Lord Devon Boscastle attended Fernshaw's house party to pursue a liaison with Mrs. Lily Cranleigh, a widow well- known for both her selectiveness in lovers and her creativity. What he didn't expect was to get derailed from his plans by a relative innocent. For one thing, Jocelyn Lydbury and he already have a history, albeit not a sexual one.

He had been invited to dinner as a potential husband for Jocelyn a few years previous. But, he'd been out partying and had forgotten the invitation, insulting the entire Lydbury family. It seems a little unfortunate that he's finding himself now attracted to Jocelyn. She's not exactly the country wallflower he had always envisioned.

Jocelyn expects to leave Fernshaw's party an engaged woman. She and Adam Chiswick have been moving in a matrimonial direction, and Adam has promised her a surprise by the end of the party. Unfortunate that Devon is in attendance, but not surprising, since it's the kind of party where no one is ever in the bedroom they were assigned.

But bad luck being what it is -- and Devon seems to bring it to Jocelyn in spades -- she finds herself in a compromising position with the wrong man. A note that led her to believe Adam would be awaiting her instead finds her half-seduced by Devon. Devon was led to believe the woman awaiting him would be the exciting widow. Someone set them up, but no matter the instigator, there is only one acceptable result. Devon and Jocelyn will be tied for life.

Devon is determined to resume his old ways and Jocelyn becomes equally determined that he will at least acknowledge her role in his life -- somewhere besides the bedroom!

I'm a long-time fan of Ms. Hunter's books. While the "forced into marriage" theme has been done and then done again, the sexual tension and emotions here are more than enough reason to spend an evening curled in a chair with this book. An excellent read!