Rule #1: Trust No One At the age of fourteen, Elizabeth Townsend lost everything-her home, her family, and her fortune. Hunted and on the run from a man she doesn't even know, she's used her wits to survive her dire circumstances. Now, eight years later, a new clue to her parents' whereabouts forces an unwanted return to London. A grateful earl is a complication she doesn't need, but that's exactly what she gets when she throws herself in front of a speeding carriage to save a handsome stranger. While recuperating from her injuries at his home, she discovers that the Earl of Ashby just may be the safe harbor she's needed all along. But will her dark past finally catch up with her, bringing danger right to his doorstep? Rule #2: Never Fall In Love After watching his mother's death destroy his father, Aidan Lockwood, Earl of Ashby, has no interest in matters of the heart. He has an estate to manage, a business to run, and a sister to see happily settled. His life is orderly, quiet, and unremarkable. That is, until the night Elizabeth Townsend barrels into it-literally. Despite his vow, his shuttered heart is drawn to his mysterious guest, a woman he absolutely should not want, but is powerless to resist. Worse yet is his overwhelming desire to protect her. As he's pulled deeper into her web of secrets, it becomes clear she's in serious trouble. Will he risk everything he's built for his own safety in order to save her instead? Rule #3: Rules Are Meant To Be Broken Find a strong heroine and a cinnamon roll hero in this victorian England historical romance that explores love across class differences and a woman with a mysterious past. Trigger warning: this book recounts an abusive relationship (no actual on page occurrences)