It’s difficult to be a successful debutante when one is as painfully shy as herself. And while she’d love to participate in the May Day festivities, she understands it’s not likely to happen. Her brother would never break from his busy schedule long enough to escort her.Which is why, on a misty May morning, she takes a walk and finds herself in front of the Maypole. Instead of wishing for romance or love, she closes her eyes and asks for a gift far more practical. A puppy of her own. The kind that would give her the unconditional love she’s always craved but has never been given.To her shock and amazement, moments later, a puppy bounds into her lap. It’s like a dream except for one rather large detail. The little pup comes attached to a surly and formidable looking duke.Even more odd, he’s on the hunt for a wife. One that will not only suit him but his pack of exuberant hunting dogs. Will Aubrey pass the sniff test?

    There is nothing he wouldn’t do to secure her services at first, but later he will settle for nothing less than her heart…Nearly 7 years ago, Susan Langdon was well aware that her actions would ruin her marriage prospects. Now she is content with being a governess and taking care of her twin charges, even if there’s a void in her heart that will never be filled…When her employer’s brother, the widowed Duke of Kent, arrives in the manor, Susan will get the feeling that he isn’t there just for a social visit. And she is absolutely right!Eldridge Johnson is in dire need of a governess and his brother seems to have the perfect candidate for the job! And with the twins departing for Eton soon, she should be ripe for the picking!But what the Duke will find upon meeting Susan is that her qualities are far more precious than those of a mere governess, and though the course of action is clear in their heads, the unexpected obstacles brought on by a family member will perplex things quite a bit…

    

    the sort that might just get a lord or lady ruined. Don't miss out on this set of six stories of romance, passion and a fair bit of societal difficulties...Two Ruins Make a Right by Janna MacGregor - Lady Nellwyn 'Nell' Whitton and Mr. James Richardson hate each other. A jilting will do that to a betrothed couple, no matter the reason. After eight years, fate steps in when Nell stumbles upon a house party where James will pick a new wife. They must reconcile their past when Nell’s sister and James’ cousin are found in a compromising position. One ruination leads to another. Only this time, will it make it right?Laird of Longing by Tammy Andresen - Lady Sophia Everclear doesn’t regret fleeing the rake who attempted to trap her into marriage, But perhaps she should not have stowed away on a ship bound for Scotland. The problems? There are too many to count. But the largest, most annoying one is Captain Ewan McLaren. The tall and brawny Scot says exactly what he thinks, and he doesn’t think much of Sophia. Still. He’s all she’s got, and fortunately, for her, his heart is even bigger than his lectures. Which makes her wonder. What else, beside talking, might his mouth be good at?A Rescued Heart by Meara Platt - Annie Whitcomb often helped out her father in his medical practice in their quiet seaside village, and his worst patient without doubt was Major Peter Croft. His surly disposition and abuse of spirits and opium to ease the pain of his battle injuries left him fit company for no one. Yet, when her father unexpectedly passes away, leaving her destitute and with nowhere to turn, it is Peter who comes to her with a startling proposition... marry him.How to Avoid a Scandal (Or Not) by Merry Farmer - Lady Diana Pickwick has hated John Darrow, Lord Whitlock for years, so why can’t she seem to stay away from him? John has had his eye on Diana from the moment they met, and baiting her has been so much fun. But when they are accidentally caught in a compromising position and forced to marry, their games are over. Or have they just begun?Trapped with the Duke by Annabelle Anders - Miss Collette Jones, as the illegitimate daughter of a baron, is determined to become a respectable teacher. The Duke of Bedwell isn’t interested in respectable teachers. He’s interested in being proper, honorable, and fulfilling his duties to his title. So what is Bedwell to do when honor demands he show more than a little interest in one particular respectable teacher? Why, marry the chit, that’s what.A Captivating Compromise by Tabetha Waite - Younger brothers have become a bane to Miss Garnett Younghusband’s existence. As she travels out one night to drag them back from Vauxhall before they destroy the family soap business, she finds that she is the one compromised at the hands of the infamous Lord Rafe Pembroke! Can anything good come from such a brief torrid affair?

