Lord Vere, an agent of the crown, and his accomplices have managed to become house guests of a reclusive suspect while he is out of town.

The need to play that role in front of the niece chafes at first, until he sees her as a conniving gold digger determined to entrap his brother in marriage.

Not happy that he's been entrapped into marriage, Lord Vere drinks too much one night soon after their wedding and his disguise slips.

She begins to play along in the day, knowing she had her reasons for acting a part and so can't fault him for his.

Needing someone to talk to, he'd turned to a family friend, who expressed dismay and that she'd learned it from his brother Freddie.

Not wanting to take on the guise of a debauched rake, he uses the opportunity of a riding accident to completely change his personality.

While the book won the RITA, it was not universally praised.. Publishers Weekly said, "Though both story line and misunderstandings feel contrived at times, Thomas writes with genuine wit and sympathy, and when hero and heroine actually connect, the humorous, graceful writing transcends a creaky plot.

[3] Romantic Times named it a Top Pick with 4 1/2 stars, saying "Thomas doesn’t just enhance the genre, she enriches it with her intelligent characters, brilliant dialogue, innovative plot twists and amazing love stories.