He throws them into the river by night, never knowing they are being found and read by spirited vicar’s ward Bernadette Goodrich! A Christmas Ball brings the two together in a plot by a mischievous little brother and an interfering butler! By turns heartfelt and hilarious, Sleepless in Staffordshire is a charming Regency romance take on the romantic Nora Ephron film "Sleepless in Seattle" starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

    and devastation ensues. On the Eve of Christmas, the de Lohr and Burton families converge for a celebration of peace, friendship, and family. Children are playing, men are drinking, and women are reminiscing. When a nearby village is attacked by Welsh rebels, Christopher, David, Marcus, and young Peter de Lohr head out to repel the invaders. What is assumed to be a simple battle becomes potentially deadly when Christopher is knocked into a frozen river. Peter, David, and Marcus leap in to save him, but they are carried downstream and away from the battle. Swallowed up by the dark and snowy night. Christmas Eve becomes the longest night of their lives as they struggle to stay alive, not only from the elements, but from the Welsh who would like to see them dead. It's a battle for survival, but it is also a night where the greatest gift of all isn't merely the gift of life... it's the gift of forgiveness and ultimate sacrifice. Enjoy this poignant tale of the true meaning of Christmas. Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

    Buried secrets. A love like no other. Ruari Cameron considers himself a failure. His brother, Aedan, became chieftain of the Camerons upon their sire’s death, but Ruari was too young to serve as his second. Now, at eight and twenty summers, he still has no defined position within the clan. He has no children, either, and his marriage ended so horribly he refuses to consider marrying again. Determined to prove himself once and for all, he pours himself into the goal of becoming Aedan’s second—until he meets a young lass for whom he’ll risk everything. When Juliana meets Ruari, she’s instantly attracted to him, but she knows it’s not to be. She has two choices for the future—become a nun, like her sister, or marry the powerful older suitor her sire favors. She wants neither choice, but no one has asked her for her opinion. No one except for Ruari. The Highlander makes her dream of another life, one in which she can have love and bairns, but her family's secrets tug her away from him. Although pursuing a novice might cost Ruari the position he covets, he cannot stay away from Juliana. But will their forbidden love cost them both everything they hold dear?

    Now, meet the bachelors who've made Bond Street their domain. Are these gentlemen as lucky in love as they are in business?How to Brew a Perfect Kiss by Shana GalenRaeni Sawyer is penniless and alone in a foreign country. When she finds a job at a coffee shop on Bond Street, she hopes it's the beginning of a new life.Thomas Gaines is intrigued by his new server—until she spills coffee all over him. Despite her clumsiness, he sees her potential to be more. But will Raeni's dangerous past ruin their bright future?Love by the Letters by Janna MacGregorBespectacled booklover and bluestocking Miss Portia Bellingham delivers a love letter on her sister's behalf, but there's a problem—she gives it to the wrong man, a dashing and handsome bookseller, Mr. Gabriel St. Aulyn.Wary of love, Gabriel can't help but be enchanted by Portia, his newest customer who always seems to be looking for something—but when Gabriel finds Portia's love letter, he knows she's the woman he's been waiting for all his life.But when the mistake is revealed, can Portia and Gabriel trust fate and open their hearts to each other?A Second Chance for Love by Minerva SpencerJustin Taylor is rich beyond his wildest dreams, and he has everything he's ever wanted—everything except revenge against the man and woman who wrecked his life a decade earlier.When Oona Parker—one of the two people responsible for years of misery—suddenly reappears in his life, Juss knows fate has brought them together for a reason.But is fate giving him an opportunity for vengeance—or a second chance at love?

    She decides marrying a biddable groom is the only way to salvage her future and chooses her old friend, astronomer Henry Killam. But she soon realizes Henry isn’t quite as manageable as she first believed and her feelings for him are stronger than she ever imagined.A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth EssexMiss Tamsin Lesley desires above all else to be a bluestocking and lead an intellectual life. The only thing standing in her way is her father’s heir, who wants her along with her father’s estate. To foil him, Tamsin enlists the services of masculine wallflower Simon Cathcart to ruin her. But the road to ruination leads to far more pleasurable places than Tamsin could ever imagine, and her charming wallflower proves to have secrets of his own.

