“Eight romance authors walk into a Regency-era ballroom and wreak fabulous, shimmering holiday mischief all over the place.”—Publishers Weekly Christmas 1815. Upstairs and downstairs, Holbourne Abbey is abuzz with preparations for a grand ball to celebrate the year’s most festive—and romantic—holiday. For at the top of each guest’s wish list is a last chance to find true love before the New Year . . . “The tales are rather sentimental, a box of chocolates with sweet, soft centers inside a dark covering, a pleasant confection for the holiday season. My personal favorites are Anne Gracie’s ‘Mistletoe Kisses,’ a charming variant on the Cinderella story, and Susan King’s ‘A Scottish Carol,’ whose lovers must struggle to find healing for the wounds of self-doubt and past failures; but there is ample variety here for other tastes. Recommended for lovers of Regency romances.”—Historical Novel Society “In this wonderful collection of eight short stories, Christmas in the Regency world is brought to life in extraordinary fashion, with love, secrets, scoundrels and heroes of every description.”—Fresh Fiction “If what you are looking for is a set of short stories with a common location and holiday feel that are well done, quick to read, and entertaining then this will be a book for you . . . one of the best historical romance collections I’ve read in a long time.”—Smexy Books “Each author’s unique style and storytelling talents are at their best, gifting readers one scrumptious treat after another . . . glowing with the joy and romance of the yuletide.”—RT Book Reviews (4 Stars)

A Christmas kiss from a cowboy...

Alice doesn't want to go to this Christmas party. Pretending to be straight around all her family and the Fowler family for an entire month to prepare for a ball, for her to dance with the man they want her to marry is not in the top 100 ways to spend December. But since her family is paying her tuition, she can't risk saying no. Besides, it's only once every ten years. She just has to survive. She thinks she can handle it, until she finds out her rehearsal partner she'll be spending the month with is the same one from ten years before--and the first girl Alice ever liked. And unfortunately for her, her feelings haven't changed. The Christmas Ball is a 50k-word f/f romance with family drama, a secret romance, a childhood crush, plenty of mutual pining, and of course, they only have one bed. Content warning for open-door sex scenes, queerphobia, and a really sleazy man.

This delightfully daring collection of holiday Regency novelettes, follows the lives and loves of eight individuals, from a spirited lady who sets out to save her rakish best friend from a unsuitable engagement, to a bold spy who finally gets his chance with the woman he has always loved. Original.

A woman holds the key to one man’s destiny in this classic Regency romance from the legendary New York Times bestselling author. Disinherited and disgraced, Reginald Davenport’s prospects cried for a dire end. But fate has given him one last chance at redemption—by taking his rightful place as the heir of Strickland, his lost ancestral estate. Davenport knows his way around women, yet nothing prepares him for his shocking encounter with Lady Alys Weston. Masquerading as a man in order to obtain a position as estate manager of Strickland, Alys fled a world filled with mistrust and betrayal. She was finished with men—until Strickland’s restored owner awakens a passion she thought she would never feel. A passion that will doom or save them both . . . if only they can overcome their pasts . . . Praise for Mary Jo Putney “Putney’s endearing characters and warm-hearted stories never fail to inspire and delight.” —Sabrina Jeffries “A complex maze of a story twisted with passion, violence, and redemption. Miss Putney just gets better and better.” —Nora Roberts “A gifted writer with an intuitive understanding of what makes romance work.” —Amanda Quick “No one writes historical romance better.” —Cathy Maxwell “Dynamite!” —Laura Kinsale

Ever since legwarmers were cool, best friends Tara, Katherine, and Fintan have survived small-town ennui, big-city heartbreak, and endless giddy nights out on the town. But now that they've graduated to their slightly more serious thirties, only Fintan has what can honestly be called a "love life." With Tara struggling daily with her eternal diet—and her dreadful, penny-pinching boyfriend—and Katherine keeping her single existence as organized as her drawer full of matching bra and panty sets, it seems they'll never locate the exit door out of the "last chance saloon." But it's always when you are least ready for change that fate insists on one. And when catastrophe inevitably follows crisis, the lives of three best friends are sure to change in unexpected ways ... and not necessarily for the worse. You devoured the hilarious antics of Claire in Watermelon. You laughed 'til you cried in Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married. You took a vacation gone mad in Rachel's Holiday. You flew away with Margaret—good girl gone bad—in Angels. You got a peek inside the cutthroat world of women's fashion magazines in Sushi for Beginners. Now, raise your glass to Tara, Katherine, and Fintan in Last Chance Saloon.

Ross Gardiner has had his fill of difficult relationships. Returning to Last Chance after a rough divorce, the town's handsome new fire chief just wants safety and stability-a tall order given his dangerous job and the way he has the attention of all the single women in town. All except Sabina Grey, the girl who stole his heart when they were teenagers. Sabina knows a lot about playing it safe. Always the good girl, she's now responsible for her antiques store and caring for her sister. But having Ross in town brings back the memory of one carefree summer night when she threw caution to the wind-and almost destroyed her family. Now that they are both older and wiser, will the spark still be there, even though they've both been burned?