If his poor fiancée had not died, he would now be wed to her instead of Abigail. But then Abigail begins uncovering some of the secrets that are a part of her husband’s life and wonders if perhaps there is hope for their marriage after all.Derek, Lord Westdale, wasn’t sure why Abigail married him; she obviously despised him. On the other hand, he knew exactly why he was marrying her: she was the only woman he would ever love, despite his having offered marriage to another. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to convince Abigail that he never really betrayed her after all.Can their decoding of a secret Christmas cipher bring an end to their misunderstandings and help them create their own special Christmas tradition?

    They were nothing but trouble. Leaving the rash life of his youth behind, he returned to Skye, seeking peace. He never meant to split the clan or start a war with the MacDonald of Duntulm. He certainly never foresaw an arranged marriage to the most scandalous woman in Scotland. Even though she was twice his age, the size of a horse and mother to more than one illegitimate child, he agreed to secure his sister's freedom.However, even that plan goes drastically awry. On his wedding day, he finds himself faced instead with an enticing, green-eyed lass named Bree. A walking disaster, his bride immediately turns his world into chaos and threatens to melt his resolve never to love again.BOOK TWO:  The Award-Winning Novel: "The Bedeviled Heart" - ROMANCE SILVER MEDAL WINNER of the Independent Publisher Book Awards!(Scotland, 1479) Cameron Malcolm Stewart, Earl of Lennox, had made his peace with destiny. It was not his fate to love as other men.Each of his politically arranged marriages had ended in disaster. And though he had never touched a one of his wives, he had come to believe that sharing his name would consign a woman to an early grave.So, on the sunny spring day Cameron encounters a delightfully devious, bright-eyed lass selling charmed stones in one of Stirling's alehouses, he tosses her a shilling, thinking only to steal a kiss. But it is a kiss that will change his life forever.BOOK THREE: "The Daring Heart" (Scotland, 1482) - To the scandalous Lord Julian Gray, marriage is a malady and nothing more. How can a man even court a lass longer than a fortnight when there are so many pouting lips to kiss? Roaming the courts of Europe, Julian appears to spend his time drinking wine, wagering gold, and dandling willing lasses upon his knee. But no one knows the man behind the mask. No one knows that he is Le Marin--Europe's most daring and brazen spy.But everything changes the night he finds a dagger pressed against his ribs and an alluring hazel-eyed minx in his bed.BOOK FOUR: "The Bold Heart"(Scotland, 1488) - Ewan was a battle-weary warrior with haunted dreams. He no longer believed in love.As Scotland's greatest warrior and heir to the earldom of Mull, few dared to cross swords with Ewan MacLean. But the price he paid for his fearsome reputation was a heavy one. To survive, he buried his emotions and became only the warrior, riding from battle to battle with his men to protect Scotland from threats within and without her borders and letting himself feel nothing else.But when his right-hand man, Alec Montgomery, is caught dallying with a powerful Lord's daughter, a trap is set. And both Ewan and Alec find themselves in an English prison, their necks headed for the noose.On the Isle of Skye, the raven-haired Merry MacLeod spends her days caring for the clan elderly and hurtling across the moors on the back of her black stallion. A high-spirited, adventurous lass, she is no longer troubled by childhood memories of the day the braw lad, Ewan MacLean, rescued her from her husband, the cruel MacDonald. But when she hears the very same Ewan is now confined in an English prison, she disguises herself as a lad and sets out to repay her debt.