    As a young woman, I took your advice to become a well-mannered, polite young lady who would surely find herself a husband during her first season. However, it soon became clear to me that your teachings no longer have a place in this century. England is a modern place now with modern gentlemen. They do not expect us to be coy and polite. In fact, such behaviour only has the effect of turning one into a wallflower. I would wager that the eligible gentlemen of today value a woman who can hold a strong conversation and show intelligence instead of submissiveness. After all, how are we English ladies meant to hold our own against these American heiresses and French beauties? Now, it is likely too late for me but there are many other young women out there following your advice, many of whom are to be consigned to spinsterhood. As an unmarried woman yourself, how are we to trust your advice? I challenge, you Miss Manners, to prove the worth of your advice. Show myself and your readers that etiquette can win the heart of a fine prospect. Christmas is approaching and it is a time to reflect is it not? I am sure many a man is considering the worth of a wife. I highly anticipate,and look forward to, the announcement of your own engagement by the start of the New Year. Your once loyal reader, Miss Disbelieving

    As weeks go by with no responses to his newspaper advertisement, he has taken to spending his days wandering idly about London rather than admit his failure to his beloved wife Julia, the former Lady Fieldhurst.One day, while loitering amidst the crowds thronging the Covent Garden market, he wonders morosely if it might have been better had he not been born at all. Then he sees one of his former colleagues and, in an attempt to make a discreet exit, contrives instead to knock himself unconscious.He awakens to discover that his Bow Street colleague doesn’t seem to remember him, and after staggering back home to Curzon Street, he finds someone else living in the house where he lived with Julia. But still greater surprises are in store for Pickett as he attempts to navigate his way through a world in which he never existed…With a wink and a nod to Frank Capra’s classic film IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, NOWHERE MAN offers an alternate version of many of the earlier entries in the John Pickett mystery series.

    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

    Irresistible heroes. Sixteen stories of Yuletide romance, brimming with scandal, sizzling passion, and the promise of true love. From the snowbound Highlands to candlelit ballrooms, follow our feisty heroines as they unmask secret identities, scorn etiquette, and defy danger. See them submit to fierce warriors, sinful scoundrels, and masterful lords.This boxed set will be available for just three months, so don’t miss out. Indulge in sixteen all-new novellas that will leave you longing for more than twelve nights of Christmas. Buy Seduced Under the Mistletoe and lose yourself in 1000+ pages of heartwarming holiday romance! Unwrap these sixteen gorgeous historical romance novellas - all with sumptuous Christmas settings: Yuletide Yielding – by Ashe Barker Trusting Her Highland Laird – by Brandy Golden Duke of Christmas – by Ellie St. Clair A Christmas Masquerade – by Vanessa Brooks Peril with a Prince – by Emily Murdoch Her Mistletoe Promise – by Jaye Peaches Mistletoe Mistress – by Nicola Davidson The Gentleman’s Seduction – by Lauren Smith Bastian’s Surrender – by Carole Mortimer My Lady of Misrule – by Amy Rose Bennett A Wicked Christmas Wish – by Em Brown A Bluestocking for Christmas – by Viola Morne The Marriage Game – by Gracie Malling Wicked Deeds on a Winter Night – by Stacy Reid The Night Before Scandal – by Scarlett Scott Master of the Moor – by Emmanuelle de Maupassant

    A woman with a pure heart and the ferocity of a warrior is called to the fairy pools on the Isle of Skye upon the death of the previous protector. However, nature has a way of balancing itself, and so with each call to a Protector comes the call of an evil force, set on using the stone for their own purpose. These are the stories of the Protectors of the Heart of Scotland, the stone they seek to keep safe and the love that strengthens and emboldens them. The Highlander’s Quest by Eliza Knight Her mission was to protect the young boy king. He’s uncovered a plot to destroy Scotland. Together, they must fight a powerful enemy who hides behind a traitorous veil of secrecy… Cassandra by Madeline Martin Together their power is brilliant. But when destiny rivals the safety of family and the whole of Scotland hangs in the balance, can their love survive the required sacrifice? The Protector’s Promise by Cecelia Mecca Two bitter enemies. One sacred vow. Will the passion that flares between them consume everything they love? The Highland Guard and His Lady by Lori Ann Bailey To protect Scotland, she must eliminate her greatest enemy. But when the challenge begins, will he forgive her for destroying his family?

