. .The day was as hot as the pond was inviting. It's not as if anyone in Little Huffington was going to happen upon a secluded vale on the Duke of Greycliffe's lands. And Venus Collingswood didn't want to get her shift all wet. It was the perfect setting in which to plan her lovely bookworm of a sister's betrothal to the mysterious new duke arriving seven days hence. If only she had a suitable accomplice. . .Andrew Valentine, Duke of Greycliffe, never thought arriving at his own household a week early would cause so much trouble. The housekeeper thinks he's his own cousin. Actually, the chance to not be the duke for a while is a pleasant opportunity indeed. It might even help him interrogate the delectable little nymph he's discovered swimming in his pond--if he can manage to get a word in edgewise. . .Praise for the Novels of Sally MacKenzie"Naked, noble and irresistible!" --Eloisa James"The romance equivalent of chocolate cake. . .every page is an irresistible delight!" --Lisa Kleypas"A perfect night's read."--Romantic Times "Great fun."--Publishers Weekly31,000 Words

    He has always protected his former neighbor and childhood companion, and now that she is of marriageable age, he will give her what she needs most - a real home where she is welcome and wanted.Unfortunately for him....she is done with being dutiful.After years of being an obedient daughter to a hateful father, Francesca jumps into her first Season. Francesca is ready to dance every dance, flirt with every bachelor and snatch what she wants most - a man she loves who will make her swoon.Unfortunately for her...he now sees making her swoon as his duty, too.And Phillip takes his duties very seriously.* * *Don't miss The Gentlemen Next Door series, because sometimes a lady in need of love need look no further than next door. The Gentlemen Next Door Series are historical regency romance novellas.

    Yet when a dance with him leads to a stolen kiss, will the duke be willing to let her go? Or will Sophie’s Christmas wish be granted at last?To the Duke of Vale, science solves everything—even marriage. When the impulsive Ivy Sutherland makes him question all of his data, he realizes that he’s overlooked a vital component in his search for the perfect match: love.Patience Markham never forgot the fateful dance she had with the future Duke of Kingsbury. But when a twist of fate brings them together for Christmas Eve, will the stars finally align in their favor?

    But his deepest desire is far more personal… Magnificent and stubborn. Fourteen years apart had not changed Chloe Steele, or Dominic’s love for her. He’d been a street urchin, a boy raised at court, and finally a magistrate, yet he’d never belonged anywhere—except by her side. Now Chloe devoted herself to girls threatened by scandal—like she had been. But she was in danger, and Dominic was determined to help—and hopefully make up for lost time…Even in childhood, Dominic had made Chloe feel safe. Now she also felt thrillingly flustered by the powerful man he’d become, and by the longing he inspired. Because Dominic meant not only to protect her, but to untangle the lies that had separated them. Yet for Chloe, surrendering to temptation may be easier than risking a future that could ruin them both…

    She has been sold to the highest bidder so that she may produce an heir for the devilishly handsome and arrogant Earl and she is outraged. How can she have any respect or feelings for a man whose reputation is that of a complete wastrel and philanderer? She resolves to resist him at all costs yet Sophia is totally unprepared for the exquisite pleasure she experiences from her husband’s wicked hands as he introduces her to a world of sexual delight she had no idea existed. For Ralph, when his cousin had suggested he take a wife to heal the rift in his family, it had seemed the perfect solution to his problems. However, he hadn’t counted on choosing someone as spiritedly passionate as Sophia and something inside of him reacts to her in a way that disconcerts him. What started out as a necessary chore soon becomes an exciting challenge as he determines to do what he does best - seduce his young wife and put an end to the estrangement that exists between them. But why is Sophia’s good opinion becoming increasingly important to him? And why does he feel the compulsive need to convince her that he is not the unsavoury character she believes him to be?

    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?

    Resigned to a quiet life, Cecilia is surprised when she finds out that her young cousin has run off with a man of no means. Cecilia had once been a teenaged girl who also fell for a young man’s charms—only to be devastated by his betrayal. Determined to not let her cousin meet the same fate, she heads off to London to but is shocked when her investigation leads her right to the front door of the very man who broke her heart: Theo Hudson. Together, they reluctantly embark on finding her cousin and returning her to her family. During their searching in London, it soon becomes clear that they both remember their short-lived romance differently and perhaps now, years later, they have a fresh chance at love.

    He is now the Earl of Weston, a position he never wanted. While searching for leads to his brother's murder, he finds himself forced to attend ton entertainments he normally would have avoided.Hattie Longbottom is an aging, sheltered spinster who spent her bloom caring for her invalid parent. With the death of her mother, she is forced to leave her home. Because she refuses to separate from her beloved parrot, Archie, her only option is to travel to Eynsham and live with her brother and his family. The journey to his estate wakes Hattie up to the harsh realities of life outside of her little village.In less than a day, and with the help of her vociferous bird, an unfortunate series of mishaps threatens to ruin Hattie. Can a reluctant earl revenge his brother's murder and save a spinster in the process?

