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Mischief Under the Mistletoe

BLURB:

Every romance needs a bit of mischief. . .

At her eighteenth birthday celebration Jenny Crowley’s parents announce that instead of having the London Season she’s dreamed of for years, Jenny has actually been betrothed from birth to Alexander Isley, son of family friends and heir to a title. A distraught Jenny refuses point-blank to marry Alec, and when her aunt offers to whisk her away to a festive Christmas house party–complete with many eligible young bachelors–Jenny jumps at the chance to enjoy a variety of entertainments, be courted, and perhaps find the man of her dreams.

Alec Isley is between a rock and a hard place. He desires a marriage with Jenny about as much as she does, but when his family’s dire financial status comes out, he follows Jenny to the house party in hopes of convincing her to marry him after all. When he discovers who else is courting her there, Alec is frantic to keep her from making a horrible mistake. Struggling with his unexpected new-found feelings for his childhood friend, can Alec convince her of his love in time to save her from being ruined under the mistletoe?

I’m jumping ahead to Jenny’s introduction to Lady Celinda Grantham at the Christmas house party Jenny’s Aunt Arabella invites her to. They are talking about coming out in the spring when Celinda mentions The Matchmaker’s Ball. Enjoy!

EXCERPT:

Jenny hung her head, staring into her teacup. “I doubt I will be allowed a come out, Celinda.”

“Not have a come out?” Celinda’s round face looked like a huge “O,” her eyes wide, mouth open. “Why ever not?”

With a sigh, Jenny launched into her tale of woe. “And so these weeks here at Marbury Place are all I’m to get for a Season.” She sighed and took a sip of her cooling tea. “I am most grateful to my aunt for arranging it, but in the end, I suppose I shall have to return home and marry Alexander.”

Celinda, whose face had warmed and paled throughout the explanation, leaned forward and whispered, “Is he old and warty?”

And a little bit more…

Jenny laughed and set her cup down. “No, nothing like that. He’s a little older than me, but only by a few years. I’ve known him all my life.” She grew quiet. That was the problem. She didn’t want to marry someone she’d seen climbing trees at ten years old or falling and skinning his knee. She wanted someone new and exciting, someone she could dance and flirt with without remembering that they’d once poured a bucket of rainwater down her back. Most of all, she wanted to have a choice.

“Hmmm.” Celinda tapped her finger against her lips. “But the main reason they want you to marry him is because he will inherit his father’s title. Is that right?” Her eyes closed to mere slits.

Jenny nodded, a sliver of hope dawning within. Did Celinda perhaps have some sort of plan to thwart her parents?

“So if you fall in love with another gentleman who has a title, they should let you marry him, correct?”

“I suppose so.” Jenny thought about her great-aunt’s face when she’d chastised Mama about not marrying up. “Great-Aunt Harriett wants to be able to crow about having a family member with a title. I doubt she’d be very fussy about what the title was.”

“Such a shame then that they won’t let you have your Season.” Celinda sighed deeply. “I’m quite certain you could find the perfect gentleman at The Matchmaker’s Ball.”

“The Matchmaker’s Ball?” Jenny had never heard of such a thing. “Do they have real matchmakers in London?”

Mischief Under the Mistletoe is available for pre-order on Amazon for just .99! Grab your copy here!! It will release on Amazon and on other platforms on July 16, 2024.

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