Each page brought a new twist to this story, reading perfectly without having to know the earlier titles, you can jump right into this story and be transported. Daphne has a new suitor, and he’s asked her to marry him. The new beau is dashing, handsome and utterly suitable. Unfortunately, Daphne is already married, and she has to obtain an annulment from her secret husband to move on with her life. Rafferty (Rafe) Cavendish is in the employ of the Crown, working with Daphne’s brother Donald, which is how he came to marry Daphne. Now, with Donald gone, Rafe wants answers about his death. With Daphne reappearing in his life, he won’t relent and provide the annulment until she helps him ferret out the mystery of Donald’s death. Their marriage was in name only, even though Daphne has had feelings for him forever, he never would dishonor his best friend’s sister, or jeopardize their relationship. But, things are different now, they are both doing their best to ignore the obvious attraction, and Daphne does prove helpful in his investigation. Twists and turns that thrilled or dismayed were plentiful, with seriously clever dialogue and solidly built characters. Rafe’s honor and determination to solve the mystery surrounding Donald while keeping Daphne safe is evident, and his playful nature and good humor keep him from being too stuffy. Daphne is wonderful, she doesn’t always hold her tongue, and her confidence really took a hit when her ‘marriage’ turned out to be a business proposition. She’s still stinging in many ways from that perceived rejection, although EVERYONE (including she and Rafe) ultimately see they are perfect for one another. Developed and complex characters with dialogue and backstory that completely fits the story that is reminiscent of The Philadelphia Story set in Regency England. A fun, engaging and clever story that fits nicely with the earlier titles in the series, and will encourage readers trying this series for the first time to get ALL the books. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Our heroine, Lady Daphne is about to attend a ball with the impending announce of her engagement to Lord Fitzwell. Daphne has a slight problem to resolve first, the annulment to her husband Captain Rafe Cavendish. Hero and heroine married to assist Daphne's brother, Donald, to gather information from the French. Rafe and Donald worked for the crown as spies. Unfortunately Donald was killed and now Rafe wants to find out who/why/how he was killed. And he needs Daphne's help. So no annulment till Daphne helps him in his quest for answers. Daphne has always had a thing for Rafe.Infatuated since she was a little girl she had hopes that something could/would come of their "marriage", but it was clear now as it was when she was a young girl that Rafe only saw her as a sister. Rafe just knew he couldn't dishonor his friend by moving forward on his feeling for Daphne, so it was a marriage in name only. These two had good chemistry. This was a little slow at the beginning but it did picked up after the first chapter and a half. The romance was sweet and evolved as the story progressed. Really liked both characters, strong, caring and they had depth. Had good historical points, suspense and a few surprises.