The Rose and The Thorn


Mischelle Creager - 2015
    He didn’t trust himself.The death of Sarah Greer’s husband granted her two things—freedom from his abuse and his large estate.  In hopes of freeing her younger brother from their controlling grandfather, the pair travels to the new mining town of Central City, only Sarah finds herself caught up in scheme that forces her to marry again.The last thing widower Mac MacPherson wants is a marriage of convenience. Haunted by the past, the only reason he left his family’s Colorado ranch is to hunt down the last man to see his wife alive. But when he finds himself hitched to Sarah, he can’t ignore the woman who gets under his skin—or the sparks that fly when they’re together. Can Sarah and Mac put the past behind them and find a future together?This edgy historical romance is Book 1 in the MacPherson Brides series.Book 2: The Scar and The StarBook 3: The Hawk and The Eagle

Once Upon a Winter's Eve


Tessa Dare - 2011
    A Spindle Cove NovellaViolet Winterbottom is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. She endured bitter heartbreak in perfect silence. The gentlemen aren't beating down her door. Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet's feet. His coarse attire and near-criminal good looks would put any sensible young lady on her guard. He's wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue. Only Violet understands him. And she knows he's not what he seems. She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy? She needs answers by sunrise, but her captive would rather seduce than confess. To learn his secrets, Violet must reveal hers—and open herself to adventure, passion, and the unthinkable... Love. Warning: The heroine packs a pistol, the hero curses in multiple languages, and together they steam up a cold winter’s night.

Too Fast to Fall


Victoria Dahl - 2013
    But after Deputy Nate Hendricks stops her—again—for speeding, she could lose more than just her license. She could lose her heart. Nate seems to think that Jenny should replace her love for fast driving with something even more...heart pumping. And despite her need for speed, Jenny's never been one for defying the law. Originally published in 2013.

Scandalous Wager


Christy Carlyle - 2014
    Years spent on the shelf have taught her plain looks and a distinct lack of ladylike talents won't win a proposal from any of the eligible young constables or inspectors her Detective Chief Inspector father invites to their home. Most of them are too busy staring at her younger, prettier sister anyway. And Lizzy is content to be a spinster, especially if it means she can continue with her charity work in Whitechapel. But she has one lingering regret. She wants to experience passion at least once in her life and, most of all, she wants to experience it with Ian Reed. Detective Inspector Ian Reed has aspirations to ascend the ranks of the Metropolitan Police, and he hopes proving himself to his superior, Detective Chief Inspector Ainsworth, will help him get there. A series of brutal murders plaguing Whitechapel have him working long hours, so when Ainsworth's daugher shows up on his doorstep and offers herself to him, he fears he might be dreaming. Fascinated with Lizzy from the moment he meets her, Ian is determined to spend more than one night in her arms, despite what it might cost both of them. Scandalous Wager is a sensual novella of approximately 17,000 words.

A Fool Again


Eloisa James - 2011
    Now, a few years later, she attends the funeral of her elderly husband (not the man she ran away to marry) and who does she see but The One Who Got Away! Can they make their love work this time around or will Genevieve be A Fool Again?

Snowdrift and Other Stories


Georgette Heyer - 1960
    A treat for all fans of Georgette Heyer, and for those who love stories full of romance and intrigue.Affairs of honour between bucks and blades, rakes and rascals; affairs of the heart between heirs and orphans, beauties and bachelors; romance, intrigue, escapades and duels at dawn. All the gallantry, villainy and elegance of the age that Georgette Heyer has so triumphantly made her own are exquisitely revived in these wonderfully romantic stories of the Regency period.Contents:SnowdriftFull MoonPistols for TwoA Clandestine AffairBath MissA Husband for FannyTo Have the HonourNight at the InnThe DuelHazardPursuitRunaway MatchIncident on the Bath Road

Christmas Seduction


Samantha Holt - 2014
    But he also didn’t expect his wife to run into the arms of another man only a month after their nuptials. Having discovered her in the embrace of another man—and well aware of her dislike of him—he did what any self-respecting man would do. He left his Scottish estate and spent almost a year climbing the Alps and indulging his passion for adventure. But no amount of adventure will change the fact he needs an heir. Resigned to the knowledge he somehow needs to win over his wife enough to allow him in her bed, Alex returns to Scotland for Christmas to celebrate... and seduce.Emma Fenhurst, Duchess of Wyndbourne, has spent almost a year alone and miserable. She hadn’t expected much from her marriage, but she had at least expected a child or two, and Alexander had never seemed a cruel man. But after their fleeting first month of marriage, he tired of her and fled to France. Lonely and desperate for a child, the news of her estranged husband’s return summons her courage and determination. By the end of the Christmas celebrations, she will be with child and intends to do all she can to draw her husband into her bed. However, while she means to share her body with him, some secrets must remain just that—secret. Will the festive period bring them closer together or will their plans draw them further apart? Is there any chance for an arranged marriage to bring happiness... and maybe even love?