     As a ballerina, she's used to the admiration she receives from her fans, but Frank's gaze leaves her breathless. It's no wonder that while she searches for the villain who left her with hidden scars, she also searches for a way to Frank's heart. Dr. Frank Lockwood understands the workings of the human mind more than many. But when he's pulled into a game by a madman who hunts the streets of London, he's surprised to discover the prize at the end. A dancer who is capable of stopping his heart on sight. Diana Banns. Circumstances, however, force him to keep their relationship professional. It is only as the danger reheats that Frank finds it hard to resist his little dancer and everything she offers. They'll work together to discover the identity of their enemy and the truth about themselves. Will the good doctor ever see Diana for the woman she is? And what dangers await once the curtains close? Page Count: around 450 pages

    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?

    But it is nothing to the upheaval caused by Lara Le Brecque, his best friend's sister, when she climbs over his townhouse wall shortly before Christmas and attempts to sneak into his London home. Lara ought to be on the marriage mart, enjoying her London season and the holiday festivities, but when she confides the Le Brecque family problems to him, he knows he must do all he can to help...even if it means marrying Lara. Lara Le Brecque is facing another difficult Christmas with her family in disgrace and under threat of losing all their holdings. Lara has no one else to turn to but Marcus Brayden, who has just returned home from the Napoleonic War and been awarded the Scottish earldom of Kinross for his heroism in battle. With her father under house arrest and suspected of treason, and her brother condemned as a pirate and a murderer, she must expose the villain behind this plot to destroy her family and needs Marcus to help her bring this culprit to justice. Marcus has told her to hide in his rooms at the Wicked Earls' Club if ever she is in danger, but as she finds herself falling in love with Marcus, she realizes the greatest danger of all is to her heart.

    Christi Caldwell and Grace Burrowes offer a pair of Regency novellas featuring characters for whom Yuletide is anything but merry and bright... until love makes a holiday visit! A Regency Novella Duet.

    However, when the road is blocked by snow, she has to seek refuge at the Hart—and all the rooms are full. In the end, she has to share an old stable with a highly suspicious neighbor, a thief and a depressed rake. But there are plenty of unexpected gifts that night, and love is the greatest of them all. (Note: This story was first published as part of the Bestselling Boxed set Stars are Brightly Shining, November 2019)

    The only one thing he doesn't have? Charm.As the second son, Alexander Gordon was never supposed to inherit the earldom. But then again, his elder brother wasn't supposed to die in a tragic hunting accident, either. Alex's gruff manners and quiet nature are far better suited to his solitary life as as a scholar, but Alex is honor-bound to do right by the title and by his family. Which means...he must find a wife. More importantly, he must learn how to woo a wife. Luckily for Alex, his great aunt has brought her companion along to celebrate Christmastide. The lovely Miss Lovelace might be plagued by scandal and notoriety, thanks to her family's downfall, but she knows more than anyone about the art of charm and flirtation. His new instructor makes the ideal practice partner for conversation, and dancing, and...kissing? But no, that was a mistake. He has a duty to his family to uphold, and as delectable as his new teacher might be, she's not a proper choice to be his wife. When it comes to love versus duty, it would be wicked to choose with his heart...wouldn't it?

