When a headstrong spinster and a determined bachelor find out that their parents have arranged for them to marry, they refuse to surrender to fate. Instead, they decide to do anything to win back their freedom – even if that means engaging in mad schemes and shockingly improper behavior to drive each other away.

For Lady Amelia Staunton, marriage is a dangerous trap. She secretly writes popular Gothic romances, and a husband could stop her from ever publishing again. Malcolm MacCabe already leads one of the most ungovernable clans in the Highlands – the last thing he wants is a willful wife on top of his other burdens. But their ludicrous attempts to infuriate each other quickly flare into a passion that Malcolm can’t deny and that Amelia is all too eager to explore.

As they begin to see through each other’s gunshot wounds, fake French fiancés, and generally appalling behavior, they realize that they may be perfectly matched. But they aren’t sure that sex, laughter, and a shared love of absurdity are reason enough to sacrifice their freedoms – especially when neither will admit how they truly feel. Ultimately, Amelia must decide whether she can keep both her dream career and the man she has begun to love. And Malcolm has to choose between his idealized bachelorhood and the reality of the woman who has captured his heart.