A Lord Rotheby's Influence Bundle


Catherine Gayle - 2011
    If anyone discovers her writings, they'll find scandalous fantasies involving the newest rake in Town alongside entirely-too-candid thoughts about her typical dreary suitors. Aurora will either be forced into a loveless marriage with the first nodcock to make an offer, or she'll be assigned a permanent position on the shelf. What catastrophe will God smote down upon her next?If Niles Thornton, Baron Quinton, desires to maintain any semblance of his current lifestyle, he must fulfill the requirements his grandfather, Lord Rotheby, has set for him. When he is nearly barreled over by a racing curricle and a journal lands at his feet, his troubles are over. Inside the journal’s pages, Quin discovers a scandal waiting to happen. Surely a young lady who would write such brazen things in a journal must recognize the necessity of a hasty marriage, even if the gentleman making the offer is less-than-honorable.In a drunken haze, Quin kisses Aurora on a crowded ballroom floor, necessitating their immediate marriage. His troubles are only beginning, as Aurora's writings are soon the focus of both gossip rags and drawing room conversation. When word arrives of an even greater scandal following in his wife's wake, will he prove himself a drunken abuser like his father or the loving husband of Aurora's fantasies?SAVING GRACEThe blasted man will not stop following her. Well, he isn’t following her…not exactly. They are just always thrown together, and he is everything she wants but can’t have. It is downright infuriating—especially when he kisses her.Lady Grace Abernathy has been ravished and left pregnant. This would not be such a gargantuan problem if Lord Alexander Hardwicke would simply stay away from her as she asked. But leave it to her meddling Aunt Dorothea to continually thrust the two into each other’s company against both their wishes. These distractions are more than a lady should be forced to bear.Alex left London to visit his deceased father’s oldest friend, Lord Rotheby, and to get away from his mother and her matchmaking schemes, only to run into more of the same at every turn. But the more time he spends in the company of Lady Grace, the less he finds himself able to ignore his growing attraction—and his burgeoning need to protect her. Must he cause a scandal in order to protect her from one?MERELY A MISSMiss Jane Matthews feels completely out of place amongst the finery of the ton. She’s the daughter of a country vicar, for goodness sake, and nearly a spinster to boot. But when her distant cousin—a dowager duchess, of all people—offers to sponsor her for a Season in London, she agrees, but only so she can search for a storefront for her business. Perhaps, in that regard the Season won’t all be in vain.The widower of a loveless marriage, Peter Hardwicke, the Duke of Somerton, has already done his duty and provided an heir for his dukedom, so he sees no reason to remarry. Taking a wife would only mean adding a new responsibility to his already too-full schedule. He’s more than busy enough keeping his family in line—not to mention sorting out the myriad problems plaguing one of his estates.But when Lord Utley, a childhood friend who has been on the wrong side of Peter’s ire for many years now, takes an unlikely interest in Jane, Peter has to intervene. He’ll be damned if he’ll allow Utley to ruin yet another life.

Patchwork Holiday


Wanda E. Brunstetter - 2005
    Brunstetter Everlasting song / DiAnn Mills Remnants of faith / Renee DeMarco Silver lining / Colleen L. ReeceOne Heirloom Quilt Comforts Four Couples in Search of True Love. "Twice Loved" by Wanda Brunstetter, "Everlasting Song" by DiAnn Mills, "Remnants of Faith" by Renee DeMarco, and "Silver Lining" by Colleen L. Reece. One beautiful hand-tied patchwork quilt is the common thread linking several hearts and lives from 1943 through present day. Can a patchwork quilt bring comfort and joy to four souls? Will these broken hearts be sewn back together during a Patchwork Holiday?

Becoming A Lady


Marie Higgins - 2013
    Her escort, Calvin Seton, bribes her by paying her brother's doctor's bills, and soon she's on the ship sailing for London. Little by little, Calvin's charm softens her heart. While her lady's companion teaches her to become a lady, Dorothy is secretly wondering if the price of love is worth it. Especially when she knows Calvin will walk out of her life as soon as they reach England.Can she afford the cost of love?

