The sweetest gift is the hardest to unwrap. . . Lady Victoria Allen-Hill never dreamed she'd be a widow at twenty-one—let alone a virgin. Her father insists that she attend a matchmaking house party in the snow-covered seaside town of Pevensey in hopes she'll find a suitable husband. But for Victoria, it's an opportunity to indulge in a passionate affair—and the handsome inventor she meets at the Christmas Eve masquerade ball may be just the man for the job. . . Lewis Noble is the cousin of London's famed Redcake sisters, so it almost stands to reason that he's just as irresistible as one of their sugar-iced pastries. Lewis catches the eye of every woman at the party—but Victoria is the only one who catches his. He won't be tied down in her father's business, but watching other men court her amid a flurry of engagements ignites a jealousy he's never felt before. A dose of honesty may be just the thing to mend their broken hearts—for many holidays to come. . . "Before I realized it, the unusually strong and well-developed characters of The Kidnapped Bride had sneaked up on me and captured my full attention. This is one of the best shorter books I have ever read. --Delle Jacobs, author of Lady Wicked "A delightful, sexy glimpse into Victorian life and loving with two wonderfully non-traditional lovers." --Jessa Slade, author of Dark Prince's Desire on His Wicked Smile 90,300 Words