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illiam White wanted Lavinia Spencer
the first time he saw her working in her father’s lending library.
When her father becomes ill and the family finances take a turn for the worse, he realizes that necessity might force her to
marry someone else—an unacceptable future, as that would mean he could never have her. He wants her forever, but on his
salary that’s
outside the realm of possibility. Instead, he’s willing to settle for a bare—in fact, one might say a naked—minimum.
But when he sets his plan in action, he discovers that finances or no finances, there are some things money just can’t buy.
That’s not going to stop him from trying to purchase them.
You should buy this anthology to find out about delightful historical Christmas practices, such as:
- Burnt porridge!
- Regency-era 419 scams!
- and suspiciously solitary orange cats!
- Cooked Gooses! More of the figurative than the literal variety. (I would say “cooked geese” but irregular plural or no, it just sounds wrong.)
Oh, very well. If you'd like two good reasons to buy this anthology, also also appearing are cunning
plans the following lovely incentives:
- NYT best-selling author Mary Balogh's story “A Handful of Gold,” a reissue originally printed in 1998.
- RITA-finalist Nicola Cornick's story “A Season for Suitors,” a reissue originally printed in 2005.
I am honored and excited to make my publishing debut in print beside (or, okay, behind) these two incredible authors.
-
The Heart of Christmas spends two weeks on the USA Today Bestseller list, reaching a high of #94.
“This Wicked Gift” was voted Best Romance Short Story of 2009 at All About Romance in their 2009 Annual Reader Poll.
“This Wicked Gift” is a finalist in RWA’s 2010 RITA® contest in the Best Romance Novella category.
“This Wicked Gift” is a finalist in Rom Con’s 2010 Reader’s Crown, Best Novella category.
“[T]hemes of honor, worth, independence, and value are folded back onto one another, reappearing and connecting to each other in intricate moments… Like a sword that’s a thousand years old but shines like it was made yesterday, constructed of the thinnest sheets of metal folded back and forth onto itself a million times.”
—Sarah Wendell, of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
“With gorgeous, melodic writing… Milan movingly conveys William’s despair and hopelessness that motivate his actions, as well as how he eventually comes to rise above his circumstances.”
—Anime June, of Gossamer Obsessions
“[W]hat really leads me to recommend this book is the unusual third story by new author Courtney Milan... ‘This Wicked Gift’ is enjoyably unexpected...”
—Jean Mason, of The Romance Reader reviews
“This Dickens type tale by the much welcomed debut author Courtney Milan shows that love among the stacks makes for some naughty as well as romantic reading.”
—Katiebabs, at Babbling About Books and More
“My favorite part of this anthology, is the new story Courtney Milan has contributed. Her characters are amazing (and made me cry), and with deft strokes of her keyboard she has made me extremely excited to read her debut.”
—Stacey, of Publisher’s Weekly Beyond Her Book blog
“A story of faith, hope and redemption that embodies what the Christmas season is all about... If this short novella is what we can expect of her writing I cannot wait for her full-length novel next year.”
—Valarie Pelissero, of Rakehell Reviews
“It sucked... There weren’t any good fight scenes... I prefer it when the hero and heroine get a little jiggy with each other after they’ve just killed a monster with a six-inch kitchen knife and their own teeth.”