She needs a champion. He needs one less complication. Neither expects love to be the answer. Selena Lockhart knows that Society offers little mercy. With no dowry and a tarnished family name—thanks to her father’s ruinous gambling—she’s learned to rely on herself. Although the last thing she needs is another pompous gentleman dismissing her before she’s had a chance to prove her worth, she is used to it. So when her new neighbor, the brooding Sir Lucius Clavering, greets her with cool suspicion, she isn’t surprised. As a baronet, Lucius is weighed down by endless family obligations—maintaining appearances, protecting his wayward siblings, and enduring the relentless matchmaking schemes of London’s elite. The idea of taking on another demand on his time, especially from a woman Society has already cast aside, is unappealing. But when Selena appears at his doorstep seeking aid, Lucius soon discovers she is not what he assumed. And the more he tries to keep his distance, the deeper he becomes entangled. With scandal looming and a slow-burning attraction igniting, Lucius must decide: Will he continue to avoid complications, or risk everything for the one woman who defies his careful plans? A captivating slow-burn Regency romance brimming with wit, longing, and a reluctant hero ready to embrace the unexpected.
