Sweet Christmas Kisses 5 brings you contemporary romances that celebrate the joy of the season around the world, including snowy Maine and the sun-kissed skies of Florida, the mountains of Colorado to small-town Illinois and Virginia, New York to San Francisco, and even the glittering lights of Paris and the old-world charm of Florence. Sweet Christmas Kisses 5 features nine all-new, standalone novellas that will make you smile and warm your heart with the Christmas spirit.

    

    

    Arpita Basu, the only daughter-in-law of Basu family, is here to tell you a story that will leave your stomach hurting with chuckles and laughter. A Chudail to her prim mother-in-law, inexistent to the devil father-in-law, a damped down bomb to her once best friend Naveena and well, nothing whatsoever to her own husband Akash, the 23-year-old finds herself questioning the very concept of familism as her six months of tumultuous married life is hit with unanswerable questions sprouting every now and then in her head.Speaking of head, what do you think is its importance in Mrs. Basu's life? Oh boy, you're in for a surprise! Because the quirks of their tongue-in-cheek relationship is bound to make you split your sides.However, in a split second Mrs. Basu's life goes kaput as her dark past comes knocking at the door. While she struggles to keep it at bay, her husband leaves her side with no promise of coming back ever.Is it mere coincidence that her past holds a connection to the disappearance of her husband? Or, is it what Mrs. Basu deserves for all she did in the past?This chapter of her life will unravel the mysteries of the present, all the knots of the past and the road to the future. Of course, in the most hilarious way possible.

    She doesn't remember any of it, but she has the bruises and lacerations all over her body as painful reminders of something she just wants to put behind her. The problem is, she can’t move on. Everything she’d ever hoped for was torn away from her that night. The man she’s been crushing on has vowed to restore her sense of safety and security. He’ll stop at nothing to catch the assailant who hurt her. The tragic irony is, now he wants her in his life. But it’s too late now.Mack Donovan has always kept a careful distance from Erin. She’s sweet, beautiful, and innocent - way too young and too good for him. After a career in the military and a stint as a mercenary, he’s done things he's not proud of. He thinks his hands are too dirty to touch her. When he rejects her invitation to attend a New Year’s Eve party, the unthinkable happens. A sexual predator drugs Erin and steals not just her innocence, but her sense of self. Mack will stop at nothing to find him and end him. In the meanwhile, he’s not giving up on Erin. He will show her that not all men are monsters.With This RingAnnie is marrying her best friend today, the love of her life. She's waited years for this day, and she's not going to let anything get in the way. So what if she's nine months pregnant with twins and starting to feel contractions? She only has to make it until the ceremony is done. What could possibly go wrong? As a follow-up novella to Annie and Jake's second chance romance (Redeemed), WITH THIS RING is a heart-warming look at love, romance, family, and childbirth.Collateral DamageWhen Sophie McIntyre's blind date goes horribly wrong, she finds herself running for her life. Dominic Zaretti is a man who gets things done—one who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty in the process. His job is to disappear with Sophie and keep her alive until the threat is neutralized. But when Dominic falls for the curvy, statuesque beauty, he finds himself making the ultimate sacrifice to keep her safe.

    Poetic Justice, maybe? Whatever the case, Rakeem Owens escaped the streets, and at his retirement party, his home was raided, and he was arrested for a crime he didn't commit. After spending seven years in prison, he is given the opportunity of early release with two major stipulations - probation and volunteer work to give back to the community the Judge believed he took so much from. With no hesitation, Rakeem agrees, but when he finds out that he'll be serving under Maliah Dixon… jail seems to be a better option. It was karma. Fate, maybe? Whatever the case, Maliah Dixon is thrilled when she finds out Rakeem will be volunteering with her organization. She started it with her best friend before he went to jail, and it has been her main priority ever since. Rakeem's heart has been closed and guarded for years, and it will take more than a familiar pretty face and nice frame to soften him toward any woman. But Maliah is determined to not only fill him with her love but be cleansed in the overflow. There is one problem with both water and love, though. Both were soft enough to cleanse and give life yet hard enough to drown and destroy anyone or anything who stand in their way.

