When, impressed and intrigued by her knowledge and reticence, he seeks out his correspondent, Beatrice is forced to invent a series of lies for the fictional Mr. Allenham’s whereabouts. A clean regency romance in the vein of Georgette Heyer. This is a 15,000-word short story.

    She is determined to be an ex-spinster by Christmas. To that end, she has invited a prospective suitor to spend Christmas with her family. She knows very well that Lord Brockton would love to get his hands on her dowry, and she’d love to be a married woman with a home and family of her own.The very idea of his Lady Caroline throwing herself away on the likes of the vile Lord Brockton rankles Christopher Perry. A pity he cannot offer for her himself, but a duke’s daughter is too far above his touch, given his family’s humble origins. Nevertheless, Christopher attends the Duke of Aldridge’s Christmas house party with the intention of thwarting Lady Caroline’s grave misalliance with Brockton. If only he’s not too late . . .

    Trapped by his brother-in-law’s death into responsibility for his traumatized nephew, grieving sister, and an estate gone to ruin, loneliness overwhelms him. The first-rate husbandry of a neighboring farm and the woman who runs it draw him like a moth to flame. With Christmas coming, can he repair the damaged estate and far more damaged family? Dare he hope for love in the bargain? Catherine Wheatly is content to manage Songbird Cottage and care for her father and brothers. She has long since accepted that marriage and a home of her own are not in her future. She is content—until an interfering earl descends on Songbird determined to unearth their secrets and upend her world.

    Yet the wickedly handsome proprietor, Lord Stockton, refuses to let a lady enter his establishment. Now Pru needs a Christmas miracle to make her wish come true—and to resist succumbing to Stockton’s charms. Three French Hens Brinna’s life as a scullery maid changes with the arrival of the castle’s newest guest, Lady Joan. Desperate to escape an arranged marriage, Joan suggests that look-alike Brinna take her place at the Christmas festivities. Suddenly, Brinna finds herself being wooed by a true gentleman, and getting the best Christmas present of all: a new life. The Fairy Godmother Odel is told by her godmother that she must marry by Christmas, and even gives her fairy dust to separate the mice from the men. But Odel has sworn off love…until kind and generous Michel catches her eye. He shows Odel how good it can feel to fall in love, but will it be enough to convince Odel to trust her heart?

    15 best-selling romance authors. A holiday-themed collection like no other. What happens under the kissing bough doesn't necessarily stay beneath the kissing bough.... According to lore, the origins of which date to the late 12th century, no lady should refuse a kiss beneath the mistletoe 'else she will not marry in the next year. In exchange for the kiss, a berry is removed from the spring until all of the berries are gone and no more kisses can be stolen. Some also believe that a sprig of mistletoe collected from a local church and placed beneath a maiden's pillow will inspire dreams of her future husband. What happens when fifteen daring heroines pin their hopes on mistletoe, a little luck, and a kiss in this multi-genre, limited edition holiday collection from 15 bestselling authors? Pure holiday magic! This set includes USA TODAY bestselling and Internationally bestselling authors Sandy Blair, Suzanne Ferrell, Kathryn Le Veque, Jeanne Adams, Anna Campbell, Tina De Salvo, Barbara Devlin, Joan Kayse, Catherine Kean, Anna Markland, Hildie McQueen, Meara Platt, Elizabeth Rose, Jordan K. Rose, and Lana Williams.Tartan Bows & Mistletoe by Sandy BlairClose to Santa's Heart by Suzanne FerrellUpon A Midnight Dream by Kathryn Le VequeMistletoe and the Major by Anna CampbellHunt for Christmas by Tina deSalvoHold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me by Barbara DevlinAn Irish Gift by Joan KayseOne Knight's Kiss by Catherine KeanUnkissable Knight by Anna MarklandChristina, A Bride for Christmas by Hildie McQueenIf You Loved Me by Meara PlattDestiny’s Kiss by Elizabeth RoseHer Vampire Protector by Jordon K. RoseDancing Under the Mistletoe by Lana WilliamsA Yule to Remember by Jeanne Adams

