She has been disappointed in love. He won’t let her forget.

Lady Dorothea Fitzwater knows what it feels like to be in love—and how much it hurts when it ends. Branded a jilt after her brief engagement to Lord Treadway, Thea embraces the reputation society gives her, rejecting every gentleman who seeks her hand. She yearns to love again, but builds barricades around her heart, fearing more disappointment.

A younger son with no prospects, Montague Pope has carved himself a place in society, shocking the ton with his garish waistcoats, and entertaining them all with his verse. Only one person inspires Monty to write poisonous poetry that makes his audience squirm—Lady Dorothea Fitzwater. The woman who broke his best friend’s heart.