A Regency enemies to friends to lovers romance, with a touch of brother’s best friend and a whole lot of banter and steamy scenes. Miss Gina Bains just needs to avoid marriage until Christmas—and her birthday. When she’s one-and-twenty she’ll receive inheritance from her father and be free to travel the world. In the meantime, she’s stuck with faking the accomplishments her mother insists on and “accidentally” stepping on the toes of her would-be beau. Dancing with his best friend’s sister is Emmett Stanton’s duty to fulfill, like choosing a wife to keep the Earldom going. When Miss Bains inadvertently reveals her ploy to remain single, Emmett realizes a fake engagement can solve both their problems. Though given how alluring Gina is, he’s not sure it should be temporary. The condition that he can’t kiss her creates a challenge, but he can tempt her into kissing him… Gina ignores Emmett’s charm for months, but when Christmas and freedom are just days away a kiss under the mistletoe is irresistible. One kiss turns into Emmett educating her in the ways of love, and suddenly the future—without Emmett—looks gray. But how can she give up her travel dreams when he must settle down and produce an heir?

Lady Harriet Thornhill knows the summons from her grandfather means he’s decided whom she must marry. Determined that she’d only marry a man of her choosing, she stows away in her friend’s father’s carriage, only to find herself alone with young Archibald Napier,Viscount Morley. Morley’s plans for a quiet Christmas vanish when he discovers the sweet young lady hiding under the blankets in his carriage. As she claims an acquaintance with his sister, he feels duty-bound to see her safely back to her family. A broken carriage wheel leaves them stranded, and Harriet’s reputation is at stake. Morley’s not ready to take a wife, until he’s told he wouldn’t be a suitable husband for her. With memories of her sweet, tempting kiss filling his thoughts, he prepares to fight for the hand of the woman he believes he could love.

Despite her dear friend Jane Austen's warning against teaching, Arabella Dempsey accepts a position at a girls' school in Bath, just before Christmas. She hardly imagines coming face-to-face with French aristocrats and international spies. Reginald "Turnip" Fitzhugh-often mistaken for the elusive spy known as the Pink Carnation-has blundered into danger before. When Turnip and Arabella find their Christmas pudding yielding a cryptic message, they are launched on a Yuletide adventure. Will they find poinsettias-or peril?

While others fear the meddling Duke of Danby, Lady Eleanor hopes he can find her a husband, since he does it so well. Four years ago, Lady Eleanor’s brother Archie found his love, Harriet, indirectly due to the Duke of Danby’s summons at Christmastime. Now Eleanor hopes Danby will do the same for her, but she’ll have to get over her shyness to meet anyone. Discovered by the handsome Marquess of Wickham while she hides away in the nursery, she agrees to pretend there’s an understanding between them so his uncle won’t try to force him to marry. Eleanor enjoys Wickham’s company, but how will she find a husband if the gentlemen all believe she’s already in love?

A collection of four historically-set Christmas romances includes Candace Camp's "By any other name," in which a gentleman pursues a lady in disguise who is seeking her brother in the gaming hells of Edinburgh.