A reckless wager. A forgotten promise. Two enemies in a race to the altar.

When a stormy night leads to a wager among bachelors, Rowan Ashworth finds himself bound by a formidable challenge: the last man to wed must pay one hundred pounds to the others. With several friends already married and another close behind, Rowan has little choice but to follow through on a childhood promise—to marry the woman his parents intended for him, a vexing woman who despises him.

Arabella Delafield has no intention of becoming Rowan’s bride—promises or otherwise. Rowan hurt her deeply when they were younger, and to forget it would be foolish. To escape the match, she launches a marriage campaign of her own, desperate to find a husband before Rowan can claim her hand. But when an unexpected encounter with a charming, bookish stranger derails her plans, she’s unprepared for just how familiar he feels.

A war of wills, mistaken identities, and surprise chemistry turn a childhood promise into a second chance neither expected—and a love neither can outrun.