Nightly at the Covent Garden Theatre in London, an enchanting actress is wowing the crowds with her affecting portrayal of Ophelia. Preyed on by rakes and opportunistic young bucks, feted by dukes and earls, even the Prince Regent himself, Angelica Leigh is a sensation. But in Regency England, beauty and talent are not enough to be considered marriage material, so when the eminently eligible Lord Charles Latimer sets his heart on Angelica, his uncle is sent to intervene.

Nowadays the Marquess of Hastings would probably be described as having Asperger's. He's good-looking and rich, but his lack of social skills make it hard for him to find a much-needed wife. He scandalizes the ton by putting an advertisement in the newspaper describing the type of spouse he requires and the marriage of convenience he envisages. Amazingly, he finds a suitable candidate. Elisabeth is an impoverished gentlewoman with literary aspirations. But can this oddly-assorted pair possibly coexist, let alone find happiness?

Marianne Edgewood is perfectly capable of running Brindale Castle, if only the task would be left to her. A centuries-old house of stone is solid, unchanging, whereas people are not to be relied upon. It matters little that a stranger inherited the castle. She must simply find a way to stay.

Miss Amelia Fleming has a very good reason to hate the Earl of Langley. A year ago, her father drowned in the Thames after losing a fortune to Langley at cards. Now her family is broke, her fiance has broken their engagement, and the debt still hasn't been paid. Someone has to deal with the earl, but Amelia's brother doesn't have the nerve and her mother has fled to France. It's no business for a gently bred young lady, but the Earl of Langley is about to learn that Amelia Fleming is not your typical young lady . . .

After losing her fiancé to a terrible accident, Miss Katherine Blackmore found contentment as a matchmaker to the members of Society. Working alongside her sisters, they strive to secure the most unlikely people with love matches. Everything is perfect until an infuriating lord steps into her office, turning her world upside down. Edward Simpson, the Marquess of Berkshire, has a problem. His sister needs to marry, and quickly. When he approaches Miss Blackmore to hire her services, he does so poorly and ends up soundly insulting her. Luckily, he fares better with his second attempt.

When Marianne's father dies, she and her governess Rosemary are forced to go and live with her guardian, the Earl of Tyndell. The Earl has strict ideas about how young ladies should behave. He isn't impressed by the romantic notions Marianne has absorbed straight from the pages of a Gothic novel.

In the title story it's just before Christmas and an unexpected visitor arrives, claiming to be the fiancée of the son of the house. But he knows nothing about it. This muddle has to be sorted out, or it's not only Christmas that will be ruined.

In Regency England, marriage is everything. For young widow Sybella Lovatt, the time has come to find a suitable husband for her sister and ward Lucie. Male suitors are scarce near their Wiltshire estate, so the sisters resolve to head to London in time for the Season to begin. Once ensconced at the Mayfair home of Lady Godley, Lucie’s godmother, the whirl of balls, parties and promenades can begin. But the job of finding a husband is fraught with rules and tradition. Jostling for attention are two lords.

After harrowing experiences in the Napoleonic Wars and suffering from what we would now recognise as PTSD, half-English, half-German Lukas is making a home for his mother and sister in the leafy green of England. At least, he is in the country while his sister and mother are in London, falling under the sway of Lady Beatrix, a frivolous socialite who appears to think of nothing but fun and pairing up other people, whether they like it or not.

The first story in this collection features a young woman determined to get the man she wants. But is it A Perfect Match? Then there's a story about a Juliet who meets a man called Romeo. Surely a Perfect Match? A father is so focused on his daughter making a Perfect Match, he doesn't see what's under his nose.

As a child, Devlin Ware thought his family stood for all that was right and good in the world. They were kind, gracious, and shared the beauty of Ravenwood, their grand country estate, by hosting lavish parties for the entire countryside. But at 22, he discovered his whole world was an elaborate illusion, and when Devlin publicly called his family to account for it, he was exiled as a traitor. So be it. He enlisted in the fight against Napoleon and didn't look back for six years. But now his father is dead, the Ware family is broken, and as the heir he is being called home.

Rumors abound about the rakish Viscount Rochford, a man who’s left a trail of wailing hearts in his wake. With a reputation for jilting society women, the ton can scarcely believe he is ready to settle down and wed. Neither can Miss Penelope Stratton. With her enviable looks and sizable dowry, this shy country girl finds herself with an impressive list of suitors. Yet against all her better judgment, she is drawn to the one man least suited to matrimony; a notorious man with a scandalous past.

Hidden away in rural Devonshire, Phyllida Satterthwaite has always been considered more odd than beautiful. But in London, her oddity has made her a sensation. Far worse, it’s caught the eye of the sinister Duke of Moreland - a notorious art collector obsessed with acquiring one-of-a-kind treasures. To escape the duke’s clutches, she’s going to need a little help. Captain Arthur Heywood’s days of heroism are long past. Grievously injured in the Peninsular War, he can no longer walk unaided, let alone shoot a pistol. What use can he possibly be to a damsel in distress?

The perennially lazy and late Lord Devin is astonished when a petite virago called Wilhelmina accuses him of selling an unfit horse to a drayman. He isn't aware of the irregularities in his stables. Later, she foists a stray, starving kitten called Horace on him. But Hermione, his betrothed, hates cats. And Horace hates her....

Georgette Fortune has loved the same man for over two years now, but he does not even know she exists. When the handsome Marquis of Onslow appears at a house party in her home, the crumbling Castle Fortune, he does not recognise her at all. With six unmarried daughters to provide for, and in the hope of marriage settlements, Baron Fortune has invited guests to a home ill prepared for it. He hopes that young Lord Paxton, who has shown interest in his daughter Jocasta will finally offer for her. And while he is at it, he will introduce his other daughters to the company as well.