Lydia Charring is spending a quiet Christmas at Chillington Abbey, helping her mother to take care of an ailing relative. It will be quiet, peaceful, and uneventful as always. Or at least, it should have been. The arrival of the mysterious Alexander Farago brings some unexpected excitement to Lydia’s Christmas season. Could it also bring love? Alex is taken aback by the sudden and intense attraction he feels to the beautiful, out-spoken Lydia. As Christmas approaches, they grow closer and closer, and something strong is grow-ing between them. But Alex is keeping a secret from the down-to-earth Lydia. Something he’s not sure she’ll appreciate. Can Alex convince Lydia to love him for him, and not for his status? And when his secret is revealed, will Lydia trust the man who has won her heart?

Princess Harriet Wesselbach is growing tired of her pampered, privileged lifestyle. The only thing worse than the gilded cage of a royal life is the overprotective nature of her brother, the crown prince. When the palace is suddenly thrown into turmoil, Harriet takes the opportunity to run away and branch out on her own. After all, how hard could it be to live not as a royal, but as an ordinary young lady? Harriet wants to stand on her own two feet, and she is determined that nothing will get in her way. Especially not a chance encounter with a handsome stranger. \\\The last thing Jacob Lauer needs or wants to do is play nanny to a spoiled princess. But that’s exactly what he finds himself having to do. From the moment he meets her, she is nothing but trouble, and what should have been an easy assignment is turning out to be more difficult than he had bargained for. Not least because the longer he spends in Harriet’s company, the more difficult it is to hide his growing attraction to the lady. \\\When Harriet’s safety is threatened, Jacob must put aside all his conflicting feelings and concentrate on the job at hand. Will he be able to ignore his heart, when he’s protecting the princess?