    Lady Emma Whitton has decided its time to take her future in her own hands. She has been in love with Viscount Heathfield since she was in leading strings. Unfortunately, it's been almost that long since she's laid eyes on her brother's old friend and vice versa. Tired of waiting for him to remember her, Emma pens a holiday invitation (in her brother's hand) to Heathfield and waits as patiently as she is able for her one true love to arrive. Heath isn't quite certain what to make of the very strange summons he received, but his curiosity is most definitely piqued. He heads north to Danby Castle, only to find that his very orderly life is about to be turned upside down.

    Two enemy clans. A Yuletide wedding to warm the heart. Adelaide burns with embarrassment to find herself at the Yule feast of her former intended. After he married another, she was set aside, the discarded fiancée. To make matters worse, she is caught under the mistletoe—alone. Fillan MacVale, Laird of an enemy clan, comes to her rescue, offering a kiss to soothe her pride. But when her father catches them, Adelaide and Fillan are forced into a swift marriage. Now Adelaide fears she is the unwanted bride yet again. Fillan is determined to atone for his father’s sins and forge a new peace with his neighbors. But after a fateful kiss that leads to a hasty marriage alliance, Fillan is convinced he’s saddling Adelaide with a life of hardship and humiliation. Born with a clubfoot, Fillan doesn’t believe himself worthy of love—or the bonny daughter of his clan’s enemy. Can Yuletide heal their wounded hearts and bring their clans together? This novella-length Scottish historical romance is holiday-themed, but can be enjoyed any time of the year. Pick up your copy today!

    A collection unlike any other, readers will love this compilation of six sweet historical romance novellas, set in varying eras, yet all with one thing in common: Romance.The Road to Cavan Town by Sarah M. Eden, set in 1864 Ireland, combines Eden’s sense of humor with her signature sweet romance. Alice Wheatley walks each weekend into town, accompanied by Isaac Dancy. And while Alice finds herself falling in love with the gentleman, unfortunately he has his eyes set on the belle of the town, Miss Sophia Kilchrest. Alice must find a way to turn Isaac’s eyes toward her.Regency author Heidi Ashworth’s delightful story, It Happened Twelfth Night, set in England 1812, follows Luisa Darlington who discovers the man of her dreams, Percy Brooksby, isn’t in love with her as much as she thought he was. When Percy’s friend, the mysterious foreigner, Mr. Flynn, visits for the twelfth night holiday, he promptly sweeps Luisa off her feet, quite literally. Luisa is left catching her breath in more ways than one.An Unexpected Proposal by Annette Lyon is a captivating romantic novella, set in remote Wood Camp, the snowy canyon of Logan, Utah, 1880. When Caroline Simpson is forced to thwart the aggressive advances of Mr. Butch Larson, she discovers that her long-time friend, James, has genuine affection for her. But as stubborn as Caroline is, she minimizes the feelings he’s awakened in her, and it takes almost losing James to admit her true feelings for him.In Joyce Di Pastena’s charming medieval story, Caroles on the Green, we enter England of 1151, in which Lady Isabel has a dilemma. She promises herself that she’ll marry the man who sent a ring hidden in her pastry since the man she truly loves, Sir Lucian de Warrene, has proved to be impossible and exasperating. To forget him, Isabel sets her eyes on other eligible men, only to face another confrontation with Lucian—who isn’t about to back off and leave her to her newest plot.Donna Hatch’s enchanting novella, A Winter’s Knight, begins when Clarissa Fairchild’s coach just happens to break down in front of the most forbidding estate in the county, that of Wyckburg Castle, a place where young brides have been murdered for generations by their husbands. Clarissa is horrified yet curious all in the same breath. When she meets widower Christopher de Champs, Earl of Wyckburg, she must decide if she should flee or uncover the greatest secret in the county about her handsome rescuer. In Heather B. Moore’s exciting turn-of-the-century story, A Fortunate Exile, Lila Townsend finds herself the victim of a broken heart—broken by the most notorious bachelor in 1901 New York City. If that isn’t bad enough, her father sends her to Aunt Eugenia’s remote farm where Lila must wait for her father’s anger to subside and the gossip columns to find new fodder. When Lila meets her aunt’s boarder, Peter Weathers, she discovers a man who isn’t afraid to stand up to her formidable family and take a chance on a woman with a sullied reputation.

