Mr. Richard Graham will do anything to find a wife by Christmas, including calling in a favor from the one woman who despises him.

Richard Graham cannot believe his luck when his great-aunt promises him a fortune if he’s married by Twelfth Night. He can finally clear his father’s debts and save his beloved Belside Manor. Miss Ruth Steele meets all the marriageable requirements his aunt insisted upon, but he’ll need the help of her clever and beautiful sister, Grace, to win the quiet woman over. Not only is Grace a dear friend to his younger sister, with loyalties to his family estate, but she also happens to owe him a generous favor. If she can put aside her dislike for him, his Christmas miracle will be easily attainable by the looming deadline.

Grace Steele never planned to make a bargain with Richard Graham. She cares little for the overly charming man and his penchant for flirtation, and she has spent the last several years establishing this fact. But when Richard offers to scare away an unwanted suitor in exchange for her help, she relents. What harm can arise from a pretend courtship over the holidays? Besides his unsettling effect on her, it allows time for her impossibly shy sister to warm to Richard and sends a clear message to Mr. Dobson that she is unavailable. Once Ruth and Richard are married, she will be forever rid of the much-too-perfect Richard Graham.

Inexperienced in courtship and love, Jemma turns to her best friend, Miles, for guidance on how to win a man's heart—not knowing that Miles has secretly loved her for years.

Brookeside, England, 1822

Jemma Fielding has always considered herself an independent woman, but to honor her beloved grandmother's dying wish, she makes a promise that she will marry and fall in love. To fulfill her promise, she turns to the Matchmaking Mamas Society for assistance and is paired with the charming Mr. Bentley. Though he is everything Jemma could hope for in a match, she is clueless about how to win his heart. Desperate to make a good impression, she seeks guidance from her dearest friend, Miles Jackson, a humble rector with a talent for understanding matters of the heart.

However, Miles's secret affection for Jemma has spanned years, and teaching her to love someone else threatens to betray his own heart. Despite his selfless nature, Miles fears he will never be more than a humble rector in her eyes.

Even as he gives Jemma lessons in love, Miles grapples with the challenge of convincing her that Mr. Bentley may be a perfect gentleman but he is not the perfect match for her. Will Miles's advice in romance jeopardize their years of friendship, or will it reveal the attraction that has quietly blossomed between them, proving that this time, the Matchmaking Mamas may have made a mistake? Miles must decide if he's brave enough to confess his feelings to Jemma before she is whisked away forever.

Theresia Dvorak has nothing left of her parents—nothing save her dowry, a priceless crystal vase stolen and sold by her own stepmother. Theresia will do anything to secure what is rightfully hers—even assume a false identity and steal her future back. When she gains entrance to a house party and has a memorable run-in with the handsome navel captain Rolland Reese, her mission is compromised. She swore never to trust an Englishman again, but when he makes a daring proposal she cannot refuse, she must work side by side with him if either of them is to achieve their aim.

Rolland is stunned when his homecoming from the war takes a decidedly deadly turn. The quickest solution is to throw a house party and invite all the suspects. With the stakes incredibly high, Rolland must root out the killer before they turn their sights to the next potential victim: his own father. The mysterious Theresia is undoubtedly the most suspicious of his guests, but against all odds, he finds himself risking everything to protect her. As Rolland unravels a tangle of clues, he faces the greatest threats of all: a heart of fire and a future as fragile as glass.