Lily Lawson is beautiful, wild, reckless, and the toast of the Ton. She's been ostracized by her family for her behavior, but when she finds that her younger, gentle sister Penny is to marry in a loveless marriage, Lily agrees to help Penny's real love and stop the wedding. However, Alex, Earl of Raiford, is determined to marry Penny. He wants a loveless, bland marriage because of the death of his earlier fiancee. Lily makes him crazy with her exploits, but she also brings him out of the shell he's been living in. But Lily has her own issues; she fears and dislikes most men, and she's being blackmailed by a man who holds her young daughter. 
 This is a great story. I read the second book in the series first a while ago, so I knew that Lily and Alex got together, but the how of it kept me riveted. Lisa Kleypas is a wonderful romance writer. She made the transformation of both Alex and Lily totally believable, and their love was truly evident in all their actions. Alex knows how to calm Lily without controlling her, and Lily finds trust in a man for maybe the first time in her life. I read the book all in one go; it's that kind of book. Wonderful story.