Scandalous Christmas Encounters (Volume 1)


Book Description

You are cordially invited to a house party at Hexthorne Manor, the country estate of the Duke and Duchess of Avonleah. While gathering to celebrate Christmas with the duke and duchess, the members of the ton will indulge in their most wicked desires. Witness the scandalous Christmas encounters of the lords and ladies of London, as they escape to the country for a bit of revelry, a dash of indulgence, and a healthy dose of scandal. Part One: A Christmas Masquerade At a ball hosted during their Christmas house party, the Duke and Duchess of Avonleah sneak away for a bit of privacy. With social obligations and motherhood stretching Margaret Rycroft thin, her husband hopes that a night away from it all will be just the thing she needs. Little do they know, some of their guests have similar plans, or that their garden maze will be transformed into a hotbed of debauchery by their houseguests. Part Two: A Christmas Most Scandalous Quite some time has passed since Sheridan Cranfield, Viscount of Perth, has shared a woman with his wife. Yet, he senses that Cecily has become possessed with the desire to seduce a widow of the ton—a woman rumored to enjoy the pursuits of both men and women. Joining their efforts at the Christmas fete, the viscount and his wife set out to claim the widow for a night of passion. Part Three: A Gift for Penelope Lady Penelope Ingham is loath to have to attend the duke and duchess’ Christmas house party alone. However, with both her husbands seeing to their duties—one as an ensign at the War Office, the other attending the family estates and lands—she is left with no choice. Despite missing Colin and Edmond dearly, she throws herself into enjoying her time at Hexthorne Manor. Unbeknownst to her, someone at the ball has plans of their own for her… a temptation much too scandalous to resist.




One Scandalous Christmas Eve


Book Description

An injured billionaire polo-playing playboy yearns to bed his physiotherapist this Christmas in this passionate romance by a USA Today–bestselling author. Smoldering Dante Acosta has got to be physiotherapist Jess’s sexiest client yet. Even injured, the playboy polo champion exudes a raw power that makes Jess giddy . . . until she discovers he’s bought her parents’ farm out from under her! Jess’s indignation only adds fuel to the fire raging between them, as they try—and fail—to resist each other. Dante is prepared to fight for their chemistry this Christmas—is he prepared to fight for Jess’s heart?




A Scandalous Christmas


Book Description

Love and scandal are the best Christmas gifts. Open up each story and fall in love with the scandalous behavior of the rogues and ladies of this anthology. Embrace the romance and discover the magic of the holiday season with all eight of these stories.Amanda MarielRebecca LovellDawn BrowerChristina McKnightAngelique ArmaeSandra SookooJane CharlesTracy Sumner




A Scandal Before Christmas


Book Description

"I am yours, and you are mine. Forever." Lady Lauren Kendall has sworn that she’ll never marry. Betrayal by the man you love definitely hardens a woman’s heart. And forgetting her wicked former fiancé isn’t easy. Especially when his kisses are hot enough to melt the winter snow. Theodore Hawthorne cannot forget the woman who should have been his wife. Forced together at a country house Christmas party, the fire between them is far from extinguished. Determined to win Lauren back, Theodore sets a course of tender seduction. A heart once broken is not easily won the second time around. One thing is certain, however. By the stroke of midnight on Christmas Day, there will either be a scandal to resolve or a wedding to celebrate!




A Scandalous Countess


Book Description

Lady May is back. And so is the scandal that sent her tumbling from her position as the toast of London, when her husband, the Earl of Maybury, was killed in a duel. Even a year of mourning hasn't quieted the rumors of her infidelity. Georgia Maybury is determined to regain her position in the beau monde, but a scarred ex-naval officer threatens her plans...




