Discover a new heartwarming story from New York Times bestselling author and beloved 'queen of Regency romance' Mary Balogh.

A soldier and a pacifist make the unlikeliest of pairs, but when attraction sparks, there's nothing that can prevent their love from igniting.

Winifred Cunningham, the adopted daughter of a portrait painter, hopes that her new close friend, Owen Ware, will soon ask for her hand in marriage. But when Owen introduces Winifred to his elder brother Nicholas, the late Earl of Stratton's second son, the slow burn of attraction between them begins.

Nicholas is a cavalry colonel - a hardened soldier whom Winifred at first despises. She finds him intimidating and cruel-looking, while he finds her strange and startlingly forthright. During a summer at Ravenswood, however, Nicholas and Winifred are unwillingly thrown together on several occasions, until they realize the passion that drives their disagreements is not due to dislike - it is because of attraction.

Winifred still awaits Owen's proposal, and Nicholas has made his intention to marry his commanding officer's daughter quite clear. With allegiances to other marriage prospects and brotherly bonds at risk, not to mention the age difference between them, Nicholas and Winifred know it would be wholly improper to pursue a romance . . .

And yet, romance is irresistible. Perhaps even inevitable.

Praise for Mary Balogh

'A grand mistress of the genre' Romantic Times

'Balogh is the queen of spicy Regency-era romance, creating memorable characters in unforgettable stories' Booklist

'Mary Balogh sets the gold standard in historical romance' Jayne Ann Krentz

'A romance writer of mesmerising intensity, Mary Balogh has the gift of making a relationship seem utterly real and utterly compelling' Mary Jo Putney