Collaborating for the first time, Christina Dodd and Connie Brockway take readers on an unforgettable adventure -- from medieval times to present day -- that sparkles with love and laughter. Once Upon a Pillow Within a beautiful old English manor house lies a sumptuous antique bed, one of many Masterson family heirlooms that have been sold along with the house. As Laurel Whitney leads the last tour group through the house before it's closed to the public, she regales the visitors with romanticized tales of how this exquisite bed affected the lives of the couples who slept in it. The actual stories -- of a bawdy medieval knight trying to woo his reluctant bride; an insolvent Elizabethan aristocrat who plans to ruin a wealthy heiress but beds her impoverished cousin instead; and a feisty Regency lady whose scheme goes awry when she mistakenly manacles herself (and a dashing colonel) to the bedpost -- are funnier and certainly sexier than anything a tour guide could ever tell! Shocked to see her lover from the past on the tour, Laurel is even more surprised to find their love rekindled when a twist of fate leaves them no choice but to spend the night in the famed Masterson bed.

    He must wed for coin and land, despite his betrothed's terror--and his own fascination for another woman, Lady Sophie Hay. 2 Bitten by Lynsay SandsAfter brooding Keeran MacKay saves Emily Wentworth Collins from a storm-tossed ship: he offers her shelter in his secluded castle. But when a savage kiss reveals Keeran's true nature, Emily realizes that yielding to Keeran's untamed desire may change her own life. . .forever. 3 Stranger in the Night by Sara BlayneGeorgiana Thornberry hopes to unearth ancient treasure while exploring the moldering ruins of her ancestral home. Instead she encounters Julius Lathrop. Does the enigmatic--and disturbingly attractive--stranger hold the key to a family legend? Or something far more sinister? 4 The Awakening by Kate HuntingtonOrphaned Thalia Layton is stricken to hear that her beloved, eccentric Aunt Cordelia has taken ill. But upon her arrival at Cordelia's remote estate, Thalia discovers that her aunt has harbored dangerous secrets--and that Thalia's own attraction to Adrian Lucerne, Cordelia's mysterious--and oddly nocturnal--companion, may prove to be a sensual temptation that will cost her life. . .

    A most eligible bachelor, whose secret alter-ego--the mysterious Peacock--champions the cause of Britain's poor, woos a beautiful nobody and elevates her in status to the toast of London. Original Regency Romance.

     Three ladies share a temporary seaside residence in Brighton to escape the London season's gossip and matchmaking. These women are most assuredly not looking for flirtation--much less love--and they would all agree that dukes are a perishing lot of bother anyway. Fortunately for our heroines, three fellows who are not dukes come waltzing by with much more than casual flirtation in mind...

    Portia, however, is about to marry another man. Northword tells himself it is wrong to interfere in her life at this late hour, but interfere he cannot help, with his words, his body, and the truths of his heart.This novella was originally featured in the anthology "Midnight Scandals".

    Fortunately, a gorgeous musician at the Duchess of Ormond's house party presents the perfect candidate for scandal…​Previously published in the Essex Sisters Official Companion Guide (e only). At Midnight ​Elias Hempleworth-Gray has one thing and one thing only of value—his title, Earl of Leyton. Determined to leave England and the scandal of his gambler father behind, Elias hopes to turn his fortunes around and come back a respectable man to claim the only woman for him, Miss Penelope White. But Penny has other plans for the man she has loved all her life…plans that include a masquerade, a stolen kiss and a lost shoe.Previously published in the Fairy Tale sampler (print only). Ever After When she was sixteen, Miss Violet Leighton spent one blissful month romping around her family estate with Rothwell Talcott…thirty days of shared kisses, culminating in a very illicit afternoon in a berry patch. As Rothwell leaves for his grand tour, he gives his word of honor that he will return for her. Four years and seven refused proposals later, Violet is about to give up and marry when he finally returns. Now the Duke of Cambridge, Rothwell wants to make her his duchess. But how can Violet trust the man who stole her virtue—and then broke her heart?Previously published in The Ugly Duchess (print only).

    . .and a partridge in a pear tree . . . In Coventry's Christmas, Rebecca Hagan Lee offers a charming new story. With Christmas approaching, Amabel Thurston is ordered from the family home by her father's widow and must seek the protection of her guardian, Deverel Brookfield, eighth Marquess of Coventry. Unfortunately, the Devil of Coventry has little use for Christmas and even less for proper young ladies. In the never-in-print Star of Wonder, Lynn Kerstan brings her special brand of magic to the page when an exotic and dangerous stranger arrives to disrupt the meager Christmas of Stella Bryar, who has struggled to support the family retainers in the wake of her father's death.Allison Lane's newest Christmas treat is A Christmas Homecoming. When prodigal son Alex Northcote returns from a six year absence to take control of the family estate, he must run a gauntlet of possible brides, who have all been installed for a holiday house party by his determined grandmother. Avoiding the trap would have been so much easier, if the guest list hadn't included a quiet widow, who once jilted him for another. In the classic Home for Christmas, Alicia Rasley gives us a Christmas with a bit of intrigue. When Verity receives an unexpected invitation from her estranged father to spend the holidays at his Cornwall estate, she accepts with delight. But, ever mindful of her father's attention to propriety, she must scramble to find a husband and "father" for her fatherless child. Could a handsome and enigmatic stranger solve all her problems?

