★Two decades ago, Mary's mom walked out. A few days later, her dad started drinking. He never stopped. Mary swore off alcohol. She also decided she'd never have kids, just in case she took after her parents.A year ago, Mary's boyfriend dumped her because she didn't want to have any children.Yesterday, for the first time in a year, Mary met someone. Someone hunky. Someone smart. Someone who made her goofy smile. Someone who sent a shiver up her spine.Tomorrow she's going on a first date.She won't find out he's a widower with two kids for at least two more days. Can she overcome her fear and find the faith to trust someone else. . .and herself?

    He would much rather carve out his own destiny than live under the constraints of that position. But when his older brother dies unexpectedly, Philip's life is turned upside down as duty requires him to give up the life he planned. Philip takes on his new role as the most sought-after bachelor in London with alternating reluctance, boredom, and resentment. But all that changes the night fate leads him to an inn, where he meets the incomparable Marianne Daventry.

    After wrapping up a three-day high-fashion photo shoot overseas, she’s exhausted and ready for the holiday. A holiday that involves Hollywood parties, air-kissing the industry elite, and a whole lot of fakeness…but whatever. Once she gets through that torture, she’ll head to her beloved Seattle and the life of anonymity she misses so much. In less than twenty-four hours, she’ll be there. Colt Ross has spent the past six months detaching himself from the Hollywood world he grew up in, and home is the last place he wants to be. But he’s been called back by his overbearing father for reasons he can only imagine. Likely reasons that involve taking over the family corporation or fund raising among Hollywood elite—something Colt has no interest in being part of. Not that he has a choice; when you’re the son of an industry executive, rubbing elbows comes with the territory. In less than twenty-four hours he’ll be home. After all this time away, home no longer appeals to him. Especially not at Christmas. Leave it to his father to ruin a holiday. But when a late-season hurricane grounds both of their flights in the Dominican Republic, Rory and Colt find themselves stuck at the airport far longer than anticipated. As weather conditions worsen, they both begin to realize that this Christmas will be spent with strangers packed inside a single airport terminal—specifically at gate 18. Rory and Colt are faced with a choice: band together in their misery or make this Christmas one they will never forget. For two people who aren’t real fond of the holiday, this Christmas might turn out to be the best they’ve ever had.

     Widow Maddie McLendon has uprooted her life to move to Rustlers Gulch with her son and grandson. But as a brutal Montana winter looms on the horizon, contractors have yet to break ground on their new house, leaving them to live in a makeshift camp of trailers, tents, and sheds....Since his wife died six years earlier, millionaire rancher Sam Conacher has been content to wallow in his grief alone, while keeping a tight rein on his twenty-six-year-old daughter. But now the girl has gone and fallen in love with his foolish new neighbor’s no-good son....Maddie and Sam will never see eye to eye on anything, until a near-tragedy gives them a true glimpse into each other’s souls. And as the first snowflakes begin to fall, they’ll discover that an open heart is the biggest gift of all....

    But there’s one more evening she must endure - a fake date with her best friend Barry Chang. They must convince her family they are in love, an act which may (or may not) be easy to pull off, thanks to the magic of some mistletoe. This 10,000 word short story is perfect for your lunch break, workout or while you wait in line at the mall. Read it today to get in the Christmas spirit any time of the year!Love listening to music while you read? If so, check out The More The Merrier's playlist, available now on Soundcloud and YouTube! Go here: soundcloud.com/2square2behip/sets/the...YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=WA4iX5D9Z64&l...Song List:1. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift2. Winter Wonderland/Don't Worry Be Happy - Pentatonix (ft. Tori Kelly)3. Falling For You - Colbie Caillat4. Beauty and A Beat - Justin Bieber5. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey6. Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran

