The Marquess of Vegas made a deal with the devil, and now his sons must pay the price.
In order to restore the family fortune he lost, Lord Vegas has ordered his sons to marry money, and to marry it fast. But the four of them are determined to strike back at their father by marrying the most unsuitable brides they can find...
Joseph Rathborne-Paxton has always lived in his older brothers’ shadows, and he’s just about had it. More than any of the others, he took his father’s moralizing and piety seriously (and was most disappointed when it turned out to be a lie) and did everything he could to be the dutiful son. Now, everyone seems determined to treat him as a child, which he is most certainly not. Joseph is not amused, and he will do whatever he can to prove he is a man to be respected. Like defeating the villainous Montrose single-handedly.
American heiress Ellen Garrett has come to London, intent on taking the place by storm. Ellen is loud, brash, provincial, and ready for anything. Except, as she quickly learns, London society wants nothing to do with a free spirit like her. She is determined to make herself into the perfect English rose, though…but it is a plan she needs Joseph’s help for.
As it turns out, lively Ellen is just what Joseph needs to bring him out of his shell, and Joseph is just what Ellen needs to become a lady. More than that, Ellen just might be what the entire Rathborne-Paxton family needs to right the wrongs Lord Vegas committed and to bring Melrose to justice once and for all. Because every family of the British peerage needs a card sharp, right?
It’s a case of grumpy meets sunshine and opposites attract with a healthy dose of mad-capped mischief, a day at the races, a shopping excursion gone wrong, a villain getting his just deserts in the most thrilling way possible, and two people falling in love whether they want to or not.