Year in, year out, they'll learn that love often comes in unexpected packages.“And Then Came Spring” by Margaret BrownleyMary-Jo has traveled halfway across the world to meet her match, arriving just in time for his funeral. Returning home seems like her only option until her would-be brother-in-law proposes a more daring idea.“An Ever-After Summer” by Debra CloptonEllie had no idea she's not what Matthew ordered. And what's wrong with being a "Bible thumper" anyway? She's determined to show him she's tougher than she looks--and just the girl he needs.“Autumn’s Angel” by Robin Lee HatcherLuvena would be perfect for Clay if she didn't come with kids. But kids are a deal breaker, especially in a rough-and-trouble mining town. The trouble is, there's no money to send them back...“Winter Wedding Bells” by Mary ConnealyDavid's convinced he's not long for the world. He needs someone to mother his boys when he's gone--nothing more. Can plucky Irish Megan convince him to work at living instead of dying?

     As Cricket lay in the soft comfort of her bed, continuing to let her mind nest on thoughts of how truly wonderfully attractive Texas Ranger Thibodaux was, she giggled, thinking that looking at him was more refreshing than swimming naked on a summer Sunday afternoon. He was a tall drink of water—far taller than most of the other men in town—and his shoulders were as broad as the state of Texas itself. Sky-blue eyes, bronze skin, square jaw, and dark hair—and that smile! In truth, Cricket had only seen Heathro Thibodaux smile three or four times, but each incidence was something she’d never forget. His smile was bright and white, and the gold tooth he owned on the upper-right incisor of his smile only embellished the richness of it. That one tooth. Cricket’s smile faded as she thought of it. Oh, no doubt the flash only added to the splendor of his smile. Yet it also served as a reminder to anyone who had ever read or heard of what had happened in Texas one year before. No doubt it was a powerful remembrance to Heathro Thibodaux himself—a visual indication of true barbarity, pain, and loss. In that moment, Cricket wondered—when Heathro looked in the mirror each morning and saw that tooth, did he think of eight dead girls buried in the bottom of a bleak and barren canyon? Did he think of the eight dead girls that he, for no fault of his own, had been unable to save?

    Upon meeting the marshal, however, she is shocked and dismayed to discover that he is none other than the man who gunned her father down that fateful night.Though Clive Brookstone was an evil man who needed killing, the knowledge that he left a young woman orphaned tore at Nathan Haskin's conscience from the moment he pulled the trigger, and he has secretly provided for Emma's needs since that day. Certain that hearing about her father's legacy of lawless violence would break her heart, he concealed it from her, but now that she has returned to Bannack her persistence eventually prompts him to tell her the full story.To make matters more complicated, Nathan finds his desire to protect Emma quickly growing into a powerful need to tame and possess her, and when her foolish behavior puts her safety at risk he doesn't hesitate to take her in hand and spank her soundly. His stern chastisement leaves her furious yet helplessly aroused, and it isn't long before he claims her hard and thoroughly.In her heart, Emma knows what Nathan tells her is true--that her father's death was just--but writhing in ecstasy as she is utterly dominated by the man who killed him fills her with shame nonetheless, and she does her best to deny her lust for the handsome marshal. Will the day ever come when she can put aside the past and surrender herself fully to the man she once hated?Publisher's Note: Emma's Surrender includes sexual scenes and spankings. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

    Desperate for peace, Radford is ambushed by his unexpected and forbidden love for Evelyn—his brother's fiancée.

