Edwin Barlow, The Earl of Blakeborough, has long been thought of as a bit stodgy and blunt, even by those closest to him. One thing about the earl though, is he can definitely be counted on. That's why when his friends Warren must suddenly leave on an unexpected family matter, he asks Edwin to keep an eye on his cousin Clarissa. 
 Clarissa has been dealing with a suitor whose unwanted attentions have gotten rather stalker-like as of late. While she, too, is of the idea that Edwin is rather dry she feels safe with him and gladly welcomes his help. But when things escalate with Clarissa's stalker, her and Edwin are forced to marry. 
 Although this marriage of convenience may not solve all their problems, can it at least turn into a love match? 
 I liked the whole "marriage of convenience" story, but I felt like it took to long to actually get to the marriage part. Therefore, there wasn't enough time to explore the push and pull within Edwin and Clarissa's new status as husband and wife. Their interactions were great and of course when you're married there is a different dynamic than when you are just the older brother of your best friend or just the cousin of your good friend as Edwin and Clarissa are to each other. I felt like a lot of that got rushed through. 
 Regardless of this, though, the chemistry between Edwin and Clarissa is undeniable. 
 Despite what some characters may think of Edwin, I really find his bluntness and his penchant for not really understanding women to be quite endearing. I was happy to see that this trait of his personality didn't really change even when we started seeing him in a new light as Clarissa's love interest. He remained his own unique self, yet it was still nice seeing him grow a bit and get to see different sides of his personality. 
 I liked that despite not knowing everything about one another, both Edwin and Clarissa still inherently understand who the other person is. The appearance of Clarissa's stalker brings back some not-so-happy memories for her, memories that make Clarissa doubt herself and her actions. They are fears that Edwin understands and something that draws them closer. 
 Overall, I liked this second book in the series, but I believe I like Yvette and Jeremy's book (The Art of Sinning) just a bit more. Still, you can definitely pick this book up and enjoy it without having read the first book. 
 *ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.