‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house…the stone-hearted Duke of Dorchester was falling in love.

The Duke of Dorchester needs a wife for himself and a mother for his wild twin daughters. Someone obedient, well-behaved, and perfectly mannered. Sultry, sarcastic actresses need not apply. Why, then, can he not keep his eyes–or his mouth–off Lillian Snow after a chance encounter at the Yuletide Ball? She isn’t at all what he wants. But maybe…just maybe…she is precisely what he needs.

Lillian swore off men years ago to pursue a career in the theater. She isn’t attending the Yuletide Ball to find a husband; her newest stage production requires funding before Christmas Eve or they’ll be closed down. A grumpy, annoyingly sexy duke isn’t at all what she’s looking for. But maybe…just maybe…it’s who she is meant to find.