Scorned by the woman he loved, the Honorable Sebastian Sullivan vowed never to love again. Women were to be used for his pleasure and then set aside when their time was done. One broken heart was quite enough, but when a new gaming hall leads him to his long lost love Seb will stop at nothing to capture her hand this time around.

In order for Sebastian and his brother's to inherit their uncle's title and estates each one must marry a woman who needs redemption. While Serena may not fit the bill exactly, Sebastian is more than willing to give it a try. Lady Serena Grantley has been under the control of her stepfather since her mother passed away. Used as a trinket to look at Serena has been forced to do things no lady should. Moving from one area to another to constantly evade the loan mongers, Serena's only wish is for a family and a place to call home. Two years ago, her stepfather forced her to scorn a suitor, the one man she has ever truly loved. Back in London Serena has made herself in charge of the books and indispensable in keeping the business afloat. Secretly saving off the top for the day when she can be free of her stepfather's grasp, Serena is tired of being used as a toy. When Sebastian walks through the doors of the hall Serena thought that her troubles may finally be over and happiness could lay just around the corner. However, her stepfather has plans to marry her off for the deed to the house where they reside. Unfortunately, her stepfather wants to marry her off to a lecherous old man.

Overall, I enjoyed this story almost as much as the first one. I found the historical setting and wording wonderful. I really liked the mystery of Serena and her almost dual identities in and out of the ton. I thoroughly enjoyed Sebastian as a character. I found him charming, strong, and loved the way that author Jane Feather was able to introduce other members of the family into the equation. Serena was also a strong character, though I found her a little wishy-washy in certain respects. The way that she kept Sebastian on the line and continuously went back and forth with "do I or don't I" put a damper on the story. For such a strong woman I felt that she should have been able to make up her mind and go for it a lot sooner than she did. While she remained aloof and independent during most of the story the way that she followed her stepfather's every command really irritated me. I was able to understand better by the end of the book through Ms. Feather's explanations, but I almost thought that the explanation should have come sooner in the book. Serena's influence on her friend Abigail and how Serena was viewed by Abigail's family was an area of amusement. The fact that Serena was able to keep up appearances within the ton, while running a gaming hall was amusing and kept me highly entertained.