But that's exactly what she finds when she returns from being out of town. Worse, the bear has been deliberately trapped by the shop's owner, Will Parker.Will is starting a new life in the town of Reindeer Ridge. His shop, The Big Bear, sells novelty items while also providing guests the chance to see a live bear kept humanely upstairs. Unfortunately, the shop owner across the way seems to be determined to have his shop closed down.But Annaliese soon begins to realize that Will isn’t the bad guy she wants to make him out to be. As their feelings for each other start to grow, they both begin to realize the importance of compromise.This book was previously included in the December 2020 anthology, Small-Town Christmas. The rest of the series was not part of that anthology.The Reindeer Ridge series is a sweet, clean contemporary Christmas series filled with swoon-worthy heroes and a small-town setting.

    And at fifteen, Aubrey Lane Arrington is optimistically hoping that her first kiss will not only happen over the holidays, but that it will also be with her best friend and crush, Branson Johnson. They’ve been friends since they were kids and next fall, she’ll be joining him at Eastbrooke Academy. He’s hinted at their friendship turning into more, but as the holiday season progresses, she’s still stuck in the friend zone. His cousin Beckham Johnson, on the other hand, doesn’t believe in the friend zone. His cocky personality and charisma make him the ultimate flirt, so she’s never taken him seriously. But when he changes his plans to spend New Year’s Eve with her, Lane will have to make a decision. Will her first kiss be with her longtime crush, or will someone new sweep her off her feet?Find out when the clock strikes midnight!

    She’s decided to fly from Ireland to New York to surprise him and to get some answers. And if her plan works she’ll also get the scoop of her career…But as she steps out of her yellow taxi and the first snowflakes start to fall, it’s Holly who has the surprise of her life.What should be a dream come true is looking a little like a nightmare. But Holly is determined to get her happy ending!

    Determined to achieve her dream of a career in music, she strikes out on her own. Her new life away from her family is a reality check, and she soon finds her life on a downward slide.Two years on, her dream is still out of reach, and she's nearing rock bottom. With hope nearly gone and feeling no joy in the season that was once her favorite, Alessia wanders into a church in search of warmth and some quiet.He gave up his life in order to bring his brothers to justice.Gio Morgan (formerly known as Giovanni Moretti) was born into a mob family, but he'd never fit in. When he made the decision to testify against his mob boss brothers, he knew it meant the end to that life.He now lives in New Hope Falls in order to be close to his half-sister, Cara. He is trying to build a new life for himself, and part of that is participating in the church's 24 hour a day open door ministry for the month of December.Will a connection forged in the quiet of a church during the early morning hours be the start of something new? Or will it lead to heartbreak if the draw of a dream is to powerful to resist?

    Owning the bake shop my parents always dreamed of means everything to me. And when opening day happens, I think I've finally got everything I've ever wanted. Until he walks in and reminds me of what used to be. Tall, dark and dangerous - that's what Caleb has always been. For my heart, at least. But when he places a special, sweet holiday order for his mother, I can feel my defenses crumbling just like the biscotti I'm teaching him to make. Can I save myself this time? Or will my heart be broken all over again?CALEBAn unexpected trip home turns my holiday plans upside down - especially when the girl I can't forget has come home too.I should have known my mom was setting me up, but I walked right into her sweet little trap. When I see Melissa standing behind the counter of the brand new bakery in town, I can't help but remember that she's the one that got away. Her curves are still as delicious as they used to be and I can't deny I want a taste. Can I convince her to give our love another try? Or will she get away one more time?Sugar & Spice Nights is a multi-author series of holiday inspired instalove stories with curvy women and their hot guys. Come find out how steamy and sweet the nights can get today!Don't forget to meet ALL the hunky sweeties!

    But he's never noticed her. Because of previous mishaps at other jobs, Eve chooses to hide herself with dowdy clothing, over-sized glasses and an unflattering hairstyle. When her girlfriends confront her with the fact that she's not dating, Eve realizes she has to deal with her attraction to Nick and get him out of her system. One kiss, that's all she wants. Operation Stealth Elf is born. Eve attends her company's Christmas costume party as a very sexy, naughty elf. She catches Nick's attention and gets way more than a kiss. Before the clock strikes midnight, Eve escapes into the night, leaving her panties behind. The following week at work, Nick stuns her when he asks for her help in finding his naughty elf. Short of having every woman in his company try on the red lace panties that Eve left behind, he'll stop at nothing to discover the elf's true identity.

    

    Not only does she find herself swept off her feet by the handsome and successful, Andre, but there’s another man after her heart. Her Ex. The only problem is, she doesn’t know which ex it is. For 12 days, December receives gifts that remind her of what love is supposed to be, but the sender of the gifts remain a mystery. Who are they from? Who wants her back? And which man will she choose? True Love sometimes comes by surprise. And sometimes it’s the person right in front of your eyes. But on rare occasions, true love could be your ex. Take this holiday journey with December to see what happens next!

