Joanna Barker Bücher

Christmas is the perfect time to fall in love—unless you’re pretending to be your twin sister. Cassandra Bell prefers to stay in the shadow of her poised twin, Vivian, whose goal at the Hastings’ Christmas house party is to secure a proposal from the eligible Mr. Hastings. When Vivian falls ill, she persuades Cassie to switch places, hoping to keep other ladies away from him. Reluctantly, Cassie assumes her sister's role, fearing disaster. Roland Hastings returns home to find his matchmaking mother has organized a house party to help him find a bride, something he dreads. However, everything changes when he meets Miss Bell, who is spunky, unconventional, and refreshingly honest. Cassie’s charm sweeps Roland off his feet, igniting feelings he never expected. As Cassie grows closer to the handsome host, she struggles to maintain her facade and conceal her true feelings. Falling in love was never part of the plan, especially since Roland believes she is someone else. With Vivian recovering and the party nearing its end, Cassie faces a dilemma between loyalty to her sister and her newfound emotions. This sweet Regency romance novella, previously part of the Timeless Regency Collection, includes a bonus epilogue and new edits.

"Miss Genevieve Wilde--a magistrate's daughter and independent heiress--is determined to meet life's challenges all on her own, just as her late-father had taught her. So when her father's pocket watch is stolen, she will do anything to get it back, especially when the local authorities prove incompetent. Upon reading an advertisement in the paper, she takes a chance and contacts a thief-taker to find the watch. It's a choice Ginny regrets when former Bow Street officer Jack Travers arrives on her doorstep. He is frustratingly flirtatious, irritatingly handsome, and entirely unpredictable, and Ginny wonders if she'll be able to resist such a man. But after Ginny discovers that the missing watch is just a small part of a larger, more frightening plot against her, she needs Jack's help more than ever. To protect her home and her reputation, the two enter into a risky charade--pretending Jack is her cousin so he can begin his investigation, starting with the household staff. As they work together to unravel the mystery, Ginny finds herself falling fast for her charismatic thief-taker, leaving her heart in just as much danger as her life"--