Josh Worthingham, Duke of Penworth, must marry—and not just any bride will do. He needs a true lady to be his duchess. It’s what’s expected of him, and he can accept no less. So, why is it that the only woman who snags his full attention is the entirely inappropriate Miss Iris Cooper?

Iris may be the granddaughter of an Earl, but that’s where her lofty connections to the ton end. She knows securing a good match won’t be easy—especially not when she still carries the scars of her failed first union. There’s no way the Duke of Penworth can ever be hers. But a girl can dream, can’t she? Can a stolen kiss in a drawing room turn Iris’s dreams into reality? Or will their differences—and the dark secret Josh is harboring—destroy their one chance at happily ever after?