With her father dead, her fortune stolen, and her fiancé casting her aside, Miss Drusilla Merriweather's privileged life has been upended. She is left with only one option: to provide for her family by opening a finishing school in the allegedly haunted castle she's inherited from her eccentric aunt. However, her plan is immediately threatened by unscrupulous developers keen on claiming the coveted estate for themselves, by any means necessary. Mr. Rhenick Wittenbecker, a dashing architect with a tendency to charm his way out of trouble, is convinced he can protect Drusilla but is challenged by her fierce independence. Yet when strange occurrences—walking suits of armor and unexpected ghostly visitors—arise within castle grounds, Drusilla must decide whether to risk her family's safety and her school on the gallant architect who seems to have found his way into her heart. In this entrancing series starter, Turano presents a tale of laugh-out-loud adventure, swoon-worthy romance, and delightful mischief in the Gilded Age.

Annaliese Merriweather has been appointed the temporary headmistress of the Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies while her sister is on her honeymoon, but she doesn't feel cut out for the role. Especially after she loses two of her most troublesome students during an outing to a county fair and has to recruit the help of Seth McCormick, an eccentric inventor, to retrieve them. Soon after, one of those mischievous students disappears again, intent on pursuing a pirate map. Together, Annaliese and Seth set out to find her, accompanied by a menagerie of Annaliese's rescued animal companions. As they stumble from one chaotic situation to the next, sparks fly between Annaliese and Seth. Somehow, they'll need to outwit dangerous individuals also intent on seeking treasure and bring everyone back in one piece—all while deciphering what their hearts desire. With her trademark voice and witty characters, bestselling author Jen Turano presents a lively tale of hijinks, humor, and romance amid the Merriweather Academy's most tumultuous term yet.