhile, he’s invited to teach young pupils at the home of a vicar outside of Plymouth. There, he unexpectedly meets Meridee, the spinster sister-in-law of the vicar. From the moment Able sees Meridee, he’s entranced. When she asks him about his past and discovers his remarkable yet troublesome gift, he realizes he’s finally found someone who can care for all of him. Sadly, Able’s low station and half-pay gives him no way to provide for a wife. Meridee’s lack of dowry and dependence on relatives makes their union impossible at best. But isn’t Christmas a season of hope?THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS by Jennifer Moore. Archie Clawson wants nothing more than to give Jane the perfect Christmas. Since her troubled childhood, she’s not experienced a Christmas with all the trimmings. To top off the perfection, he also plans to ask her to marry him on Christmas Eve. But as he and his friends, including Jane, travel to his country home, they are caught in a snowstorm and discover that notice of their arrival did not get through to the house staff. Worried over the disappointment he must be causing Jane and the complete shift in their planned Christmas, Archie fears that he’s misinterpreted her kindness towards him and lost her favor forever.

    As his sister's impending marriage signals the inevitable drifting-apart of the Blackshear family, it's his last chance to give his siblings the sort of memorable, well-planned holiday their parents could never seem to provide.He has no time to dawdle, no time for nonsense, and certainly no time to drive the falconer's vexing, impulsive, lush-lipped, midnight-haired daughter to a house party before heading home. So why the devil did he agree to do just that?It couldn't be more deliciously mixed-up...Lucy Sharp has been waiting all her too-quiet life for an adventure, and she means to make the most of this one. She's going to enjoy the house party as no one has ever enjoyed a house party before, and in the meanwhile she's going to enjoy every minute in the company of amusingly stern, formidably proper, outrageously handsome Mr. Blackshear. Let him disapprove of her all he likes—it's not as though they'll see each other again after today....or will they? When a carriage mishap and a snowstorm strand the pair miles short of their destination, threatening them with scandal and jeopardizing all their Christmas plans, they'll have to work together to save the holiday from disaster. And along the way they just might learn that the best adventures are the ones you never would have thought to plan.

    She has her studies and her duties, what need does she have of a husband? With five sisters married she knows the reality does not live up to the promise, and does not need to personally experiment with the state to know she would be ill-suited to it. However, she finds herself envious of at least one aspect of marriage. But to experience the physical side of marriage, one doesn't need a husband, all one needs is the right man...Nathaniel Jenkins knows his duty. Marry a young girl from a respectable family and father an heir, no matter how cold the endless parade of suitable girls leaves him. But a shocking proposal from a scholarly spinster leaves him wondering if unsuitable is just what he's looking for. Can he convince his spinster that marriage is the greatest experiment of all?

    The festive season is looking bleak—until he loses a wager and must spend an evening at London’s most hedonistic pleasure club.Delilah Forbes has long reigned as the city’s Mistress of Sin, and when the infamous duke visits her club, she’s soon eager to introduce him to sizzling passion. But even as lust becomes more for two lonely souls, they know a duke and a madam can’t have forever after. Or can they?This story was previously published in the historical Christmas anthology, Have Yourself a Merry Little Scandal. Please note it contains explicit language and sexual content.

    She is Elizabeth Curtis, a beautiful Englishwoman who wears the scarlet uniform of an English soldier and wields a sword like a seasoned fighter on the battlefield.Enemies meet, and passions collide...in THE REBELThe Rebel is a short story of 7000 words (approximately 28 pages). It first appeared in print in the MAMMOTH BOOK OF SCOTTISH ROMANCE, edited by Trisha Telep

     Elizabeth Dawson is too outspoken for gentle society, but she may be the perfect match for a tough Montana cowboy. A story of two very different people who belong together, proof that sometimes fate can have a sense of humor when it comes to love

    For at the top of each guest’s wish list is a last chance to find true love before the New Year…A chance meeting beneath the mistletoe, a stolen glance across the dance floor—amid the sumptuous delicacies, glittering decorations, and swell of the orchestra, every duchess and debutante, lord and lackey has a hopeful heart. There's the headstrong heiress who must win back her beloved by midnight—or be wed to another....the spinster whose fateful choice to relinquish love may hold one more surprise for her...a widow yearning to glimpse her long-lost love for even one sweet, fleeting interlude...a charming rake who finds far more than he bargained for. And many other dazzling, romantic tales in this star-studded collection that will fill your heart and spice up your holidays...Contents:Prologue by Jo BeverleyMy True Love Hath My Heart by Joanna BourneA Scottish Carol by Susan KingChristmas Larks by Patricia RiceIn the Bleak Midwinter by Mary Jo PutneyOld Flames Dance by Cara ElliottA Season for Marriage by Nicola CornickMiss Finch and the Angel by Jo BeverleyMistletoe Kisses by Anne Gracie

