Forced by her impecunious father into matrimony with Ernest, Earl of Cranleigh, twenty-year-old Charlotte Willoughby is widowed six weeks after the wedding. As she comes to the end of her period of mourning, Charlotte is ready to go out into the world again. With her fortune under the protection of Ernest’s cousin, Sebastian, Duke of Gresham, Charlotte begins to enjoy her independence. She is joined by her aunt, Esther Meredith, who has stood as mother to her since childhood, and her sister, Harriet Willoughby, and both soon have suitors of their own.

Charlotte finds herself drawn to Gresham, but he seems cold and indifferent towards her. And when the charismatic Viscount Roxburgh starts to pay her attention, she realises she may not be able to remain unattached for long. Are Charlotte’s suitors only after her inheritance? Could Roxburgh – or Gresham – be a match for her? And will anyone succeed in leading this Reluctant Bride down the aisle?