LESSON THREE: When your conniving stepmother pursues your fortune, seek out a handsome gentleman for a fake engagement.

Seraphina Livingston returns to the United States after ten years abroad, only to learn she will inherit her father's fortune once she marries or turns twenty-five. Her stepmother, furious at being overlooked in the will, sets out to ensure Seraphina never sees a penny. Forced into hiding, Seraphina takes a position as a decorum instructor at the Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies in Chicago, where she spends her days in disguise.

Mr. Harrington Dashwood, a rough-around-the-edges gentleman, is seeking a bit of polish before braving New York high society to reconcile with estranged family. Upon encountering Seraphina, he strikes a deal with her: She will refine his manners, and he will escort her to New York as her faux fiancé, giving her access to her inheritance. But as their arrangement unfolds, Seraphina finds herself drawn to Harrington. With her scheming stepmother closing in, Seraphina must outmaneuver her before the danger becomes too great to allow love a fighting chance.

With her quirky characters, witty banter, and lively escapades, Jen Turano paints another exhilarating and humorous adventure. Perfect for fans of Angela Bell, this historical Gilded Age novel is an opposites-attract rom-com packed with forced proximity, mistaken identity, a fake relationship, and slow-burn romance.