Instead, she accepts the shocking proposition. After all, what’s her other choice? To live with her cousin, caring for six children and a barnyard full of chickens?James Archer has roamed the world, determined never to settle down. He’s faced danger and disaster…he fears nothing and no one—except his mother and her matchmaking ways. So when ordered to attend a Christmastime house party filled with holiday cheer and simpering young misses, he produces—a fiancée!Sophronia and James vow to pretend to be in love for one month. But when they promise to give each other a Christmas kiss, it becomes clear that this pact made out of necessity might just be turning into love.

    Her cousin, Lady Isabelle Wilkshire, is directing Cinderella and has no interest in marriage. Lady Caroline Whitmore is already (unhappily) married; the fact that she and her estranged husband have to pretend to be together just makes her dread the party all the more.  But not as much as Miss Louisa Harcourt, whose mother bluntly tells her that this is her last chance to escape the horrors of being an old maid.A house party so large, that mothers lose track of their charges, leads to a delightful, seductive quartet of stories that you will savor for the Season!A mistletoe kiss / Eloisa James --Wishing under the mistletoe / Christi Caldwell --Compromise under the mistletoe / Janna MacGregor --Mischief & mistletoe / Erica Ridley

    Follow each rogue as they learn how enticing love can be and that sometimes even the wickedest rogues can find their happy-ever-after."Jewel of Winter" by Kirsten S. BlacketerWhen a trio of thieves arrive at her inn during a snowstorm, Jessamine must submit to their leader, Edmund. She never expected to spend Christmas as a captive. "Christmas Seduction" by Samantha HoltAfter a rocky start to their arranged nuptials, the Duke of Fenhurst must make a success of his marriage somehow. Alex returns to his wife for Christmas to celebrate...and seduce. "How to Kiss a Rogue" by Amanda MarielLady Natalie's betrothal is ended and frees her to pursue the man of her dreams. During a holiday party she discovers the lord she desires in attendance. So hatches a plan to snare him. "A Wallflower's Christmas Kiss" by Dawn BrowerAn arranged betrothal has Lady Juliette Brooks seeking out her former childhood friend, the Duke of Kissinger to beg him to honor his long ago promise. Grayson Abbot has no desire to marry, but he always keeps his word. As they race to Scotland they rediscover the joy of friendship and a passion neither planned on. "The Rogue's Seduction" by Lauren SmithWhen a darling of the ton is targeted by a man who wishes to marry her and break her spirit, she seeks the help of London's most notorious devil in pretending that she's already engaged. What begins as a dangerous game soon turns to seduction over a Christmas neither of them will forget. "Tamed for Christmas" by Sandra SookooWhen a confirmed bachelor and a headmistress literally crash into each other at a boarding school for young ladies, an unexpected Christmas romance begins, proving love isn't just a game for young people. "The St Nicholas Day Wager" by Em TaylorWhen her childhood friend wins a wager against her brother for her hand in marriage, Gabriella is horrified. She knows he finds her looks hideous. Her marriage is surely doomed?

    However desperate times call for desperate measures, and she must throw herself on the mercy of the devilish Viscount with a dangerous reputation. All thoughts of lady-like behavior disappear in his infuriating presence, but she must hold herself together long enough to secure his favor for the sake of her orphanage. Max didn't remember much of his first meeting with the annoying Miss Appleby, thanks to the after-effects of one good drink too many. But he vaguely recalled he'd promised her something, just to get her out of his house so he could suffer in peace. Unfortunately peaceful was the last word to describe her as he found out the next day. She was unlike any woman he knew - opinionated and rude certainly, but she worked selflessly to provide for children that were not even of her blood. Max had believed himself incapable of emotion yet Hero was making him feel things that he had believed were long dead. Could his long-forgotten Christmas wish really come true?

    *** Upon hearing screams, handsome rancher, Foster O’Donnell races to his barn and finds a stranger giving birth. When he tells her his name, she screams he can’t be Foster O’Donnell. Foster O’Donnell is the father of her baby. Can Christmas change their mutual distrust? Will Foster and Ginger find The Greatest Gift?