    A New England inn seems like the picture-perfect place to spend the holidays. But when a snowstorm shuts the roads and keeps them all inside, the guests find themselves worrying that this Christmas may not be exactly what they dreamed of. Molly just needs to keep her head down and finish her latest book, but her writer’s block is crippling. The arrival of Marcus, a handsome widower with two young girls, is exactly the distraction she doesn't need. Hannah was hoping for a picturesque winter wedding, but her plans come crashing down when her fiancé calls everything off. She reconnects with her childhood friend, Luke, when he comes to check on his grandmother before the storm. Jeanne and Tim don't know how they're going to keep the inn open another year—or how to bridge the distance between them in their marriage. With a flurry of unexpected guests, they'll have to work together to fix all the problems that crop up. But will it be enough to rekindle their relationship? As the characters’ stories intertwine, they start to find hope where they thought it had been lost. With faith, and a little bit of Christmas magic, the inn—and its inhabitants—might just make it through the holidays after all.

    But when her anonymous correspondence with the author begins to develop into more than a professional relationship, Ellie is left wondering if her real find is actually Mr. Right. He Loves Me Notby Jennifer K. Clark —When Kenedee spies her boss leaving flowers on her desk, she’s swept into a whirlwind of infatuation. If only he didn’t have a girlfriend . . . Undeterred, the young woman enlists in the scheme her employer’s brother has put in motion for the company’s sake in hopes that she can win over the man of her dreams. But even foolproof plans can go awry. Fools of Us All by Julie Daines —The course of true love is never smooth, as Jane discovers when a case of mistaken identity results in a date with the man she’s admired from afar for years. But she knows all too well that masquerading as her twin sister can only go on for so long before the truth comes out.

    Married by proxy to a man she'd never met, Amelia recognizes that a fortuitous entry into widowhood frees her from meddlesome chaperones and matchmakers. Heiress to her mother's sugar plantation in Jamaica, she happily anticipates working in a man's world, with the additional credibility of her new title: Lady Lockwood. But with the arrival of Captain Sir William Drake, her plans quickly go awry...William has traversed the Atlantic with one purpose. If he cannot prove that Amelia's marriage to his brother was a fraud, she will be entitled to a sizeable portion of his family's estate. He is determined to return this duplicitous "Lady" to London for an official hearing, and he carries with him a letter that will ensure her cooperation...Left with no choice, Amelia joins the captain on his return voyage to England, and the two quickly find that ship life does not allow for evasion. Amelia and William are ceaselessly thrown together, and amidst fierce storms and ocean battles, what began as antipathy seems to be evolving quite unexpectedly. But as they draw ever closer to their destination, will the impossibility of their circumstances shatter any hope of a future together?

    Everything is going according to plan until she finds herself careening out of control down a mountainside and being rescued by a guy who looks like Superman’s hotter Italian cousin. HRH Prince Nico is intrigued by the woman he saved on the slopes and her refusal to date him. He offers Kat a deal—let him show her his country and he’ll pay her to write articles that will help Monterra’s tourism industry. Kat agrees, but given her past and lingering distrust of men, she has one condition—absolutely no kissing.Thanks to the claims of a jealous British noblewoman and the schemes of a meddling paparazzo, Kat’s rule doesn’t seem to be a problem at first. But the more Kat gets to know Nico and the people around him, the harder it is to remember her keep-your-distance plan. Should she stick to it or risk everything for a chance at happily ever after?

    Outside it may be frosty, so turn the heat way up with these stories of desire! Searching for You Can a determined woman executive and a playboy billionaire survive being stranded together in a snowstorm? Jennifer Probst depicts an encounter almost too hot to handle... It's a Wonderful Tangled Christmas Carol Drew and Kate play an encore to Tangled in this sexy take on a "Christmas Carol" by Emma Chase. When a Christmas Eve argument condemns Drew to a troubled night, three dream women teach him that no gift could be more tantalizing than Kate... Saving Grace With Kristen Proby, ski slopes are quite delightful. Grace Douglas is sure she'll never learn to ski, but instructor Jacob Baxter could teach her lessons of a different kind... Safe in His Arms Can a southern California transplant survive Montana's deep snows? Melody Anne, author of the bestselling Andersons series, melts the icy drifts completely away with the heat between sexy Hawk Winchester and brand-new teacher Natalie Duncan... Rekindle the Flame What could be hotter than a firefighter? Kate Meader shows how, as Beck Rivera and heiress-turned-tattoo-artist Lucy Cochrane discover, nothing ignites holiday flames like rekindling a lost love...

