Plato wasn't a bad sort, and Euclid was bright enough, but the modern variety of male holds no appeal for her. To earn ownership of a lovely country estate with a delightfully well stocked library, Ada must raise funds for an orphanage full of noisy, malodorous urchins.As if that isn't challenge enough, her only ally in this endeavor, is the headmaster, Lord John, who loves children, referees cricket matches, and plucks Ada’s very, very last nerve, even though she knows his devotion to the children is genuine, as is the orphanage’s need for funds. Opposites don’t always attract, but in this case, they must work together for thirty days, or neither Ada’s nor John’s dreams will ever come true.B is for Beautiful Secrets by Vanessa RileyDesperate to win proper dowries for his younger sisters, August Sedgewick has thirty days to sell his treasured art, make amends with his estranged brother, Lord Haverthon, and endure the prickly company of the business-minded Miss Nettles. The dedicated dressmaker is the toughest part of the deal for she's more adroit at lecturing him on the habits of trade than succumbing to his charms. Yet, the sparkle of joy radiating in her spectacles as August distracts her with leisurely picnics and long rides in the park, teaches him more than he bargained for.Modiste for those with secrets--pregnant brides-to-be, aging courtesans desperate to keep their patron's attention, Mary-Anne Nettles would love the opportunity to have her talent out of the shadows and as she creates the bridal gown for the event of the season, the Earl of Haverthon's wedding. To win that chance, the demure woman must spend time with the earl's flamboyant brother helping him set up a business in trade. Yet, Mr. Sedgewick proves a difficult student, teaching Mary-Anne about fun and drawing her deeper into the unseen turmoil of Ton.Can two very different souls rise above secrets to find a forever love for all the world to see?C is for The Chapel of Love by Kelly BowenHenry Blackmore has always been a black sheep. He's defied his ducal family, ignored expectations, and overcome tragedy to chase his own dreams of becoming a renowned architect. The only task standing between his fierce ambition and everything he's ever wanted is the restoration of his family's crumbling country manor. But first, he has to do something about Heaton Hall's impossible steward.Heaton Hall was essentially abandoned when Maeve Murray became steward after the death of her father. When Henry arrives with his pockets full of cash, Maeve is delighted - until she realizes that the money is not to help the struggling tenants but to restore the frivolous ballroom. Nonetheless, Maeve and Henry, they need each other, and working together might just restore more than a crumbling manor - it could restore two broken hearts!

    That he also finds homes in libraries for stray cats is merely a sensible exercise in controlling the mouse population...or something.Antonia Mainwaring is practical to a fault and all but on the shelf. When a certain soft-spoken library patron talks her into allowing a large male feline to bide on the premises, somebody starts purring—and it's not the cat!Lieutenant Mayhew’s Catastrophes by Emily LarkinWhen Lieutenant Mayhew boards the stagecoach bound for Southampton he anticipates an uneventful journey. True, he’s carrying kittens, but it’s only eighty miles. What could possibly go wrong?He’s not expecting to meet the enchanting Miss Willemina Culpepper. Nor is he expecting the kittens to be quite so good at vanishing. Mayhew has faced many challenges in his career as a soldier. Traveling from London to Southampton should not be a challenge. Except that it is.

    But that plan falls into tatters when his mother sponsors his sister's friend and enlists him to dance with her at Almack's. The beautiful vixen he meets that night bears little resemblance to the shy, gangly girl who used to follow him around. Now, instead of avoiding Charlotte, he finds himself frustrated when she seems to notice everyone but him.

    And then, because he refuses to tear himself away from the stables where he trains Arabian racehorses, she invites all those ladies to a house party, along with some other bachelors, of course. So who will Hugh choose? The Botticelli-esque, enchanting Gwendolyn? The outspoken, delightful Katherine? If he doesn't work fast, he'll lose those ladies to his closest friends, and then where will he look for a wife? Perhaps, just perhaps, toward a lady who's not on a market at all, and would require a great deal of persuading...

     Includes four Balogh holiday classics, The Star of Bethlehem, The Best Gift, Playing House, and No Room At the Inn, as well as A Family Christmas, which is only available in this anthology.

