Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover: The Fourth Rule of Scoundrels

MacLean's fourth and final Scoundrels historical (after No Good Duke Goes Unpunished) proves that romance can happen in the most unusual circumstances. In 1830s England, Lady Georgiana Pearson, a duke's sister, has been forced to reinvent herself after being ruined by a stable boy. She is respectable Georgiana by day, but by night, she has not one but two secret identities: Anna, the most powerful madam in London, and Chase, Anna's crafty business partner, who's widely believed to be a man. Georgiana is determined to marry a titled gentleman, and newspaper magnate Duncan West agrees to help her seal the deal. But Duncan is drawn to Georgiana himself, and she to him. Soon they form an intimate connection, with many deep emotional developments that propel the story. Though they eventually decide to act on their attraction, they struggle with the knowledge that they can never wed; Duncan fears the revelation of buried secrets that could destroy him, and Georgiana believes that only a title can help her daughter escape the stain of bastardy. Series readers will be blown away by the revelation of Chase's identity, and will cheer on Duncan and Georgiana as they bring their complex relationship to a riveting conclusion. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Agency. (Dec.)