    She beholds America’s virgin shores with wonder until her cowardly fiancé abandons her in the forest when they are attacked by Indians. In the first moments she faces her captor in terror.The warrior Night Fox reaches out and touches her cheek. What fool would leave a treasure like this behind? He is bewitched by his tribe’s newest captive. Her lustrous hair is red like the fox’s, her silky skin reminds hime of the yellow wildflower. He yearns to kiss the tears from her cheeks. He wants to taste the honey of her lips.”I hate you,” Katelyn trembles so much she can barely get the words out. ”No, you don’t hate me. You fear me, but you don’t hate me.” Night Fox is so close. Katelyn has never heard a man’s husky whisper.She meets his haunting black eyes without flinching. “Yes I do,” she lies. “I hate you because you kidnapped me, because you made your slave…” I hate you because I can’t despise you the way I should.He senses her surrender to his forbidden caress. Fox pulls her close, savoring the warmth of her damp skin beneath his touch.She trembles in his grasp, unable to tear her eyes from his. She remembers the taste of his mouth on hers. “I hate you because you touch me.”“Do not be afraid.”She lets herself be drawn into his arms. No one has ever tried to comfort her, no one has ever cared. Why this man, she wonders, as she bends his head towards her. Why the enemy? BONUS This edition contains a bonus excerpt from RACHEL’S CHOICE by Judith E. French REVIEWS OF FORBIDDEN CARESS 4.09 average rating this edition, 134 ratings, 11 reviews, added by 440 people, 42 to-reads, 91% of people like it–Goodreads4.2 out of 5 stars (24 ratings)–Amazon“A LOVE STORY. I loved this story. I recommend everyone to read this book. I look forward to reading more of her.” Kattie, Goodreads“Awesome Writer!!!!! One of the best, so many struggles, but love conquers all. Must read!!!! Only in fairy tales but the world is a viciously attacking diversity place. But this is a real love story beginning to end!!! Loved it.”—Diana Crane, Goodreads ABOUT COLLEEN FRENCH Colleen French has a unique gift for capturing the essence of passion in her breathtaking tales of romance and adventure. Winner of the Delaware Diamond Award for Literary Excellence and the P.E.A.R.L. award, she is the daughter of bestselling novelist Judith E. French who first taught her how to write. Colleen has written more than 130 print novels which have sold more than 5 million copies and been translated into Bulgarian, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, and Spanish. Her Native American novels are inspired by her English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and Lenni–Lenape ancestry and her home near the Chesapeake Bay, where her family has lived for more than 300 years. Her books appeal to fans of Christi Caldwell, Mary Balogh, C. J. Petit, Shirleen Davies, Karen Kay, Madeline Baker, Elle Marlow, Ellen O'Connell, Vonna Harper, Judith E. French, Kathryn Le Veque, Margaret Mallory, Julie Garwood, Caroline Fyffe, Maya Banks, Hannah Howell Fiona Faris, and Alisa Adams.

    And if that meant paying notorious gunslinger Drake Frazier to take his place in a fight, she'd barter her last gold nugget. But Hope soon discovered she'd have to give the handsome rattlesnake more than riches if she wanted his help. His improper demands infuriated her; even as she luxuriated in the tantalizing heat of his embrace, she refused to yield to her desires. She'd accept his terms, then find a way to escape him... somehow...

    Set in 1502, in the Highlands of Scotland, this beautiful love story transcends time and continents, bringing readers to a past where romantic heroes let nothing stand in the way of protecting those they love! Highlander Alexander MacGregor returns home, victorious but weary after his valiant service to the King of Scotland. But his hardest battle of all may be with his own family. As next in line to become laird of his clan, his father gives him an ultimatum; he must wed a mysterious lass within five days or forfeit his birthright.When Katherine Gordon is brought to the MacGregor stronghold and presented to a gruff, moody Highlander, whom she is told she must marry, she wants none of him. Vowing not to let his intelligence and handsome looks sway her wounded heart, she seeks to escape before she is forced again to learn the treachery of a man's passion. But escape can lead to capture by an unknown enemy. And capture can mean death.Each betrayed by love in the past, and now forced together by fate, they must learn to trust each other with their hearts if they are ever to know true love. But an unknown enemy seeks to destroy them before that can happen. Will Alexander risk everything for Katherine?

    Now the mobster he just incarcerated is out on bond and holding Karen captive in a scheme of revenge. Maybe it's too late to save his marriage, but Connor is bound and determined to save Karen's life, even at the cost of his own. A mature romance.

