Mary Jo Putney

“Eight romance authors walk into a Regency-era ballroom and wreak fabulous, shimmering holiday mischief all over the place.”—Publishers WeeklyChristmas 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)

Prev "The Rake and The Reformer". The Rake Reginald Davenport, disinherited, disgraced, alcoholic, is headed for a bad end. New Earl of Wargrave gives him Strickland, the ancestral estate his uncle took illegally. The Reformer Lady Alys Weston fled wealth and title, fell into managing Strickland, caring for three unrelated former students. Reggie wakes her passions.

London, 1816. As a Royal Navy officer, Lucas Mandeville, Lord Foxton, has fought his share of battles on the high seas, followed by long years of imprisonment. But on this night, he’d rather be on the burning deck of a ship than in a ballroom, where it is just a matter of time before someone challenges him because of what happened on the Continent. A woman who has lost her reputation is nothing... When dark-haired beauty Kyla Douglas arrives, a whisper of scandal ripples through the ton. The disgraced divorcee’s entrance is an act of daring. Which is exactly why Lucas asks her to dance... A couple who stands together has everything... Unexpectedly, Lucas offers Kyla his aid in finding the evidence to regain her good name—and her beloved young son. Together they investigate the wicked conspiracy that destroyed her life, and in the midst of danger, find a deep love that will redeem them both—if only they can live long enough to build a future together.