I'm only wicked with you / Julie Anne Long.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long continues her Palace of Rogues series with a brand-new romance about an ambitious American and a headstrong British heiress.

He's the battle-hardened son of a bastard, raised in the wilds of New York. She's the sheltered, blue-blooded darling of the London broadsheets, destined to marry a duke. Their worlds could only collide in a boardinghouse by the London docks...and when they do, the sparks would ignite all of England.

Nothing can stop Hugh Cassidy's drive to build an American empire...unless it's his new nemesis, the arrogant, beautiful, too-clever-by-half Lady Lillias Vaughn. The fascination is mutual. The temptation is merciless. And the inevitable indiscretion Soul-searing--and the ruination of them both. Hugh's proposal salvages Lillias's honor but kills their dreams for their futures...until they arrive at a plan that could honorably set them free.

But unraveling their entanglement inadvertently uncovers enthralling truths: about Lillias's wounded, tender heart and fierce spirit. About Hugh's stunning gentleness, depth, and courage. Soon Hugh knows that as surely as he'd fight a thousand battles to win her...the best way to love Lillias means breaking his own heart.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

When Lady Lillias Vaughn first arrives at the Grand Palace on the Thames with her family, she can't wait to check out. However, much to her surprise, she soon finds herself seduced by the welcome sense of coziness the idiosyncratic boarding house on the London docks bestows upon its guests. Alas, Lillias' newfound sense of security is soon shattered when she crosses paths and figurative swords with fellow guest Hugh Cassidy, a rough-around-the-edges yet irresistibly charming American on a mission for his old employer. Both Hugh and Lillias have carefully mapped out their futures, but those plans take an unexpected detour once the two discover they share an off-the-charts attraction for each other. Long (Angel in a Devil's Arms, 2019) once again works her unique brand of alchemy in the latest addictively readable addition to her Palace of Rogues series by deftly combining a captivating cast of characters with lissome writing enriched by a generous measure of swoon-worthy sensuality and an abundance of deliciously tart wit.

Kirkus Book Review

An unexpected interlude turns antagonists into allies--and lovers--in Regency England. In the third addition to the charming Palace of Rogues boardinghouse series, Lady Lillias Vaughn butts heads with American merchant and aspiring politician Hugh Cassidy. Hugh is in England to locate the runaway daughter of his mentor, and Lillias is temporarily lodged at the women-run rental property with her family while their grand home is under renovation. From their first encounter, the two headstrong protagonists are like duelists, with every scene a battle against each other and their attraction. But Lillias is also secretly grieving thwarted hopes, and Hugh is trying to reconcile his pull to her with his dream of a biddable helpmate who will aid his political ambitions in New York. As their fiery interactions start to compete with Lillias' yearnings and Hugh's plans, a moment of indiscretion forces the couple into facing their true desires. Then a third plot turn leaves their choices hanging in the balance. Though tonally nimble and similar to Mary Balogh's novels in its layered meditation on loss, sacrifice, and mature desire, the story valorizes American classlessness and freedom against British hierarchy and constraints in a way that strikes an off note. Yet Long's distinctive metaphor-rich style is a treat, a visual and textural tapestry that expresses the characters' emotional lives through their senses. She suffuses the prose with images of fire and musical reverberations, distilling into them the erotic affection, sensual banter, and crackling chemistry that arcs between the combatant lovers. You'll be seduced by this fake-engagement romance set at the London docks. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.