A widow with a scandalous plan. A duke with a heart locked in shadows. A love neither saw coming.

Lady Othelia Grantham has followed society's rules long enough. After a cold, arranged marriage and years of dutiful mourning, she is ready to take control of her future—starting with a lover. The notorious Duke of Ashbrook seems the perfect candidate: rich, roguish, and famously uninterested in love.

Alister Brinsley-Radclyffe, Duke of Ashbrook, needs a wealthy bride to save his crumbling estate—but vows never to repeat the chaos of his parents' so-called "love." When a mysterious widow catches his eye at a masquerade, his carefully laid plans unravel in the face of temptation.

Drawn together by passion, challenged by secrets, and torn by conflicting desires, Othelia and Alister enter into a scorching affair that threatens to become something much more dangerous... real. But can two hearts damaged by the past risk everything for a love that breaks every rule?

Perfect for fans of reformed rogues, strong heroines, scandalous encounters, and fiercely emotional slow-burns, this Regency romance will leave you swooning, sighing, and believing in second chances.