Will one villain’s evil deeds lead to a happily-ever-after for his victims?

Taken from her childhood home, Maggie Wentworth, a naïve young woman, is manipulated into becoming an earl’s mistress, only to be shocked when the man she thought loved her attempts to gamble her away at the Lyon’s Den. So when a handsome hero intervenes on her behalf, Maggie makes her escape and turns to Mrs. Dove-Lyon for help in securing her future.

Jude Hammond, Earl of Cadwell, lives in the shadow of his painful past and has sworn never to remarry. Preferring the peacefulness of his Yorkshire estate and the company of his dogs, he despises London, the Ton, and all they stand for. Nonetheless, he must do his duty as an earl and return every year to attend Parliament. Not willing to socialize, the only place he finds tolerable in all of London is the Lyon’s Den, where he can sit in the shadows and observe. But when one evening he speaks up to intervene on behalf of a young lady, he draws the attention of Mrs. Dove-Lyon, and he is unprepared for what—or who—she drops into his lap.

Given a second chance at love, Jude and Maggie must stop a villain and heal past wounds before they can move forward. Will they get their happily-ever-after?

Tropes you'll enjoy:

• Wounded hero
• Cinderella heroine
• Class divisions
• Arranged marriage
• Second chance at love
• Past secrets and old wounds
• Regency Duel