    Dubbed The Yuletide Angel, no one knows the identity of this mysterious benefactor. No one, except Hugh Barnes, a confirmed bachelor who finds himself drawn to the outwardly shy but inwardly bold Violet Madison, a young woman who risks her safety to help others. When Violet confesses her fear of eviction from her childhood home, Hugh longs to rescue her. His good intentions are thwarted, however, when Hugh's estranged brother shows up in town ... and in Violet's company. But Violet faces an even bigger threat. A phantom figure lurks in the shadows, prepared to clip the wings of The Yuletide Angel.

    His ward deserves a reputable governess, so he threatens to give Adriana the sack mere days before Christmas.Desperate to convince the sexy duke not to tear her from the little girl she's grown to adore, Adriana challenges him to prove she’s not the reputable governess he believed he hired. If he can seduce her before the Twelve Days of Christmas have come to an end, she will leave without protest.But when they find the challenge more difficult than either imagined, can they face the consequences of their decisions?

    But as the captivating beauty runs from one dangerous man she finds herself landing in the arms of another, one whose passionate embrace offers perils of its own... As the chief of the Lachlan clan, Symon MacLachlan vows to protect the fiery-haired lass whose gentle touch relieves the demons clawing at his soul. Despite her fierce denials, he is certain Elena is the legendary Lamont healer -- and certain that he must have her for his own. Desperate for her soothing caress -- and unable to quell the desire burning inside him -- Symon is compelled to lure Elena into marriage. But will he be able to win the love of the tender enchantress who has stolen his heart?

    Light a fire, grab a cup of tea, and curl up beneath a warm quilt as you immerse yourself in a different era; one of romance, love and the spirit of Christmas.Then in a Twinkling: A Regency Christmas Caper by Anna BradleyOliver Angel has twelve days to win Dinah Bishop’s heart, but a wild journey from London to Essex threatens to doom Oliver’s courtship. Will this mismatched pair spend Twelfth Night buried in a snowbank, or will they find their happily-ever-after? It Happened at Christmas by Jenna JaxonExiled to Bath, Miss Portia Willingham writes to her uncle to cheer her up. However, the letter lands in the lap of Lord Benberry, who is intrigued by the spirited young woman. Against social protocol, they continue the illicit correspondence until Benberry insists on a meeting. Can they find a way to turn their forbidden correspondence into a Christmas romance? The Gift by Angelina JamesonSir Thomas blames himself for his sister’s disability and nothing her friend Lady Rose can say will change his mind. Lady Rose has been in love with so many men her flighty ways convince the town she could never be serious about one man. Can a Christmas gift open Thomas to love and forgiveness and show Rose the man she needs was right in front of her all along?A Promise Beneath the Kissing Bough by Tabetha WaiteCornell Reed is the bastard son of an earl. After living a raucous past, he’s content with a simple life. Or so he thought. Pleasant Hill has always yearned for something more, rather than toiling her days away. But as they each face their own challenges, is a Christmas miracle even possible?Her Accidental Groom by Nadine MillardLady Natalia’s father wants her home and married to a man of his choosing. Lord Benjamin Trafford needs a faux fiancée to inherit his aunt’s fortune and save his ailing estates. He thinks Natalia is a spoilt, pampered princess. She thinks Ben is an irresponsible, irritating pauper. But they need to pretend they’re getting married. What could possibly go wrong?The Perfect Christmas by Annabelle AndersShe’s a vicar’s sister with a past. He’s the rogue from her past. Will the magic of the Holidays be enough that these star crossed lovers can come together and celebrate the Perfect Christmas?

    Instead, he finds himself banished to the English countryside of Cornwall, forced by the decrees of his father's will to run his family's tin mines and find a country bride. The very last thing the handsome lord needs is a local lass sticking her nose into his affairs, but that seems to be exactly what the parson's daughter, Corisande Easton, had in mind.