An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here Formerly titled The Wallflower’s Wicked Wager He loved her beyond anything and everything—precisely why he must never marry her. Love—sentimental drivel for weak, feckless fools. Since an explosion ravaged Captain Morgan Le Draco’s face and cost him his commission in the Royal Dragoons, he’s fortified himself behind a rampart of cynicism and distrust. He’s put aside all thoughts of marrying until he risks his life to save a drowning woman. At once, Morgan knows Shona’s the balm for his tortured soul. But as a wealthy noblewoman, she’s far above his humble station and can never be his. Love—a treasured gift reserved for those beautiful of form and face. Scorned and ridiculed most of her adult life, Shona Atterberry believes she’s utterly undesirable and is reconciled to spinsterhood. She hides her spirited temperament beneath a veneer of shyness. Despite how ill-suited they are, and innuendos that Captain Le Draco is a fortune-hunter, she cannot escape her growing fascination. Two damaged souls searching for love. Shona is goaded into placing a wicked wager. One that sets her upon a ruinous path and alienates the only man who might have ever loved her. Is true love enough to put their pasts behind them, to learn to trust, and to heal their wounded hearts. Though this book can easily be read as a stand-alone, most readers prefer to read the series in order.