Fake identities, missing jewels, and unexpected passion abounds in 18th-century England in this first novel in the “fresh and satisfying” (RT Book Reviews) Secrets of Hadley Green series.

When Declan O’Connor, Earl of Donnelly, arrives at Hadley Green to meet with Lily Boudine, the new countess of Ashwood, he knows instantly that she is not who she pretends to be.

Desperate to avoid an unwanted marriage, Keira Hannigan has assumed her cousin’s identity and is staying at the estate while Lily is abroad. When Declan threatens to expose her, Keira convinces him to guard her secret, then enlists him in her investigation of a set of missing jewels. Fifteen years earlier, a man had been executed for the theft, but Keira believes an innocent man was hanged.

Unable to deny the beautiful, exasperating Keira—or their simmering passion—Declan reluctantly agrees. But neither is prepared for the danger that awaits them as they embark on their investigation.