    "The Greatest Gift" / Stella CameronWith Christmas approaching, a kindly nanny and an impish little boy conspire to help a gentle Cornish maid win the heart of a lonely widower."Falling Stars" / Loretta Chase'Tis the season for forgiveness, as a gallant gentleman renews his acquaintance with the enchanting lady who spurned him ten years before—and rekindles Yuletide fires of love and longing."The Scent of Snow" / Linda Lael MillerIn America's West, a desperate woman trapped in a web of lies discovers new hope for romance at Christmastime through an act of faith...and the steadfast devotion of a handsome farmer."Footsteps in the Snow" / Joan Hohl A Christmas Eve miracle transports a sad and beautiful innkeeper two hundred years into the past—to discover the glorious ecstasy of true and timeless love in the arms of a dashing colonial spy.A collection of romance stories features the tale of a Cornish maid who finds love with the help of a kindly nanny; a gallant gentleman begins anew with the woman who spurned him years before; and others.

    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!

    To escape, she flees for the country, where she meets a handsome, if stubborn, man-and soon finds that when it rains, it pours...

    Regards, Mr. Timothy Hunt, Esq. When the late-Earl of Banfield’s distant relations descend upon Bocka Morrow, they’ll find gypsies, witches, pixies, smugglers, and one very haunted castle. And if they’re lucky, they might just fall in love while they’re there. VEXED, The Haunting of Castle Keyvnor includes: Erica Ridley’s Romancing the Rogue When the new earl inherits, poor relation Miss Rebecca Bond must wed immediately or be out on her ear. The only man she’s ever loved is summoned to hear the will—but he already rejected her so soundly that they haven’t spoken in years. Yet who better than a rakish Viscount to teach her how to snare a gentleman who appreciates her charms? Ava Stone’s Once Upon a Moonlit Path Lady Cassandra Priske sees dead people…not all the time, but occasionally. When her family is summoned to Castle Keyvnor for the reading of her great uncle's will, Cassy is more than terrified. After all, the castle is famous for its hauntings. But the very last person, dead or alive, she expects to find there is the rakish Lord. St. Giles. After all, she spent the last season hiding from that very man. Elizabeth Essex’s Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Nessa Teague has never believed in the magic that swirls around her village like a fine Cornish mist. She’s never had need of it. Until the day Lord Harry Beck returns to Bocka Morrow and Nessa realizes there is nothing, including the blackest of magic, she won’t do to have him for her own. The Haunting of Castle Keyvnor includes twelve Regency romance novellas. Don’t miss the anthologies Bedeviled, Mystified and Spellbound.

    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...?

     THE WINTER WISH Lady Sarah Dawson has one simple wish for Christmas: to gain the attention of Devlin Heathcliff, the handsome viscount who she has loved for as long as she can remember. Unfortunately for Sarah she is plain, quiet, and embarrassingly shy – the exact opposite of the type of woman Devlin is attracted to. All hope seems lost… Until one afternoon fate steps in and Sarah learns that sometimes, with a little magic, winter wishes can come true. THE RISQUE RESOLUTION Due to a clause in her father’s will, Lily has until Christmas to find a husband. She fears all hope is lost… until she meets the mysterious, insufferable, and oh so handsome Captain James Rigby. Recently returned and still recovering from the bloody battlefields of war, James is missing an arm and, it would seem, a heart. The last thing on the embittered soldier’s mind is marriage, especially to Lily Kincaid, a woman who is as infuriatingly stubborn as she is beautiful. With time running out, can Lily convince James – and herself – true love really exists? Or will she lose everything, including her heart? PLEASE NOTE: Both 'The Winter Wish' and 'The Risque Resolution' are previously published novellas and are available for purchase individually.

    With varying expectations, each girl accepts her turn with the good luck charm—and a chance at happily ever after—secretly fearing the gypsy’s tale may be nothing more than a plot to sell a worthless piece of jewelry.

    But marriage to Justin Aubrey might be the adventure she's always dreamed of….Jesse's Wife by KRISTIN JAMESWhen a late-night walk on her father's ranch inadvertently destroys her reputation, Amy McCallister finds herself married off to Jesse, a sinfully handsome farmhand. But can he convince her to give him her heart, despite their rocky beginning?Seduced by Starlight by CHARLOTTE FEATHERSTONEJase Markham, London's most dashing—and notorious—rake, has loved his brother's fiancée for as long as he can remember. When his brother casts Blossom aside, Jase is determined to finally make her his—if she's willing to overlook his scandalous reputation!