. . . When plain and proper Thea Bainbridge stumbles upon a baby in the manger of her church’s nativity, she is understandably shocked. Discovering a brooch bearing the insignia of Gabriel, Lord Morecombe, hidden among the child’s clothing, she is certain the dissolute rake is to blame. Incensed, Thea sets out to reproach the arrogant lord—only to find herself utterly swept away. Gabriel is intrigued by the vivacity in Thea’s flashing gray eyes when she accuses him of fathering the orphan, even as he adamantly maintains his innocence. The brooch is one he remembers all too well, however, and Gabriel is determined to find the mother of the missing child. As the mystery around the baby deepens, Gabriel is continually thrown together with Thea—and finds himself growing more entranced every day. Even with whispers of winter scandal swirling around them, they cannot deny the longing in their hearts. A longing which promises the best gift of all: a shelter from the storm . . . in each other’s arms.

    With her father in prison and their bookshop sold to pay his debts, she has no choice but to turn to Henry Covington, the Baron Norcliffe. But the baron has more than earned his harsh reputation, and Rose must face his wrath in order to save her father—and herself.Since the deaths of his parents, Henry Covington has isolated himself from society, ensuring the solitude of his estate with his deliberate callousness. However, when the beautiful Miss Sinclair appears on his doorstep, begging for a chance to repay her father’s debt to him, a moment of weakness finds him offering her a position—as a maid in his own house.They both soon learn that first impressions are not to be believed. Henry is surprised—and intrigued—by Rose’s optimistic charm, while Rose slowly uncovers Henry’s true self, his compassion concealed behind the pain of loss and betrayal. But when a shadow from Henry’s past returns, their newfound hope is tested. They must decide for themselves who to trust—and what they will risk for their happily ever after.  Beauty and the Baron is a Regency retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It is a sweet/clean romance novella, and is Book 1 in a series of Regency retellings. The stories can be read in any order.

    Dukes, earls and brave ladies, all wrapped up like a present with a dangerous Christmas masquerade! Randolph Keening, the Earl of Keegain, is engaged to be married, and therein lies the problem. He does not love his intended bride, but he will honor his word, both to the lady and to his late father. When Miss Jane Bellevue traveled to Kennett Park for the Christmas holiday, she never expected to fall in love with her best friend’s brother. But from the moment Jane first locked eyes with Lord Keegain, she knew she was meant to be his. If only he was not already promised to the cold but beautiful, Lady Margret Fairfax. Lady Margret is everything Jane is not. Why would the earl notice her when he could have a proper lady? But there is more afoot at Kennett Park than a simple Christmas Ball. With a borrowed identity, during the Christmas Masquerade Jane runs afoul of a dangerous plot. Jane’s life may be in peril, but it is the loss of her heart that she fears the most. Trapped in the web of upper society that she does not understand, Jane must uncover what it is that truly makes a lady noble. Lord Keegain has always been an honorable man, but with a traitor in his own house everything has changed. Miss Bellevue is in danger and England is at stake. The earl is determined to bring the villains to justice, no matter the personal cost. He has given his vow to Lady Margret, but it is the lovely Jane Bellevue that holds his heart. Balancing love against honor, the intrepid pair must catch the culprits or risk losing their own happily ever after. Join Jane and Lord Keegain on this Heartfelt Christmas Romp.

    Lord Randolph Falloden, on the brink of ruin, could not resist the lure of cold cash, despite his passionate alliances with several other desirable maidens. And though her heart belonged to the handsome, if humble, Mr. Wilfred Ellis, Eleanor would never deny her father's wishes. Thus the match was made--with love not part of the bargain--for the arrogant earl and the coal merchant's proud daughter. But in this season of unexpected gifts, a most remarkable surprise was in store for them both....

    They go their separate ways—she returns to her family’s Caribbean plantation, and he returns to the Royal Navy. Now, twelve years later, Julia is about to receive a substantial inheritance, including her beloved plantation. When unscrupulous relatives try to gain the inheritance by forcing her into a marriage, she turns to the only eligible man to whom her father, Admiral Sir Edward Witherington, will not object—his most trusted captain and the man who broke Julia’s heart, William Ransome. Julia offers William her thirty-thousand-pound dowry to feign marriage for one year, but then something she never imagined happens: She starts to fall in love with him again. Can two people overcome their hurt, reconcile their conflicting desires, and find a way to be happy together? Duty and honor, faith and love are intertwined in this intriguing tale from the Regency era.

    But his plans to court her are put on hold when he is forced to resume his role as an undercover spy for the Crown. A secret document listing the names of the entire network of British spies-including his own-has been stolen. To protect Sophia, Anthony cuts off all ties to her and exchanges his life as an honorable earl for the façade of a flirtatious playboy. Heartbroken and confused, Sophia travels to India, hoping to find healing in one of the most exotic regions of the British Empire. But the exotic land isn't as restful as she had hoped. Instead, she finds herself embroiled in a mystery of a missing sea captain, a possible murder, and a plot that could involve the prince of India. And when Anthony appears at the British Residency, asking questions and keeping his distance from her, she is stunned. She still loves him, and, in her heart, she knows he loves her too. But how can she rebuild her relationship with him if he won't confide in her? Does she dare offer her heart to him a second time, or will their love be lost under the India sun?

