A shattered leg. Twenty-nine unsent letters. And the fraudulent betrothal contract standing in the way of a nine-year obsession.
Lady Florinda Ashbourne has spent nine years trying to forget the Duke who kissed her in a stable, went to war, and never looked back. Now twenty-six and firmly on the shelf, her quiet life is upended when a catastrophic riding accident leaves her with a broken leg, stranded at the country estate of Frederick Hartwell, the Duke of Carthedge.
The problem is, Frederick is weeks away from marrying another woman to satisfy a ruthless betrothal contract. But as he carries the injured Florinda up and down the fourteen stairs of his estate each day, the carefully constructed numbness he has maintained since the war shatters. To save the only woman he has ever loved, Frederick must uncover the dark secrets—and forged documents—of his future father-in-law before the engagement ball seals his fate forever.
✓ Regency Historical Romance
✓ Pining Hero (He Fell First)
✓ Forced Proximity / Caretaking
✓ Spinster Heroine
✓ Second Chance Romance
✓ Secret Letters
Data Block:
Heat Level: Spicy (open door)
Vibes: Angsty, emotional, swoony, suspenseful
Setting: An English country estate (Carthedge Hall)
Trope Tags: Obsessed duke, hidden identity, arranged marriage
Ending: HEA (Marriage)
Perfect for fans of: Julia Quinn, Evie Dunmore, and Lisa Kleypas
Some secrets refuse to stay hidden. Some letters demand to be read.