The legend of Lady Winterson’s Christmas ball promises true love and happiness to one lucky couple. Four short tales. 1 1803 - The Seduction of a Duchess by Shana Galen Rowena Harcourt, Duchess of Valère, never forgot the handsome footman who helped her escape the French Revolution. For fourteen years, Gabriel Lamarque has loved Rowena. Now at Lady Winterson’s Christmas ball, has fate finally given him a chance to win her hand?2 1818 - One Kiss for Christmas by Vanessa Kelly Nigel Dash is London’s most reliable gentleman, a reputation he never minded until he fell in love with beautiful Amelia Easton. Amelia sees Nigel as a dependable friend, not a dashing suitor. At Lady Winterson’s Christmas ball, Nigel vows to change Amelia’s mind by sweeping her off her feet.3 1825 - His Christmas Cinderella by Anna Campbell At the season’s most glittering ball, a girl who has never dared to dream of forever after discovers a Christmas miracle.4 1830 - The Last First Kiss by Kate Noble Susannah Westforth always loved Sebastian Beckett, but he only sees her as a friend. When Sebastian takes his Grand Tour, Susannah transforms herself into a woman he must notice. Now Sebastian is back, just in time for Lady Winterson's Christmas ball and to see his little Susie, all grown up.

    So why would he want Isobel, his short, curvaceous friend who loves him from afar?Alex needs a convenient wife --- and Bel is his first-choice bride! Shocked at his proposal, Bel has doubts about his crazy plan. Then Alex gives her a taste of just how hot they can be together, leaving Bel begging him to finish what he started --- on their wedding night!

    When her younger sister sends her an invite to her Christmas wedding on the other side of the country in Vancouver, she decides to kill two birds with one stone and plans a ski trip to Whistler with some old friends. However, her dreams of a snowy Christmas on skis are thwarted by her sister’s dog sitting crisis.Instead of spending Christmas enjoying the après ski alcohol, she is instead stuck minding Hamish McDuff for the next week. They say that every cloud has a silver lining and for Verity, the silver lining comes in the guise of her sexy new neighbour, Nikau Taylor. Nikau seems determined to help Verity eradicate her ghosts of Christmas past, but what will happen when her time is up and it’s time to go home to Toronto?

    But fate seems to have different plans.On a snowy evening in March, 30-something Noelle Butterby is on her way back from an event at her old college when disaster strikes. With a blizzard closing off roads, she finds herself stranded, alone in her car, without food, drink, or a working charger for her phone. All seems lost until Sam Attwood, a handsome American stranger also trapped in a nearby car, knocks on her window and offers assistance. What follows is eight perfect hours together, until morning arrives and the roads finally clear. The two strangers part, positive they’ll never see each other again, but fate, it seems, has a different plan. As the two keep serendipitously bumping into one another, they begin to realize that perhaps there truly is no such thing as coincidence. With plenty of charming twists and turns and Lia Louis’s “bold, standout voice” (Gillian McAllister, author of The Good Sister), Eight Perfect Hours is a gorgeously crafted novel that will make you believe in the power of fate.

    But when the tropical island paradise is hit by an earthquake, she's trapped—alongside Mitch Bailey, sports star and blast from her past! High on the thrill of survival, they seek comfort in each other's arms… It was only supposed to be one night, but Zoe soon discovers an unexpected souvenir—she's pregnant! Now Zoe and Mitch will have to ask themselves…can one night lead to parenthood and a lifetime of love?

    Dubbed "The Grinch Who Killed Christmas," Madison spoiled a deal that would turn quaint Christmas, Colorado, into a tourist's winter wonderland. Now the citizens want her fired but the company gives her one last chance, sending Madison to the small town to restore the holiday cheer.For Sheriff Gage McBride, no hotshot executive from New York City is going to destroy the dreams of the people he loves. But one look at this beautiful woman and it's his heart that may be broken. In just a few days, Madison causes more trouble than he's had to deal with all year. He can't decide if she's naughty or nice, but one thing is for certain—Christmas will never be the same again...

