His father is dying and he must return to England at once. Benjamin is a man bound by honor and duty, to both his country and his family. So, despite his reservations, he leaves his life in New York City behind so he may find a wife and assume his role as the Marquess of Eastleigh.Miss Phoebe Blake is finally out of mourning for her father, and just in time. She and her mother could be days away from being carted off to debtors prison, so Phoebe returns to society with the intent and determination to secure a rich husband.Sparks fly when Benjamin and Phoebe meet, and it appears they have both found just what they are looking for. But will a dark secret keep them from finding their happily ever after?

    Working as a governess has brought her fulfillment, but when she finds herself suddenly without a position, Jane begins to fret. When her cousin alerts her that a Duke is seeking a governess for his son, Jane is overcome with joy. That is until she finds out that this is a man who is believed to have killed his wife, a man known as the Duke of Fire. Michael Blackstone, Duke of Hayfield, knows all too well the rumors surrounding his wife’s death. For years, he has remained isolated inside his home with his son, allowing his misery and the guilt of her death to consume him. When the latest in a string of governesses leaves their home, he sends word in hopes of finding anyone who would risk being in his employ. Desperate for employment, Jane agrees to work for the man she fears, but when she meets the Duke she is left to wonder if there is any humanity left within him. As times progresses, Jane begins to see a different side of the infamous Duke of Fire, for she sees a man who is overcome with guilt and grief—a man so lost, he is losing his mind. For Michael, Jane has brought more than excellent teaching inside his home, she has also brought hope into an otherwise dark life. Finding the woman intriguing and enjoying her company, his feelings for her begin to grow, although he fears his love will never be returned. Although she is afraid, Jane allows herself to fall for the broken Duke despite not knowing if her love will be enough to save the man from himself...

    But the beautiful, headstrong Anne is a lamb among wolves, easy prey to treachery and an aging queen's jealousy. She never suspects that handsome courtier Chirstopher Hollier has been sent to ruin her.Christopher Hollier is the only man in Elizabeth's court uninterested in making a rich marriage--for himself. All that matters to Christopher is reclaiming the title Lord Graistan for his brother. If doing that requires him to destroy Anne, so be it...even if her destruction costs him his life. But a tide of betrayal sweeps Anne and Christopher into a dangerous dance of plots to defy crown and country that could ultimately cost them their lives, and their love.

    It seems every scoundrel in London is trying to seduce her right under the nose of her nearly blind and beloved great aunt. Fortunately, her eccentric uncle taught her an ancient warrior art for just these circumstances, and she is adequately equipped to defend her virtue. Protecting her heart is another matter. When a down-and-out thief accidentally knocks himself unconscious at Wedmore House, Regina takes pity on him and becomes his nursemaid. But her patient is no ordinary thief, and Regina is woefully unprepared to defend herself against the charms of the handsome stranger. New Orleans gadabout Xavier Vistoire made a powerful enemy during his stay in London two years ago, and he has been paying for it ever since. Imprisoned at a remote farmhouse with nothing but a burly guard with a childlike innocence and a love for pickled beets for companionship, Xavier jumps at the chance to earn his freedom. All he must do is break into an earl’s house and steal a map, which should be easy when the only male servant has resigned and the ladies of the house are attending a ball. But complications arise when he surprises a goddess during her bath and her little dog causes him to fall down the stairs. He wakes to find he has a beautiful new gaoler, and nothing about his situation is easy except falling head over heels for Miss Darlington.

    but who will mend her damaged heart? Tragic loss has made Melinda Myers invisible. She hides as a nondescript waitress at an average diner during the day. But each night, she sews runway masterpieces that she wears only once before putting them into a box forever.Peter Surati, an aspiring photographer, can't help but notice beautiful, sad Melinda. He makes it his mission to help her find her smile again. But his meddling sister seems determined to ruin any chance he has to help Melinda. Can he find a way to mend her damaged heart?A humorous, wonderfully heartwarming and inspiring read.About the AuthorTalena Winters loves tea, travel, music, whole food, sewing, knitting, reading, and chocolate. Besides fiction, she also writes a blog, knitting patterns, freelance articles, and musical theatre (among other genres of music). She currently resides on an acreage in the Peace Country of northern Alberta, Canada, with her husband, three surviving boys, a Golden Retriever named Sunshine, and an assortment of farm cats and chickens. She would love to be a mermaid when she grows up.

    But he’s having trouble keeping his mind on his mission, for one of the students reminds him too much of the mysterious Titania, a fairy queen who fled after they kissed at a glittering masquerade ball.Kathryn St. David is pretending to be a student at the school in order to recover her dear auntie’s lost diary, which contains a scandalous secret that could ruin them both. But she’s horrified to discover that her roommate is the ward of the notorious, darkly attractive Marquis of Blackshire--who seems to be keeping secrets of his own. Will he recognize her as the fairy queen and expose her as the lady who kissed him like a strumpet in the moonlight?

    Now charged with hunting an assassin, his journey will lead not to justice, but to a murderer’s passionate Covenanter sister, Mari McEwan.Betrayed and abandoned by the man she loved, Mari faces judgment by a tribunal of her people demanding she name the father of her unborn child, or be exiled from her beloved home and family. Sick and trembling, she knows that she must refuse. And yet, if she does so, a cruel fate awaits her.Book 1 in the Highland Soldiers series, Scottish historical romances set during the turbulent Covenanter times of seventeenth century Scotland.

