Mary Balogh

Gwendoline, Lady Muir, has seen her share of tragedy, especially since a freak accident took her husband much too soon. Content in a quiet life with friends and family, the young widow has no desire to marry again. But when Hugo, Lord Trentham, scoops her up in his arms after a fall, she feels a sensation that both shocks and emboldens her. Hugo never intends to kiss Lady Muir, and frankly, he judges her to be a spoiled, frivolous, if beautiful, aristocrat....

Hannah, the recently widowed Duchess of Dunbarton, revels in her new freedom by setting her sights on Constantine, the black sheep of the scandalous Huxtable family, whose wicked reputation rivals her own.

"After surviving the Napoleonic Wars, Sir Benedict Harper is struggling to move on, his body and spirit in need of a healing touch. Never does Ben imagine that hope will come in the form of a beautiful woman who has seen her own share of suffering. After the lingering death of her husband, Samantha McKay is at the mercy of her oppressive in-laws--until she plots an escape to distant Wales to claim a house she has inherited. Being a gentleman, Ben...

In a night of drunken revelry, Jasper Finley, Baron Montford, gambles his reputation as London's most notorious lover on his ability to seduce the virtuous Katherine Huxtable. For Katherine, Jasper's offer is irresistible: to make London's most dangerous rake fall in love with her. Then Jasper suddenly ups the ante by asking her to become his wife.

When Edward Ailsbury, the new Earl of Heyward, rescues Angeline Dudley from public embarrassment, Angeline falls instantly in love. But the stuffy Earl has little concern for Angeline. Edward wishes only to wed an old friend for an amicable companionship, a good match for his staid persona. But Angelina may show Edward that comfort is no match for passion.

Once the countess of Riverdale, widowed Viola decides to run off with Marcel, the Marquess of Dorchester, but they soon find themselves victims of the age's ideas of respectability.

They meet in a ferocious snowstorm ... she is a young teacher with a secret past ... he is the cool, black-caped stranger who unexpectedly comes to her rescue ... desire is instantaneous, and utterly impossible to resist. Stranded together in a rustic country inn, Lucius Marshall, who is the Viscount Sinclair, and Frances Allard share a night of glorious, unforgettable passion. But Frances know her place, and it is far from the privileged world of...

"For the first time since the death of his wife, the Duke of Stanbrook is considering remarrying and finally embracing happiness for himself. With that thought comes the treasured image of a woman he met briefly a year ago and never saw again. Dora Debbins relinquished all hope to marry when a family scandal left her in charge of her younger sister. Earning a modest living as a music teacher, she's left with only an unfulfilled dream. Then, one afternoon,...

Since witnessing the death of her husband during the wars, Imogen, Lady Barclay, has secluded herself in the confines of Hardford Hall, their home in Cornwall. The new owner has failed to take up his inheritance, and Imogen desperately hopes he will never come to disturb her fragile peace.

In this beautifully written "Christmas gift to her readers" (Booklist) New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh draws on the warmth of the holiday season to heal the wounds of the human heart in five cherished novellas of family, friends, lovers, and strangers ... In A Family Christmas, an estranged husband and wife make an unexpected connection--and an illuminating discovery--during the holiday season. The Star of Bethlehem is a lost diamond...