    Two award winning authors invite you home for the holidays! These special holiday romances will definitely make your season bright.Includes:Christmas Masquerade (Debbie Macomber, 1985)Snowbound (Lisa Jackson, 1987)

    After all, he was not the heir or the spare, but a lowly third son. Miss Diana Grambling is painfully aware her blood isn’t blue enough for an earl to consider her as a match. When the childhood friends stumble across a smuggling ring operating along their coast, they are in need a Christmastide miracle. If they can survive, will they be strong enough to follow their hearts?Warning: Contains a hero battling his gentlemanly impulses, a heroine who falls for her brothers’ best friend, and a wicked night in front of a fire that changes everything.Previously published in the Once Upon a Christmas Wedding anthology

     Lord Harry Marlow reluctantly attends a Christmas house party hosted by his brother and his sister-in-law, who also happens to be the woman he once longed to wed himself. He’s not pleased by the prospect of holly and mistletoe and merrymaking any more than he is with the reminder of the love he could have had. But his dismay doesn’t last for long when a mysterious stranger in the midst of a blizzard captures his interest. Lady Alexandra Danvers is unabashedly eccentric. Nothing and no man interests her more than her scientific pursuits. Until she meets the sinfully handsome Lord Harry, that is. When sparks fly between the unlikely pairing, scandal isn’t far behind. Will Lord Harry and Lady Alexandra find true love together by Christmas day? Length: novella Note: Previously appeared in the collection Seduced Under the Mistletoe. This is an extended version never before published.

    Can he help her regain her sense of self-worth? Or will she condemn them both to live a life without each other? The Duke's Christmas Promise by Sandra Masters The Duke of Abington returns to England after 20 years, and finds himself at a house party in the presence of the woman who broke their engagement, and his heart. Noelle Fenwick, now a widow, has never stopped resenting the man who left her pregnant, then abandoned her, 20 years ago. They meet again, and it is clear that their attraction still exists. When a decades-old secret of deceit and betrayal is revealed, can they forgive the past and rekindle the flame of their love? Prince of Frost by Angelique Armae When a bearish prince stirs from hibernation, he sets his eyes on a very beguiling prey, only to realize that true love never comes without a cost Prince Leopold of Countavia has a secret that keeps him isolated from the world. When he encounters Miss Juliana Radcliff, a spinster raised by nuns, everything he believes gets called into question. Is love possible? Or will circumstances destroy all hope? A Merry Wicked Christmas by Gina Danna Lady Marina Lockhart's dreams died when her father arranged a marriage for her. A Christmas house party is her last hope of meeting a man who will save her. Reclusive Phineas Carrollton, the Marquis of Huntington, previously betrayed, faces a conflict of passion and honour when a snowstorm traps him with Marina at a hidden cottage. Can he forget the past in time to save Marina? Or is their love doomed? The Gift of a Christmas Scandal by Arietta Richmond A Duke who has no wish to marry the woman he was promised to from childhood, a Lady who has no wish to do as her father requires, a Christmas House Party. When they meet, there is an intense instant attraction – but both are promised elsewhere. There seems only one solution – the gift of a Christmas scandal. The Christmas Gift by Sandy Raven A Lady who hopes for more children, a Viscount who returns to his wife, injured in service to the crown, and despairing of ever being whole again. Can enduring love overcome the obstacles they face, and allow them to fulfil each other’s desires? Will Christmas bring joy, or misery? Yours by Yuletide by Victoria Oliveri Lady Beatrice Cunningham, jilted lover of the villainous Lord Greyson, escaped to the peace of Scotland and has kept her past a secret for nine long years. Now, a mysterious Duke has come into her life setting her heart to racing. Can she allow herself to love again, risking her past coming to haunt her, or should she run as she did so long ago? One fateful night at a holiday party will change everything. A Holiday Code for Love by Jacki Delecki A Christmas house party becomes a covert operation to trap a French spy. Can the Honorable John Bonnington protect his wife from their guest’s murderous intentions? Can Abbie Bonnington protect her husband from his spy/ex-mistress' intent to seduce him into revealing Crown secrets? Can Abbie and Jack continue the charade of hosting the perfect party as danger, treachery, and treason swirl in the ballroom? Doubt Not by Tracy Edingfield A Viscount, a schoolteacher, a ca

    Meghan finds a baby and love on Christmas Eve, Phoebe falls for Santa while trapped with him in an elevator, Jessa flees an arranged marriage and finds her mate in the Highlands, and Andi turns a property dispute into passion, in four tales by Fern Michaels, Hannah Howell, Olga Bicos, and Jennifer Blake.Four holiday hits from four of the genre's favorite authors! "Merry, Merry" by Fern Michaels features a veterinarian who figures her holidays are going to the dogs--until she meets a handsome stranger; in "A Vision of Sugar Plums" by Jennifer Blake, Meghan Castle is a real Scrooge about the holidays--until she discovers an abandoned baby in her store on Christmas Eve and a chance at romance; in Hannah Howell's "The Yuletide Gift", a young woman flees an arranged marriage and finds shelter and love in the home of a Scottish laird; and Olga Bico's "Naughty or Nice" finds a nervous bride-to-be trapped overnight in an elevator on Christmas Eve with a handsome department store Santa she can't resist.

