Rich and beautiful, Lady Felicity Winterbourne has traveled the world in search of a place she can call home. And while there are many gentlemen eager to oblige her every wish, she knows that their ardor has more to do with her lavish dowry than true affection.

When she meets the roguish Gerald FitzDesmond, Earl of Kilgarvan, tales of his ramshackle Irish estate seize her imagination. Abandoning decorum, Felicity proposes a marriage of convenience, with the proviso—lest Gerald prove to be yet another fortune–hunter—that she holds the purse strings.

His dark looks and undeniable charm, however, soon complicate Felicity's practical arrangement with the dizziest of desires. Meanwhile, the hard–headed Gerald finds himself becoming enchanted with his insubordinate new bride. But will either of these strong–willed souls be able to yield enough to hold on to their unlikely love?