Two people in two prisons without bars, but captive nonetheless. Time and circumstances had kept them apart, but now they are about to be brought together by fate. Mara Johansen runs away from her Maryland home to search for something missing within, to search for purpose, for herself. Instead, she finds herself stranded in a winter storm in the great northwest. Sanctuary comes in the form of a wooden mansion on a distant hill, but who is the mysterious owner? Thomas is a handsome, wealthy man who lives alone in this beautiful, colossal structure. As witty and charming as he is mysterious, Mara soon learns that he has a most sordid past. And yet, she is strangely drawn in, and what follows is a tale of romance and intrigue, a story of two souls – one on the verge of giving up and the other believing his time is over - who face danger and find love, together. The Winter Palace is a beautiful romance, the story of a monument to the hopes and dreams of every decent man, woman, and child, a story that reminds us that we never know what may show up at our door, including true love.

The struggle--for power, wealth, and souls--in the crumbling Soviet Empire Passing through Florian's Gate...having discovered the Amber Room...T. Davis Bunn now takes his readers to the Winter Palace! Jeffrey Sinclair is on top of the world. He is growing in professional success in the antiques trade, in his spiritual quest for a better understanding of God, and in his love for the beautiful Katya. But his world is suddenly shaken when his mentor Alexander falls ill, leaving Jeffrey to take on new responsibilities. What begins as an enjoyable honeymoon visit to Monte Carlo, ends with a mysterious assignment to reclaim a deposed Russian nobleman's winter palace. Thrust into the turbulence of modern-day St. Petersburg, Jeffrey's search constantly links him to the riches of its tsarist history. Here he confronts the dangerous collusion that has emerged between former Communist Party members, KGB agents, and self-styled "Mafia" gangs of criminals and black-marketers. But most striking to him is the material and spiritual hunger which gnaws at the people. Who will meet this incredible need? And is it just the estate Count Markov seeks to recover, or is there something more?

Harlequin® Heartwarming celebrates wholesome, heartfelt relationships that focus on home, family, community and love. Experience all that and more with four new novels in one collection! This Harlequin Heartwarming box set includes: A COWBOY CHRISTMAS CAROL The Cowboy Academy by USA TODAY bestselling author Melinda Curtis If rodeo roper Ryan Oakley wants a horse from Jo Pierce, he’ll have to get her a date with his twin first. They both think they know what they want, but this Christmas, they’ll get more than they bargained for. HER HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS Love, Oregon by Anna Grace Life on the road lets Ani Blaisedell hide from who she used to be. But after a temporary stay in Outcrop to work with Hunter Wallace in his restaurant, she can’t hide from her growing feelings for Hunter. UNDER THE MISTLETOE Return to Christmas Island by Amie Denman Cara Peterson is finally following her dreams to start a horse camp for kids. Until former islander—and secret crush—Ryan Brookstone reappears and buys the property she wanted. Will Cara lose sight of her dreams…or can they include Ryan? TWINS FOR THE HOLIDAYS Polk Island by Jacquelin Thomas Taylor Carrington is ready to celebrate the success of his new business, not the beginning of his marriage to executive assistant Rayne Rothchild—or his new role as father! But this Christmas on Polk Island could change everything… Look for 4 compelling new stories every month from Harlequin® Heartwarming!

When Vavara, a young Polish orphan, arrives at the glittering, dangerous court of the Empress Elizabeth in St Petersburg, she is schooled in skills ranging from lock-picking to love-making, learning above all else to stay silent - and listen. Then Sophie, a vulnerable young princess, arrives from Prussia as a prospective bride for the Empress's heir. Set to spy on her, Vavara soon becomes her friend and confidante, and helps her navigate the illicit liaisons and the treacherous shifting allegiances of the court. But Sophie's destiny is to become the notorious Catherine the Great. Are her ambitions more lofty and far-reaching than anyone suspected, and will she stop at nothing to achieve absolute power?

Melissa Bashardoust’s acclaimed debut novel Girls Made of Snow and Glass is “Snow White as it’s never been told before...a feminist fantasy fairy tale not to be missed” (BookPage)! “Utterly superb.” —ALA Booklist, starred review “Dark, fantastical, hauntingly evocative.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review “An empowering and progressive original retelling.” —SLJ, starred review Sixteen-year-old Mina is motherless, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone—has never beat at all, in fact, but she’d always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she’ll have to become a stepmother. Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image, at her father’s order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do—and who to be—to win back the only mother she’s ever known...or else defeat her once and for all. Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything—unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story.

Queen Levana is a ruler who uses her 'glamour' to gain power. but long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story - a story that has never been told ... until now.