    . . a wounded beast. Can the curse threatening their happiness be broken?There is absolutely nothing improper about Hannah Foster, the vicar of Hartley's eldest and least pretty daughter, nursing the badly wounded Viscount Blackthorn back to health-that's if the returned officer can be saved. At twenty-seven, she is two years the man's senior, a confirmed spinster, and far too sensible to develop feelings for her patient. The fact he was once her childhood friend and has grown into a fine specimen of a man-his terrible scars notwithstanding-has no bearing on the matter. The viscount is unlikely to see past her plain exterior and recognise the caring, intelligent, passionate woman beneath. Even if he does, he's determined to break the curse that has plagued his family for generations by letting his bloodline die out. Her best friend Grace's warnings are moot; a man of Lord Blackthorn's wealth and position would never be interested in a woman like Hannah . . . would he? Returning to his childhood home, a place he'd vowed never to set foot in again, William doesn't expect to survive the terrible wounds he received while fighting the French at Arapiles-certainly not with all his limbs intact. Bullied into making what can only be described as a miraculous recovery, William can't decide if his nurse, the hazel-eyed woman with the lovely voice, is an angel or a devilish imp. She torments him, both with the foul-tasting concoctions she insists on coaxing down his throat, and by showing him a taste of heaven . . . of what might have been . . . if he were not cursed by the sins of his forefathers.

    She's been lusting from afar, but little does she know he's been taking steps to make her his.Jack Bates has been obsessed with Raven since the second he saw her. The Halloween school dance is his opening to make her his and make sure she never gets away. Warning: Their story is fast, hot, and sugary sweet! Grab some candy corn and throw it in the trash... Then get some chocolate and snuggle up with this adorable read!

    However, it soon becomes strikingly apparent to Sophia that she is the true gem Bad Jack sought. Intrigued, she willingly submits to every tantalizing taboo he metes out to her.Dressed as a masked highwayman, Jack Badcock, Earl of Stafford, thinks he is acting out the fantasies of a woman he knows only through lurid letters. As Jack tames her with blindfolds, sensual spankings and an array of torrid toys, she plays her role as the abducted, submissive virgin convincingly--too convincingly. By the time Jack uncovers his fantasy lover's true identity, it's far, far too late.

    On her own for the first time, will she find the place where she belongs? Being a bounty hunter was all Milo thought he could ever be. Baggage from his past keeps him from the one thing his heart desires; a family. Will Kitty and Milo find common ground? Will the law bring them together or will their pasts and fears keep them apart?

    Widower Jake Wythe has secured a job as a bank manager in Denver, only to discover that the bank board wants him to be a married man. With Texas in his roots, he advertises for a Lone Star bride, and Marty answers the call. They both agree they are done with romance and love and will make this nothing more than a marriage of convenience.Marty works to carve out a new life in high-society Denver as Jake works to guide the bank through a collapsing economy. But when money goes missing at the bank and accounting discrepancies point to Jake, he must find a way to prove his innocence. Yet all he wants to do is go back to Texas and own his own ranch. Marty, on the other hand, owns a ranch–one she’s never told her husband about. She hates Texas because it represents the losses in her life. But as the couple grows closer and love begins to bloom, Marty realizes she needs to tell Jake the truth. Can she come to terms with the past and her anger toward God in order to make room for love?

    But he's never faced demands like those heaped on him by Kristy Kwong, the diva who's haunted his dreams for two decades. Kristy's got her own secrets--the debilitating stage fright that's kept her from performing publicly for years to start--and this concert is the last chance to save her career. But can he locate her lost passion without losing his precious control?"Unraveled" by Olivia DadeMath teacher Simon Burnham--cool, calm, controlled--can't abide problems with no good solution. Which makes his current work assignment, mentoring art teacher Poppy Wick, nothing short of torture. She's warm but sharp. Chaotic but meticulous. Simultaneously the most frustrating and most alluring woman he's ever known. And in her free time, she makes murder dioramas. Murder dioramas, for heaven's sake. But the more tightly wound a man is, the faster he unravels--and despite his best efforts, he soon finds himself attempting to solve three separate mysteries: a murder in miniature, the unexplained disappearance of a colleague...and the unexpected theft of his cold, cold heart."Caught Looking" by Adriana HerreraWhen best friends Yariel and Hatuey's gaming night turns into an unexpected and intense hook up, Hatuey can't wait to do it again. Yariel is less certain--the major leaguer might seem to all the world like he has a heart of stone, but he's been carrying a torch for his friend for years, and worries this will ruin the most important relationship in his life. That means Hatuey has to do all the work, and he's planning to give it all he's got. Yariel may be the one hitting home runs on the field...but Hatuey is playing a game of seduction, and he knows exactly how to make Yariel crumble."Yes, And..." by Ruby LangWhen rheumatologist Darren Zhang accidentally sits in on acting teacher Joan Lacy's improv class, he's unprepared for the attraction that hits him--and he's a man who likes to be prepared. Joan is caring for her ailing mother and barely has time to keep up her art, let alone date. But as the pair play out an unlikely relationship during stolen moments, they both find themselves wanting to say yes, and... much more."Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat SebastianMassachusetts, 1959: Some people might accuse mathematician Everett Sloane of being stuffy, but really he just prefers things a certain way: predictable, quiet, and far away from Tommy Cabot--his former best friend, chaos incarnate, and the man who broke his heart. The youngest son of a prominent political family, Tommy threw away his future by coming out to his powerful brothers. When he runs into Everett, who fifteen years ago walked away from Tommy without an explanation or a backward glance, his old friend's chilliness is just another reminder of how bad a mess Tommy has made of his life. When Everett realizes that his polite formality is hurting Tommy, he needs to decide whether he can unbend enough to let Tommy get close but without letting himself get hurt the way he was all those years ago.

