Being sent to live with her cousins in Ireland is the worst possible punishment for Lady Jeannette Rose Brantford. But being stuck in the mud is even worst. Jeannette just wants to go home to England and take back her place in society.

Darragh Roderick O'Brien, 11th Earl of Mulholland, isn't your average earl and when he meets Lady Jeannette, he doesn't bother correcting her when she assumes him to be a common man. Why bother when he'll never see her again after he helps get her carriage out of the mud.

When Jeannette learns Darragh is the architect repairing her aunt's home, she knows she wasn't wrong about him. He's handsome and she likes matching wits with him, but socializing with him is unacceptable. She does her best to avoid him, but Jeannette learns quickly that she likes his kisses and his touch. Darragh likes Jeannette even though she acts like his superior. He has no problem putting her in her place, then kissing her afterward. But one night at a ball, they're discovered in a compromising position and are soon wed.

Even after the wedding, Darragh keeps his title from Jeannette. He takes her to a cottage near his castle, making her believe he can't afford better. Letting her believe he can't afford to keep servants and a cook, Jeannette has to learn to care for their needs. At first, she has a fit, but she soon discovers it's rewarding to put in a hard day's work and take care of her husband. Then, on the day she's going to tell Darragh she loves him, Jeannette learns the truth.

I had the best time reading THE WIFE TRAP and will put it on my top 10 list. The characters are real, and I'm in love with Darragh -- he's all man; Jeannette is a lucky girl. THE HUSBAND TRAP was the first book in this trilogy and THE WEDDING TRAP is coming next month. I plan on having all three books in my collection.