    She travels to California to begin a quiet life on the western frontier as a mail-order-bride to a young man of her own choosing. But fate has never been kind to her and she arrives in Culpepper Cove to find her would-be husband dead from a freak accident, leaving her with little money, no job, and no place to live. With few options, Carissa ends up as Coral, the newest gem at the Red Petticoat Saloon. Bo Magnusson left his troubled past behind long ago and traveled west. Now that he’s established as a blacksmith who is also the owner of the town's busy livery stable, he's ready to settle down and begin a family. The down on her luck lovely redhead who arrives on the stage one day catches his eye and soon his heart. He can tell she is a lady and needs a man to protect her, especially when her dire straits force her to take a job dancing with lonely prospectors at the local saloon. This doesn't sit well with him and he pursues her only to be politely rejected. But Bo won’t give up trying until she is wearing his ring, even if convincing her means that she’s sporting a bright red bottom while he rekindles her wounded heart and keeps her safe. Their pasts come calling one day when her father's man arrives in town ready to drag Coral back to New York by whatever means possible. Tempers rise and secrets are revealed, but when the dust settles, will Bo at last claim the stubborn young woman’s hand, or will the treachery and vindictiveness of those who are dead set against their love tear them apart? DISCLAIMER: This book contains the spanking of adult women and explicit sexual scenes including anal play. If these offend you, please do not purchase this book.

    He was closer to the two brothers he’d “adopted” at the orphanage after his parents’ death than anyone else in the world. Now, he found himself wanting to be closer to his best friend, Darcy, the girl next door and the woman of his dreams. Telling her how he really felt would have to wait until he and his brothers managed to make the Freedom Ranch profitable. Unfortunately, he hadn’t counted on a snooty doctor riding in and sweeping Darcy off her feet. Now he wasn’t going to be the man waiting at the altar—but he was going to be the Maid of Honor. Darcy Langley had fallen in love with Caleb the moment she’d seen him wrestling a calf in a rainstorm. Like the heroes in the romance novels she loved, he was virile and masculine—and wanted to be her friend. Ugh, she hated the “friend” card. However, since he and his brothers had bought the ranch next door to her father’s, she kept silent about her feelings and tried to convince herself that being friends with the sexy cowboy was enough. After turning her ankle—and the head of a handsome doctor—she found her spirits buoyed by the flattering attention. Saying yes to his proposal was easy. Walking down the aisle however, was another thing entirely. Especially when she only had eyes for her maid of honor.

    But when a family crisis forces her hand, she finds herself Aidan's wife, boarding a ship bound for America-leaving Ireland and Liam behind. Secretly, Farrell resolves that it will be a marriage in name only...Could He Make Her Trust In Love Again?Aidan harbors a taste for adventure and an unrequited love for Farrell Kirwan. He will not be deterred and knows that he can win her trust and heart. But a menace that has been tracking them from all the way back home threatens to destroy everything they have built together unless they can join forces and place their faith in each other-and the power of love...

    What he didn't count on was a flame-haired spitfire named Lissa Jacobson, who had her own manhunt in mind.Dark, dangerous, and deadly with his Colt revolver, Jess was absolutely forbidden to the spoiled, pampered daughter of Cheyenne's richest rancher. But from the moment Lissa stumbled upon him in his bath, she decided she had to have the virile gunman. Pitting her innocence against his vast experience, Lissa knew she was playing with fire...but she never guessed that the raging inferno of desire would consume them both.