    Taking a life is exactly what got him into trouble and caused him to have to flee Kingston, Jamaica. Headed for Raleigh, North Carolina, Alphonse soon sets up shop and prepares to start a new life. The only problem is, before he can get started good, an accident knocks him off his square and temporarily stops his plans. Harlem is an expert at hiding her feelings. No one in the world, knows that she battles with depression daily, because hiding her true emotions with a smile is just what she does. As much of an expert at hiding things as she is, it's extremely difficult for her to control the way that she feels about Alphonse. A sexy savage that comes into her life unexpectedly, and sweeps her off her feet. There's just one problem though. Harlem doesn't think she's meant to be happy in love. She feels cursed and it's only a matter of time before things with Alphonse goes south. She's prepared for it, but Alphonse proves to be a worthy opponent and he refuses to give up when something that he wants is at stake.

    She's not looking for love but she wouldn't mind having a little fun.Handsome restaurateur Larenzo Black is trying to put his womanizing ways behind him and focus on business. For him, women are trouble.They're both running from their past and when they crash into each other, sparks fly. But Larenzo's best friend in the world happens to be Yasmeen's older brother, and every man knows that's a line you never cross.Theoretically...

    He purchases life insurance, luggage insurance, and always opts for the extended warranty. He's responsible, reliable, and would make any woman a wonderful life partner.In other words, he's the exact opposite of the Masterton clan.Cat's mother has a kitchen gadget fetish, a father whose best friends are taxidermied field mice, and a super stoner man-child brother who lives--where else?--in the basement. Then there's Nan, her proud Scottish grandmother with a proclivity for profanity and mischief.What on earth will Catriona's Normal fiancé think when he comes home with her to meet her parents? What will he think when he discovers his soon-to-be in-laws invited Cat's ex to join them for a holiday dinner?Find out in a laugh-out-loud journey of self-discovery, familial pandemonium, and love. A must read for fans of a true romantic comedy!Relatively Sane : Silver Medal Winner at the 2109 International Readers Favorite Awards!Catriona Masterton’s family is not normal.Her father has a passion for taxidermized animals that he dresses in the family plaid. Her mother has a penchant for hoarding kitchen gadgets and other oddities that leave her sanity in question. Her grandmother, Nan, has never met a swearword she doesn’t like.Despite all this, party-planner Cat leaves the hustle and bustle of New York City to move back to her tiny hometown outside of Chicago. She even buys her parents' farm with plans to turn the barn into a stylish wedding venue.Enter House to Home Television’s Renovation Brothers. Cat gets accepted as one of the show's projects, bringing two gorgeous brothers to her doorstep. Unbeknownst to Cat, the TV hosts are behind a secret her newfound boyfriend will go to great lengths to keep hidden.With all the upheaval—her parents' chaotic move, her grandmother joyfully causing trouble wherever she goes, a film crew documenting her home being torn apart, and her boyfriend’s odd behavior—Cat's starting to wonder if signing up for a reality TV show was a big mistake.Will the renovation be a success? Or will secrecy and jealousy make Cat regret the day she packed her bags and left New York?Find out in this hysterical tale packed with small-town charm, family drama, and true love.Relatively HappySarah Hastings’ life is chaotic. Between running her organic farm, her yurt-style holistic B&B, and her vegan café Eat Me!, she barely has time for an aura cleanse. What’s more, her spirit guide just announced the universe is sending her a man.Suddenly, a sexy pro-football player, a hipster photojournalist, and fellow organic farmer practically fall from the sky onto her doorstep. But which one is her cosmic soulmate?While Sarah meditates on the answer, her parents show up unexpectedly throwing the mother of all monkey wrenches into her carefully laid plans.With only morning yoga and her erotic book club to keep her sane, no wonder she’s chucked her vegan diet in search of bacon. Will the stars of love align, or will the universe let her down in the biggest way possible?