    Ex-con. Joe Brody has been called a lot of things. Some true. Some not. But now that he's out of prison and back in his hometown his focus is getting a job and a home for his ill father to convalesce. Easier said than done when no one will hire him. Ashley Cade has a teething toddler and lives with an elderly man as part of an agreement she made to buy his house. Complicated? Not as much as it sounds. Wilson is a dear and his huge Victorian a gem in the rough. The lonely old man even recommends a friend's son as a handyman to help with the repairs and finally Ashley is making progress. And Joe? Joe is... intriguing to say the least. But when the police chief tracks Joe down and Ashley discovers the truth, everything changes. Wilson swears Joe is innocent. Joe swears he's innocent. But the evidence says otherwise and she doesn't know who to believe when her future business--and her child's life--are at stake....

     After watching the man she loves walk down the aisle with her sister, Cathy Thompson needs to get away. Alaska—beautiful, remote, and far from bitter memories—sounds like the perfect place to start over. But a brand-new life comes with brand-new challenges . . . namely Grady Jones, a pilot and single dad who has a solution to both their problems: a marriage of convenience. Grady isn’t looking for love. He tried that once and failed. He just needs a wife, and Cathy is smart, easy on the eyes, and adored by his daughter. But Grady doesn’t count on the way Cathy gets under his skin, the way she makes him want to be a better husband and father. Grady didn’t think he had any more love inside to give, but Cathy proves him wrong. With his wife by his side, this pilot learns to soar on the wings of a future neither of them dreamed possible.

    In this Colorado Grooms novelLuc Wilder's surprised when his ex-girlfriend Cate Malory arrives at his Colorado guest ranch. And he's downright stunned when she introduces him to his three-year-old daughter, Ruby. Bonding with the bubbly little girl is easy--Ruby loves ranch life, just like her daddy. But after all the secrets, can Luc and Cate find a way to trust in each other again?

    Original.AMELIA BY DAYFrom nine to five, she was Amelia Beauchamp, typical small-town librarian. But when the sun went down, she was miniskirt-clad cocktail waitress Amber Champion. And she'd caught the eye of the town's biggest rake, Tyler Savage. The name said it all -- and this was one Savage, "Amber" knew, who would never be interested in her if he knew who she really was. She had to keep playing the game....AMELIA BY NIGHTOr did she? Tyler, it turned out, was well aware that proper Amelia and flirtatious Amber were one and the same -- and he was having a fine old time playing along. And as for romantic dinners and long, moonlit nights together, really, they were all part of the game. One which he had every intention of turning into reality....

    Judith McNaught, Arnette Lamb & Jill Barnett whisk you away... to New York in the late 1800s, where a beautiful but clumsy angel turns a lonely man's life around... to medieval Scotland, where intrigues surrounding a Christmas Mass imperil two Highland lovers... to Regency London, where a world-weary lord receives an outrageous proposal... to modern-day Colorado, where a daring and clever twelve-year-old plays matchmaker for his bighearted, impractical mother... to a world where love always reigns supreme!

    And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC… Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.…TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home…BONUS MATERIAL INCLUDED:  1st chapter of Lisa Kleypas’s newest novel RAINSHADOW ROAD, coming February 2012.

    But holiday cheer takes on a whole new meaning as their one-hour tryst stretches on. . .and on...Karen Kelley It's a Wonderful LifeHollywood hottie Jeremy Hunter is spending Christmas researching his upcoming role. But going incognito as a preacher in a tiny Texas town brings wicked temptation in the form of beautiful Bailey Tanner...Dianne Castell Home for ChristmasLuLu Cahill is having a terrible Christmas, until she heads home to O'Fallon's Landing, where jilted groom Sebastian Moore is going through with his pre-wedding holiday bash. All he needs is LuLu to fill in for the bride...

    He needs a housekeeper, but he's been burned before by gold-digging employees. Still, when fiery redhead Melinda Winslow shows up, his attraction is undeniable. Mellie has big plans for her small cleaning service. A powerful client like Case Baxter is a boon to her business. But falling for him could mess everything up. Mellie knows how to handle a mess…if Case isn't too hot to handle! Enjoy a special Texas Cattleman's Club: Lies and Lullabies bonus prequel short story from Janice Maynard

    Hoyt is desperate to hear his daughter's voice again, but he and the bookstore's pretty owner, Anna Delaney, share a less-than-friendly past. Working together is complicated enough...but can they avoid falling in love?