    SAVING MOIRRA’S HEART by Suzan Tisdale is rated “sweet.” ONCE UPON A HIGHLAND LEGEND by Tanya Anne Crosby, THE GIFT by Margaret Mallory and ECHOES OF ANCIENT DREAMS by Kathryn Le Veque are all rated Sensual. HIGHLANDER’S TOUCH by Eliza Knight is spicy! For this purpose of this anthology, the following ratings apply: Spice level: Sweet 
Love scenes are subtly sexy, with sweet undertones and the bedroom door closes. Alas, you must wait outside. Spice level: Sensual
 A little sexier, a little bolder, the love scenes pull no punches. You might find yourself needing a fan, but you won’t experience, ahem, everything. Heat level: Spicy!
 Be warned! If you enter here, you will blush. And you might learn a thing or two behind closed doors. But don’t worry, we won’t tell if you won’t tell… From all of us to all of you—Enjoy!

    At a house party in the countryside, the joyful spirit of the Christmas season threatens to sweep Georgiana Trent under the mistletoe—and back into the arms of the dashing rogue who broke her heart two years ago. Little does she know that Lucas Godwin has no intention of leaving until he has reclaimed her as his own.

    15 best-selling romance authors. A holiday-themed collection like no other. What happens under the kissing bough doesn't necessarily stay beneath the kissing bough.... According to lore, the origins of which date to the late 12th century, no lady should refuse a kiss beneath the mistletoe 'else she will not marry in the next year. In exchange for the kiss, a berry is removed from the spring until all of the berries are gone and no more kisses can be stolen. Some also believe that a sprig of mistletoe collected from a local church and placed beneath a maiden's pillow will inspire dreams of her future husband. What happens when fifteen daring heroines pin their hopes on mistletoe, a little luck, and a kiss in this multi-genre, limited edition holiday collection from 15 bestselling authors? Pure holiday magic! This set includes USA TODAY bestselling and Internationally bestselling authors Sandy Blair, Suzanne Ferrell, Kathryn Le Veque, Jeanne Adams, Anna Campbell, Tina De Salvo, Barbara Devlin, Joan Kayse, Catherine Kean, Anna Markland, Hildie McQueen, Meara Platt, Elizabeth Rose, Jordan K. Rose, and Lana Williams.Tartan Bows & Mistletoe by Sandy BlairClose to Santa's Heart by Suzanne FerrellUpon A Midnight Dream by Kathryn Le VequeMistletoe and the Major by Anna CampbellHunt for Christmas by Tina deSalvoHold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me by Barbara DevlinAn Irish Gift by Joan KayseOne Knight's Kiss by Catherine KeanUnkissable Knight by Anna MarklandChristina, A Bride for Christmas by Hildie McQueenIf You Loved Me by Meara PlattDestiny’s Kiss by Elizabeth RoseHer Vampire Protector by Jordon K. RoseDancing Under the Mistletoe by Lana WilliamsA Yule to Remember by Jeanne Adams

    Will she find her home, and a loving heart, with the lonely pastor, David McDermott?"The Christmas Dove" by Victoria BylinMaddie Cutler once snubbed bad boy Dylan McCall, but with nowhere else to turn she has come back to town--with a babe in arms. Dylan is a reformed man, and on seeing Maddie again he longs to heal her hurt--and claim her once and for all!"A Baby Blue Christmas" by Cheryl St.JohnTurner Price hasn't been the same since he lost his wife and child. But when he finds a young woman and newborn twin babies in his stable, he realizes this may be his second chance to be a loving husband and father, just in time for Christmas!

    Mix them up with an equal number of heroes until warm and sweet. Press together and add laughter. Set in delicious historical settings, seal with a kiss, and leave overnight. By morning, couples will have formed four delightful stories. Sprinkle liberally with... Mistletoe & Magic.stories:The Fairy Godmother by Lynsay SandsA Midnight Clear by Lisa CachAngels We Have Heard on High by Amy Elizabeth SaundersHer Comes Santa Claus by Stobie Piel