Fill-In Father...and Husband Sweet mail-order bride Nancy Bennett can't believe it when her husband is exposed as a cattle rustler—and killed. And when the banker holding the ranch's mortgage questions whether she can run the ranch on her own, the pregnant widow has nowhere to turn. Until steady foreman Hank Snowden proposes marriage... Racked with grief about his role in Lucas Bennett's death, Hank resolves to do right by the man's wife and child. So it's natural for him to step in as Nancy's newly minted husband. But the marriage of convenience may become more than a mere obligation...if only Hank and his bride can brave the first steps toward elusive true love.

Madderstone Abbey, 1806.When Penelope Lambe suffers a bad fall in Madderstone Abbey, some are sure she must have seen the Grey Nun, the ghost reputed to walk the ruins. Miss Dido Kent is not convinced, and is determined to uncover the real cause of the accident.Then events take a sinister turn when a human skeleton is found nearby. The remains are identified as those of a Miss Elinor Fenn, and letters come to light which hint at the reason for her death. But is Miss Lambe's accident connected to this discovery? Did she see a ghostly warning? Or is there a rational explanation? Everyone is relying on Dido to find out.

Katherine Collins wishes her lovely stepsister Constance to inherit their father's fortune by marrying before she turns twenty-one. What the notoriously picky Constance needs is the perfect gentleman, and Katherine's covert questioning points to the dashing Alexander Wescott, Viscount Borin. But Lord Borin has a secret passion of his own--international espionage. How will he react when he discovers Katherine has been spying, on him? Regency Romance by Regina Scott; originally published by Zebra

The Marriage Agreement Proposing a marriage of convenience to a rugged logger is the boldest move of Nora Underhill's sheltered life. In return for Simon Wallin's protection from her overbearing family, the unassuming seamstress offers prime frontier farmland. But their paper marriage changes when Nora's greedy brother tries to draw her back into a life of drudgery. Her only option: move to Simon's farm, and into the center of his loving, unruly family. Years of shouldering responsibility have left Simon cynical and reserved. But little by little, Nora's warmth opens his shuttered heart to joy. With their marriage claim under threat, can this practical arrangement blossom over the holidays...and become a love for all seasons?

Miss Elizabeth Asherwood has a secret that she has kept from the ton: a young half-sister, Marguerite, living in France. But this is the time of the Terror, and when Marguerite needs to be rescued, Elizabeth must seek out assistance. Should she rely on her almost-fiancé, Geoffrey Winthrop?  Or on that notorious rake who works for the Foreign Office, Lord Peregrine Blakeley? Georgian Romance by Amy Lake; originally published by Belgrave House/Regency Reads

The beautiful, sought-after Eloise Watkin has a painful secret, and he's just walked back into her life. Renowned rake Jareth Darby vows he is reformed and seeks only forgiveness from the woman he wronged five years ago. How can Eloise settle for sweet revenge when what she truly wants is his love? Recommended in The Ultimate Reading List as one of the best Regency romances of the last decade. Regency Romance by Regina Scott; originally published by Zebra

Romance/Historical Fiction. 80076 words long.

Before an unflappable miss met her match and an unwilling lady agreed to marry a daring rake, lovely literature teacher Eleanor Pritchett had convinced herself that love was not for her. She'd dared to love once, a man superior to her in birth, education, and position. His family had warned her away. But when his orphaned niece begs her to carry a kitten to him for Christmas, Norrie cannot refuse, even to losing her position.Justinian Darby, now an earl, always wondered what happened to his first love, a sweet-natured student at the nearby girls' school, who had tutored him one summer when he was home from college, ill. His father claimed she was nothing but a fortune hunter. Now she returns to his life, bearing, of all things, a kitten. Can that tiny creature, and the wonder of Christmas, prove that true love never fades, and hearts once closed can be opened anew?This sweet traditional Regency romance novella was originally published by Kensington in the Mistletoe Kittens...

A is for Apple She was like the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Touching her was strictly prohibited, but that didn't take away the desire. Lady Alexandra Worthington has been betrothed to Lord Coldwell since birth, an arrangement that never bothered her until her parent's unexpected death. Feeling as if she has no control over her life, Alexandra begins acting out and soon becomes too much of a burden for her brother, her current guardian, to bare, so she is sent to be under the care of her betrothed's father, Lord Emberson. Aaron Beaumont, the Marquess of Emberson, lives an orderly existence—nothing in his life is out of place. That is until Alexandra shows up and quickly turns his structured world upside down. Convinced he is a man incapable of passion, he soon discovers that isn't true as temptation, in the form of a beautiful and lively girl, is thrust upon him. The chemistry between the pair is palpable and soon leads to love, a forbidden union that can never come to fruition since Alexandra is legally betrothed to Aaron's son. Can love find a way to conquer when legalities stand in the way?

The toast of London is about to get burned. Priscilla Tate, most celebrated debutante of 1815 London, is determined to make a brilliant match to save the family fortunes. She's well on her way to wringing a proposal out of the Season's most eligible bachelor, the Duke of Rottenford, when blackmail notes start arriving, threatening to expose a dark secret unless she ceases her pursuit. It's up to her dear friends, Lady Emily Southwell and Ariadne and Daphne Courdebas, to help her uncover the mastermind before disaster strikes. But more than one secret is waiting to be revealed, not the least of which is Priscilla's growing feelings for a most unlikely ally, Nathan Kent, the duke's personal secretary. But will Nathan, no, no, the duke, understand if her secret should be revealed? This clean romantic mystery set in the Regency period features kisses only.Praise for Art and Artifice, the previous book in the series:"A charming, expertly crafted traditional Regency romance."—The...