In 1882 London, newly widowed Embeth Fanshawe-James is left to manage her late husband’s modest hotel—while society watches, eager to dictate her next move.

Enter Nigel Cothran-Bowers—reckless, roguish, and entirely too handsome. As her late husband’s cousin, the beloved nephew of her formidable mother-in-law, and the longtime pursuit of Gisele—the woman who once made Embeth’s school days unbearable—he is trouble she doesn’t need.

She thought she’d buried the past and the humiliating memory of a stolen moment with Nigel during her coming-out ball. However, when Edwin’s will delivers an unthinkable twist, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with the very man she vowed never to trust.

Then Nigel is attacked—an eerie echo of the violence that once shattered Embeth’s world. The intrusion of danger stirs long-buried fears, and soon, the nightmares she thought she’d left behind return with a vengeance. With Nigel’s presence unraveling her carefully guarded emotions, resisting him becomes a battle she’s doomed to lose.

The closer they draw, the harder it is to deny the passion between them. As secrets unveil and desire takes hold, one question remains—will Embeth risk her heart again, or will the past destroy them both?

​

​