An impoverished widow
Theodora Prescott has lost everything. Recently widowed and drowning in debts, she's forced to accept help from the last place she wishes to seek it-her late husband's estranged family, fronted by the icy and domineering Dowager Marchioness of Rockliffe. Theo's plan is simple: endure living at Rockliffe House only until she can find a way to provide for her children and reestablish her independence. But as it turns out, the unwanted tutor hired for her sons becomes less something to endure and more an unlikely source of comfort ... and attraction.
An accidental tutor
Upon leaving Oxford, Jeremy Clare never had ambitions of tutoring children. However, when his sensible goal to settle down and become a vicar goes awry, accepting the tutor position that falls into his lap seems as good a way as any to get his life back on track. Developing feelings for his pupils' mother is certainly not part of the plan. Yet the more he sees of the strong-willed, passionate Theodora Prescott, the more his desire becomes impossible to overlook.
An undeniable but risky allure
Theo has vowed never to let emotion dictate her decisions again, and Jeremy has sworn not to stray from a practical path forward. But while a relationship between them would be fraught with obstacles, can an unanticipated chance at love make it worth the risk? Giving in to their desires could lead to the greatest happiness for them both. However, Theo's life at Rockliffe House comes with other expectations. And the dowager marchioness, it happens, is not someone to be crossed ...
