11 December Must-Read Romances to Heat Up Your Winter

In Ace of Hearts by Renee Rose, when her producer/manager's loan from the mob comes due, pop star Pepper Heart finds herself at the mercy of the terrifying but sexy enforcer Tony Brando. Tony sets her up to perform at the Bellissimo, his mafia-run casino, until the loan is paid off. She wants to hate him for keeping her under his thumb, but every time they're together, the sparks between them nearly set the casino on fire. Pepper believes Tony is her only threat, but pushing him away may leave her vulnerable to a far greater danger.

There's a reason most fairy tales end with the couple riding off into the sunset — real life is messy. No one knows that better than Theo Fitzcharles in Theirs Ever After by Katee Robert. He's regained his throne, and set his two lovers, Meg and Galen, up as official consorts — but nothing's gone right since. With their relationship on the rocks, he feels like he's fighting a losing battle to maintain their happily-ever-after. If that weren't enough, danger mounts with each passing day. Someone has set their sights on removing Meg from the picture . . . permanently.

All of Me by A.L. Jackson: As one of Charleston's most powerful attorneys, Ian Jacobs has always gone after what he wants. One glance, and he knows he wants her. One night of passion only leaves him wanting more. Everyone knows an attorney can't sleep with his client, and he's about to find out he already did. He can't have her, but he doesn't know if he can stop himself from having her again.

A cop falls for a criminal in Rough Trade by Sidney Bell, a tale of forbidden love. With the wrong people after him, quick-witted hustler Ghost must turn to gruff, moral cop Duncan Rook for help in Sidney Bell's slow-burn romance Rough Trade. But after years of surviving on his own, placing his trust in another person, let alone a cop, is practically a foreign concept for Ghost. Protecting a criminal, especially one as tempting as Ghost, is the last thing Duncan's reputation on the force needs, but keeping Ghost safe is the only way to take down their shared enemy. Don't miss the thrilling conclusion to the Woodbury Boys series!

When Molly and her 4-year-old find themselves unexpectedly homeless at Christmas in Wrapped in Love by Lexi Ryan, Molly has no choice but to move in with her boss. Brayden Jackson is the very picture of tall, dark, and handsome. And thanks to an ill-advised one night stand they had seven months ago, Molly knows exactly what she's missing when she turns him down. Resisting Brayden on a good day is bad enough, but resisting him when faced with daily reminders of his kindness and charm? Impossible. Maybe this Christmas will finally bring her what she's always wanted and been too afraid to ask for.

When Aria was given to Luca in marriage, becoming a young widow seemed like the best thing that could happen to her. As Capo of the Famiglia, Luca was born with cruelty in his veins, raised to break others. He wasn't a man who had ever allowed himself to trust or love anyone — until Aria. Taught from a young age that love was a weakness and always wary of his emotions for Aria, Luca had been waiting for something to prove his wariness right, until Aria gives it to him by going behind his back. Can their love survive betrayal? Find out in Bound by Love by Cora Reilly.

Make believe has never felt so real in this fake engagement tale by writing duo Piper Rayne. Luca and Lauren have been at each other's throats since freshman year of high school and, a decade later, not much has changed. You wouldn't think that asking the girl who hates your playboy ways to be your fiancée would be a good idea, but it turns out that Luca is the key to solving one of Lauren's problems at work. The heat that's simmered between them for years finally ignites. Love might be blind, but anyone can see this head-on collision coming in Engaged to the EMT from a mile away.

Zane comes from the most dangerous biker gang on the West Coast: The Devil's Dust MC. He devours the darkness that comes with the club with one eye down the barrel of his gun and the other on a fresh-faced beauty named Addie. Addie doesn't need the risk that comes with Zane . . . that is until her perfectly orchestrated life takes a sudden turn and she's left with nowhere else to go but the arms of an outlaw. Zane's about to come face to face with the light of innocence and Addie is about to see how the other half lives. Will they save each other or drown together? Find out in The Blood That Drives Us by M.N. Forgy!

Finn McCarthy is planning to leave Gansett Island in a few short weeks, but he can't wait that long to cut his hair. Later, he will thank his brother and cousins for teasing him about his man bun, because getting that haircut turns out to be the best thing he ever did. Find out why on Christmas Day when Yours After Dark by Marie Force goes live! Return to Gansett Island for updates on all your favorite characters and to find out whether there's something — or someone — who will have Finn changing his plans to spend another Summer on Gansett Island!

As a merry Christmas to my readers I am releasing a brand-new Dirty Rich book — Dirty Rich Obsession: All Mine! This is the second book for Carrie and Reid (their first book is Dirty Rich Obsession). Love, passion, marriage — for Reid and Carrie, that could mean war. Carrie and Reid must manage the Japan deal, problems with her brother, both their fathers, Elijah, and Reid's growing need to protect Carrie at all costs — all while planning a wedding.

Heath Sparrow has always been great at gambling. A trust fund kid with a chip on his shoulder and a smile made for movies, he's had to prove himself a winner in a tough Manhattan world and work hard to earn his way into a business overflowing with high-risk wagers, booze, and beautiful women. That is until feisty, long-legged lawyer Violet Keats storms back into his life in The Bet by Natalie Wrye. Heath has a plan, and she's not supposed to be part of it. But when he takes a high-stakes bet to drive the gorgeous redhead away, will he mistakenly risk everything he's never known he's wanted?