A Poetic Season

The London Season of 1815 is shaping up to be like no other.

A mysterious poet has turned the heads of all the young women on the marriage mart. While they’re not outright refusing to be matched, they’re insisting on romance instead of practicality. The young men believe unmasking the poet will restore the status quo. There are bets on the books in every gentlemen’s club.

Rory Bolding, the new Earl of Althorne, isn’t in the market for a wife, but he’s always in the mood for a wager. He’s also thinking he could use the distraction as a way to dodge his mother and the title-hungry women he meets in every ballroom.

Evie Beckett, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Faversham, has been on the shelf since her disastrous come-out four years earlier. It hadn’t been her fault–not really. How could any woman commit to a life as a line on a balance sheet? And how can a man propose without knowing the most basic things about his bride–like her talent for poetry?

When Rory uncovers Evie’s secret, he’s intrigued by the young woman whom everyone, including her own family, has dismissed. He also reads her verse and sees a side of the Season, and a heart, he didn’t expect. As he draws closer to her, he’s torn between unmasking her and keeping her for himself.

Evie never expected to be swept off her feet, but when the Earl of Althorne proposes, she accepts despite her father’s disapproval. The couple hatches a plan to elope and then hide their marriage until Rory can conclude his business and leave for the country. However, when Evie learns Rory courted her over a wager, he fights for the wife, and the life, he never expected to win.