Whisper of Jasmine


Deanna Raybourn - 2013
    Instead, she decides to throw the event of the year, and she's handing out invitations with an eye for wanton fun and wild abandon.There is the dashing explorer and archaeologist Gabriel Stark, a man at a crossroads in his life. Brilliant and restless, he's just committed to a secret enterprise that forces him to play a public role very different from the man he truly is.And then there is the charming if flighty Evangeline Merriweather. Evie has dreamed her whole life of adventure. Little does she know, she's about to get more than she bargained for. Especially after her vivacious Aunt Dove acts as fairy godmother, if a saucy one, providing a scandalous gown and a whisper of jasmine on her skin….Evie will shake cool Gabriel to his core, but just how far are they willing to take love at first sight?One seductive night will change Evie forever. Watch for her next adventure, in the City of Jasmine.

The Christmas Heirloom: Four Holiday Novellas of Love Through the Generations


Karen Witemeyer - 2018
    In stories ranging from 1820s Regency England to present-day Washington state, readers will be treated to Christmas tales of an heirloom brooch passed from mother to daughter for almost two hundred years. Will the family legend claiming the brooch brings love to its recipient hold true for these women separated by the years but bonded together by the ties of family?In Kristi Ann Hunter's "Legacy of Love," Sarah Gooding never suspected returning a brooch to an elderly woman would lead to a job . . . and introduce her to the woman's grandson. While he may be far above her station, she can't help but notice that his desire to make this Christmas special for his grandmother matches her own.In Karen Witemeyer's "Gift of the Heart," widow Ruth Albright uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local banker. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love as the holidays draw near.In Sarah Loudin Thomas's "A Shot at Love," Fleeta Brady's rough-and-tumble childhood means she prefers hunting to more feminine activities. She never expected her mother's brooch might be how a fellow hunter turns her attention from competition to romance one December.In Becky Wade's "Because of You," Maddie Winslow has spent years in love with a man whose heart was already spoken for. When a church Christmas project brings them together and she stumbles upon an old family brooch, might it finally be her turn for love?

Seduction on a Snowy Night


Madeline Hunter - 2019
    plus one or two dukes, one heiress, and one headstrong beauty—to a surprise snow storm, the comfort of a blazing fire, and the heat of a lover's kisses...A CHRISTMAS ABDUCTION by Madeline HunterCaroline Dunham has a bone to pick with notorious rake Baron Thornhill—and a creative plan to insure his undivided attention. Yet once in close quarters, she finds herself beholden to their smoldering connection. A PERFECT MATCH by Sabrina JeffriesWhisked away from a wintry ball by a commanding colonel, Cassandra Isles struggles with her feelings for Lord Heywood. For he is a man sworn to marry only for money—and Cass is an heiress who will accept nothing less than love. ONE WICKED WINTER’S NIGHT by Mary Jo PutneyDressed as a veiled princess, Lady Diana Lawrence is shocked to discover that the mysterious corsair who tempts her away from the costume ball is the duke she once loved and lost. Now ensconced with Castleton at a remote lodge, will she surrender to the passion still burning hotly between them?

Bride By Choice


Mary L. Briggs - 2012
    Clues to her past are few, but questions are many as she struggles to remember her past and trust God to reveal her true identity. A task made more difficult by her growing attraction to the man who rescued her. Jared Murphy is a man who lost his heart to the wrong woman and vowed it would never happen again. Until the moment he and his aunt rescued an injured young woman from a nearby creek bank. Half-drowned, she has no memory of her name or her past--or the reason why someone tried to kill her. In his quest to help her, can Jared set aside his wounded pride and learn to love again?

The Christmas Bargain,


Shanna Hatfield - 2012
    Calling in a long overdue loan, Luke finds himself reluctantly accepting a bargain in lieu of payment from the shiftless farmer who barters his daughter to settle his debt.Philamena Booth is both mortified and relieved when her father sends her off with the banker as payment of his debt. Held captive on the farm by her father since the death of her mother more than a decade earlier, Philamena is grateful to leave. If only it had been someone other than the handsome and charismatic Luke Granger riding in to rescue her. Ready to uphold her end of the bargain as Luke’s cook and housekeeper, Philamena is prepared for the hard work ahead. What she isn’t prepared for is being forced to marry Luke as part of this crazy Christmas bargain.