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.

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?

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....

The lovely and mysterious Héloise Ramsay is available...for a price. The Earl of Dexter is prepared to pay it, and more, but she refuses him. He knows she's had other lovers, so why not him? This is the story of a woman who makes a mistake in her youth, and finds that someone in her circumstances has no choice but to sell her only asset: herself. Told against the background of a family fleeing the French Revolution and making its way the best it can, this story celebrates a strong woman who will do whatever she must to ensure a safe future for those she loves.

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.

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.

She thought Harry loved her and she was prepared to wait for him, but Lyla is devastated when he becomes engaged to someone else. He writes to explain his reasons and she wants to forgive him, but all she can think of is escape. She persuades her father to send her to Ireland to help in purchasing horses for the family business. In spite of meeting the engaging Finn and all sorts of other new people, from camp followers to the Colonel's lady, Lyla still falls asleep with Harry's folded and re-folded letter against her breast.

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 . . .

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.

Isabelle Wareham, whilst caring for her beloved widowed father, has not seen much of the world. After his death, Isabelle finds she is no longer her own mistress but under the guardianship of her unscrupulous brother-in-law, Lord Dunsfold, who sees her as a way to improve his own fortunes. The outlook looks bleak until events throw Isabelle and the impoverished Earl of Idsworth together. However, Dunsfold is determined to force her into a more lucrative match and Isabelle will need to rise above her circumstances to reach her chance of happiness.

Captain Charles Bassington of the 13th Light Dragoons is famed for his good luck, high spirits, and devil-may-care attitude. He escapes serious injury at Waterloo only to succumb to an inflammation of the lungs. When he returns home to recuperate, cracks begin to appear in his cheery façade. It is only when two eminently eligible bachelors appear to be vying for the hand of his childhood friend, Lady Selena Sheringham, that Charles realizes his heart’s desire. But how can the younger son of a baron ever hope to be worthy of the wealthy daughter of an earl?

Sophy Hadlow does not want to return for another London Season. Her own debut into Society was marred by self-consciousness and her cringing embarrassment every time she was announced as ‘The Lady Sophronia Hadlow’. Yet, much to her dismay, Sophy is back in London to oversee the debut of her younger sister and their wild cousin, Susan Tyneham, who risks ruining both her own and her innocent cousin’s chances of marriage.

Tabitha, Lady Chesterton, the Countess of Pembroke, is newly widowed at only 22 years of age. With no son to inherit the title, it falls to a dashing, distant cousin of her husband's, Jeremy Chesterton, known as Wolf. It quickly becomes apparent that Wolf had consorted with some of London's most dangerous citizens before inheriting the title. Can he leave this world behind, or will shadowy figures from his past follow him into his new aristocratic life in Mayfair? And can Tabitha avoid being caught up in Wolf's dubious activities?

Miss Emma Wynn has spent the last year at Ashwick Hall under the protection of Lady Westcliffe. Her uncle and brother think her dead and must continue to do so until she attains her majority. She must prove she is a fit guardian to re-establish herself and protect her brother. When permitted to visit her friend, Lady Eagleton, she is drawn to the reclusive Mr Carne. She suspects, however, that some scandal is attached to him, and she cannot afford to be tainted by association.