A bookish spinster with a secret list of husbandly requirements.

A rakish duke with a scandalous past.

And one pink leatherbound book that changes everything.

Prudence Hawthorne has always lived in her head—content with novels, facts, and carefully ordered lists of what makes a suitable husband. Love? Passion? Scandal? Absolutely not. But when she trips (quite literally) into the path of the wickedly charming Duke of Penmore, her tidy world collides with temptation. Especially when he catches her red-handed with a scandalous book that leaves her cheeks—and her imagination—burning.

Soren Trevelyan is London’s favorite rake, a man whose wit and smile gather flocks of admirers wherever he goes. He’s never been tempted by logic, lists, or librarians…until Prudence. She’s innocent, infuriating, and far too curious for her own good. Worse, she makes him want things he swore he’d never risk again.

But when a duke with wayward ways offers to answer all her forbidden questions—in exchange for a favor—Prudence discovers that the most dangerous lessons aren’t found in books, but in stolen whispers, reckless bargains, and the arms of the one man who could ruin her heart forever.

🔥 Tropes you’ll love:

Rake & spinster romance

Grumpy/sunshine banter

Forbidden library encounter

“I’ll answer your questions” bargain

Scandalous books & pink-cheeked discoveries

Steamy, body-positive Regency

📖 For readers who love steamy Regency romps with sharp-tongued heroines, charming rakes, and sisters who never let propriety stand in the way of passion, the book is where every question and every scandal leads straight to love.

*This book is part of the Wayward Duke's Alliance as well as The One With the Wanton Women series.

Eliana Piers