    She oohed and aahed over gowns from Courtauld’s, never wore black unless in mourning, always minded her social graces, and never,  ever  indulged her inner bluestocking. Now her world has come crashing down like a thousands shards of glass. Her father is a dastard, her mother blames her for taking his side. (Rightly so, considering what Lexie has learned.) She’s home alone for the holidays, all alone, no siblings, no friends, and not a shred of pride remaining. But that’s all well and good, so far as Alexandra is concerned, because everything she thought she knew was wrong. Her best friend, Claire Wentworth had it right all along, and the Universe had seen fit to reward Claire with, of all things, a crown (quite literally). However, while Lexie once aspired to the same, she has changed. When she’s unexpectedly invited to celebrate one last holiday with her best friend, she can’t accept quickly enough… only how did one comport oneself after everything that was said and done?Benjamin W. Wentworth III, the seventh Earl of Highbury, has been through his own travails. He nearly drove his family to ruin, and now, after spending weeks in debtor’s prison because of Alexandra's father, and coming shockingly close to losing his life and endangering his sweet sister, he realizes that all that glitters is simply not gold. The last thing he desires is to saddle himself with a woman like Alexandra Huntington, with whom he once shared a passion for the Season. Now, he’d rather choke himself with a silk cravat than endure an instant with someone so vain, so self-indulgent, so giddy and witless. He only wishes his sister would leave off with the holiday matchmaking—must’t she realize how much he has changed?  When Lexie arrives to celebrate one final Christmas before his sister leaves for Meridian, it is all he can do to avoid the empty-headed chit. Unfortunately, his sister and her friends have festooned the entire house with mistletoe, and to make matters worse, Lexie is proving to be someone else entirely, and he’s about to remember the art of kissing beneath the mistletoe.

    Chance brings him to Naples—where it's also raining. But the rain clears, and as he discovers the city, a pleasant young English governess rescues him from an altercation with a flirtatious girl and her protective family.Miss Elizabeth Walker is between jobs and taking a holiday in Naples when she meets the quiet, handsome Englishman. When he proposes that she act as his guide for the next few days, she accepts, because they enjoy each other's company. Elizabeth matter-of-factly recognizes that, of course, she'll fall quietly in love with him, and nothing will come of it, but she'll have some lovely memories to cherish in her old age. ...and finding a second chance at love... As they come to know each other better, Randolph starts thinking thoughts of forever, but that seems impossible—until fate takes an alarming hand.Author's Note: The hero of Sunshine for Christmas was a secondary character in my RITA winning novel, The Rake . A foolish youthful mistake had cost him the woman he loved. But doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?Originally published in the Christmas Revels anthology

    But now, years later and by her own choosing, Penelope is still unmarried. She has little interest in love and prefers to spend her time at St. Thomas’s hospital in pursuit of medical knowledge and helping others. However, staying unwed when one’s mother is a notorious matchmaker is no easy feat. AND A MAN WHO DOESN’T WANT A WIFE Through unfortunate circumstances, James MacKenzie is the new Earl of Oakhurst, a title he never expected or wanted. When he is summoned by his only living relative, his grandmother the Dowager Countess of Oakhurst, to attend to her in London so that she might instruct him on his duties as earl, including finding a bride, he reluctantly complies. Upon arrival, he finds the older woman ill and in need of medical attention. When his grandmother proves difficult and resistant to help, he allows Lady Penelope’s aid in treating her. MAKE THE PERFECT MATCH? When both learn of the other’s lack of desire for love, they know the best chance to escape those seeking to wed them is to come to an agreement—one that will free them both from the pressures of matchmaking. But a marriage of convenience doesn’t imply a marriage without passion. As their feelings eventually warm toward one another, old enemies emerge and threaten everything they have worked for. Will they be able to draw strength from their blossoming love to defeat those who seek to destroy them, or will they deny their feelings and lose one another forever?

    Instead of claiming his place in society, he became a physician to help the less fortunate. So, when he sees a patient mistreating her sweet, bright-eyed companion, Brandon is determined to help bring some holiday cheer into the poor girl’s life. It’s the least he can do. But in truth, he’d like to do much more for the kind-hearted beauty who so easily captured his attention...and his heart. She guards a scandalous secret... Joy Winterborne can’t afford to take risks. If anyone found out about her past, she’d lose everything. And getting fired from her companion job would deprive her of the only bright spot in her otherwise dreary life—the time she gets to spend with the charming and oh-so-handsome Dr. Morrisette. Of course, nothing can ever come of her attraction to him. He’s nobility, and she’s nobody. But that doesn’t stop her silly heart from wanting...more.With a little luck, some mistletoe, and maybe even a Christmas wish, can Brandon convince Joy to take the greatest risk of all—falling in love?Sweet Regency Romance