    . . and solemnly vows to raise her innocent orphaned niece. But the little girl's grandfather has declared the unwed doctor to be an unfit guardian -- and refuses to deliver the child to Liz's care until she finds herself a man.DEVIL IN DISGUISE...Dangerous and secretive, hated by the settlers for his Cheyenne blood, rugged Cutter McKenzie volunteers to pose as the husband of the fiery, golden-haired healer. But even a sham marriage to the handsome half-breed promises very real perils. For his raw, seductive magnetism threatens Liz's cherished independence. And she dares not trust her own impassioned heart . . . nor the yearning voice within that begs her to yield to the power of love.

    or her own?Cruel false gossip and scandal follow Velvet Campbell everywhere she goes in London—and for the sake of her sanity she must get away. Accepting a position as governess at an estate in remote Cornwall, Velvet hopes to start over, untainted by rumor. But she finds to her dismay that her new employer—the darkly handsome Lucian Pendar—is, himself, the subject of whispered insinuations...that he hurled his wife to her death from nearby treacherous cliffs. But angel or demon, Lucian affects Velvet in ways she never dreamed possible, causing her heart to race, stealing the breath from her body with a look. As their mutual attraction grows, there is no resisting the passion that flares between them. Yet, as secrets from both their pasts rise to the surface, Velvet is haunted by one inescapable question: has she found a kindred spirit, her destined love...or placed herself in dire peril?

    When he accepts a temporary position at Haven Harbor Regional Medical Center, in a quirky little community known for it’s tongue-in-cheek embrace of witch lore, he falls for the beautiful bartender with a unique ability to guess her customers’ drink of choice…but that’s not the only power she possesses. The owner of the Old Haven Mill Tavern, Mary-George McBride, George to her friends and family, is a kind-hearted witch blessed with the claircognizance of desire. In short, she knows what people want. When she meets Rafe, the cocky Chief of ER Medicine, his naughty thoughts make it clear he wants her, but can the hot doc accept that George and the witch are one in the same?

    After a devastating attack destroyed everything-and everyone-in Archie's life, he prefers to stew in his own misery until the holiday passes. But Duncreag has seen enough tragedy. Grim decides to throw a grand Yuletide feast, one that the bards will sing about for years to come, one that will remind his laird how beloved he is. He can't do it alone, though. Grim needs an accomplice . . . There's nothing Breena O'Doherty won't do for Archie, so she's thrilled to help Grim with his plan. Yet she has a Christmas wish all her own-to win Grim's heart-and this might be her only chance to make it come true. As Breena and Grim work together to bring the joy of the season to the cold, gloomy castle and to the heart of the cantankerous chieftain, an undeniable passion ignites between them. But when a shocking secret about Breena's past comes to light, threatening everything she holds dear, will it ruin Christmas in Duncreag forevermore?(35,000 words)

    Ten years as a sellsword and pirate have transformed Roger into a darkly handsome but enigmatic stranger. His sudden return to his father's castle causes a passionate uproar in the bookish and otherwise sensible Alix.Dangerous to know...Surprised by his unlikely desire for his childhood friend, Roger is determined to encase his heart in ice. Haunted by his past and trapped in a lethal web of intrigue, he fears entangling Alix in a plot that could doom them both to a traitor's death.But destiny has set them on colliding paths, and Roger can no more resist the fire in Alix than she can turn away from his increasingly ardent touch.New, revised edition of a classic, award-winning romance.When the original version was published in 1986, Linda Barlow received the Romantic Times award as New Historical Romance Author of the Year. Fires of Destiny was also a finalist for the Rita Award from Romance Writers of America.This special new edition has been revised and edited by the author, but her beloved characters and their sensuous, suspenseful adventures remain the same.Accolades"Linda Barlow's sexy, suspenseful page-turners are pure pleasure to read." Susan Elizabeth Phillips.Jayne Ann Krentz describes Linda as "a wonderful story-teller. She grabs you on the first page and plunges you straight into the tumultuous lives of her fascinating characters.”Catherine Coulter called Fires of Destiny "a bold and clever tapestry, provocative and seductive."Romantic Times said in their 1986 review: "Weaving together a strong historical background, an intriguing mystery subplot, along with a touch of mysticism, Ms. Barlow crafts a marvelously textured novel that mesmerizes the reader on every level. The timeless magic of this outstanding romance will guarantee recognition of Linda Barlow as a powerful writer with the talent to surpass all genre boundaries."