​​

London, 1882. Newly widowed Embeth Fanshawe-James is determined to protect what remains of her carefully ordered world, including the struggling hotel she once shared with her husband—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 and the beloved nephew of her formidable mother-in-law, he is trouble she doesn’t need.

She thought she’d forgotten the warmth of Nigel’s touch, the kiss that almost was, and the humiliation that followed. But when Edwin’s will delivers an unthinkable twist, she finds herself forced into an uneasy alliance with the very man she once thought unworthy of trust.

With Nigel now living beneath the same roof, avoiding him proves impossible. Then his reckless dealings leave him injured after a violent encounter, stirring memories of the tragedy that once shattered Embeth’s childhood. The incident also reveals a side of Nigel she never expected, and old resentment begins to give way to an attraction neither can deny.

Meanwhile, Gisele Ashcroft, Embeth’s former school rival, has no intention of abandoning her longtime pursuit of Nigel—or missing an opportunity to interfere in Embeth’s affairs.

As passion deepens and the past threatens to unravel everything, Embeth must decide whether to risk her heart on the man she once distrusted—or let grief rob her of a second chance at love.