Saving her reputation, he lost his heart.

Timothy Marbry has sworn off love. Once he takes up his position as a physician at the Hope Clinic in the East End of London, he knows he’ll need a wife who’s beyond reproach. But the last thing he wants or needs is passion that clouds the mind and leads to heartbreak.

Priscilla Pratt left London in disgrace after her failed attempt to lure the Duke of Ashton to the altar. Now exiled in the northern countryside, her only marriageable prospect is a dull, judgmental curate. And gone is her hope of finding a man who gazes at her with eyes filled with passion.

Meeting on a country road, the two take shelter in an abandoned cottage during a snowstorm. Sparks fly between them, but Priscilla gives Timothy a false name to avoid judgment. They part ways, each thinking they will never cross paths again.

Reunited in London, Timothy discovers Priscilla’s true identity, and she pleads with him to help her save her reputation and find a suitable husband. With each prospect it becomes clear that the only man he desires to see her with is himself.

And that simply will not do.