    Since he was a child there was a mystery about his true identity, but he was not willing to talk about it, not even to the woman who found him and raised him.When a beautiful lass needs his help, he will find himself into trouble…Sine refuses to live as her father wants. She may be the only child of the Laird of the Duncan Clan, but she is too rebellious to listen to his commands. When her life is in danger, one mysterious man with different colored eyes will become her protector.No matter how reactive she is to the decision of having a guard, she will soon realize that her feelings for Finlay are much more complicated. But her father has different plans for her life and a rich suitor soon arrives to claim her…When Finlay sees her future husband, he knows she must be protected at all costs. But that means he should reveal who he really is… Can he take that risk?He always preferred his solitude, until he met her…"Highlander’s Buried Identity" is a STANDALONE Historical Scottish romance novel. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.*If you like brawny Highland warriors with a soft heart, and steamy romantic stories depicting the majestic and mysterious Scottish Highlands, then Highlander’s Buried Identity is the perfect novel for you.

    Denied her dream of attending medical school, Sarah Howard is desperate to leave Boston far behind. Determined to prove that she can make it on her own, she poses as a married woman and boards a schooner bound for San Francisco. Stuck working in his family’s merchant bank, Jamie Thompson eagerly accepts the challenge of setting up a branch in San Francisco. He’s been restless for some time now, and barely escaped the clutches of the woman determined to marry him. The attraction between Sarah and Jamie is instant and powerful, yet each has something to prove, if only to themselves. Will their single-minded determination derail a blossoming romance?

     In early 1746, Alasdair Macintyre is headed home after the rout at Culloden on Drummossie Moor, in sight of Inverness. The battle has been lost and scar on his face that makes him so ferocious-looking that even children run from him in terror. He learns his father has betrothed him to a local lass—a nearly blind woman—in exchange for a sizeable dowry and a chunk of land. The woman brings with her a companion that hates him immediately. He has no interest in having a chain around his neck, not even in the form of a woman he once knew as a girl—a gangly, twig of a girl. But Beitris is no longer the girl Alasdair Macintyre remembers. She’s blossomed into a stunning woman, though one that is terrified of the scarred Highlander she’s betrothed to.

     Amelia West, the highly independent daughter of a penniless gentleman, has no use for London society and the superficial cruelty of the marriage market. She prefers to spend her time on the estate of the Earl of Croftridge in rural Yorkshire, where she grew up, and which she’s managed since her father’s death. The current Earl is pursuing a life of dissipation in the city, leaving Amelia free to do as she pleases -- and it pleases her greatly to help the less fortunate and rescue neglected animals. He’s chosen devilry over duty... Haunted by his brother’s death, John Mowbray does his best to numb the pain with liquor, gaming, and women. He doesn’t deserve to be the Earl, and would rather pretend he isn’t. Until, that is, he learns that his estate manager may be swindling him. A meeting of the minds... John can scarcely credit the temerity of the upstart young woman who’s taken over his manor. Amelia wishes the reprobate Earl would go back to London and leave her to her good works. Can they both learn to see past their prejudices for the good of the estate?

    . .Arthur Alexander DeWolf, the eighth Duke of Westlake, lacks for nothing in life . . . except a woman who will stir his blood for longer than one night. Until fate steps in on his morning ride and he stumbles across Lily St. Aubin, Countess of Worthington.A Desperate Young Woman . . .It is on the worst day of her life that Lily meets the imperious duke. Helpless and unable to resist, she has no choice but to trust that this dangerously handsome man will protect her and newborn son. But, as trust begins to grow between them, danger lurks ever closer . . . danger that could destroy Lily. And their newfound love.

    When an unmarried gentleman happens by her brother's smithy, it is up to her to act quickly—and rashly—to secure his interest. But Grantham Wendell, Lord Chelford, isn't in the market for anything more than a new horseshoe. What's a bachelor to do when an innocent miss turns up at his annual bacchanalia? He ought to make her leave, but his Twelfth Night party just became more entertaining...Publisher's Note: This book was originally published as The Cheer in Charming an Earl

    While amassing his fortune in India, not a day passed he did not recall Felicity's fair loveliness, did not recall the silken tones of her sweet voice, did not desire to possess her. Now a widow, Felicity Harrison does not recognize the handsome nabob as the young man left for dead by highwayman years earlier. Though she wants nothing more than to snub the arrogant man who promises to rescue her family from financial ruin in exchange for presenting his sister to Society, she cannot snub him. She must force herself to bear his company. But the longer she is with him, the more she has to force herself to remain true to her dead husband's memory. Why is it the humbly born Thomas Moreland possesses more nobility that any man of her class? And why is it she finds it harder and harder to mourn a dead man when Thomas's virility awakens her deepest desires?

    but falling in love? George, Viscount Hexham, is quite literally thunderstruck when he meets Lady Anne in the park, and he can’t get her off his mind. Her brother, Gabe, is happy to act as a matchmaker, never once mentioning he might already be acting on behalf of the other side. Can two who are so perfectly matched end up married before Anne must endure her first Season in London? Meanwhile, when a neighbor appears to be spying on George’s twin sister through the telescope in his garden observatory, an incensed Lady Angelica is determined to give him a piece of her mind. Sir Benjamin may end up with her heart as well, as mistletoe and moonlight work their magic in The Angel of an Astronomer.An abridged version of this story was previously published in the Once Upon a Christmas Wedding anthology