Judith O'Brien crafts a sparkling Regency love story in which all the ton's a stage....

Lucius Ashford arrives in Ireland to witness a duel involving provocative playwright Edgar St. John. Nothing could distract the infamous English rogue from his mission -- nothing except the enchanting loveliness of Emily Fairfax. Only after a sparking attraction takes hold does Emily make a shocking disclosure: She is Edgar St. John! Words fly, sharper than any blade -- and the deepest wounds are to each of their vulnerable hearts.

For Emily, the pen is mightier than the sword...as she targets Ashford's notorious antics in a rousing satire that receives a grand London premiere. But just as her longing heart hides behind a nom de plume, she glimpses in London the real Lucius Ashford -- a man of deep compassion and truly her perfect match. Now, with the roles reversing in her own off-stage drama, Emily discovers what she must do to win back the man she desired from his first entrance...."Judith O'Brien crafts a sparkling Regency love story in which all the ton's a stage.... Lucius Ashford arrives in Ireland to witness a duel involving provocative playwright Edgar St. John. Nothing could distract the infamous English rogue from his mission -- nothing except the enchanting loveliness of Emily Fairfax. Only after a sparking attraction takes hold does Emily make a shocking disclosure: She is Edgar St. John! Words fly, sharper than any blade -- and the deepest wounds are to each of their vulnerable hearts. For Emily, the pen is mightier than the sword...as she targets Ashford's notorious antics in a rousing satire that receives a grand London premiere. But just as her longing heart hides behind a nom de plume, she glimpses in London the real Lucius Ashford -- a man of deep compassion and truly her perfect match. Now, with the roles reversing in her own off-stage drama, Emily discovers what she must do to win back the man she desired from his first entrance.... "