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Mattie was going to bolt.

David needed to do some fast talking if he wanted her to stay, or his story would be dead before it even began. “The prize money is the same, you know. And you don’t have to eat bugs. Fifty thousand to the Average Jill just for suffering through all the dates and then a hundred-thousand-dollar purse for her to split if she falls in love and gets engaged at the end. ”

Mattie’s eyes grew wide. For a second, David had to remember to breathe. It wasn’t fair that one woman should have eyes that captivating. “With who?”

“With me, of course. ”

“You?”

He cleared his throat. Whoa. That hadn’t come out as he’d intended. In fact, he hadn’t even wanted it to come out. Besides, he wasn’t here to fall in love. He wanted the story—not the girl.

Didn’t he?

Dear Reader,

What is the best gift you ever received? Chances are it came from a loved one and reflects to some degree the love you share. Or maybe the gift was something like a cruise or a trip to an exotic locale that raised the hope of finding romance and lasting love.

Well, it’s no different for this month’s heroes and heroines, who will all receive special gifts that extend beyond the holiday season to provide a lifetime of happiness.

Karen Rose Smith starts off this month’s offerings with Twelfth Night Proposal (#1794)—the final installment in the SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE continuity. Set during the holidays, the hero’s love enables the plain-Jane heroine to become the glowing beauty she was always meant to be.

In The Dating Game (#1795) by Shirley Jump, a package delivered to the wrong address lands the heroine on a reality dating show. Julianna Morris writes a memorable romance with Meet Me under the Mistletoe (#1796), in which the heroine ends up giving a widower the son he “lost” when his mother died. Finally, in Donna Clayton’s stirring romance Bound by Honor (#1797), the heroine receives a “life present” when she saves the Native American hero’s life.

When you’re drawing up your New Year’s resolutions, be sure to put reading Silhouette Romance right at the top. After all, it’s the love these heroines discover that reminds us all of what truly matters most in life.

With all best wishes for the holidays and a happy and healthy 2006.

Ann Leslie Tuttle

Associate Senior Editor

The Dating Game

Shirley Jump

To my husband, who almost went to the wrong address on our first date, and who stole my heart through letters and packages. If we’d have been smart, honey, we’d have bought stock in FedEx and UPS when we met.

For my daughter, who knows her mother has the athletic ability of a goldfish, and coached me through the soccer scenes without laughing. Finally, to all the young female athletes, who work and play hard. The boys certainly have something to contend with when the girls are on the field. Girls rock!

Books by Shirley Jump

Silhouette Romance