A marquess who has recently become a duke. An impoverished lady who serves as a governess. An unlikely duo which becomes friends-and more . . .

Valentinian Worthington, a carefree charmer, finds himself the Duke of Millbrooke after his father's sudden death. The lighthearted bachelor must quickly assume his responsibilities as head of the family, caring for his widowed mother and two younger sisters.

Miss Eden Snow lost her father in a riding accident, and her mother's death followed shortly thereafter. The new Viscount Brownley orders her off his estate, and she becomes a governess, dismissed from her first post because she refuses to become intimate with her employer. Now, she is happy employed, spending the past five years educating Lady Traywick's daughters, Verina and Justina.

Accompanying her charges to visit their cousin, a duke, Eden hopes to escape the duke's notice, but Val is drawn to the attractive, intelligent woman. He convinces her they can be friends, and a strong bond forms between them, as they grow comfortable in one another's company. Val needs a duchess-and he believes Eden is the only one for him.

Will Val convince Eden that a governess can make for a wonderful duchess?

Tropes/Themes:

✅ Inherited title / Sudden inheritance

✅ Governess heroine

✅ Class difference / Across the social divide

✅ Friends to lovers

✅ Hero falls first

✅ Strong, independent heroine

✅ Charming rake turned responsible duke

✅ Slow burn romance

✅ Cinderella vibes / Commoner to duchess

✅ Protective hero