From bestselling author Julianne MacLean comes a classic historical romance series set in the lavish palace of an English duke, where duty and desire collide. Four years ago, a mesmerizing stranger pulled Lady Rebecca Newland from her runaway coach, galloping to her rescue in a fog-shrouded forest. Though she was just seventeen, Rebecca felt an irresistible desire for the mysterious man and dreamed that she would one day become his bride. But now she is betrothed to another man whom she detests - and Devon Sinclair, the future Duke of Pembroke and hero of her dreams, lies tantalizingly beyond her reach... Haunted by an unspeakable past, Devon has no intention of taking a wife, not even the enticing Rebecca, who is no longer a girl, but a woman. Then his father rules that Devon must marry by Christmas or forfeit his rightful inheritance. Now, with his fortune at stake, Devon sets out to lure Rebecca to the marriage bed, but when dark secrets come to light, Rebecca begins to wonder if true love with the man of her dreams will remain a fantasy forever. "An exceptional tale for readers who hunger for something a bit different in their historical romances." - Booklist "A sizzling treat of a book " - Karen Hawkins