A single kiss could scandalize a season or, stir something far more dangerous. As Christmas décor adorns the halls of Winterberry Manor, the air crackles with more than just the anticipation of the upcoming holiday season . Marian Whitham, amidst her third season, knows her prospects are dwindling as the marriage season approaches. Facing spinsterhood, her father signs a marriage agreement for her to marry London’s most undesirable man until an unforgettable kiss under the mistletoe changes everything. Captain Johnathan Radley, a man of duty and honor, arrives in London for business with love far from his mind. Little does he know that one chance encounter with a woman with thorns as sharp as her tongue will capture his heart like no other. Among the glittering ballrooms and whispered scandals, will their love blossom like a winter rose, or will the frost of social expectations threaten to halt their passion before it even starts