As a member of the Husband Hunters Club in London, mischievous Marissa Rotherhild has set her cap for Honorable George Kent. With parents dedicated to stuffy botany interests and traipsing her on cold expeditions in the wilderness, George makes her feel alive and full of laughter and love. George's invitation to a weekend party at his home in Surry, Abbey Thorne Manor, is not as expected when Marissa totes her unconventional grandmother along to chaperone in snaring her prey, only to find him away.

George's older brother, Lord Valentine Kent, is irritated by the unexpected visitors -- until he views the beautiful visitor in question. Lord Kent, known to be "the" expert on roses, has his own quest in searching for his family's ancestral treasure, the Crusader's Rose. While in search of the Rose, Marissa and Valentine fall in love. Threats come from the deranged Baron Von Hautt, also competing for the discovery of the Rose. Constantly being threatened and attacked by the Baron, the chase is on and family secrets are to be revealed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Set in 1837, Marissa is not the traditional prissy and coddled female. She has fire and spirit and a very inquisitive mind spurred on by an equally free-spirited grandmother with unconventional beliefs. Targeting her sights from George to Valentine is not something Marissa had in her well-laid plans. I loved Marissa's willful and experimental character. This story contains lots of mystery and excitement.

Book Summary

A most wicked education...

Marissa Rotherhild has always behaved exactly as a proper lady should, and it has done absolutely nothing for her. So now she has made a most sinful proposal.

She wants to live only for pleasure, and she wants Lord Valentine Kent to instruct her in the ways of love and lust. Caring not for scandal or the whispers of society, she craves his every wanton touch.

It is every rake’s fantasy.

Lord Valentine Kent has never before been so tempted. Though he is every bit the gentleman, from the moment Marissa arrives at his country estate he can think of nothing but her wild, dark curls and luscious curves. But submitting to passion must wait until he completes the search for an ancestral treasure.

It is a most honorable endeavor.

But Kent and Marissa will soon discover that even the best of intentions is no match for a desire as desperate as theirs . . .