The trouble with lies is they have a tendency to catch a man out.

The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, wants is a wife. But since the only way to keep his mother's matchmaking ways at bay is the promise of impending nuptials, Hugh takes the most logical action: he invents a fake fiancée.

It's the perfect plan - until Hugh learns that his mother is on a ship bound for England to meet his 'beloved'. He needs a solution fast, and when he collides with a mysterious beauty, he might just have found the answer to his prayers.

Minerva Merriwell is desperate for money to support her sisters, and although she knows that posing as the Earl's fiancée might seem nonsensical, it's just too good an offer to refuse.

As the Merriwells descend upon Hugh's estate, the household is thrown into turmoil as everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight. And with Hugh and Minerva's romantic ruse turning into the real thing, is true love just one complication too many?