Se trata de una tentadora guía de seducción que explica justo lo que la joven necesita. Ella sabe que debe casarse con un millonario; en la Inglaterra de 1815 no existen demasiadas opciones para una muchacha sin bienes familiares que, además, tiene tres hermanos menores que mantener. Su suerte parece mejorar aún más cuando James Sidwell, el sobrino de lady Danbury, se ofrece como voluntario para que Elizabeth aplique los conocimientos que acaba de adquirir. Y lo que comienza como un juego desatará una verdadera pasión entre ellos, aunque lo que Elizabeth no sabe es que los designios del amor pueden ser bastante complicados, porque James--presunto administrador de la propiedad--oculta un secreto sobre la nobleza de sus orígenes.

Elizabeth Hotchkiss needs to marry a wealthy man, and fast. The oldest child of four well-bred orphans, she's managed to keep the wolf from their door for years, but she's running out of options. The only marriage prospect in sight is her landlord, Squire Nevins, but his lecherous gaze makes Elizabeth's skin crawl. So when she discovers the book How to Marry A Marquis in her employer's library, she impulsively stuffs it into her reticule and takes it home. Encouraged by her insistent sister, Elizabeth reluctantly agrees to learn the book's rules well enough to catch a monied husband. But first, she must find a man to practice her wiles on. Enter James Sidwell, the Marquis of Riverdale. Posing as the new estate manager per his beloved Aunt Danbury's instructions, he just happens to arrive at the Danbury estate on the very day that Elizabeth discovers the book. Is it too coincidental that James's Aunt Danbury needs his assistance in catching a blackmailer at the precise moment that Elizabeth needs a guinea pig? Perhaps, but neither Elizabeth nor James have reason to suspect that they're being lovingly maneuvered.