    Will a sizzling wager be enough to melt the frost between them, or will it truly remain the coldest winter in London?April – The Duke and the April Flowers by Grace Burrowes — The Duke of Clonmere must marry one of the Earl of Falmouth’s three giggling younger daughters, but Lady Iris—Falmouth’s oldest, who is not at all inclined to giggling—catches Clonmere’s eye, and his heart!May – Love Letters from a Duke by Gina Conkle — The Duke of Richland needs a proper duchess, but he wants his thoroughly fun, entirely inappropriate neighbor, Mrs. Charlotte Chatham. She’s widowed, older, and if the whispers prove true—barren.June – Her Perfect Duke by Ella Quinn — Still suffering over the loss of his wife and child, Giles, Duke of Kendal sees Lady Thalia Trevor at a market and is instantly smitten. There is only one problem. She is already betrothed to another man. Will she defy her powerful father to marry him? July – How to Ditch a Duke by May McGoldrick — Lady Taylor Fleming is an heiress with a suitor on her tail. Her plan to ditch him is simple, escape to the Highlands. But there is nothing simple about the Duke of Bamberg. And even with the best laid plans, things can go awry…August – To Tempt A Highland Duke by Bronwen Evans — Widowed Lady Flora Grafton must be dreaming. Dougray Firth, Duke of Monreith, who once pledged her his heart but then allowed her to marry another, has just proposed. Why now, after eight years? When she learns the truth, can she trust Dougray to love her enough this time?September – Duke in Search of a Duchess by Jennifer Ashley — The meticulous Duke of Ashford is dismayed when his children ask Helena Courtland, the gossipy, busybody young widow next door, to find Ash a new wife. But she sweeps into his home and his life, turning Ash’s precisely ordered world into a chaotic whirlwind.October – Dear Duke by Anna Harrington — When the Duke of Monmouth, decides to build a canal, he isn’t prepared for an old mill owner and his daughter to stand in his way. The only person who understands him is the anonymous pen pal to whom he’s been pouring out his heart, a woman not at all who she seems.November – Must Love Duke by Heather Snow — Lady Emmaline Paulson already has the only Duke she wants in her life—an adorable puppy she rescued from the Serpentine with the help of a handsome stranger. Can Maxwell Granville, heir to a dukedom, convince her there’s room for him, too?December – The Mistletoe Duke by Sabrina York — The Duchess of Devon can't think of a better way to tempt her widowed son into marrying again, than to throw a Christmas Ball. And there simply must be mistletoe everywhere! But it's not until Jonathan meets his mother's humble companion under the mistletoe, that fireworks erupt.January – Dueling with the Duke by Eileen Dreyer — When Adam Marrick, Duke of Rothray, shows up on Georgie Grace’s doorstep, she thinks it is to become acquainted with his cousin James’s widow and daughter. Instead he brings news that will completely upend their lives and put them all in danger.

    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.

    But 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.His Duchess for a Day by USA Today Bestseller Christi Caldwell It was never meant to be…That’s what Elizabeth Terry has told herself while trying to forget the man she married--her once best friend. Passing herself off as a widow, Elizabeth has since built a life for herself as an instructor at a finishing school, far away from that greatest of mistakes. But the past has a way of finding you, and now that her husband has found her, Elizabeth must face the man she’s tried to forget.It was time to right a wrong…Crispin Ferguson, the Duke of Huntington, has spent the past years living with regret. The young woman he married left without a by-your-leave, and his hasty elopement had devastating repercussions. Despite everything, Crispin never stopped thinking about Elizabeth. Now that he’s found her, he has one request—be his duchess, publicly, just for a day. Can spending time together as husband and wife rekindle the bond they once shared? Or will a shocking discovery tear them apart...this time, forever?

    And I'm more tired and hungry than I have ever been in my life. Please let me come home.Compromised and wedded on the same day, Lady Miranda was fast finding married life not to her taste. A decaying manor and a secretive husband were hardly the stuff of girlish dreams. Yet every time she looked at dark, brooding Marcus Radwell, Duke of Haughleigh, she felt inexplicably compelled—and determined—to make their marriage real!

