"Cecilia Hatherleigh keeps secret her unrequited love for Edward Amherst, the earl's son next door. Instead of pining away, she decides to turn her focus toward living out her newfound faith. Meanwhile, a London riot awakens Edward to the responsibilities due his family name, which means it's time to restore his abandoned legal career and make a marriage of convenience. When misadventure strikes at a house party, the two are thrown together."--Publisher description.

Shy, sweet Cecilia Hatherleigh has always been in love with Edward Amherst, the boy next door. Yet he’s never seen her as anything but the quiet girl in the background as he flirts with the other vivacious women. When a near tragedy brings Edward’s attention to his family duties, he decides he needs to settle down with a proper wife. Cecilia hopes to convince him to choose her. These two try to find their way toward happiness, but prejudice, political riots, and the changing face of England’s societal structures begin to block them at every turn. Can their struggles turn to triumph — or will their paths permanently diverge?