A lady's companion with no prospects. A duke who has turned his back on romance. A wild snowstorm that leaves them both stranded. It'll be a holiday neither of them will forget. Resigning herself to becoming a companion to an elderly peeress is Miss Hope Marie Atwater's last chance for a decent life. Though she's unwanted, undesired, and unloved at five and twenty, being on the shelf hasn't completely stolen her spirit. Her one wish at Christmastide is to stumble upon a man who will look past her drab life's circumstances to the spirited woman beneath, but that would take a miracle. Christmastide only brings maudlin memories he'd rather forget to Brook Gerard Clevenger, Duke of Denton. He wants to bury himself at his country estate, for the thought of merrymaking reminds him of all he's lost. A widower of three years, he's not looking for another romance; one was enough, and the pain will last a lifetime despite the fact he might welcome companionship or...

Sometimes, the greatest truths of life come on a midnight clear. Major Cecil Stapleton is struggling with his new life as a civilian after nearly twenty years in the military. Wounds received in the Battle of Toulouse left him angry, disfigured, and sent him home to England. All he wants now is to retire to the country and be left alone, especially since it's the Christmastide season. Finding his old lover in his cottage leaves him at sixes and sevens... and perhaps wanting more. Widow Sarah Presley has worked hard to conceal her existence in the Buckinghamshire countryside. She's looking forward to giving her seven-year-old son a special holiday, but that idyllic intention is shattered when a knock upon her door reveals the man she'd shared a night of exquisite passion with eight years ago—her son's father... and the man she never forgot. With no other choice, a tentative peace is struck, but memories intrude, as do new and...

Holidays are best spent with the ones you love, especially when adventure is in the offing.It's the Christmastide season, and the Hawkins family is at their country estate in Kent. Emmaline, the Countess of Archewyne, is excited, for it's her first Christmas with her little family as well as one of the few she's spent in England.Passing his leisure time with his loved ones gives Miles Lawrence Hawkins, the fifth Earl of Archewyne, great pleasure, as does anticipating their faces when they open his gifts. And he's found the most splendid thing for his wife—a fresh archeological dig of ancient Roman origin on his property.When plans for Christmas Eve preparations go awry and Miles is taken hostage at gunpoint, Emmaline is at her wit's end. Heartsick and worried, only a clue from some overly affectionate geese will be able to save her beloved's life. If she can reach him in time, they'll both find themselves beguiled on a Christmas...

As long as a lady has hope in her heart, it doesn't matter the obstacles she faces on the path to love. Through no fault of her own, the Honorable Evelina Aston has fallen headfirst into the scandal of the Season. With her father on the brink of bankruptcy, when she's caught alone and in a compromising position with an earl, he calls for an immediate proposal. It doesn't matter that the man she's being forced to wed is a rake high on the instep, she has no say in the proceedings. Charles Bowling, Earl of Ethersham—and heir to the Duke of Tarkington—is in a spot of bother. Caught literally with his pants down in a lady's retiring room, he's mired in further disgrace when a woman—not the one he was waiting for—comes flying into the room, trips, and lands at his feet. Parental outrage ensues. Before he can protest, he's wedded to the shy lady, and they're bound for his father's country estate in the Lake District to begin their life of...

Miss Isabelle Fletcher has one joy in life—her three French hens. Since they were a gift from a visiting countess, she treats them like pets, but they're recalcitrant and nothing but trouble, especially when they escape to bother her nearest neighbor—the handsome and shy Baron Hastings.Evan Nicholas Radcliff has no time for such silly things as the annoying hens that interrupt his work. He's on a tight deadline and can't keep humoring his pretty, curious neighbor or her wild flock. Except he secretly lives for those brief meetings. He'd woo her if only he could summon the courage.With Christmas Eve upon them and the hens once more in the wind, Isabelle and Nicholas are thrown together due to a large misunderstanding that starts a long overdue conversation. What might have begun as a fowl Christmastide has the potential to turn into a happily ever after.

Engaging the heart instead of the fists can often make a more powerful statement. Miss Louisa Harcourt's life isn't what she'd envisioned. A widow, she returned home to protect her younger brother from domestic threats, but that put her into the soup as well. After constantly rebuffing unwanted attentions, she's wearied of living in fear. Knowing something must be done, she hires someone who can teach her the skills she needs to defend herself—a champion in fisticuffs—but her trust in men has been dented. The Honorable Cecil Carrington, fourth son of a viscount, is a glass blower by trade. It earns him a tidy income but not nearly as much as his second love—boxing. For years he's funneled his energies into learning the skills as a pugilist, which has made him a celebrity in ton circles. When a woman arrives at his shop with obvious bruises, asking for him to teach her how to fight, his protective instincts flare. She's pretty and...

A proper gentleman. A desperate lady. One little indiscretion that will change their lives. Carew Harcourt Fitzwilliam—Duke of Edenthorpe—is dreadfully dissatisfied with his life. Engaged since childhood to a woman unsuited to him, he feels trapped and hopeless. What he needs is a distraction, which comes in the form of a possible jewelry heist. Too bad it has arrived with his best friend's sister, now a beauty he can't banish from his mind. Miss Leah Haddington, only daughter of Baron Langley, can square with being overlooked by men in the ton due to her auburn hair and freckles, but being left penniless by her father's gambling is beyond the pale. There's only one man who can help retrieve a stolen bauble—her deceased brother's best friend. It matters not that a forbidden attraction is brewing between them. He's engaged to another, so where is the harm in a partnership? As they plot and plan their way through ton ballrooms...

