He discovers on his arrival that Lady Jane Thornton—his longtime friend from a neighboring estate to his parents’ home—is also in attendance. Since he has not seen her for two years, he is pleasantly surprised to find that she is all grown up, and he is more than happy with the result. Lady Jane Anne Thornton is also pleased at seeing her friend, Matt. Occasionally allowed to tag along with him and her older brother, Robbie, Janie has long held a tendre for Matt. And it’s not just because she saw him and her brother swimming at the hidden falls. Will their friendship turn into love? Will they be able to overcome the obstacle of a rival for Matt’s affections? And will Janie even survive the house party?

    Winning a Lady's Heart was previously published in "A Summons From The Castle". Winning a Lady's Heart For Lady Alexandra, being the source of a cold, calculated wager is bad enough...but when it is waged by Nathaniel Michael Winters, 5th Earl of Pembroke, the man she's in love with, it results in a broken heart, the scandal of the season, and a summons from her grandfather--the Duke of Danby. To escape Society's gossip, she hurries to her meeting with the duke, determined to put memories of the earl far behind. Except the duke has other plans for Alexandra...plans which include the 5th Earl of Pembroke! A Season of Hope Five years ago when her love, Marcus Wheatley, failed to return from fighting Napoleon’s forces, Lady Olivia Foster buried her heart. Unable to betray Marcus’s memory, Olivia has gone out of her way to run off prospective suitors. At three and twenty she considers herself firmly on the shelf. Her father, however, disagrees and accepts an offer for Olivia’s hand in marriage. Yet it’s Christmas, when anything can happen… Olivia receives a well-timed summons from her grandfather, the Duke of Danby, and eagerly embraces the reprieve from her betrothal. Only, when Olivia arrives at Danby Castle, she realizes the Christmas season is a time of hope, second chances, and even miracles.

    Until he sees the beautiful Caroline holding a little boy with eyes just like his own. Discovering his long-lost son is just the start of Caleb's Christmas miracles!Christmas at Cahill Crossing by Carol FinchOne Christmas night, outcast Lucas Burnett finds a silver-haired angel buried in the snow. But Rosalie Greer is no pale spirit—she's a fiery, independent woman, as wild as the mustangs Lucas breeds. Can she be the one to finally thaw Lucas's frozen heart?A Magical Gift at Christmas by Cheryl St.JohnMeredith has always dreamed of a grand life but, stranded on a train in heavy snowfall with two young stowaways, she unexpectedly finds she has everything she needs with just one strong man to protect her....

    He has a secret that could drive any woman away. Can they find a love to overcome it all? A Sweet Western Romance from #1 Best Selling Author Emily Wood Kate is a widow who watched her whole life go up in flames. With nowhere else to turn, she heads west to live with her aunt and start a new life for herself and her daughter. As she struggles to provide a new life for her daughter, she finds herself attracted to man who has vowed to never love again. Can she overcome her lack of faith and trust someone enough to find love again? A Gentle Love is a clean western romance from #1 Best Selling author Emily Woods. If you like clean, historical fiction about women who must overcome tragedy in order to love again, you will love this sweet romance! Buy A Gentle Love and get lost in another sweet western romance today. Always FREE on Kindle Unlimited

    These stories--by writers such as Roberta Gellis, Bertice Small, Jennifer Ashley, Claire Delacroix, and Mary Jo Putney--honor Ireland's rich heritage as a land of poets, magic, and mystery. The publication will be just in time for St. Patrick's Day.THE BLUE PEBBLE by Shirley KennedyTHE BALLAD OF ROSAMUNDE by Claire DelacroixORACLE by Margo MaguireTHE TRIALS OF BRYAN MURPHY by Cat AdamsNIA AND THE BEAST OF KILLARNEY WOOD by Cindy MilesBEYOND THE VEIL by Patricia RiceSHIFTER MADE by Jennifer AshleyDAUGHTER OF THE SEA by Kathleen GivensTHE WARRIOR by Jenna MaclaineETERNAL STRIFE by Dara EnglandQUICKSILVER by Cindy HolbyTHE FEAST OF BEAUTY by Helen Scott TaylorCOMPEER by Roberta GellisON INISHMORE by Ciar CullenTHE MORRÍGAN’S DAUGHTER by Susan KrinardTARA’S FIND by Nadia WilliamsTHE SKRYING GLASS by Penelope NeriTHE HOUNDMASTER by Sandra NewgentTHE SEVENTH SISTER by Sue-Ellen WelfonderBY THE LIGHT OF MY HEART by Pat McDermott

    Unfortunately for her, her grandmother has other ideas...marriage.Lively and strong-willed, April does not appreciate being compelled to catch a husband. Yet, before long, she finds herself courting the affections of the Duke of Claredon, while struggling with a wholly inappropriate attraction to the insufferable Mr Royce.In the lead up to Christmas, in the year 1820, a delightfully devious campaign is orchestrated to bring together two people destined for one another, regardless of the obstacles to be overcome and the inconvenient tendency on the part of the protagonists to resist their attraction...until they are finally brought to realise they cannot escape fate, or the meddling of one determined grandmother!

    This short story was originally published in Joe Hill's collection 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS.

