THE GIFT by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Mondello Allison Jones knows what it's like to want. Or rather, she did. She'd spent the first few years of her life being shifted from one foster home to another, never really finding that special place to make her feel home. When she finds a small envelope on the ground on a side street in Boston, and opens it, her heart plummets. She recognizes the description of the contents and knows what it will mean to the little girl if the promise of this gift is not fulfilled. But when the CEO of Holden Industries, Derek Holden, accuses her of stealing the money inside the envelope, she's determined to go the distance and not only fulfill the gift herself, but to prove to the dashingly handsome millionaire that there is more to life than just money. The day his family lost their fortune and his world fell apart, Derek Holden swore he'd make his family fortune back. All good things in life came with sacrifice and hard work and he wasn't afraid of it. He'd built a financial empire all on his own and didn't need the simple conventions of life...until he met Allison Jones. The incredibly sweet designer with beautiful hair flowing down her back was much more than he'd originally thought when he'd accused her of stealing the money from the envelope he'd given the courier earlier that day. He'd intended the money to be a small donation to a local charity event. But he soon learned that a bank account full of money was no match for a heart full of love...and there was only one special woman who could teach him. Please look for other books in the FATE WITH A HELPING HAND series: All I Want for Christmas is You The Marriage Contract The Knight and Maggie's Baby The Gift The Gift is a contemporary romance short story prequel to THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT.

Santa Claus is going to have a rough season... Lauren Alexander is raising her daughter alone. Abandoned by her family for her decision to keep her daughter Kristen, she has done a pretty good job for the last six years. Or she thought she had. That's why she is crushed when little Kristen gives up her wish for a toy or goodie and instead asks Santa for a present for her mother. But delivering Daddies isn't Santa's bag. But this Santa has a plan... Kyle Preston knows what it is like to be abandoned too. Luckily he found the support of loving adoptive parents and has turned himself into one of the most successful Real Estate developers in town. Building a house is easy. Building someone's trust is a whole other story. But a little Christmas magic can make all the difference in the world.

Cara Carvalho and Devin Michaels became best friends one distant summer, until fate and their own inner need for success forced them to separate. Now both are seeking more from their lives. A glib promise on the back of her 17th birthday card is enough to bring them together again. Can they have a second chance at happiness?

Sometimes fate needs a little help… Jonah Wallace knows what it’s like to grow up without love. Despite having more money than the Queen of England, his childhood was cold and stale as he grew up in boarding schools. He’s dedicated his life to helping homeless and displaced children find the love and support they need by creating the Haven House Foundation, work that resulted in him being Knighted by the Queen. Now that he’s living in America, his work is going along just fine…until his grandfather gives fate a little nudge by insisting he take a wife before he can inherit. Coffee shop owner, Maggie Bonelli, is pregnant and the baby’s dad has gone AWOL. She knows too well the pain of growing up without a daddy. So when Jonah Wallace comes into her shop proposing marriage for a year, she takes him up on his offer, even if it’s only for a year. Live in a mansion and give her baby a name and a daddy to call his/her own. But can they keep their perfect arraignment strictly business…or will fate’s helping hand bring them love at last?

A little thing called desperation had Zoey Preston under the gun. She had two choices, find a job that would help pay enough for her to stay in Boston...or face moving back to the country to a house full of family and various animals. The last thing on her mind was love...until she meets the devastatingly handsome surgeon Marcus Drake. He's like her lucky charm. He's nothing like any of the doctors she's ever met. He drives a Harley and has a thing for Irish music. Too bad she's leaving town. Hard work never bothered Marcus until the night he returned home after a bad day and realized there was nothing there for him. At a crossroad in his life, he decides it's time to make a change. Then he meets Zoey Preston. The green-eyed girl who can't stand the sight of blood is nothing like the woman he'd imagined would one day be his wife. But he soon realizes, she's is everything he wants...for life. Excerpt: Marcus handed Zoey the envelope across the counter. His hand grazed her fingers as the exchange was made, sending tingles of sensation up her arm and making her lightheaded. His deep blue eyes were unlike anything she'd ever seen. In fact, Zoey couldn't quite figure out if she'd ever met a man as striking as Marcus Drake. And he was a surgeon. Oh, the things he could do with those hands. Her cheeks flamed. As if he were reading her mind, he smiled and lifted his eyebrows quickly and said, "I'd better be going." "Okay," she said in a voice that sounded much too breathless for her ears. "Can I have my hand back?" Zoey glanced down and saw that their hands were entwined. No, not entwined. That would mean he was holding her hand. Instead, she was clutching his, making it impossible for him to move away from the counter. Acid coiled in her stomach as she snatched her hand away. "Sorry." "No need to be. Good luck with your job interview, Zoey." "Thank you." Vicky came up alongside her and extended her hand to Marcus. He glanced at it quickly, but instead of taking her hand, he simply nodded. "It was nice meeting you both." Zoey watched as Marcus left the store and then walked down the crowded sidewalk. "My luck changed the moment I met that man. Do you have any idea what he is?" Zoey said. Vicky crossed her arms and nodded. "Stalker." Zoey made a disgusted face. "Don't be ridiculous. He's a surgeon at one of the best hospitals in the country." Vicky pointed a finger at her. "Does that mean he can't be a stalker?" "He's my lucky charm." "What luck? You're not even Irish." "We're in Boston. Everyone is Irish when they're in Boston." Excerpt from MY LUCKY CHARM, book 4 of the contemporar romance series FATE with a HELPING HAND. Fate with a Helping Hand includes: THE GIFT ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT THE KNIGHT AND MAGGIE'S BABY MY LUCKY CHARM If you enjoy heartwarming contemporary romance and romantic comedy, then you'll enjoy the Fate with a Helping Hand series. Other series by Lisa Mondello include the western romance series TEXAS HEARTS and DAKOTA HEARTS.