In Alexandra Vastis newest Regency rom-com, a reclusive earls life is turned upside down when a stranger shows up on his doorstep with an astonishing proposaland an inconvenient connection to espionage.

For three years, wallflower heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace has anonymously penned seditious pamphlets. And for almost as long, shes corresponded with the Earl of Strathrannoch, whose political ambition is matched only by his charm. When Arthurs latest letter reveals his dire financial straits, Lydia sets out for Scotland to offer him the only salvation she can think ofa marriage of convenience. To, um, herself.

Unfortunately, the Earl of Strathrannoch has no idea who she is.

When a bewitching redheaded stranger offers him her hand in marriage, Arthur Baird is stunnedbut when he learns that his traitorous brother has been writing to her under Arthurs name, hes bloody furious. Hes content to live alone in his moldering castle, and he has no desire for a provocative, radical wife. (Or at least, he shouldnt.)

But Arthur is desperate to track down his brother, whos become dangerously entangled in British espionage, and he needs Lydias help. What he doesnt need? The attraction that burns hotter each moment they spend together. As Lydia slips past his defenses and his brothers mysterious past becomes a very present threat, Arthur will have to risk everything to keep her safeeven his heart.