    Join three bestselling regency romance authors, Heidi Ashworth, Annette Lyon, and Michele Paige Holmes, for three new regency romance novellas in A MIDWINTER BALL. MUCH ADO ABOUT DANCING by Heidi Ashworth. Two years have passed since Lord Northrup declared his intentions for Miss Analisa Lloyd-Jones and forbade any other man to court her. Angry at the neglect, Analisa stopped reading his letters, never even breaking the seals. Tired of waiting, Analisa joins the house party at Mrs. Smith’s famous country home, determined to find a beau. When Lord Northrup unexpectedly joins the party, Analisa discovers she is no longer repulsed by the man who first laid claim to her hand. SWEETER THAN ANY DREAM by Annette Lyon. Olivia Wallington is firmly established as a spinster, but that doesn’t stop her from dreaming about the perfect man. Ever since her father’s death, Olivia has been forced into seclusion by her mother. When her brother and his wife come for a visit, they discover the extent to which she lives under their mother’s thumb. With their help, Olivia sneaks out to attend a local ball, where she meets Edward Blakemoore. For a few divine moments, all of her dreams seem possible. But even someone like Mr. Blakemoore would be hard pressed to get past Mrs. Wallington’s fortress of protection—or past Olivia’s pride.AN INVITATION TO DANCE by Michele Paige Holmes. Lady Ella has been isolated on her father’s estate since her mother’s death as her father travels the world. When Alex Darling arrives with a letter from her long-dead fiancé, and a demand that she travel to London for a series of engagements, Ella thinks her father instigated the strange demands and agrees. In London, she discovers the truth behind her fiancé’s death, and that new love might be possible in the arms of the most unexpected man.

    He has to find her, woo her, and wed her before he goes back to sea - all within a matter of days.Anne Lesley is a shy spinster with no prospects, and nothing and no one to recommend her but her own self. She accepts the lieutenant’s hasty offer only for the comfort and security it will bring. But when a midwinter storm snows her and Ian in, they both find they got much more than they bargained for - laughter, light, and a Christmas filled with honest to goodness true love...

    With some mistletoe, he may just get his wish! Finding Forever at Christmas by Bronwyn Scott At the yule ball, Catherine Emerson receives a proposal from the man she thought she wanted—but a kiss from his mysterious, darkly handsome brother unleashes a deeper desire…. The Captain's Christmas Angel by Margaret McPhee Returning to England for Christmas, Sarah Ellison discovers a man adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. Nothing could have prepared her for the gorgeous Captain Daniel Alexander, or the secrets he keeps!

    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?

    Caroline Lyncott, great grandaughter of the Duke of Bucklynde, has a secret. Years ago she was attacked and still bears the terrible scars. To escape the scandal and the reminders, she left everything behind to become housekeeper to a Scottish brother and sister. Gregory Murray, the Earl Of Hartfell, has a secret as well – he harbors a deep attraction to his housekeeper, Mrs. Lyncott. He knows she has a past, but doesn’t know how to fix the pain that still haunts her. His investigation leads him to the darkest London gaming hell and a villain too powerful to destroy. Can his love overcome her desperate past? Can she risk her heart despite the evil that still haunts her nightmares?

    Ruined after succumbing to a scoundrel’s excessive charm nearly a decade ago, she’s lucky to obtain a position as a paid companion and committed to behaving with the utmost propriety. She definitely shouldn’t be in the arms of a man capable of utterly destroying what little remains of her reputation... Titus St. John, Duke of Kendal, is known as the Forbidden Duke, a mysterious, intimidating figure who enters Society just once each year at his stepmother’s ball. A decade ago, he was a devil-may-care rake until his idle roguery brought about the ruin of Eleanor Lockhart—and his resulting self-imposed isolation. Now she’s back, and she needs his help. But by “saving” her, he may just ruin her life all over again.

    Where his coloring is dark, she has blond tresses and blue eyes. Charlotte’s alabaster skin tone is a stark contrast to Damien’s sun-kissed tan. He is tall at six feet three inches while she is short at barely over five feet tall. Furthermore, her cheerful disposition is in stark contrast to his brooding nature. But most bothersome of all is his tendency to flaunt society’s rules while she follows them without fail.  Damien desires nothing more than to spend his time carousing, drinking, and gambling while Charlotte spends hers at afternoon teas, balls, and musicals. She is a true lady and he a determined rake. When their paths cross they have every reason to turn in the opposite direction, and yet they cannot seem to avoid one another. Passions flair, putting them both at risk. They stand not only to lose their reputations, but more importantly, their hearts.