One Scandalous Season


Book Description

Four bestselling authors bring you the magic of the season in this holiday historical anthology! His for Christmas by Jennifer Haymore Lady Amelia Witherspoon simply must get home to her beloved family on Christmas Eve. So when a terrible storm threatens to leave her snowbound, she refuses to admit defeat—even if that means sharing a carriage with Evan Cameron, the last man she ever hoped to see. Their only option is to take refuge together at a nearby inn, sharing the one remaining room. Evan promises to be a gentleman . . . but it's a promise neither of them wants him to keep. Once Upon a Christmas Eve by Elizabeth Hoyt Adam Rutledge loathes Christmas. But he'll brave the fiercest snowstorm to please his grandmother. Though when their carriage wheel snaps, they're forced to seek shelter. Sarah St. John loathes rakes. But in the spirit of the season, she'll welcome this viscount into her home. As the storm rages and the tension rises, Sarah and Adam find themselves locked in a fiery kiss. If love is the true meaning of Christmas, it's the one gift this mismatched pair can't wait to unwrap. Patience for Christmas by Grace Burrowes Advice columnist Patience Friendly's relationship with her stubborn, overbearing publisher, Dougal MacHugh, is anything but cordial. Dougal challenges Patience to take on a rival writer in a holiday advice-a-thon, and sparks fly clear up to the mistletoe hanging from every rafter. Will Patience follow the practical guidance of her head or the passionate advice of her heart? The Duke’s Christmas Miracle by Christina Britton After learning the horrible truth of her birth, Poppy Tilburn was driven from the only person who ever cared for her, her childhood friend Marcus. Now a lady’s maid, Poppy visits the Duke of Hollyton’s house party for the holidays—only to learn the duke is Marcus. If a romance between them was out of the question before, it is so much worse now that he is a duke. But as Marcus and Poppy find the romance between them that sparked long ago rekindling into something much stronger, will he get a Twelfth Night miracle and convince her to stay for good?




Christmas Brides


Book Description

A collection of four Christmas Regency romances includes Suzanne Enoch's "One hot Scot, " in which Duncan Lenox comes to the aid of an English beauty when they are stranded together during a winter storm.




The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries


Book Description

The Edgar Award-winning editor collects sixty of his all-time favorite holiday crime stories—from Arthur Conan Doyle and Thomas Hardy, to Sara Paretsky and Ed McBain. • “Anyone who cares about the best mystery writing of the past century and beyond would be lucky to receive this thick volume during the holidays." —The Washington Post This collection touches on all aspects of the holiday season, and all types of mysteries. They are suspenseful, funny, frightening, and poignant. Included are puzzles by Mary Higgins Clark, Isaac Asimov, and Ngaio Marsh; uncanny tales in the tradition of A Christmas Carol by Peter Lovesey and Max Allan Collins; O. Henry-like stories by Stanley Ellin and Joseph Shearing, stories by pulp icons John D. MacDonald and Damon Runyon; comic gems from Donald E. Westlake and John Mortimer; and many, many more. Almost any kind of mystery you’re in the mood for--suspense, pure detection, humor, cozy, private eye, or police procedural—can be found in these pages. FEATURING: - Unscrupulous Santas - Crimes of Christmases Past and Present - Festive felonies - Deadly puddings - Misdemeanors under the mistletoe - Christmas cases for classic characters including Sherlock Holmes, Brother Cadfael, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Ellery Queen, Rumpole of the Bailey, Inspector Morse, Inspector Ghote, A.J. Raffles, and Nero Wolfe.




A Wallflower Christmas


Book Description

It's Christmastime in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with the very proper Natalie Blandford. But when four former Wallflowers try their hands at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. Martin's Press.




The Scandal Before Christmas


Book Description

First in a'Tis the season for a new holiday novella from acclaimed author Elizabeth Essex! The Scandal Before Christmas is romance so good it's scandalous... Lieutenant Ian Worth needs a wife by Christmas, and he can't afford to be choosy. He has to find her, woo her, and wed her before he goes back to sea—all within a matter of days. Anne Lesley is a shy spinster with no prospects, and nothing and no one to recommend her but her own self. She accepts the lieutenant's hasty offer only for the comfort and security it will bring. But when a midwinter storm snows her and Ian in, they both find they got much more than they bargained for—laughter, light, and a Christmas filled with honest to goodness true love... Praise for Elizabeth Essex's Reckless Brides series: "Nonstop action, witty repartee, and deft plotting."—RT Book Reviews "Deliciously sexy romance...I will read anything Elizabeth Essex writes!" —New York Times bestselling author Celeste Bradley "Adventure-packed, passion-filled, and totally satisfying."—Romance Junkies