In the third and final installment of the best-selling Duke trilogy, the author portrays Colin Ramsey, Duke of Newark, as a serious lover of opera (and of a certain opera singer). The handsome playboy is faced with a dilemma, however, when the plain, bespectacled Charlotte suggests they wed so that she can have financial security and he can finally claim the intoxicating opera star as his own. Unfortunately, Charlotte and Colin have difficulty adjusting to her two completely opposite personas; neither of them seem quite sure when or if Lottie English should emerge at home, and more specifically in the bedroom.

But Charlotte isn’t the only one with an identity crisis. Colin successfully hides his past transgressions and current occupation from her. Throughout the early months of their marriage, trust remains the primary concern. It’s hard to really blame Charlotte for being suspicious, though; Colin’s good looks and reputation for romancing the ladies make it hard to accept that he’s truly in love with her less glamorous side.

Complicating their situation are two related subplots: Charlotte’s impoverished brother may undermine her singing career, and someone at the opera house is trying to steal her prized sheet music. The main story reveals true human frailties relating to identity and insightful (and quite passionate) glimpses into gender differences concerning intimacy. The subplots are easily predictable by the end of the story, but the romance should be enough to entice readers through to the epilogue, which takes place three years later.