by Mary Balogh
Part of Westcott, book 3
First published 2017
Alexander Westcott never expected to become Earl of Riverdale. Now he owns a failing country estate with no money to restore it. He refuses to abandon the people who depend on him, but fixing years of damage seems impossible. Wren Heyden has lived as a recluse for over twenty years. She possesses a vast fortune and wants only one thing: a husband. She decides to buy one. When Wren makes the struggling earl an unexpected proposal, Alexander insists on a proper courtship first. He hopes friendship and respect might grow between them. He never expects the desire that strikes him when Wren finally removes the veils that conceal her past. Their practical arrangement forces both to confront what they truly want from marriage and from each other.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adult-fiction, 21st-century, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, second-chance
Setting: Riverdale
Period: 19th-century
383 pages · Paperback · Piatkus