And the Miss Ran Away with the Rake

Tabitha Timmons is going to marry the Duke of Preston (as chronicled in Along Came a Duke), but her best friend, Daphne Dale, is still searching for her own happy ending. Usually prim, proper, and practical, Daphne has spent the past month secretly penning passionate missives to a "sensible gentleman" she met via an advertisement in the Morning Chronicle. When they finally meet at Tabitha's engagement ball, it's love at first sight%E2%80%94but the gentleman is Lord Henry Seldon and the sparks are from the centuries-old Dale-Seldon feud. Daphne is not ready to buck generations of hatred and defy her family for a Seldon rogue, even if she likes his good humor, opinions, and sense of duty. Henry is also horror-struck that his perfect woman is one of the over-proud Dales, but he can't keep his hands to himself. Henry and Daphne are willfully blind to how perfect they are for each other, so every encounter is entertaining and slightly manic. They clash constantly, but their kisses are sizzling. Their eventual mutual epiphany, complete with a madcap race to Scotland, is the perfect finishing touch to this delightful Regency. (Apr.)