An unexpected friendship. Two strangers drawn together against all reason. A secret that threatens them both.
Fredrick Reed, the youngest son of a baron, has no interest in living the life expected of him. Instead, he secretly risks everything in the brutal world of pugilism—where one misstep could cost him his already tenuous reputation. That line becomes more difficult to walk when his father’s demands threaten to end his carefree and rakish lifestyle. But what Fredrick has planned is worth the effort. So long as no one, especially his father, discovers the truth, his plans are safe.
Until Lady Anna Ramsey arrives.
Lady Anna has come to Brookshire Park with a single purpose: to become a polished society bride. Since losing her mother, she is determined to earn her father’s hard-won approval by making a match with a title, wealth, and influence. Her path is set, her future decided, and she will not falter.
But Fredrick is nothing like the gentlemen she has been taught to admire. With him, she is seen. Understood. Free.
What begins as an unlikely friendship soon deepens into something far more dangerous—because a love match was never part of Anna’s future, and Fredrick’s secrets make him the worst possible choice. As expectations close in and the cost of the truth grows ever higher, they must decide what matters more: the lives they are intended for or the one they could build together.
