Publisher: St. Martin’s Press,  January 21, 2025

Format: ebook

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary (From Goodreads):

In Alexandra Vasti’s newest Regency rom-com, a reclusive earl’s life is turned upside down when a stranger shows up on his doorstep with an astonishing proposal—and an inconvenient connection to espionage.

For three years, wallflower heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace has anonymously penned seditious pamphlets. And for almost as long, she’s corresponded with the Earl of Strathrannoch, whose political ambition is matched only by his charm. When Arthur’s latest letter reveals his dire financial straits, Lydia sets out for Scotland to offer him the only salvation she can think of—a 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 stunned—but when he learns that his traitorous brother has been writing to her under Arthur’s name, he’s bloody furious. He’s content to live alone in his moldering castle, and he has no desire for a provocative, radical wife. (Or at least, he shouldn’t.)

But Arthur is desperate to track down his brother, who’s become dangerously entangled in British espionage, and he needs Lydia’s help. What he doesn’t need? The attraction that burns hotter each moment they spend together. As Lydia slips past his defenses and his brother’s mysterious past becomes a very present threat, Arthur will have to risk everything to keep her safe—even his heart.

My Review:

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: fake dating, historical romance, historical mysteries
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Lydia travels to Scotland to meet the man she has been anonymously writing to for the past few years in the hopes she can convince him to marry her. But when she arrives, she meets the real Earl, and learns that his brother has been impersonating him. Lydia agrees to help Arthur find his brother, who has gone missing.
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This book was so fun and I am so glad I read it. I loved the build up of tension and the development of Lydia and Arthur’s relationship. I also liked reading from both of their perspectives. The mystery was also fun and this is a perfect example of the balance between romance and a fast paced plot. Definitely recommend if you like historical romances.