    

    Little does she realize, when she falls deathly ill on the journey there he will abandon her, leaving her stranded and sick on the station platform. Even the small town doctor refuses to take her in for fear that she will infect his other patients. Help comes in an unexpected guise, a humble mercantile owner named Abe Graham, once a physician, nurses the ailing Collette. And Collette’s body is not all that finds healing – Abe’s heart discovers a renewed purpose. Will Collette’s dream of a Thanksgiving wedding still take place? And can Abe shake off his past disappointments and embrace a new future? Brides For All Seasons Vol. II is a beautiful historical holiday romance series. Each book in the collection is a standalone story designed to warm your heart with seasonal love and romantic adventure.

    But of course, she’d never admit such a thing.Just like she’d never admit to teasing her mom’s ex-boyfriend, gorgeous billionaire Drake, for all the years she did. They’re close though, very close, and he’s even paying for her to go to college, so she feels indebted enough to him to tolerate most anything he asks. One day, when she’s on the way to her boyfriend’s house, Drake calls and demands she come to a birthday party he’s throwing for her. When she arrives though, and Drake reveals his dangerous, primal, secret feelings, it turns out to be just what Julie’s always wanted.Warning: This 10,000 word erotic story is intended for adults only. Excerpt:Staring at me a moment longer, Drake massaged my arms and stared into my eyes. His bright blue, sapphire irises seemed to pierce all the way to my soul, if that was possible.“Are you sure that’s all you want?” His voice rolled into a low, almost menacing whisper. “A Sprite?”“Yeah... yeah, I mean, what else would I want?” I stammered, trying to keep myself from panicking, or from going wobbly in the knees with desire, which was the more pressing and present concern. “I thought I was coming here for a birthday party, I –”Drake smiled and narrowed his eyes to slits, nodding. “You did.”“But then where –”“Is everyone?” he interrupted, finishing the sentence for me. “Well, I thought maybe you’d want to do this in private at least once before having an audience, but if you’d like, I could call everyone in?”“What are you talking about?” Fear burned in my mind, or at least that’s what I thought it was. Moments later, the tingling between my legs came back and I knew it wasn’t fear, it was desire. Primal, awful, wonderful desire that I shouldn’t feel but couldn’t bury.He smiled again and tossed his beautiful, wavy black hair back before running his hand through it and leaning heavily on the table beside me. “You’re going to pay me back.”

    Since she was a young girl, she has dreamed of following in her dad’s footsteps, set on making a name for herself, and not simply as the captain’s daughter. She’s determined, has everything mapped out, but what she wasn’t prepared for is a sexy new distraction in the form of her new partner. Becker Ramsey needed a change. A fresh start in a small town in Missouri has proven to be just what the doctor ordered, complete with a new position with the Rivers Edge Police Department. Of course, being partnered up with a feisty little pistol like Brooklyn Jackson isn’t so bad either, until the lines between partner and relationship start to blur. As Christmas draws near, Brooklyn and Becker spend more time together, both on the job and off. Can they stay professional, even when their hearts are pulling them toward each other? And what happens when her overprotective family catches wind of their budding romance? **This novella is part of the Rivers Edge series but can be enjoyed as a holiday standalone.

    However, the English have made smuggling almost impossible, and so order after order is waiting at the distillery until it’s safe enough to continue shipments. Most customers understand this. Most customers are reasonable. The Duke of Danby is not most customers. So after a number of demands from His Grace, insisting upon his order, Mary decides to deliver the whisky herself since no one else is available. Benjamin Storm, Earl of Kenley, breathes a sigh of relief when his summons from the Duke of Danby has nothing to do with matrimony or a stack of special licenses. Instead, his uncle just needs Benjamin to travel to Scotland and procure his missing whisky shipment in time for his holiday festivities. The chore sounds easy enough, at least until he encounters a most unusual smuggler on her way to Danby Castle. Benjamin’s life may never be the same. *This story originally appeared in “The Duke’s Christmas Summons” anthology.

    

     When she accompanies the local antique store owner, Bradford Mills, to collect the lights for the town’s annual Carols by Candlelight, she meets Harold Moorhead, a retired electrician. The only way she can convince him to fix the local café owner’s refrigerator is by listening to one of Harold’s long-winded stories. It’s a small price to pay. They now have ice but they also have a murder victim. With no murder weapon, no witnesses to the crime and no obvious motive, Abby and the local detective, Joshua Ryan, deal with one dead-end after another. It’s up to Abby to find clues where none appear to exist. Humorous small town, clean cozy mystery with a cast of quirky characters.