Love at first sight. Hatred at the altar.

Plucked from London’s slums and thrust into Society as the stepdaughter of a duke, Clara Martingale should have every advantage. But rumors about her birth and her lack of refinement make her the target of cruel gossip, until a Highland marquess sweeps her off her feet.

Murdo McTavish needs to marry an heiress to save his estate, but falling for Clara wasn’t part of the plan. Their connection is instant, and even his disapproving father can’t argue with her dowry, or her spirit.

Until Clara’s true parentage is revealed… and everything falls apart.

Heartbroken and cast aside, Clara turns to The Lyon’s Den, the infamous matchmaking club run by Bessie Dove-Lyon. Like her mother before her, she seeks a fresh start, only to be matched with the very man who betrayed her.

Now bound by duty and secrets, Clara and Murdo must decide if love is worth risking a second time… or if heartbreak is the only ending their story will have.

Tropes/Story Hooks:

✔ Highland Hero / Titled Alpha Male

✔ Illegitimacy & Secret Parentage

✔ Matchmaking at The Lyon’s Den

✔ Marriage of Convenience

✔ Class Divide & Scandal

✔ Second Chance Romance

A moving Regency romance of scandal, sacrifice, and the courage to love again.