First published 2026
Lady Ruby Ballimore has destroyed her last chance at a proper marriage. After insulting another marquess and threatening her father's career, she escapes London with forged papers to a princess's holiday house in Cornwall. Ruby expects luxury and freedom. Instead she finds a crumbling mansion and Captain Malcolm Archer, a former privateer whose crew masquerades as estate staff while running smuggling operations. Archer tries to scare off the uninvited guests with fake sea monsters and planted insects, but Ruby sees through every trick. The more Archer attempts deception, the more Ruby digs in her heels. Their battle of wits ignites an attraction neither can ignore. Ruby refuses to leave the estate that provides her refuge from society's expectations. Archer cannot abandon the perfect cover for his criminal enterprise. As their crews clash and schemes multiply, Ruby and Archer discover that the greatest risk lies not in their elaborate cons but in the genuine feelings growing between a rebellious heiress and a charming rogue.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity
Setting: Cornwall
Period: 19th-century
368 pages · Paperback · St. Martin's Griffin