In the spring of 1838, when a band of Roma Gypsies set up their camp on the grounds of Rose Hill estate, the lovely Ariella de Warenne could not resist the lure of their music and just had to see more of their leader, the handsome and arrogant Emilian.

As the apple of her father's eye, Arielle was very widely read, intellectually stimulated and far more radical in thought than the other less well-travelled female members of the Ton. As her younger half-sister, Dianna, tries to move her interest to the latest fashions and finding a well established husband, Ariella's only desire laid in trying to be a friend to the man she felt needed a friend the most.

Shocked by how the townspeople responded to the gypsies in their midst and their horrid treatment of a young girl who turned out to be Emilian's sister, Ariella just had to respond with action and passion. For his part, Emilian is torn between two ways of being and between his heart and his mind. Taken from his Roma mother at a young age, he had been reared by his father, a privileged English nobleman. With his death, Emilian was now also the Viscount St. Xavier who had done much to save the estate and its tenants from financial ruin. Yet, when he reconnected with his Roma family and found out the horrible circumstances of his mother's death at the hands of an unruly mob in Scotland, he vowed his revenge on the gadjos, or any non-gypsies. And, who better to take out his revenge on than Ariella from the neighbouring estate! Ruining her would be pay back time for all the nasty glares he felt when he moved in the circle of the Ton.

Brenda Joyce has woven another strong five-star de Warenne romance that is full of adventure, heartfelt passion, changing fortunes and thrilling drama. A skillful storyteller, this renowned author effectively portrays the mixed thoughts and emotions of Emilian as he angrily tries to find his fit between two worlds while Ariella bravely stives to step outside the normative expectations for a female member of the Ton without entirely losing her standing in society. With Joyce's use of well-sketched secondary characters and attention to detail, you are quickly drawn into this fast paced torrid romance that you will find extremely hard to put down. Enjoy a suspenseful and thrilling read as you follow the paths taken by Ariella and Emilian as they face the consequences of love and prejudice.