At the age of 10, Miss Miranda Cheever fell in love with her best friend's brother, Viscount Turner. After she's ridiculed about her gangly and plain appearance, he soothes her hurt feelings and reassures her she will grow into her unusual looks. Miranda keeps her schoolgirl crush hidden and records her thoughts and dreams in her diary. As the years fly by, Miranda watches from afar as Turner marries a deceitful and hateful woman who changes the carefree man into a bitter cynic. When she meets Turner at his wife's funeral, Miranda decides its time to make him really see her. She's more than just his little sister's best friend.

Nigel Bevelstoke, Viscount Turner, fell madly in love and gave his heart to his beautiful wife. His ideal marriage turned into a nightmare as he learned she cuckold him from the very beginning. After her accidental death, Turner rejoices that he's free and swears he will never remarry. Instead of returning to the country, Turner's mother blackmails him into helping with his sister's debut in London. Turner encounters Miranda, the precocious and funny child who's grown into a clever young woman with the uncanny talent to see right through him.

Miranda's plans to heal Turner go awry when she discovers how deeply his pain engulfs him. Turner rejects Miranda and lashes out, trying to keep her away. But it's hard when he enjoys her company and desires her so much. She deserves a man who can love her and that part of his heart is dead. Miranda persists, refusing to accept defeat, even when the cost means losing her own peace of mind.

After tackling the Bridgerton family, best-selling author Julia Quinn enchants readers with a story about remarkable characters engaged in deep emotional trials that make it impossible to put down. Add to the mix Ms. Quinn's trademark wit and charm and this tale becomes a treasure!

Book Summary

2 March 1810 . . .
Today, I fell in love.

At the age of ten, Miranda Cheever showed no signs of Great Beauty. And even at ten, Miranda learned to accept the expectations society held for her—until the afternoon when Nigel Bevelstoke, the handsome and dashing Viscount Turner, solemnly kissed her hand and promised her that one day she would grow into herself, that one day she would be as beautiful as she already was smart. And even at ten, Miranda knew she would love him forever.

But the years that followed were as cruel to Turner as they were kind to Miranda. She is as intriguing as the viscount boldly predicted on that memorable day—while he is a lonely, bitter man, crushed by a devastating loss. But Miranda has never forgotten the truth she set down on paper all those years earlier—and she will not allow the love that is her destiny to slip lightly through her fingers . . .

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