"Ross will steal your heart with this utterly delightful, romantic friends-to-lovers retelling of Beauty and the Beast."

— HEATHER WEBB, USA Today bestselling author of Queens of London

In 1873 Paris, a marriage of convenience between a ballet-dancing beauty and a beastly earl is about to get messy. 

Best friends make bad spouses . . . and worse scandals. 

When Angela Bartham of the notorious Bartham family is stranded at the altar on her wedding day, she's saved from ruin by her old friend Sunny, the Earl of Sunderland. He offers a startlingly generous proposition: a marriage of convenience that will last exactly one year. Long enough for society to stop gossiping. Long enough for the press to lose interest. Then they’ll quietly annul their unconsummated union.

Left without choices, Angela agrees. But Sunny is no longer the sweet but awkward boy she grew up with—and who once loved her. A mysterious trip abroad has transformed him into a surly, secretive beast of a rake who can’t seem to stand the sight of her. Nor is Angela the romantic girl who once danced all night under the moon. She’s a heartbroken beauty trapped in a fake marriage that can’t end soon enough.

To avoid the chattering crowds, Angela and Sunny flee London to spend their year of marriage in Paris. But what they don’t take into consideration is that emotions aren’t particularly rational . . . especially when there’s only one bed in the gothic kitten-laden chateau they’re stuck inside near the Bois de Boulogne. 

Forced proximity reveals hidden depths, turning their marriage of convenience into a messy affair of the heart. Will Angela and Sunny's dance of desire come to an end, destroying everything they hold dear—including their friendship?

Standalone romance that can be read out of series order. Includes an extended excerpt from The Poetics of Passion by Delphine Ross.

PREVIOUS PRAISE FOR DELPHINE ROSS:

"A beguiling Victorian romance filled with secret identities, hidden passion, and family loyalty . . . for fans of Evie Dunmore, Mimi Matthews, and Emily Sullivan." — Historical Novel Review

“Charming and sexy . . . a novel that will enchant readers!” — ELIZA KNIGHT, USA Today bestselling author of The Rebel Wears Plaid

“Chock full of compelling characters, charm, and heartfelt emotion.”— HARPER ST. GEORGE, author of The Duchess Takes a Husband

“Delphine Ross conjures . . . the era with a master hand. A fascinating read!”— MIMI MATTHEWS, USA Today bestselling author of The Belle of Belgrave Square