First in an exclusive four-part e-serial by New York Times bestselling ’Tis the season for a new holiday novella from acclaimed author Elizabeth Essex! The Scandal Before Christmas is romance so good it’s scandalous… Lieutenant Ian Worth needs a wife by Christmas, and he can’t afford to be choosy. He has to find her, woo her, and wed her before he goes back to sea—all within a matter of days.   Anne Lesley is a shy spinster with no prospects, and nothing and no one to recommend her but her own self. She accepts the lieutenant’s hasty offer only for the comfort and security it will bring. But when a midwinter storm snows her and Ian in, they both find they got much more than they bargained for—laughter, light, and a Christmas filled with honest to goodness true love…  Look for the next novel in the sensational Reckless Brides series, After the Scandal, coming in April 2014 from St. Martin’s Paperbacks.  Praise for Elizabeth Essex’s Reckless Brides series:“Nonstop action, witty repartee, and deft plotting.”—RT Book Reviews“Deliciously sexy romance…I will read anything Elizabeth Essex writes!”—New York Times bestselling author Celeste Bradley “Adventure-packed, passion-filled, and totally satisfying.”—Romance Junkies  ABOUT THE AUTHORElizabeth Essex is the award-winning author of the critically acclaimed Reckless Brides historical series. When not re-reading Jane Austen, sipping tea or mucking about her garden, Elizabeth can be found writing, making up wonderful stories about people who live far more interesting lives than she. It wasn’t always so. Elizabeth graduated from Hollins College with a BA in Classical Studies and Art History, and then earned her MA from Texas A&M University in Nautical Archaeology, also known as the archaeology of shipwrecks. You can visit her web site at www.elizabethessex.com.