Sophia James

Ordered to marry, Laird Lachlan Kerr thought a betrothal to homely, timid Lady Grace Stanton was hardly worth the trouble of protest. Yet, despite everything, he found there was something about her that was...brave. All his life he had been surrounded by betrayal, and this woman, who believed there was still goodness in him, was special indeed.Grace knew that the safety of her home depended on her betrothalsigned, sealed and delivered! Lachlan's strength and unexpected care of her were dangerously appealing. She could fall for this man with secrets in his eyes....

"After one uncharacteristically wicked night, the once-reckless Eleanor Bracewell-Lowen now leads a safe and prudent life. On his return to London's high society, Lord Cristo Wellingham looks different from the man she knew so briefly in Paris, but he is still as magnetic...In his cold amber eyes Eleanor detects something she has seen mirrored in her own--longing. His touch invites passion, but this is a man who could destroy her good name with just one glance..."--P. of cover.

"Cassandra Northrup had believed Nathaniel dead...until now. Once, she had loved him, given herself to him in the hidden depths of the snow-covered Pyrenees. But then she had betrayed him... Relief at the sight of Nathaniel turns to darkest shame as Cassie sees the hate in his eyes. Years have passed and their physical scars have faded, but the pain runs deeper than ever. Yet passion can be born out of betrayal--and as desire crackles between them once more, will Cassie reveal the secret she's long kept hidden?"-- From back cover.

A hospital clerk finds herself falling for an older physician in Betty Neels's "A Christmas Romance," while an Australian reporter is reunited with her estranged husband in "An Outback Christmas by Margaret Way, and an abandoned child brings together a lonely woman and the local sheriff in Rebecca Winters's "Sarah's First Christmas," in a trio of holiday romances. Reprint.

Living in a gray world of silhouette, Lord Taris Wellingham conceals his fading eyesight from society. He has long protected himself from any intimate relationships. Plain twenty-eight-year-old Beatrice-Maude Bassingstoke does not expect to attract any man, especially not one as good-looking as her remote traveling companion. Forced by a snowstorm to spend the night together, these two lonely people seek solace in each other's arm

"He prayed this might never stop. This now, here in Spain with Alejandra in his arms. Severely wounded Captain Lucien Howard, Earl of Ross, had a boat waiting to take him home. If she remained in his company, the beautiful woman who had saved his life would be compromised. The harsh light of dawn would send each of them their different ways. Lucien thought of his family and his ancient crumbling estate. He couldn't stay in war-torn Spain. Yet neither could he stop his arms from tightening about Alejandra as he breathed her in..."-- Page of cover.

Viscount Winterton abducts the wrong woman, leading to the ruin of Lady Florentia Hale-Burton's reputation, and his own apparent demise. Years later, Flora discovers her kidnapper is still alive, and as handsome as ever.

High Seas to High Society Asher Wellingham, Duke of Carisbrook, was captivated by her! He had happened upon Lady Emma Seaton swimming naked and, beyond her beauty, had seen the deep curling scar on her thigh-- a wound that could only be the mark of a sword. Who was this creature of contradictions? Something about her brought back tantalizing memories from the past. Her ill-fitting, threadbare clothes concealed the body of an angel, but what kind of woman truly lay behind her refined mask? Highborn lady or artful courtesan, she intrigued him and Asher wanted to possess both!

"Heiress Adelaide Ashfield lost her trust in men years ago. She spurns the advances of society's most eligible bachelors, but time is running out. Forced to make her choice, Adelaide accepts the hand of Gabriel Hughes, Earl of Wesley. Despite his debauched reputation, Gabriel shies away from intimacy. But his marriage to Adelaide awakens a desire he never thought he'd feel again. Maybe his beguiling new bride is the key to shaking off the shame which has haunted him for so long..."-- From back cover.

Townsfolk called him devil. For dark and enigmatic Julian, Earl of Ravenwood, was a man with a legendary temper and a first wife whose mysterious death would not he forgotten. Some said the beautiful Lady Ravenwood had drowned herself in the black, murky waters of Ravenwood Pond. Others whispered of foul play and the devil's wrath. Now country-bred Sophy Dorring is about to become Ravenwood's new bride. Drawn to his masculine strength and the glitter of desire that burned in his emerald eyes, the tawny-haired lass had her own reasons for agreeing to a marriage of convenience. One was vengeance, and in its pursuit she would entangle Julian in a blackmail plot, a duel at dawn, and a dangerous masquerade. The other reason was dearer to her heart, but just as wild a quest. Sophy Dorring intended to teach the devil to love again.

"Measured and self-effacing, Lady Sephora Connaught knows there is another, more reckless side to her. When she's rescued from the fast-flowing Thames by the wild and dangerous Francis St. Cartmail, Earl of Douglas, suddenly her confined world bursts into vibrant life. Francis has never fit into high society's narrow world, so why does he feel so connected to--and undeniably aroused by--this "angel of the ton"? She offers him hope, but only time will tell if their fragile marriage is enough to banish his demons forever!"-- Page of cover.

Marriage is a very serious affair for these Lords and Ladies! This title contains two stories that include "Mistletoe Magic" and "The Winter Queen". "Mistletoe Magic" by Sophia James - Could she be betrothed by Christmas? Miss Lillian Davenport must marry sensibly, although she yearns for some excitement first. Lucas Morgan is wild, dangerous and tempting. If she offers to pay for his silence, can she buy a single, passionate kiss? "The Winter Queen" by Amanda McCabe - Innocent Lady Rosamund is sent to serve at the infamous Elizabethan Court. But she is unprepared to meet the likes of Anton Gustavson - a favourite of the Queen. Dark, brooding and mysterious Anton is drawn to Rosamund's ethereal beauty, but his secrets make falling in love far too dangerous!