    To do so, she sets out to host the grandest holiday celebration Foldger’s Hall has ever seen; proving to everyone—including herself—that she has more to offer than the hardship and loss she has brought to her family. A woman forging a new path in life... Mrs. Ruby Jakeston is tired of others taking care of her. She is ready to show everyone that she can look after more than just herself and her new husband; she also wants to set her overprotective friend at ease, and bring her hellion sister to heel. A girl lost and in search of a place to belong… Lady Ellington is on the brink of losing the only home she’s ever known. The last thing she wants is to attend a grand soirée. However, when her older sister demands her presence at a country Christmas party, she is compelled to attend. With only a stablehand as her companion, she arrives at a house teeming with unfamiliar faces—and nowhere to hide. A trio of women holding out hope for three different holiday miracles… Christmas ever more.

     Let A Gift Of Love open the door to worlds of passion and adventure, where love -- and miracles -- are always in the air!

    But Max Hardaway isn't exactly who he claims to be. And if he gets his holiday wish, their steamy night will be the first of many…. Mistletoe in Memphis by Pamela Yaye Essence Sinclair needs to land the holiday catering contract for Lincoln Davenport's company…almost as much as she wants the sexy exec himself. When Lincoln glimpses the sensual chef, he's sure all his Christmas dreams have come true at once. Will this be a holiday fling—or magic that's made to last? Second-Chance Christmas by Farrah Rochon The last time Ayana Taylor saw Jackson Richards, he broke her teenage heart. Now he's the best man at her brother's Christmas wedding. And Jackson hopes to earn her forgiveness and her love—one smoldering kiss at a time….

    But Venetia has never experienced true desire. Not until she meets Michael Wyndham, the Earl of Trent - a powerful man who holds her future in his hands and awakens her curiosity with one searing kiss. His expert touch is only the beginning of her carnal education, but something more dangerous than submission may be the price she pays for such unimaginable delight...

    The Tuesday Night Club read by Joan Hickson The Fourth Man read by Christopher Lee The Affair at the Victory Ball read by David Suchet The Case of the Discontented Soldier read by Hugh Fraser

    Emma's maid implores the help of Harmon Westbourne, the Earl of Easton, to rescue Emma from her father's home. But Emma's dilemma doesn't end there.

    She enjoys her life and, apart from a rather snobbish mama, she is happy with her lot. Imagine her consternation then when her world is turned upside down by the brooding and aloof Mr. Brandon Haverton! Mariah and Brandon are forced to endure each other’s company more than either wants to when a snowstorm traps them in the same house. They argue, they bang heads and they drive each other insane. But something precious is blooming beneath the surface of all that ice. Something neither looks for but both need. Can love melt the snow around Brandon’s cold heart? Can Mariah be brave enough to take a leap of faith? And can a Winter Wish help bring two souls together forever? For the Love of a Lady-By Kristin Vayden Lady Esther Flanguard is all of the above… but that’s all about to change soon. Because, Essie has a plan. And it’s sure to work brilliantly. The only thing standing in her way is trying to convince Cross—her best friend’s brother—to go along with it. Lord Crossby, Cross to those who know him well, knows that Essie’s plan is not a good idea. What Essie doesn’t know, is that he’s been in love with her for years. He refuses to leave this second chance left to fate. He lost her once, and plans to never lose her again. So, knowing he’ll risk his heart, he agrees to play along with her disastrous plan. Silently vowing, that though Essie might be pretending…he isn’t, and this time he’s playing for keeps. Cloaked in Red:A Shattered Fairy Tale-By Kelly Martin Frederick Dodsworth has no desire to find love at Anthony Wexley's Christmas gathering. Yet when he lays his eyes on the beautiful Rebecca for the first time, he is beyond smitten. Lust turns to love. Love turns to jealousy. Jealousy turns to betrayal. How did Frederick Dodsworth become the most evil man in Darenset? Simple. It started with a kiss. The Devil Duke Takes a Bride-By Rachel Van Dyken Who said being bad wasn't oh so good? Benedict Devlyn, Duke of Banbury, has one thing on his mind and it isn't marriage. But things take a turn for the worse when his menacing aunt throws a hitch in his plans to remain the most sinful and talked about man in the ton. After all, a man cannot keep the reputation of being The Devil Duke when he is leg-shackled to some simpering spinster. But his aunt, bless her heart, thinks she's dying, and believes her nephew's behavior is the only thing standing in the way between her entrance to heaven or hell. So she very lovingly and selflessly sets him up. With his childhood nemesis. A young woman who, though she claims it was an accident, has nearly killed him thrice through her lack of grace and manners. It matters not that the minute he sets eyes on her at the Christmas ball, his blood boils with lust. He refuses to allow himself to fall prey to his aunt's ministrations. That is, until he is compromised and stuck in an engagement to a girl who claims she'd rather jump from a moving carriage than marry him. Funny thing that, for the very minute she says no, he finds his heart very much wants to say yes. When she doesn't leap at the chance to marry him, he sets about to not only prove that he's worthy of her favor, but also worthy of her heart.

    But Justine, the illegitimate daughter who strives to hide her shame, calls powerfully to something deep within him....''Annalise and the Scandalous Rake'' by Deb MarloweHouse party guest Ned Milford can see the inner passion and beauty that Annalise Fitzmanning hides. But how close should they become when his reason for being at Welbourne Manor would prompt a society scandal, not a society marriage!''Charlotte and the Wicked Lord'' by Amanda McCabeCharlotte may be the youngest Fitzmanning girl, but she knows her own mind--and she wants Lord Andrew Bassington. Drew requires an eminently proper bride, something free-spirited Charlotte has never been. So how can she make him see the beautiful woman she has become...?