After a year of bandaging his shattered heart, James Blakely, the Earl of Emerson, has sworn off love for good. But fate has other plans when he's tricked into attending a house party with Lady Rochester, the very woman who tore his world apart. Determined to escape her clutches, James repeatedly evades the widowed duchess…with the unexpected help of Lady Rochester's closest confidante.

A reputation-killing secret has long embroiled Amelia Scott in Lady Rochester's schemes. Now, Amelia must assist the dreadful woman in winning Lord Emerson's heart a second time or risk having her own past exposed.

As James comes to know Amelia, he begins to question her allegiance to the duchess and vows to discover the truth. When Lady Rochester's ploys escalate, Amelia is torn between safeguarding her family's reputation and protecting the man she secretly loves.