    Dare she ask Cooper Jerome, recently returned from the War of the States, if he would put his life on hold for, say, five months to drive her wagon; and that doesn't include his return trip. At this point, she's out of options.

    If she survived Uncle Jackson, she can survive anyone.When Sky Jordan hears that his nefarious cousin has sent for a mail-order bride, he knows he has to prevent the marriage. No woman deserves to be left to that fate. Still, he’s as surprised as anyone to find himself standing next to her before the minister.Brooke’s new husband turns out to be kinder than any man has ever been. But then the unthinkable happens and she holds the key that might save innocent lives but destroy Sky all in one fell swoop. It’s a choice too unbearable to contemplate…but a choice that must be made.A thirsty soul. Alluring hope. An Oasis of love.Step into a day when outlaws ran free, the land was wild, and guns blazed at the drop of a hat.

    She could pass as a twin to Hannah Merrill, his former partner whom he thought he lost in a fire. If she's still alive, it can only mean one thing — that she faked her own death — leaving Gabe precious little time to track down the missing beauty before the past she’s been running from finally catches up to her.Book 2: Cold-Feet CallieWhen a runaway bride meets a true cowboy...Tennyson Barra, a claim jumper turned rancher, is ready to settle down with a wife and family of his own. He figures the easiest way to find the perfect woman is to let the Boomtown Mail Order Brides Company do the searching for him. He never counted on his prospective bride being kidnapped by highwaymen on her journey out West. Or being the man sent to rescue her — only to discover she never intended to follow through with their marriage contract in the first place…Book 3: Fiery FelicityWhen love and the law collide…Levi Barra receives a telegram warning him to pay off a loan he wasn’t aware existed or risk losing his ranch. Since his sister has been badgering him about finding a good woman to marry, he decides the quickest way to solve both his problems is to advertise for a mail-order bride with a background in law.Book 4: Misunderstood MegA lonely federal marshal working undercover, a wealthy heiress posing as a mail-order bride, a marriage of convenience that turns out to be anything but convenient…Meg Gladstone is a wealthy heiress who’s never tasted life outside the palatial fortress where she was raised for her own safety. The moment her late father’s shipping dynasty transfers to his business partner, she pursues her dream of living an normal, ordinary life. On a whim, she walks into a mail-order bride agency to inquire who would employ such an outlandish means to find a husband. To her surprise, the matchmaker spins a tale about love, family, and acceptance — all the things she longs for that her money can’t buy.★ A sweet western historical romantic suspense series with humor, heart, and happily-ever-afters! Each title can be read as a standalone. ★

    He suspects Bella feels the same way, so why is she intent on marrying another man? And what kind of future can he offer her now that he's wanted by the law?

    Only it isn’t a what that she’s wishing for this year… it’s a who. But what are the odds that Santa can fit Jacob Marley in her stocking? Warning: Some of the best gifts come in small packages. Which is a good thing since this sweet & sexy novella is short… but not as short as the blurb!