It is a truth universally acknowledged that a lady in danger must be
in need of rescue, but whether she wants to be rescued is up for
debate--for fans of Evie Dunmore and Netflix's Bridgerton from the
bestselling author of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem!
England, 1867: Miss Poppy Delamare is living a lie. To escape an
odious betrothal, she fled to London where she's been hiding as the
unassuming secretary Flora Deaver. However, when her beloved sister is
accused of murder, Poppy cannot leave her to the wolves. Only a most
unexpected--and unwelcome--collision interrupts her journey home . . .
Despite a rather dismal first meeting, Joshua Fielding, the Duke of
Langham, has no intention of abandoning a lady in need. But he's not
above asking a favor. A fake betrothal will give Poppy and her sister
the power of the dukedom and protect Langham from the society misses
intent on becoming his duchess.
Yet the longer the ruse goes on, the more Poppy and Langham realize how
false their first impressions were--and the less pretend their
engagement feels. But before Langham can propose in truth, their search
reveals a tangled web of lies and betrayals. With time running out, can
Poppy and Langham find the real culprit--before Poppy becomes the next
victim?