    Forced to transfer schools mid-year, she wasn't trying to make new friends. In that same month, sophomore Nate Wilson's girlfriend broke up with him. Searching for someone to fill the void left by his first love, he meets Emi in his art class. Nate knows he wants Emi from the moment he sees her. Emi knows she needs Nate after one night together. A life-long friendship is born, and a pact is made to ensure that nothing will come between them. This novella is the prequel to the Emi Lost & Found series. After the 3-volume series was published, readers wanted more. This is for them – the story of how Nate and Emi met – and although it’s a prequel, it can be enjoyed before or after the series.

    Their first date ended that. Ten years later, can their second date make them more than friends? Juliet’s life is in a holding pattern of dating wrong guy after wrong guy. When childhood friend Taggart messages to ask for second date—after a ten-year wait—she gets a holiday shakeup. Their first Christmas date a decade ago was an unmitigated disaster, ending with Pepto-Bismol and the police. They both probably needed the full ten years to recover. Now that he’s back in touch, Juliet must decide whether she will say yes. If this is just a one-time thing, she risks carrying a torch for him for another decade. This could be their last Christmas date. First & Last Christmas Date: A Legally in Love Christmas Novella is book 8 in the Legally in Love series. All are clean romantic comedies with swoony kisses and legal entanglements. This madcap adventure date follows in the hilarious tradition of It Happened One Night, Blind Date, and all other tales of wacky dates gone wrong. Set in balmy Los Angeles, this holiday novella is a madcap comedy of swoony kisses and second chances at love, with a side of peppermint hot cocoa. Perfect for fans of the Hallmark Channel romance movies. "Juliet and Taggart’s second-chance holiday date puts the antic in romantic." *** AUTHOR'S NOTE: Originally published in the TIMELESS ROMANCE: UNDER THE MISTELTOE Anthology. Minor updates to the story have been added for this edition. ***

     Charlee Jensen-Carter has been looking forward to her first Christmas with her new husband, Ryan, and her adorable stepson for weeks. Not only is her dad tying the knot, but she’s looking forward to two weeks of no exes, no drama, and especially no trouble. At least that’s what she thinks. First, she gets talked into wearing red hooker heels again. Next, she finds herself trying to save her dad’s wedding. And if that isn’t bad enough, more than one ex shows up, and she's suddenly in the middle of more trouble than she ever bargained for. On top of it all, everyone is counting on her to save the day. Will she ever find the right moment to give Ryan the best Christmas present ever? Or will her Christmas hopes and dreams die a fiery death in this comical holiday tale? Other Timeless Romance Singles: From Cairo, With Love by Nancy Campbell Allen Sophia's Leap-Year Courtship by Kristin Holt Starting Over at Steeple Ridge by Liz Isaacson The Matchmaking Game by Donna Hatch The Heart Only Grows by Michele Paige Holmes

    Now a coach, her father Gordon is living his dreams through the skaters he trains—until Maggie is forced to deliver heartbreaking news: her mother’s battle against cancer will be a losing one. Shattered, her father loses his dreams in an instant—his beloved wife and his will to coach. Left to pick up the pieces, a devastated Maggie finds herself relying on the steadfast support of her childhood best friend, Lance Whitmore. Despite the fact that Maggie has never seen Lance as more than a friend, his heart has always been hers. Lance does what he can to help Maggie work through her grief, and soon their friendship blossoms into love. But when distance threatens their relationship, Maggie is torn between building a life with the man she loves and helping her broken father rebuild his life.

    Not that she cares, though. This holiday season, like all the ones before it, she plans to spend curled up with her laptop, visions of pound signs dancing through her head. When a blizzard traps Janna in the country with handsome Alistair Randall, CEO of the UK's biggest Christmas tree supplier, Janna must either embrace the holiday spirit or risk losing her PR firm's biggest client. Can Janna muster up some Christmas cheer, or will her bah humbug attitude cost her dearly?