''One of the best!'' Julia Quinn, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series

A new series by Mary Balogh, bestselling author of The Westcott series. If you loved Bridgerton, you''ll adore Mary Balogh.

The handsome and charismatic Earl of Stratton, Caleb Ware, has been exposed to the ton for his clandestine affairs-by his own son.

As a child, Devlin Ware thought his family stood for all that was right and good in the world. They were kind, gracious, and shared the beauty of Ravenwood, their grand country estate, by hosting lavish parties for the entire countryside. But at twenty-two, he discovered his whole world was an elaborate illusion, and when Devlin publicly called his family to account for it, he was exiled as a traitor.

So be it. He enlisted in the fight against Napoleon and didn''t look back for six years. But now his father is dead, the Ware family is broken, and as the heir he is being called home. It''s only when Gwyneth Rhys-the woman he loved and then lost after his family banished him-holds out her hand to help him that he is able make the difficult journey and try to piece together his fractured family.

It is Gwyneth''s loyalty, patience, and love that he needs. But is Devlin''s war-hardened heart even capable of offering her love in return?

Praise for Mary Balogh

''A grand mistress of the genre'' Romantic Times

''Balogh is the queen of spicy Regency-era romance, creating memorable characters in unforgettable stories'' Booklist

''Mary Balogh sets the gold standard in historical romance'' New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz

''A romance writer of mesmerising intensity, Mary Balogh has the gift of making a relationship seem utterly real and utterly compelling'' Mary Jo Putney