Richard Marksley, home from the Peninsular War, is used to correcting the errors and excesses of his aristocratic relations. But this time his dissolute cousin Reginald, the Viscount Langsford, has truly gone too far. Posing as Richard, Reggie has compromised the reputation of a young gentlewoman and left Richard to right the situation.

Richard would much rather be pursuing poets for his publication, The Tantalus. But his sense of responsibility and family honor make it impossible for him to turn his back on the situation, and he's determined to find a remedy--short of his actually marrying the girl!

Hallie Ashton has limited choice. Her uncle is convinced that she has gone astray, and with Richard, not the truant Reggie. With her family pressing for a wedding, the demands of proper society threaten to steal her future and seal her fate. If she could explain the situation to Marksley herself, she might find him to be a useful ally. But that would require revealing the secret closest to her heart.

**

From Publishers Weekly

Richard Marksley, the poetry-loving protagonist of Ferguson's latest (after The Other Brother) finds his name soiled by his foolish cousin, Reginald the Viscount Langsford. It seems Reginald has compromised a young gentlewoman while posing as Richard and then departed for Ireland as a shotgun wedding was planned. Meanwhile, the lovely and brilliant Hallie Ashton-she who mistook Reginald for Richard-has a secret of her own that connects her to Richard, but she fears that, if revealed, it could ruin her prospects with her intended. Lively characters and spirited scenes offer plenty of light entertainment, though the ending feels tacked on. It's not quite another Austen-revisited novel, but it's close.
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Review

"Ferguson's sweetly romantic, expertly crafted traditional Regency romance is an absolute delight." -- John Charles -- From Booklist