Miss Julianna Martins has never allowed herself a moment to consider the rakes of London. She is not at all considered a ‘diamond of the first water’ and will soon be a spinster. However, a moment of mistaken identity sets her into a whirlwind of both horror and delight—and she is forced to wed a rake she has never once set eyes on before.
Lord Altringham enjoys the London pleasures and is considered to be a rake. When he drunkenly confuses Julianna with one of his paramours, society demands he marry a lady he never met. When her husband leaves her in the country and returns to London, Julianna plucks up the courage to take a step forward in her life. With the help of a trusted friend, she sets out to force her husband to not only engage with her but perhaps, just perhaps, fall in love with her too.