    He soon learns a bit of Yuletide peace and quiet is too much to ask for. When he encounters Miss Cerian Blake, who’s dodging her own unwanted set of admirers, the two decide to join forces and fake an infatuation to keep their suitors at bay. But when a bough of mistletoe becomes involved, will their Christmastime prank turn into a love to last all seasons?

    Or the groom's brother and best man, Jamie. The wealthy, charming Jamie is everything Sadie tries to avoid. But the best man has a secret that will change everybody's Christmas.In the snow-kissed Cotswolds, will Sadie have a happy holiday after all?

    If anyone discovers her writings, they'll find scandalous fantasies involving the newest rake in Town alongside entirely-too-candid thoughts about her typical dreary suitors. Aurora will either be forced into a loveless marriage with the first nodcock to make an offer, or she'll be assigned a permanent position on the shelf. What catastrophe will God smote down upon her next?If Niles Thornton, Baron Quinton, desires to maintain any semblance of his current lifestyle, he must fulfill the requirements his grandfather, Lord Rotheby, has set for him. When he is nearly barreled over by a racing curricle and a journal lands at his feet, his troubles are over. Inside the journal’s pages, Quin discovers a scandal waiting to happen. Surely a young lady who would write such brazen things in a journal must recognize the necessity of a hasty marriage, even if the gentleman making the offer is less-than-honorable.In a drunken haze, Quin kisses Aurora on a crowded ballroom floor, necessitating their immediate marriage. His troubles are only beginning, as Aurora's writings are soon the focus of both gossip rags and drawing room conversation. When word arrives of an even greater scandal following in his wife's wake, will he prove himself a drunken abuser like his father or the loving husband of Aurora's fantasies?SAVING GRACEThe blasted man will not stop following her. Well, he isn’t following her…not exactly. They are just always thrown together, and he is everything she wants but can’t have. It is downright infuriating—especially when he kisses her.Lady Grace Abernathy has been ravished and left pregnant. This would not be such a gargantuan problem if Lord Alexander Hardwicke would simply stay away from her as she asked. But leave it to her meddling Aunt Dorothea to continually thrust the two into each other’s company against both their wishes. These distractions are more than a lady should be forced to bear.Alex left London to visit his deceased father’s oldest friend, Lord Rotheby, and to get away from his mother and her matchmaking schemes, only to run into more of the same at every turn. But the more time he spends in the company of Lady Grace, the less he finds himself able to ignore his growing attraction—and his burgeoning need to protect her. Must he cause a scandal in order to protect her from one?MERELY A MISSMiss Jane Matthews feels completely out of place amongst the finery of the ton. She’s the daughter of a country vicar, for goodness sake, and nearly a spinster to boot. But when her distant cousin—a dowager duchess, of all people—offers to sponsor her for a Season in London, she agrees, but only so she can search for a storefront for her business. Perhaps, in that regard the Season won’t all be in vain.The widower of a loveless marriage, Peter Hardwicke, the Duke of Somerton, has already done his duty and provided an heir for his dukedom, so he sees no reason to remarry. Taking a wife would only mean adding a new responsibility to his already too-full schedule. He’s more than busy enough keeping his family in line—not to mention sorting out the myriad problems plaguing one of his estates.But when Lord Utley, a childhood friend who has been on the wrong side of Peter’s ire for many years now, takes an unlikely interest in Jane, Peter has to intervene. He’ll be damned if he’ll allow Utley to ruin yet another life.

