She's beautiful, rich, and reckless...

When Lady Constance Stonewell accidentally ruins the Earl of Apthorp's entire future with her gossip column, she does what any honorable young lady must: offer her hand in marriage. Or, at the very least, stage a whirlwind fake engagement to repair his reputation. Never mind that it means spending a month with the dullest man in England. Or the fact that he disapproves of everything she holds dear.

He's supposedly the most boring politician in the House of Lords...

Julian Haywood, the Earl of Apthorp, is on the cusp of finally proving himself to be the man he's always wanted to be when his future is destroyed in a single afternoon. When the woman he's secretly in love with confesses she's at fault, it isn't just his life that is shattered: it's his heart.

They have a month to clear his name and convince society they are madly in love...

But when Constance discovers her faux-intended is decidedly more than meets the eye—not to mention adept at shocking forms of wickedness—she finds herself falling for him.

There's only one problem: he can't forgive her for breaking his heart.

Content Warning:

Fair readers, a note on content, for those who like to know. (If you prefer to be surprised, skip this part!)

This book contains the following: explicit sex; consensual kink and BDSM; masturbation with creative objects; the outing of a character's private erotic preferences; sex work; trauma concerning past unwanted sexual advances; and one very annoying dog.



"With her ability to tread the line between the most diverting of historical circumstances and a progressive level of sex positivity that makes me want to sing her praises from the rooftops, Peckham proves herself one of the most exciting romance authors on the rise." — Entertainment Weekly


"A beautifully written, character-driven story that expertly unravels a big misunderstanding, and surprises with its twists and turns and wicked secrets right up until the end." — NPR


"Peckham's keen perception of emotions and elegant writing make the agonies of her characters more acute. ... This is a story that absorbs all of your interest while keeping you riveted to the page from beginning to end." — USA Today Happily Ever After Blog


"Brimming with emotion, passion, and plenty of pining... By far one of my favourite reads of the year." — Natasha Is a Book Junkie