Heir to a dukedom, Clive Halifax, Earl of Shefford, is weary of fixing his father's scandalous messes and watching his mother suffer for them. Sheff vows to live as the Lothario everyone believes him to be, never to wed. However, his parents will not stop insisting he marry, so he chooses the most inappropriate bride he can find and pays her to be his fake betrothed for the remainder of the Season.

Josephine Harker lives at the edge of Society with a mother who runs a gaming club and an artist father who flits about the ton. She just wants the ability to choose her own path instead of what society dictates-or what her parents think is best for her. When Shefford, a notorious rake, proposes a faux engagement along with a substantial sum, she cannot refuse.

Dangerously captivated by one another from the outset, their attraction explodes into a searing passion they can't deny. But the last thing Jo wants is to risk her heart on a rogue who can't see he's much more than his reputation-or that there is such a thing as true love.