    The only problem is, Trent is a notorious rogue who doesn't dally with the respectable. Except, Winnie doesn't want a dalliance--she wants his heart. Born to a miserable family, Lord Trent has found joy and comfort in the folds of his best friend's family. Except, over the years he's begun to notice something. Winnie who he'd always seen as another sister, is in fact something more--a captivating woman. Now, loving Winnie as he does, Trent knows she deserves more than a rogue in her life. With Winnie's mother rushing her off to try and make a match at Lady Weston's annual Christmastide house party, Winnie has but a few days to show Trent, that all she needs is his love. But then this is Christmas...when anything can happen! To Make a Perfect Scandal by Danelle Harmon Tristan St. Aubyn, the Earl of Weybourne, is a driven man. Haunted by the bad decisions he made in his youth, his life is all about work ... working to restore his fortunes, working to rebuild the herd of unique racehorses that were his late father's legacy, working to forget just how lonely he really is. Lord Weybourne isn't looking for a wife ... but when a saucy young lady dressed as a lad finds her way into his stable and charms the most irascible colt in the barn, Tristan can't help but be intrigued ... until she flees, frightened of discovery. The Honourable Miss Letitia Ponsonby comes from a family of seafarers but for her, freedom is found on the back of a horse. She has no desire to wed the dreadful suitor her mother has chosen for her, ready and waiting at Lady Weston's Christmastide house party. All that's needed is the perfect scandal to deter him. But when Letitia finds not the abominable Homer Trout waiting for her at the house party but Lord Weybourne himself, the very desire they each feel for the other is all that is needed to create that perfect scandal... To Win a Quiet Heart by Renee Bernard Suffering from crippling shyness, Nicodemus Chesterfield, the Earl of Athmore, would rather battle an army of demons than put one toe inside the treacherous social waters of a holiday house party. But sometimes, a man just has to face his fears—and when Jane Pemberly is the surprisingly beautiful and fantastically charming prize at the opposite end of the gauntlet—it seems there is nothing a man won’t do to sidestep scandals and win her love. To Tempt a Saint by Valerie Bowman What happens when a saint is tempted by a sinner? Prudence Carmichael is the epitome of well, prudence. But when a rumored pirate—with whom she just might have had a secret scandalous interlude years ago, that she’s been beating herself up about ever since—appears at Lady Weston's Christmastide house party and charms the innocent young lady again, can Prudence resist her first and greatest temptation?

    Now the man to whom she gave her heart will visit Blythe Manor for Christmas. How can she enjoy the holidays knowing Miles Greystoke must despise her for revealing her feelings in such an unguarded fashion?As an awkward youth, Miles fell in love with a kindred spirit…but his love was unrequited. Against his wishes, he’s now obliged to spend the holidays at Blythe Manor. Time has wrought changes in his physique, but his devotion to Lara Robinson has never wavered. He searches for the perfect present to show her how he feels, but nothing seems quite right…until he realizes the best sort of gift will embrace the true meaning of Christmas.A Victorian Christmas short story.

