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.

     Sebastian, Lord Byrne, has never been one for rules. He’s thought about touching Mary Clayton—a lot—and struggled to resist temptation. But when Mary’s bridegroom leaves her waiting the altar, only Sebastian can save her from ruin. By marrying her himself. In eleven years, he’s never laid a finger on his best friend’s sister. Now he’s going to take her with both hands. To have, to hold…and to love.

    2 Miss Brockhurst's Christmas Campaign by Jo Beverley - Penelope competes with debutante for Cherryholt heir Ross Skerries. 3 Intrigue and Mistletoe by Joanna Bourne - Elinor Pennington is found by Jack Tyler, former lover, spy searching French agent.4 Wench in Wonderland by Patricia Rice - After coach accident, companion Damaris Bedloe is mistaken for Lady Alice by Adam, Viscount Trevelyan and motherless brood. 5 On a Wicked Winter's Night by Nicola Cornick - Wales innkeeper Lydia Cole houses once-rejected childhood friend John Jerrold, new Baron of Newport castle estate. 6 Weathering the Storm by Cara Elliot - Boston seaworthy Sophie Thirkell captains boat bought by elegant English diplomat Bentley, Lord Leete. 7 The Mistletoe Bride by Anne Gracie - Scotland Laird Ronan McAllister buys dying wife Mrs Smith, who gives care of toddlers to fellow coach passenger Marguerite Blackett-Smith. 8 A Wilder Wench by Susan King - Scottish Highland new sheriff Lord Dunallan has documents to free brother of Cristina Heron-Shaw, smuggler's orphan.

    Her only desire in life is to remain independent, free from men and the shackles of marriage. But when Maybelle lays eyes on Edmund Worthington, the Duke of Rutherford, at a soir e, and hears of his scandalous reputation, she decides he's the perfect person for her to have a tryst with no strings attached.IT MUST BE GIVEN.Unbridled passion has again muddied Edmund Worthington's family name. After his very public dalliance with the strikingly beautiful and sensual Maybelle, his mother insists he marry her. But much to the Duke's surprise, Maybelle scoffs at his proposal. Never has he encountered such a brazen—and maddeningly irresistible—woman. But when Maybelle's grandmother falls ill, forcing Maybelle to take over the operation of her school, Edmund devises a plan to make her his. He enrolls in the school, where no one other than Maybelle must give him expert lessons in carnal pleasure.

    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!

    Will Maddox simply needed to kiss the Duke's daughter, a bluestocking and a wallflower. But the more time he spends with Lady Amelia Chase, the more he realizes he wants so much more."An Improper Christmas" by Amy Rose BennettWhen Miss Lily Godwin has a chance encounter with the mischievous Lord Nash at a Yuletide house party, she is sorely tempted. "The Duke and I" by Heather BoydThe Duke of Stapleton abhors Christmas nonsense, but could a kiss exchanged under mistletoe with his daughter's shy companion alter his opinion of the season?"Secluded with My Hellion" by Dawn BrowerIn the midst of the blizzard, Gavin Barrington, the Earl of Havenwood, and Lady Odessa Lynwood must overcome the earl's worst fears and figure out if their love can conquer the challenges they must face."Her Perfect Rogue" by Amanda MarielWhen Julia Honeyfield is sent away to a brothel, she runs away...only to find herself in the Duke of Selkirk's arms. Dare she trust him to protect her?"The Twelve Nights of Christmas" by Nina MasonRollo Gillingham has only twelve nights to win back Penelope Pembroke, the woman he left with his promise to return ten years before. Come Christmas Day, which will she choose--the man she loves or the man her parents want her to marry?"Bedded Under a Christmastide Moon" by Christina McKnightBrigham Clarke, Viscount Whitmore, has endlessly championed those less fortunate than himself by introducing social reform bills in London...all while his wife, Melloria, remains alone in Hertfordshire. When Brigham arrives for the Christmastide holiday, Melloria has only one thing on her mind--the seduction of her husband!"The Rogue's Seduction" by Lauren SmithLondon's favorite lady seeks the help and protection of London's most wicked devil to escape one marriage, only to fall into another.

    Rumor and speculation still surround the mysterious disappearance of his young bride.As family, friends and servants gather, further scandal comes close on their heels. Passion and intrigue, secrets and desire, make for surprising bedfellows--both above and below stairs. It promises to be the most memorable house party of the Season!The Fortune Hunter--Nicola CornickAn Uncommon Abigail--Joanna MaitlandThe Prodigal Bride--Elizabeth RollsThree dramatic stories. One whirl of a Country House Party.

    Among the swirling glitter of English high society, a scandalous rogue gets more than he bargained for in the lady of his desires.Lord Nash is a creature of the night -- his wealth and title provide but a tenuous entrée into polite society. Notorious for his sophisticated manners and a dark, dashing elegance, rumors abound of the men he has bankrupted and the women he's left heartbroken. But when Nash leaves his lair for a rare foray into the ton, he faces a lure of temptation all his own -- an extraordinary moment of passion with a mysterious lady in the moonlight -- and an obsession that will lead him into a hellish world of smugglers, spies, and intrigue. And as for his damsel in disguise, the witty and beautiful Miss Xanthia Neville, he soon learns, is as unattainable as she is tempting. And now Nash must decide if she is also dangerous. . . .

