A Scot in the Dark

Eighteenth in line for an English dukedom, Scottish distiller Alec Stuart never expected—or wanted—to inherit. So when he succeeds to the Warnick title, for five years he does his best to ignore the whole thing—until an urgent letter sends him down to London to rescue a ward he didn't know he had. Miss Lillian Hargrove is a rare beauty (and the subject of a nude painting) who is about to be ruined by scandal. The solution, according to Alec, is to marry Lily off before the painting is unveiled. Of course, Lily will have none of it, and the battle is waged. A strong heroine who wants to live life on her own terms and an honorable hero who is determined to give her the life—and the man—he thinks she deserves war with their feelings and each other. This well-conceived story is enhanced by complex, wrenching backstories and a cast of enthralling, often familiar secondary characters. Clever, alliterative chapter titles ramp up the fun.