The most dangerous duke in London

Adam Penrose, Duke of Stratton, belongs to London's Society of Decadent Dukes. His family's history is scandalous, and he is dark, brooding and set on revenge against the family that wronged his own. The woman he wants is Clara Cheswick, daughter of that family's sworn enemy.

Clara has no plans to marry. She is busy publishing a women's journal, and she has heard that Adam is bent on vengeance. His stated intention to make her his wife unnerves her.

She also has a reporter's instinct for a story. That instinct leads her to ask whether his hunger for justice is sincere, and whether there is more behind it than a grudge. A single kiss leaves her shaky, and she begins to see that getting close to him will cost her something.

This is a historical romance between a brooding duke and an independent, curious heroine. The mood is playful as well as tense, since Clara finds the danger of courting him more exhilarating than she expected. It is the first of a trilogy about three dukes, each with a score to settle.