Sometimes long-held secrets are the very things that will eventually lead to freedom.Lady Amelia Jane Coventry-Smythe wants nothing more than to shut herself away to mourn in private all the people she lost from her life over the years. Unfortunately, peace is not hers, for the one man she never hoped to see again has just landed in her parlor by mysterious circumstances, with an invitation to her Christmastide house party in hand… and her addiction to him flares anew.Cornelius Matthew Edgerton, Marquess of Winchester, is perplexed thanks to the arrival of holiday invitation. He hasn't heard from Lady Amelia in thirteen years… not since he abruptly left her bed during an affair that he never forgot. Encouraged to attend by her cousin—his best friend—when he arrives at the manor house, his reception is decidedly cool, even though the heat between him and the lady still lingers.Underlying polite public interactions, desire builds and explodes into frantic need, but while the two of them draw closer in new understanding and friendship, danger threatens both of their lives. As Christmas morning arrives, emotions boil over to sour the blooming romance. Only a miracle—and perhaps forgiveness—can help them find the happily ever after they never had the first time around.

Fulfilling a lifetime mission is much more fun when romance is woven into the adventure.The Honorable Charlotte Blakely is closing in on the actual location of the Veil of Veronica, carrying on her beloved late grandfather's quest. Satisfying his last wish is all she's ever wanted from life... until the possibility of a courtship with the handsome English ambassador to Rome made itself known. But does love mean giving up her hard-won independence?Mr. Everett Desmond spends far too much time behind a desk and entertaining dignitaries. He thought that was what he wanted from life... until an intriguing lady gave him a taste of adventure. But treasure-hunting comes at a price and, thanks to a failed engagement, he's leery of romance.Balancing each leg of the quest with the heat and passion simmering between them keeps Charlotte and Everett on the razor's edge. When danger and death collide with the joy of adventure, truths they've denied...

When two people stop trying to hide from the things that might break them, life falls into place. Emma St. Clare —the Duchess of Winthrop—has lived the last ten years of her life hidden in a crumbling manor house in England's Lake District, essentially as a ghost. Close enough to the Highlands of Scotland that she could be forgotten, she has been safe from her horrid husband and has enjoyed the solitude she shares with her ailing younger sister and a handful of servants. Now, her life is once more irrevocably changing with the advent of a rugged, handsome stranger, but she must risk it. Mr. Alexander Burgess just wants peace and quiet. Retired from Bow Street, he means to travel to old family holdings whose ownership has now passed to him with the intent to disappear and relax, but when he arrives, he finds tales of a ghostly lady and a haunted manor. He doesn't put much stock in the stories, especially knowing a missing duchess might have...

Fairies and ghosts and vampires, oh my! A trick of the mind or a new reality? Hannah Weybourne doesn’t believe in things that go bump in the night. A reluctant empath who has tried to ignore her powers, she can’t help but wonder if they’re the reason when a hunky vampire enlists her aid. She’s got her work cut out for her trying to deny Edwin’s sex appeal as well as remaining hidden from the paranormal world. Edwin Mason is paranormal bounty hunter searching for a wayward vampire. His best-laid plans go awry when he meets stubborn Hannah and immediately recognizes her value to the Eight Realms. She’s the missing link needed to vanquish a power-hungry Demon Lord who’s on the rise. Though he’s got a job to do, Edwin’s thrown off guard when Hannah bewitches him with her sarcastic nature and her tempting curves. What’s one little bite between friends? The unlikely duo runs into a sticky web of supernatural foes and dark deceit in their quest to protect the magic in the Eight Realms. So many riddles, so little time. Despite the danger on their tail and the Demon Lord in their sight, love blooms, and it’s not a normal courtship, but then, who needs normal anyway? Note: this title was previously published in 2010 as The Art of Fang Shui but has since been re-edited. Words: 95,620

Alice Attler has a green thumb in everything except cultivating relationships. Though she's more comfortable encouraging green things to grow, she's mystified that every relationship she's had has withered. When a client's daffodils won't grow, she heads to the bait shop for earthworms where she meets Mark.Mark Kincaide doesn't know what to do with himself. His brother is on his honeymoon and he's stuck with Grandma for company. Plus, he's not a fan of the evil llamas. Just once he wants to do something heroic and be known as someone other than the bait guy. When the local plant specialist/florist comes calling, he can't take his eyes off her...and it's for more than catching a glimpse of bird poop in her hair.An innocent trip to a river bank to dig up bulbs puts Alice in danger and Mark finally has his chance to play the hero. After things settle down, he hopes he and Alice will have more in common than just worms and a penchant for taking tumbles into embarrassing moments.

Surviving the wilds of Cornwall is more life changing than they thought.Miss Caroline Sloane is on her way to Poughill, Cornwall. In highhanded fashion, her estranged grandfather has arranged a marriage for her to a sea captain she's met but once, and she wishes to convince him otherwise. She'll marry for love or not at all, but an accident with the crowded mail coach on which she's traveling throws her existence into chaos.Alan Blackmore, the Earl of St. Clair, has been summoned to his Devon estate by his ducal father. His engagement, designed by the duke years ago, has now come due and he must wed to merge holdings. The last thing he wants is a leg-shackling, for he enjoys his life of a rake too much, and he means to tell his father off, but one dark, rainy night on mud-slick roads changes his course forever.Lost and injured in windswept and rugged Cornwall, the first order of business is survival. As their injuries heal, Caroline and...