    Kilpack, Carla Kelly, and Jennifer Moore. SAINTS AND SINNERS by Josi S. Kilpack. When Neville Franklin’s best friend Burke wants to wager who can kiss Eloise first, Neville puts a stop to it. Eloise has been his friend since childhood, and, well, she’s off-limits. Especially to Burke. As Burke pursues Eloise and claims that she has a tendre for him, Neville becomes more and more protective of the girl he grew up with. On the night of the Christmas ball when Eloise appears in a dress that clearly shows that she is no longer a girl, but a beautiful woman, Neville realizes that his protective feelings toward Eloise have turned into something greater. But now, Neville’s best friend stands in his way.THE CHRISTMAS ANGLE by Carla Kelly. The first story in the St. Brendan Series. Sailing Master Able Six is on half-pay with the British navy, biding his time during the uneasy Peace of Amiens and the resumption of war. Meanwhile, he’s invited to teach young pupils at the home of a vicar outside of Plymouth. There, he unexpectedly meets Meridee, the spinster sister-in-law of the vicar. From the moment Able sees Meridee, he’s entranced. When she asks him about his past and discovers his remarkable yet troublesome gift, he realizes he’s finally found someone who can care for all of him. Sadly, Able’s low station and half-pay gives him no way to provide for a wife. Meridee’s lack of dowry and dependence on relatives makes their union impossible at best. But isn’t Christmas a season of hope?THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS by Jennifer Moore. Archie Clawson wants nothing more than to give Jane the perfect Christmas. Since her troubled childhood, she’s not experienced a Christmas with all the trimmings. To top off the perfection, he also plans to ask her to marry him on Christmas Eve. But as he and his friends, including Jane, travel to his country home, they are caught in a snowstorm and discover that notice of their arrival did not get through to the house staff. Worried over the disappointment he must be causing Jane and the complete shift in their planned Christmas, Archie fears that he’s misinterpreted her kindness towards him and lost her favor forever.

    Should she trust her own flesh and blood? Or rely on someone else, someone from her past, to keep her son safe?Convincing the Countess by Alina K. Field: When a business-minded aristocrat encounters a fetching widow he met years earlier as the bride of a ne’er-do-well earl, temptation steers him along a track that may derail all his plans. Can he convince her to set a course for her future that includes him?Rescued by a Rake by Wendy Vella: Miss Ivy Redfern’s life is thrown into turmoil when her brother disappears five days before Christmas. Desperate for help she turns to the devilishly charming Mr. Haddon. He agrees but it comes with a price: her heart!Unwise But Not Dishonorable by Barbara Monajem: A spymaster’s beautiful daughter crashes a Christmas house party to steal back a precious medallion, but finds that one of her father’s men is already there on a secret mission. Can they work together to unmask a traitor despite the distraction of falling in love?Meet Me at the Mistletoe by Donna Cummings: Desmond Mayfield enlists the Matchmaking Earl to find his perfect match, hoping for a love like his parents' legendary romance. He meets an enchanting temptress, but she is only amenable to a brief affair, unwilling to risk another loveless union. Can mistletoe—and the kisses they inspire—convince her their passion will last through every season? While You Were Roguish by Samantha Grace: When a roguish neighbor breaks into her cousin’s house seeking shelter from a winter storm, Bess decides to teach him a lesson. Instead, the wild and reckless Lord Julius reignites a fiery passion in her that almost led to her ruin years ago—and threatens to consume her now. Wedded to the Welsh Baron by Sasha Cottman: With little more than a ruined castle in Wales to his name, the last thing Welsh baron Rhys Morgan wants is to inherit a rundown English estate. With no money and no prospects, Wister York’s greatest fear is that when Lord Carno arrives at Kington House, he will throw her out. Once Upon a Kiss Gone Horribly Wrong by Bree Wolf: Always has Anne looked at her childhood friend Tobias Hawke with love in her heart. Only now, she no longer sees Little Toby when those chocolate-brown eyes meet hers and she cannot help but wonder, what if he kissed her?A Rogue and Some Mistletoe by Lana Williams: A lady fearful of risking her heart meets a handsome rogue who tempts her to find the courage to love with the help of mistletoe and the magic of Christmas. The Duke’s Christmas List by Bronwen Evans: Ignored all season, Lady Harriet Rondell is affronted by Charles Spencer, the Duke of Bladestow’s sudden Christmas visit proffering marriage. Armed with a copy of Blade’s disgustingly traditional list of requirements he is looking for in his wife, Harriet sets about convincing him she is not—and never will be—his Christmas bride.Publishers note: If you adore steamy Christmas and Regency romance, you’ll love this anthology!