Lady Philippa Marbury is . . . odd The brilliant, bespectacled daughter of a double marquess cares more for books than balls, for science than the season, and for laboratories than love. She's looking forward to marrying her simple fiancé and living out her days quietly with her dogs and her scientific experiments. But before that, Pippa has two weeks to experience all the rest—fourteen days to research the exciting parts of life. It's not much time, and to do it right she needs a guide familiar with London's darker corners. She needs . . . a Scoundrel She needs Cross, the clever, controlled partner in London's most exclusive gaming hell, with a carefully crafted reputation for wickedness. But reputations often hide the darkest secrets, and when the unconventional Pippa boldly propositions him, seeking science without emotion, she threatens all he works to protect. He is tempted to give Pippa precisely what she wants . . . but the scoundrel is more than he seems, and it will take every ounce of his willpower to resist giving the lady more than she ever imagined. *Starred Review* When in doubt, seek out an expert. As a scientist, Philippa Marbury knows the value of consulting with an authority, so when Pippa needs a man skilled in the art of seduction, she tracks down England’s most infamous rake: Mr. Cross. In two weeks, Pippa is scheduled to wed Lord Castleton, and she would like to learn more about what she can expect from her husband-to-be after the ceremony. Unfortunately for Pippa, Cross, part-owner of London’s most exclusive gaming hall, not only is unwilling to share his legendary “skills” with Pippa; he also makes her promise him that she will not seek out similar advice from any other man. Of course, as a good scientist Pippa knows there is a time to play by the rules, and then there are times you just have to break them. With her usual clever writing style, superb flair for historical detail, and gift for subtle characterization, MacLean constructs the second scintillating installment in her Rule of Scoundrels series (A Rogue by Any Other Name, 2012). Completely captivating and exquisitely sensual, this is a tour de force of wit and romance. --John Charles I cannot wait for you to see Cross & Pippa's story unfold-and I've saved one nugget of information for here, on my own blog, to thank you for coming over and joining me this week! Here's the thing: Pippa was never supposed to be a heroine. She was supposed to be a sweet side character in A Rogue By Any Other Name -- the odd younger sister who ends up married because that's what happens to odd younger sisters. And Cross was supposed to (get this!) marry a lady doctor. I had plans for him that involved neither ruination of engaged aristocratic misses nor falling head over heels for strange bespectacled beauties. Not to mention the fact that Temple's book was supposed to come first. I've never been one of those writers who has characters who speak to her. I am lord and deity over my books. I tell my heroes to do stuff and they do them, for heaven's sake. But...for some reason, for this book, I wasn't in charge. They were. To be more specific, Pippa was. She wanted her time in Cross's office and she wanted to know what she was missing out on, and she wanted...well...him. And she shocked me just as much as she shocked Cross, honestly. Suffice to say, she may not be my favorite heroine...and he may not be my favorite hero...but together they are absolutely my favorite couple. And I cannot wait for you to meet them. Lady Philippa Marbury is . . . odd The brilliant, bespectacled daughter of a double marquess cares more for books than balls, for science than the season, and for laboratories than love. She's looking forward to marrying her simple fiancé and living out her days quietly with her dogs and her scientific experiments. But before that, Pippa has two weeks to experience all the rest—fourteen days to research the exciting parts of life. It's not much time, and to do it right she needs a guide familiar with London's darker corners. She needs . . . a Scoundrel She needs Cross, the clever, controlled partner in London's most exclusive gaming hell, with a carefully crafted reputation for wickedness. But reputations often hide the darkest secrets, and when the unconventional Pippa boldly propositions him, seeking science without emotion, she threatens all he works to protect. He is tempted to give Pippa precisely what she wants . . . but the scoundrel is more than he seems, and it will take every ounce of his willpower to resist giving the lady more than she ever imagined. A life-long romance reader, Sarah MacLean wrote her first romance novel on a dare, and never looked back. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romances translated into more than twenty languages, a romance columnist, and the co-host of the weekly romance novel podcast, Fated Mates. A graduate of Smith College and Harvard University, she lives in