    She had expected nothing but boredom when her mistress’s family decided to visit Wales, so when a stranger abducts her, she really shouldn’t feel this intrigued – or this alive. Lord Emrick de Wolfe was determined to make his beloved pay for her treachery, but after unhooding his captive in his Welsh hunting lodge, he hardly expected a chit of a girl instead. Desperate to prove himself to his father and furious with himself for taking the wrong woman, sparks fly as two strong personalities meet – and collide. But with the notorious storms of the Welsh valleys descending, the mismatched pair are alone, trapped, and forced to discover more about each other than they could have ever expected. With a whirlwind outside and inside their hearts, will the growing attraction between a woman abducted and a de Wolfe ever lead to something? Or does Miss Alice Reynolds have even more secrets to reveal than Lord Emrick de Wolfe could ever dream of? Who is the true captive of the de Wolfes? This is an extension of the Ravishing Regencies series. This is a steamy Regency romance with a happily ever after, no cliffhangers, and part of a series that can be read in any order. The Ravishing Regencies series: Whirlwind with a Wolfe Peril with a Prince Lost with a Lord Drenched with a Duke Shipwrecked with a Suitor Marooned with a Marquis Voyage with a Viscount Beached with a Baronet (coming May 2019) Catastrophe with a Count (coming July 2019) Emigrating with an Earl (coming September 2019)

    Enter Henry Ogden, mild-mannered village vicar. Hardly the stuff of heroes . . . until adversity brings out unexpected talents. A Christmas Equation – A chance meeting between a reluctant viscount and a self-effacing companion revives memories of their shared past—a time when they were very different people. With secrets to keep, Sarah Clendenin wishes Benjamin Radcliff gone . . . but he’s making calculations of his own. Crimson Snow – A trail of blood drops leads Jane Merrywether to a wounded stranger—the only person standing in the way of her wicked guardian becoming an earl. John Rexford, long-thought dead, has returned to claim his inheritance and his promised bride . . . if he can survive a murderous Christmas. A Perfectly Unregimented Christmas – After years at war, Viscount Pennyworth returns to his ancestral home to find some peace and quiet and to avoid the holiday he loathes. But four naughty boys, a bonnet-wearing goat, a one-eyed cat, a family secret, and one Annabelle Winters, governess, make this a Christmas he’ll never forget.

    Now, from Dorchester Publishing, comes a selection of three classic tales to warm the hearts of historical romance readers everywhere.RITA Award-winning "I Will"LISA KLEYPASWhen a Georgian bluestocking is propositioned by a rakish noble, she finds the unlikely deal he proposes is the gift of a lifetime."Three French Hens"LYNSAY SANDSA twelfth-century scullion gets the chance to play a lady's maid--and win the true love of an impoverished lord."Father Christmas"LEIGH GREENWOODDelivering a young widow's baby during the holiday season transforms the heart of a lonely drifter in the nineteenth-century Arizona Territory

     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.

    Harriett doesn’t want proper. She wants passion. And the prospect of a passionate marriage is becoming increasingly unlikely, judging by the men she meets. When she and her family visit a dying relative at his country mansion in Kent, Pendleton Manor, everything appears normal on the surface, until Harriet is suddenly embroiled in murder, intrigue, and lust. A man determined to live life on his own terms Gentleman farmer, Gerard Everard, Earl of Foxworth, has inherited an estate deep in debt. While he toils to save Foxworth from creditors, he becomes embroiled in a dangerous mission. Together, Harriett and Gerard work to uncover a murderer, while Harriett, expecting Gerard to succumb to the charms of her younger, beautiful sister, Leonora, tries unsuccessfully to guard her heart. Originally titled Murder at Pendleton Manor