Prince Nikolai of Holtswig arrives in London seeking to stay low while unrest brews at home, but an assassination attempt at a society ball forces him into a risky bargain with the British government: he must present himself as engaged to a proper Englishwoman to secure protection. He asks childhood friend Lady Roberta Ashton to pose as his fiancée. Roberta, who once harbored a summer crush on Niki, agrees—prompting a season of forced proximity, guarded confessions, and growing attraction. As threats against Nikolai escalate, the pair must navigate social expectations, family ties, and political danger while deciding whether their pretend engagement can become something real. Alongside the central pair, warm secondary threads—Roberta’s spirited sister Antonia, Niki’s aunt Matilda, and other Ashton relations—add domestic humor and depth as loyalties and secrets surface.
I enjoyed this story for its blend of familiar tropes and emotional warmth: a slow-building friends-to-lovers arc, a fake engagement premise that allows intimacy and tension to develop, and the safety-versus-risk stakes that sharpen romantic moments. The novel balances courtly danger with cozy domestic scenes and secondary-characters’ subplots, offering both simmering attraction and lighter, charming family dynamics. Fans who appreciate a quietly heroic, socially guarded hero thawing under a spirited heroine’s influence—and readers who like their romance threaded with gentle suspense rather than nonstop action—will find this a satisfying read. A definite add to your TBR pile and a continuation of a fun series.
This book is set to be published May 19, 2026 by Forever (Grand Central Publishing). Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC.
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