Long, Julie Anne (Romance author). Palace of rogues.

Avon romance.

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 with whom he has an indiscretion that kills their dreams for their futures. 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