Roderick Stratford, Earl of Kirkwood has always believed in true and instant love. He expects he'll be struck by a lightning bolt when the "right" woman comes along. Miss Clarissa Lockhart doesn't care if she finds love, she knows her destiny in life is to marry well and raise her family's fallen fortunes. And because of the gift of a strict book of etiquette, she believes if she can only behave exactly correctly, she can make that dream come true.

Clarissa's ire is sparked with Roderick arrives uninvited with her cousin to a gathering meant to help her find that perfect husband and the two spar. They also begin to see each other in a different light. But whatever fragile friendship they're forming is shattered when her grasping parents catch them in a compromising position and they're forced to marry.

Although passion comes easy, trust and hope are less so. Neither one of them chose this future, but can Roderick find a lightning bolt with the fascinating wife he never expected? And can Clarissa overcome her rigid expectations of propriety enough that she can see the value of true, forever love?