    But her rescuer, the mysterious Anthony Sterling, immediately melts her heart and makes her dream of a life beyond her tiny, sheltered world. The more she gets to know him, the more she senses he is hiding something from her.When Captain Anthony Sterling was wounded in battle, he lost his leg, his fiancee, and any hope for happiness. Even the revelation that he is the heir to a fortune brought him nothing but bitterness. Then his chance encounter with the charming, innocent Phoebe makes him wonder if there may be a future for him after all. But first he must escape the shadows of his past.

    They should have a son and if it can be managed, he should be handsome. Cleverness isn’t important. Daughters in limited quantities are fine so long as they are pretty. Bastards are inconvenient and best ignored. It's not a big problem, unless you are one. Unfortunately, Sophy is. Sick of her outcast role, she escapes her father’s house, only to fall from her horse during a spring storm. Injured, soaked, and shivering, she stumbles to a stranger’s door—Tom, a blunt edged merchant from a family of vulgar upstarts. Mistaking Sophy for the genuine article, he takes her in. Sophy can’t resist twisting the truth. Soon she’s caught in her own snare—and it might just be a noose.

     Grace Ashman has lost everything: her mother five years ago, and now her father and her home just a week before Christmas. She lives on the streets until one kind man invites her inside for a meal before the holiday. What she couldn’t know is that his kindness will change her life forever. Joshua Dibbs has been the butler at the Earl of Harrington’s London town home since 1809. If there is one thing Dibbs is known for, it is doing things properly. At least until now. Alas, when the earl arrives unexpectedly, the butler is reliant on help from a homeless woman to keep the household running until the staff returns!

    But when Chloe tricks him into wearing a hideous waistcoat—complete with sequins, pompoms, and jingle bells—to her family’s Christmas Eve party, she may have gone too far. Her penalty? A single, scorching kiss—and a Christmas gift she never expected.Love.

    Will the Duke find another chance at love when everything seems to be combining against him? Gerald feels as though he’s lost everything when his wife takes her last breath. Amelia’s world turns upside down when the Duke of Granbury steps into her tea shop and leaves with her heart. But when a secret from Amelia’s past unveils possibilities, will the duke get a second chance at love from an unexpected source? Buy this first book in a Regency romance series for a taste of deep loyal friendship, beautiful second chances, and the path to heal a heart. Look for the other books in the series: The Earl's Winning Wager Her Lady's Whims and Fancies Suitors for the Proper Miss Pining for Lord Lockhart The Foibles and Follies of Miss Grace

    Athena knew by the numbness in her own fingers and toes that Annabel’s, Marta’s, and Bronwen’s must be frozen stiff. Yet she hoped that their merriment—in singing Christmas carols on the doorsteps or in the parlors of those who opened their doors or invited them inside for a moment—would offset their discomfort. After all, a happy heart warmed many a frigid soul, as well as ice-cold appendages.As a child, Athena had adored caroling. It was with warm fondness that she thought back on all those Christmas seasons of the past when her entire family would carol to their neighbors. Always her mother had made puddings, cakes, and other sweet treats to bring with them, to give as gifts of affection to their kind townsfolk and friends. And once the caroling was at an end, the Monroe family—Athena’s father, mother, and sisters Annabel, Marta, and Bronwen—would return to their own home to sit before the fire and enjoy roasted chestnuts and wassail.But this Christmas season—the season that had always been bright and shining, the season that had always been to Athena a time to consider others, to give and serve—this Christmas season was stark in opposition!Never had Athena imagined that she would find herself in such dire, desperate circumstances as she did then. As she followed her younger sisters to the next door on the row of lovely houses—houses so similar to the one in which she and her sisters had spent only the very last Christmas season—she hoped that the next kind family to open the door might offer her sisters (and herself as well) a token of goodwill—a warm mug of wassail, a small butter biscuit, anything for their stomachs...

    In stories ranging from 1820s Regency England to present-day Washington state, readers will be treated to Christmas tales of an heirloom brooch passed from mother to daughter for almost two hundred years. Will the family legend claiming the brooch brings love to its recipient hold true for these women separated by the years but bonded together by the ties of family?In Kristi Ann Hunter's "Legacy of Love," Sarah Gooding never suspected returning a brooch to an elderly woman would lead to a job . . . and introduce her to the woman's grandson. While he may be far above her station, she can't help but notice that his desire to make this Christmas special for his grandmother matches her own.In Karen Witemeyer's "Gift of the Heart," widow Ruth Albright uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local banker. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love as the holidays draw near.In Sarah Loudin Thomas's "A Shot at Love," Fleeta Brady's rough-and-tumble childhood means she prefers hunting to more feminine activities. She never expected her mother's brooch might be how a fellow hunter turns her attention from competition to romance one December.In Becky Wade's "Because of You," Maddie Winslow has spent years in love with a man whose heart was already spoken for. When a church Christmas project brings them together and she stumbles upon an old family brooch, might it finally be her turn for love?

    She plays chess, reads Greek, and is as educated as any young man. And she's certain falling in love is a ridiculous endeavor and vows never to do such a thing. But everything changes when she receives a Christmas visit from someone unexpected--a young and handsome English lord.

    The Mackenzies gather for a clan Christmas and Hogmanay in Scotland. In the chaos of preparations for the celebration--the first of Hart and Eleanor's married life--one of Ian's Ming bowls gets broken, and the family scrambles to save the day. Daniel busily runs a betting ring for everything from the hour Eleanor's baby will arrive, to whether Mac's former-pugilist valet can win a boxing match. Ian begins a new obsession, and Beth fears that the loss of one of his precious bowls has made him withdraw once more into his private world.