The Groom List

Intelligent. Kind. Must like children. Passable looks. A man of means. Must make us laugh . . . For Lady Alice Carpenter, these are some of the "musts" on the checklist compiled with her sisters as they husband-hunt among the ton. Yet when she encounters a striking nobleman on her morning ride in Hyde Park, Alice soon tallies another list of first impressions . . . Shallow. Flirtatious. Without seriousness of purpose. Impossible to avoid . . . Gifford, the Marquis of St. Albans, must wed in order to wrest his estate from his controlling father. How hard could it be to snag a suitable match? Waltzing with lovely Lady Alice at the Season's whirl of balls and soirees however, defies Giff's expectations: his dance moves are smooth but their small talk is excruciating—he offers up gossip sheet tidbits while she interrogates him on his charitable works—or lack thereof! Charming. Amusing. Irresistible . . . A disastrous idea? Alice is willing to entertain the possibility that there is more to the man than meets the eye. But when Giff's true character is tested, she realizes it takes more than a list to reveal the heart of a worthy and honorable gentleman . . . Contains mature themes.