    But is Phoebe his wife, if their marriage was never consummated?As an infamous pirate, Griffin claimed and kept gold and jewels… but this is one treasure that will not be so easy to capture.As You Wish is a special collection in Eloisa's Fairy Tales that pairs a novella previously published electronically, Seduced by a Pirate, with a brand new, longer story, With this Kiss.

    . . a compromising positionLady Charlotte Brandon is always up to something . . . but somehow her best schemes for matchmaking often end in disaster.Scheme: A family feud, outrageously false rumors, a shattered priceless vase . . . an even more compromising positionIt's no wonder she's considered by at least one devastatingly handsome man to be devious, destructive, and dangerously appealing.Scheme: A fox, a rabbit, a childhood foe, and a dashing rogue . . . the proposal to end all proposalsIt's high time someone turned the tables on the lovely Lady Charlotte, and James Beauchamp is just the man to do it. Even if it means beating Charlotte at her devious game with a scandalous scheme of his own.

    But who will be the bride? With swoonworthy lords, witty ladies, eccentric relatives, a gaggle of free-spirited girls, not to mention the world’s best high perch phaeton, it’s a recipe for mayhem—and romance. Award winning, best-selling authors Katharine Ashe, Caroline Linden, Miranda Neville and Maya Rodale serve up delectable Regency fun and a sexy contemporary twist in this anthology of original novellas. Four authors, four couples, four deliciously romantic surprises. When it comes to love, anything can happen… That Rogue Jack by Maya Rodale Jack, Lord Willoughby is charming, handsome, and utterly irresponsible. In other words, he’s the worst person to entrust with the ducal wedding ring. Miss Henrietta Black is prim, proper and the ideal person to help find the priceless family heirloom that’s gone missing… as long as she isn’t distracted by Jack’s gorgeous smile and tantalizing attempts at seduction. They MUST find the ring before the wedding… if they aren’t too busy falling in love. P.S. I Love You by Miranda Neville Handsome, inarticulate Frank Newnham asks for his cousin, Christian's help when he woos Rosanne Lacy by letter. Rosanne falls for Frank's delicious prose, but when they meet in person at the duke's wedding party, Rosanne can't understand why Frank seems so... dull. And why is she drawn to the dark brooding Earl of Bruton, with his scarred face and air of melancholy? When I Met My Duchess by Caroline LindenGareth Cavendish, Duke of Wessex, believes he’s chosen the perfect bride… until he meets her sister, and lightning strikes—literally! Now, he’s the only member of society dreading the wedding of the season. Or is he? Cleo Barrows can’t fathom why her knees weaken every time the handsome duke approaches, or why her sister isn’t in the clouds at the prospect of marrying him. But the more often wedding plans throw Cleo and Gareth intimately together, the faster time is running out to turn the celebration of the summer into the scandal of the year. How Angela Got Her Rogue Back by Katharine AsheWhen gorgeous Lord Trenton Ascot beckons to history grad student Angela Cowdrey from the pages of a comic book, she thinks she’s going crazy. When Trent rescues her from a lake, and she claims she’s from the future, he knows he is. But a blackmailer is threatening Trent’s family, and Angela is determined to help. While unraveling the mystery of her time-travel trip to the duke’s wedding, this modern girl and Regency lord just might discover a passion that defies centuries.

    Now four of today’s bestselling historical romance writers—Victoria Alexander, Liz Carlyle, Eloisa James and Cathy Maxwell—show us what can happen when the man you thought was out of your life forever returns. In this stirring quarter of original novellas, four sets of star-crossed lovers are given the golden opportunity to relive the passion . . . and set the past right. Fate has brought these couples back together, but only love can determine if each is just momentary madness or a reunion that will last for all time.Included stories are:"The Trouble With Charlotte" by Victoria Alexander"Much Ado About Twelfth Night" by Liz Carlyle"A Fool Again" by Eloisa James"Nightingale" by Cathy Maxwell

    Clair has long been a thorn in Daphne Summerville’s side. But when she is forced to act as his nursemaid after a bizarre accident, Daphne discovers that the Notorious Marquess has sensual talents she never knew existed.LADY ASHTON TAKES A LOVERLady Ashton’s friends finally convince her to take a lover for the summer. At a wicked masquerade ball, she meets a mysterious man who fires her passions and turns her world completely upside down, threatening all she holds dear.THE WEDDING PARTYJilted by her intended, Lady Althea Ramsay calls in a favor from her brother’s friend, the Duke of Wakefield. He will pose as her fiancé at a society wedding which the odious man will be attending. But Althea soon discovers that playing a part can set real desires burning in the human heart.Also includes an excerpt from the Regency Historical Romance, SEDUCING THE BRIDE, by Michelle McMasterWith a foreword by USA Today Bestselling Author JULIANNE MACLEAN

    Propelled through time into situations rich with possibility and fraught with danger, these sexy, sassy heroines each seek their dreamed of happy ending.Will souls separated by time be reunited—or kept apart—forever?

    But one man has managed to distract her attention from her schedule of charity endeavors -- and not just because he holds the deed to her estate.The man in question, Archibald Warner, is the new Earl of Sachse. Though at first meeting he suspects his new ward of being nothing more than a social bit of fluff, the more time passes, the more he finds himself drawn to her. But there is something she is hiding from him, and she hesitates to show him her real heart, even though she wishes she could learn to trust him with it. For somehow she knows... if only she can give him the chance, he will teach her everything she could hope to learn about love.