    Instead, he finds a jilted mail order bride, two ragged orphans and a basket of striped kittens.The thief abandoned his fiancée, a lovely blue-eyed beauty who steals Gideon’s breath at first glance. Ruth’s sassy and plenty exasperating. She’s taken in a newborn orphan girl and cares for the baby with grit and devotion. Gideon yearns to shelter both Ruth and the sweet baby. He can’t make sense of the protective instincts, turning his tidy thoughts all topsy turvy. Before long, he’s got more trouble than he can shake a stick at.Ruth claims to know nothing about the stolen money. But is she innocent or is she the real thief?Mail Order RebeccaAdam Barstow just wants to be left alone to mend his ways. The good Lord has other plans…As Adam works to turn over a new leaf, two orphans appear on his doorstep. They escaped a cruel orphanage. Adam can hardly turn them away and vows to keep them for a short spell, just until he finds them a decent home.But a few short weeks later a mail-order bride arrives. Rebecca is kind and gentle and believes Adam sent for her to help care for the children. He didn’t. Adam would dearly like to know who wrote Rebecca. Until he learns the truth, he’ll shelter his newfound, precious family.Mail Order HollyA Christmas Bride for the Texas Cowboy.Holly Ross travels to Texas a few weeks before Christmas as a mail order bride. She’s tasked with returning a stack of letters to a certain cowboy. His mail order bride has jilted him.Holly peeks at the letters as she journeys to Texas. She knows she shouldn’t snoop but can’t resist learning more about the cowboy, Jacob Barstow.When she arrives, her husband to-be isn’t waiting. Instead, she comes face to face with Jacob Barstow, the charming and protective cowboy whose letters she secretly read. Jacob will help Holly, but only if she accepts a marriage of convenience by Christmas Eve.

    When Ocean took her vows for better or worse, she never anticipated that the worse would come in a form of another woman who thought she deserved the #1 spot in her husband's life. Since when did you have to compete for you own husband?That may sound like a silly question but for Ocean, it's all too real.On the other hand, Ari feels as if she's met the man of her dreams but there's only one problem, he's married. From what he tell her, his marriage is on paper only but how long can that last and what happens when two women are in love with the same man and refuse to give in?This story is told through the eyes of the mistress who feels she's more than earned her position, the wife who has secrets of her own and the husband who thinks he has everything under control. Everyone in this triangle is carrying a secret but whose secret is dark enough to shatter their lives in a million pieces?The wrong kind of love will have you doing and accepting things you'd never thought you would. Welcome to the craziest love triangle you'll every encounter and remember, never form an opinion until you understand all sides...

    He offers Sienna a ruthless deal: he will help her, but she must play by his rules – by giving herself to him totally for one night of passion…When Only Diamonds Will DoThe Theron dynasty once looked down at Reith Richardson – but now they need his help. In exchange, Reith demands Kimberley Theron as his wife. Yet Kim is no pampered princess…and the role of obedient wife isn’t one she’s prepared to play!

    For Casey Becker, whose life has been left in pieces after a personal tragedy, she hopes that escaping to those majestic hills will take her away from the burden of her memories. But the magic of the Highlands is mysterious, and the hills hold many secrets - the most intriguing of which is Rory Hawthorn.In the village of Drumnadrochit, where Casey is staying with her aunt and uncle, no one knows much about the drifter named Rory. He turned up a few years ago, and has been an occasional presence ever since. Casey is fascinated by Rory. Who is he, and where did he come from?The more she learns about the mysterious Rory Hawthorn, the more Casey believes that his secrets are inextricably tied to the magic of the Highlands. If she uncovers what they are, she may uncover the answer to a long-buried secret about herself. Will she have the courage to face it when she does?

    No journalist, reporter or talk show host had been granted the privilege to interview the 86-year-old recluse throughout her 21-book career. Julia's intrigue as to why she's the chosen one sends her packing and on a plane headed South in a hurry. Nestled among a canopy of banyan trees and palms, beneath the roof of Mrs. Van Buren's gingerbread island cottage, Julia finds one last unpublished manuscript. As the fragile old woman reads aloud to Julia from delicate pages that take us back to 1930s Macon, Georgia, and on up the road to Atlanta during days of the "Gone with the Wind" premier, secrets that have been held captive for over half a century surface that connect these women in more ways than either of them ever imagined.