    The friendly Londoners shake up the staid people of Hemshawe, and villagers see each other in a new and oh-so-appealing light. Suddenly long-sparring enemies become lovers, a town festival heralds a new start for a fallen woman and a dandy, and a man who has given up on love gets a second chance with the woman he never forgot. And the matchmaker herself? She won’t rest until she finds her own happily-ever-after… A Madness in Spring by Kate Noble Adam Sturridge has made Belinda Leonard’s blood boil since childhood, and the feeling is mutual. But when a would-be matchmaker arrives in the village of Hemshawe, she’d determined to erase the thin line between love and hate. Now, Belinda and Adam are faced with falling for someone they’ve always considered an enemy — can they overcome old prejudices and discover how to rub each other the right way? The Summer of Wine and Scandal by Shana Galen When viscount’s son and dandy Peregrine Lochley is temporarily exiled from London to the country for his misdeeds, the last thing he expects is to encounter an intriguing woman. But Caroline Martin has a secret to hide, and it just might be too scandalous for even this debauched rogue. Those Autumn Nights by Theresa Romain Ten years ago, wealthy Eliza Greenleaf broke lowly soldier Bertram Gage’s heart—but the last decade brought changes in fortune to them both. Now that he’s made his mark on the world, a twist of fate brings the Greenleaf family under his power. Will this war-hardened officer triumph over his former lover…or will Bertie and Eliza give love a second chance? The Season for Loving by Vanessa Kelly Miss Georgie Gage, matchmaker extraordinaire, is resigned to life as a spinster—almost. When notoriously aloof bachelor Fergus Haddon arrives from Scotland to spend Christmas with the Gage family, Georgie thinks she’s finally found her own perfect match—if, that is, she can get the handsome Highlander to agree!

    . . that doctor could sit by my bedside if I ever got sick. And Ned Blydon in Splendid by Julia Quinn . . . he makes me want to learn to waltz! I never thought living in a drafty castle would be much fun until Simon of Ravenswood in Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor came along.Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that these are my men—when do they get their stories?Sincerely,A Romance Fan___________________________________ Against All Odds by Lisa KleypasWhen eminently sensible Lydia Craven decides to marry for security rather than love, she doesn't calculate on the determination of devil-may-care doctor Jake Linley to rewrite the romantic formula. A Tale of Two Sisters by Julia QuinnDashing Ned Blydon is in a most unenviable predicament—he's engaged to one Thornton sister, while being secretly in love with the other. Midsummer's Knight by Kinley MacGregorWhen Simon of Ravenswood secretly answered Lady Kenna's letters in the name of a powerful earl, he was only being polite. Little did he know the lady would fall in love with the author and come between him, his best friend, and a solemn vow made long ago.

     Caroline, Lady Beaumont, arrives in London seeking excitement after ten dreary years of marriage and an even drearier year of mourning. That means conquering society, dancing like there’s no tomorrow, and taking a lover to provide passion without promises. Promises, in this dashing widow’s dictionary, equal prison. So what is an adventurous lady to do when she loses her heart to a notorious rake who, for the first time in his life, wants forever? Devilish Silas Nash, Viscount Stone is in love at last with a beautiful, headstrong widow bent on playing the field. Worse, she’s enlisted his help to set her up with his disreputable best friend. No red-blooded man takes such a challenge lying down, and Silas schemes to seduce his darling into his arms, warm, willing and besotted. But will his passionate plots come undone against a woman determined to act the mistress, but never the wife?

    . . A Lady Awakened.Newly widowed and desperate to protect her estate and beloved servants from her malevolent brother-in-law, Martha Russell conceives a daring plan. Or rather, a daring plan to conceive. After all, if she has an heir on the way, her future will be secured. Forsaking all she knows of propriety, Martha approaches her neighbor, a London exile with a wicked reputation, and offers a strictly business proposition: a month of illicit interludes . . . for a fee.Theophilus Mirkwood ought to be insulted. Should be appalled. But how can he resist this siren in widow’s weeds, whose offer is simply too outrageously tempting to decline? Determined she’ll get her money’s worth, Theo endeavors to awaken this shamefully neglected beauty to the pleasures of the flesh—only to find her dead set against taking any enjoyment in the scandalous bargain. Surely she can’t resist him forever. But could a lady’s sweet surrender open their hearts to the most unexpected arrival of all . . . love?

    (According to the lady herself.)Titled and irreproachably proper. (According to her fiancé.)Until, overnight, she becomesLady Lucy Towerton:Heiress. (Thanks to an aged aunt’s bequest.)Belle of the ball. (So say the fortune hunters of the ton.)In charge of her own destiny (finally!), Lucy breaks her engagement and makes up her mind never to be proper again…NOTE: This novella is related to "The Duke Is Mine" and includes Olivia Lytton.

    Nevertheless, his mother is playing matchmaker and has invited potential brides to visit the family estate. Geoffrey resigns himself to playing host to a gaggle of husband-hunters more interested in his title than in him—until he unexpectedly meets one notable and intriguing exception. Miss Liliana Claremont has no interest in being an earl’s wife, least of all Wentworth’s—the son of the man she believes murdered her father. Liliana is determined to find evidence of the crime, but her behavior rouses the earl’s suspicions as well as her own undeniable attraction to a man she thought was her enemy. As Geoffrey and Liliana explore their growing passion for one another, the truth behind their fathers’ enmity threatens to destroy their newfound love…